Heavenly Sound 9 (Bonus Half Chapter)

Chapter 60

Blood quickly soaked through the bandage on his hand; finding the right spot wouldn't help anymore.

So Zhou Xiangzhe stopped caring. He let his hand hang down, allowing the bright red blood to drip from his fingertips to the floor. The stinging pain spread from his fingers and palm all the way up, and soon his heart ached along with his fingertips.

Zhou Xiangzhe sighed softly.

If he'd known he'd hear something like this here, he never would have come.

In truth, Zhou Xiangzhe was indeed smart. He had a photographic memory and strong logical thinking; he could draw many inferences from matters and pick up on clues. But he never let it show on his face. As long as he wished, no one could guess what he was thinking.

Some things, if you pretend to be clueless, can just slide by. Once they're spelled out, it's hard to keep things normal.

Zhou Xiangzhe wasn't as naive as one might think. He also knew some things couldn't be so direct.

He unwrapped the bandage on his hand and tossed the blood-soaked one aside. From his pocket he found fresh medicine and bandages and wrapped a new one on. The Deer God was reinforcing his body, so the bleeding stopped the moment he changed the dressing. He successfully re-dressed the wound.

After finishing with the wound, Zhou Xiangzhe glanced at the bloody bandage he'd just thrown on the ground. In an instant, the bandage dissolved into the floor, not even leaving a trace.

Making himself look like nothing had happened, Zhou Xiangzhe turned to leave. Just then, he saw someone at the alley entrance watching him.

The Hound studied him with interest, his deep blue eyes flicking to the spot where the bandage had been disposed of without a trace.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Xiangzhe answered calmly, "Waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" The Hound was a little surprised. "What for?"

"Third-generation experimental subject, The Hound, Grade S Sensory Variant, able to locate all mutants and contaminants in any space. After we got separated, you're the only one who can pinpoint everyone's positions. I had no idea where I was, so of course I'd wait for you to find me, then we go look for the others."

"Haha, so you can joke too." The Hound laughed, spreading his hands. "That's much better. Joking is good for your health."

Zhou Xiangzhe said, "I wasn't joking."

The Hound looked at him.

"Please remember, I was just here because I couldn't find the way, waiting for you, and I only arrived three minutes before you." Zhou Xiangzhe's golden eyes fixed on The Hound. "I think you know what I mean."

He knew, of course he knew.

The closer he got to this place, the more clearly The Hound could distinguish the contamination aura on each person.

Not far away, Shen Wang carried not only his own aura but also a familiar contaminant scent. The Hound recognized it—the inhuman state with the purple eyes. Which meant: Shen Wang was maintaining that inhuman state to some extent, and he was with Lan.

How long Zhou Xiangzhe had been standing here, The Hound didn't know. What he did know was that before he arrived, these three had been in this area all along.

Now that's interesting.

What was Zhou Xiangzhe thinking? How much did he overhear? What did he know? And what was he planning to do?

Was he going to pretend he knew nothing?

Wow, he liked this drama.

"Threatening me won't work." The Hound smiled. "I'm not afraid of death. I suggest you don't talk to me like that, because I'm not one to keep secrets. I might just spill them to the person you least want to hear them."

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at him deeply, then after a moment turned and walked out of the alley. "Let's go, regroup with them first."

Whoa, staying this calm even now—he's really something.

They walked out of the alley, turned a corner, and saw Shen Wang crouched on the ground staring at a drawing paper.

Unfortunately, Shen Wang still looked the same as before—black hair, black eyes, a gentle aura radiating from him. His beautiful peach-blossom eyes reflected the pictures on the ground. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and even smiled when he saw Zhou Xiangzhe, truly a beauty that dazzled the eyes.

The Hound sighed admiringly and looked down at the paintings laid out on the ground.

Seven sheets of drawing paper were spread out in order. They held strange artwork, like creepy art from the old era. It was impossible to make out what was depicted—just that it looked utterly bizarre no matter how you viewed it. A strange contamination aura continuously wafted from the paper, and in an instant The Hound felt like he was back in Shen Wang's bedroom, looking at those paintings hanging on the walls.

