Dow and Carbon-Based Monkey Breeding Guidelines

Chapter 994 Late Clear Sky (Part )

The owner of the house didn't greet him immediately when he saw him, but just looked a little puzzled. When Luo Binhan took off his sunglasses and asked if there was any beer left, the other party suddenly realized and smiled, saying that the box of beer had been finished a long time ago. But he still had something else. Luo Binhan exchanged a few words with him and told him how he got into a car accident. The two people traveling with him were taciturn, and only asked where there was hot water and the location of the bathroom.

This farmhouse project was built before he was kidnapped by Jing Huang. His last visit here was purely accidental, and it was before Zhou Wenxing showed up. Considering all aspects, this middle-aged man with a failed business is unlikely to be Li Li's man. He came back here only because there were not many people living near the wetland. After two months, the other party still remembered him. The owner gave a sympathetic explanation: the business here is still not improving. There are very few visitors in the past two months. Instead, a neighbor nearby moved to the city to take care of his grandson. His own family is also visiting relatives in other places, and he is lonely and bored all day long.

Li Li placed an order with him through the Internet and phone. Perhaps the price she offered was very generous, or perhaps it was just because they were lonely, the host treated them very warmly. Within half an hour, he served a whole table of wine and food, and asked Luo Binhan what plans he had for tomorrow while dining with him. Luo Binhan could only smile and perfunctorily pass the question. His plans for tomorrow? Only God knows the answer to this question at the moment.

The two companions didn't talk much while eating. They were probably under 30 years old, tall and strong, and they ate in a very polite manner. Luo Binhan always felt that the two people were listening to him with their ears perked up. They might not have any bad intentions, but he didn't like being stared at by outsiders like this, especially at a moment like this. He changed the topic away from himself and asked the owner of the house all kinds of questions. How is business? What a pity, it's almost like starving. Don't you consider changing your career? Anyway, you won't starve to death, but you just like the scenery of this place. How are the migratory birds in the scenic area? It's better than two months ago. They are gradually recovering from the unexplained disorder, but the weather this year is still very strange. The news said that the ocean currents this year are very abnormal. I wonder if it will affect the temperature and rainfall.

The topic turned to the weather and agricultural conditions in recent years. Luo Binhan didn't know what he was talking about, but just followed the topic to give the two companions something to think about. In his heart, he wondered why it was necessary to do this? Let Li Li do whatever he wants. He didn't have anything to hide. If they successfully found Zhou Yu, the favors he owed would be enough for Li Li to print out his browser history and broadcast it live to the world; if... then why should he care about this little action? It was strange enough that he was still sitting here eating. But people always have to eat. Don't the relatives and friends of those who were missing in the disaster eat while waiting for news? You can spend the next few decades slowly savoring the separation of life and death, but if you don't eat or drink for dozens of hours, the pain will really end quickly.

Do the relatives and friends who are waiting for the casualty report feel the same as he does now? There are still many people outside searching for Zhou Yu. These people have no responsibility or obligation to Zhou Yu. They are just completing an urgent task assigned by their superiors. And he may be the only one among all the searchers who knows Zhou Yu. This is not just a psychological problem of survivor's guilt, but a basic fact: it is his own actions that indirectly led to today. He is responsible for the consequences. He should have made the most efforts and should have worked day and night to find people in the wetlands, but he ended up sitting at the dining table to eat.

In fact, he is no more special than any other fair-minded searcher. He has tried, and fate did not take special care of him because he was in more pain, just as it did not take care of those relatives and friends who cried and wailed after hearing the bad news. All the thoughts and efforts can only be wasted, because this is the price of choice - mortals are sometimes powerless. They can only accept the results, regard all losses as the inevitable experience of these short decades of life, and then continue to live. Maybe it won't work on the first day, the first year, but after decades, people can never compete with the length of their own lives.

