Qi Xia arrived on the fourth floor.
The door before him, once an old wooden door, was now half-covered in pulsating flesh and blood.
Following his fragmented memories, he reached into his pocket and fished out a key.
But what he held was no longer a key—it had transformed into a slender, razor-sharp shard of bone.
He examined the bone fragment, then turned his gaze to the “keyhole” on the door, which had morphed into a throbbing mass of flesh.
With a bitter smile, Qi Xia drove the bone shard deep into the pulsating meat and twisted violently. The sensation was grotesque. Blood sprayed, and the door creaked open.
Inside was a home he knew all too well.
Warm. Spacious.
Except now, half of it had turned to flesh.
A crimson dividing line stretched across the floor, splitting the room neatly in two—one side blood-red, the other dimly yellow.
Even as the entire city drowned in scarlet viscera, this place still offered a sliver of respite.
Stepping over the fleshy threshold, Qi Xia made his way to the dining table at the center of the room. Like the rest of the space, the table was divided—one half aged wood, the other raw, pulsing meat.
He settled into the only illuminated spot in this nightmare, picked up the kettle and cup on the table, and quietly poured himself a glass of water, setting it down.
Seconds later, a crimson figure appeared at the door but hesitated, scanning the surroundings.
“No one else. Just me,” Qi Xia said. “Come in.”
Tianlong paused but still didn’t step inside.
“White Sheep…” A voice, neither male nor female, emanated from that featureless face. “This is the last bastion of your mind. You’d really let me in?”
“You’re just a guest,” Qi Xia replied, lifting his head. “Keeping you outside would be rude. Every time, you force your way in. This time, I’m opening the door myself.”
Tianlong’s blank face remained fixed on Qi Xia, as if sensing something had shifted.
“Those eyes of yours…” Tianlong murmured. “Have they always had those pupils?”
“Thanks to you,” Qi Xia said. “You freed me from the last shackles of being human.”
“Me?” Tianlong hesitated, then stepped inside. An overwhelming pressure instantly filled the room. “White Sheep, it sounds like you played me.”
“Not played. Just mutual benefit.”
Qi Xia pushed the cup of water forward, sliding it across the dividing line between wood and flesh until it sat before Tianlong.
Though they shared the same room, the stark contrast between the normal, aged home and the grotesque fleshscape created an overwhelming dissonance.
Qi Xia gestured casually, as if hosting a guest. “Tianlong, you’ve been asleep too long—so long you don’t even know what I’m planning. Today, we can finally talk properly.”
When Tianlong remained silent, Qi Xia waved his hand again.
Instantly, the floor beneath Tianlong cracked. Bones and flesh surged upward, twisting into the shape of a chair—pulsing, alive.
“Sit,” Qi Xia said. “Didn’t you come to see me?”
Tianlong lowered his head, his featureless face tilting toward the grotesque seat. Though expressionless, Qi Xia could almost sense amusement.
“‘Finally talk properly’?” Tianlong mused, stepping forward and settling onto the fleshy throne. “White Sheep, last time I wanted to talk, but you refused.”
“Last time, I still needed you,” Qi Xia answered. “So I had to resist. But now? My goals are achieved. I’ll humor any conversation.”
“How absurd…” Tianlong mused. “Even though I’ve entered your dream, you must realize by now—what’s the deadliest thing here? Is it me?”
“Of course not,” Qi Xia replied. “You’re not just the safest presence in my dream—you’ve given me the greatest advantage.”
“True.” Tianlong’s voice softened. “But White Sheep… you’ve been using me. All this time, I might’ve been the one who trusted you most, yet you’ve been scheming from the start.”
“I don’t follow,” Qi Xia shook his head. “I’m just a ‘participant.’ You’re the ‘Ruler of Taoyuan.’ Who here could deceive you?”
“Many of the rules here were set by you and me,” Tianlong rumbled. “So why do they resent only me?”
Qi Xia paused. “I told you—because I’m a ‘participant,’ and you’re the ‘Ruler.’ Why would they blame a mere ‘participant’?”
“But you chose to be one,” Tianlong countered. “That means you dodged all the dangers. White Sheep, even after all your schemes, I still don’t want to abandon you. So today’s offer is the same as before.”
“Oh?”
“Will you come with me?” Tianlong asked. “The ‘Train’ is ready. Let’s leave for new lands. You’re the one I’ve been searching for.”
“But it’s only been a day since we last met,” Qi Xia said. “Why the urgency?”
“Because I’ve slipped into a few dreams at random,” Tianlong replied. “Some now carry… ‘hope.’ I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I suspect you’re involved.”
“That’s why you needed to see me?” Qi Xia scoffed. “Seems like you went to great lengths. Did people die for this?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Tianlong said. “In my eyes, anyone who can die was never truly human.”
“Since you know something’s coming, I won’t hide it,” Qi Xia said. “Things are about to change here. Because Qinglong has been plotting your death.”
“Qinglong… wants me dead?” Tianlong’s faceless visage twitched, as if amused. “He always has. So what? Are you offering to help him now?”
“Seems you’re the one in the dark,” Qi Xia retorted. “You want Qinglong dead, and he wants you dead. You both think alike—did you really believe he’d stay idle all this time? He commands the entire ‘Land of Finality.’ How many can defy him?”
“Hah…” Tianlong chuckled. “You’re wrong. I’m merciful—I don’t want Qinglong dead. I just want to leave him behind while I take you to new lands. And… White Sheep, the one in the dark isn’t me.”
Qi Xia’s brow furrowed slightly.
After a long silence, Tianlong spoke again. “White Sheep, believe it or not, I’ve known your plans all along. Even the crack in the glass—I left it there on purpose.”
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