Lạc Trần felt as though a swarm of worms was burrowing under his skin - his whole body consumed by a numbing, icy cold. He knew this was Duskhollow acting up.
It was trying to devour his vitality.
Things had gone from bad to worse.
He was already in a weakened state, and now that Duskhollow had spread throughout his body, even lifting a finger was beyond him.
The strange phenomenon above the river hadn't ended yet, so he dared not retrieve the two wisps of celestial fire he'd entrusted to Lam Tường Vi and the little dog. And even if he wanted to reclaim the Everchanging Ember now, it was probably too late.
The barrier over the room's entrance likely still held - there was no way to call for the others: the butcher, the seamtress, etc.
It seemed like Lạc Trần had run out of options.
But this time, unlike when he'd panicked trying to save Lam Tường Vi and the puppy, his mind was strangely clear.
Lying back, he made a desperate attempt - he tried to reach out to Duskhollow.
Until now, the idea of negotiating with a terrifying celestial fire that fed on life force had never once crossed Lạc Trần's mind.
But today was different.
Today, he had met Lam Vân Hoa.
Had the river's anomaly not struck so suddenly, Lạc Trần had planned to return to the village first and then try to slowly persuade the Duskhollow Flame.
But plans rarely keep pace with chaos. Now, he had only one choice: gamble his life on a single hand.
"Duskhollow," he whispered in his mind, "you are a celestial fire born of the ember that spark the realm into existence. Are you really willing to let the Cloudspike Sect use you like a tool to kill a broken man like me?"
"O' Flame of Glory, I know your pride runs deep. Killing someone like me - a heartless husk with severed celestial meridians - isn't it beneath you? So easy a task, it makes you look weak, insignificant. How could that prove your greatness to the world?"
…
He waited a moment, but felt no flicker of emotion from the cold energy surging through him.
Still, he didn't give up. Gritting his teeth, he pressed on:
"Let's strike a bargain. Spare my life - and in return, we'll bring war to Cloudspike Sect. I'll avenge what they did to me, and you can crush the fools who dared to exploit you. Helping a broken man like me achieve vengeance - that's a true feat. Only then will the world see your might."
…
By this point, Lạc Trần's thoughts were starting to blur.
He didn't know whether the Duskhollow Flame would accept his offer. He didn't have the strength to wait for its reply.
Darkness claimed him.
---the separator line rushed to work on its partner car---
When he awoke, he found himself lying inside the cow-foot litter.
As soon as Lam Tường Vi saw him open his eyes, tears welled up in her already swollen lids and she burst into sobs.
"You're awake, Young Master! Wahhh! You scared me half to death!"
The little dog sat beside her, its expression complex. It looked at him, then turned its face away with a huff.
So, it had a warm heart under that cold nose after all.
"Didn't expect you to be the type to go all in," said the Cripple, squinting with his usual rakish grin.
The deaf man shook his head. "What were you thinking? Do you even know there's not a patch of you left untouched by Duskhollow?"
Lạc Trần scratched his head sheepishly.
"I should've died the day they carved out my heart at Cloudspike Sect. Being taken in by the village of Sickos, getting to breathe a little longer, was already fortune enough for three lifetimes. If I could trade this half-dead body to save two lives, then I'd say my time wasn't wasted."
Lam Tường Vi abruptly lifted her head, nearly shouting:
"Don't say things like that!"
"Tường Vi, listen..."
"I won't! I won't! I won't listen! You're just using that as an excuse. The truth is you don't value your own life at all!"
She covered her ears and rambled, distraught.
The lame man said, "She's right, you know. It's noble to want to save others, but you can't just throw your own life away. What about your vengeance - the pain of losing your heart and your chi? Who'll carry that for you?"
"No need to comfort me," Lạc Trần sighed. "Look at me now - I'm in no shape to take revenge. If I'm not already dead, it's only because you're all keeping me alive."
The silent maiden wrote:
"So you're just going to give up?"
