The Mist Yu Incident

The crushing pressure, akin to the collapse of Mount Tai, dissipated abruptly, leaving her mind a cold, hollow void.

As the memory faded, she slowly opened her eyes. The blurred silhouette approaching against the light was so similar to that person from long ago...

"Captain Zhu..."

Yuan Jinxing drifted into a hazy state of unconsciousness, her mind pulled back to the Wuyu Incident, the very first time she had laid eyes on Captain Zhu.

Zhu leaped into the pit and rushed over, but before he could reach Yuan Jinxing, a tail covered in scales suddenly erupted from the ground. Its tip, adorned with horse-like bristles, blocked his path with brutal force. Zhu retreated as the tail tore free from the earth, sending clods of dirt and stones cascading, revealing a expanse of dark green scales. The tail lashed out, forcing him to keep a distance of six meters.

Then, the tail swept across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Slowly, the creature emerged from the earth, hovering in mid-air. It shook the debris from its body, a heavy snort blowing the dust to either side. Two catfish-like whiskers rippled through the air, and a pair of eyes, large as copper bells, slowly pried open. Their bright, yellow pupils were as clear as glass, yet the gaze they cast was anything but kind.

The Azure Dragon coiled into a majestic, towering mass, circling Yuan Jinxing. Wherever its gaze fell, a natural, imposing authority radiated forth. A dragon’s roar echoed through the entire jade palace, causing the long-silent copper bells to ring out desperately.

The ancient creature had awakened!

Zhu was forced to retreat to the pillars at the palace entrance to avoid being caught in the fray. Lan arrived late, leaping into the pit and rushing toward them. Before she could reach the palace, she saw Zhu’s figure flying through the air in a parabolic arc; she hurriedly flew to catch him before retreating to the side.

Zhu landed and regained his footing. "The Azure Dragon has awakened," he stated gravely, assessing the situation.

"High time to stretch my limbs," Lan replied, poised for action.

The Azure Dragon emerged from the palace with an air of grandeur, coiling around a massive jade pillar as it looked down at the two humans, who seemed like mere ants at the bottom of the pit. "Kneel before me," it commanded. Its sharp claws and fangs exuded a dangerous aura; this colossal creature had deciphered human language, its eyes brimming with dissatisfaction and malice.

"It's just an Azure Dragon," Lan retorted with a heavy, mocking sneer. "Even if you were the hegemon of your era, you've slept for millions of years, and your kin have all but vanished—you're lucky you didn't wither away entirely. If you were in your prime, I’d be down on my knees in a heartbeat, but look at you—you’re at the end of your rope. A grasshopper in late autumn can't hop for long."

Her arrogance successfully infuriated the Azure Dragon. It uncoiled from the pillar, soaring through the air to strike.

Massive ice spikes erupted from the ground. As their fragile, sharp tips touched the dragon’s scales, they shattered, turning into a mist of water. The cold, biting vapor obscured the view, disorienting the creature. Lan secretly changed positions to search for Yuan Jinxing, while Zhu took on the task of pinning the beast down.

Yuan Jinxing began to drift through memories, hazily seeing her younger self.

When she was a child, her family had left her to fight the ancient creatures. She was left all alone, but she had learned that she could be fine on her own. She would wake up, eat, and get herself ready for school. If it rained after school, she would share a cab with friends; if the weather was nice, she would take the long way home, walking by the lake. Seeing the throngs of people rushing about for their livelihoods, she knew that the clothes on her back or the hair ties she wore were all earned through their labor. They were like machines, busy every day, maintaining the stability of society. She knew that one day, she would become like them, dedicating her life to society.

However, she didn't have a home. Or rather, her home was devoid of warmth and companionship. There was only an aunt who rarely spoke and was always out playing mahjong, making her hard to find. Yet, she had still illuminated Yuan Jinxing's world. She remembered crying when she was very small, begging everyone not to leave, but she eventually grew numb to a life without family. She could only see her parents and her aunt during the New Year.

