My avatar is becoming the final boss

Chapter 401 Epilogue, The Rebellious Crow's Journey (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

August 25th, 6:00 AM, just as dawn was breaking, Lecchini International Airport.

Under a pale blue sky was a long runway that seemed to stretch endlessly, and an airplane was parked on it.

The plane will take off on time in half an hour, and its destination is Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

At this moment, Qi Yuanli sat in the corner of the first-class cabin, leaning against the back of the chair, silently reading the Bible.

"Dudu..."

The pocket of his swallowtail coat suddenly vibrated slightly, and then a crow fluttered down from his shoulder, scurried into the pocket, and took out his phone.

The crow slowly raised its beak and handed the phone to Qi Yuanli. He looked up from the book, picked up the phone, and glanced at the screen.

[Black Chrysalis: Isn't this our dear commander? What brings you here?]

Qi Yuanli glanced at the message from the black pupa with emoticons and calmly typed a reply.

[The principle of lacquer: Do you know where Xia Pingzhou went?]

[Black Chrysalis: Iceland, Hofsjökull Glacier, this is where your runaway chess player goes. Hmm... does "traitor" sound better, or "chess player"? Hmm, let's leave it at that, Mr. Stray Cat.]

[The principle of lacquer: The Hofs Glacier?]

[Black Pupa: That's right, it's a deserted place, full of glaciers and extinct volcanoes. I spent some time there and especially loved the weather; it allowed me to sleep inside the pupa for a whole day without opening my eyes.]

[Black Chrysalis: You're welcome, Mr. Urushihara. I know you're grateful for my information. Also, I should remind you not to go too early; Xia Pingzhou's estimated arrival time in Iceland is September 1st.]

[Black Chrysalis: That means you have five days to prepare. Whether you can catch this damned traitor by then depends on your performance.]

[Black Chrysalis: Of course, I'll also be in Iceland then. Let's unveil the mysteries of the Salvation Society together.]

[Qi Yuanli: Ever since the Tokyo auction, have you been exchanging information with Xia Pingzhou?]

[Black Chrysalis: That's right, you should be questioning, oh oh oh, why have I been having that brat hacker monitor Xia Pingzhou's phone, yet he can still exchange information with Lord Black Chrysalis?]

[Black Chrysalis: Now, let me reveal this secret. Ta-da! It's that Lord Black Chrysalis can use brainwaves to communicate with others.]

[Black Chrysalis: How's it going? Is that little brat who's been eavesdropping scared out of his wits? I happen to be buying diapers wholesale; if he needs a pair, I can arrange it for him.]

Qi Yuanli stared at the text on the screen, paused for a second, and then a message from a third party that shouldn't have appeared suddenly popped up on the screen.

[Hacker: What did you do to that little brat? Who needs diapers? Go get some diapers for your sister, you idiot.]

[Black Chrysalis: Um, could you please not interrupt my conversation with the leader? It's really sudden and impolite. Children shouldn't interrupt adults.]

[Hacker: Gu Wenyu, let's talk this out. Aren't you just a sixteen-year-old kid too?]

[Black Chrysalis: I hope you can show me some respect and address me as...Lord Black Chrysalis.]

[Hacker: Stop pretending, you scoundrel Gu Wenyu.]

[Black Chrysalis: Holy crap, what's the difference between this and suddenly having your real name exposed while chatting anonymously online? Even if we know each other inside and out, there's no need for this kind of twisted humor, okay? It's ruined my mood for chatting at all, I deserve to die for this.]

[Black Chrysalis: Fine, little brats just have no emotional intelligence. Since I've already told you the time and place, let's say goodbye for now.]

[Black Chrysalis: See you in Iceland, Commander. The answers and truth you seek are there. I'm not just talking about Xia Pingzhou, but also about your sister, Urushihara Ruri.]

[Notification: You have been blacklisted by "Black Chrysalis," and your entire family has also been blacklisted by "Black Chrysalis."]

Qi Yuanli stared silently at his phone screen. After a while, he put down his phone and turned to meet the hacker's gaze.

The hacker put his hands in his overalls pockets, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then hesitated to speak:

"Commander, are we really going to Iceland to chase after Little Cat Love... to chase after Xia Pingzhou and the old lady?"

“Yes.” Qi Yuanli nodded.

