Chapter 991: Sun Bumian's Life Source

“—Achoo!!”Jian Changsheng suddenly sneezed.

“The air quality in the Boundless Domain is really bad,” Jian Changsheng muttered. “It’s foggy everywhere, I can’t see anything... and the smell is really pungent.”

“It’s normal; this is a factory area after all.”Wu Duo closed the window, made sure no one outside was looking in, and then pulled the curtains shut, instantly plunging the room into darkness.

*Click—*Fang Liangye pulled the light cord. The pale light bulb illuminated the warehouse, revealing a series of dusty, disheveled faces.

All the Rat Party members who escaped from the underground stronghold were basically hiding here. Most of them had injuries, but the deep exhaustion in their eyes was even more striking under the incandescent light than their wounds.

The destruction of their stronghold, the killing of their comrades, and the disappearance of their leader, Duran, added insult to injury for the already struggling Rat Party...For a moment, the atmosphere in the warehouse was dead silent and oppressive.

“Is this place safe?” Fang Liangye whispered to Wu Duo.

“Of course it’s safe. Have you forgotten? This is your base!”

“My base?”

“Wasn't your Human Rights Union formed right here in this factory area? Your people made this space available to us.”

“Human Rights Union...”

Fang Liangye tried to recall the name, but only blankness remained in his eyes.

Wu Duo looked into Fang Liangye’s eyes and sighed, “Alright, your memory is completely messed up... The Human Rights Union was secretly formed by the residents of these factory areas, a union that has always strived to secure reasonable rights for the residents... You even used to write letters and appeal.”

He had naturally retained no related memories in his mind. The person Wu Duo described felt utterly foreign to him.

He slowly stepped forward, looking out through the edge of the curtains at the factory area shrouded in haze. His expression was somewhat complex...

He was not Red Heart 6 of the Twilight Society.Everything in his memory was another person's life... So, who was he, truly?

Outside the window, in the gray haze, gaunt figures in protective suits walked one by one into the factory gate, heads bowed. No one spoke, like hollowed-out puppets mechanically swallowed into the belly of the factory beast.

Just as Fang Liangye was lost in thought, a voice came from behind him.

“We’re hiding here. Will Red Heart be able to find us then?” Jian Changsheng asked, puzzled.

“Yes.” Fang Liangye snapped back to attention and nodded slightly. “I left a mark outside. If it’s him, he’ll definitely be able to find us.”

“That’s good...”

Seeing Jian Changsheng sigh in relief, Fang Liangye’s heart stirred. He recalled the memories of Chen Ling in his mind, and after a moment, suddenly spoke:

“You two have a really good relationship.”

“Huh? What?”

“You and Red Heart.”

Jian Changsheng was momentarily stunned. He scratched his head. “Really? I actually felt that way too... When I was in the Heavenly Axis Domain, I just felt like I had to come... Are we best buddies?”

“No, you used to be enemies.”

Fang Liangye was different from Chen Ling. Although he possessed Chen Ling’s memories, he wasn’t as cold-hearted at his core. Compared to Chen Ling, he was more willing to express his emotions directly.

He looked at his reflection in the glass and spoke again.

“Red Heart... he’s truly pitiful.” Fang Liangye paused. “Almost no one in this world understands him, and no one can share his pain and confusion. He carries everything himself... He forces himself forward, becoming dangerous, cunning, and indifferent.

The only kindness this world offers him is that he still has people he can trust... and you are one of them.”

Fang Liangye’s tone was somber. Perhaps only he knew how much heartache and suffering these few sentences contained—they were a microcosm of Chen Ling’s arduous journey.

Chen Ling’s face reappeared in Jian Changsheng’s mind, and his heart suddenly felt a strange pang, an inexplicable discomfort.

He didn’t know how to respond, only nodded silently:

“...Mmm.”

Fang Liangye looked deeply at him, and for no apparent reason, spoke again:

“You all must live well.”

Jian Changsheng stared at him blankly, seemingly not understanding. “Who are 'you all'?”

“You all,” Fang Liangye said, pointing to his own chest, “everyone Red Heart cares about.”

“Why?”

Fang Liangye didn't continue the conversation. He simply walked quietly to a corner, sat down, and began to rest with his eyes closed.

Jian Changsheng was confused and didn’t press further. He just looked out the window, mimicking Fang Liangye from earlier, and fell into contemplation...

Suddenly, he slapped his head.

“Oh crap, wait... I’m hiding here, but what about those two guys??”

***

Boundless Domain.Elsewhere.

Piles of heavy soil were shoveled skyward. In a deep pit, a figure in a Tang suit, wielding a shovel, was digging downwards, drenched in sweat.

“Damn it... Did I really dig this deep back then?”

The pit was now probably twenty meters deep; sunlight couldn't reach the very bottom, and it was incredibly dark below... Sun Bumian leaned against the wall to rest for a moment, then took a deep breath and continued digging downwards, shovel by shovel.

Sun Bumian travelled painstakingly across so many domains to get here, all for what lay beneath...Nine boxes of gold bricks.

Over a thousand years, through countless reincarnations, Sun Bumian had known poverty, hunger, and fear... So, in every reincarnation, he would scrimp and save, like a hamster, turning the wealth he earned from his hard work and performances into gold bars, and hiding them in one place.

Who says money can’t be taken into the coffin?For Sun Bumian, his money could not only be taken into the coffin but also saved for his next life.

Initially, Sun Bumian buried coins, but he quickly realized that these became worthless once dynasties changed, and paper money would simply rot underground. The only currency that could always remain in circulation had to be gold.

This way, whenever he genuinely couldn't afford food, he could return here, dig up the ground, and take out a few gold bars to spend... This was his foundation!

Upon hearing the news that the Boundless Domain was about to fall, Sun Bumian became extremely anxious. He worried that if fighting broke out here, his savings from several lifetimes would also be jeopardized, so he didn't hesitate to travel far and wide to confirm their safety.

Time passed, minute by minute. After an unknown duration, the edge of the shovel seemed to hit something hard in the soil, emitting a faint clang.

Sun Bumian’s eyes instantly lit up!

He bent down and quickly cleared away the soil beneath, revealing several heavy, sealed iron boxes to the air.

They were less like iron boxes and more like oversized safes. These iron boxes seemed to have been buried for many years, yet their surfaces showed no obvious rust, and each one was incredibly heavy.

Sun Bumian slapped the surface of one of the iron boxes forcefully, and its heavy lid slowly opened...The next moment, Sun Bumian let out a sharp shriek!