Volume 4: Twilight Galaxy
Regarding Gray’s race, Shu Xun had no doubts. Even if he had misjudged, Lie Yang, the Emperor Butterfly, would never mistake Gray’s identity. What puzzled Shu Xun, however, was how someone from the Zerg Galaxy and someone from the Twilight Galaxy had crossed paths. It was clear that their relationship wasn’t merely superficial. The clear dependency in Gray’s eyes, something Shu Xun had never seen before, indicated that this person held far more importance to him than anyone else.
Qing Kong reached out and ruffled Gray’s hair, turning his neat short hair into a messy, confused look. With a smile, Qing Kong continued, “I enjoy traveling and my range isn’t limited to just the Twilight Galaxy. During one of my travels to the Zerg Galaxy, I happened to meet Gray. By some twist of fate, we stayed in touch, and now, he’s more like a younger brother to me.”
Qing Kong seemed to offer an explanation, but he neatly avoided the main point. So, in the end, his words explained nothing. Shu Xun knew that if Qing Kong didn’t want to speak, no amount of questioning would get an answer, so he didn’t press further. Instead, he gestured toward Qing Kong’s chest, where traces of red blood still lingered. “Has your wound completely healed?”
There was a hint of amazement in Shu Xun’s voice. During the flight, Shu Xun noticed Qing Kong’s wound healing rapidly. The injury, which had nearly pierced his heart, had now completely disappeared without leaving a single scar. Such a powerful healing ability surpassed even the five great evolutionary races.
Qing Kong looked down at his chest, then frowned slightly. Suddenly, he stood up, grabbed the torn part of his garment where the sword had pierced, and ripped it open with force. The sound of fabric tearing echoed as his clothes split in two. Calmly, Qing Kong used the clean part of his clothes to wipe away the remaining blood from his chest. There wasn’t a trace of a wound left on his bare torso, only the steady rise and fall of his muscle lines.
The live stream immediately filled with the sound of people drooling:
“His body is perfect! Definitely above an SSS rating!”
“Screenshot, screenshot! Those well-proportioned muscles paired with a tall frame—it’s flawless! I’m sold! What kind of race is this?”
“People upstairs! Where are your priorities?! Shouldn’t you be more shocked by how his wound healed in such a short time? And it was a fatal one at that!”
“I was going to say that too! This ability is way too abnormal. Even though the five great races have evolved significantly, none of them have broken through the limitations of cellular regeneration. Some races with special talents can heal quickly, but most still rely on medicine. Yet on our entire flight, Qing Kong clearly didn’t treat his wound at all. Yet, it’s completely healed!”
While the discussion about Qing Kong continued in the live stream, Qing Kong, looking unfazed, discarded his torn clothes and changed into a pure black outfit, draping a wide cloak over his shoulders. His entire figure seemed to blend seamlessly into the night.
Seeing the lingering confusion in Shu Xun’s eyes, Qing Kong smiled slightly and pointed to his chest. “The secret of the Twilight Clan. If you want to know, go find out for yourself. I no longer have any attachment to this world, but I’m not interested in meddling either. Consider this sword strike as repaying all debts. From now on, we’re done.”
Shu Xun: “…” He suddenly felt that Qing Kong’s smile had a touch of mischief, making him want to slap that handsome face.
Gray looked at Qing Kong. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Qing Kong’s carefree laughter echoed. “To be free from emotion, with a clear conscience, living a life of freedom—what’s there to worry about?” In that instant, Qing Kong’s eyes returned to their previous state of indifference, devoid of sorrow or joy. However, compared to how he had appeared on the altar, something was different. He had shed all his humility and expectations. The moment the sword pierced his heart, he had fully transformed, becoming as steady as the night. Qing Kong reached out and ruffled Gray’s hair once more, only stopping when Gray’s hair was completely disheveled again. His tone carried a hint of complexity. “Gray, you’re not like me. Do you understand what I mean?”
Gray looked at Qing Kong, who had changed into a dark robe and now seemed more like an older brother. Suddenly, he smiled like a child. “I’m just like you.”
Qing Kong shook his head. “No, you’re not. I can feel emotions intensely, but in the moment I let go, I can also be completely heartless. You, however, can’t let go. If you fail, you’ll end up like a moth drawn to a flame.”
Gray fell into contemplation, though there was no sign of hesitation in his eyes, clearly not taking Qing Kong’s words to heart. “Thank you. If I had heard this earlier, maybe I would have changed.”
Seeing this, Qing Kong sighed helplessly, patting Gray on the head without further attempting to dissuade him. He stood up and gazed out at the distant, endless mountain range. “I’ll leave first. Staying here will only bring you trouble.”
Gray waved a hand. “See you.”
Qing Kong’s smile remained. “See you.” With that, he lightly tapped his toes. Leaping into the air, his dark figure quickly vanished into the undulating mountains.
Watching Qing Kong leave, seemingly having freed himself from all ties and flying away as free as the wind, Shu Xun suddenly understood. Not everyone in this world is like him and Ye Jian and not all emotions are like theirs. Love is the most painful and alluring of feelings. Some can resist its temptation and avoid loneliness, while others succumb to it, like moths to a flame.