It was past five o'clock when dinner ended. There was still no news from Li Li, who only said that half of the core area had been searched, and it was only a rough screening. The two companions were probably tired and fell asleep on the sofa in the living room. Luo Binhan walked out of the house alone and stood at the place where he had stood two months ago to look at the wetland. There was a slight chill in the late summer evening breeze. The orchard that separated the wetland from the ridges was now more lush, and the fruits were faintly visible under the insect-proof bags. Although the grass in the forest was still lush and green, the tips of the fruit leaves had already turned dry, just like the tips of the reeds had already sprouted snow sticks. The scene seemed perfect, but also decadent, as if telling him that after this harvest, all that would be left were dead grass and branches. But that was not bad either, at least there had to be a harvest first.

He stood alone for a while, and the owner of the house enthusiastically brought a chair and invited him to try the local fruits and snacks, because he had not eaten anything for dinner. This concern did not seem to be bought by Li Li, so Luo Binhan had to accept it. He suspected that this had something to do with the other party's son, because they happened to be graduates of Lihai University, but the owner of the house could not be considered his father's generation, and they were at most fifteen years apart. The owner sat side by side with him in front of the house and asked him if he had any troubles, and he admitted it. Then the other party said that his visit this time was not like a trip to relax, but rather like losing millions of public funds in the wetland.

"We didn't lose any money," Robinson said. "We lost a living person."

"what?"

"A friend of mine is missing in the wetlands. We're looking for him."

The owner immediately asked him if he needed help. He enthusiastically said that he could call a few friends nearby, but it was too late now and they would have to wait until tomorrow morning. They would bring suitable means of transportation, such as bicycles and kayaks. He also comforted Luo Binhan and said that it was no big deal. The wetland is so large that there is no signal in some places. Every year, one or two tourists are heard to be lost. Some are bird watchers who forget the time because of their excitement, and some get lost and run off the regular route of the scenic area. In the end, nothing serious happened. Those who can come to play here are adults with some outdoor experience. They may fall into the dark swamps covered by grass and trees due to carelessness, but they can usually get out by themselves. After all, there are many reeds or water candles nearby that can be used for grasping and climbing, so it is not easy to drown.

Luo Binhan laughed along with him, but finally declined the enthusiasm, because what Li Li lacked was not manpower but investigative equipment. He didn't know why he had to tell the other party so many truths. Under normal circumstances, he would just tell a few lies to get by, but today he didn't want to do so, and even didn't dare to do so. This was really a strange mentality. He actually understood those who prayed to God and Buddha, burned incense and ate vegetarian food in despair - from today on, I will turn over a new leaf! I will honestly accumulate good causes and merits, and God will have to give me some performance points, right? However, there was another voice stubbornly reminding him that since there is no such thing as retribution in the world, don't expect to be rewarded for doing a few human things occasionally.

He ate some oranges and pears, mainly because he was thirsty. When the host asked him what he thought, he tried to praise them, but to be honest, they tasted very ordinary. His lie was very poor, and the host just smiled knowingly and admitted that this place was not suitable for most fruit trees. Many fruit trees prefer sandy loam, or at least soil that can be breathed and drained, and it is not easy to meet this requirement near wetlands. His piece of Feng Shui land happened to be on the outskirts and the terrain was high enough, but it was not easy to grow things at the beginning. The travel agency people had racked their brains to solve this problem. They bought soil from other places, bought special crops adapted to wetland environments, and at one point they even came up with the idea of ​​planting water-absorbing plants to improve the soil quality. The plants they chose were actually almond eucalyptus trees. Obviously, they neither understood the tree species nor the legal provisions.

The discussion about tree species soon made the host talkative. He liked willow trees because they were easy to grow in swamps, but unfortunately they had low economic value. Longleaf pine might be more valuable. It was said that the rosin of this tree sold well, but it was not possible to make a lot of money from it. After all, everyone knew that there were large tracts of Pinus tabulaeformis forests around Wojiao City, and you alone could not compete with the large-scale industries of several counties. However, his neighbor's acacia honey and linden honey sold well online. Although the market competition was fierce, they were local products after all. Although people did not care where the wood and rosin they used came from, they were more concerned about what they put in their mouths.

