Chapter 00083: Mercury
# Mercury
Chapter 83
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 83: Mercury
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, the mutilated corpse crashed to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
As the casualties mounted, the fierce battle between the two teams was approaching its climax.
A bronze-skinned man with a scarred face stepped carelessly on a corpse, crackling lightning swirling around him, coldly eyeing the last resistance: “Hand over what you’ve got, and I’ll spare your lives.”
“Dream on!” The injured captain sneered, clutching his backpack tightly to himself while raising the explosives in his other hand, “Take one more step forward, and we all go down together!”
“Is that so?” The scarred man stepped forward without any hesitation, his expression unchanging, “I don’t believe you.”
A hint of uncertainty flickered in the captain's eyes, which the man caught immediately.
The captain's smile became more cunning: “Don’t worry, I’m a man of my word. Just hand over—”
Boom!!!
Another loud explosion sounded above them, as if something raced past.
From a suddenly opened crack, something soared out, reversing gravity and moving along the ceiling, whizzing away, leaving behind excited shouts of: “Woohoo, we’re taking off!!!”
It disappeared behind another suddenly appearing crevice.
The crack sealed shut.
Only silence remained.
The captain and the scarred man shared a moment of stunned silence, glancing at their teammates, confusion written all over their faces.
Did something just pass by?
But then, the roar of engines erupted again, as if it had taken a wrong turn, crashing out from another crack on the ceiling, racing down along the walls toward the floor, then diving into an quickly opening crack: “Woohoo, I’m flying again!”
And vanished from sight.
“…”
In that brief moment of confusion, everyone stood transfixed.
In the deafening silence, the captain, still clutching the explosives, felt something light in his embrace, as if he glimpsed a rope flying in from nowhere, snagging his pack and yanking it away.
Only awkward silence remained.
“Uh, well…,” the captain swallowed nervously, “Since everything seems fine, shall we just… leave first?”
…
In the distance, the faint sound of explosions could be heard.
But it wasn’t clear.
As the roaring winds continued, Ji Jue heard little An’s voice from the back seat cheerfully shouting, “Brother Ji Jue, I snatched something!”
Ji Jue turned back in a daze and saw little An with an open backpack, shining treasures within.
He couldn’t help but exclaim, “No way!”
Time sand crystals, damn it!
Ever seen a time sand crystal the size of a human head?!
Well, he just did today!
Wait, it really was a head… He could vaguely make out a carved face that looked suspiciously like… mercury’s face?
What a sage, even the statue made of time sand costing millions per ounce, and this piece is so big?! Wouldn't the craftsmen from the Embers sect have their brains blown out trying to grab this stuff?
“What do you mean by 'snatched'?”
He slapped little An’s head gently, saying sternly, “This is 'found', understand?”
“Ah?” Little An looked puzzled.
“It must have been something no one wanted, which is why it was left on the ground, and we just happened to come across it.” Ji Jue squeezed the time sand crystal back into the backpack, helping little An secure it, “Let’s keep it safe in our pockets. If no one comes to claim it, we can keep it for ourselves, right?”
“Right!”
Though little An still seemed bewildered, he nodded, convinced that what brother Ji Jue said was surely right.
“This is what I found!”
Ji Jue nodded in satisfaction, this kid is teachable!
The things they had ‘found’ along the way were already piled high in the little bullock cart, sticking out like spikes.
Thanks to little An’s nimble use of ropes, packaging was swift; otherwise, many treasures would have been lost.
After all, the workshop of a sage has good things scraping off from anywhere.
Occasionally, when they came across items they didn’t recognize, the Prophet would remind them, so they wouldn’t forget to take it.
They were learning and enjoying delicious snacks while collecting local specialties.
If it weren’t for being in this fissured realm, Ji Jue would have thought this was the most delightful tour ever!
Once again, accompanied by loud roars, faint lights appeared at the end of the rapidly changing narrow passage, and they had crossed through the walls to emerge in a vast hall.
