Legend Management Bureau Chapter 428

[ … words ]

When You Si went to find A Can and A Kui, the two brothers looked entirely different.

Not only had they become humble and courteous, but they had also mastered a myriad of skills.

It seemed the Mohist School truly kept their word. Although You Si had failed to fulfill her promise, the Mohists had consistently treated the two brothers as honored guests, providing them with the utmost hospitality.

You Si had originally intended to seek out the brothers under the guise of “saving” them before demanding their souls. Yet, faced with their current situation, she simply could not bring herself to ask.

After all, the two were living far too well. Just like the young man she had encountered days prior, they carried others in their hearts. What need did they have for her to “save” them?

‘Can “humanity”… actually change?’

Perhaps over these long years, You Si had also changed.

“Mother, you disappeared for so long. Why did you suddenly come looking for us?” A Can asked. “If there is anywhere we can help, please just say the word.”

“I…” You Si froze. Unable to force the words out, she merely sighed and changed the subject. “Have you… been well?”

A Kui nodded in agreement. “Yes, we are truly humbled. Although we missed you dearly, Mother, our teacher is also our great benefactor.”

You Si nodded silently, a sudden realization dawning on her.

She had once declared that everyone in this world deserved to live their own life. She had no right to strip that away from them.

She turned around, ready to leave, but suddenly recalled another statement she had made—

Everyone in this world deserved the right to choose.

At this thought, she turned back and asked with utmost solemnity, “I… I would like to ask a favor of you. If you feel it is inappropriate, you are entirely free to refuse.”

The two paused, glancing at You Si in sheer confusion. “Mother… you seem to have changed.”

“Changed?”

“Yes.” The two nodded in unison before A Kui spoke up. “Mother, you never would have said such things in the past. Furthermore, there is no need to be so polite with us. Our lives belong to you; you saved us. Why would you ever need to ask for a ‘favor’?”

“I…” Gazing at these two kind-hearted brothers, her heart ached terribly. Yet, as much as she valued their lives, her desperation to escape this eternal, immortal nightmare was stronger.

Steeling herself, You Si opened her mouth and slowly uttered a few words.

A Can and A Kui froze for a brief moment before exchanging a meaningful glance.

You Si knew they would never agree.

“I wish to harvest both of your souls”—who in their right mind would ever consent to such a request?

But in the very next second, the two brothers simultaneously retrieved sharp knives from their robes, pressing the gleaming blades against their own throats.

“Mother, do you need them right now?”

You Si’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “Y-you two…”

“Mother, we love the people of this world, but we love you just as much,” A Can said with a gentle smile. “If offering up our souls can bring an end to your slaughter, then nothing could be better.”

Under You Si’s horrified gaze, the two people who loved and revered her more than anyone else in the world ended their own lives.

Using the jar Meng Po had given her beforehand, You Si collected their drifting souls before quietly leaving the scene.

According to unofficial historical records, the two most outstanding disciples of the Mohist scholar Meng Sheng slit their own throats on the exact same day. However, the texts never recorded their names.

Even more tragically, not even You Si knew their true names.

“If we meet again in the next life, I promise to repay this immense debt of gratitude.”

Although You Si had made that vow, Du Yu knew all too well how utterly ironic it was.

When You Si and the two brothers eventually reunited, neither party had any memory of the other.

After taking the brothers’ souls, You Si felt as though a massive boulder was crushing her chest. Even her breathing grew ragged and heavy.

The crushing guilt was far more agonizing than being squeezed to death alive.

At the exact moment Meng Po finished brewing that fateful bowl of soup, massive rifts in time and space tore through the scenery before Du Yu’s eyes.

Everything began to slowly crumble and collapse around him.

But these spatial rifts were entirely different from the ones he had seen before. They expanded rapidly, completely spiraling out of control.

Once the jagged tears covered the entire sky, an earth-shattering boom echoed through the heavens. The sky and the earth shattered instantly, exploding outward like a colossal pane of glass.

Countless fragments scattered into the void, with each individual shard transforming into an independent pocket dimension. Each fragment played out a different story from varying timelines and spaces.

As the floating shards drifted past him, Du Yu could hear the overlapping voices of countless people echoing from within. When the fragments drifted away, the voices faded into silence.

Looking up once more, Du Yu froze in sheer disbelief.

His surroundings had morphed into a pitch-black void where hundreds of millions of fragments drifted endlessly.

They glimmered like a dazzling galaxy.

Before him lay an otherworldly spectacle composed of countless spatial fragments. As they drifted past one another, their surfaces caught the light, shining brilliantly like an endless sea of stars.

Standing amidst this breathtaking sight felt akin to standing in the very heart of the cosmos.

This place felt like a miraculous dimension, yet it existed entirely independent of all other spaces.

Du Yu walked on thin air, continuing ever forward. As he traversed this fragment-filled void, a deeply bewildered expression crept onto his face.

He was a man who had traversed countless dimensions, yet he had never witnessed such a bizarre phenomenon.

“Where… is this?” Du Yu murmured, blinking in surprise. As he looked up, he spotted a lone figure.

Countless tiny space-time fragments continuously orbited the figure, who was currently seated upon a stone chair.

“Time!”

Du Yu roared and was just about to rush forward, but he instantly skidded to a halt. To his utter shock, Time was slowly rising to his feet.

Although his long hair still dragged across the ground, he no longer appeared to be chained to the stone chair beneath him.

The mysterious entity slowly lifted his head—and in the blink of an eye, he teleported directly in front of Du Yu.

Startled by the sudden movement, Du Yu stumbled back a step, completely unsure of what the entity intended to do.

Time let out a raspy, chilling chuckle before slowly opening his mouth to speak.

“Du Yu, I told you when we last parted… just the thought of meeting you again makes me tremble with pure excitement.”

“You… you…” Du Yu had countless questions he wanted to hurl at Time, yet at this crucial moment, words completely failed him.

Time cracked a terrifying smile and asked, “You have come to understand ‘humanity’, understood ‘yourself’, grasped the nature of ‘obsession’, and finally comprehended ‘time’. Tell me, how do you feel now?”

Du Yu took a deep breath, carefully reflecting on everything Time had shown him. A moment later, a strange calmness washed over him. He met the entity’s gaze and asked, “Time, that is the wrong question. What I should be asking is… what did you ‘want me to feel’?”

“Ha! Hahaha!” Time erupted into manic, frenzied laughter. “Du Yu, you truly are a master at playing the fool! You have been ruthlessly played by this world. You risked your life time and time again just to save those filthy, pathetic creatures. Everyone in this world is playing you for a fool! Do you truly still not understand?!”