Chapter 1266: Misfortune

The white serpent dragged his nearly numb body, inching step by step toward the black hole in the wall.

Then, he swung his legs over the edge, leaned his head against the wall, and gazed up at the boundless, star-studded sky.

The breathtaking sight momentarily intoxicated him, as if it had been ages since he last quietly admired such a view.

No—come to think of it, what scenery was there to see in the “Land of the End”?

Here, “people” were the only scenery.

“So it’s true… when you’re on the brink of death, your life really does flash before your eyes…” the white serpent murmured.

But as he scanned the images in his mind, none came from the real world—only scenes from the “Land of the End.”

“Rot in Hell, you damned brat!”

“My name is Qi Xia, not ‘damned brat.'”

Two voices echoed in the white serpent’s mind.

“I’ll call you whatever I want!”

“Fine. Suit yourself.”

“Hey… everyone else fears me. Why don’t you?”

“Fear what?”

“I’m… neither man nor woman. A… monster…”

“You haven’t gotten in my way,” the voice replied.

“But…” In his memory, the white serpent sounded agitated. “People always point and whisper when they see me… some even…”

The voice paused before responding, “They’re just bored—bored enough to meddle in others’ lives. I’m busy. I don’t have time for that. And…”

He met the white serpent’s gaze and said firmly, “I don’t think you’re a monster.”

Whether it counted as comfort or not, those words from that damned brat had indeed eased the white serpent’s heart.

Only after enduring endless malice since childhood could one truly cherish every act of kindness.

No matter what Qi Xia had truly thought back then, the white serpent had repaid that debt.

So why did he still feel so sorrowful?

Time blurred. The white serpent gradually felt his limbs grow cold, every wound on his body as if filled with a frigid wind. The dried blood itched and chilled his skin. He might have dozed off—or blacked out. His consciousness dimmed, his limbs losing sensation.

He had done all he could. Tian She had slit several of his veins. In this state, there was no better outcome.

He had trapped Tian She, but it seemed he couldn’t hold back “Qiong Qi.”

After a while, the commotion behind him ceased. Footsteps approached, and a figure sat beside him—Tian She himself.

The two of them stared at the starry expanse in silence for a long while.

“Did she leave?” the white serpent asked.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to have her use ‘Leap’ to take you with her?”

“Her?” Tian She let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. “Take me back to Qinglong, only for her to exaggerate my failures? I’ve already botched the mission. If I return, I’ll die immediately. Besides, I can’t even be sure ‘Qiong Qi’ will make it back.”

“Ah… fair enough.”

Another prolonged silence settled between them, as if gazing at the stars could make one forget time.

Or perhaps… everyone in the “Land of the End” had long since forgotten time.

“Di She…” Tian She’s voice was still heavy with sorrow. “I have an idea. Let me stitch your wounds now… I’ll keep you alive. I don’t want to be left here alone… with no one to talk to. I’ll go mad.”

“Hahaha…” The white serpent chuckled faintly, eyes fixed on the stars. “Thanks for the offer, my dear mentor, but I’d rather die.”

“Why…?” Tian She clutched his hair in despair. “You could live! We could keep each other company. You have knowledge too, don’t you? We could exchange ideas! You love books—so do I! Isn’t that—”

“Hahahaha!” The white serpent laughed weakly, his serpentine eyes reflecting the cosmos. “How ridiculous… *cough*… Tian She… You don’t want to be stuck here with ‘Qiong Qi,’ so why would I want to stay with you? What’s the difference between you two? That’s the funniest joke I’ve ever heard… *cough*…”

“‘Qiong Qi’ is different!! She—” Tian She frantically pulled a crumpled scrap of paper from his pocket, pointing at two hastily scribbled words. “See this?! She’s ‘Calamity’! How could she stay here?”

“‘Calamity’? Hahahaha.” The white serpent grinned dryly. “So that’s it… Daji? Baosi? *Cough*… My dear mentor, you’ve done a great service… You have ‘Spirit Vision,’ yet you didn’t inspect that woman’s ‘Echo’ immediately… Who’s to blame for that…?”

“My ‘Spirit Vision’…!” Tian She stood up in fury, dragging the “furniture” with the ability over to the white serpent. He tore off its blindfold, revealing its blood-red eyes.

“Why should I damage my precious ‘furniture’ for that woman?! And who could’ve guessed she carried such a bizarre ‘immortal technique’?!”

“Yeah… ‘Calamity’… hah… *cough*…”

The white serpent coughed weakly, his life now in its final moments.

With limited medical resources, even if Tian She stitched all his wounds, the lost blood couldn’t be replenished.

“The term ‘Calamity’ originally referred to women whose favor could bring ruin to nations or organizations…” Tian She said with lingering dread. “She only brings chaos to whatever side she’s on. If she believes she’s with us, we’re doomed…”

“Wrong…” The white serpent shook his head faintly, his strength nearly gone. “My dear mentor, I’m not on your side.”

“You—” Tian She stiffened. “Fine. Even if we’re not allies, it changes nothing. As long as ‘Calamity’ exists, Qinglong can’t suppress this rebellion. It’s all that woman’s fault… Everything’s over.”

“*Cough*… I don’t agree.” The white serpent leaned against the broken wall, staring blankly at the sky. “A vast nation or organization… doesn’t crumble overnight just because of one woman. To me, that’s just incompetent rulers shifting blame. If ‘Calamity’ can exploit cracks, it means there were already too many cracks to begin with.”

Tian She paused, then quickly said, “See?! Di She, you’re learned! We could talk like this every day… pass the endless time together! We could discuss how to use different ‘Echoes,’ how terrifying ‘Calamity’ truly is… Maybe one day, we could—”

“Hah.” The white serpent let out an ambiguous laugh, his gaze growing more unfocused. “Tian She, you’re too foolish. I can’t chat with you every day. I’d lose my mind.”

“I’m… foolish?”

“Tell me… is ‘Calamity’ the true horror?” the white serpent countered. “No—the real horror is the one who wields ‘Calamity’ perfectly… Let me ask you… *cough*… If ‘Calamity’ were your soldier… how would you use her to secure victory?”