Aber left in a hurry, leaving his torture tools behind. His excitement was self-explanatory.
Tang Ling had planned to reveal his secret a long time ago. There were three reasons for his decision.
Firstly, he wanted to use his background to figure out the truth behind the zombie attack on the settlement since the Agnes family must be involved. The attack on the settlement was obviously the work of external forces while wiping out the settlement would hurt Safety Sector No. 17 to the core. After linking the two facts together, the whole picture became clear.
Who would have thought that a little trick could get so much information from Aber?
Second, Tang Ling had to send Aber away. He knew he would be arrested and he had a chance to make a comeback too. It was another huge gamble for Tang Ling.
Despite the circumstances, as long as there was a thin line of hope, Tang Ling would never run away from it. The only way he could grasp the thin line of hope was to gamble, and if Aber stayed behind and kept torturing him, he would certainly face a loss.
As for the third and final point, it was for the sake of his own safety.
Without a doubt, Tang Ling’s strong attitude would only make Aber torture him more. While he could endure the physical pain, he could not bear the consequences of irreversible damage such as crippled or whatnot.
Therefore, he had to send Aber away as quickly as possible.
Again, Tang Ling bet on the right side. He intentionally leaked his background in exchange for important information and successfully drove Aber away in a hurry.
Unfortunately, the Star Searcher, the Horror Lullaby list, and the unfinished sentence were all too fragmented, so Tang Ling could not find any similarities between them in the meantime.
All he could be sure was that someone in the settlement had startled some powerful forces, and the forces behind the scenes somehow did not resolve the matter using the simple and normal way, which was to snatch a defenseless settlement resident away and choose to wipe out the whole settlement using zombies. The forces had to wipe out the settlement at all costs and as quickly as possible just so they could get to this particular person or even eliminate the target.
As for the Purple Moon Warriors slaughtering the residents of the settlement, it was all the Agnes family’s idea.
“Hmph…” Tang Ling lowered his head with a chuckle. The vengeful flame of hatred was like a venomous snake, constricting his heart and torturing him with anger at all times. Unfortunately, he had to wait a little longer since the trump card in his gamble had not been flipped.
“That last sentence…what was that all about?” Tang Ling tried his best to distract himself as he recalled what Aber spewed out earlier, “You are going to die! The twelfth young master has already identified the reason for the tremble of the Star Searcher. It’s the Cala—”
What was he going to say? The Cala? Tang Ling had no idea what Aber was trying to say, but his mind kept repeating a single phrase that silver-haired man had said that night, “The Calamity Genetic Chain? There really…”
A thin line of hope rose in Tang Ling’s heart, but he pushed it away forcefully.
Impossible! He did not want to give himself hope. After all, he did see her die in the zombie’s claws, and the last words from his dying sister kept ringing in his head softly, “Big…Brother…”
“Aaaaaargh!” The thought in his mind made him shout out loud. Despite being tortured by Aber earlier, he had not made a noise, but now he was defeated by his own thoughts. He struggled vehemently, making the chains that shackled him rustle. The device on his abdomen electrocuted him due to the movements, but he ignored it.
It was the first time Tang Ling was venting his emotions. The intense bitterness had been buried in his heart for too long. He had been waiting, suppressing and even enduring the pain. Today, after he confirmed one of the enemies responsible for all this, he could no longer stay calm. The pain consumed him while his memories were too intense to him. His emotions were strong and it hurt him terribly.
San San is dead, isn’t she? She’s dead, right? There’s that Horror Lullaby list out there, so she must be dead, isn’t she?
“Aaaaargh!” Tang Ling screamed his lungs out. The guard that stood guard at the entrance turned around coldly at the door for a glance.
How badly did Aber torture the kid? How was the pain so intense even after he had left? Whatever. Anyway, he would be in someone else’s custody tomorrow.
******
Forty minutes after Aber left, the whole safety sector returned to silence. Aside from the people on the streets, there were even fewer lights in the houses.
People were afraid of darkness, yet at times, endless darkness was the only thing that could comfort them. They were dazed as they snuck into the darkness, covering themselves up with their blankets as if they were protecting themselves from scary things.
The secluded alley to the prison was a lot quieter, but a silent, mantled figure whose face was tightly covered by a mask appeared in the dark alley. He moved very fast. No one could tell whether he was running or walking. The alley was filled with puddles after the rain, yet the figure did not even cause a single splash.
