Act.17 Sad Day · An Unfortunate Day

Foreword:

The self is the all-powerful God.

[Part 1: Used Bookstore]

There is a used bookstore near the freight station of the Baiyulou Industrial Park in Xiangwan.

--This bookstore has a history of over forty years. Since Lawrence Madison came here and made his first deal, it has served as a divination meeting place for the Little Brotherhood, where a feathered serpent statue was kept and the Blood Ceremony was held for the new Religious order.

Lawrence once saw a famous quote here—

--It's called [The self is the all-powerful God].

The spiritual energy contained in this sentence allowed him to transform into a butterfly, setting a lofty goal: to feed on human flesh.

For Mr. Lawrence, drugs were merely a medium, a means of making money, and had no special meaning. He only favored Lawrence products because of their low cost, strong psychoactive effects, excellent repeat purchase effect, and stable user base.

He never felt any guilt, taking it all for granted. It was a weapon he used to expand his territory, a magic weapon he used to seize power.

The things the Little Brotherhood originally sold were shortcuts to good fortune.

Since Lawrence reformed the Religious order, recreated the doctrine, and became the Cult Leader of the Feathered Serpent faction, this bookstore was not abandoned. Instead, it was directly transformed into a green wine workshop. The hard goods white flour produced there could be sent to a freight station 800 meters away, and within 30 hours, it could travel to more than 20 major stations in the underground world and be sold all over the world.

Flavia had just finished the first phase of chemical raw material preparation and was taking off her hazmat suit in the changing room when she immediately heard her brothers outside the study talking about something.

She became more cautious and leaned forward, pressing herself against the iron-clad gate.

These men recounted eerie and terrifying stories, describing the chaotic battle situation in which shops and workshops throughout the city had fallen, and armed personnel had disappeared or died violently.

The black snake immediately understood--

--Her chance to escape has arrived.

"The Yin Yang Demon Realm."

Secretly invoking the power of the soul, a grotesque, filthy creature burst forth from Cici Flavia Marcus's body.

It squeezed through the iron gate and railings, wriggling and twisting, climbed up the attic walkway, and hung from the roof beam. In just a few seconds, its movements seemed both slow and fast.

It is slow because it makes almost no sound when it moves, and there are no unnecessary starts or stops, like an invisible flow of water.

From this twisted and bizarre spirit, a gaping maw opened, revealing fangs from a filthy ball of fur. Venom was immediately splashed onto the heads of the men at the front desk, trickling down their foreheads and into the mucous membranes of their eyes.

"What happened?" The head steward rubbed his eyes, only knowing that his eyeballs had felt cool at first, but then immediately became burning hot!

In just ten seconds, the lobby turned into Human Hell!

Blood gushed from people's faces, and their powerful screams as they died were like demons putting on a concert in hell.

This is the power of the [Yin Yang Demon Realm]; those who come into contact with its venom will die within thirty seconds.

Flavia was in very poor mental condition. She worked sixteen hours a day, spending the rest of her time eating, drinking, relieving herself, and sleeping. She hardly had any rest. In order to make the Little Brotherhood's goods more competitive in Sanhe Town, Lawrence demanded increased production and lower prices, engaging in a price war with the local drug dealers in Sanhe Town, and ultimately executing the merger plan.

She mustered her strength and directed the [Yin Yang Demon Realm] to search for the key to the dungeon workshop. After successfully escaping the prison, she climbed the steep underground staircase, wading through blood and mud, and drank a full belly of water in the bookstore's tea room, finally regaining her senses.

She said nothing; her composure was terrifying, as if murder was something completely commonplace to her.

As she stepped out the door, the chill of early spring seemed to steal the last warmth from her body. Flavia glanced back, but didn't reach for the long coat on the coat rack.

--Those are the clothes of a member of the Little Brotherhood; it's bad luck to take things from the dead.

This superstitious belief, which seemed almost like a joke, saved her life in the next few minutes.

She hurriedly walked out of the long street and arrived at Baihua Square in Baiyulou Industrial Park. Two armored vehicles rushed out from the other side of the street, set up their guns, and fired about fifty shots at a time in the busy street.

The sound of bullets made Flavia instinctively crouch down and cover her head in defense. People scattered and fled in all directions, leaving behind four corpses, all of whom wore the armbands of the Religious order of the Battle.

Flavia didn't know where these warriors came from, only that they came quickly and left quickly.

Judging from the direction the vehicles left, they may have headed towards the water plant in the industrial park, where there is another drug manufacturing workshop.

She finally realized that in this vast world, there seemed to be no place that could accommodate her.

Duran was right; Lawrence would eventually turn to dust and bones, but she didn't want to die.

