“What's the matter with you?“ He suddenly turned to Wu Fan.
The little guy was blinking non-stop， as if something dirty had gotten into his eyes， making them turn red. He hugged his arms tightly， and a sniffle kept coming from his nose. A thick phlegm emerged from his nose and was sucked back in by him.
“The humidity tonight is quite high， especially on moonlit nights，“ he said as he pulled out a relatively clean handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to Wu Fan. Wu Fan's face， under the pale moonlight， looked as if it had been covered with a thin layer of frost， and dew had condensed on all tangible things.
“You might need some of this，“ he handed a tube of nutrient solution to the little guy，“replenishing energy is more conducive to resisting the cold.“
Wu Fan waved his hands repeatedly， indicating that he would rather freeze to death than drink that stuff.
22 began to be more active in his thoughts，“Once you fully grasp this new body， you won't be troubled by such cold nights anymore.“
But he just thought about it and didn't intend to say it. It's always like this at the beginning. Who hasn't had an adjustment period? He didn't want to shatter the boy's illusions. Many years ago， he survived by relying on these illusions. As for now， that chapter had already been turned.
So he could only drink every drop of the nutrient solution， then stretch out his arms to feel the night breeze， exhaling the hot air that turned into cold mist on his face. The wind might make people feel uneasy， but sometimes an unknown pleasant fragrance would also bring joy to the heart.
He closed his eyes—sighed—opened his eyes—sighed again， it was a cycle.
Wu Fan was worried about him， as anyone would be when they encounter an unresolved emotional conflict. Just like every time he faced his declining academic performance.
On the night before James left the base， his tone was very strange， not at all like that of a young person. He sounded like an old man on his last legs，“You need to be careful， the hand of fate has come to grab you.“
I was already used to his eccentricities. His attempts to play the mystic didn't scare me.
He left in a hurry， I didn't even have time to bid him a proper farewell. Since then， my third friend had forever left me， never to appear in my life again.
“I should have patted his shoulder， given him some strength， after all， he's a 104-year-old man，“ Wu Fan felt sad for him， even though 22's real age was drastically different from his appearance.
In March 1944， almost a month after James left， the steep spring chill visited the base with a coldness. The ghostly weather in Arizona was no better than California. It was a headache of a spring， I dare say it was colder than the harsh winters I had experienced in California. The rain was like the tears of a scorned woman， always flowing incessantly. Spring thunder awakened everything， and also brought in the annoying wind. Occasionally， the sun would hang high in the sky， only to be quickly covered by the damn clouds. There was a lingering eerie chill in people's hearts that couldn't be shaken off.
On a starless night， Major Royce took me to a small room alone. The room was very small， slightly larger than a solitary confinement cell or a storage room. Only one dim candle was lit in the room. I remember the flickering candlelight， casting a ghostly light on the stern German face. The candle was placed on the only long table in the room， and there was a chair in front of the table. On the table， there were only two things， a piece of paper and a pen， nothing else.
Major Royce asked me to sit down， then he slammed the door shut and left. Without any further instructions from him， I didn't know what to do next. After waiting for a few hours without his return， I thought I had done something wrong and was locked up in solitary confinement. Bored out of my mind， I picked up the piece of paper and started reading.
“It was a questionnaire，“ 22's brow almost knitted together， like a small piece of wrinkled fabric stuck to his skull， as he racked his brains trying to recall the scene from the past.
“Most of the questions I have forgotten， but the first one I think I will remember for life，“ he said slowly.“Do you believe in the existence of God? This question is unsettling yet familiar.“
“This question was asked by James before， wasn't it?“ Wu Fan sniffed hard， and two big tears fell from the corners of his eyes. One dropped onto the handkerchief， and the other slid down his wrist， cold and icy. He had to gently wipe it away with the back of his hand.
