Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

The shrill sound of shattering glass pierced the deathly silence, mingling with the faint blue smell of the incubation chamber leaking and filling the room.

Gu Xidong's pupils constricted as he watched Ling Wuwen charge straight towards the gleaming metal needle—

The needle pierced precisely into the side of his neck, and the pale blue veins instantly turned bluish-black. He convulsed violently, gripping the syringe, his knuckles turning white, but his face was filled with an almost manic ecstasy.

"finally found you."

Ling Wuwen's hoarse voice, mixed with black blood, spilled out as his gaze was fixed on the "perfect version" inside the incubation chamber that was exactly the same as himself.

"Are you crazy!" Gu Xidong tried to rush forward, but was violently knocked over by an invisible force.

Mechanical voice roars in fury:

"My work! Only I can touch it!"

The room shook violently, red warning lights flashed wildly, and countless lasers wove a dense net, firmly enveloping Ling Wuwen and the incubation chamber.

Gu Xidong retreated to the corner, watching the laser glide across Ling Wuwen's shirt, leaving tiny cracks, while the "Swan" inside the cabin slowly opened its eyes, its empty eyes revealing a breathtaking perfection.

"Gu Xidong... let's go."

Ling Wuwen's voice came intermittently from behind the laser net.

"Where else can I go?" Gu Xidong laughed bitterly, tears mingling with despair streaming down his face.

"My skates broke, my legs are ruined, you saved my life, but you've pushed me into an even deeper hell!"

"Take my 'shadow' with you!" Ling Wuwen's peach blossom eyes ignited with the fire of destruction. As soon as he finished speaking, all the lights went out, leaving only the faint blue light of the incubation chamber.

He broke free from the laser's restraints and pounced on the control panel like a wounded beast, the mechanical voice letting out a desperate roar, followed by a deafening explosion.

Gu Xidong was thrown over by the shockwave, and the last thing he saw was Ling Wuwen's relieved smile before darkness swallowed everything.

2

The cold, foul-smelling rain lashed against his face, and Gu Xidong woke up with a start in the abandoned alley.

Soaked to the bone, he struggled to his feet, his legs weak and powerless. He clutched the shards of his ice skate tightly in his palms, the sharp edges cutting his skin, and blood dripped down mixed with the rain.

"woke up?"

The man in the black raincoat at the alley entrance turned around, took off his rain hood, and revealed a scar on his face that stretched from his left eye to the right corner of his mouth.

It was Officer Zhao, the policeman who investigated his "accident" years ago and was later suspended from duty due to "mental instability".

"Come with me." Old Zhao didn't explain further and turned to walk into the rain.

Gu Xidong gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain of his broken leg, and clutched the ice skate fragments as he followed.

He knew he had to find out the truth, for Ling Wuwen's sake, and for his own shattered dream.

A dilapidated bread truck was parked outside the alley, its interior reeking of gasoline and mold.

"Let's go to the ghost market." Old Zhao started the car. "They have the ice skate molds you need there."

Gu Xidong froze: "The mold wasn't destroyed?"

"It ended up in the ghost market, in the hands of the 'Silent Shoemaker'." Old Zhao glanced at him in the rearview mirror, his eyes deep.

The car was parked in an abandoned underground parking lot. After passing through a maze of dark and gloomy passages, the words "Ghost Market" on a rusty iron gate exuded an eerie atmosphere.

As you push open the door, a wave of heat, carrying with it the smells of spices, rust, and decay, hits you.

In the vast underground space, stalls are filled with bizarre pills, mechanical limbs, and organs preserved in glass bottles. All sorts of people move among them, creating a noisy yet oppressive atmosphere.

Old Zhao led Gu Xidong to the deepest corner stall, where an elderly man with white hair, wearing a gray long gown, was focused on mending shoes.

His hair was as white as withered grass, his face was covered with wrinkles, and his cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light when he looked up. "You've come," the old man said hoarsely, his tone as if welcoming an old friend.

"We need to find a model of ice skates." Old Zhao stood in front of Gu Xidong, looking at the old man warily.

The old man's hand paused almost imperceptibly, and he slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly trying to see through Gu Xidong:

"Ice skate molds...are you sure you want these?"

"What do you mean?" Gu Xidong's heart sank.

