Chapter 1103: Duelo!

“I said, let’s go to the Fusion Sect and get him back!”

Jian Changsheng clenched his fists and swung them forcefully, his leather jacket rustling with the movement.

“What’s the point of going to the Fusion Sect? Red Heart wasn’t kidnapped; he left voluntarily.” Sun Bumian shook his head. “Even if we go, we can’t change anything. Unless King Red admits his mistake, he won’t return to the Twilight Society...”

“But he can’t just leave without a word!”

Jian Changsheng was furious, recalling the image of Chen Ling walking away without looking back in his recent dream. Red Heart 6, whom he had saved at such a great cost, had left without a word... This was absolutely unacceptable to him.

“So what do you want to do?”

“Even if I have to tie him up, I’ll bring him back!” Jian Changsheng said without hesitation. “As for his feud with King Red, we’ll help him settle it when he returns... What if he doesn’t have the ancient Xi Dao ability? The four of us together can still do just fine, can’t we?”

Sun Bumian looked at him with a strange expression. “Not to be a spoilsport, but I have to ask... can you beat Red Heart?”

Jian Changsheng sneered.

He adjusted the collar of his leather jacket and ran a hand through his wolf-tail haircut. “Inadvertently,” the aura of a peak fifth-stage Soldier God flashed from him.

“You’re at the fifth stage?” Sun Bumian exclaimed in surprise.

“Red Heart only just advanced to the fifth stage, while I’ve reached the peak of the fifth stage after being tempered by murderous aura... Why wouldn’t I be able to beat him?”

“But what if... just what if, we travel all the way to the Fusion Sect, and you still can’t beat him... What then?”

Jian Changsheng’s expression hardened. He frowned, pondering deeply for a long time, then slowly uttered a few words:

“Then we’ll join the Fusion Sect!”

Sun Bumian was speechless.

“If you win, he comes back to the Twilight Society with you; if he wins, we join the Fusion Sect with you??” Sun Bumian found it unbelievable. “What does this have to do with Xiao Hua and me?!”

“Aren’t we a team?”

“Even so...”

“Besides, aren’t you looking for revenge against King Red? How can you get revenge while working under him? If we join the Fusion Sect, we might one day be able to make a comeback and reclaim everything that belongs to us.”

“Hmm...” Sun Bumian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What you’re saying makes sense...”

Sun Bumian was indeed somewhat swayed. It was almost impossible for him to reclaim the gold while working for King Red, but with the Fusion Sect’s help, there might be a slim chance.

Seeing that Sun Bumian had no objections, Jian Changsheng walked directly to Jiang Xiaohua’s bedside and nudged him a few times.

“Plum Blossom, are you coming?”

Jiang Xiaohua reluctantly turned his head, as if he hadn’t heard their conversation, and asked groggily:

“What?”

“Spade is going to the Fusion Sect to challenge Red Heart to a duel. If we win, we bring Red Heart back; if we lose, we’ll join the Fusion Sect ourselves,” Sun Bumian summarized concisely.

Jiang Xiaohua was silent for a long time.

“Does Red Heart... know he’s going to have such a duel?”

“Don’t worry about that, just tell us if you’re coming!” Jian Changsheng said, hands on his hips.

“...Yes,” Jiang Xiaohua nodded slightly, his voice weak. He felt that either way was fine, and since everyone else wanted to go, he might as well tag along.

“Excellent!”

Jian Changsheng was very pleased with the outcome. “Then let’s leave immediately!”

Watching Jian Changsheng eagerly about to rush out the door, Sun Bumian hesitated for a moment before speaking:

“One last question...”

“Yes?”

“Do you even know how to get to the Fusion Sect?”

Jian Changsheng was silent.

A series of thuds sounded.

Blinding spotlights illuminated Chen Ling’s head, casting the dim stage in light once more.

Chen Ling, dressed in a grand red opera robe, lay quietly on the stage. After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes...

Chen Ling didn’t know how long he had slept; he only knew that he had lost consciousness the moment he lay down, only slowly regaining awareness when the spotlights shone on him.

“...Can’t I just sleep a little longer?” Chen Ling sighed, slowly rising from the stage.

This time, he directly ignored the crimson eyes in the audience. Ever since Chen Ling had fought on stage and even devoured several audience members, his fear of these beings had vanished. Now, all he could recall was the faint, lingering scent of roasted chicken from back then...

The best way to overcome fear is to confront it (strike that) eat it.

Chen Ling walked directly to the screen and skillfully tapped the swaying treasure chest in the corner. As a clear melody sounded, a table appeared behind him.

“Congratulations on completing the play, *Rhapsody of Fate*.”

“Highest audience expectation for this play: 91.”

“You have obtained one designated draw right.”

“Upon use, you can select any character who appeared in this play and randomly draw one of their abilities. The probability of drawing a rare skill is related to the play’s overall audience expectation.”

As Chen Ling’s gaze fell on the table, pages materialized from thin air. The play, which documented his precious yet sorrowful memories, was rapidly being bound into a complete work on the tabletop.

This play encompassed almost all the characters Chen Ling had known in the past. Guided by destiny, they converged in Wuji, like a wild and impassioned symphony, playing the final movement of the Wuji Realm.

Chen Ling picked up the play from the table, flipped through it briefly, then placed it back on the bookshelf...

He looked at the drawing slip, waiting for him to write a name.

Chen Ling picked up the pen and pondered for a long time over the name blank. Finally, he put the pen back down.

There were simply too many characters who appeared in this play, and Chen Ling couldn’t immediately decide whose ability to draw... Given this, he felt it would be better to hold onto this opportunity and use it only when necessary.

This was also the insight he gained from this Wuji Realm experience. If the expectation value hadn’t exceeded 90 for the first time, granting him an extra drawing ticket, and if Chen Ling hadn’t had a surge of good luck at a critical moment to draw the Silver King’s Yesterday’s Revolver, the war would likely have been even more brutal... Such a coincidence might happen once, but it’s unlikely to happen a second time.

Moreover, this play had a peak expectation value of 91, meaning that if Chen Ling wanted to draw a specific character’s ability, he would have a high probability of obtaining a very high-tier skill from them. At a critical moment, this could be a trump card capable of turning the tide! Drawing one blindly and randomly now would simply be a waste.

Chen Ling closed his eyes, his consciousness gradually detaching from the stage... A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes in bed.

A soft, hazy light filtered through the curtains, falling upon Chen Ling. He sat up, gazing blankly at the unfamiliar wooden cabin room before him, taking a long time to fully come to his senses...

He took a deep breath, got dressed, and pushed the door open.

The past was now the past.

Now, he had only one goal... to control the Calamity of Mockery.