Generation Z Mainland

Chapter 26

The content of this article is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Niu Yinuo, along with Zhang Hanrui and his group, finally found Zuo Qihan.

At that moment, he had shed the fiery energy surrounding him and reverted to his ordinary college student appearance. He squatted under a large, leafy tree, hugging his knees tightly with both hands, burying his head deeply in them, and muttering to himself, "Was I really wrong...? If it weren't for me, Hao Hao wouldn't have left, and everyone wouldn't be in such danger... It's all my fault, everything is my fault..."

Li Jiasen walked forward slowly, then squatted down, gently stroking Zuo Qihanrui's head, his voice as soft as a spring breeze: "It wasn't your fault, it's all in the past, it's alright, it's alright..."

"But... from the moment we stepped into the Dark Forest, it was because of me that you all ended up in danger. Many people were injured before, including Hao Hao... Have I failed you all? Xiao Guan entrusted me with the responsibility of captain, but I've been so incompetent, failing to protect everyone and safely return you to your original world..."

Perhaps sensing someone approaching, Zuo Qihan slowly raised his head, his lips trembling slightly as he murmured to himself for a while. A crystal tear quietly slid down his cheek, shimmering in the sunlight.

On the other side, Yang Bowen's anger gradually subsided and his rationality slowly returned, but a sudden worry welled up in his heart: "Will Zuo Qihan and the others be in trouble?"

Fu Ziming stepped forward, gently patted his shoulder, and comforted him, "Don't worry, with Brother Nuo here, I believe everything will be alright. Right, everyone?" After saying that, he turned to look at everyone, and Wang Lujie stepped forward and took the lead, saying, "Yes, trust them, let's just wait for news now."

For a while, Zhang Xuanrui remained focused on investigating the mystery of the barrier's formation. He was currently casting a spell on the thread-like beam of light atop the barrier. After a moment, he frowned slightly. Seeing this, Yu Junxi quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong? Alright, what have you discovered?"

Zhang Xuanrui shook his head slightly, his eyes full of doubt: "I suspect the caster of this barrier is nearby, but the feeling is sometimes near and sometimes far. I don't know if it's just my imagination..."

In an instant, Zhang Xuanrui seemed to sense something and suddenly raised his head, only to see a figure standing on the roof of their wooden house, transmitting energy to the barrier.

"Chen Junming?" Zhang Yiran looked at Chen Junming, who had his hands raised high above his head. The young man's brows were furrowed as he tried his best to repair a small hole in the barrier.

After repairing the tiny hole, Chen Junming lightly leaped off the roof and returned to the group. He found everyone staring at him with astonishment. A bright smile spread across his face as he asked, "What's wrong, everyone?"

Zhang Yiran smiled and reached out to pat his head, beaming, "You little rascal, how long are you planning to keep this a secret from everyone?"

Chen Junming glanced up at him, their eyes met, and Zhang Yiran's smile deepened: "So that's what you're planning?... To share Zuo Qihan's burden and protect everyone?"

Chen Junming lowered his head, his fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of his clothes, and said in a low voice, "Actually, I wanted to use this ability when Mei Suzhi first attacked us, but for some reason, I couldn't use it at all at that time... It was only after coming here that I was able to use it freely, and this place is indeed very suitable as our sanctuary."

Fu Ziming suddenly laughed and joked, "Zhang Yiran, aren't you feeling unwell now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Yiran frowned and rubbed his temples. "A little, but... I should... be able to hold on..." Suddenly, he lost his balance and fell forward. Li Yunchen, who was standing nearby, caught him. "Are you alright?" Zhang Yiran shook his head weakly and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Sure enough, showing off... comes at a... price..."

Guan Junchen stepped forward and, together with Li Yunchenrui, helped Zhang Yiran to a chair to sit down and rest. He then went over and gently patted Chen Junming's shoulder, his eyes full of praise: "Great job, our little Junming, you've really grown up."

Chen Junming grinned, his eyes shining with determination: "I really want to go back to the world safely with everyone."

"Go back? You don't really think you can go back?"

A sharp, piercing female voice suddenly rang out, like a blade slicing through the silence. Everyone frowned and looked in the direction of the sound. Guan Junchen and Yang Bowen quickly stepped in front of them, while Zhang Yiran also raised his hand to protect Li Jiayin behind him.

