Free Web NovelChapter 140: Chapter 132: Dead of Night
Tang Mo found Fu Qi’s confident air ridiculous. The apocalypse may have changed people, but to think one knew all of human nature just from this tiny speck of a town was laughable. frёeωebɳovel.com
However, Tang Mo had no intention of explaining. Her long-standing principle was to not argue with fools.
Seeing Tang Mo’s indifference, Fu Qi’s eyes darted around. ’Perhaps cutting off this supply of spiritual power wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.’
’That old man, Lin Shourong, has been getting more and more disrespectful lately. And these tiny kids are barely a mouthful. I might as well use this chance to teach them a lesson.’
With their own ulterior motives and decisions made, the human and the beast began a quiet period in the secret chamber, coexisting peacefully without disturbing one another.
After eating and drinking her fill, Xianxian, perhaps from all the terror she had endured, quickly fell asleep in Tang Mo’s sleeping bag.
Tang Mo knew that this abundant supply of spiritual power might soon disappear. Not wanting to waste a single moment, she took out Wind Breaker and began practicing her Sword Skill, move by move.
She had been focusing too much on increasing her spiritual power lately, but she absolutely couldn’t neglect her most-used Sword Skill.
From the conversation between Lin Shourong and the people next to him, Tang Mo had gathered that she was in a huge, underground secret chamber, its obvious purpose being to seal Fu Qi.
Although she still wasn’t sure how she had gotten in, she now knew how to get out, and that was enough.
There was no day or night in the enormous, sealed chamber; time could only be tracked by the ID Watch on her wrist.
When Tang Mo finally stopped, the time on her watch read 12:05.
There was no sign of Fu Qi on the rectangular sand pile. The surface was smooth, looking just as it had when Tang Mo first saw it.
Nearby, Xianxian and Jingjing were still nestled together, sleeping soundly.
’Looks like I’ll have to buy a few more Hunter’s Sleeping Bags in the future,’ Tang Mo thought to herself.
Since she was always alone, Tang Mo didn’t have any spare sleeping bags. With her only one occupied, she had no choice but to take a couple of blankets from her Space and make a makeshift bed on the floor.
But she hadn’t had her eyes closed for long when a sound came from the direction of the door.
The instant she registered the sound, Tang Mo dragged the sleeping bag into a corner.
She threw the blankets into her Space and hid in the same corner.
The door slowly opened. The moment it did, Tang Mo sensed a powerful spiritual power. Fearing she would alert the intruder, she didn’t release her own spiritual power to probe.
The footsteps were light; it sounded like someone was sneaking in alone.
’Fu Qi is gone. Could there be some other treasure in this chamber?’
"Xianxian?"
The moment the person spoke, Tang Mo knew who it was.
Since it was him, there was no need to hide. Tang Mo walked right out.
"Didn’t you leave? Why are you back?"
Tang Mo, dispensing with formalities, asked bluntly without even introducing herself.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Lin Yu’s eyes were wary. This place was Sand Town’s biggest secret; no outsiders were allowed in.
He had taken a huge risk coming here, gambling on the chance that since his sister was so small, Fu Qi might not have eaten her.
"I’ve been here the whole time, since you all came this afternoon. As for how I got in, you should be asking yourselves that question. You probably know better than I do."
Tang Mo had already estimated that Lin Yu, who had yet to consume the Desert Flower, was no match for her.
It was obvious he had snuck in this time, and he wouldn’t dare let anyone else find out.
For some reason, after Tang Mo spoke, Lin Yu’s reaction was one of understanding, not the surprise she had expected.
"So, do you know what happened to Xianxian—the little girl?"
Lin Yu quickly realized that since Tang Mo had been here all day, she would be the one who knew his sister’s current situation best.
"That little girl? Fu Qi ate her. Wasn’t she your sacrifice?"
’So now he decides to look for his sister? What was he thinking when he sent her out to save his own skin?’ Tang Mo said this purely out of spite.
"It ate her? It really ate her?"
Lin Yu had considered this outcome, but hearing it confirmed was still too much to bear. His face paled, and he slid to the ground.
"Get up. There’s no one else here, so stop pretending. The floor is cold."
Tang Mo found Lin Yu’s reaction laughable.
’Is there any point to this?’
"She’s five years old this year. She’s never celebrated a single birthday. She’s never even had cake... I can’t even protect the person I love most. What’s the point of getting stronger? What’s the point..."
Lin Yu sat on the floor as if he hadn’t heard Tang Mo’s taunts at all, muttering to himself nonstop.
"But I can’t protect her. I really can’t protect her..."
Seeing Lin Yu like this, Tang Mo found it difficult to doubt the sincerity of his grief.
"Then why didn’t you step forward back then? You were a coward, weren’t you?"
"Step forward? What good would that have done? Sand Town’s ancestral creed forbids us from leaving. The young people who defied it have already fled to various bases. Only the old, the weak, women, and children are left here. If we lose our spiritual power, everyone will die... I don’t blame Uncle Lin. He had no choice. Even then, I still wouldn’t have been able to protect her... Yes, it’s my fault. I was a coward. I’m useless."
Lin Yu lowered his head.
Tears fell, drop by drop, onto the ground, instantly soaking into the sand.
"The truth is, Sand Town has been at the end of its rope for a long time."
In fact, seeing the expressions on the faces of the Sand Town people earlier, Tang Mo could tell that life here was hard.
She just hadn’t expected it to be this desperate.
"So getting stronger is the answer?"
"Yes. If I’m strong, I can go hunting. We’ll have meat to eat. The people here will have the best possible chance to survive. That’s why I have to get stronger!"
Lin Yu raised his head, his still-youthful face filled with determination.
For a moment, Tang Mo didn’t know what to say.
’Who was to blame?’
Suddenly, she didn’t know who to blame for any of it.
’Blame Lin Shourong? He did his best to save the majority.’
’Blame Fu Qi? It just wants to live and be free.’
’Blame Lin Yu? What could he have done?’
’Perhaps the only thing to blame was the world itself.’
In that instant, it was as if a beam of light suddenly shone into Tang Mo’s heart, and the dim path before her became clear.
Previously, she had been without ambition, feeling that in this second life, she was already living well enough and couldn’t find the motivation to strive for more.
But now she understood. She was too insignificant. When the time came to truly fight against fate, she would be like an ant, powerless to do anything but accept her destiny.
’I have to work hard. I have to become strong. Strong enough. Strong enough to declare that my fate is my own to decide, not heaven’s. Only that kind of strength will be enough. Only then can I protect everyone I love.’
