Lu Mingfei, why are you slaying dragons if you're not involved!

Chapter 227 No longer alone
The steep mountain walls on both sides are like a narrow gate created by nature. When you look out, the clouds and mist still connect the sky and the earth. For some reason, Lu Mingfei thought of the phrase "sorrowful clouds gather for thousands of miles". It did not quite fit his mood at the moment, but it matched the scene.

Before he even entered this "door," he thought it would look like the Gates of Hell in a game if it had some special effects. He figured there must be eighteen levels of hell and a big boss hidden behind it... But it turned out there was a boss, and the land of the dead, Nibelungen, didn't seem that different from hell. But he wasn't afraid anymore.

The scene and conversation I had when I left Nibelungen flashed through my mind—

The dim light became even dimmer than before. The massive dust from the nuclear-explosion-like collision had risen into the sky and lingered for a long time, thus obscuring the light. The entire sky was gloomy, but when combined with the embers still burning in orange and red on the ground, it actually resembled a human world.

"Aren't you leaving?" Lu Mingfei couldn't help but ask.

"We can't leave."

Guan Ying stood with his hands on his sword. The old man, who had previously exuded a spirited demeanor, now showed signs of fatigue and an air of impending old age. Fortunately, he was still able to move freely.

"We can't leave either."

“I understand why we can’t leave. I remember you told me before that to achieve the transformation needed to survive in the Nibelungen, one would no longer be able to adapt to the human world…”

Lu Mingfei squatted down and was surprised to find a sprout of an unknown plant growing in the bronze-colored soil not far from his feet. However, the color was not the common green of plants, but grayish-black.

He gently stroked it with his fingers; the texture was not as smooth and tender as a typical bud, but rather had a hard, metallic feel.

Perhaps only this type of plant can grow in this land where "death" is everywhere?
"What do you mean by 'you can't leave'? Your original goal has already been achieved, hasn't it?"

"There are more things to consider than just these."

Guan Ying smiled and shook his head. He gazed into the distance, where people were coming and going. The villagers were organizing themselves to burn the wasteland with the help of the sudden fire. During the process, the Chu song that had been played earlier was heard, but this time the mournful and shrill tone had been clearly changed, and it was filled with natural curiosity and surprise.

It turns out that even such sorrowful lyrics can be sung with such vitality.

"Let me put it this way, even if we manage to get out, what do you think we should do after we get out?"

"Forehead……"

Lu Mingfei paused, his first instinct was to say "work to earn money"... but he immediately realized a serious problem, and then thought of more things through this problem.

"You're a smart person, you should be able to figure it out. After so many years without any communication, there's so much to learn to integrate now. Language and writing are just the basics; there's also the question of what our identities should be."

Guan Ying said calmly, "Those children are fine, but I'm different. I'm someone who has lived from over two thousand years ago to the present. Given my age and strength, what position should I hold?"

Lu Mingfei was stunned. With his experience, he was indeed not capable of thinking about this problem on his own, but now that Guan Ying had brought it up himself, he could probably figure it out.

He didn't know Guan Ying's bloodline level. In ancient times, there certainly wasn't a classification system like S-level or A-level. But someone who could face a second-generation species alone without being at a disadvantage and even subtly suppress them must be one of the top hybrids. Not to mention that he had once killed Xiang Yu, the king of the earth and mountains.

Even if Xiang Yu, as the first-generation being, might have seriously injured himself while saving Yu Ji, he was still the first-generation being no matter what.

This means that even in terms of pure strength, Guan Ying might be on par with Zhang Shanfeng, or even surpass him. And Zhang Shanfeng's status is already top-tier... But if that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. The problem is that Guan Ying has lived for over two thousand years!
Although they spent most of their two thousand years in the Nibelungen and had little contact with the outside world, they were still old enough to be considered. In fact, the concept of "seniority" has been valued throughout history and across cultures, and seniority is directly linked to age.

Considering both factors, where should Guan Ying stand? Perhaps, given his abilities, experience, and contributions, this is what he deserves. But there will always be those who are dissatisfied, and dissatisfaction inevitably leads to open and covert struggles…

"I can roughly guess what you're thinking, but those things aren't really important, and I don't care."