In that grand space, only dust fell softly, but it was entirely empty.
A mournful silence.
Only a solitary armchair stood amidst the dust; the once glorious white robe lay discarded on the floor, treated like rags.
For a brief moment, Ji Jue felt as if he saw again that pensive figure he had glimpsed before, but quickly, everything vanished from his mind.
Then, passing through the walls, through the tunnels, it felt as though they had stepped into a strange boiler room.
Massive furnaces were filled with ashes, void of the warmth and liveliness from days gone by.
Great pipes crisscrossed the ceiling and floor.
As they moved through, they felt like ants amidst the dust.
After passing through, Ji Jue found himself back in a place he had been before, a chaotic scene indicating someone had been there, yet no trace of people was to be found.
He sensed he might be lost, yet somehow still on the right path.
Thus, he traversed the interior, not knowing what direction lay ahead.
He drew closer to the core, but careless missteps led him astray.
Perhaps exploring a workshop was like this, as lost souls needed to immerse themselves wholeheartedly and charge headfirst without fear.
However, Ji Jue had many things to ponder.
For instance, where the hell was the Non-Aggression?
He felt that the deeper he went, the harder it became to navigate, and if he were not careful, he would be thrown back by the fiercely operating workshop to an earlier position.
Several times, had it not been for the Prophet’s warnings, he would have already been mercilessly crushed by the workshop's workings for heading the wrong direction...
At that moment, amidst his journey, Ji Jue felt his mind buzzing incessantly.
It felt as if he was being split in two!
One part remained as Ji Jue, but the other felt mechanical, changing into a different form and face.
One part expressed joy and sorrow, while the other remained indifferent and calm, devoid of emotion, like a machine.
In this resonance of descending into machinery, Ji Jue perceived himself as a component, participating in the entire operation of the core.
With fine-tuning and fluid alchemical control, he flowed with the changes of the core, converging towards its inner depths.
Drawing nearer and further away.
Now, he had truly become part of the workshop, experiencing first-hand the workings of the fissured realm, feeling the magnificent currents sweeping through the workshop.
Vast, deep, yet... so hollow.
Like an empty shell.
Though the operation seemed intricate and complex, inside it held nothing... even the descent into machinery could not imbue it with spirit, nor could he feel any records or traces left behind.
So bizarre.
Clearly, the creators possessed their own rationality; why did the workshop itself seem to operate like a vegetative being, functioning only on preset directives?
Ji Jue felt utterly small.
Even the resounding echoes of hollow operations threatened to shatter his soul.
Fortunately, he wasn’t alone.
There was also the万能钥匙 the professor had left behind, a pro at picking locks—after a journey full of analysis and exploration, this key had fully grasped the structure and changes of the workshop, providing him with vital direction.
Locations like the Central Furnace, the Blessing Room, and the Warehouse were now marked within Ji Jue's sight.
In any workshop, these three locations were crucial— the Central Furnace was the core of the workshop, providing a space for craftsmen to create.
Everything was arranged and displayed to serve this purpose, like the soul of the workshop.
The Blessing Room housed and protected the blessings attained by craftsmen, akin to an organ—indispensable.
The Warehouse, on the other hand, was straightforward, where all precious materials were stored…
But here came the problem; these were all spread out around the periphery of the core.
So what was in the core?
Where exactly was he headed?
Ji Jue momentarily lost focus, and in just a moment, as he passed through the thundering crack that closed behind him, he was unexpectedly thrust into a compartment filled with countless mechanical workings.
It felt like stepping inside machinery, as gigantic modules took off beside him, whipping up a whirlwind.
“Up ahead, take a left turn.”
The Prophet calmly directed: “No need to focus on details. The point of ‘looking down’ is to see the bigger picture—even a temporary setback is of little consequence. Fluid alchemy, like ink splashed in water, or marrow extracted from stone—once the spirit aligns, purification will occur naturally. As long as thoughts and the overall direction are sound, then there won't be any unexpected outcomes. I believe this participation in the core's operations serves as a precious opportunity for you to refine your fluid alchemy techniques.”
