Chapter Eighty-One: This Is... Hope

At that moment, a sudden silence fell. As they faced the burly man before them, Fang Nian and Duan Rui both felt a fleeting surge of pity in their hearts. They themselves had not endured so-called endless darkness, but the despair experienced by human life throughout history was beyond measure.

It’s true what they say: the higher you rise, the harder you fall. When you finally possess everything you’ve ever desired, when you stand atop the peak of life, and then fate deals you a fatal blow—there is nothing more terrifying.

Yet, this moment of sympathy did not last. The burly man quickly regained his bloodthirsty expression, licking his parched lips as he looked at Fang Nian.

“Well, I’ve said what I needed to say. Now it’s time for you to leave. Don’t worry—death isn’t so frightening. Sometimes, dying is a kind of release.”

Fang Nian’s expression was calm. He knew this moment was inevitable, so he began to circulate the vital energy within his dantian, preparing to face the burly man in battle.

But Duan Rui was unwilling to simply fight. She had the sense that this man could still be reasoned with—that violence was not the only answer between them.

However, the burly man did not give her the chance. Fang Nian, knowing the confrontation was unavoidable, pulled Duan Rui aside and charged directly at their opponent.

Fang Nian and the burly man clashed in a fierce melee, each blow landing with brutal force, sparks flying as their bodies collided. The man’s physique was immensely powerful—his strength surpassed even Xu Dong’s. Yet, with the help of his vital energy, Fang Nian was not outmatched. He dodged the man’s attacks with skillful agility, countering precisely at opportune moments, holding his own without faltering.

After exchanging more than a dozen rounds, the burly man, though unable to gain the upper hand and now battered and bruised, seemed only more exhilarated by the fight.

“You’re truly strong,” he said, grinning through bloodied lips. “To stand against me like this and not fall behind—impressive.”

Fang Nian evaded another ferocious strike and smiled back. “You’re not bad yourself.”

Their battle grew ever more intense. Fang Nian’s elusive movements—like those of a guerrilla fighter—began to frustrate the burly man. Yet the more impatient he grew, the more Fang Nian sensed something was off: the man’s body seemed to be weakening, and blood began to trickle from his nostrils.

Catching one of the man’s punches, Fang Nian asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

The man wiped the blood from his nose, then suddenly pulled Fang Nian into a bear hug. With a faint, almost inaudible whisper, he spoke something directly into Fang Nian’s ear.

Whatever the man said, Fang Nian’s face instantly turned pale. He stared at the burly man in disbelief, caught so off guard that he failed to defend himself. With a swift motion, the man threw Fang Nian over his shoulder, flinging him heavily to the ground.

A thunderous crash echoed as Fang Nian’s body slammed onto the floor, the impact sending him bouncing like a spring. Yet the shock on his face was beyond words.

For a moment, everything seemed to fall still. Duan Rui rushed to Fang Nian’s side, only to find him staring blankly at the ceiling above, lost in thought.

Though the burly man had won this round, he suddenly collapsed to his knees like a gravely ill patient, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

“How are you?” Duan Rui asked anxiously, but Fang Nian seemed not to hear, lying motionless on the floor.

A moment later, Fang Nian felt a bitter taste rise in his throat; he spat up blood and began to cough violently. His eyes, sharp as torches, sought out the dying man on the ground, filled with questions.

He yearned to ask the man if what he’d just whispered was true, but Fang Nian knew there would be no answers now. About two minutes later, the burly man finally died, a faint smile on his lips, as if relieved to have reached this end.

Duan Rui gazed at the man with gentle satisfaction, then turned to Fang Nian. “This must have been the outcome he wanted. You realized he was longing for death, didn’t you?”

By now, Fang Nian had recovered from his earlier agitation. The information the man shared with him was a startling secret, one he was determined to unravel—but that had nothing to do with this arena.

Regaining his composure, Fang Nian nodded in agreement. “Yes, while fighting him, I noticed that despite his ferocity, his body was already at its limit. If he had possessed the strength he once did at his peak, I’d never have stood a chance against him.”

“Just as you said, after so many years in this prison, he could no longer distinguish reality from illusion. Perhaps he lost too much in that other world—death might truly be his only release. So…”

The two fell silent, a trace of sorrow in their eyes. They knew this burly man might only be an NPC within the arena, but the emotions he displayed felt unmistakably real.

While they were still immersed in this mournful mood, the carriage door behind them suddenly burst open. A robust man led in a group of garishly dressed people—it was Luo Li.

Luo Li spotted Fang Nian at once and strode over, laughing heartily. “Brother Fang, I knew you wouldn’t die so easily. I can’t believe you two actually got here before us!”

Duan Rui glanced at the people behind Luo Li. They had shed their ragged clothes for new outfits, though the variety of styles made the crowd of thousands look bizarrely mismatched, like a group of nouveau riche newcomers to the city—utterly comical.

Luo Li caught the amusement in Duan Rui’s eyes and scratched his head sheepishly. “Ha ha, please forgive us. We’ve lived in poverty for so long—we’ve never seen such fine clothing. So when we passed a carriage selling fashions, we just… helped ourselves.”

Fang Nian saw nothing wrong with this. After a hundred years without meat, who wouldn’t eat their fill when it finally appeared? But Duan Rui found the situation hilarious, and for a moment the rebel camp was filled with laughter.

Upon seeing Luo Li, Fang Nian recounted everything that had happened in the prison carriage. Luo Li seemed unsurprised by its existence and gazed wistfully at the countless cell doors. “I never thought this place was real. So… he’s here, too.”

Fang Nian paused. “He?”

Luo Li nodded, then retrieved a wrinkled piece of deerskin from his tattered coat. Strange symbols were inscribed upon it, conveying some unknown message.

Duan Rui was astonished, but seeing how carefully Luo Li guarded the deerskin, she realized it must contain something vital.

“What is that?” she asked.

A glimmer of hope flickered in Luo Li’s eyes as he replied softly, “This… is hope.”