Chapter 727: The Chasing Wind

I slowly widened my eyes.

Even if others don't know, Siwei Jiejie must know.

Gu Yu Gege told us that as long as you say "gambling your life" to any "Shengxiao," you'll become a "Youdangzhe" if you fail.

"Bringing over a thousand people... to gamble their lives against 'Shenlong'... Why...?" I murmured.

"Because of 'Xinyang'," the long-haired woman replied. "In this world, people can die for their own 'Xinyang,' even if it's a false one. She was like that, and so were the people who followed her. It's just that the 'Xinyang' they pursued was different."

"'Xinyang'...?"

"Little brother, the most powerful force in this place is 'Xinyang'," she said, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder, as if to comfort me. "As long as you have enough 'Xinyang,' it can help you achieve everything."

But I don't want everything—I want my sister back.

"Your sister did all this because she had such a strong 'Xinyang'," she whispered. "In her eyes, you were a true hero, worth all of it. But she ended up deceiving over a thousand people into vanishing, and now she wants to stay there to atone for her sins."

"'Yinguo,' let go of me," I said. "I don't want to be controlled by others... I want to choose my own outcome... I've been arranged for over a decade... This time, I want to decide for myself."

"It's not possible." She shook her head, looking sad. "I promised that girl I'd keep you here for an hour. If you leave, it'll be hard for me to explain."

"But..." I gritted my teeth, my whole body trembling, "do you know what my sister means to me...?"

"I can probably imagine, but it's really not allowed." The long-haired woman shook her head, her presence carrying a sense of sorrow. "Child, close your eyes. It'll be over soon. I came all the way from somewhere else—if I don't handle this properly, my trip will be pointless."

"'Yinguo'... you have no idea. I've spent more time with her than with my own family... She's the flesh and blood attached to me, the light in my heart, the swallow by my side... You can't do this to me..."

"What about the flesh and blood? It will fade. What about the light? It will dim. And the swallow?" the long-haired woman asked. "Whether you want to admit it or not, this is the best ending for you two. Your 'Yinguo' was destined from the moment you met."

I stood there, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face.

She left the other people in the room so I could escape. She kept those who could produce food so I could survive.

From the beginning, she was always thinking of me... No wonder she always carried that heavy aura.

Her lies were too big... She became the "Shennu" to kill everyone in the city, and she took that throne for me.

"'Yinguo'..." I choked out, "fifty minutes, then."

"What?"

"Let me go after fifty minutes..." I turned my head, tears spilling across my face. "Give me ten minutes to say goodbye to my sister... Please?"

"This..."

"Please, just ten minutes..."

"Child, not everything in this world goes the way you want," the long-haired woman said. "You should understand that."

"I'm begging you... I'm really begging you..." My heart ached so much I could barely speak. "I didn't talk to my sister last night... I didn't realize it was my last chance! I don't want to say goodbye like this! Let me say a proper farewell... Please, just ten minutes..."

I felt like I'd never been this willful in my life, but if I wasn't now, I'd have nothing left.

Adults always said that if I listened, I'd have everything, but all this time, I've been listening, and yet they've taken everything away from me.

The long-haired woman's expression softened a bit, and she sighed deeply. "Child, going to say goodbye... it'll only leave you with wounds that can never heal. The same for her... She wouldn't want you to see her in that state of death."

"Just a few words..." I sobbed desperately. "I have so much I want to say to my sister... Let me see her one last time..."

After thinking for a moment, she slowly nodded. "Alright, I agree. I'll give you ten minutes. But by the time you get there... it might already be too late."

"It doesn't matter!" I shouted. "It doesn't matter—I will see her!"

"Then... think carefully about what you'll say in your farewell."

I nodded vigorously and quickly started sorting through the words in my mind... Ten minutes... What can I say in ten minutes?

Ten minutes should be long enough... I can say so many things.

Memories from the past flashed before me.

I remembered when we first met, and she asked me, "How did such a little baby become a hero?"

I remembered her stroking my head and saying, "Where there's a Happy Prince, there's a swallow—they're always together."

I remembered her lying on the cold floor, telling me, "I've thought of a way to free us both."

From the start, my sister was protecting me... But what have I brought her? If she had never met me, she wouldn't be in this situation now.

I have to tell her so many things... I have to say everything I can think of. I want to tell her "I'm sorry," and "Thank you."

I'll always remember her. I'll tell everyone about the amazing sister I met, and how I love her as much as I love my parents.

But my mind was a complete mess, and in the moments that followed, I could only wail and cry.

We had twelve years together, but all I get is these final ten minutes.

I've never stood in the streets of this "Laoyu" and cried out loud before. I'm so heartbroken—the echoes of my sobs fill the air, as if the whole city is drenched in bitter salt water.

Whether in the real world or the "Laoyu," all goodbyes can lead to reunions... But not this time. I'm going to lose my sister forever.

After a while, the long-haired woman said to me, "Go on, child."

My legs suddenly felt normal again, and I bolted forward as if my life depended on it. Every second I ran faster meant one more second to talk to my sister.

The wind along the way shattered the tear tracks on my face into the air, but I didn't care—I was racing against time.

I was chasing time with the wind, with a single life, and with the twelve years of my past.