Chapter 1160: Year 0 – His New World
Su Ming'an stopped in his tracks. Only now did he realize... he currently had nothing to do with Su Luoluo. This Su Luoluo was not the Holy City version of Su Luoluo either.
"Little Blue Sky, I tried to start a livestream today. Although not many people watched, I will keep trying. My ID is 'Please Call Me Miss Demon King'." The girl tilted her head, a pure smile on her face.
"Okay, I'll work hard on my studies, and you work hard to earn Dream Patrol Spirit Points, let's have a good life together..." The boy nodded, "If your dad bullies you again, I'll help you fight him."
"I won't be bullied, don't worry." The girl said with a smile.
"Mm, I'll definitely find a good doctor for your mom's illness in the future. As long as I study hard... once I finish college, I'll become a useful person." The boy said.
"Hehe, you're working so hard, of course, your future is bright! I've prepared a dance for the graduation party; we can dance together..." The girl blinked.
Their shadows stretched long under the sunset.
Su Ming'an stood for a long while, slightly shifted his toes, and walked away from them.
...
The sunset faded, honey-colored light brushed over the tops of modern skyscrapers, creating sharp angles that divided the sky during the day.
"Su! Help, help!"
Su Ming'an hadn't walked far when a boy in shorts stumbled towards him.
"Mr. Xia, did you forget again?" Su Ming'an felt a bit speechless.
"Ahahaha... the clothing stores in the city are too far." Xia Jiawen scratched his head, "You see, I'm your teacher after all, I've taught you for two years, lend me a pair of suit pants, there's a meeting at the school tonight."
"Go to my place and get them." Su Ming'an said.
They walked side by side on the street, the air carrying a dusty scent, often with remnants—when the instance began, Dao Ya City was an abandoned city, even receiving bombardment from terrorist organizations. However, now Xiao Ying was well-behaved and wouldn't instigate the Old Day Church to bomb Dao Ya City, after all, his father was here.
"Mr. Xia, what meeting is the school having tonight?" Su Ming'an asked.
"It's about the Deity selecting an attendant, the starry sky above is getting brighter, and we teachers are all nervous." Xia Jiawen scratched his head, "It always feels like the world is undergoing a huge change, many frontline troops have been recalled, major cities have been equipped with Defense Barriers, is some major war about to begin?"
Su Ming'an's gaze flickered, but he said nothing.
Until a magnificent and grand church appeared in their sight, Xia Jiawen's mouth dropped open as he suddenly realized something.
"Wait, Su... do you live here?" His eyes nearly popped out.
The church was the safest place in Dao Ya City, a sacred area where terrorist forces dared not set foot. Could it be that Su lived here?
"Mm, today happens to be the day to distribute aid, Mr. Xia, come lend a hand." Su Ming'an pushed open the door, which made a heavy sound.
"Every month, the church distributes aid to the civilians of Dao Ya City, such as bread, water, clothing. It's because of the church's lasting help that so many people have survived... some of my relatives survived because of this." Xia Jiawen mumbled, "I never thought... this was your good deed, Su."
It was clear that the priest in the church held great respect for Su Ming'an, as if he were someone very important.
Su Ming'an changed into a white priest's robe and said calmly, "Since the Bishop is no longer here, I will do what he wanted to do."
"There was never a Bishop in this church, never heard of it." Xia Jiawen said puzzledly.
"There was." Su Ming'an shook his head, "Mr. Xia, lend a hand, we have to distribute aid to ten thousand people today."
Xia Jiawen hurriedly followed behind Su Ming'an, wearing white robes, white gloves, white leather boots, the outfit made it very inconvenient to move, constantly dragging at his feet.
"To borrow a pair of shorts, your teacher has really given too much." Xia Jiawen chuckled bitterly while holding bread.
Su Ming'an smiled faintly, like the century-old marble statues unchanged inside the church. For a moment, Xia Jiawen felt like he saw a pure white figure. But when he blinked again, it was just Su Ming'an in front of him, no white-haired Bishop in all white, maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"Your demeanor is so calm, I thought I saw a white-haired, white-clothed Bishop standing here." Xia Jiawen joked, "Like a piece of ice and snow."