"This is the Dry Sea," said the deaf man. "Danger and opportunity go hand in hand here. Don't despair."
"You saw it too last night - dead men dancing on the river. That was real."
Did the deaf man really believe Dry Sea held some miracle that could help Lạc Trần reclaim vengeance? Or was he simply spinning hope to keep him going?
Lạc Trần couldn't tell.
All he knew was that he felt deeply grateful - for everyone in this cow-foot litter, and for the entire village of Sickos.
In Cloudspike Sect, he had been like a free-range chicken. Whether he lived or died, succeeded or failed, no one cared.
To them, he was just a container for the Heart of Saint.
Lam Tường Vi sniffled, wiped her eyes on his sleeve, and whimpered:
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself. No more reckless acts."
"If I hadn't done what I did, you might be dead right now."
"I don't care! If you ever do something that foolish again… I'll just die with you!"
"Alright, alright. I'm scared of you now. I won't do it again."
"Words mean nothing. Pinkies out. Anyone who breaks their promise is a poo-addicted fly!"
Cornered by her fierce eyes, Lạc Trần nodded and hooked his finger with hers.
Just then, the butcher spoke up:
"You two can flirt later. Right now, we've got more pressing matters."
The silent maiden nodded, scribbled:
"Why did Duskhollow suddenly spare your life?"
The lame man added, "No need to hide it from us. The deaf guy here forged your heart and was the former master of the Everchanging Ember. One look and he could tell - Duskhollow had already flared out and then withdrew into your heart of its own will."
So Lạc Trần told them.
How he'd struck a bargain with the flame before blacking out.
No wonder the old smith and the others said he didn't value his life - he really had gambled everything without waiting for a reply.
The silent maiden's eyes widened:
"You can negotiate with Duskhollow? Why didn't you lot think of that before? You made us risk shoving the Ember into his heart for nothing!"
The smith scratched his head, embarrassed.
"The Ember didn't talk to me much. If I tried to say anything complicated, it wouldn't even understand. Who'd have guessed Duskhollow Flame was that intelligent?"
The Cripple chimed in:
"Maybe because it's lodged in the heart, it resonates better with him than it would with others?"
"Point is," the butcher cut in, "we old folks were too hot-headed. Just went straight for brute force without considering negotiation."
Hearing that come from a man who seemed born for brawling was hard to believe.
Lạc Trần admitted, "Honestly, it didn't occur to me either - until I bargained with Lam Vân Hoa."
---the separator line got a speeding ticket---
Later, he asked about the sighting of the dead dancing on the river.
It turned out the rule "don't leave the village at night - the darkness will devour you" was merely the most basic law of Dry Sea. Each ruin or landmark had its own unique rules - phenomena they called anomalies.
In fact, he had witnessed anomalies before - he just hadn't realized it.
Like how twice a month, every path in Dry Sea would eventually lead to the black market. That was one.
Or some night at Star Fell Lake, when the bottomless boat arrived and the surrounding darkness suddenly became "safe" - another anomaly.
Even the monstrosities living side by side with villagers in the Ranch at dusk… wasn't that also anomalous?
It was just that those events brought no harm, so Lạc Trần never paid them much mind.
He asked, "So… have any of you seen the dead dancing on the river before?"
The butcher, the silent maiden, and the deaf man all turned to the lame man.
He handled trade with other villages and often spent nights away. If anyone had seen it, it'd be him.
"Only once," the lame man replied. "Three years ago. Folks from Gemstone River village said it happens only on the Clear Spring River, but no one knows the pattern."
Lam Tường Vi shrank back.
"You didn't see it, since you were unconscious, but this morning… thirteen people died in Gemstone River village. Drowned. One choked in a piss pot. Another slit their wrists and drowned in their own blood. It was… horrifying."
Lạc Trần shivered. He said a silent prayer for the poor soul who died face-down in a chamber pot.
There may be no death more undignified than that.
After a long, harrowing journey, the cow-foot litter finally returned to the village of Sickos.