Yes， he had asked， and I had answered very affirmatively at the time， but this time was different. 22 nodded and then shook his head.“Flickering lights， a confined environment， I was alone， like being in a deep abyss. When I held the pen， an overly real illusion lingered in my mind. A little demon whispered in my ear， I was writing a farewell letter， and my death was imminent when I stopped writing.“
His breathing began to become very rapid， as if that little demon had returned to his side.“Pick up the pen in your hand， your death is imminent，“ it taunted him with laughter from hell. And he was back in that narrow room， seated in front of the kerosene lamp once again.
I sat for a long time， and finally made up my mind. 22 breathed heavily， and a drop of cold sweat rolled down his steel-hard temple. He seemed to be struggling with something intangible.
“I ticked 'no'， it's impossible for God to exist. If there really is a God， why would he let brothers turn against each other and cause conflicts in the world? Why would he let two strangers fight to the death， and why would he separate people who love each other?“ His fingers clenched tightly， and the blue veins stood out on his pale hand.
“I don't know how long I spent before leaving that room. The only thing I remember clearly is that my clothes were soaked with sweat when I left.“ He seemed to have recovered from a sudden illness， sweating profusely， his pale lips trembling slightly， his face like a polished silver-white candle.
Wu Fan quickly stopped his actions. At this moment， he didn't have the mind to care about his own red， swollen eyes， even though they looked no different from rabbit eyes.
“Sir， are you okay?“ He hurriedly handed the handkerchief back to him.
The disoriented brown-haired man waved his hand and took out a tube of nutrient solution from his lining. Wu Fan watched as the previously bulging pocket became flat， and couldn't help but sigh in his heart，“He can really drink.“
“On March 23， 1944， I will never forget that day，“ 22's eyes emitted a sharp light， as if it wanted to pierce the dark sky.
“The strange cold spring seemed to have never come， and no one could find its trace. The base， which had been tightly wrapped up before， suddenly everyone took off their coats and put on shirts. Everyone had a misconception that the footsteps of spring were late， and then it plunged from winter into the embrace of summer.“
22 did not continue to gulp down the liquid from the bottle. He took a shallow sip and swirled the grey-green liquid. From those equally cloudy eyes， Wu Fan read a few words:“The old man's sorrow.“
The 104-year-old man， who had just been calm and objective in his narration， as an outsider telling someone else's story. But from this moment on， he had returned as the protagonist， digging out the pain from his heart and then handing it to others.
“Sir， can we stop this story?“ He didn't want to know the continuation. The boy had a strong sense of unease， and the next words from the other party might shatter his world.
22's bitter smile was like a goat without a beard， a withered radish in the field， featherless， and a bald eagle with bare wings.“I'm sorry， child. I have to say it all，“ some words were like arrows ready to be released， once the bow was drawn， there was no turning back.
That day， Major Royce took me away from the base. He said my mission was completed， and we needed to move on to the next task.
Do you remember the ancient village I mentioned before， and the graveyard in the village?
Wu Fan silently lowered his head. He didn't want to respond. The deserted village and the pitiful graveyard were not a good sign.
He spoke to himself，“In front of the graves， there was a large open space， which could be used as a runway. We left in a hurry， just as we had arrived in a hurry. Fortunately， with James' departure， my heart also became empty. There was nothing worth remembering for me. The base was a large prison， with no freedom in the air. Leaving was the best thing， I left， I am free.“
“He couldn't hide the loneliness in his heart， at least Wu Fan saw some disappointment， some reluctance in those beautiful eyes，“ he's really not a clever liar， he forgot what he said， he had been far away from the battlefield， Karl’s Dean Beremin was just an ordinary researcher， his parents were working-class.“ Wu Fan felt melancholic.
When I entered the helicopter， the cabin was already crowded with people， besides the two pilots， there were also five fully armed soldiers. They wore thick helmets， and I couldn't discern their identities from their only exposed eyes. No one was willing to speak， and I could smell a dangerous scent from them. They had undoubtedly experienced multiple wars.
Fully armed veterans， an elite force， this was enough to send a huge signal that this mission was extremely dangerous.