The Hound: …

Too brutal. He was at a loss for words.

"What's this?" Zhou Xiangzhe asked first. He even crouched down and picked one up. "Paintings?"

"Paintings left here. They feel strange. Could be something important." Shen Wang answered calmly. "Lan is inside."

The Hound asked curiously, "So if I tore this painting right now, would Lan die?"

Shen Wang glanced at him. "You can try."

After all, it was a talent-created painting from a Grade A contaminant. How could it be torn so easily? Unless it were a brute-force mutant like Zhou Xiangzhe or Lan. A pure support-type like The Hound—no way he could tear it.

"Why did Lan enter the painting?" Zhou Xiangzhe asked again.

"Because it contains her name and appearance." Shen Wang replied calmly.

Zhou Xiangzhe was silent for a moment, then spoke. "I remember when we met at the Grade S Contamination Source, there were paintings too. Lan pushed you into a painting based on me, right?"

Shen Wang: …

Ah, yes, that's right. He did indeed pin the blame on Lan back then.

"So he's searching in other people's paintings for traces of the 'her' you mentioned?" Zhou Xiangzhe pondered. "The Moon Thief's Paintings?"

"He thinks there might be her image and identity information in the Moon Thief's Paintings, so he went in to look?"

Shen Wang felt he should be surprised, but in the end he wasn't.

Because that was exactly the kind of person Zhou Xiangzhe was. His observation skills were stronger than expected; he could always draw the most accurate conclusions from details. From just the definition of the paintings, he could extend it this far—and everything was correct.

How to put it? As expected of him.

Thinking that, Shen Wang smiled. "Impressive. You got it all right."

"I just figured he wouldn't do something useless," Zhou Xiangzhe answered.

Beside them, The Hound, nearly becoming a decoration, looked between the two. Mm, these two were really subtle.

One knew perfectly well but never pointed it out, and the other—who knew what he was thinking? What kind of riddles were they playing?

Just then, a loud bang came from nearby. The noise was so loud that Shen Wang frowned.

They were on the second floor, the concert venue right below. Shen Wang walked to the railing and looked down, taking in the chaos.

Someone was smashing things, and glow sticks were being thrown.

"It's been an hour! Why hasn't it started yet!"

"How can a concert be delayed this long!"

"Refund! Refund!"

"Where's the organizer? At least explain! Get on stage and sing already!"

This time, Shen Wang didn't need The Hound to explain. He could feel the intense contamination aura from them. Their whole bodies were distorting due to contamination—their arms stretching out like rubber, reaching forward. Soon someone climbed onto the stage, probing every corner with grotesquely long hands.

"Why won't she come out? Why won't she sing!"

"We won't wait! We'll go find her!"

"Yeah, let's find her!"

"Why did she abandon us? Why can't she keep singing for us?!"

The fans swarmed onto the stage, trying to find her, the one who never showed up.

The Hound walked over, frowning at the people below.

"You've got to be kidding…"

Shen Wang looked at him. "What is it?"

"Aberrant." The Hound looked at Zhou Xiangzhe. "I remember you're in the Anti-Contamination Center Leadership. Now that Xianji is dead, the Anti-Contamination Center should have sent you all the emergency response documents. Did they mention anything about the seal on this place?"

Zhou Xiangzhe walked over and stood beside Shen Wang. "Only a vague location, nothing else."

"Tsk tsk tsk." The Hound clicked his tongue. "Tens of thousands of people down there—all Aberrants."

Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe froze, then both looked at The Hound.

"What?!"

"They are Aberrants, not contaminants. Right, the kind your Anti-Contamination Center would round up and isolate in containment centers." The Hound leaned on the railing, watching the rioting crowd. "Seems they pulled a little trick in the Vanishing Project. Aberrants aren't total monsters, to some degree—especially ones only mentally affected like these."