Li Yudong, his face contorted with rage, rushed forward and roared, "You wicked woman! Where did you take Brother Wang Hao and Brother Wang Junxi?! Give them back to us!" Nie Weichen, standing nearby, tried to pull him back, preventing him from getting any closer, saying, "Calm down."

The newcomer was Mei Suzhi. She frowned slightly, then gave a strange smile: "Oh? I really don't know what's going on. But I'm just wondering if it's time for me to have a good chat with little Li Jiayin?"

Wei Zichen desperately tried to hold back the agitated Li Yudong, while Zhi Enhan quickly walked over and gently comforted him, saying, "Don't be impulsive."

Zhang Yiran sat in the chair, his raised hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. He gritted his teeth and stared intently at Mei Suzhi, his eyes filled with determination: "We absolutely cannot hand Xing'er over to you!"

However, Li Jiayin seemed to have made up her mind, and walked firmly straight towards Mei Suzhi. Despite Zhang Yiran's repeated calls from behind, she did not turn around.

"If I go with you, will you stop hurting everyone?"

Mei Suzhi was amused by the innocent little girl and laughed out loud: "Child, I didn't say that, but if you obediently follow me, I can give you some clues about leaving this world."

Guan Junchen frowned, his face full of suspicion: "Why should we believe you?"

Mei Suzhi gave a cold "heh heh," and just then, Li Jiayin said, "Whether what you're saying is true or false, I'll go with you, but on the condition that you absolutely cannot hurt anyone else!"

Mei Suzhi's lips curled into a disdainful smile. After a moment's thought, she said, "Fine, I agree. Come with me." With that, she turned and left.

Li Jiayin took two steps forward, and Zhang Yiran suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm: "Xing'er."

Siyin hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed her: "Xing'er, you can't go! What if Li Jiasen comes back and we..."

Asata's expression was firm: "Princess, I will go with you."

Zhang Xuanrui looked at Asata and said seriously, "That's fine, but you must protect her secretly."

Asata's gaze never left Li Jiayin: "Of course I understand."

Seeing that Li Jiayin had not yet caught up, Mei Suzhi stopped and impatiently turned around to urge her, "Aren't you coming over here? Don't wait until I change my mind."

Watching Li Jiayin and Mei Suzhi leave together, Zhang Yiran collapsed to the ground, muttering, "Jiasen, I'm sorry..."

On the other side, after Zuo Qihan's emotions gradually calmed down, he slowly stood up but suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed. Li Jiasen reached out to support his shoulder, and everyone gathered around, looking at the unconscious Zuo Qihan with worried expressions.

While unconscious, Zuo Qihan felt himself floating into a mysterious place. When he looked up, he saw a masked boy in a cloak. The boy seemed to sense his doubt and gently removed the mask, revealing a face exactly like Zuo Qihan's under the black cloak.

Zuo Qihan stared in shock, his lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a word for a long time. The face before him, identical to his own, made him feel as if he were looking in a mirror, yet this bizarre scene clearly told him that this was no longer a simple dream.

"Who...who are you? Why do you look just like me?" Zuo Qihan finally mustered up the courage to ask.

The boy smiled slightly, but his smile carried a hint of bitterness and vicissitude: "I am you, or rather, you from another world."

Zuo Qihan frowned, his face full of doubt: "Me from another world? How is that possible? What exactly happened?"

The boy spoke slowly, his voice low and solemn: "In my world, we once entered this mysterious continent together, but I failed to protect everyone. The forces of darkness continued to erode, and my companions fell one by one. In the end, the entire world was destroyed. And I became a... puppet of the forces of darkness."

Zuo Qihan was shocked, his face filled with terror.

"I came here because your senior told me that if I could help you save and change this world, there might still be hope for our world... But I found..." The boy lowered his head slightly as he spoke, concealing the loneliness in his eyes.

“If I were also… then they… it’s all because of me…” Zuo Qihan said, bowing his head in self-reproach.

The boy suddenly looked up and continued, "No, this isn't your fault. Although I thought so at first, after coming here, I realized that it was all a conspiracy by the dark forces!"

Zuo Qihan pressed urgently, "Then what should I do? Tell me! How can I protect my companions in this world?"

The boy looked at him with unwavering eyes: "You must find the source of that mysterious power and destroy it. I traveled through time to come here to guide you. Remember, when you face difficulties, don't rely solely on your own strength; the unity of your companions is the most powerful weapon. And when necessary, you'll also need..." Before the boy could finish speaking, Zuo Qihan watched as he suddenly disappeared as if his signal had been cut off. Just as he was about to ask something more, he suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, and the scene before him gradually blurred.