The unchanging tone of the German interrupted my thoughts，“The personnel are all here. Soldiers， the most loyal captain， you are all elite selected through layers of selection. Tonight， we will carry out a very important mission，“ he was sparing with his words， his voice was like a sharp blade， and also like the cold spring that had just passed.
“This mission is only allowed to succeed， not to fail.“
He threw a whole set of equipment to me， a helmet， a bulletproof vest， an MK48 light machine gun， two spare magazines， a Colt M45 loaded with bullets， a sharp MDK military knife， two MARK II hand grenades， and there were two boxes piled up at his feet. I had seen one of them， it contained an RPG.
This powerful firepower undoubtedly could suppress a platoon.
When I was fully dressed， he handed me a black cloth band，“Blindfold yourself，“ he ordered everyone except the pilots to do so， which made me raise the level of danger I expected from the mission.
When everyone was blindfolded， the helicopter's rotor blades cut through the air， making a clattering sound. After officially taking off， a sudden violent shaking attacked me， my body lost balance from side to side， and I felt like a feather in weightlessness， dizzy. A furious thought suddenly rushed into my brain， were they trying to shake us to death? This behaviour was deliberate， a seasoned pilot wouldn't make such a rookie mistake. Everyone started cursing， but it was of no use， the pilots continued as if nothing had happened.
Major Royce suddenly shouted，“Quiet，“ he obviously knew something.
When the salty sea breeze suddenly filled my lungs， the waves crashing against the rocks made a surging sound， and the rustling of the trees. My lips touched the cold stones， licked the mud， and my stomach lost control， the sound of vomiting came one after another， like the frogs at night composing an unpleasant song， it seemed that I was not the only one suffering.
I immediately tore off the blindfold， and didn't wait for the Major's instructions. The German， who usually looked as firm as a mountain， was also not feeling well， he was vomiting everywhere， which at least made me feel a little more balanced in my heart. After all， we had fallen to this point， all because of his orders， the pilot didn't have the courage. But why， why hide the traces of this place?
Soon， there was another kind of smell on the grey beach， the smell of food fermenting in the stomach， something that seagulls would like， after all， birds never pick and choose.
22's mouth had a smile of revenge， but his face， like it had sepsis， was no longer as rosy as before. Perhaps a drug addict would look healthier than him at the moment， this fleeting pleasure couldn't dispel the deep sorrow in his heart.
“I think I'm feeling a bit cold，“ he hugged his arms and stamped his feet.
“Sir， if you don't want to， can we skip this topic， please?“ Wu Fan used a pleading tone， he understood that it wasn't the cold from around， but the fear of the past.
“Thank you，“ he grinned again， Wu Fan stared at that smile， he felt it was like the sun in winter， although it emitted light and heat， it would never make people feel warm.
“Where was I?“ 22's two hands， which were not clenched， felt like an electric current passing through， and two drops of dew formed on his eyebrows.
“Oh， right，“ he still refused to give up，“When we stood up from the small island， to be honest， that feeling was terrible， it was like you were dancing a waltz， and your partner， the world， was spinning you around.“
Major Royce， that fool， was like an actor with a thick layer of heavy lead powder on his face， but my current situation was much worse. He even made fun of himself，“Brave soldiers， do you remember your selection report?“
“What report?“ I was completely confused at the time， from the moment he said we had been selected through layers of selection， I felt completely at sea.
“Do you believe in the existence of God?“ he looked into my eyes， reminding me word by word.
“What does this have to do with our mission today， sir?“ One person raised his hand， obviously not the only one who was completely unaware of this mission.
“Soldiers， warriors， our mission tonight is only one: to kill a god，“ as soon as he finished speaking， it immediately caused everyone to look at each other， this was really unbelievable.
“You didn't hear wrong， this is the order I just received，“ seeing that the situation was about to get out of control， he shouted again，“Keep quiet.“
“Now， follow me to execute the order，“ after saying this， he marched forward without looking back， if it weren't for soldiers obeying orders as their duty， I think no one would be willing to accompany him in his madness.
“So does God really exist?“ Wu Fan swallowed hard， his throat felt itchy， and his heart was pounding like a drum， the heavy drumsticks beating the drumhead， the drum skin tightening and then relaxing under the force， the drumsticks continuously falling， the heart rising and falling， one round after another.
“Yes，“ 22's physical condition worsened， his teeth chattered， and his body trembled more and more. It wasn't winter， but he looked like a naked man standing in a blizzard.
“If God really exists， then the original form must be a demon.“ He looked up at the sky， where the endless dark clouds were occasionally pierced by the moon， and then hidden again， like a shy and modest maiden. The radiant maiden's reflection in his eyes turned everything - the stars， the wind， the earth， and the shadows of the trees - into his enemies， the world was against him everywhere.
“I forgot the memories before reaching the dovecote， I forgot， I forgot， I really forgot， damn it， I can't remember， I can't remember anything，“ he raged like a wild baboon out of control， pounding his skull， warm tears dried as soon as they flowed， mixing with the moisture，“Ice Man“ 22， Wu Fan felt sorry for him.
“Sir， please don't do this.“ He tried his best to grab his hands， but he was very strong and threw him out in one go.
Wu Fan exclaimed， feeling like his bones were about to fall apart.
22 looked at him and gradually calmed down，“Sorry， old habit，“ he walked up and pulled Wu Fan up.“I think I'd better just tell you what happened next.“
“What exactly did he experience?“ Wu Fan shook off his hand and looked at him with suspicion.
The fleeting look of apology in his eyes extinguished the two flames of the soul like an imperceptible wind， leaving his gaze vacant.
We entered an abandoned underground tunnel， at the end of which was a stalactite cave. The hanging stone pillars above looked like suspended swords， and the uneven ground was littered with piles of discarded steel cages. Countless pigeons in the cages flapped their angry wings， and water droplets hit the ground， making a crisp sound. The air was filled with dust， the smell of rust， the damp and musty smell of the cave itself， and the overwhelming smell of blood， pigeon droppings， rotting entrails， and another unidentifiable excretion. My stomach felt like it was on fire， and staying there， I would rather be soaking with floating corpses.
Every second spent inside， I wished I could punch a hole in my nose， the stench repeatedly testing my limits of endurance. It wasn't just me， everyone couldn't stand it. Fortunately， the beach landing had emptied us of the food we had eaten the night before， and we could only keep retching， spitting out a little stomach acid and bile.
However， this was not the greatest torture， there was a bigger challenge waiting for us ahead. When Major Royce took out a flashlight from another box， the light illuminated the path ahead， and the smell of blood and the inexplicable excretion came from a huge corpse lying on the ground， lying in a pile of feathers. It looked like an aggressively stretching birch tree， the texture of the skin looked no different from granite， the eerie humanoid creature had no eyes， no nose， no ears， and no hair， just a bald head with a gaping mouth as wide as its face， a grey-white tongue about a metre long protruding from its mouth， resting on its shoulder. Its chest was swollen， greyish-yellow corpse fluid oozed from the rotten flesh， and there was a horrifying wound in the abdomen， as if it had been forcefully pierced by something before. It had no internal organs， I didn't see any intestines flowing out from inside， its hands and feet were covered with small holes， milky-white slurry sticking to them， bubbling. There was also dried blood at the corners of its mouth and on its abdomen， most of the feathers pressed by the body had been corroded by the corpse fluid， only a small part had been soaked through by the blood， appearing purplish-black， the pitted ground， the dark red blood pooled together， like ink on paper.
Wu Fan felt like a beetle that had been poked in the spine， the night wind and 22's description made him shiver all over.
“Devil， this is a devil from hell，“ someone shouted，“Let me leave， I want to leave here， this is hell.“ Some people wanted to escape， and some were confessing to the Heavenly Father，“Lord， please forgive me.“ The scene suddenly descended into chaos， we were not afraid of death， only because we had never fought the unknown， not to mention that Major Royce had mentioned the purpose of our trip， to kill a god.