Listening to these trivial and monotonous forestry experiences was quite reassuring and even interesting. Really, he thought he might try it himself after this was over. Maybe this was his innate hobby? But it could also be that this was just the most difficult time in his life, and anything unrelated to it would seem particularly attractive. No wonder the ancients thought of retiring to the countryside when they were frustrated. Of course, most people who said this didn't actually do farm work.

The host persuaded him to eat two more pieces of dessert, which were said to be made of honey, malt and glutinous rice. The dessert was too sweet for him, and it felt like a handful of coarse sand was forced into his throat. In order not to waste his hospitality, he had to find an excuse to refuse the remaining dessert.

"The honey used in this dessert is local?" he said. "I don't know much about honey. Is this acacia honey or linden honey? Linden tree? But I don't see any linden trees around here."

The owner led him to the other side of the house. In the direction away from the center of the wetland, Luo Binhan saw a lush tree garden on the high slope. It was nearly one kilometer away from the residential area. Fortunately, there were low crops and shallow grass in the middle, so the view was clear. He thought that the land to the left of the middle was probably a linden forest. This kind of tree can be seen everywhere near Regenberg. There is a centuries-old linden tree growing in the town square, which is highly valued by the locals.

He noticed that the forest was high up, and although it was farther away than the farmland, it was easier to overlook the wetlands. "I want to go there and take a look, okay?" he said to his host. "I'm a little curious about how you planted these trees near the wetlands."

The owner readily agreed. Luo Binhan also borrowed a bird-watching telescope and a walking stick, then jumped into his car and drove up the hill along the dirt road beside the farmland.

He carried his cell phone with him throughout the whole process, and Li Li remained silent. Perhaps she had no objection to him finding something to do, or perhaps she was busy directing hundreds of drones flying over the wetlands. These drones have night vision capabilities and can continue to work at night. Maybe he would find Zhou Yu after he woke up from a nap. But then again, how would Zhou Yu spend the night in the wetlands? This guy might have to fall asleep at any time, and he couldn't just fall into the reeds like a tragopan.

"Li Li," he asked as he drove, "Do you think Zhou Yu still needs to eat, drink and sleep now?"

"If you're asking about his current safety, I can only say that we still haven't found him."

"Oh, no, I didn't ask that. I mean, can he go without sleep, food or water for days on end looking for someone?"

"I think his needs in this regard are lower than those of ordinary people, but I'm afraid they cannot be completely eliminated."

"Because he still puts food in his office, right? If he really doesn't need to eat or drink, he won't even remember to put a cookie there. But I found that he doesn't need to bring food or camping equipment at all - he can teleport! Since he can disappear in the secret room at No. 206 Dongyun Road, can't he teleport back the same way? For example, when he's hungry, he can teleport back to eat a meal, and when he's sleepy, he can teleport back to take a nap - do you have someone waiting in his iron room?"

"Yes, I have asked someone to keep an eye on the movements in the Dongyun Road base, but I don't think he will go back. Most of Mr. Zhou Yu's whereabouts in the past two years have been well documented. We can infer that he rarely uses this space teleportation ability, even when traveling long distances."

"You think this ability is not that convenient." Luo Binhan guessed, "Are there any side effects? Do you need a cooling time? Will it shorten your lifespan?"

"We can only guess now. But I have a feeling that all the abilities Mr. Zhou Yu has demonstrated so far are related to his dreams."

Only Zhou Yu himself could give them the answer to this question. Pajaniya was a man of many surprises: he could dream of entering the underworld, kill Wuyuanren, hypnotize his friends, and now he could teleport. Luo Binhan really wanted to ask him to write a list to see how long this guy's secret spell list was.

He parked the car about ten meters away from the forest farm, then walked the last section of the way with his walking stick and binoculars. The soil on the slope was indeed much drier than below. Although it was a bit steep, it was not difficult to walk. He climbed up the hill smoothly and touched the nearest acacia tree. The acacia tree had long passed its flowering period, leaving only its thorny branches and slightly yellow broad leaves. He looked up at the slightly low forest, then turned around and looked at the wetland.

