Chapter 49: Requiem

At this point, Jinna no longer had the courage to even “bargain” with Zhang Wen. Completely desperate, she felt like a drug addict in the throes of withdrawal, while Zhang Wen held the medicine that could save her life. Jinna could only do everything she could to please Zhang Wen, hoping to satisfy him enough to grant her the “medicine.”

“I know that giving me the badges might bring you some trouble with the Almيثus Academy. I swear, I won’t let you suffer any loss because of this!” Jinna tried her best to look into Zhang Wen’s eyes with the most sincere expression, fearing even the slightest doubt from him.

Seeing that Zhang Wen remained unmoved by her pleas and that his right hand still hadn’t moved from her ample bosom, Jinna grew increasingly anxious.

Since she had already given so much to Zhang Wen, what difference would giving even more make? Thinking this, Jinna suddenly gritted her teeth and grabbed the flimsy, nearly transparent blouse she was wearing.

Zhang Wen’s right hand was still pressed firmly against her chest, and Jinna feared that moving it might upset him. So instead of taking the blouse off, she simply tore it off over her head.

Freed from the blouse, her firm, round breasts immediately sprang into view. Zhang Wen clearly felt the soft, smooth, and elastic sensation from the mound he held in his right hand. Without waiting for Zhang Wen to speak, Jinna then grabbed his left hand, guiding it down her smooth thighs until it reached the most sensitive spot between her legs, pulling him toward the silken string that would set any man’s blood ablaze.

“Just say the word, and I’m all yours tonight! If one night isn’t enough, I can be your mistress for a month… or even a year. And if you’re still not sure, as long as you don’t tell anyone, I’m willing to sign a private slave contract. For this time, you’ll be my master, and I’ll obey you no matter what you ask of me.” Jinna bit her lip hard, her legs gently rubbing against Zhang Wen’s hand. Yet, her naked body trembled slightly, and an unusual paleness spread across her beautiful face.

Once a proud and ambitious woman, even though Jinna had mentally prepared herself for this kind of degradation, when she finally spoke words so low and demeaning, willingly offering her most cherished and prideful body to Zhang Wen for his pleasure and amusement, she still trembled with shame at her own actions.

“I never thought… I just never thought it would come to this,” Zhang Wen said, pulling both his hands away from Jinna and shaking his head slightly.

Jinna’s face turned deathly pale. Even the faint flush brought on by her earlier shame vanished completely. The sense of despair and fear overwhelmed her so much that she didn’t even notice the tone of Zhang Wen’s voice was completely different from what she had expected. There was no mockery or scorn in it—only a deep, low tone that seemed filled with disappointment and, more than anything, regret.

“Why won’t you agree? What more do you want from me? Two years? Three? We can negotiate the time! If you’re still upset about how I treated you before, I said I’d make it up to you! Isn’t that enough for you?” Jinna broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

“No! You don’t understand. If you want these badges, just take them. I don’t want your compensation, nor will I force you to do anything,” Zhang Wen said casually, pulling out the small pouch containing the badges and placing it in front of Jinna.

“What… what are you saying?” Jinna stared at Zhang Wen, shocked to the point of forgetting to blink.

“No matter where they are, no matter the man, the dreams of youth are always the same,” Zhang Wen said softly, reaching out to lift Jinna’s face and gently wiping away her tears. “They always dream that one day, a beautiful, gentle princess will be moved by their sincerity and fall in love with them. Even though they know deep down that such a thing is ridiculous—how could it ever happen?—they still can’t help but think that way. Then, one day, they secretly fall for a girl, treating her like the princess from their dreams. Even if they get no response, even if they’re laughed at, they still give their heart to her without hesitation, willing to do anything for her. And even when the dream finally fades, whether it’s shattered by cruel or harsh means, that girl still remains in the gentlest corner of their heart. Although you’ve done many unforgivable things, I won’t pretend I’ve never blamed you. But I’ve always truly hoped that you would be happy. I’ve always hoped that you would remain the beautiful, proud, carefree, and slightly mischievous princess in my memories. Because that’s just the way a man’s dreams are!”

