Second Round of the Family Hierarch Evaluation, part 6 (after battle)
I... huff... I swear, she's gonna get... a fist to her face before we... huff... leave this place...
<Huff... man... I... really should've done some... cardio... with you... guys... Huff... huff...>
My legs were screaming at me to take a seat and rest, but... we simply did not have the time to sit still.
<We've got no choice but to keep on running...>
Hong Lu... This place must not have offered much diversion for a child...
Was it not drab or tedious?
Grandmother really knew a lot about Boluses.
Every time I was here, I would always watch her take command of the room, fiercely bringing about a storm of directions and orders for the researchers.
So no, it wasn't drab or tedious. And...
…….
Hong Lu?
... Thinking back on it, whenever grandmother summoned me to visit this place together, I...
... I think I felt a bit of happiness.
Why?
That's...
That's when Outis suddenly came to a stop, raised her fist, and motioned in a way that caught everyone's attention. She'd been walking ahead in the vanguard.
Stop, stop. She saw something up ahead.
Figure up ahead. Solo.
Hopefully, she's a candidate who's been separated from her clan. It should be easy coins for us if that's the case.
Outis muttered with a bit of anticipation. It really seemed like she was in her element here...
Don't worry, Outis.
I am acquainted with her.
However, contrary to Outis's wishes, she was not one of the candidates.
…….
She's a... bodyguard of a Xue family candidate.
Why are you here all alone, Daiyu?
How funny, I was just thinking about you.
You...?
For the briefest moment, Daiyu's eyes looked at Hong Lu with disbelief - before hardening into a stern expression.
Ah... I must have alarmed you all. Apologies.
The walls came out of nowhere - excuse me. My inattentiveness has separated me from the rest of the clan.
So... you have no idea where the rest of your clan or your candidate is?
... No.
But if a different candidate finds you here alone...
... they will attempt to eliminate me, though I am but a follower. Because it would be beneficial for them to do so.
Daiyu, then... have you been waiting here all along, waiting for the one you follow to return?
... Yes.
I suppose I did, in the belief that if I simply waited in the same place we became separated, they would... eventually come back for me.
A foolish belief. The arena is constantly shrinking; they wouldn't take the risk of coming back here just to pick up a straggler.
... Of course. They wouldn't.
The air between us had become palpably awkward with impressive rapidity.
I suppose... it could be said that you have a certain advantage over other candidates here.
You're more familiar with this place than anyone else, are you not?
…….
Silence again. Just like then... Just like when you refused to tell me anything to the end.
In all those years I was in your service after the complete annihilation of the Kong family...
Baoyu, big bro Baoyu! Here, here!
Ugh, what happened now? You're looking so glum again! We're still gonna play the game you like today, right?
Oh, don't tell me. Are those meanies back at it again? I'll kick their butts with this new move I learned yesterday -
No, it's okay. Don't worry, Daiyu.
I still don't understand why they say those things to me, but...
... I still think I could be their friend one day.
Young master Baoyu... do you know the whereabouts of the venerable Jia Mu?
She said she'll be at the lab for a little bit.
Oh, oh no, that's not good. I... I have something to tell her... It's actually, umm, very urgent...
I need more of those Boluses to maintain this body... but she just wouldn't return my attempts to reach her, so I thought I would pay her a visit myself and -
Kuh -
...!
A-are you okay?
Big bro... h-hide behind me...!
He's... he's not from Hongyuan...!
…….
I see... She must not have discarded her clone for over a week.
Foolish girl. I warned her time and again that either the clone with a cloned brain or the original must be discarded within the week of production.
It seems that she could not bear to relinquish this new body of hers, unburdened by ailments of both body and mind.
G-grandma, is... is there anything we can do for her?
The Head... will not suffer those who have broken their Taboos to live.
This is the omnipresent terror they cast over us; they are always watching, always primed to appear no matter where you are.
Even as you eat. Even as you slumber. Even as you are wed.
The circumstance matters not; the context is meaningless. If a Taboo is broken, they will be there to carry out the sentence. Almost as if they are... the executors of the natural law.
Let us leave here, Baoyu.
Be careful! Don't touch her!
I... I think she's gone. She's not breathing.
B-but look, her eyes are still open.
I want to... help her close her eyes. It's too cruel and sad for her to be all alone, even in her final moments... looking at this lonely place.
Baoyu...
... Then come here again tomorrow, then again the day after.
Grandma brings me here everyday anyway...
It's going to happen whether I want to or not. Why would you say such a thing, Daiyu?
Because... whenever I see you, I see...
