When Kael hears Yelan's words, he freezes for a moment, but he is not truly surprised.
With Yelan's Corruption Value already this high, her breaking character is something he had expected.
When Kamisato Ayaka's Corruption Value rose, she had fallen into utter despair, thinking only of hurting herself and ending everything.
But Yelan's corruption seems to be heading in a completely different direction.
As if nothing in this world matters to her anymore.
Kael cannot imagine what Yelan will become once her Corruption Value reaches 100.
He does not want to imagine it either.
He will stop it. He has to.
Once Corruption Value reaches 100, a character's personality can never be reversed.
He will never stand by and watch Yelan fully corrupt and turn into a twisted villain.
Everyone present is stunned by what Yelan said, frozen in place with widened eyes, unable to react.
They cannot believe that the leader they have always respected and trusted could say something so cold and merciless to them.
Yelan does not care about their thoughts at all. Seeing that no one dares to stop her, she steps forward and leaves Yanshang Teahouse.
"It seems this Miss Yelan's most serious injury isn't on her body, but in her heart."
Baizhu, who has no real connection with Yelan, is the first to recover. He raises an eyebrow, an expression full of meaning appearing on his face.
Because of his profession, he often deals with all kinds of people.
He can tell at a glance where Yelan's problem lies.
This woman has already gone mad. She has completely lost her rationality.
What is even more frightening is that she does not realize it herself.
Or perhaps she does realize it, yet still chooses to let herself fall.
Either way, it is far beyond the scope of his medical skills.
Baizhu offers an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry. I'm just an ordinary physician. I can only treat physical injuries. As for Miss Yelan's condition, I believe this is a case of heart sickness that requires heart medicine. You'll have to seek help elsewhere."
Kael, who is following behind Yelan, stops in his tracks when he hears Baizhu's words.
Heart sickness requires heart medicine.
He is that medicine.
Kael looks at Yelan's battered back, guilt filling his eyes.
What should he do to bring Yelan back to normal…?
Kael follows Yelan the entire way.
At first, he does not know where she is headed, but as they walk, he gradually realizes the route feels eerily familiar.
This is…
This is the road to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Please ask your Director to come out and tell her that I'm here to retrieve Kael's belongings."
Yelan says to the undertaker standing at the entrance of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Kael stares blankly at Yelan's expressionless face.
She remembers…
She remembers what he said before he died…
Even though she no longer cares about this world.
She still cares about him.
She came to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, just as they agreed.
At this moment, Kael desperately wants to hold Yelan tightly.
He wants to heal her heart, to bring her back to the decisive and commanding intelligence officer she once was.
But now, he can no longer let her feel his warmth.
Kael looks at Yelan and murmurs softly.
"Yelan… I…"
"Kael!!!!!!!"
A familiar voice erupts from not far away, cutting off Kael's guilt and helplessness.
Kael turns his head and sees a red figure sprinting toward him.
Tears scatter through the air like pearls as she runs.
When Kael sees Hu Tao charging straight at him, relief floods his chest.
His guess was right.
Hu Tao can see him.
Yelan can still be saved.
But when he clearly sees the expression on Hu Tao's face, his heart is clenched tight once again.
Hu Tao stops in front of Kael, her eyes completely lifeless, filled with nothing but endless emptiness, as if her soul has been hollowed out.
Tears stream down her face. Her lips tremble slightly, but no sound comes out.
"Hu Tao…"
The moment she hears Kael's voice, it is as if she suddenly snaps back to reality, letting out a piercing wail from the depths of her soul.
"No!!!!!!"
Hu Tao shakes her head desperately, as if doing so might wake her from a terrifying nightmare.
"No… no… this isn't real… Kael… my Kael…"
"It's impossible…"
Yelan frowns, looking at the seemingly crazed Hu Tao with confusion.
"What are you talking about? Kael is waiting for me to go back at Yanshang Teahouse."
Hu Tao raises her hands and presses them tightly over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut as she screams.
"This has to be a dream… wake up… I need to wake up right now…"
"Wake up already!!!"
"Wake up!!!!"
"Kael… there's no way… no way…"
"Someone save me… please let me wake up…"
Kael looks at the puzzled Yelan, then at Hu Tao, who has fallen into madness, pain tearing him apart.
He had originally thought he could use Hu Tao's ability to see spirits to unravel the knot in Yelan's heart.
He had been too naive.
Hu Tao's feelings for him are no less than Yelan's.
With Yelan's Corruption Value already this high, how could he believe that Hu Tao would remain clear-headed?
Now it is worse.
Both of them have lost control.
In his current spirit state, he can do nothing.
"Hu Tao!"
Kael suppresses the agony in his chest and shouts at her.
"This isn't a dream. It's reality. Look at me!"
His voice carries a plea.
"Hu Tao… please look at me…"
Kael's voice faintly reaches Hu Tao's ears through her tightly covered hands.
But she keeps her eyes shut, unwilling to open them.
"The balance of yin and yang is ordered. Fate is unpredictable. Death cannot be foreseen, yet it has its rules."
This is the understanding of death passed down through generations at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
As its Director, Hu Tao has always firmly guarded the boundary between life and death.
She treats death with passion every single day.
Because she also treats this world with passion.
She loves this world deeply, loves the place where Kael exists.
But now…
The person she loves most is about to leave.
She will never be able to face Kael's death with a smile.
Hu Tao understands the meaning of death better than anyone.
She knows clearly that death means an end.
She and Kael are about to be separated by the boundary between life and death.
She will lose him forever…
So she refuses to face this truth.
She imagines that this is nothing more than a nightmare.
When she wakes up, she will continue waiting for Kael at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor…
Even if Kael does not love her, it does not matter.
As long as she can still see him, see those gentle eyes of his, it is enough…
Being forced to personally send the person she loves most out of this world is simply too cruel.
"Please don't do this to me… I'm begging you… please don't do this to me…"
Hu Tao lets out a weak murmur.
She lifts her gaze toward Kael.
Those plum blossom eyes are filled with tears.
Kael sees deep despair in her eyes, despair on the brink of madness.
That look strikes straight into his heart, leaving him frozen in place, unable to say another word.