Chapter 134: Prophecy of Death (Part Two)

The formation originally formed by just three cards was only about one meter across. Expecting it to wrap up in a flash, Kong Zhe had watched patiently. Yet, nearly a few minutes had dragged by, so why hadn't it stopped yet?

Could it be that he was using it incorrectly?

Just as anxiety began to claw at Kong Zhe's heart, the overwhelming aura of the formation finally began to wane.

Moments later, amidst a flurry of fluttering paper scraps and falling dust, the entire room settled into a stillness.

Seeing a white card resting right in the very center of the original three, Kong Zhe finally breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like it had been a success!

To be honest, he had genuinely feared the formation might suddenly trigger some massive explosion. Standing this close, he wouldn't even have had time to run.

The formation in midair had already vanished, and the original three cards automatically flew back into Kong Zhe's hand. Having expended a vast amount of energy in the recent ritual, all three cards now appeared somewhat dim and lusterless.

According to the sheepskin scroll, this minor divination array could only be used once every seven days. It seemed he would have to wait until these cards completely recovered before using them again; forcing it prematurely would cause irreversible damage to the cards.

A white card drifted lazily down from the air, floating right before Kong Zhe's eyes before coming to a halt.

Reaching out, he took the card. This white card held the final divination result.

He had originally expected a lengthy paragraph of text, but the card bore only a single line of small characters.

"You will die on the night of the third day!"

"..."

Kong Zhe stared blankly at the sentence, processing its meaning only after a long moment.

His pupils suddenly constricted. At that exact instant, a chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as if an icy hand were caressing him.

"Who is it?"

Kong Zhe whipped his head around.

Behind him, standing in the doorway, Xiao Lei looked on with an innocent expression, clearly startled by the fierce, grim look on Kong Zhe's face.

"Brother Kong Zhe, are, are you alright?"

Xiao Lei instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, frightened by the sudden murderous intensity in Kong Zhe's expression. She had never imagined that the person she loved most would ever direct such a look at her.

"Xiao Lei..."

Recognizing who it was, Kong Zhe exhaled heavily. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"I'm fine..."

Xiao Lei shook her head and walked over to Kong Zhe. Seeing his somewhat pale complexion, she instinctively grabbed his arm, deep worry written all over her face.

"Brother Kong Zhe, are, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just... a little tired, that's all..."

Kong Zhe patted her head, offering words of comfort. Yet the moment he lowered his head, his brow furrowed deeply.

The white card he had been holding just moments ago was already gone. The instant Kong Zhe finished reading the message, that card had suddenly shattered into colorful dust and dissipated into the air.

Yet, that single sentence remained deeply etched in his mind.

"You will die on the night of the third day!"

The "you" here clearly referred to Kong Zhe himself, since he was the caster.

He had never imagined that the so-called divination art would foretell his own date of death in such a manner!

And the night of the third day...

Today was the seventh day of the apocalypse, meaning two days from now would be the ninth day. According to Kong Zhe's memories from his past life, if nothing changed this time around, the night of the ninth day—the very night prophesied for his death—would coincide with a major event unfolding across every safe zone on Earth.

These two occurrences overlapped perfectly. To claim there was no connection between them was something even Kong Zhe couldn't bring himself to believe.

Could it be that he would die because of that event?

True, Kong Zhe had to admit that when the future event took place, everyone involved would face immense risks. Yet, even knowing the danger, he would undoubtedly still participate.

For no other reason than the fact that the potential rewards were simply too massive—so huge that even someone as obsessed with self-preservation as Kong Zhe was willing to risk his life.

If the strength gap among awakened ones on Earth was still relatively minor at present, this upcoming event could be considered the very first watershed moment for awakened ones!

Sigh, let's just hope it's merely his own curse acting up when the time comes. At worst, he would be extra cautious and keep Xiao Lei by his side the whole time; that should be fine, right?

Regardless, once the exact time of death was known, avoiding that death should be much easier.

Should be...

Kong Zhe could only offer himself this meager consolation.

However, Kong Zhe did not yet know that this prophecy was far more terrifying and weighty than he imagined.

With the tarot reading finished, matters here had come to a temporary close. Kong Zhe led Xiao Lei out of the house. After having a few women quickly tidy up, they prepared to depart.

To Kong Zhe's surprise, Yang Fang sought him out once more during this time, awkwardly suggesting that he protect the students as they evacuated the school.

Kong Zhe rejected her flatly. You must be joking; traveling with such a massive group of people would make their collective aura shine like a lighthouse in the dark to magical beasts. Even with the Serpent King's intimidating pressure, it wouldn't stop them from being swarmed and besieged by beasts.