Sensing Shu Xun’s gaze, Gray withdrew his sight and then raised a hand to ruffle his hair, which Qing Kong had messed up. “W-we… wh-where… are we going… next?”
Shu Xun tugged at his own hair. “Let’s head to a small town near the city first and learn more about this world’s culture. After all, it seems like the people here have no sense that the end is near. What really caught my attention at the altar was what that person meant by saying Qing Kong had been ‘transformed’.”
Gray secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he wasn’t good at lying and if Shu Xun asked more, he’d surely slip up. Gray also knew that Shu Xun, being as perceptive as he was, had probably already guessed the nature of his and Qing Kong’s conversation. Since Gray hadn’t said anything, Shu Xun chose not to ask.
With their next destination decided, Shu Xun and Gray casually chatted by the campfire. While the two of them remained calm, the audience in the live stream had already grown impatient to the point of wanting to pull their hair out.
“Can some expert explain what just happened? Without Xun’s breakdown, I have no idea what’s going on! Why did Qing Kong just leave like that?”
“It feels like we desperately need Lie Yang right now!”
“Agreed! We need a wise and long-whiskered Lie Yang in the scene!”
“The reason Qing Kong left is probably because his location could be tracked by some method the natives use, so he chose to leave. He had already said he no longer had any attachment to this world, so his departure was likely him leaving the world entirely. That’s why Gray didn’t seem worried. Also, Qing Kong isn’t affected by the impending end in Twilight Galaxy. From what we saw at the altar, the reason Qing Kong hadn’t left earlier was because of the man in metal armor. But after the sword pierced his heart, Qing Kong had a sudden awakening and let go of everything. As for his warning to Gray, I think Gray might also be in love with someone he shouldn’t be, someone Qing Kong knows too. So, we can speculate that Gray, Qing Kong, and the person Gray loves are somehow connected, possibly through the invaders. That’s why they barely mentioned it.”
“Kneeling before the genius above! I feel like I’ve just grown some whiskers myself.”
“The fact that Qing Kong’s wounds healed so quickly should be a clue he left behind, in his casual indifference, just as he mentioned—this is a secret of the Twilight clan. If you want to know more, go investigate. This gives a direction for inquiry. Shu Xun has probably already made some guesses and is just waiting for confirmation. This secret is critical and that’s all I can deduce.”
“I, I, I noticed something! Gray doesn’t stutter at all when talking to Qing Kong, but he stutters constantly when speaking to Shu Xun and others. Doesn’t this suggest that Qing Kong and Shu Xun hold different places in Gray’s heart? You can clearly sense Gray’s fondness for Shu Xun, but toward Qing Kong, it feels more like familial dependence.”
“Is anyone watching Lie Yang’s stream? Lie Yang! We need you!”
In the game world, Gray had already stammered through his explanation of what happened after his descent. He clarified that before landing, he hadn’t known that Twilight Galaxy was Qing Kong’s world. It wasn’t until he saw the distinctive clothing of the natives, with its unmistakable style, that Gray realized. He admitted that he didn’t know much about the Twilight clan, only that in this world, there was someone Qing Kong loved deeply—so much so that, proud as Qing Kong was, when he spoke of that person, all his pride would soften. Qing Kong would even bow his head, humbling himself.
When Gray reached this point in the story, his mood noticeably dimmed. It was clear that the scene at the altar had revealed to him the beginning and end of Qing Kong’s love. As Qing Kong himself had said, his intense love had begun with someone’s dazzling sword dance and his ruthless detachment ended with that same person’s sword through his heart. Qing Kong was carefree or else he wouldn’t have been able to wander the universe freely. But because of the emotional ties that once held him, no matter how far he roamed, he would always return to Twilight Galaxy. Now, however, Twilight Galaxy had become the place from which he would never return.
Fortunately for him, Qing Kong had managed to withdraw all his feelings in an instant, severing all ties. Unlike Qing Kong, Gray was suddenly unsure if he was on the right path. Qing Kong wasn’t wrong—Gray couldn’t turn away so easily, and thus, he was destined to fly toward the flame. While Gray was lost in thought, Shu Xun suddenly reached out and patted his head. Gray instinctively looked up.
Shu Xun’s gentle voice rang out. “Though I have many questions I want to ask… no matter what decision you make, we’re behind you. So you’re not without options. When you feel like you’ve hit a dead end, don’t forget to look back at us.” Shu Xun pointed to himself and then at the glowing screen hovering in midair, which displayed the information of their team members.
Gray’s eyes instantly brightened, followed by a radiant smile. “Thank you.” It was pure gratitude and joy, without any trace of hesitation.
By now, Shu Xun had concluded that the personal file on Gray that he and Ye Jian had once reviewed wasn’t entirely accurate, at least not in terms of Gray’s interactions with Qing Kong. Qing Kong had taught Gray archery and their bond surpassed that of mere acquaintances—they were like family. Such a relationship couldn’t have formed overnight, which meant Gray must have gone through something significant in the real world and those experiences were likely not pleasant. From the moment they entered Twilight Galaxy, it seemed that Gray had made some kind of decision. Shu Xun only hoped that when the time came for Gray to make a choice, he wouldn’t put everything on the line.
