Farewell

The harmonica's melody was quite pleasant.

Moreover, there seemed to be an inexplicable rhythm mixed into the harmonica's sound, transcending ordinary music.

It felt just like the sensation the nightmare had given Qing Chen last night.

But while all the prisoners were immersed in the beautiful music, Qing Chen couldn't suppress his inner surprise and shock at all.

Because he had heard this song before… "Farewell."

Outside the long pavilion, by the ancient road, green grass stretches to the horizon.

Qing Chen's pupils gradually contracted. Wasn't this a world he had transmigrated to? Why would there be a song called "Farewell" here?

The moment he saw the Mechanical Civilization, he had thought this place should have no connection to Earth.

But now it seemed he was wrong. Could this be Earth's future?

Qing Chen began to search his memories, trying to find clues in the books he had noted down from the reading area yesterday.

But the results disappointed him again. Those self-help books and philosophical texts couldn't help him.

The harmonica music stopped, and the clamor in Prison No. 18 resumed.

At one point, Qing Chen suddenly felt that this prison was like a beast arena.

Behind the alloy blast doors were steel monsters representing all sorts of desires.

When the blast doors opened, he was no longer as awkward and vigilant as he was on the first day. Instead, he bypassed the lined-up prisoners and walked straight down to the plaza.

His unauthorized movement didn't attract the drones in the sky, nor did the robot guards give him a second glance.

As soon as he reached the outside of the dining hall, Lin Xiaoxiao greeted him with a smile, "Good morning… Didn't sleep well?"

Qing Chen had dark circles under his eyes. He looked coldly at Lin Xiaoxiao, thinking, You know perfectly well whether I slept well or not.

Some say a dream lasts at most eight minutes, which is extremely short relative to one's entire life.

However, after Qing Chen escaped the nightmare yesterday, he checked his countdown. That nightmare had trapped him for over two hours, and he hadn't felt time pass at all within it.

Furthermore, after breaking free from the nightmare, he lay in bed and pondered for a long time before finally falling into a deep sleep in the middle of the night.

Although Qing Chen had the ability to recall anything he saw, he was still fundamentally an ordinary person, unlike special individuals like Lin Xiaoxiao. He couldn't stay up half the night and still be full of energy the next day.

Li Shutong glanced at Qing Chen's complexion and said, "Most people are severely weakened after emerging from a nightmare and remain listless for half the day. However, you are special. You broke free from Xiaoxiao's control in the nightmare and picked up a dagger. It's already remarkable that you can stand today."

Qing Chen sat opposite him and got straight to the point, asking, "How do I become someone like him?"

Li Shutong smiled, "You're quite direct. However, you cannot follow his path; you are more suited to follow mine."

As soon as he said this, Qing Chen distinctly felt that Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao's expressions had changed.

For some reason, he suddenly felt the atmosphere become more serious. Even the big cat that had been dozing lifted its head to look at him.

He really wanted to ask Li Shutong what path he was referring to.

But judging by Lu Guangyi's attitude towards Li Shutong, this person was likely very famous outside, so many people should know what path Li Shutong was talking about.

And he was a Transmigrator. Muttering random nonsense might be fine, but asking a question that revealed his ignorance would be fatal.

Qing Chen skipped over his confusion and asked again, "How can I walk your path?"

"Don't misunderstand me," Li Shutong smiled.

When Li Shutong smiled, the traces of time etched around his eyes made Qing Chen realize that the other party might be older than he had imagined.

Li Shutong continued, "Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao met me too late, so they couldn't walk my path. And while I appreciate you now, it's not enough yet."

"I understand," Qing Chen nodded.

This made sense.

He felt that if someone took an immediate liking to him and then taught him everything they knew, that person would likely have problems.

What he was facing might not be an opportunity, but danger.

However, for Qing Chen, being able to touch the edge of that mysterious world was already enough.

It was something he had daydreamed about before, something that never existed on Earth.

Now, he was very close to it.

"How about it, are we playing chess today?" Li Shutong looked at Qing Chen. "I see you're not in good spirits. How about we rest for a day? Playing chess requires evenly matched opponents. If I win while you're not in good condition, it wouldn't be much fun."

As the prisoners lined up to get and eat their food, more and more prisoners were walking freely in the dining hall.

Today was a little different. Many prisoners were eating while paying attention to the situation around Qing Chen.

Some people were even eating with their trays, their eyes fixed on the chessboard.

In reality, not many of the prisoners present could understand chess. It was already an outdated form of entertainment.

But since Li Shutong enjoyed it, everyone felt it was necessary to pay attention.

What if they also had a talent for chess and were noticed by Li Shutong?

Of course, this was just a fantasy. Most people were watching the chess game simply because they were too bored.

Previously, when Li Shutong studied endgame problems alone, no one dared to stare. Now, with Qing Chen playing against him, the atmosphere seemed much more relaxed, and Ye Wan no longer glared at him.

Beside them, even Lu Guangyi watched with great interest, a group of people following behind him as if he were the moon surrounded by stars.

Lu Guangyi greatly enjoyed this.

On either side of the chessboard, Li Shutong waited for Qing Chen's reply. Qing Chen then stood up and calmly said, "No need to rest. For the Tou Qu Di Ting endgame, Rook 2 to E5, Rook 5 to E7, Cannon 2 to F8, Rook 5 to F6, Pawn 4 to E5."

Chess was typically a back-and-forth game, but this time Qing Chen directly stated each of his moves, as if he had already predicted Li Shutong would cooperate with him, pushing the game directly to its conclusion.

Qing Chen's sacrifice of his red rook to draw the black general, combined with the final Pawn 4 to E5, formed a checkmate.

This was a brilliant move that ordinary people would find hard to conceive.

Others might not understand what Qing Chen was saying, but Li Shutong certainly would.

To break the Tou Qu Di Ting formation, this was the only path forward!

Li Shutong looked up at Qing Chen, then overturned his black king onto the chessboard. "I thought your mental state wasn't great. If I won, it would be taking advantage of your condition. I didn't expect I was overthinking it."

Among the crowd, Lu Guangyi's subordinates heard him murmur, "He won again. That's so cool. It doesn't matter in what aspect he wins; just winning against someone like Li Shutong once is worth a lifetime. I want to learn chess too!"

The group of recently recruited subordinates didn't quite understand why Lu Guangyi would be interested in something like chess.

After all, although Lu Guangyi's combat prowess was outstanding in Prison No. 18, his level of education was definitely among the lowest.

At this moment, Qing Chen looked at Li Shutong and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

Thanks to Li Dongze, Dancing Sword, and Diandian Diandian Diandian Diandian for becoming patrons of this book. You guys are generous, and may you have boundless seas of fortune and mountains of longevity!