TDU Chapter 397
TL Note: This will be the last chapter Molly checks since she can no longer continue due to her overwhelming schoolwork. Please thank her for all the work she has done so far and wish her the best of luck on her endeavors! We really appreciate everything and all the time she had spent helping make my translations better!
Translate Checked by Molly Z
Proofread SpeedDemon (ko-fi)
Chapter 397 Last Letter
“So your memories don’t flow into one another?” Qi Xia inquired.
“For now, it seems not.”
“So you’re saying neither of you can access the other’s mind, and therefore your memories can’t align—”
“No…” Chen Junnan raised a hand, cutting Qi Xia off. “As for {communication}… there is indeed a way for the two of us to know each other’s thoughts.”
“What way?”
Chen Junnan smiled faintly, then reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and drew out a slip of paper, unfolding it before Qi Xia.
“Because I’ve died too many times, I’ve formed the habit of leaving behind a ‘last letter’… This one was originally meant for you. But by a twist of fate, it ended up back in my hands.”
Qi Xia leaned forward to look. The handwriting on the testament was scrawled and messy, it was unclear whether Chen Junnan’s script had always been this way, or whether he had written it in panic.
…
Ole Qi, if you’re reading this, then I’m probably already dead.
So, did that intro give you a scare? Hahaha!
This young master’s heading over to Terrestrial Snake’s turf for a spin. If this young master makes it back alive, I’ll regale you with the glorious exploits of yours truly. If I don’t, well, I’ll tell you next time—you’ll have to listen either way.
Of course, it’s also possible that I’ll get fired up and stake my life against him. In that case, the ending’s hard to say.
No matter what, since this last letter remains, you should be able to picture this young master’s dashing figure in your mind.
Ah, right, I just remembered what I needed to tell you. Celestial Snake is fiercely protective. If I really do take down Terrestrial Snake, odds are that bookworm will come looking for me. Since you all hail from the same room as I, you may well be targeted too.
In other words, if you encounter that bookworm, it proves that Celestial Snake has left the train. And legend has it that Celestial Snake is the trusted aide of Celestial Dragon; if even Celestial Snake has disembarked, then it means the other Celestial-grades have mobilized as well. This young master’s advice: dig a hole and hide.
I’ve only ever seen three {Celestial-grade} Earthly Branches, but each one was harder to deal with than the last.
That said, if Celestial Snake does not appear, then you must wait for my return before taking action.
I suspect I’m the only one remaining at {End Point} who has witnessed the methods of Celestial Horse and Celestial Tiger and still retained memory of them.
That’s all. Respectfully yours.
P.S. No need to write back, I’ll never receive it anyway.
…
After reading the {last letter}, Qi Xia once again lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Chen Junnan.
Indeed, there was something he hadn’t mentioned.
Concerning the {Celestial-grades}. From Chen Junnan’s letter, their experiences weren’t enough to have crossed paths with {Celestial-grade}. Then what reason did Chen Junnan have for knowing them?
“These three… individuals,” Qi Xia deliberately trimmed away the unnecessary phrasing as he addressed Chen Junnan, “where exactly did you encounter them?”
“Right before you {disappeared},” Chen Junnan replied. “At that time, half of them… made their move, and even launched their own game.”
“What…?” Qi Xia’s brows arched. “What kind of game was it?”
“In essence… a {Reset Game}.” Chen Junnan let out a sigh. “In their game, we didn’t even need to think about how to {win}, merely finding a way to survive was already fortune enough.”
Just then, the figure leaning against the wall outside finally stepped forward.
Everyone turned to look. Qian Five stood there, cigarette in hand.
Chen Junnan gave the woman a once-over. She stirred no impression at first, until his eyes landed on the scar across her left cheek. Only then did his face break into a sudden grin.
“Qian Duoduo?”
“That’s right, Big Brother Chen.”
Only now did Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin finally realize that this seemingly calculating woman’s real name was truly {Qian Duoduo}.
“Xiao Qian Dou ah!!” Chen Junnan looked especially delighted, taking two quick steps forward to grab Qian Five by the shoulders. “You still remember this young master! This trip wasn’t in vain!”
At that moment, Qian Five suddenly transformed into a man, with a physique identical to Chen Junnan’s.
“Ah, your {Reverberation} is still active?"
“Yes. I feel a bit guilty… eavesdropping outside for so long,” Qian Five said with a smile.
“Nonsense? The fact that we can chat here shows you’re no outsider,” Chen Junnan chuckled.
“Got it.” Qian Five nodded, then cast a serious glance at the others. “Earlier you mentioned {game}. I just wanted to remind everyone that it’s getting late, best to get some rest.”
Once he spoke, he looked over the people in the room and knitted his brow with force.
Qi Xia understood Qian Five’s implication. The topic he and Chen Junnan were discussing was sensitive; any careless word might be {monitored}.
But what exactly did this {monitoring} entail?
He remembered once, completely unguarded, standing on the rooftop of {Passage to Heaven} and solemnly telling Chen Junnan that he was the source of that {massive Reverberation}. If anyone had truly been listening, he should have already been taken away by the {Celestials}.
In short… there’s only a {chance} their words are being listened to.
“You’re right…” Qi Xia nodded, giving a subtle glance to the others. “It’s late tonight; we should rest.”
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin both nodded in agreement.
“Alright, it really is late. I’ll find somewhere to rest first,” Chen Junnan said, patting Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin on the shoulders.
“Swindler lad… I’ll go too,” Qiao Jiajin stood up, glanced at Qian Five, nodded at him, and the two left the cell together.
Now only Qi Xia and Zheng Hero remained in the room.
Qi Xia was about to find a place to rest when he realized something was off about the child in front of him.
He had been constantly wiping his nose, his cheeks already smeared with blood.
Qi Xia frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…” Zheng Hero sniffled, stopping the flow of blood for a few seconds before it started again. “Nothing new… I’ve always been like this…”
“What do you mean ‘nothing new’…?” Qi Xia helped Zheng Hero sit on a chair, tilting his head forward, then pinched his nose.
“Do you get nosebleeds often?” he asked.
“Mhm…” Hero replied quietly. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t I tilt my head back?”
“No,” Qi Xia said. “Tilting your head back when your nose won’t stop bleeding, rather it can cause all the blood to flow into your stomach, preventing clotting and potentially harming your digestive tract and windpipe.”
“Is that so…?”
Qi Xia continued to pinch Zheng Hero’s nose, but after a minute he frowned.
Normally, pinching the nose and waiting for the blood to clot would stop a nosebleed, but this child’s bleeding seemed to increase, already seeping through Qi Xia’s fingers.
“This doesn’t seem like an ordinary nosebleed… it looks like you’re injured…”
Qi Xia released his hold, and a gush of fresh blood poured from Zheng Hero’s nostrils, showing no sign of clotting; it just kept flowing.
He froze for a moment, then hurriedly tore a piece of cloth to stuff into Zheng Hero’s nose.
“I’m fine… really…” Zheng Hero waved his hands repeatedly. “The nosebleed will stop on its own…”
Qi Xia glanced at him and couldn’t help but sigh.
Could it be that because of this child’s {Prompt Redolence}, his nose is more prone to injury?
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
