Swoosh!
With a soft click, the lock disengaged. Ling Xuan pulled up the rolling shutter, then pushed open the wooden door. Gazing at the flower shop before her, a faint sigh escaped her lips.
A year prior, soon after moving out, Lin Xuan had used her first substantial earnings from live streaming to secure a loan. Driven by her passion for flowers and their language, and a desire for novelistic inspiration, she purchased this somewhat secluded storefront.
It was during a climactic point in her writing, her ‘chuunibyou’ spirit flaring, that she christened it the ‘Myriad Worlds Flower Shop’. Given its out-of-the-way location, customers were scarce, often nonexistent.
Yet, at some point, a peculiar clientele began to trickle in. They spoke in a strange blend of archaic and modern language, exuding an air of pretentious ‘chuunibyou’ wherever they went.
Among them, a recent elder left the deepest impression on Lin Xuan. Upon his arrival, he spouted ‘chuunibyou’ phrases like, “This one is the Vice Alliance Leader of the Immortal Alliance,” and “From whence does this esteemed Daoist friend hail?”
As a novelist with a broad imagination, Lin Xuan, ever eager to make a sale, played along. She adopted their dramatic speech, uttering ‘profound’ words that, sure enough, successfully bluffed the old man. ‘Truly, to be so old and still compete with youngsters in chuunibyou tendencies—his heart certainly hasn’t aged!’ she thought.
From then on, the ‘chuunibyou’ elder treated her with immense respect, even sending her gifts occasionally. However, Ling Xuan consistently refused them.
They were nothing more than tattered, embroidered copper pieces and ‘antiques’ that looked suspiciously brand new. Of course, the old ‘chuunibyou’ called them ‘ancient immortal artifacts’. It was obvious they were modern fakes! This old man had probably been swindled by unscrupulous merchants.
Yet, for reasons unknown, after Lin Xuan’s casual rejections, the elder’s gaze grew even more reverent. He cautiously asked if he could inform other ‘Daoist friends’ about the flower shop’s existence.
But Lin Xuan was deep into a heated King of Glory match at the time. Without a second thought, she simply tossed him a reply.
“Don’t make a sound. Be quiet!”
The elder immediately retreated, looking terrified. For a long time afterward, he didn’t appear, and the shop returned to its usual quiet. This incident made Lin Xuan feel guilty for a while. ‘The old man clearly looked lonely, seeking conversation because of his age, and I was so impatient…’
“Alas, another month with not a single cent of income.”
If not for the substantial earnings from her live streaming, she wouldn’t bother keeping this flower shop open. Still, it was a way to cultivate her temperament, she mused.
Lost in thought, she stepped into the dimly lit shop.
An old cash register stood by the entrance. The antique model that once rested upon it had been discarded due to its age, leaving only an empty countertop.
Behind the counter, neatly arranged flower stands displayed various blooms, each with its own nameplate: golden lilies, datura, crystal orchids, and more.
All the flowers flourished, emitting a beautiful glow in the darkness. For some reason, despite this being Lin Xuan’s first time growing flowers—and her simply watering them uniformly without special care for each species—every single one thrived, growing even more beautifully than their online counterparts. Lin Xuan even wondered if she possessed the legendary ‘green thumb’.
“In any case, I’ll water them first!”
She walked behind the counter, picked up the watering can, and shook it. Then, she glanced at the long row of neatly arranged flower stands before her.
“It feels like they still need a little water.”
After a moment’s thought, Lin Xuan retrieved an ancient, golden cup from the counter’s drawer.
This was an item left behind by a female customer who had visited the shop during a foggy spell some time ago.
The ‘chuunibyou’ foreign customer had come to buy flowers that day without money, claiming she would pawn this ‘Holy Grail’ here and return later with funds to pay. Her attire clearly marked her as an old-school anime fan!
However, her cosplaying as a wealthy individual, complete with impeccable etiquette, didn’t suggest she would default on a debt. Moreover, the foreign woman seemed genuinely fond of flowers.
Lin Xuan considered it and agreed.
After all, it was just a pot of flowers, wasn’t it?
Besides, she wasn’t the first person to come to her shop to buy flowers without money…
Subconsciously, she glanced at the dilapidated basin beside the counter, filled with a pile of oddities: glass beads, an iron rod, a rusty small cauldron…
Lin Xuan let out a long sigh.
Having run a flower shop to this day, she hadn’t earned a single cent and had instead collected a pile of junk. In a sense, she supposed she was quite the ‘talent’.
Shaking her head helplessly, she filled the ‘Holy Grail’ with water from the tap and poured it into the watering can. Lin Xuan then approached the flower stands, watering each pot one by one.
She didn’t notice the faint golden light that seemed to flash across the leaves of the watered flowers.
****
By the time all the flowers were watered, the sky had completely darkened.
The watering can was empty, not a single drop left. Shaking the hollow can, Lin Xuan gazed at the thriving flowers in the darkness, a faint smile gracing her lips.
For a fleeting moment, her charm caused even the myriad blooms before her to dim slightly.
“Alright, now let me figure out how to control these ears and tail…”
****
“King…”
The armored man before him was utterly disfigured, black blood continuously gushing from the wounds on his face.
The sound emanating from deep within his throat was like the wail of a hellish specter.
“General Chu, since this one first gained awareness, you have followed this one for nearly ten years, haven’t you?”
Zhao Zheng concentrated all his remaining strength into his hand, looking at the great general, behind whom lay countless shattered corpses.
The light of reason had completely vanished from his eyes, replaced by a gradually brightening, primal gleam from their depths.
The treasured sword at his waist began to glow, and faintly, the roar of a dragon could be heard.
“Today, this one grants you death!”
“King…”
The zombie neither dodged nor flinched. It merely raised its head blankly, its now blackened pupils reflecting the golden sword wreathed in dragon qi.
“You’ve grown up…”
The golden sword mercilessly pierced the opponent’s heart. Surging dragon qi instantly annihilated his life force.
“…The rest, leave it all to this one!”
Gently placing the rapidly decaying body on the ground, Zhao Zheng slowly sheathed his long sword. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and he leaned against a nearby tree.
Through the withered tree trunks, he gazed at the distant land, now reduced to ashes, and the already ruined royal city.
The countless citizens who once resided there had now become walking corpses, their souls stripped away, aimlessly wandering.
This was the last city.
The Divine Land had completely fallen, transforming into a kingdom of the undead.
He lifted his head.
Under the black night sky, the stars shone with an eerie, dark red glow. In the inky universe, greedy eyes, pair after pair, watched this planet with a hint of mockery.
The wound on his left hand still throbbed occasionally. Zhao Zheng withdrew his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips, and turned to walk towards the mountaintop.
At least in the end,
Let this one gaze upon this land one last time!
Pushing his body, which was nearing its limits, he observed the mist-shrouded path ahead.
The young king’s smile turned into a bitter one.
“Alas, alas…”
From the mountain forest behind, an inhuman roar echoed. A monster, its body covered with countless twisted faces, flickered in and out of sight among the withered trees.
Hearing this, Zhao Zheng no longer hesitated, stepping into the mist.
Soon after he entered the fog, the monster, oozing pus and composed of countless distorted, suffering faces, roared and gave chase.
But just as one massive foot stepped into the mist, this monarch-level monster froze completely, trembling slightly.
Before it could even let out a shriek, it dissolved into a pool of foul-smelling blood.