Chapter 1349: Candlelight

After the broadcast about the Jade Realm’s battlefront concluded, Chen Ling finally turned off his radio and slowly walked towards the palace.

After several days of stalemate, the Illusory Mountains finally launched another fierce assault. Although the actual intelligence gleaned from the broadcast was very limited, Chen Ling could vaguely sense from snippets of conversations among the populace that this offensive might be even more intense than the last.

Chen Ling didn’t truly care about the fate of the Jade Realm, but the others from the ‘6’ generation had only just managed to gain a foothold and legal identities there. If this realm were to disappear, all their efforts would be in vain. The Abyssal Laughter Chasm was a disaster zone, utterly unsuitable for human habitation. Therefore, the ‘6’ generation would have to return eventually. Moreover, with the critical situation in the Jade Realm, the sooner they returned, the better.

Chen Ling calculated the time, figuring the ‘6’ generation should all be asleep by now. He put away his radio and arrived before the palace gate.

Just then, Chen Ling paused, slightly startled.

Was it an illusion?

Why did it feel like... the palace's aura had softened?

Originally, the palace had felt cold and desolate to Chen Ling, but now the temperature here seemed to have warmed somewhat, as if its atmosphere was being harmonized and changed by some force, acquiring a faint human touch.

Chen Ling hesitated for a moment but still carefully entered the palace. He seemed to have noticed something and looked towards the ‘6’ generation’s rooms.

“Block... why would you do this?” His expression was one of helplessness.

After Chen Ling took a few steps, he discovered that the previously dim palace now had a fair amount of light.

Hundreds of candles were placed in every corner of the palace. Their flames flickered, connecting with each other. While not brightly lit, the faint candlelight intertwined, still dispelling most of the palace's darkness, like a sheet of orange-yellow starlight from the heavens, fallen to cover the ground.

Chen Ling stood stunned for a long time before slowly stepping through the space. The large red opera robe moved slowly deeper along the candlelight. A moment later, a figure dressed in leather entered his sight.

It was Jian Changsheng, holding a pile of candles and walking diligently through the palace. His gaze carefully swept over every corner. If he found an area that wasn't bright enough, he would immediately add another candle.

He looked at the now-lit palace and muttered to himself:

“Now this looks like a place for people to live...”

Seemingly satisfied that enough candles had been lit, Jian Changsheng nodded contentedly and turned to go back to his room to sleep. He suddenly saw the large red opera robe standing behind him and was startled.

“Holy cow, Red Heart! Why do you walk like a ghost, without a sound??”

“...What are you doing?”

“Lighting up, of course.” Jian Changsheng shrugged. “This palace is pitch black, it's irritating. You don't have electric lights here, so I just had to use candles for some basic illumination...”

Chen Ling looked at the pile in his arms with confusion. “Where did you get so many candles?”

“From the room across from ours. I opened the door and saw lots of candles inside, and some strange pink whips, ropes, etc... Oh, right, what are those for?”

Chen Ling was speechless.

He struggled for a long time and could only reply, “I don't know either. Those were for the previous Mock Disaster.”

“Anyway, I saw there were enough candles, so I lit a bunch more... What do you think? Doesn't it look much better than before?” Jian Changsheng clapped the dust from his hands and spoke proudly.

“...You don't need to do all this. I'm not afraid of the dark.”

“I know, but I don't like it. If I live in such a dark and cold place every day, my mood will get worse.”

Chen Ling frowned, looking at him. “Are you really planning to stay here permanently?”

“What else? You can't go to the Human Realm,” Jian Changsheng said matter-of-factly. “We've already discussed it. Block brashly said it's convenient to be close to protect you. Plum said he likes your wine here. I don't care where I live anyway... In short, we can't just abandon you here and go enjoy the good life in the Jade Realm, can we?”

Jian Changsheng patted Chen Ling's shoulder. “Sharing hardships together—that's what brotherhood is about!”

Chen Ling looked into his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

“The Abyssal Laughter Chasm is not suitable for human habitation. You don't need to go to such lengths for me... Besides, I'm doing very well here.”

Jian Changsheng glanced at him but didn't reply. Instead, he unhurriedly walked to a side, bent down, and placed another candle in the dark corner.

He lightly struck a match, and a small flame ignited. The flickering candlelight slowly approached the candle, also casting a golden glow on his cheek:

“Red Heart, do you know?”

“I grew up in the Yan family and never had friends. Only a few relatives occasionally looked after me... But after Aurora City was destroyed, I lost everything.”

“When I left the Aurora Realm, I was like a stray dog. Only the Twilight Society took me in. And among the Twilight Society, the person I knew best was you, my peer... Even though I often found you annoying and you often bullied me, after we experienced so much together, I had already considered you a friend from the bottom of my heart... And the best friend.”

“Later, I successively met Block and Plum... Although our personalities are vastly different, we get along surprisingly well.”

“In the Tianshu Realm, when you and Block fought to get me the Tongtian Star Position, I knew that you would be the most important brothers in Jian Changsheng's life... You might not believe it, but before that, I had never received a gift.”

“Imperial Dao Ancient Treasury, Wuji Realm, Fusion Faction... I don't know what you, Red Heart, think, but for me, we've been through so much together that I've long considered you closer than family. Honestly... I don't care about the life or death of the Human Realm. When I was at my lowest and hardest, the Human Realm didn't help me at all. It was always you who supported me forward.”

“If something happens to you, I'll lead the charge to save you. If you leave, I'll actively come find you. It's not because I, Jian Changsheng, have nothing better to do. It's because you are the most important people in my life. If it were Block or Plum instead of you, I'd do the same, and I'd drag the rest of you along with me.”

“You can call me obsessive, or narrow-minded, if you want, but in my heart, the bond of the ‘6’ generation is above all else.”

The candle in the corner was gently lit by Jian Changsheng. He stood up and turned to look at Chen Ling.

His gaze was more serious than ever:

“I can't leave you alone in this cold palace.”

Chen Ling stood like a statue for a long time, a complex expression in his eyes.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something more, but not a single word came out.

“...I understand.”

Finally, the large red opera robe turned silently, walked through the candlelit corridor, and disappeared into the depths of the palace.