Chapter 214: I Just... Miss You So Much...
Jiang Che returned to his room, but he truly didn’t dwell much on the destruction of those cities.
The destruction of the two cities wasn’t because of him, either.
He just watched as the world was swallowed by the Dark Forest, and felt an ache rise inside him.
It was as if, in an instant, the entire world had taken on the same face.
He walked into Red Pearl Mental Hospital and found a bed at random to sit down on.
He tried to reach Ning; after something like this, he had so much he wanted to say to her.
He’d barely begun to connect with Ning when, without waiting, he almost immediately felt her presence.
Ning was fine—she had been quietly recovering all along.
She hadn’t gone with the Lords to open new portals; she pretended to be upset, but was really buying Jiang Che more time.
The moment they connected, she felt the lump gathering in Jiang Che’s throat.
"Ning..."
"We’ll see each other very soon," Ning softly comforted him, as if she could feel Jiang Che leaning against her shoulder like a child.
"Ning, over here, the Dark Forest swallowed two more cities," he shared with Ning what was happening on his side.
"Were there people you knew in that place?" Ning froze at once; she knew better than anyone how quickly the forest could devour life.
"No, not a single one." Jiang Che shook his head.
"Mm..." Ning’s voice suddenly thickened with gloom; she tilted her head to look toward the castle gate.
She’d always loved the Human Realm, ever since she first caught a glimpse of it—she loved its purity.
No wastelands, and no bloodstains.
Day and night were never the same; every moment had its own light, beautiful and enchanting.
She’d even remade the castle in her own territory to resemble that world, covering the blood-black earth, making her castle pristine and spotless.
But it was only appearance—inside, everything was different.
If she had to say, it all came down to the air.
The air here always carried a hint of something burnt, impossible to dispel.
Now, sensing the unhappiness in Jiang Che’s voice, a bitter smile curled on Ning’s lips.
Jiang Che was always like this—his feelings so easily seen.
That used to be what she loved most about him, and now it was what troubled her most.
Because she sensed that Jiang Che was saddened for the city.
She’d always hoped Jiang Che wouldn’t let either humans or evil ghosts chain his heart.
But now it seemed, Jiang Che’s heart was still with humanity.
Yet maybe that was as it should be.
Thinking this, she lowered her voice and spoke, hoarse. "Actually, everything you’re facing in your world, we went through it, too."
She looked up at the world outside, as if she could see the distant Dark Trees far away.
Her voice drifted, ethereal, as if lost in memories from long ago.
"If you want as many humans to survive as possible, divide out a part of your territory, solely for people to live in."
"Then you make a small adjustment—set all the challengers’ routes outside the residential zone. That way, no matter who enters the dungeon, they won’t go into your living district; the dungeon boundaries will be as wide as possible and can better protect your land."
"Of course, the lives living in your territory can’t pass a certain limit."
"You can carve out new small territories and send people there, but you can’t let your own land host too much life."
"Now it looks like the Dark Forest bullies the weak and fears the strong, and won’t attack by force. But if enough lives gather in a territory, it’ll break through anyway."
"That forest may seem mindless, seem to avoid danger and seek luck, but in truth it’s clever."
Ning spoke to herself, giving Jiang Che a way to let humans survive en masse.
Though Jiang Che’s heart leaned toward the human side, as long as it didn’t harm their relationship, she didn’t really mind.
"Huh?" Jiang Che froze. "What are you saying?"
Ning had just spoken so much, so fast, he honestly hadn’t caught a word.
"If you want to protect them, I’m willing too. I’ll help you build a world where humans and evil spirits live side by side." Ning clenched her fist.
It was an incredibly difficult thing, but if they worked together, they could do it.
"That’s not what I meant." Jiang Che waved his hand in a hurry; only then did he realize what Ning was offering.
Ning had never forced him to help the evil spirits, so how could he ask her to help protect humanity with him?
Besides, that had never been his intention.
"I was just... seeing those cities destroyed, it made me so sad," Jiang Che hurried to explain.
"Because I saw it—the satellite footage, looking down from above."
"I saw the Dark Trees devouring the world until it was all the same." Jiang Che spoke as he took out his phone, starting to search for the scenic spots he once knew.
"I said I’d take you to see those places; we’d travel together..."
On his phone there were still pictures of those sights—lush mountains, clear waters, green landscapes,
Now, all there was to see was black.
There was nothing left to recognize—no mountains, no great rivers or lakes.
Even those bustling cities had become packed, bizarre dwellings.
He didn’t want to go to Flying Eagle’s city—every citizen had a massive eyeball hovering overhead, watching like a camera.
Nor did he want to go to Leng Feng’s city—the ground was covered in black spikes, drenched in the blood of countless people.
Sticky blood clung to everyone’s shoes.
The foul, rusty scent of blood filled the entire city.
He looked at the other cities built by the elite humans—freedom was nowhere to be found in any of them.
Everywhere he saw was suffocating.
"Ning, I’m sorry..."
"I said I’d take you to see all these places, but now... they’re all gone..."
Jiang Che stared at his phone—the images he’d searched for and saved of scenic places.
He’d always kept them there, waiting for the day the two worlds connected, so he could show Ning the world’s beauty.
But now, comparing them with the satellite’s view, only a handful of places still kept their colors.
He didn’t know how long those colors would last, because so many of the places he wanted Ning to see had already vanished.
When Ning realized Jiang Che wasn’t grieving for the disappearance of humanity, but for not being able to take her to those places...
The haze in Ning’s pupils receded; her eyes flashed brightly again.
Jiang Che stared at the photos on his phone—he remembered how the hospital staff always said, as soon as they had time off, they’d travel with their families.
With family...
Jiang Che never forgot those words.
Since that day, he’d made a plan in his heart—to go with his family, his loved ones, and see those places together.
Jiang Che had seen where Ning lived, and knew how much she loved everything about the Human Realm.
He was anxious that she’d never see those landscapes again.
"I just wanted to take you to see them. I just kept wishing you’d come sooner. I just... I miss you so much..."