Sundering Nature

Original and most updated translations are from volare. Please don’t read elsewhere and stop supporting theft.

TL: Zhao

Editing: Krisaia

Big Beard’s countenance suddenly changed as Eyeglasses went past the door. With a simple gesture from his left hand, the watch Eyeglasses wore blasted off in his direction, cutting Eyeglasses’ arm along with it.

"Big Beard?" Eyeglasses looked back in shock. The blood that gushed out from his wrist coagulated in an instant.

"You shouldn’t have brought a watch like that. Have you forgotten my ability?" Big Beard said with a sorrowful voice.

"Big Beard..." Eyeglasses uttered.

"I’m aware of the regenerative ability of vampires. I’ve just called for ten girls. Make good use of them."

"You don’t need to do something like this..."

"I have my reasons, just like you have yours. So let’s stop crying. It’s embarrassing for two grown men to be crying like this." Big Beard joked and wiped away his tears.

"Listen to me..."

Bang! Bang!

Eyeglasses’ plea was interrupted by two gunshots. Eyeglasses looked at the two gaping hole on his knees and stared back at Big Beard.

"Sorry. I need to make sure that you stay here until I leave. I’ve always wanted to tell you how happy I am to be friends with you and the others. Please don’t make me shoot you again." Big Beard picked up Eyeglasses’ severed arm and walked to the door while keeping his weapon pointed at his friend.

The door closed with a loud crack, and tears started rolling down Eyeglasses’ cheeks.

* * *

Liu Meng looked at the safe in front of her. It was an ordinary storage safe in a supermarket. She reached out for the lock, and after a flash of red light at her fingertips, it melted into a puddle of liquid metal. Liu Meng pulled the door open and found a small metallic box inside. She picked the item up and started to wander the streets aimlessly.

As she continued walking forward, her desire to see Li Yiming grew stronger than ever. ’Where are you... I miss you...’

* * *

When Li Yiming opened his eyes, he found himself in a sea of nothingness.

"It’s time we have a talk..." He heard a voice. It was the voice of "Mr. Kong".

"What happened?" Li Yiming asked.

"I’ve taken care of everything." The man looked back at Li Yiming.

"Thanks." Li Yiming fully trusted the words of the man.

"No need to thank me. I couldn’t bear watching you die. There goes my life of peace and quiet..." The man looked back at Li Yiming and laughed.

"So, how did you find me?" The man asked.

"I saw the golden wok cap."

"Oh? So you know then?" The man did not expect Li Yiming to know about the cap’s secrets.

"Know what?" Li Yiming frowned.

"So you don’t know?" The man was as confused as ever. "But you’ve been to Tianshan already, you..." The man’s countenance suddenly turned severe.

Li Yiming waited for an explanation patiently. He had far too many questions, not knowing where to start.

"To exchange your body for a fresh start, and to split your soul from it... You’ve been more decisive than us..." The man said after a long stare at Li Yiming.

Those words ticked off Li Yiming, who remembered hearing the same sentence back in Tianshan, when he entered that strange space within the golden wok.

"He left us after giving up all hope... ’Why continue fighting when he gave up?’ I thought, so I built this island to enjoy the rest of my life." The man gradually settled down.

"Who is he?" Li Yiming asked. He heard the same ’he’ when he met the Mr. Kong from inside of the golden wok. The amount of respect given to this person by the two Mr. Kongs was enough for Li Yiming to understand how important the person had to be.

"A few yearsago hecame to me. He brought the wok with him, and asked me to help him. What a joke, I don’t know how he got his hands on the wok, but who does he think he is, to try to achieve something even he was not able to do?" The Mr. Kong look-alike continued his rambling monologue.

’Another "he"? That’s just like what Mr. Kong said back in Tianshan!’ Li Yiming remembered.

"As soon as you set foot on the island, I recognized you. Unlike you, I remember everything." The man suddenly smiled.

’Me? What do I have to do with all of this?’ Li Yiming frowned.

"I was beyond shocked when I recognized you. I thought you were simply having fun in your life... But you actually did it... You had the guts to... Then I got scared." The man sighed. "Sometimes, I’m having difficulty remembering all those years we’ve spent fighting together... Maybe I just don’t want to remember, what am I without him?"

"Tell me, what are we without him? What’s the point of it all?" The man suddenly lost control of his temper and waved his arms frantically.

"You..." Li Yiming wanted to say something to appease him, as he found the man’s distress strangely contagious.

"You’re still waiting for him..." The man stared right into Li Yiming’s eyes.

"Can you please tell me who that is?" Li Yiming said with determination.

"I can’t. It would make all of your efforts pointless." The man shook his head.

"I didn’t understand it when I saw you. I didn’t understand why you kept clinging to hope, but then I realized that he never let us down, and he would be sad if he saw me in such a state."

"What a joke... And I was scared when I recognized you. What’s the point of living a fun life if I’m no longer myself?"

"Tell him that I’m still who I was. I can fight the heavens and go down to hell with him. Tell him I’ll slay gods and demons... Tell him... that I was wrong." The man extended his hand in the direction of Li Yiming’s chest.

"Wait, WAIT! Tell me, who is HE?" Li Yiming yelled out before the man could reach his chest.

"He?" The man suddenly paused right as his hand reached Li Yiming’s chest.

"He..." The man began before his body completely disintegrated.

A scene suddenly flashed in Li Yiming’s mind. He saw someone fighting against demons and gods with his golden staff, breaking his enemies’ weapons everywhere he went and defeating every single foe with a single blow.

Then the flashback suddenly stopped. Li Yiming sat back up from the beach and looked at the ocean ahead.

"Wukong..."

* * *

The moment Stargaze walked into the bar, she caused a stir. It was not due to her beauty nor her elegant air, but due to the place where she chose to sit down.

She sat down right next to a drunkard who had been sipping bad quality alcohol for the last two days. Somehow the man was immune to the alcohol’s effects and continued drinking nonstop. The way he paid for his drinks also raised quite a few eyebrows, as he would throw a huge pile of cash every time the shop closed so that the owner would be willing to stay the night with him.

"They’ve decided..." As Stargaze sat down, she picked up the glass cup and frowned as she whiffed the poorly made wine.

"Who is it?" Li Huaibei filled up his cup again.

"Liu Meng..."

Li Huaibei suddenly paused his drinking and glanced at Stargaze. "Did you tell her?"

"She guessed it herself. I only confirmed her doubts." Stargaze picked up the bottle and drank a mouthful.

"She’s the most suited for it, actually. Otherwise, the team is going to break apart." Stargaze turned her attention toward the empty stage.

"Liu Meng already used her reincarnation..." Li Huaibei gazed at Stargaze for a while and then emptied his cup.

"What?" Stargaze did not expect the revelation.

Li Huaibei stayed silent and continued to drink. Stargaze, who was still bewildered, did not notice the piece of cloth that Li Huaibei held — it was what remained of a yellow scarf.