Guan Ying gazed at the distant scenes, his eyes gradually becoming hazy. His thoughts were being set free, drifting like a kite into the long and vast river of time, flowing upstream, and landing at his distant end.

"Xiao Lu, have you ever thought about what you're living for?"

"If it were before, I would probably have answered that it was because of the games I hadn't played yet, the serials I hadn't finished reading, and the girls I hadn't dated..."

Lu Mingfei paused, looked up at the sky, and sighed, "But now there's only one left, although it's a bit embarrassing and childish to say... it's about becoming the most powerful and awesome man in the world."

“If someone else were to fight the Dragon King to that extent, I would say he has achieved his goal. But for you…”

The old man glanced at him, his words carrying a profound meaning, "This goal should keep you working hard for a long time."

"Right? Just thinking about it is despairing."

Lu Mingfei didn't even need to open his schedule to check; those meticulously planned schedules, down to the second, were already etched into his mind, and he didn't know how long this kind of life would continue.

He failed to notice the deeper meaning hidden in Guan Ying's words and subconsciously asked in return, "And what about you?"

"me……"

Guan Ying gazed into the distance, not answering him directly, but instead continued on his own: "You know, we didn't actually use this kind of backward slash-and-burn agriculture back then."

We used iron plows and oxen, but those things are just too difficult to make here. The fire wasn't hot enough to melt the iron ore, and the sorcerer died soon after; he was the only one still able to use the yellow flames. Since then, we've lost our forging. No one comes from the outside because everything here is kept strictly secret, and we can't leave, we can't leave. What method do you use to cultivate the land?”

“Using a machine… is something that moves on its own.” Lu Mingfei didn’t know how to describe it; rambling words really didn’t work in this field.

"Similar to the things you use, right? It's been over two thousand years, there must have been a lot of development outside." Guan Ying nodded slightly. He had been observing the items used by the investigation team, but had never asked them.

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "That's really developed so much, I don't even know how to describe it. So even if I could go outside, I wouldn't want to. Because once I go out, I can't help but go back to the place I used to live, but it's been too long. I probably won't be able to find that old mulberry tree at the village entrance, or see the mountain where I used to graze cattle."

Perhaps I'll find the graves of my old friends. Over two thousand years ago! Finding their graves would be a stroke of luck. Then I'll get some wine and have a drink with them, but by then, the bones in the coffins will probably be gone.

The old man smiled and said, "I'm just a lonely ghost who's been clinging to life for so long."

"Are you lonely?" he asked again.

"Lonely?"

Lu Mingfei was taken aback again, and he thought about it seriously.

He was certainly lonely before; to be precise, he actually went through three stages of loneliness.

The first stage cannot be considered loneliness, because at this stage he still thinks loneliness is a cool thing.

At that time, he had only been sent to his aunt's house for a short time. After school, his classmates were picked up in all sorts of luxury cars, while he walked home alone, kicking pebbles on the roadside, and then happily using the little money he had saved from his breakfast or lunch money to play games at the arcade. The next day, he would brag to his classmates about how many skilled players he had beaten and how some big shot admired his skills and was willing to pay to become his apprentice, and so on. At this time, his classmates would think that Lu Mingfei was really lucky because his family didn't care about him, and he himself felt quite good about it.

As the saying goes, "Youth knows no sorrow, yet loves to climb high, feigning melancholy to compose new verses." Truly lonely people don't find loneliness cool. What nonsense about the loneliness of a master! Thinking loneliness is cool simply means you haven't experienced the bitterness of solitude.

Then comes the second stage. In this stage, his classmates no longer think it's cool that Lu Mingfei is always alone, because no one comes to parent-teacher conferences for him. Besides being good at video games, he has neither money nor good grades. In any school, academic performance is always the most valuable asset, because the teacher, who holds the highest authority, will be your strongest support. Next is appearance; those with good looks will succeed. Finally, there's family background… and unfortunately, Lu Mingfei has none of these three.