The elevation of the terrain really improved the view, and also allowed the sunset to stay in the sky for a little longer. The water was bathed in gorgeous rays of light, and the reeds were swaying, like pale peach-colored waves. There was no golden hue in the twilight of this evening, and the eyes were filled with red clouds and red light, but this red was soft and did not remind people of blood and fire.

Luo Binhan raised his bird-watching scope and looked around. He only saw countless marsh grasses swaying in the evening breeze. He raised the lens to look at the sky again, and only caught a few swallows flying back to their nests. Among them, there was a distant figure with a strange shape, flying steadily and slowly. He guessed that it should be Li Li's drone.

"Anything you found, sir?"

Luo Binhan put down his bird-watching mirror. "No," he sighed, "You know there is none, Li Li."

"I don't know. There are no working cameras around here."

"But you have the motion detection data from my phone. If I had found anything, I would have jumped up and screamed."

"We've only just begun our search."

"Yeah, we've just started. Maybe Zhou Yu has just started too. Even if this guy has magic, he can't be more efficient than you. I don't even know how he's going to start. Just teleport to the middle of the wetland and then walk around the center? How big do you think his detection range will be?"

"That's not how he acts, sir. Otherwise, the drone would have found something in the first three hours. I guess Mr. Zhou Yu might have some clues that we don't know about, which could help him locate a smaller area."

"We only have Zhou Wenxing's words," said Luo Binhan, "and the poem you read out. And only the last sentence of the poem is related to wetlands. The previous sentences are all fairy tales. Jasmine flowers will not grow in such places. As for the bodhi tree, to be honest, I have never recognized this kind of tree. I may have encountered it before, but I still don't recognize it. Does it really exist? Is it not something we made up? Just like we call Lycoris radiata Lycoris radiata?"

"Yes, sir, the Bodhi tree exists. It is a species of the Ficus genus in the Moraceae family and has been common in India since ancient times. That is why Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, just as people prefer to believe that Jesus was born in a manger."

"Some people attain enlightenment under a bodhi tree," said Robinson. "Some people dig out the heads of their lovers under a bodhi tree. By the way, are there any bodhi trees near the wetland? Li Li?"

Li Li suddenly fell silent. Luo Binhan called out again, a little puzzled, but still no answer. He was about to take out his phone to check if the network signal was down, when she suddenly responded again.

"No, sir," she said. "Unfortunately, the Bodhi tree, like other common fig trees, cannot grow in wetland environments. I also checked satellite maps and all nearby sales information, and there are no Bodhi wood products produced in this area."

"Maybe Feng Chuxing brought one here from the flower and bird market? Just to give Zhou Yu a surprise?"

"I can see that you have recovered your spirits." Li Li suggested, "Why don't you go back to your residence and rest early?"

The setting sun had already sunk slightly into the red waves of the sea of ​​reeds. This sunset would end in half an hour at most. Luo Binhan knew that he would not gain anything if he continued to look around with the bird-watching telescope, but he still did not want to leave. It was very quiet here - actually not quiet, there were countless insects singing in chorus with different voices and beats - and the view was wide, unlike staying in a closed space that made people think about random things.

"Let's wait until the sun sets before going back." He said as he picked up the bird-watching scope and looked around. Most of the wetland area was shrouded in the shadow of the night, and he still found nothing. Because it was too close to the residential area, if Feng Chuxing prepared a very sophisticated trap for Zhou Yu, just like they did on Dongzhao Island, then he would have to choose a place at least ten kilometers away from here.

"Don't you think it's a bit risky to drive down here after dark? I must remind you that this stretch of road is not illuminated."

"Li Li, this road is only one kilometer at most. Even if I slip and fall, I can still roll to the entrance of the B&B."

"Yes, but the distance to get you to the hospital for emergency treatment is more than one kilometer. Not to mention that your medical examination report does not match the actual situation."

Luo Binhan decided to cooperate with her. He should go back and rest for a while, so as to wait for the news that might come at night. So he began to look for a downhill road that was more friendly to the cripple. From a high vantage point, the muddy path covered by the grass was difficult to judge the height and depth. In addition to the chirping of crickets and the buzzing of bees, he thought he also heard a rustling sound. It was most likely a wild snake slithering in the grass.