At the end of the alley was the heavily guarded prison of Safety Sector No. 17. With 20 meters of thick walls and 3 meters of electric nets coupled with a metallic door, it made the prison look like it was indestructible.
The figure stood under the wall for less than a second before his body floated up into the air and he jumped into the prison.
The atmosphere of the prison was unlike before since many guards were patrolling the place. At first glance, one could tell the guards were not the warriors from Safety Sector No. 17 because they were not in the uniform of the safety sector but were dressed in a black uniform with a star logo sewn at their chests.
The figure in the black mantle lowered his head and chuckled. He walked forward as if he was strolling in his backyard.
He did not purposely dodge the patrols and even walked past several patrols a few times, yet the guards failed to notice his presence. Whenever the more sensitive guards noticed something unusual, the figure in the black mantle would appear in another blind spot.
After shuttling through the spacious yard and the cell area, the figure in the black mantle reached the prison office. He went straight into it and walked brazenly through the corridor. His silent steps and floating figure made him a ghost, so no one in the office area noticed his presence.
The cold grin remained on his face. Anyone with a sharper observation sense would notice that at least two-thirds of the normal prison guards in the office had been swapped out by the black uniform guards.
The fact that Safety Sector No. 17 was becoming a puppet or an appendage of some bigger force was inevitable.
The figure in the black mantle moved all the way up to the highest level of the office area, but it was only three stories high.
The figure walked towards the giant iron door, but he did not knock on it or barge in. Instead, he grabbed a seemingly intricate key with a chip embedded on it and stuck it into the door.
Beep! A second later, the sturdy door opened with a soft screech.
“Who goes there?” Two guards came out from the offices on both sides.
The figure in the black mantle was calm as he turned around and unveiled his hood. The two guards heaved a breath of relief when they saw the figure’s face. However, just when they wanted to say something, two daggers appeared before their faces. Followed by two thuds, the two daggers that seemed to be forged out of some high-grade alloy material perforated their skulls.
The figure then turned away and appeared in the office.
In less than 20 seconds, a total of nine guards in the two offices were all killed by the dagger that was embedded into their skulls.
The figure covered himself with the hood again and said softly, “Lapdogs.”
He then slipped into the door, but on second thought, he returned to the heavy door and violently destroyed the intricate lock.
Although there were no surveillance cameras in the corridor beyond the door, the big office at the end had many of them. The figure in the black mantle disguised himself and snuck into the big office.
Inside the big office, the prison warden who led Aber to Tang Ling’s cell was sitting at his desk beside the window with his legs propped up on the window frame. He was humming along to the music of the old civilization that was being played.
The prison warden looked like he was having a good time. There were two more prison guards beside him, and the prison guard on the left held an ice bucket with a bottle of extravagant red wine inside. Meanwhile, the prison guard on the right held a tray with a piece of king beast drumstick coupled with mashed potato and apple slices.
The two prison guards noticed the man in the black mantle the moment he appeared, but before they could make a noise, the sharp daggers were already planted in their throats. They could not say a word and twitched silently.
“More wine.” The prison warden raised his empty glass to his subordinate, but the guard was already dead.
“What are you doing?” Upset, he turned to his subordinate beside him, but all he saw was the guard who was holding the bucket slump onto the ground. The dagger was removed from the throat, drawing a splash of blood in the air. The last noise from the dead guard was some grunting and gurgling from his perforated throat.
Then, a second thud and splash of blood entered the prison warden’s ears. Petrified, he turned his office chair around immediately.
“Look what maggots the safety sector has raised. A tiny warden in the prison can enjoy such extravagant wine, hmm? I’m a little jealous.” The man in the black mantle was not nervous at all and even sounded like he was taunting the warden.
“Excellencer?” The warden instinctively flashed his habitual flattering smile, but his face was a little stiff.
The man in the black mantle did not answer as the two deadly daggers appeared on both sides of the warden’s head and stabbed his temples. The dagger then flew back into the black mantle.
The man remained calm after killing so many guards and the warden in such a short time. He walked to the warden’s body, picked up the bottle of wine for a sip and popped a slice of roast meat into his mouth. He leisurely searched for the keys on the warden’s body and walked away.