If at this moment.

Before she could finish her thought, a warm yet delicate hand grasped the black snake.

Claudia Ars Duran rushed out of the fast food restaurant next to the square and pulled her lover into the alley.

The prophet's face was covered in blood, he was wearing a bulletproof vest, and his hair was disheveled, as if he had just escaped from a battle and survived under the protection of the Little Brotherhood members.

"Damn it!"

Duran cursed and swore, his eyes fierce.

"They're attacking our own people too? The Big Sister really didn't intend for us to survive!"

Twelve minutes earlier, Duran had just returned to Xiangwan from Sanhe Town by car when she was attacked by the Lion Group. The team was almost completely wiped out, and she only managed to survive thanks to the help of the [Timeline].

Flavia immediately checked the blood on her companion's head.

"--I'm alright! This is my cousin's brain matter; they're almost all dead." Duran was trembling all over, having greeted Death God as if he were back on earth, "There are a few survivors. I lured them to the square and told them that if they stayed together, they'd all be caught in one fell swoop, so it would be better for them to split up and escape."

Flavia felt a chill run down her spine. "The people who just died in the square."

Duran nodded vigorously. "Yes, it's them."

Flavia: "In other words..."

Duran: "No one knows our true identities, and no one can hold us back anymore! Cici! We should go."

Flavia: "Where to?"

Duran rolled his eyes.

"--Do you really intend to continue working for Lawrence?"

Speaking of this sentence...

For a fleeting moment, Flavia did consider doing just that.

Given her crimes, falling into the hands of Ming De would definitely mean certain death.

Lawrence Madison held absolute power in Forty-Eight District. If he had betrayed Jiang Xueming and his gang as a pledge of allegiance to the Cult Leader, he might still be living a life of luxury. He wouldn't be in this predicament now.

But Flavia wasn't that cruel; she wasn't qualified.

--Betraying Jiang Xueming is tantamount to betraying Duran.

She didn't know what the White Snake had said to David Victor or what deal they had made.

However, given the Cult Leader's cautious and cruel nature, if he could kill his own son, he would kill these two adopted daughters as easily as slaughtering chickens and dogs, without the slightest bit of pity.

Jiang Xueming was brought to the Little Brotherhood by Duran. If Flavia were to play the double agent, it would be another turning point in her life, another spiritual transformation involving betraying her lover and sisters for wealth and glory.

She couldn't do it, simply because of her inner weakness.

On one hand, she wanted to continue producing drugs for Lawrence and just get by, but on the other hand, she hoped to escape this hellhole.

To this day, Flavia still hates everyone except Duran.

"Duran! So what do you suggest we do?"

Duran: "Let's run away!"

Flavia gritted her teeth, almost bursting into tears of grievance. "Where are we going?"

Duran: "No matter where we go, we mustn't get involved in the struggle between the Cult Leader and the War King —we're too weak, and we could easily lose our lives."

Flavia: "If I go to help Ming De, I'll die."

Duran: "If you go help Lawrence, I'll die."

Sudden--

Cici was stunned.

[Part ②: The Flood of Jinshan Temple]

It turns out Claudia knew everything; she understood everything.

"Why?! It's not fair! This is not fair!" Flavia's tears flowed more and more as she gripped the door frame of the fast food restaurant, her nails cracking and bleeding. "From childhood to adulthood, I've always been the Cult Leader's daughter! I did whatever he told me to do! Now I want to be a good person! To do good deeds! But do I have a choice?!"

Duran didn't speak, but simply used his eyes to shoo away the curious diners around him.

Flavia struggled in her lover's arms.

"This isn't fair! Why can he decide how I live, what kind of person I become, and how I die? Why does he have so much power? Why? Am I not cruel enough? Am I not fierce enough? Am I not as ruthless as him? Why does my soul power take thirty seconds to kill someone? Why can't I take his life in an instant?!"

Life is unpredictable.

--Things rarely go as planned.

No matter how powerful the [Timeline] or [Yin Yang Demon Realm] are, they cannot escape the control of the [Heaven's Gate].

"Duran... Waaaaah... Ugh... Ugh... Ugh... Ugh..." Cici's screams came from the White Snake Lady's arms. "I feel like I'm not human, I'm not human! I'm a tool, from beginning to end I've been a tool! What did Victor and you say? What verdict did he give me, this killing tool?"

Duran remained silent, but the answer was already crystal clear.

Flavia killed people directly and indirectly, people who died from drug production or from armed conflicts during the pursuit of drug dealers. These lives deserve an explanation, justice.

She's like the drug itself—

--Like her spiritual power, it is a tool that can only be used to kill, and in peacetime it is a murder weapon that needs to be destroyed and strictly guarded.