Zhang Wen tilted his head upward, and tears quietly slid down from the corners of his eyes.

“I…” Jinna bit her lip hard.

“Don’t speak,” Zhang Wen gently placed his right hand over Jinna’s lips, then reached into the suitcase beside him with his left, pulling out a coat and gently wrapping it around her. “Maybe I should thank you. Today, my dream has finally ended. Take the badges and don’t come looking for me again.”

With that, Zhang Wen turned his head away and closed his eyes. Jinna’s chest heaved violently, but she couldn’t utter a single word. Finally, as if making a firm decision, she took a deep breath, picked up the pouch with the badges, and smiled at Zhang Wen. “Goodbye.”

Without looking back, Jinna walked away. Yet, her right hand gripped the coat draped over her body so tightly that her fingernails nearly pierced her skin.

“Alright! Come out! You’ve been listening long enough,” Zhang Wen said coldly, not closing the tent flap immediately after watching Jinna return to her own tent.

“Not at all! Zhang Wen, I never knew you were so skilled at handling women,” a smiling Linoya, wrapped in a robe, soon slipped into his tent after Zhang Wen’s words.

“Are you mocking me?” Zhang Wen replied with a bitter smile.

“No, I’m genuinely complimenting you,” Linoya said cheerfully, scanning the tent before choosing the most comfortable spot to lie down semi-reclined, just like Zhang Wen.

“What’s there to compliment? I didn’t gain anything, and I even gave away all our badges,” Zhang Wen shrugged.

“Really? Those final words of yours—wow! Not only did they move that desperate Jinna, but I almost cried too. Honestly, you really know how to touch the softest spots in a woman’s heart. I bet right now, Jinna is in her tent sobbing into her pillow, regretting everything. ‘Oh, why was I so stupid back then? I missed someone who loved me so much…’ Haha! You didn’t take advantage of her at all today, but you’ve taken her heart. From now on, all you need to do is lift a finger, and she’ll crawl naked into your bed.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Zhang Wen lowered his head and smiled slightly. “But I didn’t think about any of that. I’m not as dirty-minded as you say, and I truly don’t want to see her again.”

“Oh? You’re not trying to play the long game and catch a big fish? Then why did you torment her so much before finally giving her the badges? Aren’t you afraid Governor Temiso will be furious when he finds out?” Linoya teased with a disbelieving grin.

“You’re asking questions you already know the answers to,” Zhang Wen shook his head. “The reason I didn’t give in at first was because I suspected she might have ulterior motives. Jinna and I have been apart for years—how do I know she’s not a spy for the Federation or some other faction? If I had handed her the badges the moment she asked, wouldn’t I have been a fool risking my life? As for giving her the badges in the end, I did take a lot of risks. But if you want to cut off a bad connection, you have to pay a price.”

“You’re just bored out of your mind and making trouble for yourself. Don’t tell me you’re trying to atone for that boy you killed?” Linoya smirked with a lazy expression of disdain.

“This is called a man’s persistence—you wouldn’t understand,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly, adopting the expression of a decent man unwilling to argue with a woman.

Few would understand what Zhang Wen meant by “cutting off a bad connection.” In fact, Linoya’s mistaken guess was closer to the truth. What Zhang Wen needed to end wasn’t really a bad relationship with Jinna. After all, Zhang Wen himself had never had any real connection with Jinna, so there was no “fate” between them. What Zhang Wen truly wanted to end was merely the last wish of the previous owner of this body—Gill.

Everything about Jinna was the most unforgettable memory in Gill’s heart. Although Gill’s consciousness had died when Zhang Wen inherited this body, disappearing who knows where, all of his memories of Jinna still allowed Zhang Wen to feel the most genuine thoughts Gill had at the moment of his death.