"But they couldn't be cured, and they couldn't be locked up forever, so they were sealed here together."

Zhou Xiangzhe frowned slightly. After a moment, he said, "That possibility exists."

He didn't try to save face for the Science Academy or the Anti-Contamination Center; in fact, he admitted it quite calmly.

The Vanishing Project was implemented in Year Eight of the apocalypse. Back then, the Anti-Contamination Center had barely built The High Wall. People were being attacked by contaminants everywhere. The Contaminant Prevention Containment Center and Sector S were just concepts. They could only detain Aberrants and the mentally abnormal according to standard procedures.

Their numbers were colossal—frankly, there simply wasn't enough space to contain them all.

Sealing them here along with the Grade S fugitive who caused the effect was also a solution.

"But if that's the case, the birth of the Labyrinth City doesn't have much to do with her," Shen Wang said. "Blood Moon Manor is Moon Thief's territory, Walking Corpse Village is these sealed Aberrants. Only the City of Heavenly Sound is her domain—and even there, there's never been a contamination-related death."

Zhou Xiangzhe nodded. "Yes, none of the observers in the City of Heavenly Sound died. In fact, they all awakened talents."

Shen Wang fell silent.

After a long while, he spoke. "She must be a good person."

"I've never met her, and I don't know her file, so I don't know if she's a good person," Zhou Xiangzhe said. "But everyone's judgment is different. If you think she is, then she is. No need to care about others' opinions, especially the Anti-Contamination Center's."

Shen Wang looked at Zhou Xiangzhe. "Mm, it seems you don't reject her."

"No." Zhou Xiangzhe said. "The Anti-Contamination Center welcomes all capable people, including Lan and The Hound."

The Hound gave him a strange look. "Are you trying to recruit them?"

"Sort of," Zhou Xiangzhe said. "If you're interested, you can contact me."

The Hound, disgusted, ran off to squat a bit away.

He detested the Science Academy and the Anti-Contamination Center; of course he wouldn't accept Zhou Xiangzhe's offer.

"You're quite tolerant." Shen Wang's expression was rueful.

Zhou Xiangzhe sighed softly. Gazing at the increasingly chaotic crowd below, he murmured, "I only tolerate you."

The stage below was overrun by furious fans. They searched every bit of it, and once sure no one was there, they quickly rushed to search elsewhere—about to head to the second floor. At that moment, the paintings on the floor suddenly cracked open. Shen Wang turned to look, and a person walked out of a split painting.

It was Lan.

Lan let out a soft breath, not looking surprised to see The Hound and Zhou Xiangzhe.

"How was it?" Shen Wang asked him.

"Found it."

Lan said, "Let's go find her."

The first floor was completely taken over by the angry fans. All the Aberrants were searching for the concert owner who never appeared. Going down from the second floor, they faced a sea of people.

Luckily, these things weren't very intelligent. They were totally focused on finding people, so they paid no attention to the four of them.

Passing through the furious crowd, Shen Wang led the way. Going through door after door, they saw many people clustered ahead but not daring to go forward.

Those Aberrants huddled there, their eyes constantly looking ahead, but they didn't dare take a single step, leaving the corridor utterly empty.

"What are you doing?" Shen Wang spoke. "Why aren't you going in?"

The Aberrants present glanced darkly at Shen Wang, but didn't answer his question. They just returned to staring ahead, muttering incessantly.

"She's in there. She must be in there."

"But I can't go in. If I just walk in, she'll definitely hate me."

"Why won't she come see me? I love her so much…"

"How can she do this to us?"

"I want to go in, want to see her. She, what was her name again? Who was she again…"

Shen Wang and Lan exchanged a glance. Lan reached out, pages of his book flipping open. In the next instant, his pupils turned pale white, and all the Aberrants before them were forced to squeeze to the sides. A single-person-wide passage was forcibly created.

The Aberrants let out cries of agony. They pushed forward with all their might but only touched an invisible barrier.

Space-type.