Besides, Kong Zhe held no fondness for these spineless students who only knew how to abandon companions and scream when trouble struck, so he naturally had no intention of inviting trouble for himself.

Kong Zhe's firm attitude left Yang Fang deeply disappointed.

Although Yu Qun and his gang harbored sinister intentions, they were still awakened ones! Following their deaths, she was now the sole awakened person left in the school. Lacking any real confidence in her own abilities, she knew that should any unforeseen crisis strike, her death would spell the complete doom of everyone left in the school.

Furthermore, the students' behavior during the recent events had left her profoundly disillusioned. Were such students truly worth protecting?

In truth, shortly beforehand, the thought of leaving the school had already crossed her mind. Just now, she had tried to persuade the students to follow her away in search of a safer haven.

To her disappointment, however, the students refused to leave unless Kong Zhe and his companions protected them.

They had little faith in Yang Fang's strength, but they had witnessed Kong Zhe's formidable combat prowess firsthand, especially his possession of a giant snake. With his protection, the students might muster the courage to leave; if it were just Yang Fang alone, however, very few would likely be willing to follow her.

...

"How is it? Can you manage, or should I carry Tuan Tuan for you?"

Before leaving, watching Xue Feifei struggle forward with a cane while carrying the unconscious Tuan Tuan on her back, Kong Zhe couldn't help but speak up.

He knew Xue Feifei had abysmal stamina and could barely manage walking on her own, let alone carrying another person.

"No..."

To Kong Zhe's surprise, however, Xue Feifei firmly refused this time. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she gritted her teeth, her face etched with absolute determination. "I owe her too much... And I promised her that I would never be separated from her again..."

"Alright then..."

Faced with this, Kong Zhe could only sigh helplessly.

Why were these two sisters always so stubborn about the wrong things?

Fortunately, with the Serpent King around, they wouldn't actually need to exert themselves much once they hit the road. They just needed to ride on the snake's back.

...

The morning mist shrouded the earth, and as a gentle breeze swept past, the frost on the ground began to thaw, showing faint signs of receding.

"Hiss!"

Amidst the thin mist, a colossal nine-headed serpent crawled sluggishly forward. Atop its back sat a few tiny figures, though they appeared as mere specks compared to its immense bulk.

"Big sister... I'm cold..."

Tuan Tuan's voice carried a distinct weakness as she burrowed even closer into Xue Feifei's embrace.

With a heart full of anguish, Xue Feifei looked down at the delicate figure in her arms and removed her own jacket, draping it over her.

"Feeling better?"

"Mhm, much better... Heehee!"

Feeling the warmth enveloping her body, Tuan Tuan squinted her eyes in pure bliss.

She bore no resemblance now to the mischievous, eccentric Tuan Tuan; she looked like an utterly obedient child, even more well-behaved than Xiao Lei.

Having spoken, Tuan Tuan seemed drowsy, parting her lips slightly in a soft yawn.

"Alright, if you're tired, get some sleep!"

Xue Feifei smiled, pulling her closer into her embrace while gently patting her back with her right hand, just like she used to do long ago when putting her to sleep.

"Mhm!"

A faint, familiar fragrance drifted from close by. Tuan Tuan recognized the scent—it was her sister's natural body fragrance, the most comforting smell from her childhood.

Though her entire body lacked strength, this scent brought her absolute peace. Letting out a soft hum, Tuan Tuan closed her eyes and drifted off into a dream.

Not far away, Kong Zhe held a map in one hand while continuously tapping at the air with the other. Xiao Lei sat quietly beside him, resting her small head gently against his shoulder.

"Brother Kong Zhe, what are you doing?"

"Sending an email..."

"An email?"

Xiao Lei tilted her head, subconsciously pouting as she asked in a low voice, "To whom? A man or a woman?"

"A woman!"

Kong Zhe shrugged, his fingers moving across the interface as he casually replied, "Su Meiqin. You should remember her—that shrew from the broken bridge supermarket last time..."

"Hmph..."

Recalling who that person was, Xiao Lei poked her lips out even further.

"Then you have to send me one too!"

"Huh?"

Kong Zhe blinked in surprise, finally tearing his gaze away from the system panel to look at the young girl who was tightly hugging his arm and sulking. Unable to help his amusement, he tapped her forehead lightly. "Are you a jar of vinegar? You even want to compete over something like this..."

A bit further away, Hong Ling sat stiffly on the serpent's back, clutching a whip in one hand and staring blankly ahead. Watching the affectionate pairs around her, an inexplicable irritation welled up in her heart.

"Goddess!"

A shout echoed from afar, snapping Hong Ling out of her trance.