"It's more than just a mold." The old man bent down and took out an old wooden box from under the table. The box, covered in dust and scratches, looked decayed.

He opened the brass clasp, and inside lay a model of an ice skate. The dark brown wooden surface had ordinary textures, yet it felt strangely familiar to Gu Xidong.

He reached out to touch it without thinking, but Old Zhao suddenly pulled him back. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the mold, a ghostly blue light flashed, like an electric current striking Gu Xidong's mind.

He saw Ling Wuwen standing in the laboratory, countless broken ice skates beneath his feet, clutching the mold in his hand, a crazed yet tender smile on his face:

"This is a gift I prepared for you." The scene shifts, and he is standing on the ice rink wearing new ice skates. Opposite him is a cultivation chamber flashing blue light. "Swan's" eyes are fixed on him, and a cold mechanical voice sounds: "Welcome to my world."

Gu Xidong snapped back to reality, panting heavily.

The old man gave a strange smile: "It's part of the 'swan'."

"What?!" the two exclaimed simultaneously.

"Ling Wuwen is looking for it because it is his 'shadow'." The old man grinned menacingly. "Only with his 'shadow' can the perfect 'swan' be created."

Gu Xidong's mind went blank, and a chill ran down his spine.

Looking at the eerie blue light on the mold, he suddenly realized that Ling Wuwen was not crazy, but had already planned it out.

"Now, do you still want it?" The old man's voice carried a hellish temptation.

Gu Xidong looked at the ice skate fragments in his palm, his longing for his dream intertwined with the image of Ling Wuwen in his mind.

He took a deep breath and reached for the mold: "I want it."

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the wooden surface, a cold hand gripped his wrist tightly.

"Don't touch it." A familiar, hoarse voice rang in my ears.

3

Gu Xidong turned his head and saw Ling Wuwen, whose face was as pale as paper.

The needle marks on the side of his neck were bluish-black, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot but unusually firm: "That was a trap."

Ling Wuwen turned to the old man, his tone mocking: "'The Silent Shoemaker,' or should I call you the gatekeeper of 'Swan Lake'?"

The old man's smile vanished instantly, his eyes filled with shock: "You're not dead?"

"Your work isn't so easily destroyed." Ling Wuwen sneered, his killing intent fully revealed. "I've come back to reclaim what's rightfully mine." He turned to Gu Xidong, his eyes gentle yet filled with despair. "This mold isn't my 'shadow,' it's my heart."

"What?!" the two exclaimed again.

"I was born with a defective heart, and I survived entirely thanks to medication and technology."

Ling Wuwen's voice choked with sobs, "This mold contains the essence of my life. It was stolen by 'Swan Lake' back then, who wanted to use it to create a controllable puppet. Without it, I can only walk step by step toward death."

Gu Xidong's world collapsed instantly, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Looking at Ling Wuwen's weak appearance, and remembering everything the other had done for him, he felt a surge of guilt and heartache.

"Now, do you still want it?" Ling Wuwen asked with a bitter smile. "It can get you back on the ice, but it will kill me."

Gu Xidong looked at the mold, then at the swaying Ling Wuwen. His inner turmoil was like a knife cutting through him, but he knew he couldn't be selfish.

He slowly took a step back and released his grip: "I don't want it anymore. Your life is more important than my dream."

Ling Wuwen was stunned, then tears of emotion welled up in his eyes, and a relieved smile appeared on his pale face: "Thank you, Gu Xidong."

Upon seeing this, the old man flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and standing up abruptly. His skin began to twist and swell, his bones cracked and popped, and his body rapidly grew taller and more imposing, his aged face becoming ferocious and terrifying.

"Since none of you want it, then it's mine!"

"Oh no! He's a cyborg from 'Swan Lake'!" Ling Wuwen pulled Gu Xidong back, "Get out of the way!"

The burning sensation from the laser mesh still lingered on my skin, and the roar of the explosion still echoed in my ears.

Gu Xidong looked at the weak but determined Ling Wuwen beside him and clenched the ice skate fragments in his palm.

This time, he was no longer alone.

No matter what lies ahead, whether it be an abyss or a sea of ​​fire, he will fight alongside Ling Wuwen to uncover the truth and reclaim everything that belongs to them.