The Bitter Journey

Everyone was terrified, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment because of that cruel and horrific scene. Zhong Yuan Zhong Ye acted first; he snatched the pocket watch, quickly opened the cover, and immediately wanted to turn the watch hands.

"Zhong Ye!" Tai Zai Zhi instinctively stopped him. "If you use that watch again, time will collapse even further..."

"There is no other way! If we can't even pass this immediate hurdle, we won't even have the qualification to worry about that trouble!" Zhong Ye slammed the table, his sharp gaze like a blade sweeping across every face. "What are you all hesitating for? Do we even have a way back? Wake up, not acting now is the real end!"

"Do you think the consequence of time collapsing is simply a future crisis!" Tai Zai Zhi suddenly looked at him. "There's also you... the time you disappear is growing longer and longer. In the future, anyone who uses it might get trapped in the flow of time and never return. Is that not important either?!"

"So what!" Zhong Yuan Zhong Ye grabbed Tai Zai Zhi, pulling him close to his face, looking deep into his eyes. "Hey, Tai Zai! I don't know what Li Nai did to you... but the Tai Zai I know is not such a coward who worries about everything!"

Tai Zai Zhi was stunned.

"If you want to do something, just say it. No matter the consequences, I will bear them with you," Zhong Ye released him, saying calmly. "At least on my behalf... I trust you, Tai Zai."

Tai Zai Zhi was silent for a long time, then gently curled his lips. "...Really, what's the point of acting like a hero at a time like this?" He covered his eyes and laughed, then took a deep breath, stood up straight, his hazel eyes calmly looking at everyone around him.

"This is our only chance. Zhong Ye, An Wu, you two should still take the pocket watch and separately destroy the remaining two blood sacrifice sites." Tai Zai Zhi raised his eyes. "Fei Tu, what is the process of the god-sending ritual?"

"Very simple—draw blood, wash blood," Fei Tu wrote on a paper with a pen. "Cover the three locations representing order with fresh blood. The sacrifice must contain a strong desire to send Li Nai away, while chanting the banishment words—I'll write them here."

"Good. Then Zhong Ye, An Wu, as soon as you return, immediately report back to Gang Hei and the Government to prepare the god-sending ritual. Before turning the watch, leave a token. If... you do not return, the remaining person will take the token and continue this process."

Tai Zai Zhi spoke very calmly, but it was exceptionally heavy. Clearly knowing that every step was personally sending Heng Xin into chaos and an uncontrollable abyss, even so, they were forced to swallow this poisoned hope to seek a path of survival.

"As for me..." Tai Zai Zhi took a deep breath, "I will go to Li Nai's shop—to stand before him."

"What?!"

"Do you really think Li Nai's will will be decided by this kind of item? Even in the future Fei Tu saw, Li Nai didn't actually appear, right?" Tai Zai Zhi smiled bitterly. "Perhaps whether it's summoning or banishing... it's just a one-sided action of humans. Maybe I'm overthinking, but we are humans; we can't afford to gamble. We can only use all our strength, using every possible method to pray for that future."

Tai Zai Zhi opened his palm, a 20-sided die lying quietly inside. "If I am the protagonist he chose, why should I be afraid of stepping onto the stage?"

The final opportunity to trigger a "miracle." Tai Zai Zhi said, "I want to... bet with the deity."

Silence enveloped the air. "Don't look at me like that," Tai Zai Zhi said softly. "Cheer up, everyone. At least the next step is clear—we have hope."

No one spoke. Zhong Yuan Zhong Ye used action instead of an answer. He took the watch, while taking off his hat and placing it on the table—it was the token in case he couldn't return. Zhong Ye passed by Tai Zai, lightly punching his shoulder like they had done countless times as partners in Gang Hei, whispering: "...To make everyone happy, you should smile too, you bastard."

Zhong Yuan Zhong Ye placed his hand on the watch hand, activating it without hesitation. "I'm off."

Although he had prepared himself for not returning, he only left such a calm sentence, and then his figure flickered and vanished into the air.

The silence stretched. The time he disappeared was indeed prolonged. Nearly a minute later, Zhong Yuan Zhong Ye appeared again, but he looked much more disheveled, stumbling a few steps and panting heavily. No one asked what he had encountered; everyone just silently watched him catch his breath, put his hat back on, and leave the detective agency—time was tight, and he needed to return to Gang Hei to prepare the god-sending ritual.

Fan Kou An Wu stepped forward, silently picking up the watch, while his other hand took off his glasses and placed them where Zhong Ye's hat had been. He walked past Tai Zai, saying nothing, only lightly patting his friend's shoulder. Tai Zai Zhi closed his eyes.

"Although it's a bit untimely, Tai Zai, I'm sorry," An Wu said softly. "Also... this time, finally being able to stand beside friends is really great." An Wu smiled, and then without hesitation turned the watch hand, disappearing on the spot.

Tai Zai Zhi clenched his fists and then let go powerlessly. The time they disappeared grew longer and longer, nearly three minutes. Every second that passed felt like a knife carving into his heart. Not until everyone was about to despair did An Wu appear. But before they could sigh with relief, the surrounding scene changed, transforming from the detective agency into a strange ruin. In the next second, the entire world was dyed crimson.

The wind carried moisture and the smell of blood. The evaporating blood dyed the sky red, and blood clouds poured down fine pink rain. A thick, pungent smell of blood rushed into his lungs. Tai Zai Zhi looked at the thick red blood flowing through his fingers, dripping onto the floor.

"Past, future... time has collapsed." Tai Zai Zhi looked at An Wu's stumbling back as he left—even though time had collapsed, An Wu didn't give up. He still had to return to the Government to carry out the next step.

Tai Zai Zhi took a deep breath. The situation was truly terrible, but at least they had seen the light of hope. As long as they banished Li Nai, all chaos would stabilize. He gripped the die tightly. "Then I..."

"Wait, Tai Zai," Luan Bu suddenly said. "The wound on your finger, why hasn't it closed yet?"

Tai Zai Zhi was stunned, looking at his scratched hand, suddenly discovering something unusual. The old wound had scabbed over, but the small scratch caused by the pocket watch on his other hand was still constantly bleeding. His pupils shrank. A bad premonition arose, and he tried to pinch his finger tightly to stop the bleeding, but it was useless.

"Tai Zai!"

At the sound of the exclamation, Tai Zai Zhi raised his head, seeing a phantom monster rushing toward him in the twisting space. Its speed was extremely fast, its burning eyes staring intently at Tai Zai, its teeth dripping with purple-blue slime. It moved with smoke, its shape constantly changing.

The Hounds had caught up!

Tai Zai Zhi backed away. Dun threw debris to block, Tai Zai fired repeatedly, and Jing Hua summoned Baixue Yacha to slash down! But all attacks pierced through its twisting body—this monster had no physical form!

The ferocious teeth of the Hound were already before his eyes. All physical means were useless. Unstoppable, unavoidable... he was bound to die. In that moment, Tai Zai Zhi thought of many things: the tightly closed door of Lupin, Fei Tu's pale fingers, Zhong Ye's punch, An Wu's pat on the shoulder...

Paying such a high price, in the end, hope turned into complete despair. "So I can't escape at all? Is this what you wanted to see, Li Nai?"

He closed his eyes. But in the next second, he suddenly opened them. In a split second, the Hound's gaze shifted!

"Guo Mu Tian! That watch can't be used anymore!" Tai Zai shouted.

Guo Mu Tian Du Bu was holding the watch, his finger placed on the watch hand. He was the last to wake up, but he was the fastest to act when he realized the rules of order had been violated.