"Let's go." Duran helped Flavia out.

Flavia's face was streaked with tears. "Running away? Where to?"

Duran: "Wherever you go, I'll be by your side."

Flavia rallied and saw hope for survival again.

"Good"

The two trekked along the railway tracks from the freight station toward the passenger station, avoiding the eyes and ears of the soldiers Guangling Zhixi Clearwater Bay Station, in order to board the train to freedom.

The word "freedom" is almost the ultimate dream for Duran and Flavia.

They started as apprentices in the perfumery of the Rare People Mansion, were spotted by Lawrence and brought to work in Forty-Eight District, and later in Hedland, Eleventh District. They were always busy working for other people's ideals, for other people's missions, and for other people's orders.

Duran struggled to walk the half-hour journey.

She suddenly understood FE204863's inexplicable, manic, and paranoid symptoms.

The security personnel Guangling Zhixi Station have laid a tight net, ensuring that no drug trafficker can escape via the train. Whether they are involved or their relatives, if their passenger information cards Little Brotherhood, they will either cooperate with the investigation or be executed on the spot.

The Waiting-for-Husband Stone next to the Clearwater Bay Station platform originally told the poignant love story of the Snail Maiden and her husband, but now it has become an execution ground for criminals.

To avoid these checkpoints, Duran went to great lengths, activating the [Timeline] to find a way out! Facing the numerous checkpoints and the congested queues ahead, the little White Snake repeatedly gnawed at Duran's arm, trying to tell Duran all the possible escape routes it had deduced.

Based on the route indicated by the little White Snake, Duran immediately took action, pulling Flavia along and cutting in line towards a drunkard.

She threw herself into the drunkard's arms and stole two train tickets and a passenger logbook, which contained an ID card that could get them through their ordeal—yes, a man's ID card could get them through?

Duran exclaimed, "No! Something's not right! The Timeline! Why would you tell me this answer!"

Seeing the drunkard's swaying body immediately straighten up, as if he had been waiting for the two distinguished guests for a long time—

--The young black man took off his hat, revealing his true face; it was Leslie, Big Sister had always trusted.

Leslie said, "The Big Sister told me to wait for you here, that you would come to me without me having to look for you, and it really was true."

Duran panicked. Jiang Xueming was like a persistent shadow, and no matter how they tried to escape, they couldn't escape the Tathagata's Five Fingers.

While stopping the chapter members who came to visit, Leslie said to Duran, "Why don't we open the log and take a look at the last mission?"

The identity card is signed [Jiang Xueming] --

--It was the anonymous gunsmith's personal information card, which, in Guangling Zhixi's eyes, was a universal pass.

The two tickets are for trains departing from Clearwater Bay and ending at Yellow Bull Town in Eleventh District.

The passenger log did not specify any tasks, only a brief greeting.

"Hello, Claudia Ars Duran and Cici Flavia Marcus."

"This is the first time I've addressed you as 'older sister.' According to the timeline of the war zone's advance, I should be engaged in a final battle with Lawrence Madison —a battle that will decide everything."

"I'm very sorry, Duran. I never intended to spare your lives. Whether on the plane or now, my stance remains the same: good and evil will ultimately be rewarded."

"These are the tickets I bought for you in advance. You should have about thirty minutes to rest. Then board the train. As for where to go and where to get off, that's up to you."

"Unfortunately, this train has already been requisitioned. I've bought out all the seats to reserve for VIPs as an escape route. If you enjoy playing Werewolf, why don't you hop on board for a test of courage?"

"This train carries a Star Realm Gang lizardman, the governor of Forty-Eight District and his wife and daughters, sixteen warriors from the Bullfrog Chapter, and a captain with extensive experience in boarding operations. Relax, it's not Wood Plark."

"God created man and woman, who were tempted by the serpent to taste the forbidden fruit. That seems to be what the Bible says. Then came love and wisdom."

"Snakes must be evil, right? I don't read scriptures, I'm not religious, I don't understand."

"But I think, it doesn't matter if it's a black cat or a white cat, or Qiongqi Taowu."

"If they hear your story, they'll always find a way out for you. Because good cats like happy endings, and bad cats like to help bad guys. This isn't my job, so I'll leave it to the boss."

"As for Lawrence Madison, while famous quotes are indeed famous, famous quotes aren't necessarily true."

"--Besides, he only heard the first half of the sentence."

"If you want to conquer the world, you must first conquer yourself. I not only fight with others, but I also have to fight with myself at all times."

"This is the second half of Hemingway's quote, and it's something I always kept in mind when I was the Big Sister."