Published: March 2, 2025
The atmosphere grew even more somber, the warmth that once existed between old Tang and the spirit pets completely vanished.
After finishing the compressed biscuits, the spirit pets exchanged greetings and flew off in different directions, while Tang Haofei crossed his arms and watched them leave. He then lay back on the cold stone surface, gazing at the pitch-black starry sky.
"When will this end..."
At that moment, old Tang's tone was filled with resentment, as if he were both blaming and feeling sentimental.
He resented the roughness of the spirit of the demon lord, blaming it for making him unable to return home. He reflected on his past life during this rare moment of quiet, but ultimately, he concluded nothing.
But staying here was still staying, wasn't it? Old Tang needed to find some entertainment...
He thought this way until the next noon came, and then the next.
And the next…
Endless, with no sight of an endpoint...
The stone he once resided on had collapsed, forcing Tang Haofei to change to another stone.
Then, three years later, the stone shattered again, and old Tang changed to a new one.
This back-and-forth continued, and Tang Haofei had lost track of how many times he had moved. All he knew was that the remnants left after the collapse of the Demon Realm were becoming fewer and fewer, until he could no longer see any traces of the Demon Realm.
A world silently transformed into cosmic dust, with very few witnesses.
What was even more tragic was that due to the destruction of the Demon Realm, there were no reference points in the cosmic space, leading Tang Haofei to forget the location of the Demon Palace. In other words, he could no longer find the place where Wen Yu had disappeared...
If it was this difficult for Tang Haofei, how much more so for Wen Yu's spirit pets...
Thus, past claims turned into reality, but Tang Haofei did not feel sad about it—rather, it could be said that he had already forgotten how to feel sad.
He simply gazed into the void, with a look of weariness in his eyes.
Until it was noon again.
In the distance, seven beams of light approached, landing around Tang Haofei.
It was lunchtime, or rather, time for a meeting.
“Found nothing.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
“Likewise.”
“Gurgle gurgle.”
The same repetitive dialogue echoed again at this moment.
The spirit pets spoke in calm tones, showing no fluctuations in emotion. Even the one-eyed pet, who had once vowed “I won’t stop until Wen Yu returns,” had a blank expression, focusing solely on the compressed biscuits in front of it.
Everything was merely a formality.
In that moment, Tang Haofei looked at the spirit pets before him, unable to suppress the sadness in his eyes. He sighed softly and spoke in a hoarse voice.
“How long has it been…”
This question successfully caught the attention of the spirit pets.
Meeting the gaze of the seven little ones, Tang Haofei repeated himself.
“How long has it been since Wen Yu went missing?”
After a long silence, it was Victor who let out a long sigh.
“1158 years, 7 months, and 9 days…”
The long number left Tang Haofei in shock, followed by a sense of calm.
“It’s been so long…”
He sighed, but received no response.
One human and seven beasts simply remained silent, as if they had lost all spirit.
1158 years, 7 months, and 9 days…
This was a form of torture.
Seeing this, Tang Haofei could only sigh.
Loyalty is an admirable quality, but it cannot be denied that everything should have its limits.
At first, when he saw the spirit pets frantically searching for Wen Yu, Tang Haofei felt envious. However, as time passed, this envy gradually turned into shock, and finally morphed into complete sorrow.
This was a betrayal of loyalty…
And also the joke of time.
Over a century of waiting, yet all that was received was the cruellest of outcomes.
Nothing could be sadder than this.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Tang Haofei's voice was hoarse as he calmly uttered these three words, yet there was no hint of joy, anger, or sadness in his tone.