The surveillance in the big office was not that advanced to capture the muttering from the man when he left. “Excellencer? Oops, you’re wrong.”
******
Drip, drip, drip.
The dripping of water broke the silence in the depressing cell once more.
571.
Tang Ling did not lose his patience. After he vented his emotions, he finally calmed down.
The dark cell had no windows. As long as he was not taken away and transferred into someone else’s custody, he still had hope in his gamble.
The cell was a little cold since the burning coal that the guard brought in earlier for the torture had been removed. After all, burning coal for a long period of time in a sealed room proved deadly to humans.
Tang Ling must be kept alive. That was the order that everyone had to follow.
“Hey, I’m cold. I’m freezing to death here! Give me something to eat. Bring some clothes to keep me warm!” Tang Ling screamed like a rascal. He actually wanted to test the guard’s bottom line, so he ought to use it to his advantage. Why would he act tough to torture himself inside the dark, humid cell?
No answer came from the guard, but there were movements outside the door.
The door then opened, but it was no longer the guard in the black uniform with the star icon sewn on the chest. It was the man in the black mantle whose face was tightly wrapped who walked into the cell. He said nothing when he came in and sized up the cell like how Aber did when he first came in.
Tang Ling was fed up. Since when did the cell become a museum? Nevertheless, a smile appeared on his face because he had bet on the right side once more.
…
The Viper Strike in the man’s hand was wiped repeatedly. Even though the bar only had one dim oil lamp, the Viper Strike was carefully polished to the point that the light from the lamp reflected off it.
However, its owner had not got bored with it as he wiped it again and again. The hand holding the cloth was steady while the wiping movement was soft. There was not a tinge of impatience as if the owner was cleaning his newborn baby.
At times, he would look up at the clock on top of the wine cellar. The bar owner was single. He came and went like the wind, leaving nothing behind and not needing to bid farewell to anyone.
The legendary blacksmith, who was as strong as a bull and had arms as robust as a man’s thigh, walked into the bedroom.
Inside the bedroom was a warm candle that was lit up. Beside it was a virtuous and kind-looking lady. Even though she no longer had a slender figure due to her age and her face was no longer as smooth and taut as before, age granted her calmness and kindness.
“Are the kids asleep?” The blacksmith played around with the beads around his wrist and kissed the lady’s forehead.
“What about the luggage? All done?” He hugged her, his eyes overflowing with endless kindness.
“Almost done.” The lady combed his messy hair. Despite her best effort to hold back, she could not help but reveal a worried look. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be like this.” She stood up anxiously. “I’ve always understood your situation, always. But, my dear, please leave with us.”
“I wanted to, but not now,” rejected the blacksmith. Only he knew how painful it was for him to turn down the offer. He stood up and pushed the closet in the bedroom aside. Behind the closet was a small hidden door embedded in the stone wall. He opened the door and inside was an iron hammer gleaming brightly. It looked very heavy.
The blacksmith picked it up easily and swung it around. “I’m not that old yet I’m also lucky to have you, and our three sons and two daughters. That’s why I cannot forget my vows and what I vowed to protect. I’ll go kiss the kids goodbye. See you in three days.”
The lady ran up to the blacksmith, hugging him with silent sobs.
“Don’t forget the entrance and the route that I told you about. Go through the black market and you can get out of the safety sector safely. Someone will be there to receive you.” As he spoke, the blacksmith held his wife’s hand and said, “I hope that when you tell our kids about me in the future, you can proudly tell them their father was a hero, not just a blacksmith.”
“I understand. We all grew up under the leader’s…” The wife could no longer continue.
“Of course, I like to be with my family, so I’ll try my best to come back to you. Believe me!”
“Okay.”
At the Mysterious Garden Restaurant, the elegant owner was counting the coins in his hands one by one. The coins were not credits from Safety Sector No. 17 or the more valuable Hope credits. Each coin looked intricate and most of them were currencies that the people of Safety Sector No. 17 were not familiar with.
“My dear, there’s a lot of money here. They might not be True Capital coins, but they are the most universally accepted other than True Capital coins,” the owner explained in delight. He did not care about the beautiful lady who was weeping beside him.
He pushed the little mound of coins to the lady and comforted her in a soft voice, “Look, there’s a lot of money here. Why aren’t you happy? Back then, when you proudly married me, you said that it was because I earned a lot of money and you only liked my money, didn’t you?”
