Chapter 973: You Are

"Are you alright, Yao?"

"Mm," Yao's voice echoed in his mind. "The mask couldn't withstand the aura of the Land of Sacrifice. After it shattered, I had no choice but to return..."

Chen Ling nodded slightly. He looked up at the gloomy sky, his gaze somewhat lost.

"What are you thinking about?" Yao asked.

"Master said that after the Gray World descended, the first world-ending disaster to appear on Earth was the Calamity of Taboo," Chen Ling paused. "It slaughtered a nation, crossed oceans, and eventually arrived at the Ancient Treasury of Witchcraft, devouring the Land of Sacrifice... At the time, I found it odd. There was more than one world-ender in the Gray World, so why specifically the Calamity of Taboo? Why did it head straight for the Ancient Treasury of Witchcraft the moment it reached Earth?"

"So, you suspect..."

The scene from moments ago flashed in Chen Ling's mind: the Calamity of Taboo, roaring furiously at the aura of the Land of Sacrifice emanating from him, atop a surging tsunami... He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Perhaps from the very beginning... I was the one who drew it here."

Yao fell silent.

"It was the aura of the Land of Sacrifice on me, which, through the God-Worship Dance, enraged the Calamity of Taboo, causing its descent... No, thinking deeper, perhaps the Gray World's descent upon Earth was also because of me?" Chen Ling murmured. "I have 'Mockery,' and you are connected to the Land of Sacrifice. The Nuo ritual we performed might not only communicate with 'gods' but also with another world... If that's the case, then I am the culprit behind all the disasters."

As the expectation values flashed before his eyes, the 749 Bureau's prophecy for him suddenly surged into Chen Ling's mind!

*Ghostly Mockery brings ruin, descends upon humanity.**An age in chaos, heaven and earth conspire to destroy.*

Chen Ling stopped in the rainy country road, his body chilling. He looked down at his pale hands, his voice incredibly hoarse, "Ghostly Mockery brings ruin... descends upon humanity... an age in chaos, heaven and earth conspire to destroy... Maybe they weren't wrong. If they had killed me last time, the Gray World wouldn't have descended, and humanity wouldn't have entered this next era of despair."

Chen Ling's fingernails dug deep into his palm; trickles of blood seeped out, mixing with the rainwater and flowing onto the ground. Chen Ling could not accept such an answer. He had risked his life, wanting to reverse the era, wanting to return everything to how it began... but now he found that perhaps his very existence was the source of all disaster.

"I don't think so," Yao's voice pulled Chen Ling's consciousness out of the abyss. "Perhaps we did provoke the Calamity of Taboo, but for a single dance to summon an entire world seems a bit too exaggerated... Besides, the Red Star caused the disaster, and the Gray World descended with the Red Star. It has nothing to do with you. Moreover, whether the era's archive is real is still unknown; it's too early to jump to conclusions."

Chen Ling remained silent for a long time, then forced out a bitter smile: "I hope so..."

Chen Ling temporarily suppressed his chaotic thoughts, looked at the dark clouds overhead, and sighed... In any case, this era's archive was almost over. The next time he entered here would likely be a month later. Currently, he was in the Boundless Realm; where he would be a month from now, dead or alive, was still unknown...

Just as Chen Ling was preparing to await his return, a figure carrying an umbrella approached from the country road behind him.

Chen Ling looked back to see Shen Nan holding several fragments of a Nuo mask, his expression heavy, slowly coming to a stop in the rain.

"I'm sorry," Chen Ling said proactively. "I failed... In the end, I still couldn't become Nuo."

"Failure isn't scary. Even if we failed this time, we still have time... Tomorrow, the day after, the day after that—we still have opportunities."

For Shen Nan, time measured in "days" was readily available. But for Chen Ling, each visit here required a month; their units of time were fundamentally different... Chen Ling didn't explain, just smiled helplessly: "Perhaps."

"However, some things are different," Shen Nan changed the subject, his gaze at Chen Ling incredibly serious. "If trust between people isn't solid from the start, everything else is just a castle in the air."

Chen Ling paused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we should be more honest."

Chen Ling looked at him for a long time, then sighed. "So, you still don't believe I'm from another timeline..."

"When you mentioned the Gray World before, I actually believed you to some extent... But now, it seems you haven't been entirely truthful."

"Everything I said is true."

"Is that so?" Shen Nan shook his phone. "Before I went to find you on the train, I made two quick calls. One was to Elder Xiao, to confirm your identity; the second was to a friend in Shangjing, asking him to help me with some investigations."

Chen Ling was startled. He hadn't expected Shen Nan to be so cautious. Although he had also called Xiao Chunping to confirm Shen Nan's situation, he hadn't imagined Shen Nan would specifically send someone to investigate him in Shangjing... However, it made sense; he was a target wanted by the entire 749 Bureau. If Shen Nan wanted him to become Nuo, he would naturally need to verify his background.

"And then?" Chen Ling asked, while also checking the countdown on the screen.

"Elder Xiao spoke highly of you." Shen Nan paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, "But my friend searched through all the casualty lists of the Shangjing City Theater and couldn't find the name 'Chen Ling'... So, I have to ask... Who exactly are you?"

Boom—

A muffled clap of thunder sounded from within the dark clouds. Chen Ling's mind jolted with the thunder. He stood frozen, his gaze at Shen Nan filled with confusion...

"What are you talking about?" Chen Ling frowned deeply. "I'm not lying to you. I really was an intern director at the Shangjing City Theater... I was killed by a falling chandelier during the earthquake on stage. My parents even claimed my body... How could my name not be on the casualty list?"

"Chen Ling..."

"Your friend must have missed a list, or his information source is simply inaccurate. If you need me to, I can describe the theater in detail, or even list the names of other actors and staff members..."

"Enough!" Shen Nan interrupted Chen Ling. He walked directly in front of Chen Ling, his eyes, like swords, piercing Chen Ling's pupils, as if trying to see right through him.

"First, this friend of mine is the Human Resources Manager of the Shangjing City Theater..."

"Second..."

"The Shangjing City Theater hasn't hired an intern director in three years."

"I can't believe you're still pretending, even now..." A flash of anger crossed Shen Nan's eyes. "Chen Ling... No, perhaps that's not even your real name... I don't know why you're hiding it, but if possible, I still hope we can be more honest... Who... are you really?"