All along the journey, the Prophet had never hesitated to guide him, often pinpointing the confusion he faced with just a few words, providing guidance and suggestions.
Ji Jue couldn’t help but sigh, “... Prophet, are you really going to just watch without acting?”
“What prompts that question?”
The Prophet in the basket seemed to chuckle, “I’ve made a promise, Mr. Ji Jue. Everything I know, I will share, and it will never be a lie.”
“I said before, I am a Prophet, within the fissure, there is nothing I do not know.”
“And then?” Ji Jue asked bluntly, “Are you mercury?”
“…”
The Prophet fell silent, making an effort to turn back and glance at Ji Jue, with a complex and helpless expression, conveying the sentiment of—do you wanna see if you're talking nonsense?
“I believe I understand your worries, Mr. Ji Jue. Rest assured.”
She replied plainly, “I am not.”
“Let’s put it plainly—if I were mercury, what hidden motives could I possess, honestly, would I even need you?”
She paused, letting out a mocking sigh, “Besides, isn’t ‘mercury’ something everywhere here?”
In that moment, amidst the engine's roar and the core's operation, Ji Jue froze for a second, as if he heard a song.
From a distant place, faintly rising.
“Thinking of home... home is so lovely... the sky is clear, the wind is cool, the nostalgia comes in waves…”
That voice was so familiar, like something he had heard countless times in dreams, yet it felt so hollow and hoarse, sending chills down Ji Jue's spine.
As the crack opened once more, he finally saw a vision full of bloody red.
From the walls, from the ceiling, from the floor, it spread out, staining everything in sight red.
Scattered limbs lay on the ground, the blessings and spiritual essences shimmering slowly, floating away, but Ji Jue felt no pain.
Only a chilling fear consumed him.
From palm to palm, shredded and crushed, amidst the singing, blood flowed.
And amid the grim corpses of the intruders, a bizarre figure of a five-legged deer stood in the pool of blood, singing softly:
“Thinking of home... Thinking of home... How do the people from home... always keep it in mind...”
The roar of the motorcycle abruptly ceased.
Ji Jue instinctively wanted to reverse, but it was already too late.
It turned back…
On the broken face, the features distorted and haphazardly arranged, like a chaotic jigsaw puzzle, yet the eyebrows seemed so familiar, radiating an eternal melancholy and solitude.
From an eye corner tilted on the forehead, tears began to roll down slowly.
In the moment Ji Jue regained his senses, that voice was already within reach!
He realized he hadn’t even seen when that figure appeared before him.
Lowering its gaze.
Ji Jue held his breath as his pupils widened slowly.
He instinctively reached out, gripping little An tightly, not allowing him any movement.
Then, with all his strength, he maintained the connection and characteristics between himself and the core.
Hoping it would regard them merely as common displays in the workshop and ignore them.
A thin, elongated arm reached out from beneath the torn robe.
It brushed past Ji Jue's face.
So slowly, so gently.
The fingertips brushed against his eye corner and retracted instantly.
It seemed confused at first, but soon withdrew its gaze.
Among the cascading long hair, tear-filled eyes closed.
It slowly turned away, a soft breeze rising, stepping through the blood, moving into the darkness ahead while singing that seemingly never-ending hoarse song.
Only silence remained.
And in that stillness, Ji Jue, who barely had the strength to breathe, remained silent, drenched in sweat.
Little An's tense body slackened, sensing his distress, and offered him a water flask.
Finally allowing Ji Jue to catch his breath.
Still struggling to contain his shivers.
“Prophet, what on earth was that?”
“That is mercury.”
The Prophet leaned back in the basket, gazing towards the vanishing figure, “One of the remnants left after the furnace named mercury has cooled down…”
Compared to the past sages, it was like a drop in the ocean.
Minuscule and unreachable.
(End of Chapter)