On a night like this, Zhang Wen, in Gill’s name and perhaps even beyond Gill’s expectations, told the one woman Gill could never forget all the words that had been buried deep in his heart.

Unwilling to continue arguing, Zhang Wen didn’t respond further, and Linoya couldn’t continue the topic either. She lazily turned her gaze back to the items inside Zhang Wen’s tent. Finally, when her eyes landed on Zhang Wen’s luggage, she suddenly pointed curiously at a small, elongated metal box peeking out from the bag behind Zhang Wen.

“What’s that?”

“A harmonica,” Zhang Wen smiled, pulling out the first musical instrument he had made since arriving in this world.

When Zhang Wen first started practicing the Spring Water Technique, he often struggled to control his emotions. So he made some small instruments he was familiar with. This way, whenever he needed to calm himself, he could use music to quickly restore peace to his heart. When preparing for the survival competition, he didn’t know why, but he had somehow brought the harmonica along.

Doo… Ray… Mi… Gentle and melodious notes drifted from the harmonica at Zhang Wen’s lips. After a brief test, the gentle tune of “Where the Stars Shine” floated through the quiet depths of the Sandra Forest. The clouds gradually cleared from the sky, silver moonlight bathed the land, and the stars twinkled along with the soothing melody. Zhang Wen felt a calm and serenity he had never experienced before.

“Rest in peace, Gill,” Zhang Wen thought silently in his heart as he played the final note and closed his eyes.

Clap… clap… clap… Before Zhang Wen’s thoughts had even finished, Linoya’s applause rang out beside him.

“You’ve given me another big surprise, Zhang Wen!” The sexy beauty in her robe clapped her hands, looking at him with wide, curious eyes, as if she were seeing him for the first time. “I never knew the Ruby Viper had such amazing musical talent. What was the name of that song you just played?”

“Where the Stars Shine.”

“Where the Stars Shine… The melody is beautiful, and the name is beautiful too,” Linoya blinked softly. “Putting aside your identity in Mithril, it would be a waste to have you as a teacher at the Almيثus Academy. With your instrument and that song, you could probably secure a master’s seat in the Federation’s Golden Concert Hall.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Alright, enough chatter. I can see you’re not in the mood to chat. Good night,” Linoya yawned, stretching her slender legs and delicate feet under her robe before turning to leave Zhang Wen’s tent. But just as she reached the tent flap, she suddenly stopped and quickly crouched down.

“Shh! Jinna’s out again. Let’s see what she’s up to,” Linoya whispered, signaling Zhang Wen with her hand. Her voice was cautious and sharp, a complete contrast to her earlier laziness, as if she had transformed into a completely different person.

Zhang Wen quickly turned off the psychic lamp and stood up to join her by the tent. Then he saw, just as Linoya had said, Jinna approaching the tent, her face still streaked with tears she hadn’t wiped away, still wearing the coat Zhang Wen had wrapped around her.

As she lifted the tent flap, Jinna was startled to find another woman inside. This woman was none other than Linoya, the peerless beauty she had seen several times by Zhang Wen’s side—an object of her past jealousy and, ultimately, a source of her own painful inferiority.

“Teacher… Linoya?” Jinna called out with difficulty, her beautiful eyes flashing with an unbearable mix of pain and regret.

“That… I just suddenly remembered something important and I have to tell you right away!” Jinna hesitated for a moment before hurriedly continuing, her voice filled with urgency.

“Oh? What could be so urgent? Wait, the coat you’re wearing… that’s not yours, is it?” Linoah suddenly pointed at Jinna’s coat, asking in surprise.

“This… this belongs to Taler. He left it with me.” Jinna’s face flushed slightly. She stammered as she spoke, while her right hand tightly gripped the collar of the coat. Her flustered and awkward appearance was completely different from the arrogant and haughty “Moor Princess” that Zhang Wen remembered.

