He wasn’t a considerate person, but there’s always an exception to everything.
"Give me a hug, Rainy Night Butcher."
Wen Xishu opened his arms and smiled.
Tang Rui decisively closed her umbrella and hugged Wen Xishu.
Years of waiting finally bore fruit.
"Thank you for keeping your word, Sentinel of the Rainy Night Butcher."
The hug didn’t last long, and they parted with a smile.
Wen Xishu brought up the main topic and said:
"Logically speaking...you shouldn’t look like this."
Tang Rui nodded and said:
"The last time you talked with us was months ago, and back then, I looked hideous."
"At that time, even Jiangcheng wasn’t as harmonious as it is now."
"Jiangcheng was very run-down, with many places hiding strange creatures."
"For a while, I even left Jiangcheng to find you."
"But one day, when I returned to Jiangcheng..."
"Jiangcheng transformed into what it is now. As if the apocalypse had never arrived, as if everything was nothing but a distant dream."
Tang Rui looked at Wen Xishu and said:
"It’s strange, isn’t it?"
Wen Xishu didn’t deny it:
"Yes, it is strange."
Tang Rui continued:
"Once I step out of Jiangcheng, which is within the city’s boundaries covered by this heavy rain..."
"Jiangcheng reverts to that state, looking like ruins from afar, a city desolated post-apocalypse."
"And the rain had long since stopped."
"But the moment I step back into this desolated area..."
"Jiangcheng immediately changes again."
"The city becomes vibrant, and even I, although my powers remain, I’ve found that I actually... returned to how I was before."
"This is how I hoped you’d see me."
Tang Rui was telling the truth.
She hoped that Wen Xishu would see her as she was at that moment.
Wen Xishu began to understand what was going on.
"So, if you leave this city, it becomes... desolated."
"And when you enter it, the city transforms back to its pre-apocalyptic state?"
"Have you tried bringing others into the city?"
Tang Rui nodded:
"I tried."
"Outside Jiangcheng, I found some monsters and communicated my ideas to them through complex emotions."
"Of course, I also used some methods to enslave them."
"These monsters became my subordinates, and entered Jiangcheng with me."
"As a result, when they entered Jiangcheng, it remained that desolated Jiangcheng."
"Ruins everywhere, occasionally you can sense the presence of some strange creatures in certain buildings."
"But when I enter Jiangcheng, it still becomes that pre-apocalyptic Jiangcheng."
Wen Xishu inquired:
"Is it an illusion? Have you been spiritually invaded?"
Tang Rui shook her head:
"I don’t rule out your theory, even though I’m good at invading others, I could be spiritually invaded by a more powerful entity."
"However, to the monsters I enslaved, I disappeared."
"Once we left Jiangcheng together as agreed, the world in my eyes returned to normal."
"When I met them again, they told me they couldn’t sense my presence."
"Upon entering Jiangcheng, I simply vanished into thin air, and none of them could sense my presence."
Such bizarre events piqued Wen Xishu’s interest:
"So there’s a possibility that you haven’t been spiritually invaded, but rather... when you enter Jiangcheng, you’re transported to... a past Jiangcheng?"
Tang Rui nodded:
"That’s possible."
Wen Xishu squinted his eyes:
"Could it be... so magical? Besides you... no one else can enter this Jiangcheng?"
Tang Rui gave a faint smile:
"And you."
Yes, and himself.
Wen Xishu had also entered this city. It was like a special invitation.
Even someone as powerful as Albert probably couldn’t enter this city.
This city where the rain poured heavily as if the apocalypse hadn’t yet arrived.
But this wasn’t the entire mission.
Wen Xishu realized that while this was strange, it wasn’t a dilemma for Tang Rui, not even a trouble.
He had received the letter to help Tang Rui solve problems.
Although Tang Rui had indeed encountered something strange, there were no signs of danger.
Wen Xishu asked:
"I guess... you’ve encountered more strange events, haven’t you also explored this city?"
Tang Rui responded:
"Yes, everything in this city feels natural, and the people are real. They don’t seem like my illusions. I’ve observed closely, from dawn to dusk, and their patterns are quite normal."
"I’ve also interacted and touched them, everything is incredibly real."
"I tend to believe I can actually return to the Jiangcheng of the past."
Wen Xishu asked:
"But you quickly noticed something was amiss?"
Tang Rui didn’t answer right away, but instead opened the umbrella again:
"Wen Xishu, I only have one umbrella. Could you come closer? I’ll take you to my home."
"Even though our abilities aren’t too bad, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. Would you mind sharing an umbrella with me and taking a walk in the rain?"
Wen Xishu replied:
"I don’t mind. Let me hold the umbrella."
Wen Xishu took the umbrella; he was slightly taller than Tang Rui, and the two nestled close, walking in the downpour.
Both possessed great powers, and even the rain seemed to revere this force.
Others imagined them drenched and struggling with umbrellas in the storm.
But to these two, it felt like a stroll through a soft apricot drizzle, not the torrent it was.
At that moment, Tang Rui finally spoke: