She wasn't afraid of death; she was afraid of loneliness.
She disliked a silent world, so she enjoyed sitting in tall buildings at night, watching the bustling crowds on the streets. She disliked loneliness, so she let her shadow companions laugh and play around her.
In the final grand assembly, being poisoned was part of Bai Cha's plan. She calmly drank the poison, knowing someone would try to kill her.
She had initially wanted to be alone on a deserted island, to leave quietly and arrive quietly, to resolve everything that followed and then return to the heavens.
But Bai Cha had brought Lucifer with her. In the end, Lucifer felt loneliness and fear in the heart that resonated with Bai Cha's. She held his hand, hesitant and uncertain, finally gathering the courage for him to take her away.
She didn't want to end up like an abandoned stray cat, dying alone in a corner.
Lucifer had felt Bai Cha's fear at night, so he would stay by her bedside every night until she fell asleep, and appear before her before she woke up.
The battle in the sky was fierce.
Bai Cha and Ye Feng's powers were both waning. Ye Feng, being a half-finished product, clearly lacked stamina, while Bai Cha began to decline as the medicinal effects wore off.
The spear tip and the scythe collided again. This time, golden light accompanied the impact. Everyone watched in astonishment as Meng Qinghuan revealed her true form as Kong Que Ming Wang, then looked at the two figures suspended in the air.
Lucifer and Xiang Nan guarded Meng Qinghuan from behind, preventing anyone from disturbing her.
The other fragmented zombie Asuras were created based on Ye Feng as their original god. Even though Bai Cha was now a true Asura, before the outcome was decided, they subconsciously supported their original master. They sacrificed themselves to replenish Ye Feng, ensuring his power was inexhaustible.
When everyone looked up again, Bai Cha had fallen into a disadvantage. Upon closer inspection, they noticed the Asuras suspended on the protective shield emitting a crimson halo, the other end of which was continuously channeling energy to Ye Feng.
"So that's how it is. Since they were both experimental subjects, it's only natural they are a single entity," Mo Ziye frowned, finding the situation troublesome.
Sometimes, one had to marvel at human boldness. Without even devising a method to slay gods, they dared to create a god they couldn't control.
"It didn't work?" Lucifer looked at Meng Qinghuan.
"No, it was close," Meng Qinghuan was also anxious. "There's a gap in the levels. I can't link Bai Cha and Ye Feng's bloodline and spirit. We need to find a way to slow down or halt their movements."
Halt the movements of gods?
Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to react.
To halt the movements of gods? This was beyond their capabilities. If Athena and the other leaders were here, it might be possible, but the problem was, they couldn't possibly arrive in time.
"Just a moment should be enough."
A clear Buddhist chant echoed from the void. Everyone was startled and looked up at the sky.
In the air, the crimson spear transformed into a giant dragon several zhang wide. As it coiled, it blotted out the sun, fiercely striking Bai Cha away.
Ye Feng waved his hand, and the crimson spear reformed, cutting through the sky. However, it only sliced through Bai Cha's illusion. Bai Cha's speed was too great, leaving only this phantom at the original spot. This caused the now-unconscious Ye Feng to pause in a daze.
Eyes could be deceived, but a presence could not.
Ye Feng condensed the spear again. Even though his brain had ceased to function, his combat instincts still guided him to thrust at an upward angle.
The world fell silent.
Hot blood dripped onto his cheek. A delicate face magnified infinitely, familiar yet strange, causing Ye Feng's pupils to focus for a moment. The hand holding the double-pointed spear reached out and plunged into the enemy's heart.
Can't we just not be heroes anymore? Let's go home.
Gong Yuechen felt his entire life had become a joke.
He watched helplessly as his beloved sister's family was destroyed, unable to stop his sister's desperate struggles and exhaustion, unable to prevent his father's betrayal and extremism.
And now, he couldn't stop Bai Cha and her father from fighting each other.
As the spear pierced Bai Cha's heart, Gong Yuechen felt as if all his strength had drained away. He suddenly felt lost, wondering why he had strived so hard to attain the rank of major general.
Gong Yuechen vaguely remembered how, after every arduous training session, he would collapse on the training grounds. Not long after, a soft little girl would approach him.
"Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Your father is a general; he won't mistreat you," Bai Cha was truly adorable back then. Gong Yuechen loved to hold her, but Bai Cha never let him, complaining he smelled bad.
"It's because you usually ignore me," Gong Yuechen, full of youthful spirit, would lie on the training ground and act spoiled. "As long as I can't bear the exhaustion, I can see you."
"...Idiot."
Memories faded. When Gong Yuechen came to his senses, he was already pinned to the ground by Lucifer, his eyes crimson, struggling uncontrollably. He deeply regretted not becoming a dragon knight, not even having the strength to fly towards the heavens.
In the air, the dazed Ye Feng had his spear held by Bai Cha. With a surge, the other end of the spear plunged directly into Ye Feng's heart. The blood-red sky seemed to halt. This was the embrace Bai Cha had longed for.
Even though it was now cold, Bai Cha had dreamt of holding her father again for countless nights.
Golden energy squeezed its way in, and a golden cocoon enveloped them. After completing this, Meng Qinghuan's face turned pale, and she fainted backward.
Mo Ziye tried to help Meng Qinghuan, but he found that he seemed to be operating at 0.5, no, rather at 0.01 times the normal speed. Mo Ziye was astonished to realize that even turning his eyeballs was infinitely slower than usual.