Zhou Xiangzhe watched Lan's operation, mentally sorting it out.

Last time it was ice-type.

Not just dual-talented? Or maybe…

Shen Wang and Lan passed through the single-person-wide passage. The Hound seemed quite disdainful of it, but even more disdainful of being left behind alone, so he quickly followed. Zhou Xiangzhe brought up the rear, observing the surrounding Aberrants as he walked, gauging their degree of aberration.

Almost all were low-level aberrations, but the mental abnormality was evident.

They passed through the passage, walked down the corridor, and arrived at the dressing room Shen Wang had first entered. The faceless woman still stood there.

Seeming to hear a sound, the woman turned to look at the doorway.

She said, "You're here."

With a click, the door shut. The Hound and Zhou Xiangzhe, who hadn't made it inside, were shut out.

"Tsk." The Hound clicked his tongue. "Fine. It's their family matter after all. I won't go in."

Zhou Xiangzhe heard The Hound's words and looked at him. "You just said… family matter?"

The Hound: …

Sss, this Zhou Xiangzhe—more terrifying than he'd imagined.

…

The woman looked the same as when Shen Wang had left. She still wore a beautiful updo and an exquisite yellow dress, appearing elegant and mysterious.

But she seemed to be only her past self from that concert, not yet discovered as a Grade S Mutant, nor having met their father, so she didn't know they were her children.

She simply asked happily, "Did you find my name?"

Lan looked at her, then exchanged a glance with Shen Wang.

"Is this her?" Shen Wang asked Lan.

"You could say she's also a shadow, just a stronger one than the one Moon Thief stole. Because her obsession with that concert was so deep, she projected herself here." Lan flipped a page of his book. "But, once she awakens, the mother in the City of Heavenly Sound will awaken too."

Shen Wang let out a relieved breath.

But Lan beside him frowned. He looked at the book pages for a long time, then glanced at Shen Wang.

The woman still sat quietly in place. Since they didn't speak, she asked again, "Did you find my name?"

Lan redirected his gaze to her, then spoke. "We found it."

"Your name is Su Yiling, 25 years old, a renowned musical prodigy, holding a concert here."

The faceless woman faced him. She slowly stood up. "My name is Su Yiling?"

"This is what you look like."

Lan pulled a photo from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Everyone forgot your face, everyone forgot your name, but you must not forget yourself."

"You must remember that you are Su Yiling, remember your own appearance. Even if you forget everyone, don't forget yourself. Understand?"

The woman silently took the photo from Lan's hand and looked at herself in it.

Shen Wang watched her face slowly restore itself, like a person emerging from fog.

Fair skin, upturned peach-blossom eyes, black eyes as if housing light. She lightly pursed her lips, a stubborn look in her gaze. So young and so beautiful, yet as she looked at her photo, tears fell. She cried without a sound, only large teardrops splattering onto the picture.

"Su Yiling," she said. "My name."

"Yes, I am Su Yiling. This is me."

Outside, Zhou Xiangzhe and The Hound suddenly straightened. They simultaneously looked to the side, instantly sensing a change.

Countless posters densely plastered the walls, spreading outward from the doorway.

Zhou Xiangzhe pulled out the tickets they'd used to enter. At this moment, all the writing on the tickets was restored.

[Su Yiling Concert, Performance Time: May 27, 2037, 8 PM, Venue: City of Heavenly Sound Main Hall. Welcome everyone to come listen to Yiling's songs!]

Click, the door behind them opened. Shen Wang and Lan walked out; looking inside, there was no sign of anyone anymore.

"Let's go," Lan said. "The gate to the City of Heavenly Sound is open. Let's head there."

When they came, the corridor had been packed with Aberrants. On the way back, it was eerily quiet, not a soul in sight. Reaching the second floor, they looked down and saw a dense crowd of fans sitting in their seats, their faces alight with excitement as they watched the stage ahead.

"They're back?"

Shen Wang pulled out his phone and glanced at it. "The time has reset."