When the aunt who cared for her suddenly packed her things to move away, Yuan Jinxing didn't know how to face it. She didn't want to live alone, in the cold, with no one by her side. She felt like a burden abandoned by everyone. She stood at the doorway, staring blankly as the woman moved her belongings. Time became strange, stretching and pulling at her. Should she ask her to stay? Should she face the same rejection she had received from her parents? Should she just watch their retreating backs?

Instead, she picked up the yellow hair clip the woman had dropped and chased after her. "Auntie, you dropped this."

But the woman hurriedly closed the van door and waved her off. The van drove away. The hallway lights went out.

*They don't want me anymore. I'm all alone.* Tears fell, drip by drip. *No one wants me.*

Her eyes ached, swollen and sore. She didn't dare look up at the empty, desolate house. She tightened her grip on the hair clip until it dug painfully into her palm. Suddenly, the light in the house behind her flickered on.

"Why aren't you coming in?"

*Mom.* She had finally returned.

"Mom, Auntie left, please don't you leave too," she had sobbed, begging her not to go. Why did she always make things so difficult for them? She shouldn't have been so willful.

"I'm not going anywhere," her mother’s gentle voice sounded like a dream. Was it real?

"Waaah!" She cried even harder, all the grievances welling up until she couldn't stop. Her mother wasn't leaving.

Her childhood began to slowly become whole. They would go shopping for groceries together, trying new dishes, their cheeks stinging from the spice and their eyes watering from the bitterness. Her mother wasn't good at cooking, which troubled Yuan Jinxing greatly. But her mother knew her skills were lacking—work that was usually left to the men, but her father was still at the research institute. So, her mother took classes, and gradually, her skills improved, and Yuan Jinxing grew stronger. Their conversations always circled back to ancient creatures—the topic her mother knew best. She could talk about them endlessly, and Yuan Jinxing was happy to learn alongside her.

Eight years passed, and when she was fourteen, her father returned. He had managed to get three tickets to the concert everyone was talking about—the SA band. They were so happy she couldn't sleep all night. That concert ticket, pink with yellow patterns, shone like a star. She finally had a complete family.

The concert was held at the Jianghui Museum, where the central shelter had been converted into a venue. She had fallen asleep in the car, pillowing her head on her mother's lap, only waking up when the transport landed. Looking out the window, she saw a shadow darting from one skyscraper to another, like a bird, yet it felt more like a monster. Was it an illusion?

Her mother was tinkering with her camera, installing spare batteries, while her father packed food, water, and tissues. Yuan Jinxing watched the surging crowd gathering at the museum. Inside the hall, sunlight spilled through the glass onto the dinosaur skeletons, light and shadow interweaving.

As they headed toward the museum, her parents began talking about their "ideal types," a topic they hadn't touched on in a long time.

"I like the programmer type," her mother said, bubbles of pink imagination forming. "Living in a basement, moody personality, a simple life. He has perfect abs and a handsome face, and though he's not good at expressing himself, he still gathers the courage to open his heart to you."

The bubble was ruthlessly popped by her scruffy, unkempt father. "You’re describing an NPC from a farming game. You don't like people who smoke or drink, so you just omitted those traits. You used to really like him, so I remember clearly." The character was named Sebastian, a total fraud compared to the fan art, but he had secretly learned a lot about him.

"Now that we're a family and work is busy, I don't do that anymore. There's always a gap between ideals and reality," her mother said, patting Yuan Jinxing’s head.

"Also, it's called Stardew Valley, not a 'farming game.' And what's wrong with smoking and drinking in a game? You just have to forbid him from doing it. It’s not my ideal, and I’m already feeling slighted," she added, growing a bit frantic.

"Mm," her father replied, looking hurt but putting on a brave face, his lips pouting. "Even though you make me sound like I'm good for nothing, I can't even get angry... This terrible world is far too lenient toward people who look as good as you."

Her mother blushed and stammered. "If you’re sweet-talked, then maybe it’s okay," she said, before running off to the restroom.