"Do you remember where I lost that walking stick?" he asked in wonder, squatting down and groping in the nearby meadow. He soon saw a piece of shiny black wood handle and reached out to pick it up in his palm. A bee that was resting on the grass was startled and flapped its wings around his palm. Luo Binhan stood still and waited for it to fly away, so as not to be stung for no reason.

"Sir?" Li Li's voice came from his pocket, "Have you found the walking stick? I think it should be at your feet."

Luo Binhan didn't hear her question. He was still staring at the flying bee. It flew a few circles in the air and landed on the grass tip. Its fat yellow and black buttocks swayed in a warning, gesturing to outsiders about its dangerous stinger. In fact, Luo Binhan didn't see the stinger at all. He was looking at its wings. It was really strange. Under the dark red light of the sunset, he actually felt that the wings of this bee were also red. A translucent, dry red.

"Li Li," he asked, "how far do bees usually travel from their nest?"

"It depends on the distribution of the nectar source. If the nectar source is very close, it is about three kilometers away."

Luo Binhan stood up and walked into the forest. The acacia blossom season had long passed, he thought as he walked, but the lime tree blossom season might not have completely ended. As he walked, he put his phone in his pocket to make sure the camera was not exposed.

"Are you trying to find your way back, sir?"

"Yes." Luo Binhan said, "Well, there seemed to be a snake there just now. I want to go down a road with less weeds."

He walked towards what he thought was the linden forest. When he looked towards the tree garden from the B&B, he already knew the general direction. But he just went there to take a look. Because, anyway, this place was almost out of the range of the wetland, a complete marginal area, and there were people living there.

In order not to miss anything in the shadow corner, he went a few steps deeper into the woods. This time, Li Li didn't say anything, and let him continue to wander in the dark woods as the sun was about to set. She might understand that it was pointless to dissuade him. But why did she suddenly insist on persuading him to go back? Just after they talked about the Bodhi tree... More buzzing sounds of flying bees sounded around, and it sounded like there might be three or four of them. Luo Binhan paid attention to look for it, but he could only catch one of them among the shadows of the trees. It looked very ordinary, and its wings were transparent like amber. But no one could say for sure, the people here might raise several different kinds of bees.

He walked a little further. It was getting darker, but he could still see clearly, but the trees blocked his view. These trees must be a big obstacle for high-altitude reconnaissance, and there were many thin branches and twigs at low altitudes. He didn't know if the drone used by Li Li could cope with this environment. Li Li didn't say anything, so he pretended that he didn't remember it and walked all the way to a man-made ditch.

This ditch was probably part of the forest's irrigation system, and also the boundary between different tree species. The bottom of the ditch was filled with white linden flowers, like a layer of light snow melting in a mud pit. There was a faint fragrance in the air that he was familiar with, as sweet as honey and as bitter as jasmine. He crossed the boundary of the linden flowers and looked up at the buzzing treetops.

This is probably the last linden nectar collection season of the year, and the bees are flying among the branches and leaves in the afterglow. Some of them may continue to work at night, after all, linden flowers don't sleep, but at this moment they are intoxicated, just like a group of drunkards at a carnival: one keeps crawling on the trunk, circling along the scars on the bark; one always wants to pounce on his face, twisting its butt with poisonous needles nervously; another group falls in the snow-white flower mud, and their thin legs twitch endlessly.

Luo Binhan leaned over and fiddled with them with his fingers. He saw two more red ones. One had half a wing and a tail, and the other had only the edge of its wing stained. They were not as lucky as the one he encountered before. Their wings were too wet and they could hardly fly. They just crawled crazily in the pile of fallen flowers. I don't know what the problem is. These bees all looked a little too manic, as if they were going to give a needle to any blind passerby.

  Robinson stood up slowly. He was making a mathematical guess based on his vague impression of bees: Generally speaking, there are tens of thousands of bees in a hive, and now is their busy season, so there must be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of bees in the woods. If he could see three bees with a strange red color in a row within ten minutes, how close must the source be?

"Li Li," he asked habitually, "Do you know that bees often change their body color..."