"Wait, you haven't finished speaking yet..." Zuo Qihan shouted, only to find himself back beside his companions. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the anxious and concerned faces of his companions.

"Qiqi, you're finally awake! You scared us to death!" Zhang Hanrui said excitedly.

Zuo Qihan sat up, recalling the dream he had just had, and secretly made up his mind: "Everyone, I'm alright now. From now on, let's work together to find a way not only to rescue Wang Hao and Wang Junxi, but also to find a way out of here. I will definitely protect everyone!"

Li Jiasen walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Silly boy, if we work together, we'll find a way!" Zhang Guiyuan nodded: "That's right, Zuo Qian, don't think too much. We just heard Wang Hao and Wang Junxi's voices, let's go check it out!"

Yang Hanbo turned his head and looked at the distance. Xingxi Xinghuan, who had gone to scout ahead, had returned. He asked, "How did it go?"

Xinghuan, holding Xingxi's hand, said, "There's a very mysterious castle in that direction. It looks eerie, but Wang Hao and the others' voices definitely came from there."

Chen Yiheng was pondering with his chin in his hand when he suddenly covered his mouth and said, "A gloomy castle? Just thinking about it makes me shudder..."

Xingxi stepped forward and took his hand: "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

Xinghuan walked to Yang Hanbo's side and continued, "We need to leave quickly. We just found out what was going on inside from not far from the entrance. We heard that the people inside are after their abilities, which showed signs of awakening, and they want to use them..." As she spoke, her voice trembled so much that she couldn't continue. Yang Hanbo put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

Zhiyuan looked at Niu Yinuo and asked worriedly, "Then...should we go now? Or..."

Niu Yinuo looked at Zuo Qihan and asked, "What do you think?"

Remembering what his other self had said in the dream, Zuo Qihan stood up straight with determination and looked towards the castle: "Of course, we'll go now!"

Ling Zhaoxue looked at him with admiration and said firmly, "Then let's set off quickly!"

Zhang Guiyuan walked over to Zuo Qihan, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Don't try to handle it alone later, we'll help you!"

Zuo Qihan turned to look at him and smiled, "Don't worry."

Zhang Hanrui stepped forward and said, "That's right, you dare to try and handle this alone! We're partners! Partners who fight side by side!"

Li Jiasen also said, "Alright, let's go."

Everyone was hurrying along the way when Zuo Qihan suddenly slowed down, walked to Niu Yinuo who was following at the back, and asked, "Brother Nuo, please protect everyone for me, especially Xue and Rui."

Niu Yinuo looked at him and said, "Well, but don't push yourself too hard. I have a feeling that the people there aren't good people. Since they covet their superpowers, yours are even more out of the question..."

Zuo Qihan nodded and said nothing more. The two walked at the back of the group, approaching the mysterious castle step by step.

On the other side, Zhang Yiran, still blaming herself for not protecting Li Jiayin, slumped in a chair, looking sadly at the sky.

Wang Lujie sat down next to him, turned to look at him and asked, "Are you thinking about Xing'er?" Zhang Yiran glanced at him and then looked up at the sky again: "Yes, what did Mei Suzhi mean by what she said when she took Xing'er away?"

Wang Lujie recalled the scene that had just unfolded. When Li Jiayin was taken away by Mei Suzhi, the woman smiled smugly and left with only the words, "If you want to leave, you must make sacrifices."

“Sacrifice. If what she said is true, then who will be the one to sacrifice this time?” Zhang Yiran closed his eyes and murmured to himself. Wang Lujie turned his head to look at him and sighed helplessly.

Meanwhile, Zuo Qihan and the others had arrived in front of a strange ancient castle. Ling Zhaoxue looked at the building in front of her and couldn't help but shiver. Zuo Qihan noticed her movement and asked softly, "Ah Xue, are you alright?"

Ling Zhaoxue breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head: "It's alright, let's go in quickly, saving lives is the priority."

Niu Yinuo held Zhiyuan's hand tightly and led the way inside. The others followed carefully behind them. As soon as they entered the castle, the gate closed gently.

Zhang Guiyuan screamed in fright, "My God! What's going on?!"

Zhang Hanrui rolled her eyes at him impatiently: "If you're so cowardly, you shouldn't have come along!"