The hacker muttered, "Oh, I see... I have a bad feeling this is going to be a trap."

He hung his head, a hint of melancholy and confusion showing on his tender face. Now that he thought about it, if it weren't for his negligence, Xia Pingzhou would never have found the opportunity to lie low in the troupe.

Qi Yuanyuan remained noncommittal, silently flipping through the Bible. The hacker knew that, given the leader's personality, he would investigate whether it was a trap or not.

After all, this matter involves not only Xia Pingzhou's betrayal, but also the deceased sister of the guild leader, Urushihara Ruri.

At this moment, in the seats behind the two.

Anron, dressed in a purple British-style suit, was resting his chin on his hand, leaning against the car window, lost in thought. He turned his head to look at the runway outside the window, his eyes as blue as the sea in the sunlight.

Robert sat beside him, arms crossed, eyes closed, resting.

Robert rarely travels by plane, and usually walks when he needs to go out. He is lazy by nature and hates transportation, which is why his superpower is "opening portals".

Every time he boards a plane, Robert is forced to remove the mechanical box, revealing his true appearance: thick eyebrows, big eyes, blond hair, and a face resembling a golden retriever. It must be said that his looks have the potential to make him a comedian.

“I still find it all surreal,” Anlens said casually. “Carrot Head and I went to the casino and came back to find that three of us had run away and two were dead… Do you think that makes sense, Carrot Head?”

“Don’t even mention it, slot machine kid,” Robert said in a low, guttural voice.

Anlens put his hands in his suit pockets, lowered his head, and murmured with a slight smile, "What a pity... I originally quite liked the newcomer and the Ripper's sister, but I never expected things to turn out like this."

At that moment, Rukawa Chiba, who was sitting in the corner, asked the flight attendant who was pushing a cart for a bottle of alcohol and gave her a polite smile.

Of all the members of the White Raven Brigade, he seemed to be the only one who looked relaxed and carefree, with no trace of gloom or melancholy on his face.

Rukawa Chiba picked up his glass, poured himself a glass of red wine, and then, while sipping the wine, turned his head and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the silent, white-clad girl in the distance.

She was like a doll, head bowed, motionless, her eyes empty and lifeless.

Rukawa Chiba raised an eyebrow, and only then did he notice that a plastic little cat pendant was sitting in Ayase Origami's palms.

Meanwhile, in Haifan City, China, a cemetery on a remote hill.

The typhoon that made landfall last night left this mountain cemetery in ruins. Trees were uprooted, leaves were scattered everywhere, and many tombstones were bent over and turned into a mess.

So when he arrived early in the morning, Zhuge Hui spent a long time cleaning up the entire cemetery. He rubbed his aching back, wishing he could just wave his folding fan and summon a rain of fire to burn the cemetery to ashes.

After that, Zhuge Hui and Lin Xingshi buried Zhou Jiuya's coffin in the ground and erected a tombstone for him.

“Old crow, old crow, I told you back then that you shouldn’t have been so arrogant. You were so foolish… If you had nipped the worm in the bud and wiped out those livestock at the auction, none of this would have happened today.” Zhuge Hui sighed as he waved his folding fan.

Lin Xingshi shrugged. "Alright... he's probably complaining down there right now. He's dead, and you're still nagging him. Let him have some peace and quiet."

As they spoke, the two walked towards the mountainside, gazing at the distant fjord and breathing in the fresh morning air.

Zhong Wujiu was seriously injured. Although he was rescued, he is still bedridden and will need at least another day or two to recuperate.

The Zhou family members did not come over either. They were very disappointed in Zhou Jiuya. No one was willing to admit that the Lake Hunter heir, on whom they had placed so much hope, had died such a humiliating death by being mentally controlled.

Thus, it was an exceptionally quiet funeral. Only Zhuge Hui and Lin Xingshi silently came to the scene and buried Zhou Jiuya's body.

For a moment, the two leaned against a maple tree and chatted, looking up at the sky, which was clear and clean after the storm.

"Iceland?" Zhuge Hui waved his folding fan.

Lin Xingshi nodded and said casually, "Hmm... Iceland. If we want to know who is targeting Jiuya and Wujiu, we can only go there to find out the truth."

“But Captain… could this be a trap set by the Nian beast?” Zhuge Hui asked tentatively.