He paused, noticing that the silence amidst the buzzing of bees seemed familiar. He took out his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. The screen was normal, but there was no signal. There was no network signal or communication signal. This was a bit strange, as he was not in the deep mountains.

If he walked back a few hundred meters, the signal would probably be restored. But he just stood there and thought, then opened the compass app on his phone. He had never thought about whether the electronic compass and the physical compass had the same principle, but at least the app was very realistic - the drawn needle on the screen would also malfunction and shake like a real magnetic needle.

He held up his phone and walked along the edge of the woods. The buzzing of the swarm of bees had completely overwhelmed the remaining chirping of the crickets. He might have been stung two or three times in the chaos, but that didn't matter. He kept walking forward for a few hundred steps, and the electronic magnetic needle turned out to be normal, so he turned back and went deeper into the woods.

The setting sun, half-sunken in the reeds, was still chasing him, peeking in from the gap between the trees behind him. The faint light made the forest not feel gloomy, but just a little sad in its quietness. The linden flowers deep in the forest had all fallen, and the fragrance in the mud and snow was as strong as smelly blood wine. He kept looking down at his phone until half of a dark stream appeared in the flower mud at his feet. Luo Binhan used his walking stick to push away the fallen flowers covering it and carefully identified them. The air in the forest was very humid and not well ventilated. It might take several hours for it to dry up like this.

It was said that some people poached in the wetlands. The birds they caught might not be brought back alive, especially the common species. They might be processed and eaten somewhere nearby. He followed the deep ditch upstream again, passing by low linden trees. These trees were very young and had not experienced many springs and autumns. They still needed a lot of time to grow their crowns into towering trees, lest there would be people like him bumping around and knocking off many of the shaky linden flowers. He would also reach deep into the branches and leaves, as if he felt that something was hidden or hanging in the shade of the trees. No. There was nothing in the shade of the trees, only increasingly dense dry streams emerging from the depressions between the tree roots.

Most of them were covered by fallen flowers, and it would take at least half a day. And, well, he guessed that the blood of one or two wild birds was not enough to cause such a scene. But it wasn't necessarily all blood. Maybe it rained in the wetland last night, and a little bit of bird blood mixed with dirty water would be very scary. He staggered forward. It was too dark in the deep forest, and the remaining light of the broken sun was more likely to mislead his vision and make him ignore the branches that tripped him in the dark. He didn't know which direction he was going because the compass of his mobile phone was malfunctioning. He could only follow the increasingly strong and humid fishy smell, as if there was a silent waterfall in the deep forest that was spreading rain and dispersing fog, and the sunset and the swarm of bees were hanging closely behind his heels.

Why didn't these two guys leave? He was very puzzled, because he thought most bees would rest at night, and this sunset was too long. He climbed up a slope that tilted horizontally, trying to avoid the light of the setting sun, but found that someone had already taken a seat on the slope. Less than ten steps away from him, the other person was sitting under the shade of an especially dense tree - the tree was really strong, at least two times thicker than the surrounding similar trees, and could withstand the full weight of an adult.

Luo Binhan staggered up, a weak laugh coming out of his throat. He was laughing sincerely, because when he climbed up, the guy under the tree was looking at him with his eyes open, his eyes calm and clear - well, this is most likely the trap they are looking for, and someone is injured, and the blood flowing out is enough for the hospital emergency department to use for a year. But guess what the good news is? This bastard is still alive. The bloodstains he found are most likely not from the same person. Feng Chuxing is really a hopeless person who can't even kill the bird that has fallen into the trap.

"Fuck you." He laughed brokenly and walked towards the other person exhaustedly, "What the hell are you doing? I can't believe you actually fell for this-"

He paused as he saw the situation clearly. "What on earth is this?" he asked. "What on earth are you doing?"

