novelraw Chapter 125 : Chapter 125
Chapter 125 : Chapter 125
Chapter 125: The Final Battle Begins
From the sidelines, An Huyu’s face showed shock at the words.
He turned his head, looking elsewhere, as if searching for someone’s figure.
Yiming, the one questioned, lowered his eyes slightly.
As he sparred, he tilted his head, a trace of confusion in his deep blue eyes, as if he couldn’t comprehend the backs of those figures that had walked away from him.
“What do I think?” He raised his head, speaking with the indomitable Metal Heart forged through his journey with Tide, “I just want to talk to him face-to-face, to clear things up. Why did he kill Yu Xiao, and why did he kill Li?”
“I want to know,” he said, “Even if knowing changes nothing, I still want to know.”
He wanted to know why, even if it was a poison fatal to him.
“Is that so.” Yan Changxiao let out a hearty laugh, “Looks like some things don’t need me to spell out.”
He and Yiming bonded through their fists, though he regretted never having sparred with the youth who once stood behind that frail boy.
Yan Changxiao had seen eyes just like his own, and he had felt a resonance he believed in, even if it was hidden behind a false face and demeanor.
So he said: “At the very least, he’s not your enemy.”
Leaves fell, torn apart by the gusts of their punches in the space between them.
Not far away, a black crow in the canopy spread its wings and flew off.
Yiming seemed to sense something, turning his head, but he only saw leaves falling in the wind.
At night, when An Heyu returned to his room, he saw his younger brother, who had been giving him the cold shoulder, sitting on a stool by his door, as if waiting for him.
“Big brother, are you hiding something from me again?” he asked.
Dan adjusted his rabbit plushie, turning away with a cold expression and leaving, while An Heyu pushed open the door, wearing his usual confident and proud demeanor.
But he quickly froze under An Huyu’s words.
“Do you remember the day the Princess saw through your disguise?” An Huyu said, “Back then, I tried to use my ability on ‘C-rank’ Yu Xiao, but it failed.” He stared intently at An Heyu’s expression, lowering his voice, “You definitely know why.”
“Abilities generally have a limitation—they don’t work on higher-ranked abilities.” An Heyu said steadily.
“Yu Xiao is definitely not just C-rank. There’s got to be a secret about him.” An Huyu continued, standing up from the chair, speaking passionately like he did back in Four-Way City, as a younger brother to his dependable older brother, “You must know why, and Baige must know too! Why not tell me? What are you and Baige planning?”
“You didn’t have this attitude before.” An Heyu said, his eyes dodging slightly.
“Of course not, because none of you told me he was Baige!” An Huyu stepped in front of An Heyu, half-tilting his head, his golden eyes trembling with intense emotion, “If it’s Baige, he would never hurt us! You too, right, big brother? When the Qu clan and Yue clan targeted you, I saw Baige by your side. He saved you, didn’t he?”
“Baige must have been misunderstood. Why not tell us?” An Huyu said excitedly, “What are you planning?”
As he spoke, he suddenly froze.
“Could it be...” He looked at An Heyu with a seeking gaze, “Is there someone in the Imperial Family we don’t know about?”
He recalled how he had wanted to stay by the Princess’s side because Tide’s forces were unequal to hers.
“I don’t believe Baige would betray us. There’s only one possibility—he doesn’t think we can overthrow the Empire right now.” He said, “But we already have eight S-rank ability users and one SS-rank supporting us.”
Originally, there were four SS-rank ability users outside Floating City: Ranmu City’s lord Lin Ran, Jiao Huang’s lord Jue Hui Shen, the wandering SS-rank Yu Xiao, and a mysterious recluse who hadn’t been seen in years and might not even be alive.
But this recluse, moved by Tide’s conviction and the passion of Yiming and others, had joined Tide.
This was why they dared to come to Floating City—they now had SS-rank strength.
But An Heyu had no intention of answering this question.
He wouldn’t reveal anything Heige hadn’t allowed: “Heige has his own plans.”
“What plans?” An Huyu laughed and asked, “Plans to wear a skirt? Big brother, you’d never wear a skirt on your own, so it must have been Baige who made you, right? Am I right? Is that your plan?”
An Heyu hadn’t expected An Huyu to bring up old grudges at a time like this.
His face suddenly flushed, but he raised his chin with that familiar arrogance, saying: “Hmph, what’s the big deal?”
“Would you wear a dress for your friend, Huyu? Do you dare?” A sharp glint flashed in An Heyu’s golden eyes.
An Huyu froze, stammering: “W-what’s the big deal? Why w-wouldn’t I dare?”
He really didn’t dare!
“Not a short skirt, maybe a long one, I could do it, just wear something thicker...” He spiraled into a mental storm, but every skirt style he imagined felt impossible.
