Chapter 109 lighthouse

Shi Yuan continued to flip through the notes.

The owner of the note mentions that he followed his grandfather Monroe to the lighthouse after packing for three days.

The lighthouse is called “Ketua”, which means “flame” in the Imperial language. In ancient times, navigators saw the light of the lighthouse, as if they saw hope.

The note reads:

[I followed Monroe and lived in a narrow lighthouse for a month. I just found out that I had to live in the tower, otherwise I would have to drive an hour and a half to the nearest town and come back the next day. I was very reluctant, but considering the cost of my tuition, I endured it. 】

[Munroe taught me a lot, and repeatedly told me about my duties as a lampkeeper-in my opinion, these are unnecessary. The lighthouse has long since been automated, and I just do regular inspections and cleaning. The empire doesn’t want to care about this lighthouse at all. It doesn’t matter whether there are lightkeepers or whether the lighthouse can operate. I don’t know how Monroe convinced the person in charge to let me, a half-baked guy, take the job. The job is easy and the salary is decent. 】

[On March 9, 150, Monroe said goodbye to me. His old pickup truck is parked outside the beach, looking like it might fall apart any minute. I asked him where he was going, and he said that he was going to the south for treatment, and if he was cured, he would come back to guard the lighthouse and wait for the white dolphin. 】

【I also asked him, if he helped me pay the tuition fee, would I still have enough money for medical treatment? He waved his hand and told me not to worry about it, just guard the lighthouse and wait for him to come back. 】

[I didn’t ask him what disease he had, and he didn’t mention a word to me during the one month we were together day and night. Monroe left like this, I cleaned the cabin, went to the top floor, looked out at the sea through the glass, and thought I would be alone in the future. 】

The diary that followed was very concise, and Lu Tinghan quickly flipped through the pages.

[On March 10, 2015, I got up early and made a cup of coffee. The sky was clear and the sea breeze was very salty. 】

【…】

[March 13, light rain, the whole sea was gloomy. I don’t like the sea very much, too dangerous and unpredictable, especially at this time. 】

【…】

[On March 17, I was wandering on the beach and met a fisherman named Andrew. Andrew asked me, where did Monroe go? I said Monroe was gone, he was my grandfather, and now I’d come to keep the lighthouse, but I’d only be there for three years. 】

[Andrew looks surprised. He handed me a cigarette, and we finished smoking standing on the beach, chatting about Monroe and the sea. Andrew also said that he thought Monroe would stay here for the rest of his life. 】

[I laughed and said, I think so too. But when he recovered from his illness, he would definitely come back, and no one liked the lighthouse more than he did. 】

[Andrew nodded, agreeing. Before I left, I couldn’t help but ask, are there really white dolphins here? As soon as the question came out of my mouth, I knew it was a stupid question because Andrew smiled on his weather-beaten face. 】

[He flicks the ash and says Monroe asked him many times. He has been a fisherman for nearly 50 years, and he has never seen any white dolphins, nor has he seen the aurora—this is not the polar circle! 】

【I’m embarrassed that for a moment I felt that what Monroe said was true. I quickly said yes yes yes, I also think it is fake, cover it up. 】

【…】

Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan were head to head and watched many days.

The owner of the note is obviously lazy. He only wrote “Sunny, nothing happened” for many days, and some days he didn’t even record it. Only on special days, he would write more.

Shi Yuan saw that he was a person who likes to make coffee, he loves black coffee, and would have a cup every morning; he didn’t like the sea, but he liked birds, and took pictures of their white wings with a camera; he went out to sea with Andrew on a sunny day , the small fishing boat rides the wind and waves, the silver fish leaps up, with water droplets shining; he sits on the edge of the cliff, watching the waves smash on the reef, with a dead old tree beside him…

The notes turned page after page.

At the end of the second year, he wrote: [On November 17, 151, I was notified that Monroe died of illness in the Fifth Imperial Hospital. He left all his property to me in his will. 】

Shi Yuan let out a soft “ah”.

next day

Son, the owner of the note has gone through the formalities several times. A distant relative brought back Monroe’s ashes, and he scattered it out to sea, half in the ocean and half by the lighthouse.