Zhou Yu was still sitting under the tree. The dry streams that seeped into the flower mud originated from the roots of the linden tree, and under him was a pool of blood soaked in linden flowers. On his chest, where his heart, ribs and part of his lungs were located, there was now only a bloody hole. Luo Binhan could see the bark behind him through the bloody hole of flesh and bone. Of course, no matter whether a person's heart is on the left or right, this injury should have killed him long ago. But Zhou Yu was still alive, and Luo Binhan couldn't say that he was on his deathbed, because he looked calm, clear-minded, and even full of vitality. Since returning to this planet, he had never seen Zhou Yu so focused. This guy's lungs were probably shattered, but he could still speak clearly when he opened his mouth.

“…You got here first.”

"Who the hell do you think it is?" Robinson said.

"I feel like Li Li can probably be found first."

"Why? Do you have any last words to say to her?"

"No, it's just that it would be easier to handle if she saw it."

Luo Binhan walked over with an expressionless face, wanting to see clearly how this dead man's talking trick worked. But he didn't see any flaws in the scam. The blood hole had dried up, and one could see the broken bones and dried blood. The broken skin and flesh were incredibly smooth. He didn't know what weapon had done it, but it didn't matter. The hole had indeed drained all of Zhou Yu's blood, so the face hidden in the dark was bloodless. This was not a matter of last breath. Basically, the person talking to him at this moment was a corpse.

"What's going on?" he asked the other party, "Am I dreaming? Or do you actually not need to breathe? Feng Chuxing just gave you a more fashionable look?"

"Do you already know about Xiaochu's situation?"

"Of course I know." Luo Binhan said impatiently, "Otherwise I wouldn't have to... Wait, do you know Xiaochu?"

He stared at Zhou Yu. "You knew Feng Chuxing was alive, didn't you? You knew he was still waiting here, waiting for a chance to kill you. But you didn't guard against him? What the hell is wrong with your brain?"

Zhou Yu just shook his head. "That's it for me." He said simply, "That's it for me."

"Bullshit," Robinson said. "Do you remember how he tricked you into coming here?"

"He didn't lie to me. It's really here. I've found it."

Luo Binhan subconsciously looked around him, trying to find traces of soil being turned over, or a fist-sized package at least. But there was nothing. Zhou Yu was wearing the long windbreaker he often wore, revealing the inside. This guy really came with nothing.

"I saw nothing. Did you imagine finding it before you died?"

Zhou Yu smiled slightly. "No, I have destroyed it."

"You destroyed it?"

"Well, that's fine."

"Great," Robinson said. "Hey, now that you've done your job, can we go now? I know most people would have trouble walking if they were like you, but you're not just anybody! Since you can still talk to me without blushing or getting out of breath, I guess you can get by like this for the next few decades?"

Zhou Yu looked at him in silence until the fake smile on his face gradually disappeared. "Or," he said, "are you going to tell me that your corpse resurrection technique only works for 24 hours at most?"

"Not for long indeed."

"And then? You'll move to the underworld? Live another eternal city life?"

Zhou Yu looked straight at him, without any sign of evasion or concealment. "That's it."

"You're lying." Luo Binhan said, "Do you think I can't tell when you're lying? Hey, Feng Chuxing wants to avenge you, and Zhou Wenxing is determined to remove you as a roadblock. Are they killing you just to let you live a good life somewhere else? And your little follower. If your death is just to move to a different place to live a peaceful life - and it's the place where your wife is the head of the family - why would he help me kill Zhou Wenxing without telling you?"

He didn't get another answer. As he expected, his childhood friend with a mental disorder was not good at lying, but was very good at keeping secrets. So he ignored the other party's silence and turned to face the dark forest, thinking about it all by himself. There was no need to consider the nonsense this guy said before. Zhou Yu was finished - not moving to a tree in the middle of the cliff, but really finished, falling to the bottom, or there was a possibility of something worse - unless he used other methods to change the situation.

The answer was so obvious that he turned back to look at Zhou Yu. "What is the specific content of the ritual?" he asked coldly, "We have no other choice now. How do we perform the ritual to summon that thing?"

He thought Zhou Yu would be somewhat surprised, and would argue that they couldn't do this, couldn't make deals with the devil, couldn't bring dangerous evil gods into the world... something like that. He didn't know the details, he didn't understand that thing at all - but Zhou Yu wasn't surprised at all, he just replied very calmly: "That thing can't save me."

