Chapter 129: Not Quite So

In that chaotic world of his past life, he had been successful in his career, but in an instant, he had fallen into the desolate village. That indescribable sorrow seemed to amplify endlessly.

It was like being trapped in quicksand, and Fang Mu simply could not break free.

The situation suddenly turned dangerous. Fang Mu was fully aware of his predicament, yet he could not escape it. Instead... he found himself strangely enjoying this sorrow.

It was as if only in sorrow could he be truly himself, the person he had been in his previous life.

However... Fang Mu was puzzled—his confusion lay precisely within the sorrow.

This sorrow could be resisted; he was merely immersed in it, but it did not inflict him any tangible harm.

“Is that all there is?” Fang Mu thought silently.

As he pondered this, his emotions shifted.

The sorrow receded like a tide, and once freed from its shackles, Fang Mu was about to open his eyes when abruptly, another emotion surged.

Loneliness!

Unlike sorrow, this loneliness penetrated to his very bones.

In the ebb and flow of these feelings, the sense of loneliness intensified, like a nail driven deep into wood—no matter how one tried, it could not be pulled out.

Fang Mu suddenly opened his eyes and found himself no longer in Azure Cloud City but in a place of utter darkness.

All around him was black mist, so dense that one could not see a hand before their face.

He lifted his foot to move forward, but the surrounding mist suddenly shifted.

The thick black fog seemed to have found its target, converging swiftly toward Fang Mu.

His vision darkened; he lost all sense of where he was.

He wanted to move, but he could not—even a single finger would not budge.

In this dark space, Fang Mu lost all sense of time.

An indescribable loneliness filled his heart completely.

He felt as if this space would drive him mad with solitude.

When a person is trapped somewhere time cannot be perceived, they become unusually fragile; the slightest disturbance breeds endless conjectures.

Fang Mu felt exactly this way. Bound by invisible chains in this loneliness, he found himself contemplating things he never had before.

Lonely? Just a little.

From the moment he arrived in this world, Fang Mu felt out of place.

Though he strove to adapt, diligently studying forensic science to establish roots here, he simply could not fit in.

It was like a successful man in a foreign land—although he had achieved fame and fortune, he was still a stranger; that innate loneliness was inexpressible.

Loneliness was like a bone-chilling coldness, gradually grinding away the will in Fang Mu’s heart.

…

Outside, Ghost One stroked his instrument, gazing at the four figures before him, sighing deeply.

The masked woman’s expression was unreadable; her hands clenched tightly into fists, the veins on her once-fair hands standing out sharply.

Zhang Liu drew his wild goose feather saber, muttering repeatedly, “I am a lifelong follower of the Director, ready to clear the path for him—to kill! Kill! Kill!”

Iron Calculator held a bronze compass, tears streaking down his face.

Amidst the music’s melody, the countless facets of life were revealed without concealment.

Ghost One shook his head and looked toward Fang Mu’s position, thinking, “Such a brilliant talent, yet destined to perish in Azure Cloud City.”

On the other side, Fang Mu had drawn a butcher’s knife, slowly moving it inch by inch toward his own neck.

Though the motion was slow, it was resolute; should the blade fall upon his throat, Fang Mu would surely die.

As the knife drew closer, a white shadow flashed, landing on Fang Mu’s hand.

At the same moment, a cat’s cry rang out.

It was Ah Bai, clinging to Fang Mu’s hand, crying out excitedly.

Throughout the entire contest, Ah Bai had not participated.

Seeing its master take such an action, it immediately grew anxious.

Black vapors surged from Ah Bai’s body, vibrating irregularly in sync with its cries.

The more the black mist trembled, the louder Ah Bai’s cries became—soon no longer cat meows, but terrifying howls.

…

In the darkness where Fang Mu was trapped, drifting helplessly in loneliness, he suddenly stopped.

“Meow... meow...”

A faint cat’s cry sounded, and the surrounding black mist seemed to slow as if catching its breath.

“Is that... a cat’s call? Ah Bai?”

But in an instant, the cat’s cries were swallowed once more by the black fog, engulfing Fang Mu again, plunging him back into timeless oblivion.

Loneliness struck once more, yet this overwhelming solitude bore a crack— even the black mist before him flickered with a glimmer of light.

Within that light, an awakening blossomed in Fang Mu’s heart. The ship lost in this storm of loneliness steadied, and though he remained in the heart of solitude, he stood unmoved.

Fang Mu laughed, a loud, clear laugh: “I am not alone!”

In that moment, Ah Bai reminded him.

Loneliness, after all, was a form of escape—an evasion of all that he now faced.

It was an excuse, a pretext to isolate oneself from the world.

But... did Fang Mu need to escape? Did he need an excuse?

No! He was not alone. He still had his cat—even if it was just a cat.

The light before him grew ever brighter, the black mist shattered into dust under its assault.

…

Outside, Fang Mu suddenly opened his eyes.

Ah Bai still clung to his hand, tirelessly crying out.

Fang Mu reached out and stroked Ah Bai’s head. “Thank you.”

Ah Bai, once engulfed in black mist, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his master awake. It leapt onto Fang Mu’s shoulder, wearing the proud air of a loyal retainer.

Fang Mu smiled and shook his head, turning his gaze to Ghost One with a cold glint.

Ghost One stroked his instrument and said, “Congratulations, sir, you have passed.”

No matter what, the rules acknowledged it—Fang Mu had cleared the stage.

Turning his head, Fang Mu saw another person had awakened.

The sound of a blade being sheathed came as Zhang Liu opened his eyes.

“Is that all?” Zhang Liu looked at Ghost One, his voice dark. “That’s all you’ve got? How despicable.”

Fang Mu stroked his chin, increasingly convinced that this man named Liu Xu was no ordinary figure.

Most members of the Heavenly Overseers Fang Mu had encountered before were mere ornaments; this Liu Xu was genuinely powerful.

He had passed every stage himself, unimpeded, deepening Fang Mu’s suspicions about his true identity.

Meanwhile, another person stirred—Iron Calculator.

“I will survive, rest assured. I will,” Iron Calculator opened his eyes and murmured, “Carrying with me your will to live.”

After a moment, he closed his mouth and wiped the tears from his face.

Fang Mu shook his head. Iron Calculator’s words seemed to hold some truth—perhaps everyone bore a past they were unwilling to speak of.