“I don’t like them now! I don’t want any of these!” The lady swept the coins off the table angrily. “I don’t care. You must leave with me! You must! Or I’ll leave you!” She stood up and grabbed his collar strongly as sadness filled her tone.
The owner sighed. He pushed her hands away and bent over to pick up the coins. He was quick, and his hands moved like shadows when he picked them up. The shiny coins were piled up on the table again in an instant.
“I said I don’t want all these! Take it away! If you don’t follow me today, I’ll leave you right away. I’ll be gone, gone from your life forever!” She was riled up.
The owner sighed again. He did not say anything as he loaded all the coins into a small pouch. He then hugged the lady and said, “Why do I have to go with you? Did you somehow fall in love with me after all these years?”
“Didn’t you notice? Don’t you have a heart? How can you not tell that I love you for real? Yeah, I love you…No, I love my husband!” She hugged him tightly.
The owner’s eyes were red-rimmed, but he raised his right hand and hit her behind her neck and knocking her out in his arms.
“You are too strong. I’ve tried to beat you countless times in the past decade or so, but I’m too weak to even be your husband, but…I did it today. It seems like it’s not the best timing though. Why do I have to knock you out when you say you love me for the first time?”
The owner then lay the lady on the bed gently and put the pouch filled with coins around her waist.
“Arwen, come in,” the owner said.
An honest-looking young man, who looked extremely morose, walked in. “Big Brother, do you really not want me to stay with you tonight?”
The owner drew two short knives from his waist. As he twisted his wrist, the short knives left afterimages in their trails. “Are you saying that I’m old? No, I’m not that old yet. Your sister-in-law is a problem. Bring her away and tell her that if I can come back alive in three days, I’ll kneel on the washing board for a month.
“If I can’t, well…tell her to use the money as she wishes. Tell her to live her life. The money should be enough for the rest of her life and remember to tell her…to forget me.”
The quiet night screamed of loneliness.
Loneliness caused many separations in the safety sector that night. Even those without friends and family would hug themselves, saying goodbye to peaceful times. It was a painful separation, but there must be a bigger reason and courage to support their decision. It was because the Seed had appeared.
Aber left in a hurry, leaving his torture tools behind. His excitement was self-explanatory.
Tang Ling had planned to reveal his secret a long time ago. There were three reasons for his decision.
Firstly, he wanted to use his background to figure out the truth behind the zombie attack on the settlement since the Agnes family must be involved. The attack on the settlement was obviously the work of external forces while wiping out the settlement would hurt Safety Sector No. 17 to the core. After linking the two facts together, the whole picture became clear.
Who would have thought that a little trick could get so much information from Aber?
Second, Tang Ling had to send Aber away. He knew he would be arrested and he had a chance to make a comeback too. It was another huge gamble for Tang Ling.
Despite the circumstances, as long as there was a thin line of hope, Tang Ling would never run away from it. The only way he could grasp the thin line of hope was to gamble, and if Aber stayed behind and kept torturing him, he would certainly face a loss.
As for the third and final point, it was for the sake of his own safety.
Without a doubt, Tang Ling’s strong attitude would only make Aber torture him more. While he could endure the physical pain, he could not bear the consequences of irreversible damage such as crippled or whatnot.
Therefore, he had to send Aber away as quickly as possible.
Again, Tang Ling bet on the right side. He intentionally leaked his background in exchange for important information and successfully drove Aber away in a hurry.
Unfortunately, the Star Searcher, the Horror Lullaby list, and the unfinished sentence were all too fragmented, so Tang Ling could not find any similarities between them in the meantime.
All he could be sure was that someone in the settlement had startled some powerful forces, and the forces behind the scenes somehow did not resolve the matter using the simple and normal way, which was to snatch a defenseless settlement resident away and choose to wipe out the whole settlement using zombies. The forces had to wipe out the settlement at all costs and as quickly as possible just so they could get to this particular person or even eliminate the target.
As for the Purple Moon Warriors slaughtering the residents of the settlement, it was all the Agnes family’s idea.
“Hmph…” Tang Ling lowered his head with a chuckle. The vengeful flame of hatred was like a venomous snake, constricting his heart and torturing him with anger at all times. Unfortunately, he had to wait a little longer since the trump card in his gamble had not been flipped.