The others looked at the big screen beside the stage, and sure enough, the time displayed had changed. It was now 19:50.

Ten minutes until the concert starts.

"We finally got tickets, I'm so looking forward to this!"

"Our Yiling is a genius!"

"I wonder what songs she'll sing today. I absolutely love Yiling's 'Good Night,' hope she does that one!"

"Hahaha, I like 'Wind Rises' from the same album. That song is the best!"

Unlike the first concert they'd stumbled into, this time everyone clearly knew whose concert they were attending, and they eagerly anticipated the songs they wanted to hear. They seemed much more alive than before, and you couldn't sense any of their aberration or mental abnormality.

Everyone was eagerly waiting for Su Yiling's appearance.

The entrance to the City of Heavenly Sound was just behind the stage—a door leading to the other side.

At that moment, Zhou Xiangzhe's communicator suddenly rang. He pulled it out and checked the caller—Ming Guang.

"After she awakens, the Labyrinth City will no longer be needed. The Isolation Barrier will vanish, so communication becomes possible," Lan explained matter-of-factly.

Zhou Xiangzhe didn't mind. He stepped aside and answered the call.

As soon as the call connected, Ming Guang's voice came through.

"Where are you?! I've called you over fifty times! Everyone says you disappeared!"

"Labyrinth City," Zhou Xiangzhe replied simply. "What happened?"

Ming Guang's voice stumbled a bit, as if completely baffled how Zhou Xiangzhe teleported from Central City to Chenmo West City and into the Labyrinth City?!

But the matter was too urgent. He quickly coughed to steady his voice.

"That's perfect! Hurry and find a way out. Chenmo West City has a huge problem. The Labyrinth City you're in has manifested, right smack in a residential area. The Anti-Contamination Center is evacuating the surrounding residents, but there are too many—it's impossible to complete in a short time. And on top of that, the Center issued a Red Alert, saying there might be a Grade S Contaminant in the Labyrinth City!"

Zhou Xiangzhe nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Abnormalities appeared at the Zero Contamination Zone and Contamination Site No. 3," Ming Guang said. "Three places having problems at the same time. The Anti-Contamination Center issued the highest alert. Everything feels off."

Zhou Xiangzhe thought about the Zero Contamination Zone and Contamination Site No. 3, and they matched the addresses he'd seen earlier.

The Vanishing Project had only sealed three locations. Among them, the Zero Contamination Zone and Contamination Site No. 3 were recorded Grade S Contaminants, while only the Labyrinth City was an unrecorded Grade S Mutant. It seemed that aside from the Labyrinth City, the Grade S Contaminants at the other two places had developed issues due to Xianji's death.

Zhou Xiangzhe lightly tapped the wall with his knuckles, a trace of irritation in his eyes.

Lan killing Xianji had indeed added a tremendous workload for him. And he didn't approve of Lan's methods either.

The implementation of the Vanishing Project was indeed terrible, but Xianji's death made it even worse, setting off every possible landmine.

"I'll try to leave the Labyrinth City as soon as possible," Zhou Xiangzhe said. "All of North Star on standby. Deploy immediately if there's a problem."

Ming Guang understood the priorities. He immediately agreed and hung up.

Meanwhile, Lan was flipping through his foresight book. After reading for a bit, he frowned again.

He shut the book with a bang and looked at Shen Wang. "You go in first."

"You have the Invitation Letter. Once you enter, you'll see her immediately. Remember to call her by her name."

Shen Wang was a bit puzzled. "Don't you have an Invitation Letter too?"

"It's different. I don't have musical talent, so you're the best candidate."

"Aren't we waiting for Zhou Xiangzhe?"

"He's not The Child. He has legs—how could he get lost?" Lan said. "Just go in already."

Shen Wang looked at Lan oddly, then nodded after a moment. "Alright."

Anyway, Shen Wang trusted that his brother wouldn't harm him.

After seeing Shen Wang go in, Lan also threw The Hound in. Yes, he practically threw him.