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Major Royce first calmed down，
“Quiet，“ his trembling voice echoed in the cave，“Soldiers， it's just a corpse， it's dead， no matter what kind of monster it was before， what we have in front of us is just a cold corpse， it can't harm us.“ This wouldn't be his first time on this mission.
Thanks to his reminder， we finally came to our senses. Living monsters might scare us， but a dead monster， even if it's unknown， can't harm us in the slightest.
“So， that thing is the god you want to kill?“ The cold wind made his eyes sting， and a string of snot hung back on his nose hair. Wu Fan reached out to wipe it with his palm and spat lightly.
22 shook his head，“Just when everyone relaxed their guard， a strange laughter made the situation tense again.“ Wu Fan felt a tightness in his heart.
“Human， your alchemist deserves praise.“
The solemn voice made everyone's ears tingle， and everyone looked in the same direction， where a young man was sitting on a smooth stalactite platform in front of a huge pillar connecting the ground from the cave ceiling. His eyes were shining like molten gold， like the sun， as he stood up， as if awakening from a throne， he was the uncrowned king of this place.
“Who are you?“ The German tried hard to keep calm， but the almost unsteady flashlight in his hand and the subconscious avoidance of eye contact betrayed him. The unchanging face finally showed other expressions， my previous guess was wrong， he was not a zombie， a zombie wouldn't feel so scared.
The man ignored his words， his voice was majestic and ethereal， and we seemed to be momentarily transported to a theater， with him standing in the center of the stage， the only spotlight in the entire room. He slowly recited a poem.
“A poem?“
“Yes， he started speaking.“
“The spring river tides merge with the sea， the bright moon rises with the tide on the sea.“
“Isn't this the poem 'Spring River Flower Moon Night'?“ For Wu Fan， this poem was very familiar， he had just learned it not long ago. The poem was titled 'Spring River Flower Moon Night' and was written by the Chinese Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ruoxu.
“A calm river flows gently， and a bright moon slowly rises from the middle of the river.“ 22's voice was as cold as moonlight， as gentle as the lament of a female ghost.
“What is he doing? Is he imitating someone else's recitation?“ Wu Fan frowned.
“The rippling waves follow the current for thousands of miles， where is there no bright moon in the spring river!“ The text of the poem was dissected， and the man described the scenes of the verses with ups and downs.
The water ripples spread out， pushed far away by the wind， the angry river water， and the wind struggled， one after another， rolling up， the wind was high and the waves were fierce. The moonlight left a smile on the spring river， it was using its tenderness to comfort the wind and calm the waves.
“The river winds around the fragrant fields， and the moon shines on the flower forest like hail.“
They embraced and kissed each other， entwined through a colorful place， where various terrestrial and mossy plants， yellow banana plants， slender windmill grass， and blue and purple regenerative flowers bloomed. The moonlight first broke free from the lover's embrace， dancing joyfully， like a carefree deer， it quietly leaped over the treetops， leaped into the depression， drop by drop， grain by grain， the radiance scattered and fled.
“The frost flies in the air without notice， and the white sand on the shore is invisible.“
Silver fringes fluttered in the air， the goddess of the night opened her skirt， and the soft gray-white sand on the shore merged into the night， adding a circle of lace to the goddess's skirt.
“The sky and the earth are free of dust， and the bright moon hangs alone in the sky.“
There was nothing between heaven and earth， except for the pure white moonlight， the flawless and huge moon hung alone above the river water.
In his dry eyes， two lively streams flowed.
It shouldn't be like this， how could it be so cruel， he was reciting a poem about it at this moment， gentle moonlight， why didn't you appear in his eyes? Can't you see that a poor man needs your comfort?
Wu Fan looked at the moon in the sky with resentment， a hatred that couldn't be expressed， hating its height and indifference.
