"Gao Ming?"
When Situ An saw Gao Ming appear before him, he showed neither fear nor panic. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of pleasure on his face. "Finally, someone to talk to again."
"Why have you started squinting when you talk, too? Did you catch it from Xia Yang?" Gao Ming grabbed the chains running through Situ An's body. He did not act as though he were facing his most hated enemy, and there was no hatred in his voice.
"That Painter is terrifying. One day, sooner or later, he'll replace you." Situ An stared at Gao Ming. "Honestly, I still don't understand why I lost. I admit you're cunning and intelligent, but you're still a long way from being someone like Xia Yang or me."
"Is that so?"
"How should I put it? It's like a father watching his child. Your schemes and calculations are crude and clumsy, but... somehow, they work." Situ An considered this for a moment. "You're like a student who already knows the answers. A cheater."
"Well said." Gao Ming nodded. "But killing you has kept me happy for a long time."
"But there will be another Situ An. The shadow world will still invade reality, and all those tragedies will happen just as they always have." Situ An wanted to share his understanding with Gao Ming: everything was dictated by fate, and nothing was in human hands. That was the conclusion he had reached through his constant battles with Fate.
"No, no, no. It doesn't matter who Situ An is, and I don't care about disasters or reality. I simply wanted to kill you. A world without you matters a great deal to me." Gao Ming could start over. Even if the future brought greater pain and despair, he would not agonize