144: The mountains and rivers are difficult to cross

Watching Liu Yan taste the 'Guanshan Nanyue' (Hard to Cross Mountains), Sayyid fell into a memory… 30 years ago, in another world.

Still on this small hillside.

“Pah—!!”

“Old Sai, what kind of terrible liquor is this?”

A handsome young man wiped the corner of his mouth, looking at Sayyid with dissatisfaction.

Deep in the young man’s eyes, there was an unspeakable sense of fatigue, somewhat incongruous with his handsome face.

“Hahaha, try this one,” Sayyid handed him another can.

The young man took it, glared at Sayyid, then opened the can and drank it all in one gulp.

A look of surprise appeared in the young man’s eyes.

“Good liquor! Why didn’t you bring out the good stuff earlier, making me drink that trash just now?”

Sayyid picked up the can that had been placed on the ground, took off his mask, and started drinking.

“For me, the ‘Kongshan Lingyu’ (Spirit Rain of Empty Mountain) I first gave you was the best to drink.”

After finishing the liquor in his hand, the young man’s face showed a lingering desire.

“What’s this liquor called?”

“Guanshan Nanyue.”

Hearing Sayyid’s answer, the young man laughed.

“How hard is it to cross?”

Sayyid shook his head helplessly.

“Can’t you change your personality? Why argue with the name of a liquor?”

The young man casually tossed the can in his hand aside, sat on the hillside, and looked at the distant sunset.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the two remained silent, just watching.

“How about you try to dismantle Asara?” Sayyid suddenly said, looking at the setting sun.

“Why?” The young man turned to look at Sayyid.

But with the mask blocking, the young man couldn’t see Sayyid’s expression at the moment.

“Dismantling Hafke isn’t as simple as you think; it’s too difficult.”

“How difficult?” the young man continued to ask.

Sayyid didn’t answer this time, but let out a deep sigh.

“If it were the first world, perhaps you would succeed.”

“But now, I’ve already lost count of how many rounds this is—tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions?”

“I’m almost numb.”

The young man looked at the sunset, placing his hand on Sayyid’s shoulder, and joked:

“Isn’t this your home? Are you telling me to destroy my brother’s nest?”

Sayyid slowly shook his head.

“This isn’t my home; my home was submerged by war long ago.”

“Compared to Hafke, dismantling Asara is much simpler.”

“Reis’s long-range combat skills are very poor; for you, he’s basically no threat.”

Sayyid paused here, then said very reluctantly:

“Of course, I’m also no threat to you.”

“But you know, I’ve killed all my derivative bodies.”

“As long as you kill the real Reis and all his derivative bodies, all of this can end.”

“As for Crow… he’s a bit difficult to deal with, but for you, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

“But do you think it’s possible to dismantle Hafke?”

“Not to mention how you’ll contend against those blue eagle helicopters and countless vehicles alone.”

“Just Demulan’s strength, you know better than anyone.”

Sayyid’s words plunged the young man into a brief silence.

Then the young man slowly spoke:

“If you tell me now that everything you said before was a lie, I can try to dismantle Asara right now.”

“In the experiences you told me, weren’t you the victims?”

“Now, you and Hafke have come to my hometown, and it’s no different from Hafke invading you.”

“Originally, in my eyes, you were all enemies.”

“But ever since I met you, I realized you’re different from them.”

“And you also told me your story.”

“Anyone with a brain knows whether it’s Hafke or Asara that caused all of this!”

“Is it the victim-blaming theory?”

“You want me to choose the simpler Asara, then eradicate them all? To restore peace to my hometown?”

“The liquor, give me a few more cans. You’re so stingy, and you call yourself a leader.”

At the end, the young man pushed Sayyid a few times impatiently.

“Alright, alright, I’m getting them.”

Sayyid impatiently swatted the young man’s arm away and took out four more cans from his chest rig.

“That’s all there is, I’m giving them all to you. Drink your fill.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll go with you.”

After taking the liquor, the young man didn’t rush to drink it; instead, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Click—!!!

A flame ignited, and as the young man inhaled, the cigarette tip quickly lit up.

