Chapter Ten: Brother, You Have Changed

After a fleeting moment of comfort, Lu Mingfei gradually returned to himself. The golden light in his eyes faded into darkness as he savored the lingering sweetness of that sensation, glancing at his now-silent aunt with a quiet sigh in his heart.

So, I’m actually capable of something like this…

What was that feeling just now? It was as if I possessed the power to change the entire world—strange, yet somehow familiar, that sensation of wielding such strength. It’s just as Furina said: I have another identity, hidden powers I could never command before. The key to mastering them lies in the transformation of my spirit and will. Only through a metamorphosis of the mind can I truly sense this soul-deep power. If not for Furina, growing up under the oppression of my aunt’s family, I doubt I would ever have had a chance to awaken.

Not only that—faced with my aunt’s relentless suppression, I would probably have chosen numb resignation, continued down the same path, and become ever more desensitized, the weight of it all turning poisonous inside me.

How pitiful.

The youth smiled wryly at the thought, his tragic past making his present fortune feel all the more precious—he was almost giddy. In his heart, with a tone both sincere and teasing, he asked, “Why don’t you believe me?”

“Believe you?” came the reply.

“That’s right. Actually, I’m a genius. I just tapped into my latent power and managed to silence everyone in a wide area. They can’t make a sound now. How’s that for impressive?”

“Huh?!” Furina was slightly bewildered. Though she wasn’t in Lu Mingfei’s world, she could tell his aunt’s voice vanished in an instant, while before, when Lu Mingfei suppressed sound, it took him some time to cast.

So maybe he was telling the truth! But she couldn’t rule out the possibility that his self-control was simply exceptional, that he’d suddenly grasped a way to block out other noises, and was now tricking her by claiming he’d silenced everyone else.

Yet his voice was earnest, with a faint undertone of pride—surely he wasn’t lying? She wanted to believe him directly, but knowing his nature, she couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

“I could describe the feeling of awakening that power to you,” Lu Mingfei reminisced, “It was incredibly pleasant, as if my will could influence the entire world. My mind could guide any element I wished, shaping a myriad of abilities according to my whim. It was… delightful.”

“Why don’t you just say you’re the king of the world…”

“Yes, that’s exactly the feeling. I felt as if I were born to be king. I don’t know why, but it just felt so right, so natural, like it was meant to be.” Lu Mingfei spoke as if suddenly enlightened.

“You’re obviously making this up! At least try to sound convincing when you’re making things up! Who just goes along with my train of thought like that—really…” Furina felt a headache coming on, but she was powerless to influence Lu Mingfei’s side. She couldn’t see anything.

Wait… see?

“Lu! Ming! Fei!”

“Understood!”

The boy and girl, their hearts in silent accord, each extended their senses in their own worlds, observing the other’s realm with care—Furina eager to learn of his situation, and Lu Mingfei wanting to glimpse hers.

The one in need of salvation can’t always be me!

In Furina’s vision, Lu Mingfei sat quietly at the bedside, an IV drip attached to his hand, while the other people in the hospital were nothing but blurred outlines, utterly silent.

In Lu Mingfei’s eyes, Furina sat cross-legged atop a high platform, watching the performance below with pride, like a goddess on high gazing down at the theater of mortals.

Is this truly him… or her?

…

Reality

His voice lost, Lu Mingfei’s aunt quickly felt fear sink in. She stumbled backward, now looking at Lu Mingfei as if he were a plague. She had always been the one to mete out violence, and for a long time at that, yet the instant Lu Mingfei displayed such a strange power, she assumed the victim’s gaze, seeking help from the others around her as a matter of course.

Yet the only response she received was a cold, indifferent stare.

Everyone in the hospital had seen it—it was she who began, shrieking like a shrew, raging and venting all her malice upon the frail boy hooked up to the IV. The boy bore it for a long time, and in the end, only said: “Shut up.”

His aunt opened her mouth again and again, but not a word would come out. It was as if some mysterious force had stilled her tongue. She never thought to repent or apologize, only stared at him as if he were a monster and fled the scene, firmly convinced that Lu Mingfei was the one in the wrong.

Because that’s how she’d always lived. She hadn’t changed; it was Lu Mingfei who had.

“You’ve changed, brother.”

At some point, a little boy in a suit had seated himself at Lu Mingfei’s bedside, his face bright with relief and pride, though still tinged with confusion. He pressed on, “Brother, what’s happened to you? What made you change?”

“I’m just someone who goes mad from time to time,” Lu Mingfei replied simply.

For him, Furina was the most important person in his life. There was no way he’d casually reveal anything about her to someone else, especially to this little devil who might be plotting after his soul.

Even if he called Lu Mingfei brother, and even if there was a sense of familiarity between them, it didn’t matter.

“Really?” The little devil smiled playfully, pondering Lu Mingfei’s transformation.

Yet as his smile lingered, his expression gradually soured—for good reason. He realized that Lu Mingfei really had become prone to sudden, inexplicable bouts of madness, always doing things that made no sense.

How does one cure madness?

Answers needed urgently.

Still, although Lu Mingfei suffered frequent attacks now, his spirit was undeniably transformed. At his peak, he could wield a unique form of language magic purely through force of will.

As Mr. Lu Xun once said: “The mentally ill are full of spirit; after falling ill, their entire being is energized—a spiritual transformation is only natural…”

Like hell it is!!

“What’s the name of the power I just used?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“This kind of power is known to the world as ‘Word Spirit.’”

“Word Spirit, huh…”

After a moment’s silence,

“Brother?” the little devil asked tentatively.

Lu Mingfei’s eyes dropped, his expression unreadable, as if lost in thought, offering no reply.

Inner World

“Hey, hey, hey! I just broke through and mastered a special power after meeting the little devil. Why don’t you try too? It’s called Word Spirit—sounds cool, right?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”

“I think, even though we’re not from the same world, there are probably some commonalities. Try focusing your mind, see if you can draw out any special power. Maybe you have a hidden identity too!”

“No! Leave me alone!” Furina huffed, cheeks puffed out in indignation.

She was well aware of her hidden identity. On the surface, she was the God of Water; in truth, she was just an ordinary person. Lu Mingfei, on the other hand, was exactly the opposite.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

…

“Lady Furina, your performance in court today seemed especially… emotional.”

“The point of court is the trial, the judgment! Fair and impartial judgment! Don’t concern yourself with these little details!”

“Hmm…” Neuvillette sighed, bowing his head. Four centuries had passed, and still he could not comprehend human feelings. The thought weighed on him with a trace of melancholy.

At that moment, a gentle rain began to fall.