CHAPTER 967: CHAPTER 964: "HELLO, SU MING’AN.

Dr. Su didn’t respond immediately.

"Come on, Dr. Su, it’s time for today’s session," the soldier urged.

Dr. Su smiled, "Chi. Of course, you can see me again; after all, I work here."

Chi also smiled, "Next time, let’s continue our conversation about playing in the mud!"

Dr. Su nodded.

Only when the iron door closed, and he left the Psychological Counseling Institute, reaching a place where no one could see him, did he slowly squat down, cover his face, and release an anguished wail that no one knew about.

The world is saved, but only after his death.

He must pass the Fireseed to the fiftieth person. Su Wensheng, at nineteen this year, is the most suitable age for passing on the Fireseed.

Someone will continue discussing playing in the mud with Chi. That is someone reputedly called "Su Ming’an" from the Otherworld. He might become the Alliance Hierarch of the Human Self-Rescue Alliance, the Vice Minister of the City Guardian Department, Dr. Su at the Psychological Counseling Institute, the high schooler Su Wensheng... becoming everyone who has passed.

Su Jihe covered his face, holding back useless tears, as his throat convulsed tightly.

...Please, I beg of you.

...Please, I beg of you.

...Even though I don’t know what kind of person you are, even though I don’t know how old you are, I’m sorry to burden you with this responsibility... Please.

He raised his head.

The moonlight tonight was still a glowing blue.

...

[No.50 final link the Fire Transmitter · WenSheng Su]

...

At nineteen, Su Wensheng took the last torch.

He stood before the orange cat’s tombstone, holding a blue glass bottle, his expression calm.

The summer sun burned fiercely, casting onto his exposed arms, which still bore the scars of beatings, as he continued to reflect on the girl who had jumped into the lake. It wasn’t her fault, but the fault of the teacher in the art classroom; she died because of this cruel world.

He patted down the soil over the orange cat and placed its favorite cat food there. Then, he went to another grave, placing a bouquet of paper chrysanthemums in front of Dr. Su Jihe’s grave, bowing deeply to the tombstone.

Finally, he went to the edge of his residential building, beneath the parasol tree that stood like a canopy, placing a bouquet of paper blue roses under the tree.

"Mom..." he said softly.

He still couldn’t visit her grave, nor could he leave this small city. It’s the only place protected by Li Mingyue, and once he leaves the city, even if Su Ming’an descends into this world, it would be perilous right from the start.

Su Wensheng stood for a long time.

"I don’t believe the world can change because of one person, or rather, your arrival, brings more than just you but many changes."

"But, thank you for being willing to be part of our world."

"Su Ming’an... is it?"

He murmured to himself, "How powerful must you be to confront deities?"

His memory still held many voices.

It was the cries of the starving people during the wars of his childhood, the sobs of the girl in the art classroom, the ugly and hypocritical laughter of the principal, the toasts shared by officials in the rain, the fabricated news on television, the endless abuse in the Ark Project research institute.

He stood in the sunlight but seemed to stand in the rain.

Su Wensheng himself had also made numerous efforts—for instance, using his identity as Alliance Hierarch of the Human Self-Rescue Alliance to contact Xin Yue remotely, using his identity as the Vice Minister of the City Guardian Department to contact the Cloaked Man, or recording various pieces to prevent himself from being swallowed by the memories of forty-nine people.

The Godfather said early spring in February was the best time for Su Ming’an’s arrival. Louyue Nation has been stuck for a year, and when Su Ming’an arrives, he can immediately clear the first level, leading the world with the identity of the "First Dream Patrol Family."

Whether it’s the happy high school identity or the countless vestments like a refreshing drama, the opening like Long Aotian—all are arranged with the sacrifices of countless lives and blood.

That’s all they could do for this Savior,

to have such a great starting point.

Long before Su Ming’an was even aware, so many had fallen in the rain behind him.

The threads of Destiny had already woven a complete web, waiting for that Savior to navigate—and then he would descend, become the First Dream Patrol Family, engage with the small town residents’ suffering, oppose the deities, take the college entrance examination, ascend to the world stage, investigate the Ark Project. Upon contacting the Ark Project, he would begin investigating the special medicine incident from nine years ago, tracing back to Su Lixian and Lin Yuzi, and all the way uncover the truth about the Fire Transmitters and the Fireseed.

