Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The group of four fell silent. As they were struggling on how to make the decision, they were unaware of the copper mirror on a boulder behind them…
——–
As long as there was a Wicked Eye Copper Mirror in the area, the people from the villages could observe it through the mirror. As a result, the people in the clock tower were aware of the situation they were in, too.
The truth was, the problem that Mo Fan and his crew had encountered had left the authorities in silence, too. They were extremely worried on their behalf, yet their hearts were burning with anxiety for the city!
“What is there to think about? Just take a bridge each, the odds of fifty percent are good enough!” Chu Jia, an elder of the Hunter Union broke the silence. How he wished that he could transmit his voice into the group’s ears.
“That’s easy for you to say. They have made a huge sacrifice just by being willing to jump into the Dark Abyss, and now, they have to choose if they are going to die alone or together…” said Du Xiao, who was relatively more sentimental.
“But don’t they know the burden they are carrying on their shoulders!” said Chu Jia.
“That’s because of how useless we are, that we have to place this huge burden on the shoulders of these young Magicians. No matter what they choose, we should respect them. I believe neither determination nor their urge to save the world was the reason that brought them so far. In fact, it’s the never-changing friendship between them, facing anything fearlessly as long as they are together. It’s difficult to move forward when you’re all by yourself,” said Du Xiao in a deep voice.
Nobody would be more familiar with the feeling than him. He was all by himself the moment he became a Senior Hunter. The glory, the determination, and the ambition suddenly became meaningless.
Du Xiao could understand the feelings that the group was experiencing. He hoped that the authorities would not try to judge them with their skewed sense of morality and righteousness. They had already sacrificed themselves when they jumped into the Dark Abyss. Either staying together or splitting up, nobody else had the right to condemn them!
“Mo Fan has come to the Ancient Capital because of Zhang Xiaohou, I heard that he was in the middle of the nomination battles…” said Yao Nan.
“Su Xiaoluo saved Zhang Xiaohou’s life.”
“I think that girl jumped into the Dark Abyss because of Mo Fan.”
“Man, I would have a mental breakdown if I was in their shoes…”
“Yeah, the burden is too heavy, it’s suffocating.”
———
The bridges of death!
The bridge of life!
The ten bridges extended into the darkness swayed slightly as they were blown by the black wind. It felt like any of the bridges would lead them to death, or endless darkness.
Regardless of the final decision, their hearts were in pain, as if a knife was twisting in them.
Zhang Xiaohou looked at Mo Fan. He could not decide at all.
He was willing to sacrifice himself, yet if he was told to pick a bridge and watch Mo Fan and Su Xiaoluo pick the other bridges that would separate them eternally, it was no different than killing him right on the spot. He had only jumped into here because he did not want to lose the two most important people in his life!
He had already experienced the sense of losing someone. He was not willing to experience it again!
“Brother Fan… I’ll follow your decision,” said Zhang Xiaohou after taking a deep breath.
Zhang Xiaohou could not make the decision. His only urge was to choose Mo Fan, choosing to believe him completely.
Mo Fan was silent for a long time. He was staring at the ten bridges, as if he was trying to detect any clue from them. However, the bridges were exactly the same, as if they would all lead them to the same destination.
“Fang Gu, is the death from picking the wrong bridge inevitable?” asked Mo Fan sternly.
Mo Fan was unable to remain optimistic in the current situation. The impact of his decision was too bizarre. There was no way he could make the decision easily, when it would either decide the fate of the city, or separate him from his friends forever.
“Maybe it’s only deadly to us? I believe that the Dark Abyss, even if it can murder a Ruler-level creature, isn’t necessarily a death zone, either. I believe a Forbidden Magician could enter and leave as they wished, too… As for the Bridge of Life, it won’t necessarily guarantee our safety, either. Who knows, the old ancestor on the Blood Emperor Throne might actually be scarier than anything else,” said Fang Gu.
Mo Fan’s eyes glittered when he heard Fang Gu’s words. It seemed like he had made up his mind.
Mo Fan looked at Liu Ru, who avoided his eyes. She spoke before Mo Fan could ask, “I’ll listen to you. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Mo Fan nodded and pointed at one of the bridges, “We’ll take this bridge, together.”
Fang Gu was slightly confused when he heard Mo Fan’s decision. He could not understand why Mo Fan would make such a decision. It was obvious that splitting up and taking five bridges would significantly increase the odds. Was Mo Fan really that cold to the millions of lives in the city?
“Are you sure?”
“I just don’t understand why we must obey the rules. No matter how astonishing the capabilities of the man who died more than two thousand years ago are, there would still be times when he was buried or defeated. Picking the wrong bridge doesn’t mean we are going to die!” replied Mo Fan.
Fang Gu was stunned when he heard those words. He said with a wry smile, “I agree with you, but whether you are strong enough to overcome the situation is a totally different story.”
Mo Fan shrugged, “It doesn’t matter, I just don’t feel like following a dead man’s rules. We will face it together; we’ll either live, or die together.”
Mo Fan was already making his move. It was better to proceed forward than to waste their time further here. It would give them more time to resolve the danger, even if they chose the wrong bridge.
“That’s fine, but I won’t be taking the same bridge. Good luck,” said Fang Gu.
——
The authorities had grim looks on their faces.
They did not want Mo Fan and his crew to take the same bridge. It would give them the lowest odds. They were relieved when Fang Gu decided to take a bridge himself, increasing the odds from ten to one to five to one.
A fifth, there was still hope. They could only pray that Heaven would bless the Ancient Capital.
——
The group of four slowly ventured into the darkness as they proceeded forward on the white arch bridge.
As they turned around and glanced backward, the platform had already disappeared. The path ahead was in pitch-black darkness, while the howls of the black wind came from behind. It felt like they were walking on a bridge hanging in the air. They would fall into the abyss at any second…
“Why is there nothing here?” Su Xiaoluo began to panic.
She was from the villages, thus she did know about the Nine Bridges of Death and One Bridge of Life. She did not have Mo Fan’s courage to challenge the rules. She only felt like they were surely going to die if they had chosen the bridge of death!
“Will it work if we turn back here?” Liu Ru asked softly.
“Most likely not, the Ancient King is the master of the Space Element. I think there was no return the moment we stepped on the bridge,” said Zhang Xiaohou.
“I’ve already tried it. It’s useless…” said Mo Fan.
“Brother Fan, I thought you were walking forward quite confidently,” said Zhang Xiaohou.
“Confident my ass, we still haven’t reached the altar yet. I’m afraid this is most likely the bridge of death. Buckle up, we have to stay calm no matter what happens. I don’t believe any of the rules the dead man has set. I believe that unity is strength!” said Mo Fan.