An Heyu, who had posed the question, maintained a “this is what adults do” composed expression, slowly backing out of the room, leaving An Huyu alone to grapple with the concept of cross-dressing.
Once the door closed, his expression instantly relaxed.
“It actually came up...” He gave a wry smile, though the real culprit was that person.
“Whatever Heige says must be right.” Dan emerged from the dark corridor, holding his rabbit plushie, and said flatly.
An Heyu glanced at him, nodded, straightened his back, and walked with him out from under the eaves.
“But I can’t shake this bad feeling.” An Heyu looked up at the bright moonlight, and under that moonlight, the floating city drifted in the glow.
“An Heyu, you worry too much, more than my mom.” Dan said emotionlessly, “No need to worry. Heige will definitely win, even if the opponent is a god.”
“You really believe in him.” An Heyu said with a wry smile.
“Of course.” Dan raised his chin with a hint of pride.
He never doubted, so now his mind was filled with excitement about finally heading to Floating City.
An Heyu shrugged, gazing at the radiant moonlight, and said slowly: “...I hope so. Maybe I’m overthinking.”
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that the plan wasn’t so simple.
Under the same moonlight, Tang stroked the feathers of a black crow, crouching down, her hand brushing over the anklet on the bird’s leg.
The ability activated, and the bloody wound vanished under her palm.
“Tang, you were looking for me?” Hua Yizhi’s figure appeared among the trees, stepping onto the grass bathed in moonlight.
Tang stood up, lifting the bird in her hands, letting it flap its wings and fly back into the sky.
Then she turned around, her black hair falling by her side, her emerald-green eyes looking at Hua Yizhi as she said: “There’s something I need to figure out before tomorrow.”
“Something important?” Hua Yizhi thought for a moment, “My intel on Floating City is far less than the An brothers...”
“No, it’s about Jiao Huang.” Tang said.
She asked seriously: “Sister Sang mentioned you and Qing Yu Chen were close before, right?”
Hua Yizhi froze.
...
Candlelight flickered in the night breeze, and a figure approached from a distance.
“You’re nervous?”
The newcomer was the SS-rank participant in Tide’s activities, known as the recluse, Yishi.
Sang Feiling shook her head, but her gaze remained fixed on the trembling candle flame.
“I was thinking, Sang Feiyuan is probably in Floating City right now.” She said, “I don’t actually want to confront him directly.”
“You’re a good sister.” Yishi said, “Back then, I didn’t even have the capacity to think, only fear and dread before the strong, letting that person kill my only brother and after his death, I gained great power through his inheritance... how laughable.”
“You’ve never told us who you were afraid of.” Sang Feiling said.
Yishi said: “The one who forced me to hide for a century, who wounded Jiao Huang’s lord so badly he retreated to the sea forever, who created the Empire and shaped the current state of affairs—not a person, but a god, the god of this world.”
“Terrifying.” Sang Feiling said, but her eyes held no fear, “Do you think we have a chance of winning?”
“No.” Yishi shook his head, then added, “But I want to try with you, not keep running forever. Even if this is a one-way ticket to death, I want to use this power, these hands, to do something.”
“It’s tomorrow, isn’t it?” Sang Feiling stretched lazily.
“Yes, tomorrow.” Yishi nodded.
The day they had decided to launch the surprise attack.
...
In the real world, the day passed quickly.
Tonight at midnight was the release time for the grand finale, as agreed upon by Li Li and the Manga Artist.
It was also the last time Li Li would enter the manga world, her final confrontation with Libra.
“Lili! I’m freaking out!” Her roommate sobbed over the phone, “Is Extreme Black and White really ending? Are Tang and the others going to find out Heige is Li? It’s supposed to be a good thing, so why am I so panicked!”
“Wuwuwu, my male god, the male god I haven’t climbed the wall for in three months!” Her roommate cried miserably, “Lili, tell me, if I start writing my desired ending for Extreme Black and White now, is there still time? I really don’t want a bad ending wuwuwuwu, I don’t want to be on the chopping block!”
“My male god has suffered so much, give him a good ending!” Her roommate was choking on tears.
“It’s updating tonight, you definitely won’t make it.” Li Li said, thinking this wasn’t something she could decide alone, and comforted, “Don’t cry, babe, I just ordered your favorite taro milk tea, remember to get it at the door.”
“Lili! You’re the best!” Her roommate wailed and shouted.
Li Li chatted with her roommate a bit more, then checked the stage play group chat.
They hadn’t disbanded yet, and the scriptwriter Jiang Lan was even planning an alternate timeline stage play.
[Lazy]: Anyone camping for tonight’s update?!
[Han Zhi]: +1
[Lulu]: +2
[Meowla]: +3
[Feather Don’t Cry]: +4
...
[Han Zhi]: Extreme Black and White is actually ending, I feel like I just started liking Heige yesterday.
[Meowla]: When you started liking Heige, he wasn’t a walking knife yet.
