The True Red Dust
"...What do you mean?"
"Exactly what the words mean." Eight of Clubs said calmly. "What you are seeing now is the true 'Red Dust'."
Chen Ling's gaze swept across his surroundings. Wherever his eyes fell, there was only desolation and ruin, even more desolate than the Aurora Domain on the extreme northern Ice Plains. He completely couldn't connect this place with the Jiangnan town from before... For a moment, Chen Ling was a bit dazed.
"How is this possible?" Liu Qingyan immediately shook her head. "I grew up here since I was young. It wasn't like this before."
"What you saw was nothing but an illusion after the Architects whitewashed it."
"...An illusion?"
As a native of Willow Town, Liu Qingyan still couldn't accept this explanation.
"It's pigment." Chu Muyun slowly stood up, rubbing that blob of brightly colored viscous liquid between his fingertips. "The bird that crashed down just now didn't have any biological organs inside its body... They are indeed fake."
"This is their true appearance."
"Are you saying that the Jiangnan we saw in the Red Dust Domain is all fake??" Jian Changsheng's eyes widened in disbelief. "The peach blossoms, willow trees, small bridges over flowing water... all painted? How is this possible?!"
Everyone had lived in the Red Dust Domain for a period of time. It was no exaggeration to say that the scenery here could rank in the top three even among the Nine Great Human Realms. To say it was the most livable Realm was not an overstatement... But now, Eight of Clubs' single sentence directly overturned everyone's cognition.
"Accurately speaking, the small bridges weren't painted, they were artificially built later... In short, all the buildings are real."
"The buildings are real... but the environment is fake?"
"You can understand it that way."
"These plants are indeed not quite right." Chu Muyun observed the withered yellow leaf. "Even in the extreme northern Aurora Domain, the plants that grow have more vitality than the ones here... Furthermore, I haven't seen any of the varieties here. They don't look like normal plants."
"This land cannot grow normal plants..." Eight of Clubs paused for a moment.
"Because the Red Dust Domain was originally a Nuclear Ruins."
...
In the misty rain, a figure in green clothing advanced slowly, carrying a teenager on his back.
The outline of the Red Dust main city gradually receded behind him. On this main road leading to various small towns, batches of refugees carrying large and small bags of luggage were hurriedly passing by, their faces full of panic and worry.
"Walk a bit faster. If you dawdle like this, what if the enemy comes killing their way here in a bit?"
"I can't go any faster. Look at Mother's complexion... She already has lung cancer. If we go faster, I'm afraid her body won't be able to handle it."
"Forget it, Mother, let me carry you for this last stretch of the road."
"Don't push yourself, you still have injuries on your waist..."
"I'm fine, you take good care of the child, the main city is just up ahead."
"Dad... I'm so hungry."
"Be good, we'll hold on a bit longer... When we reach the main city, Dad will go buy food for you guys."
"..."
Li Qingshan brushed shoulders with the crowd. He looked back at the retreating figures of that family, opened his mouth wanting to say something, but ultimately fell silent.
Nowadays, the Red Dust Domain was calling on residents to head to the main city for refuge, while in Chen Ling's words, Willow Town was safer... These two didn't conflict. Perhaps both places were safe, but no matter how safe Willow Town was, it couldn't accommodate hundreds of thousands or even millions of refugees. Only the Red Dust main city could achieve this point.
Moreover, Li Qingshan stubbornly wanted to return to Willow Town for another reason, which was that his Grandmother was still there.
Li Qingshan didn't know if she had received the news to evacuate, nor did he know if she had set out for the main city. After all, she was old and her legs and feet were inconvenient. Li Qingshan worried that she might encounter an accident... Only by seeing her with his own eyes could Li Qingshan feel at ease.
A rustling sound came from behind Li Qingshan. Kong Baosheng, lying on his back, blearily opened his eyes.
"You're awake?"
"...Mister Li, where are we?"
"We've already left the city."
Kong Baosheng was stunned. He recalled the events before he fainted, only then realizing what had happened, his expression extremely complex.
"I'm sorry, Baosheng, I..."
Just as Li Qingshan was about to explain, Kong Baosheng shook his head,
"Mister Li, you don't need to apologize to me... I know you did it for my own good."
Grandmother was dead, Chen Ling had left, and the Theater House was also far away from him... There was no anger on Kong Baosheng's face. He just quietly watched the main city in the misty rain. In his hazy eyes was fragmented sorrow, like a wanderer who had lost everything, looking back at the past slipping through his fingertips.
Seeing this, Li Qingshan didn't know what to comfort him with, and just spoke softly:
"...Baosheng, have you ever been to Willow Town?"
"No, I've never left the main city."
"Actually, Willow Town is quite nice." Li Qingshan said patiently. "Although it's not as prosperous as the main city, life is very simple, and the environment is also very good... There's a three-arch bridge at our doorstep. Standing on it, you can see the entire willow bank long embankment. At night, boats row past underneath, plump and round like the moon... The mountain forest where I usually go to chop firewood, although not big and the trees are shriveled and dry, is green all year round, looking like an emerald from afar... And the small Hill where I usually practice Singing, standing on it you can see..."
Li Qingshan talked for a long time, from Willow Town's willow bank long embankment, to the three-arch stone bridge, to the town market, human landscapes... Kong Baosheng, who was in sorrow, was also unconsciously attracted by Li Qingshan's description and gradually spaced out.
"It sounds... very nice."
"Right?" Li Qingshan smiled slightly. "Actually sometimes, there's no need to think so much... Just treat this trip to Willow Town as visiting a neighbor. After all, I've bothered your family for so long, it's about time I invite you to my home for a visit. After we arrive at Willow Town, you can rest there well for a period of time..."
"Although my home is not big, you can sleep with me, just like when Brother Lin and I were there."
Kong Baosheng replied "mm" and got down from Li Qingshan's back.
"How much further do we have?"
"Willow Town isn't too far from the main city. If we walk in that direction for a bit longer, we'll arrive at my..."
Li Qingshan raised his hand, pointing at a lush, verdant mountain forest in the distance. Before his voice faded, a gentle breeze brushed across his face.
Whoosh——
Li Qingshan's eyes were blinded by gravel and dust. He rubbed them and opened his eyes again, but his whole person froze in place.
His finger was still pointing in the direction of home, but the original spring vitality was as if wiped away by an invisible large hand. Wherever he looked, there were only desolate houses and a bleak, withered forest.
"...Home?" Li Qingshan uttered the last word blankly.