Artifact Report

Chapter 161 Mai Minghe: The Dying Man

Mai Minghe really forgot about the elevator.

Because the elevator doesn't exist, people who use it will disappear—?
It doesn't even make sense. I've lived for eighty-six years and never heard anything like it.

This absurd and illogical reminder appeared once and was never mentioned again; it was easy for people to forget it, after all, there was no elevator shaft in the building and no elevator doors on the walls - that was of course, because elevators did not exist.

However, the non-existent thing was always remembered by Fu Tailan and even used.

The moment he pushed the sea reed into the wall, Mai Minghe suddenly understood his intention.

At this time, Hai Luwei tilted his body, and his entire upper body disappeared behind the wall. One of his injured feet could not exert any strength, and the other foot also lost balance.

Fu Tailan's hand, grabbing the little bit of his shirt that was left outside, became the only force holding him back, a lifeline that could break at any time; if he let go, Hai Luwei would fall into the non-existent elevator and become a non-existent person.

"It's not too late to pull him out now."

The boy looked at Mai Minghe and said, "But I'm about to let go. Do you want to come over and hold him back?"

Mai Minghe stood there in a daze, unable to move or speak for a moment.

This time, Fu Tailan's plan was clearly laid out on the table. With just a little thought, one could imagine what would happen next.

But even if we know what he is going to do, what can we do?

My chest feels empty, my heartbeat had slipped away at some point, and now it's stuck in the wound, beating back and forth in the torn flesh and blood, as if there's only one strong nerve left in my body.

...Do I really have to go to Fu Tailan just for a stranger I just met tonight?
Mai Minghe looked around blankly, subconsciously looking for a way to bypass him, a way to avoid his attack.

But there was nothing useful in sight.

"There's no way to have it both ways. I can keep the illusion and save him at the same time. You should have figured that out, right?"

Fu Tailan tilted her head, her eyelashes half-drooped, and her eyes in the shadows were like dark clouds in the night sky.

"I'm really going to let go, and I'm not lying this time."

His voice was very soft, almost sleepy, and he said, "Three—"

Mai Minghe couldn't help but move.

The garbage pipe kept its chin on the first step, as if watching a show; when she took a step forward, bursts of foul odors came out from the depths of the dark pipe, wheezing and laughing.

"You're really going, you idiot! Every death of such rubbish as humans is a waste! Why don't you jump in too?"

In the rapidly spouting words, Fu Tailan said softly:
"two."

Mai Minghe wiped his eyes and dragged his feet, trying to speed up so that he could catch up with him and let go, but at the same time he hoped that he would never be able to catch up.

Comparing the two, the second idea was stronger, almost sticking to her and making her unable to move her feet.

A faint, distant voice was saying that she had already shown that she was rushing to save people, and that was almost enough. Even if Hai Luwei disappeared in the elevator, she wouldn't be excusing herself, right?
After all, there is no such thing as being able to save someone just because you want to. Wasn't she already on her way to save him? She just didn't make it in time. How could she be blamed for not making it in time?

Even if Hai Luwei was possessed by a ghost, we cannot blame her for not walking fast enough while dragging her injured foot.

"……one."

As if he noticed the stickiness under her feet, after the "one" shape, Fu Tailan let go of her hand decisively.

My mind went blank for a moment.

When Mai Minghe came to her senses, she found that she had taken a step forward. At the moment when Hai Luwei was about to fall completely into the wall, she grabbed his belt tightly with both hands - only his lower body was exposed outside the wall.

It was as if someone had built sea reeds into the wall; she felt as if she were being pulled out of a quagmire of quicksand, and if she wasn't careful, she might fall in herself.

Mai Minghe gritted his teeth, grabbed him with both hands, and backed away little by little.

Fu Tailan stood a step away and whispered, "Then... I have to be rude."

After he finished speaking, he did not take action immediately.