Finally, Zhou Xiangzhe returned after his call and saw the empty doorway, only Lan standing there alone.

"Let's talk." Lan held his foresight book in one hand and met Zhou Xiangzhe's gaze. "You won't refuse, right?"

/

Uncontrollable emotions and desires would cause contamination to spread, increasing a mutant's Contamination Level. That increase would then lead to mental abnormality—a vicious cycle that wouldn't stop until death or aberration into a contaminant.

Mental abnormality was that simple and that complex.

"I didn't originally plan to bring you, but I didn't expect you to chase after us here. I believe you've already discovered a lot."

Lan said, "Zhou Xiangzhe, I don't agree with you being together with Shen Wang. Because this isn't like when you were kids at the orphanage being friends—something a simple 'too young to understand' could excuse."

"If you want to be with him, you must face many things."

Zhou Xiangzhe sighed softly. "Does Shen Wang know you're telling me this?"

"So?"

"Since he doesn't want me to know, then I know nothing."

Zhou Xiangzhe spread his hands. "Why wouldn't I believe him and instead believe what you say? Shen Wang is my teammate, and you're a fugitive."

"North Star's internal rule: 100% trust in your teammates."

Lan: … impervious to reason.

With that, Zhou Xiangzhe turned to enter the City of Heavenly Sound.

But Lan spoke again. "Even if you pretend not to know, it's useless. You have to choose."

Zhou Xiangzhe stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing much. Stalling is pointless. You have to choose: him, or your human faction? As the protector of Central City, the guiding light of humanity, the reassurance of the Anti-Contamination Center Leadership—I must know where your stance lies."

Zhou Xiangzhe sighed softly, turning back to face Lan.

"Lan, you're a Grade S mutant with Talent: Foresight. You can see things others don't, foresee the future. So don't you understand?"

Lan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Oh right, you've never had a romantic bone in your body."

"Huh?"

"So you don't get it."

Zhou Xiangzhe smiled slightly, turned, and entered the City of Heavenly Sound, not bothering to explain.

Lan was only demanding Zhou Xiangzhe declare his stance as a brother. Because a powerful Grade S mutant was simply too dangerous—if Zhou Xiangzhe chose the humans, then Shen Wang would be caught in a dilemma. Lan didn't want Shen Wang to be hurt or saddened, so after confirming Zhou Xiangzhe had sensed something, he confronted him directly.

But Lan was just a normal person, so he didn't understand…

In this relationship, the one who didn't want their stance issue exposed wasn't Shen Wang, but Zhou Xiangzhe.

In fact, Shen Wang was hardly hiding it well. Beyond basic cover-ups, he didn't care at all about himself. He even sought thrills in it, taking advantage of Zhou Xiangzhe's incomplete knowledge to tease him, playing strange games.

The one keeping everything shrouded in fog, never clarifying, had always been Zhou Xiangzhe.

Because Zhou Xiangzhe knew: if everything were exposed, the one who would choose wouldn't be him—it would be Shen Wang.

Shen Wang would choose to stay by his side or leave.

The passive one had always been Zhou Xiangzhe.

As long as everything remained hidden, as long as Zhou Xiangzhe didn't know and the Anti-Contamination Center didn't know, then Shen Wang wouldn't have to make that choice. He would stay with Zhou Xiangzhe in Central City, dating him like a normal, ordinary person in a normal relationship.

Once exposed, Zhou Xiangzhe wouldn't even have a reason to ask Shen Wang to stay.

Even Zhou Xiangzhe's constant attempts to recruit Lan and The Hound into the Anti-Contamination Center were for this purpose. As long as Lan and The Hound weren't on the opposing side of humans, Shen Wang wouldn't need to make a choice, and their stance issue could be written off entirely.

But it looked like Lan and The Hound had no intention of granting his wish, only wanting to fight the Science Academy to the end.

Zhou Xiangzhe thought quietly: a little slower, hide a little longer, keep thinking of what to do.

… think of a way to still be with Shen Wang, even if Shen Wang didn't choose him.