"Destiny" flows like a constant, unstoppable river. Only they go against history.

"Godfather, can’t I not die?" Su Wensheng went to see Li Mingyue, "I don’t want to hand over the chance to save the world to someone else; I’m already the most suitable ’The Original’ now. If that Su Ming’an can do it, I can do it too."

He didn’t really want Su Ming’an to descend, giving the world to an unknown person.

Li Mingyue’s expression remained as calm as ever, "I also respect your choice, Wensheng. You can try."

Su Wensheng made many efforts.

He contacted the Old Day Church, giving a backup of the special medicine to the Vice Sect Hierarch Xiao Ying. According to Tang’s memory, Xiao Ying, though part of the Old Day Church, was a reliable person, and Xiao Ying could help preserve the special medicine.

"Then, if you ever need the special medicine, how should I return it to you?" Xiao Ying’s voice came through the communicator.

"Let’s use a code only you and I know." Su Wensheng said.

"What code?"

"’A drug that can exacerbate depression,’ let’s use that as the code." Su Wensheng said.

Xiao Ying was somewhat taken aback, then laughed heartily, "Alright, that’s indeed a very unique and hard-to-suspect code. You’re quite interesting. I said, are you interested in becoming the Sect Hierarch of the Old Day Church? The position is still vacant."

"No interest." Su Wensheng hung up the phone.

Su Wensheng had resolved to save the world. Since he considered himself as The Original, what Su Ming’an could achieve in the future, he believed he could also do. As long as he quietly planned in the small city, he would eventually find a way to resist the deities.

The net grew larger as he utilized his forty-nine identities, continually connecting with various forces, distributing the special medicine however he could, and secretly developing a formidable force that was gradually forming into a wildfire...

His network expanded, and he never realized, as broad as his vision was, he was still just a high school student who would tire after running a thousand meters. Even though he carried the wisdom of so many, he literally wasn’t strong enough without something akin to the "World Game."

He exhaled as he hung up the phone after making a new connection today, and the progress of salvation was going well.

"Phew..."

The night was exceptionally beautiful today, as he vaguely felt that he was being gently watched under the serene and compassionate blue full moon.

He wondered if the plump orange cat had lived, would it have seen such a beautiful moonlight while stepping on muddy water here, and then he thought of the girl, if, when she jumped into the lake, she had also seen such a beautiful moon?

Would all his efforts ultimately allow him to resist the deities?

"Bang..."

At that moment, he didn’t know what happened.

A gunshot rang out, a pain pierced through his heart.

In his vision, a group emerged in black wide-brimmed hats, roughly seizing and drowning him, his chest releasing profuse blood from the bullet hole, instantly reddening the lake surface.

Su Wensheng didn’t anticipate that someone would come to assassinate him.

He couldn’t lift his head, water clogged his nose and ears, he couldn’t speak, overwhelmed by the bitterness and suffocating pain invading his senses. He tried to lift his head, but was pressed down again and again. He immediately thought to call for help; as long as he could shout out Li Mingyue’s name, she would sense him and come to his rescue.

... If only he could call out Li Mingyue’s name, she would sense him.

He managed to lift his head amidst the bitter water, about to shout—

But at that very moment, he saw the corner of a pure white Bishop’s robe under the shadows of the trees by the shimmering lake, a pattern on the robe that he was very familiar with.

...Godfather.

...Even you’ve given up on me.

He finally understood—the reason he couldn’t save the world was that he wasn’t graced with the so-called "World Game," so despite his efforts, he could never be as powerful as that Su Ming’an; he couldn’t even defeat a group of assassins like him.

If it were Su Ming’an, would he be pressed into the lake water by this crowd of petty people?

The answer is already obvious.

"..."

He died, so Su Ming’an could come.

He suddenly laughed, his mouth full of bitter lake water, his nasal cavity still lingering with unbreathable water stains, laughing and coughing, not knowing what he was laughing about. Perhaps he realized that the responsibility he had struggled with for so long no longer needed to be borne, or perhaps he realized that his persistence was meaningless, realizing that he shouldn’t become the powerless one at the last hurdle.

In fact, during this time of relentless perseverance, he had always repeatedly questioned himself, could he really replace Su Ming’an to achieve salvation?

The cold stare of power, the numb masses, officials full of selfish desires, dying sheep, blind faith, invincible deities.

