Light Barrier - Chapter 58: Tavern

Azure River District, 1 a.m.

At a remote old tavern, the signboard appeared faint under the neon lights.

An elderly man in a white suit walked into the tavern with a purple wooden cane. Perhaps because it was remote, the tavern was empty even though it was open for business.

Zhou Jiren came to the bar, lit a cigarette, glanced behind the bar counter, and tapped on the counter.

Tap, tap.

The vibrations were subtle.

But with two taps, the entire bar counter, including the huge display cabinet and shelves behind it, seemed to ripple.

If there were any other customers in the tavern, they would see the space rippling like a lake, with concentric waves spreading with each tap of the fingers…

In the darkness behind the bar counter, someone suddenly opened his eyes.

A glint appeared in these eyes.

It was hard to believe that the sudden glint came from an old man in ragged, beggar-like clothes. Under his clothes, he was as thin as a skeleton. His eyes were sunken, and he looked groggy. He was holding a grimy and greasy wine bottle tightly in his hand.

The two elderly men, one in the light and the other in the darkness, formed a stark contrast in their attires, figures, and spirits.

“I didn’t expect your business to be so bad. Am I the only one here?” Mr. Tree sat on a bar stool and handed over the lit cigarette.

The old man in ragged clothes took it and inhaled deeply. He laughed softly, his voice rasping like a skeleton’s. “Besides you, who else would come to a tavern like this to drink?”

He took out a wine glass from the display cabinet and skillfully mixed a drink behind the counter. A moment later, he placed the wine glass in front of Mr. Tree.

“Rum, lemon, ice, coffee, honey… Hmm… The familiar taste of freedom, but it’s a bit strange.” Zhou Jiren took a sip, frowned at the wine glass, and muttered, “You didn’t secretly add something, did you?”

“I have no money. I can’t afford coffee or honey.”

The old man finished the cigarette in a few quick puffs and turned around to tidy up the display cabinet behind him. Due to the ripples earlier, the positions of some wine bottles had changed, and a few had barely perceptible cracks.

He stretched out a hand and brushed it across like wiping the surface of a mirror.

This withered hand seemed to possess incredible magic. The lingering reverberations instantly disappeared, and the faint ripples still vibrating were all erased.

The faint buzzing sound was completely eliminated.

The tavern became so silent that even a pin drop was audible.

“As expected of the man who once reigned undefeated in Changye. Even after neglecting your cultivation for twenty years, you’re still a lion,” Mr. Tree said calmly. “Bai Zhu, are you planning to spend the rest of your life holed up in this place?”

“…”

After smoothing the ripples on the cabinet, the old man named Bai Zhu sat back in the darkness and said softly, “Being undefeated in Changye is just a joke… Even if I cultivate for another hundred years, I won’t be Gu Changzhi’s match.”

“Look on the bright side. Being undefeated in Changye without Gu Changzhi still counts as being undefeated in Changye. There’s no need to compare yourself to him.” Mr. Tree sighed.

“Besides…” He exhaled a mouthful of smoke leisurely. “I admire heroes like you who can adapt and endure. Look at those who burn themselves out too early. None of them have a good ending. Gu Changzhi is still lying in bed after coming back. Whether he wakes up is still uncertain. If you were to fight him now, you would win for sure.”

“Get lost!” Bai Zhu said coldly. “Zhou Jiren, if you’re here just to humiliate me… you’ve accomplished your goal. You’ve finished your drink. You can get lost now.”

“Wait, let’s talk some more.” Zhou Jiren immediately backed down. He put on a flattering smile, placed a file folder on the bar counter, and offered a box of cigars.

Bai Zhu frowned.

He accepted the cigars but didn’t reach for the folder.

“Alan Turing… A-009… The Ruler of Truth…” Mr. Tree whispered some keywords.

After hearing these words, Bai Zhu narrowed his eyes and dragged the folder toward him.

He opened it expressionlessly and read through the files word by word.

Throughout this process, Zhou Jiren watched Bai Zhu’s face closely, observing his expression. After seeing the expected confusion in Bai Zhu’s eyes, he grinned and said, “These files are quite interesting, aren’t they?”

Bai Zhu closed the folder.

“He’s an interesting young man.” He gave this evaluation. “But these files have nothing to do with me. I don’t understand. What’s the point of showing me this?”

He looked at Mr. Tree blankly. “This world is developing too quickly, and it no longer has anything to do with a remnant of the old era like me. I merely want to live underground. I only deserve to live underground.”

“You should go out and take a look. The young people are doing well, but this world still belongs to us old fellows.” Zhou Jiren shrugged and smiled. “It’s just that one person’s strength is ultimately limited. I haven’t looked for you or disrupted your life all these years. But after seeing this file, perhaps you should reconsider.”

“Don’t ever look for me again.” Bai Zhu didn’t even hesitate for a second.

He said expressionlessly, “Zhou Jiren, you should be very clear… If I wanted to step into the outside world, if I were still the person I was twenty years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to walk into this tavern unharmed today. The moment you entered, I would have taken action.

“Once, you were my friend. But now…”

Bai Zhu slowly leaned back. “What I hate the most… is the Parliament, the Adjudication Bureau, and people like you who know the truth but still work for them.”

Mr. Tree fell silent.

With that, the tavern returned to its silent state.

Bai Zhu pressed down on the folder and pushed it back to the edge of the counter.

He didn’t say anything else and didn’t even bother to open his eyes again. He simply waved his hand dismissively as though he were shoowing away a fly.

This time, he couldn’t even be bothered to speak.

“…” Mr. Tree took back the folder, stood up, and walked to the entrance of the tavern. He stopped and returned.

The gloomy Bai Zhu still had his eyes closed. He frowned, revealing impatience.

“No matter what you say, at least I’m chasing after hope. Even if the hope is slim, even if she may never recover,” Zhou Jiren said coldly. “What about you? Lying in a rundown tavern half buried in the ground, drinking and sleeping all day, are you planning to fulfill your promise to her in your dreams?”

Bai Zhu opened his eyes.

These eyes ignited with blazing flames of anger.

In an instant, something unfolded.

The entire underground tavern fell into absolute stillness.

… Including Mr. Tree.

In the next moment, all the flames were extinguished.

Bai Zhu closed his eyes.

There was no anger or sorrow in his voice, only endless emptiness and numbness. “Idiot… Stop chasing.”

He turned over and whispered in a dream-like voice, “Hope is something that shouldn’t exist.”