“If it wanted to kill us, we would have been dead when the troupe ambushed us.” Lin Xingshi shook his head. “Xiao Nian saved my life, and I don’t believe he would lie to me.”

Zhuge Hui wanted to retort, saying that he always became so childish whenever he encountered that Nian beast, but in the end he just sighed softly.

He said, "That's true. If it weren't for the help of the Nian Beast's son yesterday, I would have fought to the death with the troupe to protect you and Wujiu. The result would most likely have been bad, as the enemy outnumbered me and I was no match for them alone."

"Hmm, so you still doubt him?" Lin Xingshi thought for a moment, then turned to ask.

Zhuge Hui sighed: "Regardless of whether Huai has any doubts, I'm going to Iceland this time. I think with Wu Jiu's personality, he won't let go of the person who killed Jiu Ya. Anyway, I can't persuade you, so I might as well risk my life to accompany you."

Lin Xingshi let out a long sigh of relief, her fiery red braid swaying in the wind. She whispered, "The Salvation Society, this time we will definitely expose the true face of this organization."

“That’s natural,” Zhuge Hui said. “But before that, let’s go and meet up with the Gu family first.”

"Does she care about the family?"

“Yes, didn’t the son of the Nian beast also say that the black pupa is still alive?” Zhuge Hui waved his folding fan. “I think this dark-skinned fellow will become our guiding light. It would be better to find him first.”

“That makes sense.” Lin Xingshi nodded. “Once Wujiu’s injuries have healed, we’ll head to Lijing and ask the Gu family about the whereabouts of the Black Chrysalis.”

The two chatted as they walked down the mountain, passing through swirling maple leaves.

Another corner of the world, the North Pacific Ocean.

The Wolf of the Daytime spread its bony wings, which blotted out the sky, and soared swiftly above the sea, its pupils reflecting the gray horizon where the sea and sky met.

"Hu Chi... Hu Chi..."

The wind pressure rushed in, making the giant wolf's fur flutter loudly, like a flattened white tent. At this moment, a girl in a red dress with light makeup and a short-haired young man in a black coat were sitting on its wings.

Xia Pingzhou rested his hands on his bent knees, sat quietly on the dragon wing, and looked up. The sky was as blue as if it had been washed by water, without a cloud in the sky, and he could see the end of the horizon at a glance.

After a while, the first rays of sunlight shone on the Sky Wolf's head, then illuminated the gray sea. The sea was as clear as ice, reflecting the sky, as they were on their way to that distant and cold land.

That country is called "Iceland".

Of course, Xia Pingzhou would not go to Hofsjökull Glacier in Iceland immediately, as that would undoubtedly alert the enemy and make it easy for the Salvation Society to notice.
Besides, Rainbow Wing, Lake Hunter, Gu Family, Year Beast, Third Prince and Agubaru... not a single person from other forces has been gathered yet. For Xia Pingzhou to go alone with the old woman and White Greed Wolf is undoubtedly like a moth flying into a flame, a pointless death.

So before September 1st arrived, Xia Pingzhou would take Bloodline and White Wolf and temporarily hide in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

Travel magazines have mentioned that Reykjavik is a beautiful city where you can see the aurora borealis if you look up, and when night falls, the Pearl Tower shines brightly under the blue sky, creating a breathtaking scene.

Xia Pingzhou wasn't in a hurry; he could just treat it as a trip.

As long as the commander doesn't catch them in Reykjavik beforehand, that's a good thing.

On the way to the Pacific Ocean, he had the Queen Statue burn off the raven tattoos on the Bloodline and White Wolf, meaning that Qi Yuanli would no longer be able to find him by sensing the location of the tattoos.

A gentle sea breeze blew by, and the warm morning sun shone on Xia Pingzhou.

The vampire sat sideways on the bone wing, her pale golden hair and red skirt fluttering in the wind. The vampire girl's face had never looked so gloomy.

She lowered her eyes, silently watching the dolphins leaping on the sea, her thoughts wandering.

The world was completely silent, save for the crashing of the sea and the howling of the endless wind.

"When did you start planning to betray the Phantom Troupe?" After a while, the Bloodline suddenly asked.

Xia Pingzhou replied expressionlessly, "At the beginning."

"I didn't realize you hated her so much," the vampire girl said casually, clutching her skirt.

"If you can see it, then the commander can see it too. I've already been captured by him."

