Night Journey

Chapter 102 Past Events

"it's over?"

Dai Lin stood guard outside, his hands clasped with brass knuckles, ready for anything.

"I suppose so. She's still a while away from death. If you have something to do, you can leave now. I'll be waiting here for a bit."

Ciri was too hot, so he unbuttoned his collar, revealing his chest covered in scratches and scars.

The two climbed up the ladder and then crouched down to pass through a narrow passage.

A cool breeze swept over me as I arrived at a rusty platform. I had hoped to overlook the entire city of Hull from here, but the thick moisture enveloped the area, leaving only a gray and hazy expanse.

Dai Lin sat down with his feet dangling in the air, lighting a cigarette as he asked the question.

How does revenge feel?

Cillian replied earnestly, "I was quite excited at first, but later on, I felt a bit empty."

"It's like something you've been waiting for finally happening, but the result isn't what you imagined?" Dalin asked.

"Somewhat, but not entirely."

Cillian rubbed his temples in frustration, when a sudden idea flashed into his mind.

"I should say, we didn't have enough fun."

Cillian's answer was somewhat unexpected, yet somehow predictable.

Dai Lin chuckled twice, then sighed deeply and remarked with emotion.

“My God, Cillian, I used to think you were just a bloodthirsty madman, but now it seems you are far more terrifying than that… I don’t even know how to describe you.”

Cillian didn't understand what he was talking about. "What's wrong?"

“Tania is an absolute villain, there’s no doubt about that. She was involved in the destruction of White Cliff and killed everyone you loved.”

Looking at the thick fog in front of him, Dai Lin slowly spoke.

"If such a tragedy were to happen to anyone, when they faced their enemy again, they would be more or less dominated by hatred, venting their anger and killing her in the most cruel way."

He shifted his gaze to Cillian's profile.

“But you were not controlled by your emotions. Your behavior may have seemed bloodthirsty and crazy, but you always remained calm. You were even willing to cooperate with your enemy to a certain extent to extract usable information from her.”

"and then?"

"You are terrifying. Even when faced with a blood feud, you remain extremely rational... This is very much in line with the mental state of a born killer."

"Hahaha."

Cillian was amused by Daelin's description, wiped away the tears of laughter, and then slowly explained.

"It's important to let Tania die in the most painful way, but I can't miss the information she can get. You know, I have a long list of dead, and she's only at the end. I need her to dig out more people."

"Is that so?"

Dalin scrutinized Cillian, who had just completed his first and most exhilarating revenge, yet showed no obvious emotional fluctuations.

We do not rejoice at the death of the enemy, nor do we shed tears for the departed.

Cillian simply crossed his legs, propped his chin up, and sat leisurely on the riverbank, gazing at the people coming and going in a daze, as if he had just finished get off work.

His pathological psychology has multiple facets, intertwining rationality and paranoia, coldness and calculation, ultimately presenting a distorted yet highly self-consistent logic.

Realizing this, Dai Lin's fear gradually diminished, replaced by a sense of longing.

"I really envy someone like you, Cillian."

"what happened again?"

Cillian frowned. Lately, these people had been saying all sorts of strange things, leaving him guessing.

Dai Lin said with a wry smile, "I also had a long-planned revenge, but unfortunately, the result was not satisfactory."

“What, you failed to kill him and even got humiliated,” Cillian comforted. “Relax, once I’m done with these things, we can kill him together.”

"No, she's dead. Although I wouldn't say I killed her, well..."

Even after many years, the memory of the woman's withered and pale face still deeply moved Dai Lin.

“I felt no satisfaction from her death; instead, I was plunged into a deeper pain.”

"uh-huh."

Cillian made a strange sound to indicate that he was still listening. "Speaking of which, this matter is somewhat related to Anya as well."

Dai Lin moved back a little and brought his dangling feet back down.

"If it weren't for Anya, I might have died along with my enemy and my mother."

