Mingchao: The Survival Journey of a Comedian

Chapter 31 See You Again

"Just how powerful does one have to be to create a scene like this..."

"Completely burned to the ground..."

Pushing open the heavy factory doors, the sight that greeted them immediately stunned them into silence:

All the machinery inside the factory was completely and utterly destroyed, leaving a scene of utter devastation; charred remains on the ground, a horrifying sight. Amidst these ruins, a few faint purple flames still licked at the remains, as if recounting the brutal conflict that had recently occurred.

Looking at the purple flames, he already had someone in mind, but he dared not admit it—if it really was that person, how should he face it?

"...Go first."

"It's impossible for them to really end all this in just a few minutes..."

Yinlin's voice trembled slightly. On the surface, nothing seemed to change, but her increasingly soft voice betrayed her inner turmoil.

"...If nothing unexpected happens, we should be too late."

"Let's keep moving forward and see if there's any evidence left behind?"

He knew that person all too well; if it really was that person who did it, it would be too late for them to get there now.

What puzzled him was—why would the other party target this factory? And how did they find this place?

Too many questions swirled in his mind, and he said nothing more. He exchanged a glance with Yinlin and then quickly ran forward to investigate.

The further they went, the more horrified they became by the dilapidated state of the surroundings. All the guards along the way had been killed with a single blow, collapsing helplessly to the side of the road.

Perhaps they are still alive, but they are probably not far from death.

As Mo Wunian examined these methods, he became increasingly certain of his inner thoughts. Upon realizing this, an inexplicable feeling welled up in his mind.

"...the other party has no interest in the doll."

"He just wanted to deliberately clean this place up... or rather, it was like revenge."

Yinlin didn't notice anything unusual about the other person. The scene before her was already enough to give her a headache, but fortunately, some evidence remained. After a quick photo shoot, the two went up the elevator.

In the elevator, Mo Wunian didn't know how she was feeling. The thought that she might see that person again filled her with complex emotions.

"Mo Wunian, we're almost there."

"Be careful to protect your safety; this time, the opponent may not be so simple."

"More than just puppeteers"

Yinlin estimated the distance, then turned her gaze to Mo Wunian, giving him very serious instructions.

"……I see"

With a clang, the elevator came to a stop. The traces of flames ahead became more pronounced, and at the end of the path, one could almost hear roars.

Upon hearing the sound, Yinlin rushed out first, and he had no choice but to hurry after her, but the sword in his hand was already drawn.

"..."

Walking up to Yinlin's side, and seeing the scene before him, he gasped, instantly understanding why the other had remained silent.

The mechanical doll in front of me had been violently dismantled into several pieces, with all the wiring and other components exposed, still wreathed in purple flames, and the acrid smell of burning permeated the surroundings.

I can't even imagine what battles had taken place before this?

Yinlin frowned even more upon seeing this scene, but thankfully she heard a hoarse voice. Following her gaze, she saw an elderly figure lying on the ground, clutching his head and wailing incessantly.

"A puppeteer?!"

I hurried over and saw that the puppeteer was covered in blood. The wounds on his body avoided vital points, indicating that whoever attacked him had intentionally tortured him.

That bright red stain covered his entire body; he was torn between life and death.

The puppeteer's will had been tormented to the point of collapse. His first reaction upon seeing someone approaching was to retreat quickly, but due to his wounds, each movement was accompanied only by desperate cries.

“I…I was wrong!”

"I shouldn't have had feelings for him... I was so wrong..."

"Kill me, please kill me... no..."

The other person's bloodshot eyes saw him, and for a moment seemed to terrify them even more, causing them to struggle and kneel down before him.

"I was wrong!!! Please, please ask them to let me go!"

"I shouldn't have treated you like a guinea pig! And I certainly shouldn't have even dared to experiment on you!"

"Ah..."

Even knowing the other person was a villain, this scene still evoked a tiny bit of pity: they were being tortured so terribly.

"...Such ruthless methods"

"All the cuts avoided fatal wounds... they just crushed him..."

Yin Lin forced down the trembling in her heart and slowly squatted down, wanting to check the situation in front of the other person, but the next moment her hand was grabbed tightly.

