Over the next few days, Lin Gui began helping the remaining guests scattered across the various ruined city-states return to their hometowns.
To save time heading north for the rescue, he had not finished delivering all the guests earlier.
So now, he had to make another circuit around the Seventeen Cities.
But what Lin Gui had not expected...
...was that bringing back the guests this time would involve an extraordinarily massive workload.
This was because in many small city-states, like Ramshorn Town, the returned guests brought back far more than just their own family members.
They had brought along the soul beads of practically the entire small town.
“Mr. Lin Gui, this is my neighbor, Old Tom. He was getting far too lonely staying in Ramshorn Town all by himself.”
“Little mage, this is my aunt. When she heard Blackwater City had so many fellow spirit companions, she insisted on coming along.”
“And me! I brought my uncle too!”
Lin Gui looked at the soul lights surging endlessly out of the dilapidated ruins, rendered speechless.
For these spirits, those cramped city-states and sparse neighbors had long grown boring over sixteen long years of monotony.
Blackwater City was large.
And it had so many fellow spirit companions.
This temptation was simply too great.
Thus, every one of them brought their entire households, intending to settle down in Blackwater City.
Lin Gui felt helpless.
Yet he could only accept it.
After all, he had promised the residents of Mirror-Shadow City to bring all of them to Blackwater City.
They had played a crucial role during his battle against Modo and Undead Bill.
Whether it was intelligence gathering or luring Bill into the trap.
...
After completing all the escort and delivery commissions...
...Lin Gui planned to leave Blackwater City.
However, he ran into a familiar group of people in the city.
They were not bounty hunters, but the royal capital dwarves stationed at Bounty City.
Lin Gui walked up to Blackbeard, the dwarf leading the group.
The other party visibly froze upon seeing him.
Surprise filled his murky eyes.
“Kid Lin Gui?”
His voice was gruff, laced with disbelief.
“You're still alive, kid?”
Lin Gui looked at him, equally surprised.
He remembered Blackbeard once saying that unless absolutely forced to, they would never voluntarily enter the depths of the Wall of Sighs.
“Why are you here?” Lin Gui asked.
Blackbeard's expression turned solemn as he explained to Lin Gui.
“The mist of the Wall of Sighs, which hasn't budged in decades, has begun spreading.”
“For us dwarves, this is a catastrophe.”
He paused.
“We must reach the Voiceless Rift to investigate the cause and stop the mist from spreading.”
Lin Gui froze.
The mist of the Wall of Sighs had begun spreading?
He sighed inwardly.
It seemed Jesse had gotten her hands on that item after all.
However, Blackbeard's next words left Lin Gui thoroughly stunned.
“Though what's strange is, just as we prepared to enter the Wall, the mist that had almost spread all the way to Bounty City...”
Blackbeard looked at him.
“...suddenly receded a week ago.”
Receded?
Lin Gui was flabbergasted.
How was that possible?
The Church of the Final Reincarnation was the most feared organization, possessing mist capable of bringing destruction upon dwarves and elves.
How could they possibly just let it retreat like this?
He suddenly caught the timing Blackbeard mentioned.
A week ago.
That was precisely when he emerged from the Voiceless Abyss.
It was the exact time Gusion blew up the passage.
Could it be...
...that Gusion blowing up the passage caused the Wall of Sighs' mist to temporarily recede?
???
Blocking mist through physical destruction alone?
Was it really that simple?
Lin Gui wasn't entirely sure.
Nor did he share the information he knew with Blackbeard.
After all, as a dwarf, Blackbeard was strictly speaking a member of the Alliance Council.
After a brief chat with Blackbeard, Lin Gui prepared to set off.
He would first return to Shield City to pick up the reply letter left there.
Then he would return to New Covenant City.
...
The flying vessel landed in front of the Blackwater City post office.
Lin Gui walked inside.
Then, he froze.
The hall was densely packed with spirits.
The guests he had escorted back along the way and the residents originally dwelling in the various ruined city-states were all gathered here at this moment.