Ciri sat up straight, and in the narrow, dark space behind him, Tania's mournful cries could be heard faintly.

“I should mention that I am not a native of Hull, but come from another city-state.”

Dai Lin squinted, as if gazing into the distance, or perhaps looking back and gazing intently.

"That city-state once had a glorious history, but with the outbreak of one chaotic event after another, the high walls collapsed, the buildings collapsed, and even the lighthouse was damaged, its foundations sank, and it tilted to one side."

Later, nearly half the city was reduced to ruins. Gray mist often seeped from behind the crumbling walls, and demons harassed the city day and night. At dawn, several corpses would always be found in the streets and alleys.

Cillian chimed in, “That doesn’t sound like a good place to live.”

"Yes, it's a terrible place. All the capable people have left, leaving only the powerless to struggle for survival."

Dailin shook his head helplessly. "Unfortunately, I was born there. Even more unfortunate is that my mother was a prostitute who lived off men, which is why I still don't know who my father is."

The two looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

“My surname comes from my mother. From a young age, I was ridiculed by my peers and adults. They insulted me and bullied me, but I didn’t care. What really made me despair was that my mother didn’t love me either.”

When talking about these things, Dai Lin's eyes did not show sadness.

"In order to avoid ending up on the streets, she had to find a man willing to let her stay overnight before nightfall every day, while I was locked in the toilet."

Such days went on for a long time, until one day, demons invaded a corner of the city and almost wiped out everyone on the street.

After disposing of the numerous corpses, people, fearing the chaotic pollution of the place, moved elsewhere, leaving the houses empty. My mother and I moved in, made some simple repairs, and managed to live a relatively stable life.

Dai Lin paused for a moment, then said with genuine emotion, "Looking back, it's been so long. I actually miss those days a little."

"Ah."

Cillian leaned against the side; he could no longer hear Tania's cries, only the clamor of the wind.

"Then...then..."

Dai Lin hadn't recalled the past for too long; the pain that was once so unforgettable was now as faint as a thin layer of ash.

“I grew up in this terrible life until one day, my mother sold me to a businessman.”

The cold wind made Dai Lin's face numb. He rubbed it hard, as if he were crushing a layer of ice.

"To this day, I still remember the scene of that day. My mother smiled at me, which was rare for her, and gently stroked my head as she prepared breakfast for me."

She didn't say anything, just looked at me quietly. Just as I was basking in this unprecedented maternal love, a group of burly men burst in and kidnapped me.

I screamed, pounded on my fists, and begged my mother, but she just sat there, still wearing that chillingly indifferent smile.

Dai Lin took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and began to tell the rest of the story.

"Later, I was sent to Hull City and became a slave laborer, working day and night in the factory. My mind was blank except for exhaustion and pain."

Only when the night is deep and quiet do I have a little energy left to think about the past and the future.

Dai Lin's buttocks were getting a little numb from sitting, so he shifted his position and suddenly complained, "Hey, when recounting tragic past events, you should have some alcohol to soothe the nerves."

Cillian looked at the narrow, dark space behind him. "Did you prepare drinks here?"

Dai Lin countered, "Before you converted this into an interrogation room, it was a safe house. Do you think a safe house should keep alcohol on hand?"

“I think it’s normal. They’ve already hidden themselves here, so they probably won’t live for more than a few days. Why not have a good drink?” Cillian joked. “Alcohol poisoning sounds like a good way to die.”

"Hey kid! There's no wine here, but there's some jerky or something," Dalin ordered. "I'm a bit hungry, get some over here."

"it is good."

Cillian crouched down and squeezed through the narrow passage.

As he passed the iron gate where Tania was imprisoned, he deliberately made his footsteps louder, imagining that Tania would hear him, feel a surge of hope, and then, as the sound faded into the distance, fall into despair once more…

"Haha."

Cillian gave a nervous laugh.

(End of this chapter)