Chapter 1147: Human Savior

While Sun Bumian and Teacher Ye were having their "private conversation," the others had already stepped out of the office.

The next moment, Chen Ling couldn't help but ask:

“Why are you here?”

“What? Is it only you from the Fusion Faction who can come? Can't we?” Jian Changsheng retorted matter-of-factly. “The Jack of Diamonds said my situation is very unique, and Teacher Ye is the only one in the world most likely to have a solution. I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible, so of course I had to come find him.”

Chen Ling couldn't refute him. His gaze fell upon Jiang Xiaohua nearby, and he was about to ask him to explain the incredibly awkward "flower transformation" performance from earlier, but after a long hesitation, he sighed helplessly.

Chen Ling knew Jiang Xiaohua's personality; the guy was perfectly content to take things as they came. Previously, when trapped in the Imperial Dao Ancient Vault, he could even find a spot to bury himself right there without the slightest intention of finding a way out. Human realm, gray realm, Fusion Faction – for him, it made no difference at all.

“Where's Jack of Diamonds? Why hasn't he come out yet?”

“I don't know. He seems to be having a quiet word with Teacher Ye inside… probably instigating him to go against the Red King.”

“What kind of grudge does he have with the Red King?”

Chen Ling had been wondering about this before. Sun Bumian always preferred to seek good fortune and avoid disaster, and rarely got into conflicts with others, so why did he actively provoke the Red King?

“Apparently, thousands of years' worth of his accumulated wealth was stolen by the Red King… I'm not clear on the specifics.”

Chen Ling was bewildered.

Just as they were speaking, the office door opened, and Sun Bumian emerged, one hand fondling prayer beads, with a subtle expression on his face.

“So? What did Teacher Ye say?”

“He said the Fusion Faction has always refrained from interfering in other factions' conflicts…”

“That's pretty much what I expected,” Chen Ling said, nodding slightly. “Given Teacher Ye's personality, he doesn't seem like the type to actively pick a fight with the Twilight Society.”

“However…” The next moment, Sun Bumian's words took a turn,

“He personally expressed great interest in my idea of overthrowing the Red King and taking his place.”

Seeing the faint, almost imperceptible smile on Sun Bumian's face, Chen Ling only snapped back to reality a moment later, looking incredulously at the closed office door.

“How can this be… Could Teacher Ye and the Red King have a past grievance?”

“That I don't know,” Sun Bumian said, rubbing his hands together with a look of great ambition. “In any case, my idea has potential! It's as if I can already see lost gold beckoning to me.”

“I need to make a good plan during this time…”

Sun Bumian continued to mutter to himself as he walked off by himself towards the depths of the Mother Tree.

“...Does he even know where his room is?” Chen Ling's expression was odd.

“What? We have our own rooms?” Jian Changsheng exclaimed in surprise. “Isn't this a tree? I thought we'd all have to sleep hanging from the branches…”

“Can I not sleep in a room?” Jiang Xiaohua asked, silently raising his hand. “...I want to sleep in the ground.”

“You came without knowing anything??”

Chen Ling was speechless. He suddenly remembered something and looked around. “Where's the Jack of Diamonds who brought you here? Didn't he come in with you?”

“Oh, him…”

Jian Changsheng shrugged,

“After he dropped us off at the entrance, he didn't come in. He said he was too embarrassed to see some old acquaintances again. Unless something unexpected happened, he should have already set off back to the human realm.”

Chen Ling turned his head and looked towards the direction outside the Mother Tree, deep in thought.

Bone-chilling cold winds swept across the desolate land.

Beneath the lead-gray clouds, the Jack of Diamonds stood silently amidst the scattered, swirling debris. His gaze was fixed on the towering withered tree in the distance, his expression somewhat complex.

After an unknown amount of time, he still couldn't muster the courage. He shook his head and walked away into the distance.

“After so many years away, are you really not going to come in and sit for a while?”

A calm voice sounded from behind him.

The Jack of Diamonds froze slightly. He turned to look and saw an unassuming teacher, who had appeared on the raised hill at some unknown point, his clothes fluttering gently in the wind.

“...Teacher Ye.”

On the Jack of Diamonds' tattooed, seemingly fierce and grim face, a student-like reverence appeared for the first time. It was like the complex mix of emotions and wistfulness of returning to high school to see a beloved teacher again after more than a decade of navigating society's trials.

“I'm no longer part of the Fusion Faction. How can I have the face to go back?” The Jack of Diamonds shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Being no longer part of the Fusion Faction doesn't mean you can't be a guest,” Teacher Ye said with a slight smile. “Even though you are now the Jack of Diamonds of the Twilight Society, I still consider you my student. It's not often that a student returns; what sense would it make to just look from the doorway and leave?”

The Jack of Diamonds opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

“Have you been well these past years?”

“...I've been okay, I suppose.” The Jack of Diamonds paused for a moment. “The Twilight Society, unlike the Fusion Faction, isn't as comfortable or secure. We don't have a fixed place; we just constantly move between various realms. Life is a bit harder, but at least I have peace of mind.”

Hearing that last sentence, Teacher Ye frowned slightly.

“After all these years, do you still doubt your teacher?”

“I have never doubted you, Teacher. What I doubt is 'fusion' itself.” The Jack of Diamonds looked into Teacher Ye's eyes, his tone calm and resolute.

“'Fusion' itself…”

Teacher Ye seemed to recall something. A hint of unwillingness and pain flickered in his eyes behind his glasses. He closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then slowly began to speak,

“I've been studying fusion and calamities for over three hundred years. I single-handedly founded the Fusion Faction, saved the lives of so many children, and even your life was saved by me using fusion technology. Why, why are none of you willing to trust me?”

There was no anger in Teacher Ye's voice, only endless sorrow. He wasn't expressing dissatisfaction with the Jack of Diamonds, but rather questioning himself, or perhaps the fairness of this world.

“I am willing to believe you, Teacher,” the Jack of Diamonds spoke slowly. “However, someone has to prepare an escape route. What if things take the worst possible turn? Restarting the world will be humanity's last resort.”

“...I understand.”

Teacher Ye opened his eyes and looked seriously at the Jack of Diamonds. “Among my students, you were always the most prepared, the one who planned ahead the most. That's why when you chose to leave the Fusion Faction, I wasn't angry; in fact, I felt somewhat comforted… However, none of that matters now.”

Teacher Ye took a test tube from his pocket. Crimson blood churned within it, reflecting the determined and confident glint in Teacher Ye's eyes.

“I have obtained the blood of the King of Calamity. If you just give me a little more time, I can prove that I am right. At that time, whether it's me, you, or the entire Fusion Faction, we will all return to the light. We will become the saviors of humanity.”