Presumably, they knew Lin Gui was leaving and wouldn't be back for a long time.
Seeing him enter, all eyes fell upon him.
Troy was the first to float over.
Her young face was currently wearing a woeful look.
“Big Brother...”
Her voice was filled with reluctance to see him go.
“You have to come back and visit us.”
She paused.
“And while you're at it... bring back some novels.”
She lowered her head, the tips of her ears flushing slightly red.
“I want to read... the sequel to 《The Black Dragon and the Princess》.”
The moment her words fell, a wave of agreement erupted around them.
“Yes, yes, yes! I want to read it too!”
“What happened to the princess afterward?”
“Did the black dragon actually get redeemed or not?”
Lin Gui looked over at Eve.
A strange expression filled his eyes.
He remembered that this novel was a gift from Theia to Eve.
Sensing his gaze, Eve smiled faintly.
“I saw that they were bored, so I let them flip through it.”
Lin Gui was rendered speechless.
He looked back at Troy and nodded.
“Alright. If I find it, I'll bring it back.”
A bright smile instantly blossomed on Troy's face.
...
Under the watchful eyes of the residents, Lin Gui boarded the flying vessel.
Eve sat behind him.
The flying vessel slowly rose.
Below, the outline of Blackwater City grew smaller and smaller.
Those spirits were still standing at the city gates, waving to him.
Lin Gui steered the flying vessel, shooting through the air.
The vessel cut through the grayish-white mist.
Lin Gui sat at the front, controlling the direction.
Eve sat behind him, one arm wrapped around his waist.
Below was a continuous stretch of forest.
The trees loomed indistinctly in the mist like countless silent silhouettes.
Occasional gusts of wind brushed past, swaying the treetops with soft rustling sounds.
Further ahead lay a lake.
The lake's surface was calm as a mirror, reflecting the grayish-white sky.
As the vessel skimmed across, ripples spread out across the water in expanding circles.
Then, it returned to silence once more.
In the distance came the wails of spectral demons.
The sound was low and long, sounding as if from far away.
Yet seeming as if right beside the ear.
One cry.
Two cries.
Three cries.
Followed by a long, trailing sigh.
Eve reached out her hand, her fingertips brushing through the mist beside them.
The grayish-white vapor flowed through her fingers—like water, like sand, like time that could not be grasped.
She stared at her fingers.
Then, she spoke in a soft voice.
“Mr. Lin Gui.”
She paused.
“Along this journey, I've followed you to so many places.”
“The silent seabed, the fortress city built within the mountain, the mist-filled, sighing Wall of Sighs, free and equal Avalon, and those cute little fellas everywhere in Blackwater City...”
Her voice was very gentle, carrying an indescribable lingering reluctance.
“These are wonderful experiences I will never forget in my life.”
She leaned forward slightly.
Her face rested against Lin Gui's modest back.
Through his robe, she could feel his body heat.
“Mr. Lin Gui,”
she asked.
“After you deliver the letters back in New Covenant City, where will your next stop be?”
Lin Gui remained silent for a moment.
“We'll talk about it after we get back to New Covenant City. I'm not sure yet.”
Eve didn't press further.
She simply held him, pulling him a bit tighter.
The flying vessel continued forward.
Mist swept past on both sides.
After a short while, Eve spoke up again.
“Do you remember the scroll you pulled out back then?”
Lin Gui nodded.
“Of course.”
Eve smiled.
There was a sense of relief in her smile.
“The Final Month is approaching its midpoint.”
“The Dark Tide will be here soon.”
“And the Hero's Expedition will begin shortly.”
She paused.
“Mr. Lin Gui, after returning to New Covenant City, head to Dawn City.”
“I'll be waiting for you in the Church's library.”
Lin Gui paused for a moment.
“Are you... leaving?”
Eve did not answer.
She only tightened her arms around him slightly more.
A long moment passed.
She said softly:
“Yes.”
“They are already waiting for me up ahead.”
Rate on N.U.
