Chapter 56 Swordcraft Triumphs All (1/2)
All four of the doors were identical.
They were all open, and one could see what was behind those doors.
A pavilion from before could be seen.
The first door from the left was closed while the second door was open. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Lian walked in.
The view brightened up and he saw the pavilion from before.
A person who looked strangely familiar was sitting in the pavilion. He sat with his legs crossed and his stubble covered his face.
After realizing who the person was, Shen Lian was shocked! The person was he himself. He was no longer a teenager, but a man.
The man opened his eyes and noticed Shen Lian. ”I haven't spoken to anyone in the past ten years, and I certainly did not expect myself to be the first person that I'm speaking with,” the man slowly replied without showing any sign of surprise.
Shen Lian observed the moon in the sky, and he felt the movement of the wind and the grass. ”So it seems that I did not manage to get out of this arbor after all,” Shen Lian replied with a smile.
”Indeed, we didn't manage to escape.”
”If you were truly me, why would you lie to yourself?” Shen Lian replied calmly.
”Are you wondering why isn't the moon moving? The direction of the wind will be different in every spot that it moves to. The direction of the wind and the position of the moon right now doesn't correspond to the conjecture that you made back when you saw the four doors?” The man stared closely at Shen Lian. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions and sorrow.
”How am I still alive after ten years?”
”This is because one will not be killed by thirst and hunger that is felt here,” the man replied.
”The plants around here are edible and there is a water source. Why would you be bothered by thirst and hunger?” Shen Lian queried.
The man picked up and stone and aimed it at the garden. Although it flew across the sky and the bush of flowers, not even a single petal fell.
Shen Lian saw the stone crossing through flower petals, branches, and eventually landing into the water without a splash.
It was as though he was looking at a three-dimensional image that was illusory.
”Are these fake?”
”I'm real. Do you know what I'm going to do next?” the man asked.
”Since you're hungry, it's only natural that you want to eat.”
”But everything here is fake,” the man spoke to Shen Lian in a serious tone.
”I'm real. You can just eat me, all sorted.” Shen Lian laughed. He thought if the man was indeed him ten years from now, he would soon be eaten by himself.
That would be a paradox.
Cannibalism has always been cruel, what more for one to eat oneself?
The man shifted from sitting cross-legged to flying in mid-air. The transition was natural.
His hands mimicked that of a claw, creating a hollow space in his palm. It was as though an invisible current of air was being formed.
Shen Lian felt the wind dragging his clothes, pulling him towards the man's claws.
It would seem that he was shocked by the airborne claws and did not react.
The air was charged, and a hint of red could be seen. Those would be the sparks produced by the high-speed friction between the body and the air.
Amidst the commotion, the claw landed right on Shen Lian's chest.