"Oh, we have a distinguished guest?" A sharp, shrill male voice rang out in everyone's ears.

"Is it you who took our friend away?" Zuo Qihan spoke first.

The man sneered and said, "So what if it's me? Do you think you can leave my territory alive?"

Zuo Qihan quietly made a hand gesture, and Zhang Hanrui and Yang Hanbo approached him. After discussing it for a while, the three of them exchanged glances and then separated.

"That depends on how capable you are of keeping us under control!" Zuo Qihan was the first to transform into his fiery battle mode, wielding a long sword. Zhang Guiyuan, Niu Yinuo, Li Jiasen, and Chen Yiheng beside him also assumed a fighting stance, while Xingxi transformed into a bow and arrow.

While the five were engaged in a chaotic battle with the mysterious man, Yang Zhiyuan, along with Zhang Hanrui, Ling Zhaoxue, Yang Hanbo, and Xinghuan, quickly searched the interior of the castle for their missing companions.

"Hey! Zhang Hanrui! Why are you pulling me! I need to help Zuo Qihan teach that bastard a lesson!" Ling Zhaoxue was being pulled by Zhang Hanrui with one arm, and she kept slapping him with the other hand in protest.

Zhang Hanrui just kept pulling her without saying a word. Zhiyuan stepped forward and pulled Ling Zhaoxue away from Zhang Hanrui's hand: "Alright, Hanrui, don't pull Xue'er too hard. Just talk to her properly."

Zhang Hanrui then let go. Yang Hanbo turned to look at Xing Huan, and the two exchanged a glance and shrugged.

Zhiyuan pulled Ling Zhaoxue to stand face to face, took her hands in hers, and said gently, "It's enough that they're here. Besides, we have our own tasks. Wouldn't it be faster if we split up?"

Ling Zhaoxue looked towards the end of the corridor he had just come from, where he and his companions were fighting hard.

“We need to hurry. It would be bad if he found out we split up to look for our companions. Let’s go.” Zhiyuan gently took Ling Zhaoxue’s hand and walked in front. Xinghuan followed her sister, while Yang Hanbo and Zhang Hanrui followed at the back.

After an unknown amount of time, the battle on the other side was about to reach its climax. Just as Zuo Qihan was about to use his ultimate move "Blazing Whirlwind," a sudden gust of wind arose, causing the furnishings inside the castle to sway precariously. The mysterious man laughed heartily and took advantage of the chaos to leave.

"Damn it! He got away!" Chen Yiheng angrily put down his bow and arrow, stomped his foot, and Xingxi transformed back into human form, clutching her chest and taking a deep breath.

"Are you alright? You've had a hard time." Chen Yiheng held her hand to comfort her.

Zhang Guiyuan sat down on the steps nearby, looking dejected: "He actually got away! Could it be that this guy chickened out?"

Zuo Qihan sheathed his sword, looked in the direction from which the gust of wind had come, frowned, and said, "I'm afraid he's not just a coward, but has some other scheme."

Niu Yinuo walked over to him and nodded, saying, "So what do we do next? I wonder if Zhiyuan and the others have found the person yet..."

"Hey! We're back!" The voice came from the corridor on the right. Yang Hanbo was seen supporting Wang Hao, and Zhang Hanrui was supporting Wang Junxi as they staggered towards them.

Li Jiasen and Zhang Guiyuan rushed over to help, assisting their two missing companions to sit down and rest.

"How are you two? Are you alright?" Li Jiasen asked, sitting down next to Wang Hao.

After taking a deep breath, Wang Hao shook his head: "I'm fine, but Xiao Wang..."

Li Jiasen leaned over to look at Wang Junxi on the other side. He looked distressed, clutching his chest with both hands: "I feel a terrible headache, and there's some static in my ears..."

Li Jiasen glanced at Wang Junxi's current condition, frowned, and said, "His condition is not good. We need to take him back quickly."

The group immediately left the mysterious and strange castle with their newly found companions. However, just as they left, a strangely dressed girl and a blank-faced boy stood at the castle gate. The girl smirked and sneered, glancing at the boy beside her: "Time to go back. What are you looking at? Do you know anyone here?"

The boy stared ahead without saying a word, then turned and walked away. The girl clenched her fists and followed him, saying, "Hey, you brat! You'll be sorry when your uncle gets back!"

To be continued
(End of this chapter)