Looking back now, if a girl's appearance changes drastically as she grows up, then a boy's appearance should change drastically as well... That was probably the period when Lu Mingfei's appearance changed, but unfortunately, he didn't realize it. As he couldn't integrate into the group and couldn't find recognition, plus that time his aunt forced him to apologize and do chores after the fight... After that, he always hung his head and was very unlucky, and his bad luck continued to the end.

The third stage of loneliness is also true loneliness, but people at this stage never think about it or try to change it, because they have already tried too many methods without success. And when they are already very lonely and unable to save themselves, all they can do is stop thinking about it.

At that time, Lu Mingfei never realized this principle; he just did it instinctively, like a child alone in the dark with no way around, so he could only squat down and curl up.

That's why Chen Wenwen's invitation to join the literary society was so bright and unforgettable. Even now, Lu Mingfei finds it hard to feel any ill will towards Chen Wenwen, because in his opinion, she really didn't do anything wrong. For a girl who already had many followers, she didn't need Lu Mingfei. She probably just felt sorry for Lu Mingfei at the time and wanted to help him. But she didn't expect that this casual act would be so important to him.

Of course, all of that is in the past now. Lu Mingfei can now recall it all with a calm and detached attitude, without any feelings of sadness or regret.

The only way is to let go.

As for now...

When did loneliness leave?

It was probably the basketball game after the first accidental encounter with Chu Zihang, the bet after meeting Su Xiaoqiang at the gym, the unexpected meeting with Liu Miaomiao at the music store... and the sudden arrival of Ling, who then blended in unexpectedly and harmoniously.

Each person and each event is like a ray of light, dispelling the darkness that seemed to come from nowhere. Everything is just the accumulation of little by little, changing so dramatically yet so naturally.

"I am not alone anymore."

Lu Mingfei answered, each word deliberate and unwavering, and then he smiled.

"I have a lot of friends."

"so good……"

Guan Ying sighed, “But I have none left. All my relatives are dead. Perhaps my son and daughter left behind bloodlines? But I can’t just go and tell them I’m their great-great-great-grandfather from over two thousand years ago… That would probably just make me look crazy. Apart from blood ties, we’re no different from strangers. So there’s nothing in the outside world that I can reminisce about. Maybe, with extreme luck, I might find something that will evoke memories? But all I can feel is loneliness, and I don’t like that feeling. I have no reason to live in that outside world. All those meanings have been erased by time.”

He raised his hand and pointed into the distance, “But they are different. They still speak the language I am familiar with, wear the clothes I am familiar with, and do the things I am familiar with. I can see the shadows of those people from more than two thousand years ago in them. In this way, every time I am in a daze, I will return to that place again and again. In this world, my existence has meaning.”

Lu Mingfei remained silent. Now he no longer felt that his past loneliness meant anything. The loneliness he had accumulated for more than two thousand years surged up and enveloped him completely.

“But that’s nothing really. I’ve only lived for a little over two thousand years.” Guan Ying suddenly changed the subject.

"Only?" Lu Mingfei was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Could there be a stronger warrior than you, sir?"
"That's right, but... more than two thousand years is a long time, but it's too short compared to a dragon."

Guan Ying's gaze deepened. "In the past two thousand years, I have tried to do many things, but in the end, what I have done the most is thinking. I have thought about many, many things, but the most valuable one should be this one. Listen carefully."

Lu Mingfei perked up and focused intently.

"Dragons... just live for too long."

Guan Ying said softly, "An immortal species, yet possessing the same emotions as humans, and with a strict hierarchical system where peers are often hostile to each other, and having very few friends is practically nonexistent... Therefore, they are destined to be unable to bear the accumulated loneliness, and their once glorious dynasty collapsed entirely on its own! They need death, they need an end, they need the memories of reincarnation to maintain their existence!"

A long silence followed, an indescribable shock.

"It should be pretty close to the truth. As for its specific use, you can decide for yourself later."

Guan Ying patted him on the shoulder.

“Go on, and remember to promise me one thing: tell the person who has the authority to decide this that I am not leaving, but the children can. However, don’t give them hope until you find a way to make sure they can leave.”

(End of this chapter)