“Who first saw the moon by the river? When did the moon first shine on people?“
Moon， when did you first see people? People， when did you first meet the moon? He raised his hands high， where his Luna was， he was waiting for a big hug.
“Generation after generation， the moon looks the same every year.“
People， when will you stop， moon， why do you never grow up? He brought his hands back to his chest， closed his eyes tightly， and his invisible lover seemed to be in his arms.
Wu Fan's mouth twitched， sobbing， tears fell from his eyes.
“Who is the moon waiting for， but sees the moon falling on the river?“
Moon， who are you waiting for? Is it me? Or is it the mighty and rolling Yangtze River? He raised his hands high， and there was a person standing on the moon， he repeated， the brown eyes reflected a figure standing on the moon， the shadows of the trees on the river swayed with the wind， the clear wind and bright moon accompanied my journey， sending me back to my hometown.
Suddenly， he burst into tears， repeating the same sentence，“Forgive me， please forgive me，“ his head knocked on the rough soil， too hard， the green grass， the gray-yellow soil left green， yellow， and gray marks on it， and a thin bloodline was engraved between the wrinkles on his forehead.
Wu Fan's heart was in turmoil， and he slowly approached him， a slender arm resting on his broad back，“Please don't do this， sir.“
He pleaded with him， but then felt a sharp pain in his left temple， and almost instinctively screamed out.
The two tearful men looked at each other， blood pumping in their amber eyes. Wu Fan saw two points of light in 22's eyes， two blazing flames emitting a golden light. He was startled and took a step back.
Another wave of pain emanated from his body， and he held his forehead to look at the source of the pain. On his arm， the scabbed-over wound， with an ugly scar， began to tear open， and a small stream of crimson blood gushed out. The red blood shimmered with a golden light， like an ever-burning flame coursing through his body.
A distant chant echoed in his ears， as if from an ancient horn. Wu Fan watched as someone recited verses in front of him， the moonlight casting his shadow long， and the mist making him seem dreamlike.
Someone looked up at the moon， and the moon also gazed back at him. Below the moon， someone stood on the shore， and ripples spread across the calm river surface.
Someone encountered the moonlight， his body was gray-white， just like his current despondent mood. But in the next moment， the world became colorful. The pale moonlight on him suddenly split into seven colors， and a rainbow rose from the river， flying over his head and towards the distance.
The ground was covered with flowers， and petals fell in abundance. All life was renewed because of him. Behind him， a long-dead old tree sprouted new branches. In a split second， or after a long ten or a hundred years， the tall tree had grown， its canopy towering like a noble lady's colorful crown， reflecting the rosy light.
A boat suddenly emerged from the mist， a hunchbacked boatman wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat rowed the boat towards the shore. Someone boarded the shaky old boat， and the boatman and the passenger returned along the original path. Soon， in the mist， their figures turned into two dots.
As one song ended， another began， like the whisper of the wind. Wu Fan had never heard such a melodious and sweet voice， it almost immediately captivated his spirit. What was being sung， he did not know. He only knew that a woman was sitting dignifiedly on a crimson pavilion， her gaze passing through a red silk veil in front of her， looking at the moon. What was inside? Perhaps the smiling face of her beloved in her heart?
Another woman squatted on the shore， beating clothes with a pestle. In front of her stood a tall red wooden arch bridge. Her lover had just left the bridge a few days ago， and she sighed softly as she looked at the moon on the bridge.
A breeze lifted Wu Fan's side-swept bangs from left to right. Someone leaped onto a wooden boat and rushed towards the sky， the boat and the person flew towards the moon.
A thought burst out of his mind without restraint，“The only.“ In his dazed state， he felt that these two words were so familiar.“The only，“ he thought，“Who is that?“
A vibration came from his shoulder， and 22's tapping brought him back to his senses.
The tear marks in the brown eyes told him that some things were not mere illusions， but his tears were no longer the red color he had seen just now， let alone the blazing flames inside.
He looked at his arm again with suspicion， the scar on the back of his hand， like a turning earthworm， was a bit itchy. He knew that the tender flesh inside was growing.