“Oh! So it’s Taler’s.” Linoah smiled knowingly, deliberately glancing at Zhang Wen. A woman lying to another woman for a man—what it implied was probably clear even to a fool.

“Anyway! Forget about me. You two should hurry and go save them!” Taking advantage of Linoah’s momentary distraction, Jinna shouted anxiously again.

“Save them?” Linoah asked in confusion.

“That’s right! Zhang Wen, I saw you at the arena last time with two students from the Almace martial arts department. They should be your students, right?”

“Oh, you mean Zack and Cloud.” Linoah cheerfully took over the question that should have been Zhang Wen’s to answer. “That’s right, they are Zhang Wen’s students.”

“They’re in danger! Yesterday evening, we completely scattered their squad. Then, Taler and I chased them and another student from their squad here.”

“You mean Zack and Cloud have been separated from their instructor? They’re acting alone without a teacher?” Linoah’s expression turned somewhat serious after sensing around briefly.

Zack and Cloud’s badges were both outside her sensing range.

Zack and Cloud—”heirs to the undefeated Shinra military force,” the young sons of the alliance’s chief executive, a position among the three major powers. Their identities were simply too significant. If they truly died in this survival competition, even powerful organizations like Mithril and the Consortium would likely be unable to withstand pressure from both the empire and the alliance.

As the Almace Academy instructors participating in the survival competition alongside the two, Zhang Wen and Linoah would certainly not escape the wrath of the Shinra military commander either. After all, the commander was known for his protective nature and lawlessness. He might even bring a few high-ranking Shinra officers to eliminate them all in a fit of rage.

Linoah and Zhang Wen exchanged another glance. Almost simultaneously, they asked, “Do you know where they are now?”

“I don’t know. However, before we encountered the beast army, I sensed their location once. They weren’t far from us at that time and were heading north toward the Dream River.”

“Thank you. The information you’ve given us is timely. Go back and rest now. We’ll find a way to save them.” Linoah, no longer in the mood to tease Jinna, hastily sent her away and then dragged Zhang Wen back into the tent.

“What do you think?” After closing the tent flap, Linoah asked directly.

“Regardless of whether what she said is true or not, we can’t just ignore Zack and Cloud, right? They are my students, after all,” Zhang Wen said with a bitter smile.

“Yeah, that’s definitely true. However, we can’t leave Agate unattended either. It seems like I’ll have to take care of Zack and the others on my own.” Linoah sighed, seemingly helplessly.

“You go?” Zhang Wen looked at Linoah.

“Of course. The last time Jinna sensed Zack and the others’ location was already nearly three hours ago. Among the people in this camp, my psionic level is the highest, and my sensing range for the badges is the farthest. If I don’t go, who else will? As for safety, you don’t need to worry. After all, I’m now a tenth-rank psionicist! Dealing with a few insignificant magical beasts won’t be a problem.” Linoah winked playfully at Zhang Wen before getting up and walking out again.

Stepping outside the tent, Linoah glanced back once more, her lips curling into a smile that now carried a hint of mystery.

The heavy rain in the Sandara forest lasted throughout the night, and Agate and the red-haired girl, Xiaoxi, had also been running through the storm for half the night. After a brief skirmish with Reim, the two did not stop for a moment and kept running toward the rendezvous point they had agreed on before setting out.

It was not until the rain gradually stopped that they finally slowed their pace. By then, they had already climbed to the top of the highest peak in the Sandara forest’s famous Monna Mountains.

“Tsk! That stinking woman, Hunji, why did she have to choose such a troublesome place to gather? She insisted we bring this burden along. And that woman hasn’t even shown up yet. I wonder what she’s up to!” Looking at the red-haired girl’s slightly weary expression beside him and then at the seemingly endless mountain path ahead, Agate couldn’t help but grumble angrily.