“That last sentence…what was that all about?” Tang Ling tried his best to distract himself as he recalled what Aber spewed out earlier, “You are going to die! The twelfth young master has already identified the reason for the tremble of the Star Searcher. It’s the Cala—”
What was he going to say? The Cala? Tang Ling had no idea what Aber was trying to say, but his mind kept repeating a single phrase that silver-haired man had said that night, “The Calamity Genetic Chain? There really…”
A thin line of hope rose in Tang Ling’s heart, but he pushed it away forcefully.
Impossible! He did not want to give himself hope. After all, he did see her die in the zombie’s claws, and the last words from his dying sister kept ringing in his head softly, “Big…Brother…”
“Aaaaaargh!” The thought in his mind made him shout out loud. Despite being tortured by Aber earlier, he had not made a noise, but now he was defeated by his own thoughts. He struggled vehemently, making the chains that shackled him rustle. The device on his abdomen electrocuted him due to the movements, but he ignored it.
It was the first time Tang Ling was venting his emotions. The intense bitterness had been buried in his heart for too long. He had been waiting, suppressing and even enduring the pain. Today, after he confirmed one of the enemies responsible for all this, he could no longer stay calm. The pain consumed him while his memories were too intense to him. His emotions were strong and it hurt him terribly.
San San is dead, isn’t she? She’s dead, right? There’s that Horror Lullaby list out there, so she must be dead, isn’t she?
“Aaaaargh!” Tang Ling screamed his lungs out. The guard that stood guard at the entrance turned around coldly at the door for a glance.
How badly did Aber torture the kid? How was the pain so intense even after he had left? Whatever. Anyway, he would be in someone else’s custody tomorrow.
******
Forty minutes after Aber left, the whole safety sector returned to silence. Aside from the people on the streets, there were even fewer lights in the houses.
People were afraid of darkness, yet at times, endless darkness was the only thing that could comfort them. They were dazed as they snuck into the darkness, covering themselves up with their blankets as if they were protecting themselves from scary things.
The secluded alley to the prison was a lot quieter, but a silent, mantled figure whose face was tightly covered by a mask appeared in the dark alley. He moved very fast. No one could tell whether he was running or walking. The alley was filled with puddles after the rain, yet the figure did not even cause a single splash.
At the end of the alley was the heavily guarded prison of Safety Sector No. 17. With 20 meters of thick walls and 3 meters of electric nets coupled with a metallic door, it made the prison look like it was indestructible.
The figure stood under the wall for less than a second before his body floated up into the air and he jumped into the prison.
The atmosphere of the prison was unlike before since many guards were patrolling the place. At first glance, one could tell the guards were not the warriors from Safety Sector No. 17 because they were not in the uniform of the safety sector but were dressed in a black uniform with a star logo sewn at their chests.
The figure in the black mantle lowered his head and chuckled. He walked forward as if he was strolling in his backyard.
He did not purposely dodge the patrols and even walked past several patrols a few times, yet the guards failed to notice his presence. Whenever the more sensitive guards noticed something unusual, the figure in the black mantle would appear in another blind spot.
After shuttling through the spacious yard and the cell area, the figure in the black mantle reached the prison office. He went straight into it and walked brazenly through the corridor. His silent steps and floating figure made him a ghost, so no one in the office area noticed his presence.
The cold grin remained on his face. Anyone with a sharper observation sense would notice that at least two-thirds of the normal prison guards in the office had been swapped out by the black uniform guards.
The fact that Safety Sector No. 17 was becoming a puppet or an appendage of some bigger force was inevitable.
The figure in the black mantle moved all the way up to the highest level of the office area, but it was only three stories high.
The figure walked towards the giant iron door, but he did not knock on it or barge in. Instead, he grabbed a seemingly intricate key with a chip embedded on it and stuck it into the door.
Beep! A second later, the sturdy door opened with a soft screech.
“Who goes there?” Two guards came out from the offices on both sides.
The figure in the black mantle was calm as he turned around and unveiled his hood. The two guards heaved a breath of relief when they saw the figure’s face. However, just when they wanted to say something, two daggers appeared before their faces. Followed by two thuds, the two daggers that seemed to be forged out of some high-grade alloy material perforated their skulls.
The figure then turned away and appeared in the office.
In less than 20 seconds, a total of nine guards in the two offices were all killed by the dagger that was embedded into their skulls.