A trace of startle flashed in Su Ming'an's eyes. He had never thought that in others' eyes, he was so much like Li Mingyue. When a person has stood watch for a millennium, walked through a millennium, it turns out they live like him too.
On the way, they happened to meet Su Wensheng, who was out for a walk. Su Ming'an dragged Su Wensheng over as well to help distribute bread.
In the square, the fountain surged, white feathers fluttered.
White pigeons flapped their wings, amidst the bustling crowd.
"Thank you for the food from the church! Thank you for your grace!"
"Thank you, white-clothed Bishop, thank you!"
People received the aid, full of gratitude and tears. Behind the white veil, Su Ming'an said nothing, only revealing indifferent eyes, his entire being pure white without any blemish.
"Excuse me, how should this bread be divided..." Su Wensheng was busy tearing at the plastic bag, his hands flustered, it was the first time he was doing such a thing.
"Look at this line, it's the division of portions. Each person gets a small bag, each bag has two pieces of bread, roughly the same size." Su Ming'an skillfully tore it open and handed it to Su Wensheng, "Have you never done this before?"
Su Wensheng scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, "Are you the Bishop of the church? I've never been to a church since I was a child, so of course, I've never done anything like this."
Su Ming'an's eyes moved slightly and he nodded in response.
"May I know your name?" Su Wensheng asked.
"My name... Li Mingyue." Su Ming'an said softly. Since he was fulfilling someone else's wish, he would leave their name behind.
"Ah, okay... Li..." As soon as Su Wensheng spoke, his eyes went blank. He hesitated for a moment and asked again, "Can you... say it again? As soon as I heard that name, I forgot it."
"Li Mingyue." Su Ming'an repeated.
"Li... sorry, why did I forget again, could you say it once more?" Su Wensheng's face turned red with embarrassment.
"Li Mingyue." Su Ming'an slowed down his speech. He could probably guess why Su Wensheng couldn't remember, the causality between them was the deepest, and once severed, even the name itself couldn't be touched.
"...Sorry, it's so strange." Su Wensheng touched his chest, where he felt a needle-pricking pain, as if something ancient was surging:
"...Why does my heart feel so sad when I hear that strange name."
He felt very strange; could it be that the pressure of studying was too great?
Su Ming'an said nothing.
They walked on the street, distributing bread. Apart from the sound of white pigeons flapping their wings, a silent sigh seemed to drift in the air.
"...You don't have to be the Savior."
Su Wensheng.
You don't have to be the Savior.
Let me be that Savior for you. I have already entered into your "possibility," already a Su Wensheng has died for this. And you, are a happy Su Wensheng born on the death of another "Su Wensheng."
You can go to college entrance exams, take public service exams, build a family of four, adventure with Su Luoluo... you can do it all.
The responsibility of this Savior, leave it to me.
Su Ming'an lowered his brows and eyes, striding forward.
...
In the tavern, Su Ming'an instructed the bald boss to let Su Wensheng intern at the City Guardian Department after his college entrance exams.
"Later, let Yuxuan know." Su Ming'an said lightly.
"Didn't expect you to be quite close with Lord Li, alright, I get it." The bald boss bit on a Gold Coin.
...
"Oh dear, here to deliver things again, thank you!"
In the house where the old grandpa and grandma lived, the radio still played old tunes, the sounds crackling.
...
"Thank you..."
The mother with a little boy opened the door slightly, took the bread, and softly thanked them.
...
"This is our new song 'Congratulations and Prosperity'! Thank you for your bread!"
"To the white-clothed gentleman who refuses to show his face, please accept our blessing—come, Con↓gra↓tu↑la↑tions!"
The two homeless girls in the park played their instruments and enthusiastically twirled Su Ming'an around.
...
"There's no way to smuggle out now; the supervision has been especially strict these past few years, almost as if war is about to break out... Anyway, thanks for the bread."
The soldiers at the edge of the city smiled gratefully.
...
Everything seems unchanged.
Yet everything seems to have changed a lot.
Su Ming'an walked forward, step by step, as if he returned to the beginning of everything. At the beginning of the story, he walked like this in Dao Ya City. Now, at the story's end, he is the same.
"Swish—"
White doves fluttered their wings, the ancient bell of the Bell Tower tolled, white feathers floated in the sky.
Su Wensheng struggled to tear the bread, doing something he had never done in his life, clumsily following behind Su Ming'an.