Life is like a dream， and it's hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
“Sir， I...“ he began to speak， but was rudely interrupted. 22's icy voice gradually softened， and Wu Fan knew that he had come back to life. It was the poem he had just recited that saved him， it let him die， but also let him be reborn.
1944， a moonlit night， the sky clear and windy.
I woke up in a field hospital， and when the nurse told the doctor on duty， they exclaimed，“It's a miracle.“ Yes， a miracle. Losing an arm， a leg， and a piece of memory， a tragic miracle.
Sophia came to my bedside early the next day， my lovely and pitiful wife. She was more like a three-year-old child， crying and crying until I， for the first time in my life， shouted at her， and she closed her mouth in disbelief.
We kissed for a long time， feeling her sweet and soft lips， her heartbeat. I told myself that everything would return to normal， the glorious old George， my Sophia， and my lovely Ellen.
He took out the last three vials from his pocket， opened the bottle， and poured them into his mouth. The blue veins crawled on his forehead and neck， like a dried-up riverbed， like the roots of an old tree. His face and neck turned red， steam rose from his breath， and in the cold night， the vapor turned into bat wings flying to the sky. Sweat and his roar fell at the same time， a“houya“ sound like a bell， and Wu Fan felt his brain muddled， his ears tingling， as if the trembling airflow was striking his ear bones.
After shouting“houya，“ his mood eased a bit.“The return of the disabled may embarrass the Beremon family. At least I feel that old George has been avoiding me. It was Sophia who picked me up， but when I returned home， the first person I saw was Mr. Wilkinson， the butler， with his wrinkled face. He was a very old-fashioned man， serving the Beremon family for decades. I rarely saw him smile， but that day I saw him smile for the first time. He was a diligent man， and everything in the Beremon estate was well-organized under his management.
When I arrived home， he instructed the servants to pack my luggage. What use was a disabled person's luggage? Crutches， wheelchairs， medicine， and bandages. The battlefield did not scare me， but coming home filled me with fear.
I hated their eyes， their pity was like a steel knife stabbing into my heart. I quickly asked him，“Where is my father now?“ The loyal old butler， with his gray goat beard and false teeth， expressed my concern.
“Master， the old master has gone out to visit Mr. Horns Smith in Cornwall. He received a letter yesterday， and he will be there for several days.“
A grand excuse， going out to visit an old friend. He was clearly deliberately avoiding me. A disabled person would not bring him any honor.
I truly hated being alive. At least dying gloriously on the battlefield would have meaning. Now， as a disabled person， what was the point of lingering on?
After hearing the news of Major Royce's death， I couldn't sleep for a day. I didn't particularly like that German， but his death was suspicious.
I tried to end it myself， picking up the scissors several times to pierce my throat， but the thought of my beloved Ellen and Sophia， I couldn't abandon my family. Even if old George had abandoned me， I couldn't abandon my beloved Sophia and Ellen.
Alcohol is a good thing. It can numb the sober， make cowards brave， help me escape nightmares， and the faces in my dreams， Kane weeping blood， Sand holding onto my thigh， and of course， Major Royce， his dark red blood flowing from his pale eye sockets and mouth， choking me， shouting，“Why are you still alive? You shouldn't be alive.“
After closing his eyes， he touched his neck， swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty， and his throat moved， as if a ghost was hovering around him.
Facing alcohol day and night， and living in a daze， I found great peace. The servants didn't want to deal with a disabled person， and my Sophia distanced herself from me with various excuses. She said she would go to church to pray for me. She was always actively involved in various charitable activities， wearing a nun's black robe， bringing bread， cheese， and warmth to the orphans. They established a women's association to unite and comfort the poor women who lost their husbands on the battlefield.
I had nothing to do， lying on the lawn every day， sunbathing， listening to the cicadas， watching ants march in groups around me. The clouds in the sky were colorful and strange， sometimes red like blood， sometimes like gold， sometimes like oranges， dogs， wolves， flying horses， and firm breasts.