The figure covered himself with the hood again and said softly, “Lapdogs.”
He then slipped into the door, but on second thought, he returned to the heavy door and violently destroyed the intricate lock.
Although there were no surveillance cameras in the corridor beyond the door, the big office at the end had many of them. The figure in the black mantle disguised himself and snuck into the big office.
Inside the big office, the prison warden who led Aber to Tang Ling’s cell was sitting at his desk beside the window with his legs propped up on the window frame. He was humming along to the music of the old civilization that was being played.
The prison warden looked like he was having a good time. There were two more prison guards beside him, and the prison guard on the left held an ice bucket with a bottle of extravagant red wine inside. Meanwhile, the prison guard on the right held a tray with a piece of king beast drumstick coupled with mashed potato and apple slices.
The two prison guards noticed the man in the black mantle the moment he appeared, but before they could make a noise, the sharp daggers were already planted in their throats. They could not say a word and twitched silently.
“More wine.” The prison warden raised his empty glass to his subordinate, but the guard was already dead.
“What are you doing?” Upset, he turned to his subordinate beside him, but all he saw was the guard who was holding the bucket slump onto the ground. The dagger was removed from the throat, drawing a splash of blood in the air. The last noise from the dead guard was some grunting and gurgling from his perforated throat.
Then, a second thud and splash of blood entered the prison warden’s ears. Petrified, he turned his office chair around immediately.
“Look what maggots the safety sector has raised. A tiny warden in the prison can enjoy such extravagant wine, hmm? I’m a little jealous.” The man in the black mantle was not nervous at all and even sounded like he was taunting the warden.
“Excellencer?” The warden instinctively flashed his habitual flattering smile, but his face was a little stiff.
The man in the black mantle did not answer as the two deadly daggers appeared on both sides of the warden’s head and stabbed his temples. The dagger then flew back into the black mantle.
The man remained calm after killing so many guards and the warden in such a short time. He walked to the warden’s body, picked up the bottle of wine for a sip and popped a slice of roast meat into his mouth. He leisurely searched for the keys on the warden’s body and walked away.
The surveillance in the big office was not that advanced to capture the muttering from the man when he left. “Excellencer? Oops, you’re wrong.”
******
Drip, drip, drip.
The dripping of water broke the silence in the depressing cell once more.
571.
Tang Ling did not lose his patience. After he vented his emotions, he finally calmed down.
The dark cell had no windows. As long as he was not taken away and transferred into someone else’s custody, he still had hope in his gamble.
The cell was a little cold since the burning coal that the guard brought in earlier for the torture had been removed. After all, burning coal for a long period of time in a sealed room proved deadly to humans.
Tang Ling must be kept alive. That was the order that everyone had to follow.
“Hey, I’m cold. I’m freezing to death here! Give me something to eat. Bring some clothes to keep me warm!” Tang Ling screamed like a rascal. He actually wanted to test the guard’s bottom line, so he ought to use it to his advantage. Why would he act tough to torture himself inside the dark, humid cell?
No answer came from the guard, but there were movements outside the door.
The door then opened, but it was no longer the guard in the black uniform with the star icon sewn on the chest. It was the man in the black mantle whose face was tightly wrapped who walked into the cell. He said nothing when he came in and sized up the cell like how Aber did when he first came in.
Tang Ling was fed up. Since when did the cell become a museum? Nevertheless, a smile appeared on his face because he had bet on the right side once more.
…
The Viper Strike in the man’s hand was wiped repeatedly. Even though the bar only had one dim oil lamp, the Viper Strike was carefully polished to the point that the light from the lamp reflected off it.
However, its owner had not got bored with it as he wiped it again and again. The hand holding the cloth was steady while the wiping movement was soft. There was not a tinge of impatience as if the owner was cleaning his newborn baby.
At times, he would look up at the clock on top of the wine cellar. The bar owner was single. He came and went like the wind, leaving nothing behind and not needing to bid farewell to anyone.
The legendary blacksmith, who was as strong as a bull and had arms as robust as a man’s thigh, walked into the bedroom.
Inside the bedroom was a warm candle that was lit up. Beside it was a virtuous and kind-looking lady. Even though she no longer had a slender figure due to her age and her face was no longer as smooth and taut as before, age granted her calmness and kindness.
