The Lingering Flame and Unconventional Kindness

It wasn’t necessarily about targeting her, but one had to be prepared.

‘What is this?’ The man’s gaze sharpened, and he halted. A seemingly ordinary stone slab before him had captured his attention.

The ravages of time were severe upon its surface; the inscriptions had become quite indistinct. Moss completely covered the back of the slab, making it appear lush and verdant from afar, almost blending seamlessly with its surroundings.

One might not have noticed it without a careful look. Indeed, had it not been for the striking crimson script upon it, the man would never have spotted this inconspicuous half-slab.

He crouched down, gently brushing away the dust with his hand. His index finger traced the slab’s surface as he strained to decipher the characters.

‘The lingering flame… shall ultimately illuminate… the earth… the wind… is about to descend?’ The damage was severe, rendering many characters illegible. Furthermore, these were not the common simplified Chinese characters, but rather traditional ones, making identification exceptionally difficult.

Frowning slightly, the man murmured the words aloud. He felt a sense of helplessness regarding the text, which had lost most of its original meaning and was abstract to the extreme.

‘I should keep looking.’ He scanned his surroundings, his mind growing active. Having found one, it stood to reason that the surrounding ruins must hold other clues. If his hunch was correct, there should be several more stone slabs inscribed with text like this.

Clapping his hands together, the man paused, then picked up the slab. He continued his search in the area, carrying it with him. Perhaps he might find the other half; if not, it wouldn’t be too late to look elsewhere.

Perseverance paid off, and it wasn’t long before he discovered another stone slab pressed beneath a broken wall. With considerable effort, he moved the stones that pinned it down.

The man carefully picked up the slab, blew away the surface dust, and continued to decipher it, character by character.

‘…On a night without stars or light, when the last lingering flame has also vanished, the shadows existing within the darkness begin to stir…’

Perhaps because it had been protected beneath the wall, this slab contained much more complete information. Among its inscriptions was a single, fully decipherable sentence.

‘What could this mean?’ His brow furrowed into a deep ‘川’ shape. After a long while, unable to comprehend it, he reluctantly gave up. The man put the slab away, deciding to explore other directions.

‘I only hope it doesn’t disappoint me.’

“By the way, do you two know each other in real life?” Xiang Qi asked, tilting her head with a hint of curiosity.

“No, why would you think that?” Uncle Li replied, sounding surprised.

“No reason, I was just asking,” Xiang Qi said with a shy smile. “I just felt like you two were very familiar with each other, so I subconsciously guessed you might know each other in real life.”

‘She thinks Du Nan and I are familiar?’ Uncle Li stroked his chin, lost in thought, as if recalling something.

“There’s nothing to hide. We met in the last game,” Uncle Li explained to Xiang Qi, patting Du Nan’s shoulder. A smile played on his lips, indicating he was in a good mood. “That time, we were both survivors. I found this kid quite interesting, so I saved him on a whim.”

“I didn’t expect to see him here again.”

He spoke so casually. Xiang Qi fell silent for a moment. To still act kindly and save others after realizing the game’s cruel rules was unexpectedly benevolent.

At the very least, Xiang Qi herself couldn’t do that. She had never been the type to sacrifice herself for others; her greatest kindness was simply not to kick someone when they were down.

‘He’s a good person, but unfortunately, not suited for this game.’
‘Such unnecessary kindness could be deadly.’

“It wasn’t ‘on a whim’ at all!” Du Nan pushed Uncle Li’s hand away, turning to Xiang Qi to add. He was a grateful person and wouldn’t take others’ good deeds for granted. He understood how rare such an act was in that situation.

“The Chaser was about to close in, and the veteran in the middle of our team abandoned everyone else and ran off early. It was Uncle Li who discovered the anomaly while he was patrolling outside.”

“He could have left early too, just like that veteran did, leaving us to die… I knew those veterans weren’t to be trusted; I felt it when he invited us to join his team…” Du Nan suddenly remembered that the girl in front of him was also a veteran, which made him feel a bit awkward. He secretly watched her expression, and seeing no unusual reaction, he continued.

“But Uncle Li didn’t do that. He chose to wake us all up, then we abandoned that temporary stronghold, preventing the Chaser from directly ambushing our base.”

“So, all of us who survived ultimately owe Uncle Li our lives.”

“Um… is something wrong?” Feeling a little uneasy under the girl’s gaze, Uncle Li, that rough man, actually became a bit shy. He awkwardly changed the subject. “Actually, it was nothing, truly just a casual act… I believe anyone else in that position would have made the same choice.”

“No, others wouldn’t,” Xiang Qi said, scrutinizing the man before shaking her head. “Others couldn’t do such a thing. Never assume anything about human nature; it’s not something that withstands scrutiny.”

“I really didn’t expect it, Uncle. You’re quite the person; indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover.”

‘However, I’ve caught your weakness.’ Perhaps when truly facing mortal danger, he would still prioritize his own life, but in many other situations, Uncle Li’s character would leave him with fatal vulnerabilities.

Different stances, different factions. Xiang Qi had no right to interfere with others’ choices, but she could at least be responsible for her own actions.

Lowering her eyes, Xiang Qi quickly adjusted her mindset. Her goal was simple: to survive, from beginning to end, at any cost. There was no need to bear any guilt.

‘I’m sorry…’ She apologized inwardly. She actually held a certain respect for people like him. Although she was destined never to become such a person, it didn’t stop her from admiring them.

Admiration aside, when the time came to act, she would not hesitate in the slightest. This was Xiang Qi, and it had always been her way of dealing with the world.

‘I’ve never been a good person, you see.’