"Yinlin...I was wrong..."

"I shouldn't have used the lives of innocent people as pawns to resurrect my master and mistress..."

"You shouldn't have deleted your files at the Public Security Bureau... Please, just give me a quick death..."

"I will never dare to use the Remnant Star Society again..."

Yinlin frowned upon hearing this, but said nothing. She pulled her hand away and walked towards him.

"...He's gone mad."

"They even admitted to what they had done in the past."

"But it seems my identity over there has also been completely erased by the other side..."

Yin Lin remained silent for a long while, then seemed to remember something, and looked at Mo Wunian, who was standing to the side observing the traces of the flames.

"Now that things have come to a close... I hope you can keep this a secret for me from the patrol captain."

"...I was ultimately adopted and raised by them, even though my parents died a long time ago. Their beliefs have always sustained me."

"Let me strive to become like them."

"The lives lost should rest in peace; this is a fate I cannot change."

"Let's leave his words to the patrol captain."

At this moment, Mo Wunian was already immersed in his own thoughts. Hearing the other person call him, he slowly raised his head, paused for a moment, and then nodded.

The other person turned to leave, but suddenly stopped, as if remembering something important, and looked at him sternly.

"When I was pretending to threaten you, I sensed a very powerful frequency... although that killing intent was directed at me..."

"But the things I've experienced along the way have made me more or less doubtful that person should know you."

"I don't know if you've realized it, but please be extra careful."

People capable of using such methods... are mostly very dangerous.

"..."

Thank you for your concern.

Seeing that the other person seemed to have realized what was going on, Yinlin didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Shortly after the other party left, Chixia rushed in with her people. She was shocked by the scene before her, lowered her head to look at the puppeteer lying on the ground, and then looked at him.

"Mo...Mo Wunian? Are you alright?"

"Did you do this?"

After a brief moment of distraction, she looked up and answered the other person.

"I'm fine"

"Besides, I'm not that powerful, nor would I torture anyone like that."

"You didn't send any wanderers over, did you?"

Chixia nodded thoughtfully upon hearing the other person's answer. After a brief moment of contemplation, she seemed to agree with what the other person said, so she didn't ask any further questions.

"That's true, you're the type of person who wouldn't do something like that."

"I was originally going to call someone who's homeless, but after thinking about it, I decided against it."

"That's good"

Thankfully, he didn't call the wanderer, otherwise how would he have gone out to find that person?

He could sense that the other person's frequency was still lingering nearby, as if deliberately waiting for him.

My intuition tells me I can't let the wanderer meet the other person, or something terrible will happen.

"I have something to attend to... I'll be going now!"

"Hey, hey! What's the emergency? And that suspect..."

Chixia couldn't stop the other person who was determined to leave. In just a few seconds, she saw the other person disappear from her sight, leaving her completely bewildered.

He strode out, his mind now a complete mess—

There are only two possibilities for why he can't sense the frequency's existence. Either the opponent is too powerful and has directly concealed their frequency, making it impossible for him to detect them.

But there was another possibility he had never considered: he was too familiar with that frequency, so familiar that he subconsciously ignored it.

He suspected that the first option hadn't been considered for a long time, and the second option hadn't been considered at all...

"...miscalculated."

She hadn't walked out long, and before she even saw the person she wanted to see, a pink figure rushed into her arms. Looking down, she saw it was An Ke.

"Uncle Qiushui! We've found our big brother!"

"Oh my goodness, we've finally found this ancestor... You scared me to death!"

Looking at the exhausted Qiu Shui and the whining An Ke in his arms, he realized he had been teleported away by the key, leaving the two of them watching him leave.

I figured the two of them had been looking for me for ages, and thinking about it made me feel a little apologetic.

He patted Anke's head and looked at Qiu Shui.

"My goodness... you were teleported away directly, thankfully nothing happened. If something had gone wrong, the people up there would have skinned me alive..."

"..."

Seeing that the other person was on the verge of death, he decided not to reveal that he had been attacked, otherwise he figured he'd never be able to find that person again.

He shook his head somewhat awkwardly, then saw Qiu Shui pat him on the shoulder with a serious expression, and take off his goggles.