Monroe’s estate was a lifetime savings, more than enough for him to go to school. But he kept the agreement and served as a lamp keeper for another year.

At the end of the third year, he failed to get on the train to the university as he wished.

War is coming.

Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan came to the beach from the ancient battlefield.

One can imagine how dangerous this lighthouse is in wartime.

When the alliance was at its peak, the air force was extremely terrifying, and it was necessary to launch strong attacks against sandstorms and heavy rains, but the imperial army never showed weakness. With the flames of war everywhere and the continuous flames of war, the owner of the notebook was forced to leave and seek refuge in the city.

Before leaving, he inspected the entire lighthouse.

“Hope you keep the lights on,” he said.

Although he didn’t trust Monroe.

Then he went back and forth for many years, his notes were intermittent, and there were large gaps in the timeline. It can be seen from a few words that he joined the city’s logistics brigade, responsible for moving supplies and aiding the army. The war was protracted, his father became seriously ill, and he spent all his savings and Monroe’s inheritance. He was penniless and had to borrow money.

After the war ended, his father’s condition improved, and he went to a small house in the countryside to provide for the elderly.

A few months later, Princess Alicia was born, and the queen died of dystocia. The whole empire was full of grief and joy. Everyone wrote prayers and condolences for the two of them, wrote them on small cards, and hung them in front of the door. When you blow, they fly up.

The note reads: 【I also wrote my best wishes to the princess and hung it outside the dormitory. Now is an era of peace, the princess is growing up day by day, the economy is booming, and everyone feels that life is good. 】

[I gave up college completely, I have no money, and I am also old. Generally speaking, I have a good life, and I may be able to buy a small house after working for a few more years. 】

[But I always feel that something is wrong, as if something is missing, my heart is empty, and alcohol and tobacco can’t fill it up. My life remained the same, and I went back and forth for two more years, continued to work as a transport worker, and often got drunk. One day when I came back from the bar, I slumped in bed and had a dream. 】

[I dreamed of a lighthouse. 】

[It’s still on by the sea, waiting for me to go back. 】

[If there is no such dream, I will not think of it. It haunts me like a spell, and I can’t forget it. 】

[After half a month, I decided to resign. I went back to the beach and saw Ketuya Lighthouse. Its lights have long been extinguished, but the tower is intact. I stood in front of it for 10 minutes and decided I was going back to this place. 】

【why? Maybe, I just like it here. 】

Then, Shi Yuan saw that the man had been busy for a long time, and restored the power of the lighthouse. He returned to the lighthouse and continued to guard it. Every night, the bright yellow light flew across the sea and went to the distance.

He lived here for many years.

While shopping for supplies in a small town, he meets Gina. Gina likes the sea and the lighthouse. They got married and watched the sea together.

He told Gina about Monroe’s story.

He said: “Everyone told me that it is impossible to have such a white dolphin, and it is impossible to have an aurora.” He looked at the black sea, “… Even if there is, the lighthouse has not been lit for 10 years, and it may have run aground long ago.”

Gina leaned against the window, the wind blowing her red hair. “I believe the story,” she said with a smile.

“You even believe in fairy tales.” He raised his eyebrows.

“I simply believe that.” Gina took a deep breath of the sea breeze. “Your grandfather said that the white dolphin doesn’t belong here, so where did it come from? I’ve never heard of a dolphin that can bring the aurora.”

“Who knows—that’s why I say it’s impossible!”

“Maybe one day, you will see it too.”

“why?”

Gina smiled again: “Just take it as a woman’s intuition!” She propped her head on one hand, “It must be terrified, and it must want to go home.”

“…Time Abyss.”

“…Time Abyss!”

“Huh?!” Shi Yuan snapped back to his senses.

he

I was fascinated by watching, but I didn’t hear Lu Tinghan calling him.

Lu Tinghan said: “We’ve been away for too long, we have to go back.” He patted Shi Yuan’s head, “Take the notebook away and read it when we go back.”

