The struggle against the nightmare world was over after over a decade.
Children born at the beginning of the struggle had grown into teenagers. For them, the world they lived in was bizarre. When they opened a book, they felt that history before a certain turning point in time was as peaceful as an ordinary world that could only be seen in TV series, and what caused that peace to be interrupted was the presence of the ânightmare world.â
With the emergence of the nightmare world, some people were selected as trainers.
In the history books of their world, there were many powerful trainers who led other trainers and even some ordinary people to win one battle after another.
Those trainers were the heroes that were admired by young people growing up in such troubled times.
Cheng Yun and Liu Xu, for example, were the names behind the stories these teenagers had heard since childhood.
It wasnât actually a good thing to be a trainer, since every once in a while a trainer would be sent to another place to do a task because of the nightmare worldâs influence. Most teenagers didnât know what those mysterious places looked like. They only knew that there were terrible ghosts!
For teenagers, ghosts were just another creature in the world, just like humans and demons in novels. Most of the time they were hostile to each other and even went to war, but just like there were good and bad people, there were also good and bad ghosts. It was a complicated science.
Almost all teenagers had seen battles between malicious spirits and trainers on the internet. They all know how terrible a powerful malicious spirit was, but even so⊠becoming a trainer was still that generationâs dream.
Just like teenagers who want to be astronauts and scientists.
Lin Shuguang was an ordinary high school boy who dreamt of become a trainer. He had lived in Shengshan City since he was born.
Speaking of Shengshan City, Lin Shuguang had to mention his hometownâs landmark â Holy Mountain. <sup>1</sup>
Lin Shuguangâs home was very close to the holy mountain. As soon as he looked up, he could see the holy mountainâs mountainside. He could even hear the crisp sound of golden bells in the wind.
Lin-baba said that the sound would drive away ghosts and bring good luck.
âBrat, do you know what that mountain was called before?â
Early in the morning, Lin Shuguang, who was rushing to school, sat in a breakfast diner near his home and drank porridge. A dusty man with a beard sat across from him and casually questioned him.
âHoly Mountain, wasnât it always the holy mountain?â Lin Shuguang was puzzled.
âThen why is it called Holy Mountain?â The middle aged man asked again.
âBaba said that the holy mountain has protected many people in Shengshan City. If one day you accidentally encounter a ghost, as long as you keep running to the holy mountain, youâll be saved.â Lin Shuguang remembered his fatherâs instructions.
âYes, there is that. That place is like a life-saving refuge.â The man looked at the holy mountain. âThat mountain used to be called Shoushan. This place used to be called Shoushan City.â
âI once had a chance to be the master of that mountain.â The middle aged man suddenly pointed to his nose and said to Lin Shuguang.
âHahahaha.â Lin Shuguang couldnât help but smile. âUncle, donât joke. Everyone here knows what the master of the holy mountain looks like. He doesnât look old like you!â
âReally? Donât look at me like that. I used to be a powerful trainer that stood on top of the world.â The middle aged man squinted his eyes and shook his head again. âBut that guyâs appearance is really incomparable to an ordinary personâs.â
âUsed to be?â Lin Shuguang was a little curious. âUncle, arenât you a trainer now?â
âI am. Iâm pretty good.â The middle aged man reached behind the waist of is jacket and touched the gun-shaped ghost tool hidden there. âIâm just⊠not at the top of the world.â
âUncle is a trainer? Thatâs amazing!â Lin Shuguangâs gaze changed toward the man. âIâll also be a trainer in the future!â
âIs becoming a trainer similar to a sweet potato?â <sup>2</sup> The middle aged man glanced at Lin Shuguangâs eager face. âIt seems that I havenât been back for too long.â
âOf course. The one on the holy mountain once posted-â Lin Shuguang said, then began telling the middle aged man in front of him, âAlthough a trainerâs journey is difficult, they carry the burden of the entire world.â
âThe more veteran trainers, the more new trainers selected by the nightmare world, the more smoothly the world will move forward. The fewer veteran trainers, the fewer new trainers selected by the nightmare world. When there are no longer any trainers in this world, the world will become a stagnant wasteland.â
âSo becoming a new trainer isnât to make yourself stronger, but to make yourself a successor for the entire world!â
Lin Shuguang spoke passionately.