“Whoosh—”

The young man slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

“I said, it’s better to live poorly than to die well, whether it’s you or Cai Ning.”

“Staying alive is better than anything.”

After speaking, the young man opened the can and started drinking.

After drinking, the young man offered a cigarette.

“Want one?”

Sayyid waved his hand, saying sarcastically:

“No thanks, don’t I have to live? What if I get lung cancer?”

“Tsk, showing off.” The young man looked disdainful and put the cigarette away.

“Why didn’t that kid Cai Ning come with you today?” Sayyid asked.

The young man waved his hand.

“I said I’d go alone, but he insisted on coming with me. Wouldn’t that just cause trouble?”

“But then again, if I die, he won’t live much longer either.”

“He’s probably writing his will at home now. It’s just the two of us left in the world; I don’t know who he’s writing it for.”

Hearing this, Sayyid sighed again.

“Now you’re complaining. At least half of your own people were killed by you, weren’t they?”

“I advised you so many times to cooperate with them; at least there’s strength in numbers.”

The young man waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t be naive. Do you not understand human nature, or do you not understand war?”

“Not to mention them each carving out their own territory, with various small-scale wars constantly happening, what if they stab me in the back at a critical moment?”

“Everyone has ulterior motives; killing them makes things clean.”

After hearing the young man’s answer, Sayyid was somewhat speechless, eventually only able to shake his head helplessly and say:

“What about that kid Cai Ning?”

“You have the strength, you can make choices. It’s your business if you can’t bring yourself to dismantle Asara, but do you want him to die with you because of your choice?”

The young man didn’t answer, taking a quantum storage device from an inner pocket of his clothes.

“I have this.”

The young man took out a crystal-clear diamond from it.

“I tried telling him to end the war, but it was useless. I told him to make you all leave, and that was useless too.”

“But I think if I want him to live, I should be able to do it.”

“After all, the difference is huge. Making him live is much more achievable than ending the war or making you all leave.”

Sayyid shook his head.

“It’s that your world no longer has any hope, so…”

Sayyid didn’t continue, but sighed helplessly again.

After drinking all four cans of liquor, the young man stood up and stretched.

“Alright, it’s getting dark. I need to find a place to sleep. If I stay with you, those Soldiers might steal from me.”

“Tomorrow, I still have to fight the final battle, so I can’t let them delay me.”

“Oh, Old Sai, if I die, don’t forget to collect my body.”

“I really don’t want to die and be fitted with a brain-machine interface by Hafke.”

“Oh, and one more thing: if you have time, help me beat up your Asara Soldiers.”

“I was already at a disadvantage, and they were still shooting at me!”

Sayyid looked at the chattering young man in front of him and couldn’t help but force a bitter smile.

But Sayyid remembered every single word the other party said.

Because he knew this was their last meeting.

“Those Soldiers are all derivative bodies; their main bodies died long ago. Why are you bothering with them?”

“When you die, I’ll feed your body to the crocodiles. That way, Hafke can’t possibly put a brain-machine interface on you.”

After Sayyid finished speaking, the young man burst into laughter.

“Alright, it’s settled then. I’m leaving.”

The young man waved his hand and turned to leave.

Sayyid sat on the hillside, his gaze lingering on the direction where the young man was about to disappear.

The afterglow of the sunset cast dappled light and shadows on his face, reflecting his complex expression.

Unwillingness, worry, and a hint of unutterable admiration.

The last trace of twilight on the horizon gradually faded, and night was about to fall.

This scene seemed to allude to a certain outcome, making Sayyid’s heart sink to the bottom.

“Liu Yan! Even if you know the outcome, are you still going to persist?!”

Sayyid finally couldn’t hold back, suddenly stood up, his voice sounding a little hoarse in the twilight.

Liu Yan didn’t look back, just raised his arm and waved lightly.

“One must try, otherwise, just wait to die?”

This simple gesture was both a farewell and a silent promise.

Liu Yan’s figure finally disappeared into the deepening night.

Leaving only Sayyid standing alone on the hillside, letting the evening wind of Dam Zero ruffle his clothes.

And that phrase echoing in the mountains.

“One must try, otherwise, just wait to die?”