Surrender

Mr. Kong held a book with no words in it. The writing on its pages had turned into a vast swarm of ants, like a shadow that ebbed and flowed beneath his feet.

“Shi Buyi, turn back now... Ah, forget it.” Mr. Kong knew there was no point in trying to persuade him.

The [Stone Whisperer] paused for only a second before moving again.

He stepped straight into Mr. Kong’s swarm of ants, allowing countless insects to crawl up his stony muscles.

“Mr. Kong seems to know me quite well. [Rest Gate · Theoretical Law]. Good laws and benevolent governance are my guiding principles; the scales of justice rest within my heart.”

The [Stone Whisperer] transformed completely into a stone man, paying no attention even as the swarm gnawed at him.

After releasing the ants, Mr. Kong made no further move. He simply allowed the Stone Whisperer to pass by him.

The [Stone Whisperer]’s strength had exceeded everyone’s expectations.

He had actually withstood the attacks of eight high-ranking Mystics all by himself.

The Stone Whisperer continued onward until he reached the main exit.

It wasn’t that there were no other experts present. However, there were already very few people above [Mystery] 5, and the rest had little reason to intervene.

Chen Miemie had been waiting eagerly for someone to bring the Stone Whisperer down. After waiting half a day, he watched in astonishment as the stone man defeated eight opponents in succession. Even as he marveled at how deeply the [Stone Whisperer] had hidden his strength, he couldn’t help curling his lips.

The [Stone Whisperer] was indeed powerful, but there was a reason behind each of his Eight Gates.

Among the Eight Gates, the Life Gate, Open Gate, and Rest Gate were relatively gentle. The three opponents corresponding to those moves—[Zhiliao], Luo Lang, and Mr. Kong—had practically gone easy on him in plain sight.

Especially Mr. Kong. He hadn’t even bothered to pretend otherwise; he had been doing nothing but slacking off.

Chen Miemie had no intention of making a move.

For one thing, many of the mysteries had been unraveled today, so unlike before, he no longer had many questions to ask.

For another, when he attacked, it was actually the strange beings within him that attacked. With the high-ranking figures of the entire Sealed Library watching, he didn’t want to reveal too much.

Just as the [Stone Whisperer] was about to walk out the door and escape, his next action once again took everyone by surprise.

The [Stone Whisperer] reached out and closed both doors. Then he turned around to face everyone in the auditorium.

“I, Shi Buyi, hereby surrender myself. I admit to all the crimes just accused of me by the [Butler] and everyone else, and I am willing to submit to the law.

“I, the [Stone Whisperer], Grand Scholar of the Sealed Library, am in charge of law and punishment. Today, I presided over the final case—the case of [Shi Buyi inciting hostility between humans and witches].”

Three wounds suddenly appeared on his body, each deep enough to expose the bone. In an instant, he became a man drenched in blood.

The attacks had come from President Yu, the “Pestle Grandma,” and [Silence].

The [Stone Whisperer] spat out a large mouthful of blood. Ignoring the three women, he instead pointed at the documents scattered across the floor.

“In this entire case, I am the principal culprit, and I should be executed. As for the subsidiary crimes already confirmed, witches, do you have any objections to the crimes listed in these documents?”

The “Pestle Grandma” struck him again. “What? Do you really think you can’t die?”

The [Stone Whisperer] shook his head. “You can kill my body, but you cannot kill my thoughts. There are still many, many people in the Sealed Library who think as I do. Ideas do not die.”

The “Pestle Grandma” was about to attack again.

The [Stone Whisperer] stomped on the ground, and a spike of earth thrust up from the ground beside the “Pestle Grandma.”

“‘Pestle Grandma,’ when you said you weren’t afraid to drag me down with you, were you telling the truth?

“Good. I feel the same way.

“Many people have already forgotten that the law is the order upon which the entire Sealed Library rests. Scholars can be tried, witches can be judged. It is time to draw this rusted sword of justice once more.

“The rift between humans and witches has existed for far too long. What we need is a thorough reckoning. When a disease has spread to the marrow, treating only the surface wounds is not enough—we must open the wound deeper and cut away the rotten flesh. Some blood must be spilled.

“If we want to move forward unburdened, we must turn the page on the past completely. I have already entered the game. Are you prepared to do the same?”

The “Pestle Grandma” stopped her attack and stared at the [Stone Whisperer] for a long while before saying, “What is there to fear?”

She walked toward the stage.

As she passed [Bridge Princess] and Chen Miemie, her voice drifted over in a whisper too soft to hear clearly.

“[Bridge Princess], the [Molting Clinic] will be yours from now on.”

[Bridge Princess] tried to get up and stop her, but Chen Miemie and Du Jun pressed down on her shoulders from either side, keeping her seated.

Du Jun forced the words out through clenched teeth. “[Bridge Princess], don’t forget what Grandma told us at yesterday’s meeting.”

Gongshu Key was biting down so hard that blood nearly appeared in his mouth. “Why? Grandma doesn’t have to go! The [Stone Whisperer] has already exposed himself. Why not just kill him?”

Du Jun shook his head.

“He is a Grand Scholar. He has entered the game with his own life and surrendered himself. Now, no one but the law has the right to kill him.”

“There are so many witches. Why does it have to be Grandma?”

Chen Miemie no longer listened to them. He simply watched the “Pestle Grandma” walk onto the stage.

He silently turned the thought over in his mind.

The “Pestle Grandma” was old enough, respected enough, and her crimes were proven beyond doubt. She would accept responsibility for the crimes of the vast majority of witches, then be buried underground together with those charges, becoming nourishment for the two races’ fresh start.

Her ending would not only serve as an answer to humanity; it would also serve as a warning to the witches.

When the Stone Whisperer saw the “Pestle Grandma” come onto the stage, he asked only one extremely simple and direct question:

“‘Pestle Grandma,’ do you plead guilty?”

He did not specify which crimes or how many.

The “Pestle Grandma” looked around the room.

“Guilty.”

“Good. Someone come and take the ‘Pestle Grandma’ and me away together.”

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone watched wordlessly as the security officers shackled the [Stone Whisperer] and the “Pestle Grandma,” then escorted them out through the doors.

Watching the [Stone Whisperer]’s back, Mr. Kong let out a long sigh.

He seemed to return to several decades earlier, when Shi Buyi had still been a bus driver.

The young Shi Buyi, carrying a letter of complaint he had written himself, walked toward the complaint office.

The middle-aged [Stone Whisperer] exercised his authority to judge others—and was about to have himself locked away in prison.

Two figures separated by decades overlapped in that moment.