Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
While Duan Juan was trying to find a way to enter the dark fire zone, an immense change was happening in that area.
“Eh? Look, that dark smoke is going down… No, I think it’s shrinking!” Qian Xiaoai exclaimed on seeing the dark tornado slowly descend.
“I’ll go and take a look,” Duan Juan abruptly gave a few words, then swiftly darted toward the cliff.
“Juan!” The others were shocked.
“I’m going too! You guys stay here. Don’t follow me! You going there will make the situation more complicated,” Qian Xiaoai quickly followed behind her. Hearing his words, the others stopped moving and helplessly stood where they were, anxiously watching him and Duan Juan run away.
On the other side, Lin Qiao instantly sensed that Duan Juan and a man were running toward her. Duan Juan was cautious, so she didn’t go straight to Lin Qiao but found a high spot at about a mile away. She then observed the flame area through a telescope from there.
At that moment, Lin Qiao was wrapped in the ink-black fire, so Duan Juan couldn’t see her at all. However, Duan Juan found that the small dark fire flakes which were spread all over the area were now gone, and the fire had gathered on the cliff side.
Duan Juan knew that her Chief detonated herself in the cliff area, but didn’t know that the explosion happened right on the cliff side.
“The fire has gathered on the cliff side. If I’m right, that should be where our Chief died. But, why did the fire gather in that area?” Duan Juan saw the area clearly, then handed the telescope to Qian Xiaoai who was by her side.
Qian Xiaoai first closed his eyes to sense the surrounding environment, then took over the telescope and put it before his eyes. While looking through the telescope, he said, “The energy contained in the air is reducing rapidly. It seems that someone is absorbing the fire. Whoever is absorbing the fire should be right there. But… why didn’t I see that woman? She’s not consumed by the fire already, is she?”
After saying that, Qian Xiaoai moved the telescope from the left to the right to try and find that woman.
Lin Qiao spent nearly five hours to absorb the fire which was transformed from the energy. By the time she finished, it was already dark.
The dark flames were half a meter tall, looking the exact same shape as regular flames. However, they were formed from pure energy. They might look like flames because the energy had memorized the shape of flames.
When Lin Qiao absorbed all the energy contained in the fire, the fire faded away. The energy entered her body and circulated inside her before gushing into her brain at last. It was as if she had a black hole in her brain that could devour the energy endlessly.
When the energy in the fire faded gradually, the thick dark mist slowly gathered together and started to enter Lin Qiao’s body along with the fire. She raised a hand and clenched her fingers toward the mist, then drew a few lines toward herself.
A wisp of dark mist came out of the cloud and formed clothes on her—from the underwear to the vest, the shirts, and then to a long, black coat.
Her long legs were wrapped in a pair of trousers, and her feet were wearing a pair of thick-soled combat boots. Her hair had grown longer. Earlier on, they were only shoulder-length; but now, they had reached her waist.
A black army cap appeared on her head. Under the brim of the hat, her dark-green eyes looked ahead peacefully.
Her clothes and sunglasses were devoured by the energy, so she created new clothes according to her old style with the energy.
Duan Juan’s telescope didn’t have night vision, so she couldn’t see the familiar figure in army suit slowly walking down the cliff after the dark mist faded. It was dark after all.
Lin Qiao put a hand on her stomach and said to Viney, “Viney, are you still with me?”
‘Mama… Viney is tired… Viney needs to sleep…’ Viney’s voice was heard intermittently. After saying that, she fell into silence again.
Hearing Viney’s response, Lin Qiao sighed in relief. The kid should be fine now. Lin Qiao had absorbed a great amount of energy, so Viney might have absorbed some as well. She needed to sleep in order to digest that energy.
Lin Qiao slightly raised her head, gazing at the dark sky. There were no moon or stars, only dark clouds. In her heart, she said, ‘Yang Jianhua, you’ve died such an easy death. Consider that as my reward to you for giving me a child.’
Only when she was thinking that way did she feel slightly better. She killed Yang Jianhua before restoring her memory. He died too easily, too easily!
Qian Xiaoai and Duan Juan both sensed that the energy contained in the air was gone. They immediately came down from the top of the hill and ran toward the cliff.
From a distance away, they saw a black figure walking out of the darkness, the hem of her coat fluttering in the air.
“Chi-chief…” Duan Juan stared at that figure and murmured with disbelief.
Qian Xiaoai froze in shock as well. He popped his eyes and stared at that figure. He and his friends used to see that person in those familiar clothes every single day. The way she walked and her pace were still the same as always.
“No… She’s not Chief!” Qian Xiaoai suddenly interrupted Duan Juan’s murmuring.
That person had the same vibe and energy as Lin Qiao, even having a similar body shape and gait. But, her eyes which were sparkling dimly in the darkness still woke Qian Xiaoai up.
She walked toward them like a devil in the dark.
“Qian Xiaoai, I have a new face and body now, but I’m still your Chief. Have you forgotten how you got your head shaved?” Lin Qiao’s laughter could be heard.
Hearing those words made Qian Xiaoai widen his eyes and gape his mouth without being able to say a word.
“You… It’s you!” Hearing her voice, Duan Juan recognized her as Miss. Lu, the one who came here with her and her people. However, Miss. Lu’s words and her tone of speaking both sounded exactly like those of Lin Qiao! Even the teasing tone sounded so familiar!
“Yeah, it’s me… and it’s not me… You should know who I am now,” Lin Qiao stopped meters away from them and rested one hand in her trouser pocket while the other was raised.
“I… am back!” she said.
A flake of flame which was even darker than the darkness of night rose from her palm, slowly forming a pattern under the light of Duan Juan and Qian Xiaoai’s flashlights. Seeing that pattern, Duan Juan wore the same look as Qian Xiaoai did. But soon, she lowered her head and covered her eyes with both hands.