“Okay.” Shi Yuan said.

They got off the lighthouse.

Said to go back and watch it again, but Shi Yuan couldn’t stop at all. When the rain stopped, he grabbed Lu Tinghan and followed him with one hand, and continued reading with his notebook in the other.

The owner of the note kept the lighthouse for another 7 years and never saw a white dolphin.

He and Gina have a daughter. The child is too young and needs someone to take care of him. Gina discussed with him and asked him not to stay in the lighthouse for the time being.

He said yes.

Before leaving, he spent the last night in the hut in the tower. There was heavy fog that night, and the waves rolled endlessly, and the lighthouse light passed through it like a sharp sword. He sat by the window and looked out, the waves were so violent that they would overturn the whole world.

Until he saw a ray of light drifting across the sea.

It is extremely gorgeous, dizzying the sea water and the sky, unpredictable.

aurora.

He opened his eyes wide suddenly, and carefully identified it for a few minutes, making sure that he saw it correctly. With his heart in his throat, he rushed down the lighthouse and ran towards the ship!

He has a boat for sailing, which he bought from Andrew’s men. He jumped onto the deck, started the motor, and drove desperately towards the aurora.

What Monroe said was true! He thought, there really is an aurora!

The wind is fierce and the waves are rolling. The boat is like a fragile willow leaf, which can only drift with the current.

It was dark everywhere, only the light from the lighthouse behind it swept over again and again, becoming the only light source. He was dizzy from the shaking, and shouted in his heart, let me take a look! That white dolphin is just ahead!

Just a little bit!

“Snapped!”

A huge wave overturned the boat, and he fell into the sea, choking on water.

In such an ocean, no one can survive. He held on to a board and floated up and down, the sea water made him lose his temperature quickly, until finally he looked in the direction of the aurora.

…It’s really bad, just a little bit.

He let go of his hand and sank into the deep sea.

When he woke up again, he saw the aurora.

A group of small fish lifted him up from the sea. They flicked their translucent tails, and the aurora swung from the whole body, smudged the sea water, and connected to the sky upward. He turned his head hard and saw a white dolphin at the front of the school of fish.

It has a more miraculous whitening than pearls.

Dressed in aurora, ride the wind and waves.

On this stormy night they headed for the lighthouse and brought him home.

He woke up in the hospital—

[I told Gina that there are white dolphins, Monroe didn’t lie to me! Gina said, I must be crazy, the Imperial Navy rescued me and sent me to the hospital. 】

【She also complained, the child is still so young, I should think about the consequences before doing anything, instead of killing myself by being a fool, otherwise what should they do? 】

[She doesn’t believe the story anymore. 】

[Later, I went to live in the town and went back to the lighthouse several times, but I never saw a white dolphin again. Perhaps, it is not a creature that ordinary people should see. 】

[Now—in 170 years, the abyss has appeared, everyone is fleeing, and we are going to the south. 】

【When I saw monsters, I realized that they transcended the species limit, and they themselves were beyond human imagination. I suddenly thought of the white dolphin. Monroe was right. It shouldn’t be a creature here. I suspect… I suspect it is also an infection of the abyss. It’s just that it appeared first and got lost here. 】

[Who would believe it? More than eighty years before the empire discovered the abyss, the first monster appeared and saved me. 】

[Until I wrote this line of text, I felt incredible. 】

【My family and I are leaving soon. I will leave this note at the lighthouse. If someone reads this story one day, please take a look into the distance. Maybe you can see the white dolphin and its aurora. It was an old man’s life longing. 】

[—Anthony Alexander, left March 9, 171]

The notes are over.

Along the way, Shi Yuan retells the story with Lu Tinghan while watching.

He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice that the sky was dark and the world was dark. It was clearly not raining, but the surroundings suddenly fell into darkness.

“…Shiyuan.” Lu Tinghan said.

Shi Yuan: “Huh?” He looked up, “Ah, why is it so dark, is it going to rain again?”

Lu Tinghan: “…Shi Yuan, look at the sea.”

