The dark clouds that had hung over Cangnan City gradually dissipated, and dappled sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the empty land.
Just one day ago, there was a city here.
Now, apart from a few lonely high-rise buildings and scattered roads, there is only endless desolation.
Sitting atop any three-story building, one can take in the entire city of Cangnan. Helpless children and migrant residents are scattered throughout the city, relying on and comforting each other.
Even though they were complete strangers just a day ago, now they all share a common name... survivors.
The once bustling Peace Bridge is now reduced to a few old storefronts. The Peace Office sits alone at the bridgehead, and a figure sits atop it.
Wu Xiangnan sat alone on the rooftop, gazing into the distance. On the other side of the horizon, a large number of military vehicles were speeding towards them, raising clouds of dust.
Those were the Night Watch logistics teams responsible for receiving survivors and rebuilding the city.
Wu Xiangnan took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked downstairs.
Inside the office, the members of the [Phoenix] team were sitting at the table. Hongying and Wen Qimo sat absentmindedly on the sofa, glancing around the room every now and then, as if waiting for something.
A moment later, a figure wearing a white coat walked out of the room.
"Doctor, how is he? Is Xiao Chen alright?" Hongying stood up and asked anxiously.
The members of the [Phoenix] team also stood up. Xia Simeng glanced into the room and saw a faint golden light emanating from it. Worry appeared in her eyes.
"Not good." The doctor shook his head. "When his soul suffered great damage, his emotions were too...extreme. Under such pain, his consciousness automatically rejected all the reality that had happened and built another world in his mind, hiding himself in it."
"Although the physical and spiritual pain has disappeared, his mind has not yet recovered..."
The doctor glanced into the room and sighed. "Even though he has awakened physiologically, his consciousness hasn't returned. Instead, it remains trapped in the constructed mental world, and his body is subconsciously activating [Mortal Divine Realm], reverting everything around him to the appearance of his mental world."
"As for Lin Xi Chen... she gave the greater part of her soul to Lin Qiye to fill the void in his mind. Consequently, both her mental and physical states are now shattered."
"What sustains her at this moment is her Divine Ruin and a lingering trace of Lin Qiye's "miracle." Her Divine Ruin works to prevent her physical body from collapsing, while the "miracle" strives to keep the last remnants of her soul from fading away."
After hearing the doctor's words, Wen Qimo's expression changed slightly, "So..."
"It's basically confirmed that he has lost his mind, and [Mortal Divine Realm] is also teetering on the edge of going out of control. If his emotions undergo any further changes, he could very well go berserk. And Lin Xi Chen... Could die at any moment...?"
The doctor spoke with a serious expression, "According to the Night Watch regulations, Lin Qiye is now an extremely unstable and dangerous individual. Until he recovers mentally, he must be sent to the Zhaijie Institute for supervision."
"As for Lin Xi Chen, she will also be taken to the Zhaijie Institute for treatment and observation. We can only hope for her natural recovery."
"Zhaijie Institute?" Wu Xiangnan frowned upon hearing these words. "Isn't that a prison for guilty superhumans? Lin Qiye hasn't committed any crime, so why would he be sent to Zhaijie Institute?!"
"Vice Captain Wu, you are unaware of this." Kong Shang from the [Phoenix] squad spoke up at the right time, "The Fasting Place is not a prison, or rather... it is not entirely a prison. It is just a place that can effectively suppress forbidden realms. It is mainly used to house forbidden realm owners who may cause large-scale negative impacts on the outside world. Criminals are only the vast majority of them."
Besides the prison, deep within it also lies a hospital, codenamed 'Sunshine,' specifically for treating the mentally unstable owners of the Forbidden Ruins.
"That's right. Lin Qiye is the Seraphim's agent. His [Mortal Divine Realm] is too powerful. If it goes berserk, the consequences will be unimaginable. Only the Zhaijie Institute can suppress his divine ruins and facilitate treatment, Lin Xi Chen will be safer there than in a regular hospital, allowing for treatment and monitoring in case of an emergency." the doctor explained from the side. "Moreover, Dr. Li is there. He is the top psychiatrist in the entire Great Xia Dynasty. He is the best person to treat Lin Qiye."
After hearing these words, Wu Xiangnan's expression finally improved. He glanced at the room where Lin Qiye was and closed his eyes helplessly.
"I have already reported Lin Qiye's condition to the higher-ups, and the transfer order will be issued soon," the doctor said again.
Just then, Hongying, her eyes red-rimmed, timidly asked, "I...can I go in and see them? One in two is fine.... I just want to see them"
The doctor frowned slightly. "Both of them are unconscious and in a very unstable mental state. It's dangerous to get close to them."
"I... I just want to take a look... just a glimpse from afar," Hongying said in an almost pleading tone.
The doctor hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply, "Alright... You can visit Lin Qiye, but whatever you do, don't do anything that might provoke him, otherwise it will be dangerous if [Mortal Divine Realm] goes berserk."
Hongying nodded repeatedly. She tiptoed to Lin Qiye's door and carefully pushed it open to go inside.
The once spacious and bright basement room has disappeared, replaced by a small, old bedroom.
As soon as she entered the room, a faint scent of wood wafted towards her, and Hongying's feet creaked softly as she stepped on the old wooden floor.
A small, hard bed, a moldy desk, and a clean, tidy sheet. Sitting on the bed is a black-haired boy who is looking at the small window beside him. The slightly yellowed curtains sway gently in the breeze.
This room originally had no windows.
This isn't an office... this is Lin Qiye's home.
Hongying walked gently to Lin Qiye's side, looked into his calm yet cloudy eyes, pursed her lips slightly, and sat down on the other side of the bed.
"Qiye, Qiye..." Hongying's red lips parted slightly as she softly called out Lin Qiye's name.
Lin Qiye stared blankly out the window, completely unaware.
"Old Zhao is dead, the captain is gone, Xiao Nan is gone, Leng Xuan is gone, Xiao Chen is in a coma... Now you're leaving here too, leaving me..." Hongying's eyes were veiled with a thin mist. She looked down at her toes, her body trembling slightly.
"When do you think we'll see each other again...?"
"If this city, all of this, is just a dream... then when the dream ends, will everyone come back?"
"We made a promise that next New Year's Eve, we'll all get drunk together again... You guys aren't lying, are you?"
Hongying turned to look at Lin Qiye by the bedside, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the sheets beneath her, disappearing without a trace.
Lin Qiye stared out the window, silent as a statue.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from outside, carrying a green flower that brushed against his cheek and landed in front of Hongying.
Hongying stared blankly at this scene, then reached out and picked up the flower from the bed.
It was a green spider lily.
In a daze, Hongying seemed to remember something. She looked up at Lin Qiye, a smile appearing on her tear-streaked face.
"No matter what the future holds, I'll wait for you guys..."