If it couldn’t be done—who would bear the life and death of billions in his place?

If it couldn’t be done—who would swallow the bitterness of billions in his place?

Salvation is truly not something one can achieve.

To hand over all responsibility to you, I’m sorry.

I’m not strong enough.

After all, I’m still an ordinary student, I’m still that person who couldn’t even save his own orange cat, I’m sorry.

His eyes ached, tears slid down his cheeks, mingling with blood.

...Deep down, he had already anticipated this.

This isn’t something that can be done by one person’s heroism.

Yet he still had one last thing to do.

So he used all his strength to run forward, running towards the depth of the lake in the stunned gazes of the crowd.

"What is he doing?"

"Why did he rush into the lake himself, with such a big penetrating wound in his chest, is he courting death..."

The youth lifted his head, gazing at the blue full moon in the sky—

He indifferently felt the numerous wounds on his body, as if he couldn’t see that the blood continued to flow from himself.

Under the moonlight, he brushed past the fierce wind, starting to imagine himself as a white bird or a blue rose, easily sweeping across the lake surface, soaring towards freedom.

He was someone who lacked motherly love—it turned out, he naturally lacked an umbilical connection with the world, which was why he needed the burden of responsibility and linking the fire to bind him firmly to fate.

At this moment, he was even thinking that if he could live a few more days, he might be able to buy the next batch of medicine for his grandma. Maybe he could even personally punish those who set up the art classroom.

The Fire Transmitters once bore the same blazing heat, the same burning. Undertaking the same consequence—finally, they burned fervently, diminished to ashes.

He thought, his blood was still boiling, it wasn’t this world that killed him, it was himself who killed himself. He hadn’t lost.

How was he not another Su Ming’an, knowing that he would be replaced by others, unable to resist his resentment and self-blame, how could he not collapse. He was merely a puppet of destiny. But at the end of his life, he finally, finally broke free from his shackles.

Congratulations, Su Wensheng, you are free now.

"This is my last battle, in Dao Ya City." Su Wensheng said to the air:

"Yet it is your first confrontation, in Dao Ya City."

"Su Ming’an, you won’t see me, but I wish you..."

The blue full moon was reflected in his eyes, drawing closer and closer.

——Yet it was only a reflection of the moon in the water.

He had mistaken the ocean spread across the land for moonlight, more than once.

He lowered his head, like a dragonfly skimming the water kissing the blue full moon in the water, water-colored ribbons bound his chest and neck, his back arched, forcing out the blood from his chest, his head of black hair grew closer and closer to the water’s surface——

A trace of imperceptible longing remained on the young face.

I admit I cannot save the world, I need to hand over the responsibility to you.

But it was myself who killed myself.

This world cannot kill me.

"Life is bright, peace and health forever."

"For lives upon lives, eternally everlasting..."

With a light sound, the moon in the water merged with the moon in the sky.

As if some sort of iron curtain was violently torn apart at this moment.

The youth fell into stillness, like the hazy light shimmered through the water. Before disappearing under the moonlight, he threw out the glass bottle in his arms, it shattered at the feet of Li Mingyue.

The last thought he had——

Beneath a certain day’s merciful, complete, tranquil blue moon,

——there was once a girl who also hopelessly jumped into the lake.

...

"My moon has already set."

"Your sun has just risen."

"I entrust the Fireseed to you with my death."

"Welcome to this beautiful world, Su Ming’an."

...

...

[Autopsy Report:

Deceased Name: Su Wensheng

Gender: Male

Identity: High school student at Dao Ya City First High School

Date of Death: Old Day Year 827, February 1

Cause of Death: Drowning

Place of Death: East Lake, Dao Ya City

Homicide: No]

...

"Dingdong!"

[You have completed browsing all memories of link the fire (Fire Transmitter).]

...

[You have obtained the Red Level title "link the fire"]

[Link the fire: Each of your attacks deals an additional 100 true damage to deity-type targets. You can nullify piercing heart damage once.]

[Note:

"This is all of link the fire, using their hearts to protect you."

"This is the future and hope built collectively by all the Fire Transmitters, countless are me."

"Thank you for raising the torch of civilization against the wind and moving forward."

"——Hello, the fifty-first link the fire (Fire Transmitter)."

"——Hello, Su Ming’an."]

...