Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1593: Finale · Crossing the Sea Arc [53] · "Who Killed the Robin (7)
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The shotgun sparked.
The white-haired girl rushed forward, like a galloping wild wolf.
Wherever the bullets went, the enemies fell.
However, the shotgun’s power was limited and became ineffective against a group of knights. Just when Xiber was about to use her ability, a coarse and powerful hand reached out.
"Get on!" A hoarse voice.
Xiber looked up, the hand extended was also from a Dawn Knight. This knight’s armor was engraved with Isa Flower, seemingly a captain-level figure.
One hand pulled up Xiber, the other pulled up Tiantian, and the knight’s back sprouted wings, rushing to the sky.
They landed on a hot air balloon. Xiber caught her breath, turned her head, and said, "Who are you? You are also a Dawn Knight, why defy the Oracle, and offer us help?"
The knight’s head and face were wrapped in a helmet, the iron armor concealed everything, leaving only a hearty and hoarse laugh: "I only believe in the dawn in my heart, thus I became a Dawn Knight. Your Nightingale Clan is innocent, of course I must help."
"Aren’t you afraid of the Mother Goddess’s punishment?"
"I have backing, which is the Divine Mountain Yijulai’er." The knight said: "No matter how the Mother Goddess punishes me, she won’t take my life... Enough said, the urgent matter is to take you out of the Black Wall, and bring your clan’s Holy Object. Seems to be a white stone."
Xiber tightly pressed the cloth bag at her waist, afraid the white stone would be lost.
The knight maneuvered the hot air balloon, dodging left and right, flying towards the Black Wall.
"Black Wall... What’s beyond the Black Wall?" Tiantian murmured. People say beyond the Black Wall is unknown and terrifying, abandoning a stable life to forcefully leap over it, you’ll regret for a lifetime.
"The Black Wall is very high, very thick, looking completely insurmountable, as if life ends here, no new possibilities." The knight raised his finger, pointing to the sky:
"But as long as... we, fly up."
"Fly up! Fly over that Black Wall! Fly over it!"
"We don’t need to break it, we can still soar over it!"
The hot air balloon floated higher and higher, this was the first time the Nightingales flew so high.
Xiber looked down and suddenly saw the temple at the edge of the Black Wall. Fengchang, leading over three hundred people, slowly opened the package, revealing the fake stone inside, presenting it to the Red Tower Empress in lavish clothing.
Ministers and guards stood tall on both sides, shaman and priest watched, as if this moment was the most solemn.
The Camera Elves broadcasted here, Hammer Iron Men and Soybean Men filled the scene, and thousands of people looked through the Black Wall at this sacred moment.
"Present the Holy Object." The maid beside the Empress took the wooden box for the Empress to check.
At this moment, the Empress frowned, seemingly discovering the stone’s falsity.
Fengchang, wearing the Sacrificial Crown, quietly waited, behind him more than three hundred clansmen, all silent.
...
(My plan is...) In the pit, Shi Ying pulled Su Ming’an, communicating via heart voice:
(I pretend to offer you, to pledge allegiance to Phoenix!)
Su Ming’an found it a bad idea, speechlessly staring at Shi Ying.
(Don’t rush, listen to your grandma explain.) Shi Ying took a bright red Cursed Fire Flower from her bosom: (After I pledge allegiance, Phoenix will still not trust me, he will definitely use mind spells to control me. But this flower is an heirloom treasure, temporarily freeing my mind from control... So, I can pretend to be controlled, when he orders me to lift the seal of the white stone, I will—boom! Explode part of the white stone’s energy, blow them up!)
"How do you have such a flower?" Su Ming’an asked in surprise.
(No idea, passed down from ancestors.) Shi Ying shrugged.
"How to ensure Phoenix, the pink-haired person, and Ming stand together?" Seeing she didn’t know, Su Ming’an asked something else.
(Hey, since I offered you, that pink-haired show-off chasing you, that ’Hui Mo gave me freedom’ black-haired suit guy, won’t they join together?) Shi Ying stood on one foot, tapping the ground with the other, like Tom from Tom and Jerry.
The plan does sound feasible.
(Yuanyuan has a lot of energy, exploding a part can cause a terrifying blast, it won’t die either, plus your combat power, totally worth a try!) Shi Ying smiled at the white stone, blinking.
Su Ming’an explained Shi Ying’s plan to the white stone and asked: "Great Emperor... No, Yuanyuan, is this plan feasible?"
"What kind of title... forget it." The white stone’s emoticon turned to "(-ˍ-)", seemingly thinking about it, after a while, it flatly said:
"She tricked me, handed me over, I hate her. But it seems there’s no better way... Alright, I’ll believe you humans once more."
If people bullied it, it’d flatly walk away.
Dare to provoke it, would be like kicking a pillow.
Su Ming’an still had worries, after all, last time Shi Ying left without a word, took the white stone and escaped, ultimately died on the steel bar, the white stone was snatched away.
Indeed, if he raised Shi Ying’s Favorability, she shouldn’t backstab. Based on the "reverse mode", doing some Favorability-lowering things should increase her Favorability.
