N-M Chapter 1779 9 years
Chapter 1779 9 years
Nine years later.
Ruoshui Prison.
Tuk-tuk-tuk——
A dull, rhythmic knocking sounded, and as the door opened, a young man in a stylish black leather jacket walked into the narrow grocery store, each step creaking on the old floor.
The young man put his hands in his pockets, looked around curiously, and then slowly stopped in front of the counter.
The old tungsten bulb emitted a faint glow in the dim light, illuminating an aged figure behind the counter. The old man looked up at the young man and spoke expressionlessly:
"Go and get whatever you want to buy."
After a moment's hesitation, the young man tentatively spoke:
"I want to buy a ray of hope."
The old man's eyelids twitched slightly. He scrutinized the young man for a long time before speaking in his deep voice:
"Human civilization..."
"Never to be extinguished!" the young man added without hesitation.
At the same time, he took out a playing card from his pocket and slowly placed it on the counter... Under the dim light, a "9 of Hearts" caught the old man's eye.
The old man's expression finally relaxed, and he said slowly,
"So, you're the last card with the number 9... I'm the intelligence liaison for Ruoshui Prison, you can call me Lao Fan. Nice to meet you, newbie."
“I’m not a newbie,” Li Shangfeng chuckled. “I only recently got my start and officially joined the Twilight Society… In terms of seniority, I’m older than those Js and Qs.”
"Hmph, quite the boast, newbie."
"What, you still don't believe me? When I met Red King, there was no JQ involved yet!" Li Shangfeng raised his chin and spoke arrogantly.
Old Fan rolled his eyes. "Lord Red King hasn't shown his face in almost ten years... The recruitment of members for the Twilight Society has always been handled by Lord Gray King. How could you, a member of the 9th generation, know who Lord Red King is?"
"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do." Li Shangfeng shrugged.
Old Fan wasn't going to argue with him. He'd never liked people who talked nonsense. He sized Li Shangfeng up and down for a long time before speaking again:
"Is this your first time carrying out a mission for the Twilight Society?"
"……Yes."
Do you know what this mission is?
"I don't know. The Gray King's instructions to me were to come to the Ruoshui Realm to meet you... I don't know anything else."
"You've only just joined the Twilight Society and you've already encountered such a big mission... I don't know whether to say you're lucky or unlucky," Old Fan sighed.
Li Shangfeng's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing the words "major mission":
"Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me!"
Li Shangfeng is looking forward to the challenge.
He and Li Wanhua spent nine years working in the repair shop. Nine years is a long time; long enough that the repair shop has opened several chain stores and Li Shangfeng has become a small business owner; long enough that Li Wanhua has grown into a beautiful young woman and is engaged to the man she loves.
Li Wanhua no longer lives at the repair shop, but she still often comes back to see Li Shangfeng. However, most of the time, Li Shangfeng is alone... In recent years, besides running the repair shop, he has been using his abilities to tinker with new inventions and then inserting them into his body.
Li Wanhua also asked Li Shangfeng if he, being of advanced age, should find a girl he loved, settle down, and live a peaceful life in the Chengtian Realm. But Li Shangfeng knew very well that this was not the life he wanted.
He is an unconventional genius of the Path of Skillful Gods. Nine years ago, he saw the most magnificent scenery in the world. The fluid flowing in his body is no longer blood, but the engine oil used to nourish various weapons... How could someone like him be content to be an ordinary person, get married and have children?
Starting from the sixth year, he had been hoping that Chen Ling would return, tell him the whole truth, and then lead him to start a new life.
Li Shangfeng had long ago made up his mind. He was willing to face any danger, whether it was going through fire or water. He craved battle, excitement, and a world full of unknowns and risks. It was something ingrained in his bones, and these desires grew stronger with age.
He waited anxiously day and night for a full three years...
One late night, Li Shangfeng pushed open the door of the repair shop as usual. At that moment, blank playing cards poured out like a blizzard, obscuring his vision... In a daze, a woman in a black dress emerged from among them.
She claimed to be the Gray Queen of the Twilight Society, and that she had come to answer Li Shangfeng's questions as ordered by the Red Queen Chen Ling.
That night, Li Shangfeng learned everything.
He felt lost and incredulous... but in the end, he chose to join the Twilight Society without hesitation.
Grey King said he owed Twilight Society nothing and didn't need to take any more risks. Li Shangfeng's reply was quite simple:
"What's this about owing or owing... What does the me from the previous world have to do with the me now?"
"I just love this kind of exciting life!"
That night
A sky full of 9s of hearts playing cards were scattered across the repair shop floor...
Li Shangfeng, a good resident of the Chengtian Realm, has vanished without a trace.
Li Shangfeng joined the Twilight Society to experience a new life, and now that he has just joined, he is faced with a major mission. He feels no fear, only eager anticipation.
"Don't rush." Old Fan glanced at the time. "There's another newcomer coming soon... You all listen together."
"There are newcomers? Shouldn't I be the newest?"
Li Shangfeng spoke in surprise.
"There was another new guy last night. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be on his way."
"He just joined last night, and he's already involved in a major mission today?" Li Shangfeng's expression was somewhat strange. "What's his 'card'? Is it also a 9?"
"The 9 cards have all been dealt, so he should be dealing with the 8."
Before Lao Fan could finish speaking, a rhythmic knocking sounded on the door again.
The two looked toward the shop door at the same time, and saw the door slowly pushed open, and a young man carrying a drawing board walked in from outside... He was young, but he exuded a maturity beyond his years.
The moment Li Shangfeng saw the boy, he was stunned... He had thought that this "newcomer" would be very "new", but he didn't expect him to be this new... Judging from his age alone, he should be about the same age as Li Wanhua nine years ago, right?
Is it acceptable for someone this age to join the Twilight Society?
Do not……
Maybe it's just a kid from the neighborhood who came to buy some snacks.
The boy's gaze lingered on Li Shangfeng for a moment, then he looked at Old Fan behind the counter. After hesitating for a moment, he walked straight to the counter.
"What do you want to buy?" Old Fan asked tentatively, with a hint of curiosity.
"I want to buy a ray of hope."
The boy gently placed a playing card on the table, and the 8 of Clubs immediately caught their eyes… After a moment's pause, he spoke firmly:
"Human civilization...will never be extinguished."
……
……
The pace has quickened, and some plot points nine years later have been omitted, resulting in slower updates... I'll post one chapter today, nineteen is still nine~ (doge)