Chapter 678: Why Does It Have To Be Me

"What... what is this?" Li Qingshan stood rooted to the spot, like a statue. He understood why the flag was so large: only a flag of this immense size could bear hundreds of names, each clearly marked on the oath, visible to every future generation. These words seemed to possess a powerful force, deeply impacting Li Qingshan's mind. He didn't know who had written them, nor what they meant, but in that moment, Li Qingshan was utterly stunned.

His grandmother, leaning on her cane, slowly emerged from the house. She stopped beside the flag and, with the tip of her cane, pointed to the most central, bold, and darkly inscribed signature on 'The Pioneers' Declaration,' her voice trembling as she spoke: "My dear grandson... this, this is your ancestor's..."

Li Qingshan's gaze followed his grandmother's pointer, and a name leaped out at him: —Li Chengwei. An ordinary name, as common as could be, yet at that moment, it seemed to possess a strange magic that captivated Li Qingshan's gaze.

"Our ancestor... he was a hero! A long, long time ago... he led a large group of people to build the railway, and he never came back. All these words, he wrote them..."

As she spoke, his grandmother retrieved a very old diary from the bottom of the box and handed it to Li Qingshan. Li Qingshan instinctively opened it. From the first few pages, the diary's timeline indicated it began after the Great Cataclysm. The owner, Li Chengwei, and his family had sought refuge in the Hongchen Base. Most entries detailed the base's environment, how they settled in, and everyday matters like him providing psychological support to his wife and children. However, as Li Qingshan flipped to the middle, the situation took a sharp turn.

...June 23I saw flaming meteors falling from the sky.Everything happened so suddenly. By the time I regained my senses, we had all been moved to an unfamiliar place. They said it was a small world created by Lord Hongchen, and that the base was under nuclear attack, making the situation dire.I was a bit dazed. Hadn't the human civil war ended long ago? How could anyone still launch nuclear bombs? And hadn't Lord Hongchen already fallen into a deep sleep?I asked a few friends nearby, and they didn't know what was going on either. The base staff were constantly busy, with no time to answer my questions. I'm very uneasy.

June 24Overnight, everyone seemed to have changed. Some said there was a nuclear strike outside, and that food and water would soon run out. Many went crazy, scrambling for supplies. The staff's attempts to maintain order were useless; everything was chaotic. Two lunatics even tried to search us for valuables, scaring Ajin and Ayi, who cried all night.But I don't understand. If supplies run out, everyone will eventually starve here. What's the point of fighting over a little food now? Has common sense abandoned them in the face of disaster?Only when the young man named Yao Qing intervened did the chaotic situation settle down.This Yao Qing is truly formidable; he has methods, strength, and knows how to calm people. I heard he's Lord Hongchen's brother? Though apparently not by blood. Hmm, I feel his gaze isn't quite right when he mentions Lord Hongchen. I sense a bit of gossip... I'll inquire when I have time.

June 25I have good news and bad news.The good news is that supplies weren't completely destroyed and will last us for a while. The bad news is that the original inter-domain railway tracks were obliterated, preventing supplies from other domains from reaching us. And the communication towers seem to be out of order too... At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we starve.Hongchen Base seems to be looking for volunteers to repair the railway tracks, but the area is rife with nuclear radiation. They say anyone who goes will likely never return...So, are they looking for people to volunteer for certain death?

June 26I couldn't sleep.It wasn't cold in the small world, and no one was making noise tonight. Even Old Xi next door, who usually snores endlessly, was uncharacteristically quiet... Are they, like me, thinking about what was said earlier today?I'm afraid of death, I'm afraid of pain. I'm a thousand times unwilling to go repair those tracks in the radiation... But my son and daughter, they are truly adorable.If no one goes to fix the railway, we'll all just wait here to die. In the worst-case scenario, I even suspect they might end up eating each other. Isn't that just human nature?I don't want my son and daughter to become food for others, or to eat others... If that's the case, someone has to step forward, right?

June 27I talked to the young man named Yao Qing. He promised me he would do everything he could to ensure my children have happy lives.I thought about it all last night. If our sacrifice can secure peace and happiness for future generations, and give them a home they can rely on, then perhaps my life will have been worth it?Alright, I admit I'm still scared; my legs are still trembling... But it seems we have no other choice. At least in front of my children, I have to be a tough man, right?! I need them to know their father was a hero, a pioneer who saved the Hongchen Domain!Yes, I've made up my mind!We all have parents, loved ones, and children; our lineage and will shall be carried on. We can protect those we care about. If that's the case...Why should I be the one to survive?The diary ended abruptly.

Li Qingshan gazed at the final sentence, unable to calm himself for a long time. He had grown up in Willow Town, unfamiliar with the history of the Hongchen Domain or even the Hongchen Base. It was only at this moment that he realized everything they now enjoyed had been bought with the blood and lives of their ancestors. He was a descendant of the pioneers.

"My dear grandson, what an honor!" his grandmother said, grinning. "From now on, you must know... our ancestors were heroes who defended our home and nation! Just like the Yang family generals in the storybooks! Very mighty indeed!"

Li Qingshan remained silent. Withered leaves swirled in the breeze. The blood-stained green robe stood still, gazing at the flag on the ground, a relic spanning ages, unmoving like a statue. He looked at the wild yet resolute name 'Li Chengwei,' and at the hundreds of dense signatures extending outwards around it. In a trance, figures raising flags and walking resolutely into the nuclear wasteland appeared before Li Qingshan's eyes. It was through their sacrifice that the Hongchen Domain was able to exist.

Li Qingshan wasn't actually fond of Hongchen. During his years performing opera in Willow Town, he had witnessed too much darkness and unspoken rules; he had seen endless desires in this city. But this was his home... it was the sanctuary their ancestors had bought for them with their lives! Whether it was a nuclear wasteland or a fake Hongchen, where would the people living here go if they left? The Wuji Domain was powerful, and the Hongchen Domain's chances of victory were slim; most people could only hide and cling to life... But, someone always has to step forward, don't they?

Boom—

In the distance, beneath the sky, raging flames suddenly ignited, like an endless sea of crimson dragons. The intense heat and scarlet glow dyed the distant clouds red. Billowing smoke rose, and countless living beings wailed. That was in the direction of Hongchen Main City.

"Old sirs..." Li Qingshan unconsciously clenched his fists. He murmured, "Their war has reached us again."