He first looked at the sea reed, as if he was measuring the timing for the latter to be pulled out of the wall. In the despair of being trapped in the cracks, Mai Minghe suddenly realized that he really didn't want to kill anyone.

If she attacked too late, Mai Minghe would have a chance to escape; but if she attacked too early, she would lose her strength and let Hai Luwei fall back.

Fu Tailan seemed a little embarrassed. She coughed, reached out and pressed the "snake belt" on her body through her clothes.

At that moment, she wanted to scream, wanted to shake him off, wanted to step back - but she couldn't let go, and she couldn't escape.

"……Feel sorry."

When Hai Luwei fell in the stairwell with a "bang", his face had turned completely purple.

It was as if his trachea had become a drinking straw, clenched tightly by his teeth. Even if he tried hard to draw air into his body, he couldn't take in much - the hoarse and rough sound of his breathing gradually became distant and blurred in Mai Minghe's ears, shrouded in a layer of mist.

She must have fallen to the ground, the ceiling looked so high.

Finally, he was brought back to his original form.

Being able to live once in the most vigorous form before dying, and seeing all kinds of things in the nest... I don't know whether to say it is the world's kindness to her, or torture to her.

She hadn't had the chance to look for the false image as a hunter yet.

My whole life of being cautious and silent in Blackmore City will eventually disappear behind me, leaving no trace.

Fortunately, Hai Luwei was rescued and did not die because of her.

Regret, reluctance, relief, nostalgia...all kinds of emotions seemed to arise, but also seemed not to exist, it was hard to describe.

Because the moment the "snake belt" leaves the body, the ability to perceive emotions ages and becomes numb along with the body, becoming unclear, like the dull pain of arthritis on a rainy day.

"Mai, Mai Minghe?"

Sea Reed finally caught his breath, frantically crawled over, and called out in a trembling voice, "Is it really... is it really you? You used to... you used to be like this?"

A warm hand pressed against the bony back of her, lifting her up—and she slid down again.

Leaning on something also requires muscles and physical strength.

The old man who had reached the point of Mai Ming River could not even lean on anything. He was like a boneless, shriveled shell. Even if he was helped up, he would slide down again along the arms of the sea reed.

The apartment corridor, the sea reeds, and Fu Tailan, who was holding a long black snake in his hand not far away, seemed to have suddenly become larger and dim.

It seems that my situation is much worse than before I met the thief.

That's right. Ever since she put on the "snake belt", she had endured countless hardships and accumulated countless fatigue and injuries. Suddenly, all of these were superimposed on her 86-year-old body. It was a miracle that she was not dead.

"Why save me?" Sea Reed murmured, seeming at a loss.

What's the "why" about this?
If someone must die, it would be the person whose life is already coming to an end. That would only make sense.

Can we let young people die for old people?
"Fu Tailan, take the fake image back!" Hai Luwei suddenly looked up and shouted, "What's the difference between what you're doing and killing her?"

Fu Tailan didn't move, and seemed to be muttering something, but it was unclear. Logically, he had already achieved his goal and should have left long ago, but for some reason he was still standing there.

Is it simply because the stairs are blocked by the garbage pipe?

No, since he made this plan, he naturally knew how to get out of it.

...Why are you still here?

Mai Minghe couldn't turn his neck, so he could only turn his eyes towards him with difficulty.

Even though she couldn't see clearly, she could still vaguely feel that at this moment there seemed to be an emotion that was tightly grasping Fu Tailan, making him stand still and unable to move.

……it's wired.

It was clearly he who was about to die, but the one who was afraid was Fu Tailan.

　I am particularly tired today. Originally, this chapter should have been written from a dual perspective to give everyone a satisfying (? ) experience, but I was almost as tired as Mai Minghe, so I wrote it a little shorter.

　　After writing this chapter, I kept thinking: This is really not the material for writing a cool story. I know how this development is going to be, it is really unsatisfying. There is no desperate counterattack by the protagonist, only the inevitable development of the situation...ah, it deserves to be an upset.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)