"Of course it can." Luo Binhan said curiously, "Since it can turn Zhou Wenxing from a lump of ice into a lively and energetic person, then of course it can save you. Oh, maybe this kind of resurrection will have some side effects. I can see that Zhou Wenxing's brain had some problems during the resurrection process. But it's okay. He can go to work normally, and I can totally accept it."

Zhou Yu showed a helpless smile. "Don't you consider my opinion?"

"Why should I consider your opinion?" Luo Binhan said, "Fuck you. You and Jing Huang have been deceiving me for two years, and now you have been fooled by a junior high school student. Are you afraid of the side effects of the devil's resurrection? Then just bear with it. This is totally what you deserve."

He turned his head away ruthlessly, full of anger and determination. Everyone talks about being wary of the devil's temptations, but the fact is that no one likes to hear how pious saints are righteous. Given the opportunity, everyone will make a request to the devil, and what happens next is up to each person. Yes, the devil may ask for your soul, but God not only ignores your wishes, but also despises your soul! Winners in this world are more or less pragmatists.

"There is no such ceremony anymore." Zhou Yu said behind him.

"Of course you will say no." Luo Binhan sneered, "I don't expect to get it from you. But why do I remember someone said that they saw Chilabin in a dream half a month ago? Why? That Chilabin was also dead at that time? Since he can still get in, I can certainly find a way."

"He is the last one." Zhou Yu replied, "After he left, the last road leading to the Dream City has been closed by me. From now on, no living person can enter, and no external ritual can touch it. That city will be forever isolated from reality."

Luo Binhan turned his head slowly. He actually heard a hint of pride in Zhou Yu's tone. This was bad, very bad, because what Zhou Yu said was very likely the truth.

"Why are you doing this?" he said. "I don't think this is your and Zhou Yu's responsibility, otherwise the people ahead of you would have done this a long time ago. Does the devil really allow you to do this? Make it impossible for it to wake up? What will it do to you if it gets angry? Why do you have to block all the roads..."

He stopped. Zhou Yu's eyes seemed to glow, and that bright, cold light looked familiar. But he didn't care, because he saw the determination in that look. He once wondered why Shi Qi used the word "determination" to describe Zhou Yu. In his opinion, "focus" was the most appropriate word. But now he finally understood Shi Qi's feelings. Because focus is just to do it wholeheartedly, while determination - determination is to do it regardless of the cost and by any means. All of a sudden, everything was connected, and he suddenly realized it in the cold sunset.

"You did all this to guard against me." He said in astonishment. "You have spent most of the past two years in a dream, just to block all the roads and destroy all the rituals that lead there... You could have used these two years to find Feng Chuxing, you could have tried to set a trap to trap Zhou Wenxing - and you ignored them and used all your energy to guard against me?"

"Luo Binhan...that person will never wake up again."

"Are you crazy?" Luo Binhan yelled, "You are actually guarding against me!"

"All the rituals have failed. Even if you find one of them, its destination will no longer lead to Dream City."

Luo Binhan cursed loudly. The rage of being betrayed overwhelmed everything, and when Zhou Yu half-pleaded and half-helplessly extended her hand to him, he only gave her a resentful sneer, then turned his head and walked away.

"I don't care about the bullshit you say." He ignored the other party's call behind him, "Since you have your plan, I have mine! You think that thing can't wake up no matter what? I tell you I never believe this. If that thing can destroy the universe with just one word, it only means that this universe should have been destroyed long ago! It has no right to continue to operate! Do you understand what I mean? Now I'm going to throw you back into your damn big iron cage--"

He turned around and wanted to point at the other person's face and continue to curse, but Zhou Yu's hand had quietly fallen. He stood there as if frozen, and the buzzing of bees that had just been swallowed by the anger and resentment filled the forest again. At that moment, the sunset also set. The long night came, and the buzzing of bees still echoed in the fragrance-filled darkness. They still had the sleepless night of linden flowers to cherish, but it was too late for him. It was really too late.

　Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

　　(End of this chapter)