“Sigh! I’m fine, it’s just her that’s too heavy,” the red-haired girl muttered as she glanced at the girl, Jialite, who was being held under her arms.

Being reminded of a girl’s most sensitive issue—weight—Jialite became even more furious. She wanted to retort a few words but was frustrated by the tape firmly stuck over her mouth, rendering her unable to make a sound. She could only lift her head and glare angrily at the red-haired siblings.

“Hey! What are you glaring at me for? It’s not like I was the one who captured you!” Feeling Jialite’s angry gaze, the red-haired girl also angrily shouted back. “Do you think I want to carry you? Honestly! You’re so heavy too!”

“Wuwuwu… wuwuwuw…” Jialite kicked her legs furiously in increasing anger.

“Hmph! I can’t hear anything you’re saying! I don’t understand you! Stupid! Stupid girl!” The red-haired girl stuck her tongue out at Jialite and stared at her smugly.

“Wuwuwuw!” Jialite also widened her eyes and glared back defiantly. The two beautiful young girls, similar in age, were like two stubborn roosters, both blushing as they glared fiercely at each other.

“I really don’t understand why we have to bring her back. Her abilities are too weak, not even as good as me! What use can she be?” While glaring at Jialite, Xiaoxi loudly complained to Agate on purpose.

“Wuwuwuw…” Naturally, Jialite was dissatisfied with being described as useless by Xiaoxi, but she could only express her anger through her eyes.

However, Agate did not answer Xiaoxi’s question but suddenly stood upright. “Stop arguing,” Agate said with a hint of disdain, waving his hand at the two girls.

“What’s wrong?” The red-haired girl Xiaoxi and Jialite finally shifted their fiery glances away from each other.

“Tsk! We didn’t get to meet Hunji, but someone else has come to keep me company in battle.” Agate said casually, pulling out his great sword.

“Someone is following us?” The red-haired girl asked the question, but instead of sounding tense, her tone gave off an air of excitement.

“4, 5, 6… there are six people, not like a team participating in the survival competition, nor like an exploration group.” The red-haired girl looked around excitedly and then popped out two scary steel needles in her hand.

“Xiaoxi, your sensing ability still needs improvement,” Agate smiled and shook his head at the red-haired girl. “This time, there are seven people, not six. And among them, only one is alive.” Saying that, Agate turned his wrist again and suddenly pointed the great sword forward.

“Come out! If you think your clumsy ability to hide your presence can fool this great master, you’re making a big mistake!”

“Hoho! Indeed, you live up to your reputation as the third-ranked agent of the Consortium, the prodigy warrior Agate. Not only is your combat power immense, but your perception ability within the combat range is also above average,” a low chuckle came from the dark. Several men, completely wrapped in black cloaks, emerged from the jungle and appeared before Agate and the others.

“Hmph! Daring to appear before this great master, you guys must have quite the guts. Tell me, who exactly are you?” Agate snorted coldly and lazily asked the others.

“Hoho, Mr. Agate seems to be playing dumb. I can’t believe you still haven’t figured out our origins at this point,” the man in the lead black cloak said, placing his finger on his lips and blowing a sharp whistle.

Roar… Immediately, echoing from the dark jungle around them, came the growls of countless magical beasts.

“Oh… mental control? Isn’t that the technique Master Hun taught her disciples in the Federation?” Agate casually observed their attempt to summon the beasts, a disdainful smirk appearing on his lips. “You’re from the Federation?”

“That’s right. Since Mr. Agate has recognized our origins, you should naturally know our purpose as well.”

“Hmph! You underlings are just after the ‘key’ in the prophecy… But, you don’t actually think that these pathetic creatures can stop this great master, right?”

“Of course not. We’ve long heard of the reputation of Flame Demon Agate. Besides, if I were to defeat a high-level expert with these low-level magical beasts, even a rookie would laugh at my arrogance.” Although the man in black spoke very modestly, even humbly, his tone was confident and assured.