"And while searching for you, Remnant Star will pay even closer attention to you."

"Now I sincerely advise you to go back to the wanderers first, otherwise we can't guarantee what might happen."

"Now, ask whatever you want to know."

"This deal was indeed far too risky."

He also admitted that the deal seemed somewhat unexpected for both him and the other party. After thinking about what he wanted to ask, he quickly spoke up.

"How much do you really know about me?"

Why are Black Coast and Remnant Star paying so much attention to me?

"And what exactly is this 'scheme' you're talking about?"

These are the three most crucial issues at present. If we can understand even a little bit about them, we will have a much clearer understanding of the future situation.

Qiu Shui wasn't surprised that he asked such a question, but he seemed to be considering something before he began to tell him.

"I don't actually know much about you, after all, I'm just a lowly guest retainer."

"Your identity is protected at the highest level; all I can tell you is that the higher-ups are deliberately protecting you."

"You and that wanderer must be old acquaintances, the kind who have a very good relationship."

"The reason we're following you is also related to these things."

That answers the first question, and I feel it was helpful, though not much—the question of whether I have old acquaintances with wanderers is also confirmed here once again.

"Top Secret..."

He muttered to himself, genuinely not understanding why Black Coast would be so interested in him.

"I'm not entirely sure about the second question either. We in Black Coast are only taking such good care of you because we want to protect you."

"The Remnant Star Society's objectives are unclear; it seems they want to use the special frequency within your body to achieve certain goals."

You know what kind of people they are.

"It's always best to avoid contact with people from that organization."

Oh no, one side wants to protect her body, while the other side is lusting after her body.

He made me laugh.

Now, only one crucial question remains for him: What exactly is the situation here? Why is it said that he is at the center?

Aren't they wanderers under normal circumstances?

But Qiu Shui fell silent when he noticed this issue. Even Xiao Anke, who was holding his hand, became serious.

"...I am not qualified to answer that question."

"This scheme was personally orchestrated by that lord, and everyone signed this contract."

"Unable to explain verbally"

"But please believe me, this situation won't do you any harm."

"..."

Seeing that the other person didn't seem to be lying, he didn't press the matter. He patted his head, feeling utterly hopeless about the future.

"understood"

"You've all worked really hard this time, but I still have things to do."

"Phew...doing business with you is indeed quite risky."

"It's easy for something to go wrong if you're not careful. Remember to protect yourselves; we need to go find the wanderers."

"Big brother, please take good care of yourself!"

Seeing that An Ke still seemed reluctant to leave, he didn't say anything. He simply squatted down, pinched her cheek, and then pushed her towards Qiu Shui.

"It's not that easy to die."

Farewell.

After all, he could feel the frequency fluctuations around him increasing again; it was trying to control itself, but not completely.

I have a feeling that if I go and meet them, things will turn out badly.

"Goodbye, we're off to save the world!"

Watching the other person run away, he patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that the other two people, apart from him, were completely unaware that someone else was watching their actions.

"This kid's been gone so long, how come he's learned this...?"

He concealed himself and entered the woods, stopping only after confirming that he could sense no one else besides that particular frequency.

Don't be fooled by his outward calm; his heart is in turmoil—after all, he left hastily after making his vow, and three years have passed since then. Now, he's about to reunite with his beloved; you can only imagine the complexity of his emotions…

"Aren't you going to come out and see me? Or do you not want to see me?"

Silence reigned all around, broken only by the soft rustling of the wind through the woods. He hadn't expected the other party to be so patient, even after he had so clearly stated his position. A sense of helplessness welled up within him, yet he refused to say anything more.

"...If you don't want to see me, then I'll leave?"

"They went to find someone else."

Just as he finished speaking, he felt the frequency suddenly surge, and the figure finally appeared in that direction.

The person who was once just a child in his eyes has long since reverted to his original self.

Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, and a long sword was casually slung across her back. A pair of golden eyes were fixed on him, and that gaze reminded him of those nights when a pair of eyes, hidden in the shadows, silently watched him.

"Long time no see..."

"Mo Wunian" and "Xiaobai"