A white-robed Bishop walked in front, a white-robed young man walked behind, casting overlapping long shadows.
Above their heads, white doves sang happy songs, their pure white feathers like spring snow.
...
—"They" saw the [White Snow in the City] again, after a thousand years.
He is still him.
"He" is not "him."
...
Old Day 827, February 1st.
Su Ming'an stood at the edge of East Lake in Dao Ya City, deep blue moonlight like the vast sea, over his features. He stood there for a long time, from morning until nightfall.
He took a blue glass bottle from his bosom, the flowing liquid like a luminous blue star.
He waited until the next day, the moon in the water did not fall, the nineteen-year-old youth was still sleeping soundly at home, parasol leaves fluttered outside the window, everything was quiet.
—Because a Savior took on the responsibility of this timeline for him.
Before, it was a certain "him" sacrificing himself to fulfill that Savior. Now, there's no need to do so.
He just needs to study hard, get into college, become strong, dismantle those labs, expose the darkness of the world, and save the lambs in the rain. He no longer needs to fall hopelessly into the abyss.
"You are lucky, Wensheng," Su Ming'an caressed the glass bottle, his gaze calm. In this moment, he recalled the unknown Su Wensheng who drowned and died, the stubborn blackened ear-pierced Su Wensheng; compared to this Su Wensheng, they were undoubtedly not very lucky. But undeniably... every Su Wensheng is precious.
He turned around, leaving this East Lake where all stories began.
"... Su Wensheng, thank you." He murmured to himself.
This is indeed a beautiful world.
I like it very much.
...
Old Day 827, February 7th.
This is the day Su Ming'an first arrived.
It is also—the last day of the thousand-year period.
Su Ming'an took off his school uniform early, donned the white robe of the Old God, held the Scepter, and ascended to the rooftop of Dao Ya City's tallest building. Behind him followed Xiao Ying and Little An.
The Schrodinger's Box, unopened for a thousand years, was about to open, the sky's starry river dazzling, with a faint pair of ocean-like blue eyes.
In Su Ming'an's hand, he held the sixth, and final, Dream Patrol game disc—
A blank disc.
There were no words on it, and it couldn't be inserted into the Dream Patrol Helmet. The Deity said this Dream Patrol game called "Fate" is happening in real-time.
Life is like a game, the game is life.
"Lord Angel." Came Xiao Ying's voice from behind. Xiao Ying, with her ponytail, holding a pipe, wore the clothes from the day they first met—that ancient style robe belonging to the Eldest Prince's substitute. It was different in style from Su Ming'an, but it didn't seem odd.
As if to begin with this, to end with this.
"What is it?" Su Ming'an did not turn around, just overlooked the vast world below, this was his last day looking at such a world.
"Do you remember the ending of Little Su in the Fate Simulator?" Xiao Ying asked, "That ending was the best ending, but Little Su disappeared in the end... Do you remember the name of the ending?"
Su Ming'an closed his eyes, he remembered it very clearly. On this long road, many things, he remembered very clearly.
His lips moved slightly, slowly reciting.
"In my..."
The white robe rose with the wind, as if he had a premonition of something.
"Sealing."
...
"Ding dong!"
[Final Ending (TE·In My Seal) has been triggered.]
...
[You completed the Perfect Pass Ninth Ring·"Ark Crossing"]
[Task Requirement: Please travel to a thousand years later, bearing the prayers and hardships of a millennium, to complete this miracle of humanity's ultimate defense against High Dimensions as a Deity.]
[Reward obtained: Preservation of the Immortal's Talisman rights.]
...
[You have opened the Perfect Pass Tenth Ring (Final Ring)·"His New World"]
[Task Requirement: Kill Dieying, expel Dieying, or... take Dieying away.]
[Task Reward: New World.]
[Note: "The thousand-year crossing has finally reached the beginning of a myth story, this will be the shortest severe winter."
"When spring arrives, flowers in the garden will bloom, and that White Bird will finally no longer be trapped in the cold night."
"I will defy my evil nature, defy my sinful essence, and bless you—life is bright, safe and peaceful, perpetually, eternally."
"At the very beginning, do you remember what he said?"
"[You will have a bright and glorious future.]"
—Chang Ge.]
...
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