C6 I Won't Let You Go Even If You Die

Lin Xiaoqiang felt like he'd been played for a fool. He had set out to complete a mission and hone his weapon skills, but fighting ghosts? That was absurd.

How do you fight something you can't even see?

He figured the ghost would possess him before he could land a single blow. But with things as they were, he had no choice but to face it.

Lin Xiaoqiang lay on his warm kang bed, restless and unable to find a solution. Finally, he steeled himself to just sleep on it and deal with it tomorrow.

He fell asleep and was plagued by a nightmare where he was being strangled. Waking up drenched in a cold sweat, Lin Xiaoqiang exploded with anger.

"Damn it, I refuse to be pushed around. I swear I'll take you down tomorrow."

Somehow, he managed to fall asleep again and found a bit more peace.

The next morning, Lin Xiaoqiang was up with the sun.

He planned to treat himself to some good food, thinking a little liquor would really hit the spot. After all, there's an old saying: wine emboldens the timid.

At that thought, Lin Xiaoqiang spat dismissively. He was a candidate for the Ice Lord, not some coward. It was wine that bolstered the brave.

Just as he got the stove going, a knock came at the door.

Frowning, Lin Xiaoqiang wondered who it could be at this hour.

He opened the door to find Zhang Lili standing there, cradling something in her arms.

Whatever she had applied, she smelled delightful.

"Come on in. What brings you here so early?" Lin Xiaoqiang stepped aside to let Zhang Lili enter.

Without any fuss, Zhang Lili came in and set down what she was carrying – a batch of steaming dumplings.

A warmth spread through Lin Xiaoqiang's chest.

"This is such a hassle for you. Thank you," he said.

Zhang Lili's cheeks flushed as she replied, "Eat up, I need to get going. And look at this place – your blanket's all crumpled, and the room's a mess. It doesn't look like any human's living space."

Zhang Lili hurried over to tidy up Lin Xiaoqiang's blanket.

Lin Xiaoqiang quickly intervened, worried that she'd see the underwear he'd just taken off hidden within the folds.

How embarrassing that would be if discovered.

But Zhang Lili pushed him aside, teasing that if he hadn't behaved last night, she had all the more reason to inspect.

She lifted the blanket and spotted the underwear, not at all disgusted, she picked them up and tossed them into the nearby basin.

Lin Xiaoqiang blushed, insisting, "I can handle it."

Zhang Lili gave him a look. "Since when do men like you deal with these things? I've got it."

As Lin Xiaoqiang ate his dumplings, a tingling sensation filled his chest.

Zhang Lili washing his underwear was a sight of perfection, hardly the image of a married man.

"Do you like what you see? Maybe I should give you a closer look as a thank you. I don't have much else to offer, and with the snow piling up, this widow and orphan will be counting on you," Zhang Lili said, biting her lip and gazing at Lin Xiaoqiang.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoqiang felt a warmth in his nose, and something trickled out.

"I'm full, sister. Don't worry, I'll look after you and the child," he said, before dashing out.

Watching Lin Xiaoqiang flee, Zhang Lili laughed, her face glowing with happiness.

She never expected the former ruffian to be so dependable.

Leaving home, Lin Xiaoqiang headed straight for Dead Shallows.

Arriving early, he found it was just past seven.

The straw hut stood empty.

He had thought to wait inside, but the thought of the red-clad girl gave him the creeps.

So, he went to the construction site instead.

Figuring his days there were numbered, he looked for any scrap metal to haul back to his recycling base.

Lin Xiaoqiang tapped on his navigation system, searching for the construction site, but it was nowhere to be found, leaving him thoroughly baffled.

He tried looking up other locations, only to discover that most of the places he remembered no longer existed.

The familiar faces were gone as well.

Only Zhang Lili and he had fortuitously survived.

Where had everyone gone? That was the burning question on Lin Xiaoqiang's mind.

Maybe, just maybe, a mysterious force was at play, treating them as mere playthings.

It reminded him of his childhood antics, causing trouble for ants without a second thought—a trivial act for him but a lifetime of disaster for the ants.

This thought prompted someone in a palace within the Eternal Heaven to abruptly open their eyes and glance in his direction.

"An interesting ant indeed," the man murmured before his eyes closed once more.

"Abyssal Lord, I believe the Three Thousand Old Ancestors may have been correct. Lin Xiaoqiang might truly defy fate," said a girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen, identical to the one by the Dead Shallows.

"Let's not rush to conclusions. Nothing is certain until the very end. And if we do lose, it's no big deal. We'll just allocate a share of those ants to him, selecting the frail and feeble ones to send his way," the Abyssal Lord replied nonchalantly.

As Lin Xiaoqiang pondered the whereabouts of Earth's population, he suddenly felt the gaze of a formidable presence upon him. His heart raced, and he hastily brandished the Azure Dragon Blade.

Holding the blade, Lin Xiaoqiang couldn't help but feel a sense of vulnerability.

Bored out of his mind, he curled up in a snow den, his thoughts drifting to Zhang Lili.

The pilfered gear, he had to admit, was surprisingly cozy.

Clad in an old sheepskin coat and leather pants, he wasn't bothered by the cold of the snow den.

He wondered if the weather would ever change or if the snow would just keep piling up. Life would be dreadfully dull if it stayed this way.

Having filled his belly with dumplings that morning, he unexpectedly dozed off in the snow den.

In his dream, he was intimate with Zhang Lili, only to be caught by her irate husband, who chased him with a kitchen knife, leading to a collision with a man dressed in a suit.

Lin Xiaoqiang jolted awake, realizing that time was running short.

Just yesterday, Xiaoqiang had poured over the dossier on a man named Bamboo, a despicable fiend who had slaughtered countless innocents in Fadrauca. For a soldier to murder civilians was the act of a true scoundrel. This time, Xiaoqiang was determined not to let him slip away.

With these thoughts fueling his resolve, Xiaoqiang grabbed his shovel and made his way to the predetermined location. Today, it didn't matter who showed up—be it man or specter—he was set on avenging those who had perished.

The bullies of his people would face justice.

Concealed in a nook, Xiaoqiang squinted, gripping the shovel tightly as he watched the Dead Shallows intently. As the appointed time arrived, the waters of the Dead Shallows began to churn, revealing a vague silhouette within.

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