[Lazy]: Stop roasting, stop roasting, I’m gonna cry. When I started liking Li, he wasn’t a walking knife either wuwuwu...
[Lulu]: I wonder if the Empire’s Prophet reputation can be salvaged in the final chapter.
[Feather Don’t Cry]: I hope everything Heige did for them gets exposed. Didn’t Crying Bird figure it out? There’s a good chance! But Heige might not want that...
[Lazy]: Yeah, this is the path he chose, the path he won’t turn back from.
[Han Zhi]: I love this kind of Heige, but I also want him to be okay.
[Meowla]: I love this kind of Heige too.
[Lulu]: It’s settled! If the Manga Artist draws a bad ending, we’ll kidnap him and make him change it! No one’s taking away Little Corgi’s most important brother!
[Others]: Count me in!
Scrolling through her phone, Li Li thought the Manga Artist was kind of innocent.
After all, he only got inspiration from her actions; he didn’t deliberately write that kind of ending.
Was the Manga Artist also a professional scapegoat? She wondered.
“Lili! The Manga Artist has no conscience! He’s never had a conscience!” Her roommate’s voice came through the phone, full of heartfelt tears.
Li Li comforted her: “Isn’t that common knowledge?”
Manga Artist, take the blame, this pot’s yours!
What did it have to do with her, a pure reader, a loyal follower of the manga, an ordinary Li Li?
At 11:55 PM, Li Li hung up her roommate’s call, feeling a bit thirsty.
As she pushed open the door, she was startled to see her mother standing outside.
“Still not sleeping this late?” Her mother said sternly.
“Going to bed soon!” Li Li said, hurriedly slipping past her mother, grabbing a glass of water, and chugging it down.
When she returned, her mother was still standing by the door.
“Sleep early.” Her mother pushed the door open, looking ready to watch her go to bed, “Have you been dealing with something lately? You’ve got dark circles from staying up.”
Li Li’s expression softened instantly, and she smiled, saying: “It’s nothing, what could it be?”
Mother asked suspiciously, “I heard many college students run into trouble, either with pyramid schemes or campus loans. You haven’t borrowed money, have you?”
“...” Li Li could have answered with absolute certainty, but the moment she thought of Libra, her resolve wavered.
After all, she had indeed relied on Libra’s ‘loan’ to survive until now.
“You really borrowed?” Her mother sounded even more incredulous than she was. “How much? Why didn’t you tell the family?”
“No, it’s not that.” Li Li waved her hand, explaining, “If I had to say, I borrowed a life.”
Her mother’s expression shifted from disbelief to ‘oh, you’re joking.’
“No one wants your life. Keep it safe yourself,” her mother said, stepping out of the room and reaching to turn off the light.
“Mom, I want salty douhua for breakfast tomorrow,” Li Li said before the light went out.
“Alright, got it,” her mother replied, switching off the bedroom light. “I’ll add a youtiao for you.”
The room darkened.
The clock on the wall ticked, its minute hand already pointing to fifty-nine.
As Li Li stared at the pitch-black ceiling, she slowly thought,
She would come back, back to her home.
And eat the salty douhua and youtiao her mother made for her.
[This should be the last broadcast to you.]
The system’s voice sounded in the quiet night.
At the same time, the second hand on the wall clock pointed to twelve.
[Time’s up. Preparing for traversal.]
[Channel opened. Wishing you to become a highly popular character, bringing new vitality to the manga world.]
Here, the system’s voice paused.
[And]
[Good luck.]
...
In the manga world, atop a terrace, a black-haired youth opened his crimson eyes.
The wind lifted the hem of his black trench coat.
Li Li lowered her gaze slightly, sitting cross-legged in the air.
She reached out, adjusting the half-mask on her face.
“A secret is only a secret if no one knows,” she said softly, facing the wind.
Black crows materialized around her, soaring into the sky, their black feathers drifting in the wind, as if floating to the horizon.
Li Li extended her hand, her fingertips crushing a feather, then letting it vanish in her palm, turning from solid to illusion.
She still remembered the goal she set upon entering the manga: to become the manga’s most popular character, the undisputed fan favorite.
But a highly popular character wasn’t just about being beautiful, strong, and tragic.
She wanted to be a lingering regret, a figure who, when mentioned, would tug at readers’ heartstrings.
As long as the manga readers knew what happened, it didn’t matter if the people in the manga world understood why.
The poison that could kill would never see the light of day.
“Boom!”
An explosion echoed in the distance, shaking the entire Floating City.
Libra’s voice drew closer, pink petals dancing in the dark reddish-brown sky.
“Need to go over the plan again?” Libra tilted her head in front of Li Li, her toes touching the ground.
“You remember it, that’s enough,” Li Li said with a faint smile. “Libra.”
Remember the god-slaying spectacle they were about to perform before the manga readers and the people of this world.