Her father waited with her, sighing. "Meeting someone beautiful can truly steal your heart in an instant, making you feel like you aren't yourself anymore." Yuan Jinxing looked around curiously. "Your mother broke through several hurdles just to come back early, finishing her research ahead of time. Compared to that, I'm a failed dad. I'm just so lucky she didn't reject me when we were matched." Her father looked blissfully happy. "Otherwise, returning to society at forty-four, being fleeced by the dating market, and falling behind my peers—I would have spent the rest of my life in loneliness..." He revealed a touch of sadness. Her father was a sentimental, clingy man—at least, he was for now.

Her mother probably liked it too; she enjoyed the feeling of being needed, and it was her own emotional void that made her want someone who saw her as his entire world.

The restroom was crowded, but her mother returned quickly. "Sigh, being too charming is a burden. All I have to do is say, 'Please let me through,' and people make way." As she bragged, someone nearby was excitedly sharing a photo. "The superstar, Lan’s autograph! Lan’s signed photo! Some fool traded this for a spot, and here I was worrying about the restroom line!"

"Ahem, let's go, let's go," her mother said, looking away awkwardly.

"Is Auntie's autograph really that rare?" Yuan Jinxing wondered. This was a woman who might miss the New Year, but whenever she appeared, she was the center of attention.

"Of course, it’s not hard for us," her mother laughed proudly.

"Do you keep using that for bad things?" her father teased. Her mother suddenly remembered something, her expression becoming honest and her eyes darting away. "Not really."

The family took their seats in the venue, waiting quietly under the lights. But the concert had attracted an uninvited guest. The creature, bored, lit a "fuse" and quietly slipped away. Before the band could take the stage, a scream echoed through the hall, followed by a deathly silence.

The Survival Manual—a mandatory course for everyone after birth—stated in its first chapter: "When facing danger, remain silent, even if you are being devoured."

An ancient creature—a Diplocaulus—burst out from the west side of the venue, its jaws clamped around the torso of a human. Blood splattered the floor. More monsters followed, entering through multiple exits, beginning to feast. People scrambled from their seats, holding their breath, running wildly. Occasionally, muffled cries and screams from a certain direction filled the air with terror. The thundering of footsteps was deafening, yet no one dared to make a sound, fearing they would excite the monsters, increase their appetites, and trigger a greater panic.

Her father led the way, her mother holding her hand. The people around them tried to stay calm and orderly. Even if it meant feeding the monsters to let others escape, there was no other way. Survival was the goal—survival in numbers. As for death? All they had learned was to stay silent while being consumed.

Resistance?

The ancient creatures were inherently cruel, and they possessed intelligence. If humans dared to resist, it was seen as a challenge, and the monsters would eat them in even more brutal ways, encircling them so not a single soul could escape! Thus, during the flight, there was a path known as the "Green Channel"—a route the monsters would temporarily ignore.

The ancient creatures had come from nowhere, devouring the people in the hall. The path they were on was a dead end, blocked by monsters at both ends, but luckily, there was an exit leading to another passage. The monsters behind them were getting closer. They reached the passage, but it was virtually empty. With no food left behind them, the monsters turned their attention to this path.

Her mother seemed to sense something. She pulled a "final words" note from around her neck—a precaution everyone had prepared in case of death since the creatures’ awakening. The monsters began to attack the passage.

Her mother pulled Yuan Jinxing in front of her, pushing her forward. She placed the recording strip into Yuan Jinxing’s hand, rubbed her cheek, and held her for a brief, intimate moment. Then, she placed Yuan Jinxing’s hand into her father’s. As the monsters surged forward, Yuan Jinxing and her father watched helplessly as the creature swallowed her whole. Her father turned and dragged her away.

It was a giant Hallucigenia, its tentacles twitching like a cockroach stealing food in a kitchen, and then it moved its many legs to follow.

*Mom...*

She followed her father, tears welling up. *Mom!* She couldn't scream the name. She couldn't call out, couldn't save her. She could only flee in this wretched state, compromising...

Driven by fear or perhaps fury, she stared fixedly at the hideous insect. Its legs moved forward for a moment, then stopped, as if it were full. The passage behind them grew increasingly distant, dark and endless...

*Mom...*