“Are the kids asleep?” The blacksmith played around with the beads around his wrist and kissed the lady’s forehead.
“What about the luggage? All done?” He hugged her, his eyes overflowing with endless kindness.
“Almost done.” The lady combed his messy hair. Despite her best effort to hold back, she could not help but reveal a worried look. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be like this.” She stood up anxiously. “I’ve always understood your situation, always. But, my dear, please leave with us.”
“I wanted to, but not now,” rejected the blacksmith. Only he knew how painful it was for him to turn down the offer. He stood up and pushed the closet in the bedroom aside. Behind the closet was a small hidden door embedded in the stone wall. He opened the door and inside was an iron hammer gleaming brightly. It looked very heavy.
The blacksmith picked it up easily and swung it around. “I’m not that old yet I’m also lucky to have you, and our three sons and two daughters. That’s why I cannot forget my vows and what I vowed to protect. I’ll go kiss the kids goodbye. See you in three days.”
The lady ran up to the blacksmith, hugging him with silent sobs.
“Don’t forget the entrance and the route that I told you about. Go through the black market and you can get out of the safety sector safely. Someone will be there to receive you.” As he spoke, the blacksmith held his wife’s hand and said, “I hope that when you tell our kids about me in the future, you can proudly tell them their father was a hero, not just a blacksmith.”
“I understand. We all grew up under the leader’s…” The wife could no longer continue.
“Of course, I like to be with my family, so I’ll try my best to come back to you. Believe me!”
“Okay.”
At the Mysterious Garden Restaurant, the elegant owner was counting the coins in his hands one by one. The coins were not credits from Safety Sector No. 17 or the more valuable Hope credits. Each coin looked intricate and most of them were currencies that the people of Safety Sector No. 17 were not familiar with.
“My dear, there’s a lot of money here. They might not be True Capital coins, but they are the most universally accepted other than True Capital coins,” the owner explained in delight. He did not care about the beautiful lady who was weeping beside him.
He pushed the little mound of coins to the lady and comforted her in a soft voice, “Look, there’s a lot of money here. Why aren’t you happy? Back then, when you proudly married me, you said that it was because I earned a lot of money and you only liked my money, didn’t you?”
“I don’t like them now! I don’t want any of these!” The lady swept the coins off the table angrily. “I don’t care. You must leave with me! You must! Or I’ll leave you!” She stood up and grabbed his collar strongly as sadness filled her tone.
The owner sighed. He pushed her hands away and bent over to pick up the coins. He was quick, and his hands moved like shadows when he picked them up. The shiny coins were piled up on the table again in an instant.
“I said I don’t want all these! Take it away! If you don’t follow me today, I’ll leave you right away. I’ll be gone, gone from your life forever!” She was riled up.
The owner sighed again. He did not say anything as he loaded all the coins into a small pouch. He then hugged the lady and said, “Why do I have to go with you? Did you somehow fall in love with me after all these years?”
“Didn’t you notice? Don’t you have a heart? How can you not tell that I love you for real? Yeah, I love you…No, I love my husband!” She hugged him tightly.
The owner’s eyes were red-rimmed, but he raised his right hand and hit her behind her neck and knocking her out in his arms.
“You are too strong. I’ve tried to beat you countless times in the past decade or so, but I’m too weak to even be your husband, but…I did it today. It seems like it’s not the best timing though. Why do I have to knock you out when you say you love me for the first time?”
The owner then lay the lady on the bed gently and put the pouch filled with coins around her waist.
“Arwen, come in,” the owner said.
An honest-looking young man, who looked extremely morose, walked in. “Big Brother, do you really not want me to stay with you tonight?”
The owner drew two short knives from his waist. As he twisted his wrist, the short knives left afterimages in their trails. “Are you saying that I’m old? No, I’m not that old yet. Your sister-in-law is a problem. Bring her away and tell her that if I can come back alive in three days, I’ll kneel on the washing board for a month.
“If I can’t, well…tell her to use the money as she wishes. Tell her to live her life. The money should be enough for the rest of her life and remember to tell her…to forget me.”
The quiet night screamed of loneliness.
Loneliness caused many separations in the safety sector that night. Even those without friends and family would hug themselves, saying goodbye to peaceful times. It was a painful separation, but there must be a bigger reason and courage to support their decision. It was because the Seed had appeared.