What counts as Favorability-lowering actions?
For common people, lowering others’ Favorability is easy. But for him, with exceedingly high Charm value and various halo bonuses, some masochistic deities can even increase Favorability when insulted.
"I hate you." Su Ming’an thought for a while, staring into Shi Ying’s eyes and said.
(Huh?)
"I don’t like you."
(Uh... huh?) Shi Ying scratched her head.
"You’re too money-minded."
(Heh, is there anything wrong? With money this girl can wear nice clothes, eat good food, the dozen barefoot brats at the courtyard won’t have to beg anymore.) As Shi Ying responded, she couldn’t help but think: (Even insulting looks good, heh.)
Su Ming’an took a deep breath:
"You..."
(Alright, no more nonsense, time is running out.) Shi Ying lifted her little finger: (...Phoenix almost discovered here, act now, Xiao Shanzhu.)
...
Phoenix walked amidst ruins, his gaze searching all around.
Suddenly, a sound came from behind, the red-haired girl climbed up. Because Phoenix couldn’t hear heart voices, she could only use crude sign language.
(Surrendered! I surrendered!)
She held up the white stone, using sign language, jumping around.
"Where’s the sincerity?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow.
Shi Ying grinned shamelessly, long accustomed to a submissive posture, pointed at the pit.
Phoenix cautiously walked to the pit’s edge, looked down, and saw Su Ming’an with several wounds on his back, excessive blood loss, white hair messily dripped, his face pale like paper.
Tian Yu has an "Aura Concealment" skill, sufficient to make a person seem critically injured, while Su Ming’an had rich wound experiences, knowing exactly how to injure himself, appeared gravely hurt, actually not fatal.
Phoenix watched this scene, yet didn’t smile, rather stared gloomily at Shi Ying:
"You betrayed him?"
Shi Ying froze for a moment.
"I’ve always hated betrayal." Phoenix coldly said.
Shi Ying internally wondered... You of all people dare say such words?
"I accept your allegiance." Phoenix flatly said: "Follow me, I don’t have much gold and jewels with me. Hurry, lest those two rush to take it."
After finishing, he directly carried Su Ming’an, the snowy long hair dripped over his back, the blood stained his shoulder red.
(You and Ming aren’t allies?) Shi Ying followed behind, her sign language extremely crude, luckily Phoenix was smart enough to understand.
"Just a temporary alliance, our target is Su Ming’an." Given Shi Ying surrendered, Phoenix added an explanation.
Xiao Shanzhu is so sought after... Shi Ying clicked her tongue thinking.
They hadn’t taken a few steps yet, two figures unexpectedly appeared.
Like a blossoming figure landed, light blue long hair floated high, flower branches lifted up, as if playing a melody.
The bright gaze fell high on the steel beams, moving gracefully, eyes as sharp as an arrow.
The standoff among the three was the perfect moment to detonate the white stone.
"I have to say, you’re quite unscrupulous, Phoenix," Ming said with a smile.
"..." The pink-haired person remained silent, raising a scythe blade.
Phoenix immediately looked at Shi Ying, utilizing mind control: "Shi Ying! Destroy the white stone’s defense, hand me the stone!"
Under the thick, blood-red sunset, the red-haired girl slowly lifted her head, picking up the white stone.
Su Ming’an opened his eyes slightly; Shi Ying’s detonation would not differentiate between friend and foe. He must prepare to defend in time.
"Stop!" The pink-haired person raised a hand, his voice suddenly becoming urgent, seemingly reluctant to see it happen: "Do not do that!"
"Stop!" Ming also shouted, "How much did Phoenix offer you? I’ll double it!"
"I’ll triple it!" Phoenix immediately bid.
"Four times!" Ming promptly followed with a bid.
"Five times!"
"Six times!"
A blonde and a black-haired person, they haggled like children, auctioning Su Ming’an and the white stone.
Su Ming’an’s eyelids trembled; he felt it was indeed a bad idea. However, success was near, as long as Shi Ying detonated the white stone now...
The red-haired girl smiled as she picked up the white stone, and the emoticon on the white stone turned into "(´⌒`)", as if dissuading something.
In the next moment, Shi Ying opened her mouth, the white stone transformed into a stream of light, darting into her mouth!
She didn’t detonate the white stone as planned, but swallowed it!
The proclaimed detonation was a complete lie. How could she bear to let such a powerful strength just explode? Once it exploded, how could she still become the World Master?
Su Ming’an suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at her.
... He was betrayed again. However, there was not much disappointment in his heart, because he had anticipated it, yet chose to trust her once.
He had seen too many towering mountains, thus easily mistook that every hill was worth admiring. But since it was so, there was no longer any need to hold back.
"You are a liar! You tricked me!" Phoenix was like a deceived child, growing furious. He raised his arm again, transforming into his True Martial Soul.