âItâs like being a successor for the world. So cool, so handsome!â
âOne day, Iâll get permission from the master of the holy mountain and get my first ghost tool! It would be great if I could become a trainer!â
âItâs really not the same.â The middle aged man said. He couldnât help but start coughing, blood spilling between the fingers covering his mouth.
âUncle, are you okay? Youâre a trainer⊠could it be a ghost tool?â Lin Shuguang saw the middle aged man across from him looked terrible. He couldnât help being nervous.
âBrat, you even know about ghost tool backlash?â The man was surprised.
âYeah, isnât that something everyone knows? If the ghost tool is about to backlash, send it to the holy mountain. The master of the holy mountain will exchange with the trainer for a new ghost tool. The trainer himself just needs to pay a very low price.â
âUncle, go to the holy mountain soon!â Lin Shuguang hurriedly urged him again.
âNo need.â The middle aged man shook his head. âI wonât go back there. I have nothing to do with it anymore.â
âThen quickly get rid of the ghost tool!â Lin Shuguang didnât understand why the uncle who claimed to be a powerful trainer was so reluctant to believe him. He knew the truth; why didnât the uncle understand?
âNo.â The man shook his head secretly.
Ever since the moment he realized he could never be better than Su Zimo, he discovered one thing: if he didnât want to live in Su Zimoâs shadow, he should get as far away as possible.
When he returned to Shoushan this time, he came to pick up his elderly mother and father. They lived well under the Su familyâs care. They didnât have the energy to think about what they were missing when they were old; they just wanted to be with him. They wanted to live together and dream about whether they could hold their grandson before they died.
In the end, wealth and power had become worthless.
In order to protect the elders in his home, he still needed the ghost tool in his hand. He even looked for more ghost tools that could be used as bullets.
âWhatâs your name?â The middle-aged man, Su Zixiang, patted his dusty coat and asked.
âMy name is Lin Shuguang.â
Su Zixiang was stunned, then spoke with a smile. âThe heroes you admire and the master of the holy mountain may not like that name very much.â
âThatâs not true! I saw the master of the holy mountain with my own eyes when I was a child!â Lin Shuguang widened his eyes as if Su Zixiang had said something bad. âItâs a very good name! Even the partner of the master of the holy mountain, the most powerful ghost, laughed!â
Su Zixiang had heard about that ghost. At first, he only thought it was subdued trash. He didnât expect it to have been by Su Zimoâs side for so many years, then even regarded as âthe strongest ghost who was kindest to humans.â
Thinking that way, he didnât even know what heights Su Zimo had reached at the beginning, so he had said without shame that he stood higher than him, even standing on top of the world, hadnât he?
Now that he thought about it, he may be the only one who would say that to Su Zimo.
Su Zixiang turned and left. After walking for a while, he felt a gust of wind blowing behind him.
When he turned to look around, he saw two âhumanâ figures standing at the foot of Shoushan not too far away.
The two âhumanâ figures were still the same as they were over a decade ago. One guy floating there kept staring at him with dagger-like eyes. As for the otherâŠ
His hair seemed to be longer than before, and it was hanging casually down to his shoulders. He was still wearing that same pair of glasses, and still had that familiar smile on his face, as if he was finally wishing him farewell.
Su Zixiang unexpectedly recalled that when he was very young, his father took him to see Su Zimo for the first time. He saw the boy sitting quietly in the garden, reading, and his cousin turned his head and smiled.
In an instant, he was in awe.
He was dirty, but when he stood in front of the real Su Zimo, he couldnât even look directly into his eyes.
Donât look at him that way!
Donât look at him that way!
Su Zixiang didnât have the courage to continue looking at the two figures. He turned around and dashed away without looking back.
âI thought I saw someone.â Lin Shuguang, who had just finished drinking his porridge, rubbed his eyes. He thought he had seen those two incredible âpeopleâ who were always together.
But when Lin Shuguang finished rubbing his eyes and looked over, it was still the deep green holy mountain. The morning sun was shining in the forest, and he could see the light reflected by the golden bells.
But Lin Shuguang knew those two figures must be somewhere on the holy mountain.
One on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, never separated.
All done! This is the only extra. Thank you for staying with me and reading this for so long! I hope you enjoyed it ?
<ol>Shengshan. Translating instead of pinyin for dramatic effect. is it something desirable</ol>