ILLIMITABLE UNTIL DEATH

The next day, early morning.

In the room, Fang Li had already risen early. Sitting cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed, he guided the flow of Prana throughout his body and along its surface, circulating it over and over again.

After an entire night, Fang Li's Prana had become exceedingly abundant under the influence of the Reiji Maigo (Midnight Lost Child) and Ionic Spark. The Prana flickered like starlight at his command, filling him with an overwhelming sense of vitality.

While controlling his breathing, Fang Li synchronized the flow of Prana, adjusting his condition to its peak. Only after a long while did he exhale, allowing the brilliant starlight to gradually fade away.

Opening his eyes, he gazed out at the blue sky beyond the window and whispered softly to himself.

"It's about time..."

With that, Fang Li stood up and left the room, where he had only stayed for a single night.

...

As a secluded island far from the city, the mornings here were unusually serene and beautiful.

Birds soared in the sky.

Wild beasts howled in the distance.

The air was gradually warming.

The sea breeze roared freely.

No matter how one looked at it, this place seemed like a corner of paradise.

In the same pavilion as yesterday, Zhuge Jinghuan sat at a stone table, sipping the tea he had prepared, looking every bit like a reclusive sage.

Fang Li emerged from the hallway and immediately caught sight of this scene.

Without even lifting his head, Zhuge Jinghuan smiled slightly, as if he had expected Fang Li to arrive at that exact moment, and said, "It seems like you had a good night's sleep."

Hearing this, Fang Li shrugged and responded, "Then you guessed wrong. I was so nervous I could barely sleep."

"Oh really?" Zhuge Jinghuan turned his gaze toward Fang Li and laughed softly, "I certainly can't tell you were nervous at all."

"Of course, you can't." Fang Li casually replied, "If you could, how would I proceed with my plans?"

"Too bad," Zhuge Jinghuan's tone turned a bit firmer as he remarked, "I consider myself pretty good at reading people, and I see no sign of nervousness in you. If you were that easily shaken, this situation would be much easier for me."

"Oh?" Fang Li asked nonchalantly, "And why is that?"

"It's simple," Zhuge Jinghuan smiled, his expression giving nothing away, "because you don't seem like someone who's planning to stand on our side."

"Should I return that statement to you?" Fang Li replied with a faint smile, "You don't seem like someone who plans to sit this one out."

"No, I will sit this one out," Zhuge Jinghuan smiled back, "As long as you fight Habi."

With those words, a verbal tug-of-war had already taken place several times.

It was now clear that both sides fully understood their respective positions.

"I must say, I'm genuinely disappointed, Fang Li San," Zhuge Jinghuan sighed, "I really hoped you would join us in Ranban."

"I know," Fang Li's expression turned cold as he replied, "But, as I've already said, that's not for me."

"Why?" Zhuge Jinghuan seemed genuinely regretful as he asked, "We are both Chinese; we should understand each other."

"If that were really the case, China wouldn't have so many internal conflicts," Fang Li said, looking directly at Zhuge Jinghuan, his voice calm. "Even if I joined Hong Kong's Ranban, the first thing I'd have to deal with would be the internal strife, right?"

"...I can't deny that," Zhuge Jinghuan sighed once more, meeting Fang Li's gaze. "It seems we cannot come to a peaceful resolution."

"Which is why I already told you," Fang Li smiled slightly, "For me, there's only one way to solve this."

At that moment, Zhuge Jinghuan stopped speaking.

Clearly, he understood that any further conversation would be futile.

There was only one course of action left.

"Fang Li San." Zhuge Jinghuan, with the same sly, hidden-knife smile he had always worn, said somewhat theatrically, "Have you figured out how to counter Sun's Ruyi Bang?"

Fang Li's gaze towards Zhuge Jinghuan became more meaningful, and then he smiled.

"If you want to know the answer, you can stop sitting on the sidelines."

Leaving that remark, Fang Li turned and walked toward the hall they had visited yesterday.

The smile on Zhuge Jinghuan's face slightly faded. He narrowed his eyes, calmly finished the last sip of his tea, and then stood up, following Fang Li toward the hall.

…

When Fang Li entered the same spacious hall as yesterday, the scene before him was no different from the one he had left.

By "no different," it referred to the state when Fang Li had last left the room.

Last night, when Fang Li had departed, the place had been a complete mess.

Wine jugs were scattered everywhere.

Cups and plates were in complete disarray.

The Oni warriors lay sprawled all over the place, apparently still drunk.

Even Habi, leaning on his massive battle axe, was drooling and fast asleep.

As for the Ranban members, they had vanished without a trace.

In the end, only three people remained at the table, still indulging.

One was Yan, sitting and drinking.

The second was Tsubaki, pouring wine for Yan.

The third was Sarah, quietly munching on vegetables.

These three, who had brought Fang Li here, seemed to have been waiting for his return. As soon as they saw him, their gazes locked on him.

"You're here?"

Yan grinned, surprisingly without hostility.

"Quite bold of you to come back," Tsubaki remarked sarcastically.

"..."

Sarah remained silent, continuing to eat her vegetables as if she didn't want to speak to Fang Li, though her pace quickened significantly.

In this situation, Fang Li didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and sat directly across from Yan.

Yan immediately lifted his head and looked at Fang Li.

Tsubaki and Sarah also watched Fang Li, their eyes full of caution.

Fang Li, however, acted as though he noticed nothing, and addressed Yan directly.

"I have a question I'd like to ask you."

Upon hearing Fang Li's words, Yan, uncharacteristically, remained silent for a moment. He simply grabbed the wine jug and took a hearty swig.

"Bang!"

After a while, Yan slammed the jug heavily on the ground.

"Speak," Yan, reeking of alcohol, said to Fang Li, "Right now, even if it's a disrespectful question, I'll answer it."

Fang Li didn't hesitate.

"Then I'll be direct."

He looked Yan straight in the eye.

"Zhuge Jinghuan told me that Sun and Habi share a 'Oneself' to 'Oneself' relationship."

"What does that mean?"

(End Of This Chapter)

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