... I see the face of someone who's just about ready to leave this world forever.
Okay? Promise you won't leave me alone in here.
I'm just as scared of this place as you are, it feels too big, too vast... But... just by thinking about playing with you, flying kites with you, it makes...
... it all makes me feel a little better.
The Restructuring Day has begun, it seems.
…….
I hate... I hate these Restructuring Days... I hate the sound of those bells...
Rest easy, little Baoyu, for these Restructuring Days will not touch us. Daguanyuan only expands, and never shrinks as the homes of the poor do.
Um, grandma...
Do you think... Daguanyuan can change?
... What has prompted this question?
Because I...
I want Daguanyuan to...
...! Oh...!
Agh... Nngh...
A-are you okay?
Stop the palanquin!
Please... please, help me pull him up! He's gonna fall!
Wha... I'm sorry?
Young master, it's too late for him.
Helping him now won't do any -
How can I just turn a blind eye and pass him by like nothing happened?! He's right there, in pain!
Please help me pull him up, please.
Little Baoyu, you cannot save them, let alone everyone.
And if you cannot save everyone, it is wiser to not try at all.
I know, I know I can't save everyone. But...
At least this one person who's about to fall, please...
You struggled to move past this during the last Restructuring Day as well.
So, has your struggle managed to save even a single life?
... No.
Still, grandma... still...
…….
Try it, then.
It would be much better for you to learn this lesson early.
…….
…….
What is it, little Baoyu?
Uh...
I... I must've been mistaken. I thought I saw someone watching me...
Once the memory faded, Lin Daiyu stumbled before leaning on a wall.
What... was that? Visions... of the memories I never wished to see again...
<...?! Wait, she saw that, too...?>
Did you just... did you just see that, too?
What... what kind of...
... Dante. Perhaps this is another feature of the previously discussed expansion of your abilities.
<... So does that mean I can show our Sinner's past... to non-Sinners, too?>
<And it's totally out of my control...?>
That possibility cannot be entirely dismissed, but it is unlikely that your abilities activate with no discernible pattern. There must be a condition that must first be met.
I wonder what that might be? Wang Zhao from earlier seemed unaffected by it...
... A possible connection can be drawn to the rising level of one's emotions. The visions, even when they activated for the Sinners, were brought on by certain emotional triggers.
In such a case... an individual who is a part of a powerful memory that causes the Sinner's emotional state to drastically spike could trigger a resonance effect.
<Hong Lu...?>
Daiyu...
I ended up leaving you all alone in Daguanyuan, in spite of your pleading.
So, your resentment is justified.
…….
You know that's not what I wanted to hear.
Nothing. You refused to tell me anything about what happened here on that day, your only response a... smile.
…….
... And I see that hasn't changed.
Hong Lu's only solace in those... unwilling visits to the laboratory...
... was that he got to spend time with Lin Daiyu.
After that day, you've wasted your days away, locking yourself within the bounds of Daguanyuan, never leaving its premises even once...
And when I inquired, you'd only make a sorry smile, not giving me an answer all the same...
Until one day, completely out of the blue, you said you'd be leaving Daguanyuan.
You... weren't the only one who lost those who were important to them in the annihilation of the Kong family.
... In fact - did you ever, truly care about anyone to begin with?
There was a silence. Her questions were sharp and thorned, but Hong Lu made no attempts at making excuses or denying her accusations.
... You're right, Daiyu. You must've suffered so much worse than I have. So much so that I can't even begin to imagine it.
But even if you were to learn of everything that happened... what will that knowledge do to heal your pain?
All this suffering, all this joy, they're just... moments, bound to be lost in time. Trying to catch what is destined to slip away will only bring pain to your heart, nothing more.
I know.
But what I really couldn't bear was... It's - Just... Just what happened to you that - !
…….
Apologies. I must have lost myself for a moment.
It was... improper of me to show such emotion to a candidate who's not my master or even a relative. Please excuse my impudence.
So... I'm really sorry about having to bring this up in the middle of a serious discussion, but... don't you think we should probably get moving?
Enough time has passed. The walls... will begin invading this space soon.
Daiyu...
How about you come with us? Only if you'd like to, of course.
At least until we run into big sis Baochai again.
Tossing me a pinch of pity?
No. Because this place is too dangerous to be alone.
…….
If I travel with you, will I... see more of those bizarre visions?
Well, I don't know... That was the manager's power, not mine...
I'd like to recommend against going through more of these visions, but I won't stop you.
... Then, please excuse my intrusion.
I will try my utmost to not be a... burden to you.