What was going on? Was this Meng Qinghuan's true trump card and strength? To affect time to such an extent?
Mo Ziye was greatly alarmed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape this quagmire of time.
Dark yet warm, a faint fragrance could be sensed.
Soft, comfortable, and warm.
When Bai Cha opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. The sunlight streaming in from the window was a bit blinding, seeming to be a bit too warm.
"Lucifer, why are you leaving the curtains open when there's sun?" Bai Cha mumbled sleepily, her words escaping her before she realized it. But as soon as she spoke, she paused, feeling her head fuzzy and somewhat blank.
"What Lucifer? Cha Cha, did you sneak a peek at novels?" A gentle woman walked in, sat beside Bai Cha, and lightly flicked her nose. "Hurry up and get up. Your father's cooking is getting cold, and he'll scold you again."
She was a woman as gentle as flowing water, so beautiful that even the sunlight by the bed seemed merely to complement her. Bai Qingyuan gently stroked Bai Cha's disheveled hair, smiling with a hint of helplessness.
"Mom?" Bai Cha mumbled dazedly as she sat up from the bed.
She seemed to have forgotten something, felt uneasy, but couldn't quite recall.
"What's wrong? You slept in a sweat, having a nightmare?" Bai Qingyuan kissed Bai Cha's forehead. "Get up quickly; your father has urged you several times."
Hmm… it seems I've forgotten something very important.
Bai Cha felt a bit confused. Her head ached slightly, hazy. Was it because she stayed up too late chatting yesterday?
No, was she chatting with someone yesterday?
Everything around her felt familiar yet strange. She had seen it just yesterday, so why did it feel so incongruous?
"What's wrong, Cha Cha?"
This was the sixth time Bai Qingyuan had seen Bai Cha spacing out. Especially when Bai Cha simply stared blankly at the dining table, Bai Qingyuan couldn't help but touch Bai Cha's forehead.
"She doesn't have a fever," Bai Qingyuan murmured curiously. Her daughter seemed very off this morning. She glanced at her husband, Ye Feng, who was holding his arms, lost in thought.
On the stool at the dining table, a cute little girl in pink was poking at a small pink cake in front of her. Seeing Bai Cha, she seemed particularly excited, jumping over in three quick steps and immediately pouncing into Bai Cha's arms.
The suddenness of the event caught everyone off guard. Ye Feng knew his daughter, who always liked to act cool, never accepted closeness from anyone except their family. Bai Qingyuan was also startled. Although Bai Cha looked small, various physical gene adjustments and training had already been put on the agenda. Defeating a peer of the same age was incredibly easy for her.
Bai Qingyuan quickly leaned down, intending to hold Bai Cha before she got angry, but her outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
Bai Cha stood there blankly, looking utterly confused, yet her hands, as if having done this countless times, expertly caught the little girl by the thighs, holding her steady.
"Wow! There's actually a girl cuter than me! What's your name?" The little pink-haired girl was extremely excited, hugging Bai Cha's neck and nuzzling her. "My name is Freya. Let's play together from now on, okay?"
Freya?
Her pink hair shimmered under the crystal chandelier, brushing against Bai Cha's face and making her heart feel empty.
Why did my heart hurt so much?
Bai Cha looked at the pink eyes before her and felt like crying.
Why is this happening? I feel so sad. Do I know her?
Bai Cha was absentminded throughout the meal, listlessly listening to Ye Feng introduce the girl as a member of his uncle's balance beam team who had come to play. She nodded perfunctorily.
Sweet cakes, delicious food, all tasted bland in Bai Cha's mouth. She felt like something was not quite right, a sense of incongruity that she couldn't tell if it was sudden or innate.
Perhaps… all of this was fake.
Bai Cha clenched her fists, her unease growing.
While Bai Qingyuan and Ye Feng were discussing matters in the study, Bai Cha skillfully climbed out.
Strange, why was she so familiar with climbing over? She seemed to often climb walls to escape training and go find someone. Really, she seemed to have forgotten something very important.
"Cha Cha, where are you going?" A clear voice sounded by her ear, startling Bai Cha and making her heart stop for a moment. Her speed was fast enough; why was Freya following her?
"I know you," Bai Cha pressed her temples, feeling inexplicably agitated. "I think I've forgotten something."
"Have you truly forgotten, or are you afraid to admit it?" Freya hopped and stood in front of Bai Cha, smiling sweetly. "Cha Cha, you're so lucky. Your parents are here, and so am I..."
Afraid to admit? What am I afraid to admit?
Subconsciously, Bai Cha took a step back, her heart feeling empty, as if someone should have been behind her. If she just stepped back, she would lean against that person's chest.
She was the sharpest vanguard, and that person was her support.
Yes, one person was missing.
"Lucifer, Freya..." Bai Cha felt a pang in her heart. When she looked up again, the small figure before her had grown, suddenly standing tall and graceful.
And she too had suddenly seemed to grow by more than a decade.
"Long time no see, Freya."
Bai Cha took a deep breath. Her cheeks felt cold. It was tears.
"Oh my! You remembered so quickly? I thought I'd have to guide you a bit more," Freya happily put her hands on her hips, appearing rather smug. "Even though I'm not the real Freya now, I'm still the person you love the most, right?"
"I know." Bai Cha wiped her face. Of course, she knew this was just a wisp of consciousness Freya had left for her in the crystal flower. "I just… really wanted to say it."
It was as if we had only been separated briefly; as long as I go to find you, you will still exist.