Po Jun left after leaving a letter; he had been waiting here to hand over the letter.
“Arrived last night, that means he left right after dinner without saying a word… As expected, old ginger is spicier.”
Ke Mo sat in the newly built inn, and under the faint morning light, he opened the letter.
The handwriting was not particularly neat, but it was very tidy.
“Little Ke, by the time you see this letter, I will already be gone.”
The cooperation between the Celestial Race and Ink City must continue. The current mortals still need to rely on the power of the City of Heaven. You know, ultimately, someone has to go. With my position in Ink City, no one can say anything about it.
If we lose this battle, the City of Divine Beings will surely fall into chaos. I am getting older, and only by handing the City of Divine Beings to you can I rest easy.
You once told me a story about Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly. Later, someone approached me and said that the world I live in now is fictional. Beyond our world lies another ‘higher realm,’ and they claim to have the ability to take us to the real world.
Afterward, I began to wonder if beyond the higher realm, there might be even larger worlds? And beyond those larger worlds? What truly is reality and what is illusion?
I still remember when you said that one should live in the present.
The City of Divine Beings is wonderful, and everyone is wonderful too. Beautiful memories are not false; therefore, for me, they are real.
That person must have approached more than just me; he also approached the Celestial Race. I don’t know how many of them believe that guarding the City of Divine Beings is no longer meaningful.”
“Crisis, crisis, between danger and difficulty, there lies opportunity.”
There was no confusion or heaviness in the words, instead, there was a sense of relief.
The main content was said in the first piece of paper.
The tone afterward was no longer like Dong Chang Tian’s, but rather talked about the mundane aspects of these years.
“When you first left, everyone was extremely anxious.”
“My sister-in-law said not to worry, that you would return. Afraid that you wouldn’t find your way back, she even changed the name of the town.”
“I was also anxious inside. Having farmed for half my life, suddenly the village became a town with tens of thousands of people; how could I manage? But every time I thought about it, you even gave me the Divine Sword, so I couldn’t let you return disappointed.”
“I started learning to read and write. Fortunately, my children, Dong Lian and Dong Yi, were ambitious. Since childhood, they loved following you, imitating your speech and actions. It seems they learned quite well. Our identity as swordsmen was established by Dong Lian.”
“After they passed away, our Great King Village became part of Ink City.”
With the city growing bigger, I grew older too, feeling idle and restless. So, I took the wooden stick you gave me and practiced swordsmanship, never expecting that my talent in swordsmanship would be quite good.”
Later, I understood a method of using the sword. Within arm’s reach, every strike would be fatal. It turns out, Little Ke, you saw that I had potential long ago.
Unfortunately, as I grew older, my sword techniques couldn’t be used as quickly. I wanted to wait for you to return and show you, but unfortunately, you didn’t remember me.
Now, being able to leave my strength in the Otherworld isn’t really a regret. If there is any regret, it’s that I didn’t get to drink your and my sister-in-law’s wedding wine.
This time, it’s your turn to wait for me, right?”
Seeing the sloppily written ‘Er Niu’ at the end of the letter, Ke Mo suddenly laughed softly.
It was the first time he taught Er Niu to write, and he wrote his name directly on the fields.
A night of snow did not stop the sun from rising.
Ke Mo put away the letter and walked into the pure white, bustling streets of Ink City illuminated by the dawn.
As if he had never seen the letter, he bought breakfast as usual—steamed dumplings, small steamed buns, and pot soup. He also asked for the chili peppers and vinegar that Ice Chunk liked.
When he returned to the small courtyard, Ying Bing had just woken up. Her messy black hair had two stubborn strands sticking up, as if she hadn’t forced herself to wake up because it was Ke Mo who entered.
“You slept so soundly, did you know I would come back?”
Little Ke seemed deep in thought.
If he really intended to leave, would Ice Chunk obediently wait for him in bed?
No wonder he didn’t say much last night; he was just acting.
Just as he was thinking, a snow-white foot poked out from under the covers. Ke Mo looked up and met her clear gaze.
“Oh, socks.”
Ke Mo went to fetch a pair of socks and put them on her without hesitation.
Ying Bing: “?”
“What’s wrong?” Ke Mo coughed lightly, realizing his movements were too smooth.
Ying Bing narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you remembering something?”
“Ah? I asked for vinegar and chili peppers; my memory hasn’t failed me.” Ke Mo looked puzzled.
As he placed the breakfast on the table, Ying Bing bit a chopstick while eating an acrid steamed dumpling.
“Why did you come back? Weren’t you going to join the Celestial Race’s army to go to the Otherworld?”
“I was supposed to, but Old Dong moved too fast, and I couldn’t catch up with him.”
Ke Mo shook his head. “And because they suspected me as a spy, they made me come back. Oh, and Old Dong left me a letter.”
“What did the letter say that made you stay so calmly?”
“There’s quite a lot of content.”
Ying Bing pursed her lips. “Then give me the gist of it.”
Ke Mo seriously handed her a small steamed bun. “He wants to drink our wedding wine.”
“…”
Ying Bing’s cheeks moved slightly, sensing something different about Little Ke today.
His eyes were still so clear, but he wasn’t as awkward as before.
Otherwise, how could he understand the essence and speak briefly?
Even when putting on silk socks earlier, his hands seemed to have their own ideas. A true technician would use certain skills even subconsciously…
Nine out of ten things felt off.
Ying Bing lowered her eyes, glancing at him casually. “I stood for a long time yesterday and got tired. Help me massage.”
Her voice was soft, but Little Ke, the technician, was struck as if by lightning.
After a moment, he finally exposed the facts he had recalled from the past.
Snow-white feet placed themselves in your lap; naturally, Little Ke couldn’t control his hands.
How could any cadre withstand such a test?
Ah, this is called the professional ethics of a technician; it’s called loving one task and doing it well.
After Ke Mo revealed everything, he felt his scalp tingle under Ice Chunk’s lingering gaze. After a moment, he spoke seriously:
“Old Dong has secured much time for Ink City; I must make good use of this period.”
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“Now, I’m still at the ninth aperture of Guan Shen, and the forms in my small world are increasing, but my inner landscape seems to remain as distant as ever. Why is this?”
