Chapter 272
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Chapter 272: His World
The clouds shrouding the top of Cangnan City gradually dispersed, and mottled sunlight spilled down from the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the desolate land below.
Just a day ago, there was still a city here.
Now, apart from a few lonely skyscrapers and fragmented roads, there is only endless desolation.
Sitting casually atop a three-story building, one can overlook the entire expanse of Cangnan City, where helpless children and incoming residents are scattered in the corners of the city, relying on and comforting each other.
Even though just a day ago they were strangers to one another, now they share a common name… survivors.
Once bustling with life, the Peace Bridge now only has a few old storefronts still standing, with the Peace Office sitting solitary at the bridge’s head, where a figure can be seen perched atop.
Wu Xiangnan sat alone on the rooftop, gazing into the distance. On the other side of the horizon, a large number of military vehicles kicked up clouds of dust as they sped toward the city.
Those are the logistics team of the Night Watchers, responsible for receiving the survivors and rebuilding the city.
Wu Xiangnan took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked down the stairs.
Inside the office, the members of Team Phoenix were gathered around a table. Hong Ying and Wen Qimo sat on the sofa, their minds elsewhere, occasionally glancing around the room as if waiting for something.
Before long, a figure in a white coat emerged from the room.
“Doctor, how is he?” Hong Ying stood up, anxiously asking.
The members of Team Phoenix also stood up. Xia Simeng glanced into the room and noticed a faint golden light emanating from within, worry evident in her eyes.
“Not good.” The doctor shook his head. “When his soul suffered immense damage, his emotions became too… extreme. In that kind of pain, his consciousness instinctively rejected the reality that had occurred, constructing another world in his mind to hide himself away.”
“Now, while the physical and spiritual pain has disappeared, his mind has yet to emerge from it…”
The doctor looked into the room and sighed deeply. “Even from a physiological perspective, he has awakened, but his consciousness has not returned; it remains trapped in the constructed mental world. Moreover, his body is subconsciously activating the ‘Mortal Realm,’ restoring everything around him to resemble his mental world.”
After hearing the doctor’s words, Wen Qimo’s expression changed slightly. “So…”
“It can be basically confirmed that his mind has become unstable, and the ‘Mortal Realm’ is teetering on the edge of losing control. If his emotions undergo any further changes, he could very well go berserk.”
The doctor spoke with a serious expression. “According to the Night Watchers’ regulations, Lin Qiye has now become an extremely unstable dangerous individual. Before his mental state stabilizes, he must be escorted to the Sanctuary for supervision.”
“The Sanctuary?” Wu Xiangnan frowned upon hearing this term. “Isn’t that a prison for superpowered individuals who have committed crimes? Lin Qiye hasn’t committed any crime; why send him to the Sanctuary?!”
“Deputy Captain Wu, you may not be aware,” Kong Shang from Team Phoenix interjected at the right moment. “The Sanctuary is not a prison, or rather… it is not entirely a prison. It is merely a place that can effectively suppress the Forbidden Ruins, primarily used to contain those who may cause large-scale negative impacts on the outside world. Criminals are just the majority among them.”
“Besides being a prison, it also has a hospital specifically for treating mentally unstable Forbidden Ruins possessors, codenamed Sunshine.”
“That’s right. Lin Qiye is the agent of the Seraphim. His ‘Mortal Realm’ is too powerful; once it goes berserk, the consequences would be unimaginable. Only the Sanctuary can suppress his divine ruins, facilitating treatment,” the doctor explained. “Moreover, Dr. Li is stationed there; he is the top psychiatrist in the entire Great Xia and the best candidate for treating Lin Qiye.”
After hearing this, Wu Xiangnan’s expression finally improved. He glanced at the room where Lin Qiye was, helplessly closing his eyes.
“I have already reported Lin Qiye’s situation to the higher-ups. A transfer order will be issued soon,” the doctor spoke again.
At that moment, Hong Ying, with red-rimmed eyes, timidly asked, “Can… can I go in and see him?”
The doctor’s brow furrowed slightly. “He is currently unconscious, and his mental state is very unstable. It is dangerous to approach him.”
“I… I just want to take a look… just a distant glance.” Hong Ying spoke in an almost pleading tone.
The doctor hesitated for a moment, sighed deeply, “Alright… but please do not do anything that might provoke him. Otherwise, if the ‘Mortal Realm’ goes berserk, it will be dangerous.”
Hong Ying nodded repeatedly. She tiptoed to Lin Qiye’s door and cautiously pushed it open.
The originally spacious and bright underground room had vanished, replaced by a small, old bedroom.
As soon as she stepped inside, a faint scent of wood wafted toward her. Hong Ying’s feet stepped onto the aged wooden floor, producing a slight creaking sound.
A hardboard bed, a moldy desk, and on the clean and tidy bedspread sat a black-haired boy. He turned his head to look at the small window beside him, where the slightly yellowed curtains swayed gently in the breeze.
This room originally had no windows.
This is not the office… this is Lin Qiye’s home.
Hong Ying gently walked to Lin Qiye’s side, gazing into his calm yet murky eyes. She pursed her lips slightly and sat down on the other side of the bed.
“Qiye, Qiye…” Hong Ying softly called Lin Qiye’s name.
Lin Qiye stared blankly out the window, completely unaware.
“Old Zhao is dead, the captain is gone, Xiaonan has left, and Leng Xuan is gone too… now you are leaving here as well, leaving me…?” A thin veil of mist covered Hong Ying’s eyes as she looked down at her toes, her body trembling slightly.
“You said, when can we meet again…?”
“If this city, all of this, is just a dream… then when the dream wakes, will everyone come back?”
“We promised that next New Year’s Eve, we would all get drunk together again… you won’t lie to me, will you?”
Hong Ying turned to look at Lin Qiye by the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks, falling onto the bedspread below, disappearing without a trace.
Lin Qiye gazed out the window, silent as a statue.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from outside, carrying a green flower that brushed against his cheek and landed in front of Hong Ying.
Hong Ying stared blankly at this scene, reaching out to pick up the flower from the bed.
It was a green resurrection lily.
In a daze, Hong Ying seemed to remember something. She looked up at Lin Qiye, a smile appearing on her tear-streaked face.
“No matter what the future holds, I will wait for you all…”