“And Andrew? You killed him without the slightest hesitation.”

“He shot at me. In that situation, I had to make an example of him. Even a second's hesitation would have been too late.”

"Then... Miss? You hurt her quite badly. This is the first time I've seen her with that expression. Don't you really care about her at all?" Bloodline said.

Xia Pingzhou remained silent, the cold wind over the Pacific Ocean ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, the vampire girl shrugged and said, "But then again, you've been so cruel, why would you care about her? Maybe from the very beginning, you were just using her feelings as a cover for yourself."

"You can understand that."

"That's just saying one thing and meaning another."

"Should I call you Bloodline or Theresa now?" Xia Pingzhou asked suddenly after a moment of silence.

She said, "There's no need to keep the name Theresa hidden for over a hundred years."

Xia Pingzhou nodded silently.

Theresa thought for a moment: "Can I ask some questions about 1001?"

"Why not? He's just mentally challenged. You don't need to be so humble when you mention him. Just ask if you want to."

As Xia Pingzhou spoke casually, a hesitant, muttering voice suddenly echoed in his mind, as if the restricted-level 1001 was trying to say something but then stopped.

Theresa remained silent.

She lowered her eyes, but the blue sea was reflected in her red pupils. The wind blew her hair, and the pale golden strands in the sunlight were as white as snow.

Looking at her, Xia Pingzhou suddenly remembered that winter of 1916.

At that time, the boy led the girl as they ran across the boundless snowfield. Behind them, a white expanse swept in like a flood, and the whole world seemed like a restless beast, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws at them.

A moment later, Xia Pingzhou looked away from her face.

He said, "You asked me so many questions just now, but you were just hiding your true thoughts. You just wanted to ask about him."

Theresa shook her head. "I don't know how to bring him up. Sometimes when you keep someone in your heart for too long, you think they're unattainable, but then you suddenly realize they're so close, you could reach out and grab them. At that moment, you don't feel fortunate, nor are you overjoyed; instead, you feel..."

"Confused".

Theresa silently curled the corners of her lips, remained silent for a moment, and then asked:
Why would he tell you that name?

Xia Pingzhou said softly, "Because he wants me to tell you to live a good life and not to go looking for him again."

He paused for a moment: "But we can actually go and save him. He's being held in the same place as White Wolf's child, which is the Salvation Society's base, located north of the Hofs Glacier."

At this point, a cold, emotionless laugh suddenly echoed in his mind. Undoubtedly, it was R-rated 1001 mocking his clumsy lie, but naturally, it was more than enough to intimidate Theresa.

"How do you know so much?" The vampire girl suddenly tilted her head and looked at Xia Pingzhou's face.

“Black Chrysalis, he’s the liaison between me and 1001,” Xia Pingzhou said without hesitation.

"So it was you who was leaking information about the Phantom Troupe to Black Chrysalis all along," Theresa realized.

"You can think so."

Theresa remained silent for a long, long time. "Didn't I say that your eyes are very similar to 1001's?"

"Ah."

“Back then, I felt that you had some kind of subtle connection with 1001.” Theresa tugged at the corner of her lips as she said this, “but I didn’t expect it to be true.”

“Your intuition is very accurate,” Xia Pingzhou said.

“Iceland, that sounds nice.” Theresa looked up at the clouds on the horizon. “He and I first met in such a cold place.”

"Hmm... Let's go." Xia Pingzhou said, looking up at the boundless Pacific Ocean. "To Iceland."

"But before that, haven't you dealt with the tattoo on your hand yet?" Theresa suddenly tilted her head and reminded her with a smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

As he spoke, Xia Pingzhou looked down at the back of his right hand, where a tattoo remained—a black raven, a red number "12," and a white cross running through the design.

He summoned the Queen's statue from the enormous bone wings.

Suddenly, the queen statue leaned slightly forward and reached out to Xia Pingzhou. Her five fingers were coated with a layer of chilling blue flame, which slowly smeared across the back of his hand.

At that moment, the tattoo on Xia Pingzhou's hand seemed to come alive, flapping its wings and breaking free from his skin, leaving behind a black raven feather that swayed in the sea breeze.

He looked up and watched it fly away. The crow defiantly soared over the icy ocean, disappearing straight into the depths of the clouds and finally vanishing at the horizon.

(End of this chapter)