As if sharp laughter echoing from a flash of white light, after swallowing the white stone, Shi Ying’s body was enveloped in splendid white light, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
(Indeed, I am a selfish Nightingale, didn’t you know from the beginning? Perhaps you have encountered selfless Nightingales, leading you to assume I am a benevolent Nightingale, but alas, a benevolent Nightingale is merely my act!) Her heart’s voice resounded, only Su Ming’an could hear it.
The red-haired girl stepped out.
Fine, soft, greenish-brown ear feathers, like tender buds, swiftly grew above her ears!
At her shoulder blades, two giant glorious wings sprouted like flaming clouds. Countless newly-emerged feathers glimmering with iridescent light swirled and wove upwards from her feet, covering her and transforming into a luxurious, fluffy long dress, transitioning from deep red to bright gold-red.
Her red hair aflame, she emerged from the ruins of light and feathers, as if a god newly born from ancient mythology—astonishingly beautiful, dazzlingly breathtaking.
The Nightingale, revered as the clan of ancient deities, feared even by the ancestral Empress, the immense energy awakened her ancient bloodline.
She hovered, looking down upon the few below:
(A girl never gently treated by this world... what gives you the right to expect she would sacrifice the sole future and strength within her grasp for this cold world?)
Her smile no longer hysterical, embodying only a victor’s pleasure, lofty and supreme:
(Do you see clearly now? This is who I am—the selfish Nightingale, who will use you as steps to ascend my throne as World Master! Ancestors are ancestors, I am myself!)
...
"The stone is a fake!" The Empress pointed at the stone, glaring angrily at Fengchang: "Nightingale Clan, do you wish to play me for a fool? To ridicule the great Empire and the radiant Mother Goddess? You are war heroes, by doing this do you wish to rebel and become historical sinners?!"
She dreaded the Nightingale Clan’s singing, seeking an excuse to punish them. If the Nightingale Clan handed over the white stone, she would let them off for today, finding excuse later on.
Truth be told, she didn’t believe the Nightingale Clan would rather die than surrender—it’s just a broken stone, after all. The Nightingale Clan are war heroes, their glory and wealth are inexhaustible in the future; there’s no need for the whole clan to risk everything, right? Today, the Nightingale Clan would definitely hand over the white stone; she was merely formalizing the process.
The disorder on Qianqin’s side had yet to reach her ears.
Priests were on standby, ministers wearing fake smiles. Outside the black wall, the observing citizens whispered among themselves, some skeptical, others believers.
The Empress stretched out her hand, waiting for the Nightingale Clan’s flattery.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to explain." Fengchang stepped forward, hands cupped, voice unshaken: "This object is a relic passed down by the Nightingale Clan’s ancestor the Seven-Colored Holy God, requiring the collective singing of ancient hymns by the Nightingale Clan to become enchanted. Otherwise, on the surface, it’s just an ordinary stone."
"Is that so?" The Empress was half-convinced, thinking of the Mother Goddess backing her up, she waved her sleeve: "Then begin, and don’t play any tricks."
Fengchang turned, looking at over three hundred clansmen.
No more words were needed, the clansmen already understood what to do.
Suddenly, as if telepathically, Fengchang glanced upward.
In the distance, on a floating hot air balloon, Xiber stood high, turning around to see the white-haired youth raising his head from the altar.
"You bastard! Once again running towards death, you—" She bit her lip, pointing at him, the stone in her arms seemingly burning hot.
Their blue eyes met once more, a true farewell.
He had become a lingering fish on land, whereas she had become a flying bird.
He clearly wasn’t—clearly not... that person!
The clansmen began to sing.
Blue-green ear feathers grew on their ears, two magnificent wings unfolded behind them, countless iridescent feathers swirled and wove, their beauty breathtaking.
"Listen, the wind whispers of an iron curtain’s heaviness,
"Listen, chains corrode the dawn’s song,
"Not to praise hollow crowns, nor to submit to cold grace,
"If altars only hold false dances, if thrones need spines as stairs,
"I shall pierce the heart with a flowering branch, to let Eternal Night illuminate..."
...
The flower leaves swayed.
Noel Agnini awoke from the dream.
After Su Ming’an turned back and consulted, perhaps stimulated, Noel recalled more memories.
Noel sat up in the trickling black water, took out a notebook, and wrote new records:
[Records of the 412,812,738th Reincarnation.]
[That time, Su Ming’an decided to transform into the World Tree; three years later, he found Zhai Xing’s location.]
[I learned it was the Awakeners’ intentional guidance, thus followed, intending to end his life with a blade edge, preventing dream contamination. Also, to swallow his remaining life, aiding my ascent... indeed, that’s it.]
[However, Lü Shu arrived, stopping for a moment, making Su Ming’an return to the small world, I couldn’t catch up.]
[What happened next...]
Noel forcefully tapped his forehead, his pen pausing:
[Next, he resolved to become the Evil Dragon.]
[—— Protection of all through the Divine Festival.]
[Recalled cycles are increasing, quite good, yet a bad omen... How much longer can I live, how long can I remain awake?]
He put the notebook back in the cabinet and closed it with a "click."
Rising, the shade of black in his eyes grew deeper and deeper.
...