Ellen was crying in the living room. The little girl was a crybaby， especially when her mother wasn't around. The heartless Sophia left us， and the maids were on standby at the baby's crib 24 hours a day. Only lullabies could make her sleep peacefully.
A pair of shoes appeared in front of me， and when I looked up， I saw a well-dressed man， wearing a high hat， holding an umbrella in his left hand and a baby in his right. I instinctively looked into the house， and the maids stood still in a strange way， and my Ellen was not lying in the cradle.
“She's lovely， isn't she? She looks just like you.“ The man took off his hat and raised his head， revealing an Asian face with yellow skin， black eyes， and bright white teeth. He had a high nose and two pieces of emerald green earrings on his ears， jingling in the wind.
I was instantly captivated by the man， feeling a sense of familiarity until the characters on his forehead suddenly triggered the lost memory.
“What are those characters?“ Wu Fan whispered softly， his stomach aching.
“Chinese characters， 邪，meaning evil.“
He didn't want to ask further. Anxiety flowed through his body， but the thought loudly urged him，“Listen， the truth you want is coming.“
“And then?“ He couldn't resist the anger and curiosity in his mind.
I was terrified at the time. I crawled under him， kissing his shoes like a begging dog. I prayed to the god I never believed in. He was right in front of me， and I hoped he would spare my child.
“Oh， my poor Captain Karles ， with gain comes loss， isn't that fair? I told you I gave you a little gift， do you remember?“ He smiled with a smile that didn't belong to this world.
This reminded me of that night when he did say those words in the pigeon cage.
“Captain Karles， brave Captain Karles， loyal Captain Karles， will you do me a little favor， will you?“ His slender fingers rubbed Ellen's chubby cheeks， and I felt a bullet approaching my heart.
I couldn't refuse his request.“I'm willing， I'm willing to do whatever you ask， please spare my child.“
He nodded in satisfaction and then left， and my Ellen returned to where she was before.
“Wait for someone in another world，“ a voice suddenly appeared in my mind after he disappeared.
“Who is that person?“
Of course， he knew who that person was. It was the savior in the prophecy， the chosen one.
“You.“
The truth was more piercing than the winter rain and snow， more dangerous than the surging river. The moonlight washed his face and shocked him with a silver mask. Destiny? Conspiracy?“Everything is arranged by heaven，“ he opened his mouth， still refusing to believe those words.
“I used to be unwilling to believe in the existence of God. I think you will get used to your mission，“ 22 said， breaking through his distant memory， flying back to a summer twelve years ago， when he had a high fever and slept in his grandfather's house in the countryside.
His parents were working， and his grandfather was farming. The dark room and the black-and-white photo of his grandmother hanging on the wall accompanied him. From daytime to evening， he got out of bed in a daze， crossed the threshold of the hall， and walked to an open space in front of a mountain， where a large patch of dandelions bloomed， as white as early winter snow. A voice whispered in his ear，“Nothing. everything is nothing. when you come here， none.“
“Who is calling me? Who is it?”
“He was in the middle of saying something when a sharp pain in his chest brought him back to his senses. 22 was pinning him down， their eyes locked as he felt the heavy breath of the brown-haired man. Dew from the leaves quietly slid down the back of his neck， and he couldn't help but sneeze. The smell of burnt earth lingered in the air where he had just been. Suddenly， three whooshing sounds filled the air as three monstrous creatures hovered under the full moon. They stretched their long necks， emitting deafening roars from their mouths， with two eerie lights glowing in their dark green eyes. Their light green scales glistened in the moonlight as they flapped their wings， creating a whirlwind that sent dry twigs and decaying leaves flying into the sky. Dust fell into his eyes， and he had to quickly shut them， feeling flustered as he tried to brush it away. On the backs of the three monsters， three towering figures were concealed in the shadows， clad in black uniforms with reflective helmets and laser guns cradled in their arms. Three Imperial soldiers looked down on them from above.“