When Shi Yuan looked back, he saw a large expanse of bright colors floating across the ocean, red, yellow, green, purple and blue, unpredictable. That is the erratic aurora, which is brilliant in the air and under the sea, and the school of fish is cruising—

At the same time, the voice calling to him became clearer.

White dolphin.

Shi Yuan opened his eyes wide.

At this moment, he understood that it was it that had been calling him!

However, the school of fish went all the way forward, passed through the ice floes, and went straight to the distance. They didn’t know that Shi Yuan was here!

“Hello!” Shi Yuan shouted subconsciously, “I’m here! I’m here!”

He let go of Lu Tinghan’s hand and ran to the beach. He should turn into a black mist, but this is the territory of the empire, and he is worried that he will encounter some hidden monster and cause it to be infected.

He could only run on foot, shouting as he ran: “Wait for me! I’m here!”

The ground was soaked with rainwater and was extremely soft. He fell down again with a “plop”, and before he could get up, a pair of strong hands picked him up.

Lu Tinghan shouted in his ear: “Go! I’ll follow you!”

The two ran forward. The flashlight fell off, and Diliu rolled on the ground, so there was only the aurora in the sky.

They go toward the light, the coast is so far away.

Shi Yuan’s heart was beating violently, he kept shouting, and finally stepped into the sea water. Biting cold flooded his ankles, then his calves, and the resistance of the water made it difficult for him to run, but he ran towards the sea anyway: “Stop! I’m here! I’m… gurgle gurgle! gurgle!”

A violent wave hit him, he couldn’t stand upright and fell into the water, choking on a big mouthful of salty and bitter taste.

Lu Tinghan’s figure also swayed, and then he moved forward against the wave and lifted Shi Yuan up.

It was much easier for the two to walk close together, and they continued to chase the white dolphin.

The aurora was ethereal, and when it reached the depths of the water, the waves submerged up to Lu Tinghan’s chest. Shi Yuan only had his head above the water, and a wave could submerge him, choking on several saliva.

Lu Tinghan shouted: “Hey! Here!”

Shi Yuan also yelled: “Gudu Gudu Gudu! Gudu Gudu!”

The sea was getting rougher and they were going too deep. Another wave hit, Shi Yuan was completely submerged, his feet were suspended in the air, and he stepped on the water indiscriminately.

In the sound of water, he could only feel that Lu Tinghan was holding him tightly.

This time the immersion was very long, cold, lightless and terrifying, and the sea revealed the most hideous scene, suffocating fear.

After one second, two seconds, five seconds, or almost a minute later, Shi Yuan’s eyes lit up. He put his foot on the ground again, raised his head suddenly—

Fresh air blows in.

He saw the stars and the aurora all over the sky.

At some point, the school of fish came to them.

The small fish swim and light up the ocean, not only them, but also the monsters in the black clouds follow the light and hover in the light.

And the beautiful, mysterious white dolphin was right in front of them.

It looked at Shi Yuan with black eyes, its body was like white jade, or… like milky white starlight.

The tide died down.

The sea receded, leaving only the bright and colorful surface up to the legs, gently undulating.

The hustle and bustle stopped, Shi Yuan looked at it.

“…”

He held out his hand—

Just like that day in the wasteland, he stretched out his hands to the queen bee.

His demeanor was calm.

At that time, Shi Yuan didn’t understand good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death. He is the flower in the greenhouse, the hermit in the ivory tower, and the **** who strayed into the wild.

As time passed, he was still calm, but there was something more in his eyes.

That’s soft emotion.

It was he who witnessed stories by Lu Tinghan’s side and among human beings, love, hatred, hatred, birth, old age, sickness and death, and finally understood the emotions.

Touching the white dolphin with your fingers is a strange touch, between flesh and jade.

Shi Yuan stared at it intently. Just as he can feel the restlessness of the abyss and monsters, at this moment, their souls are connected. So he knew that it was a lonely traveler who had been waiting here for more than a hundred years.

“…I see.” He said softly, “It’s lonely, right, so you keep looking for me.”

The dolphin flicked its pectoral fins and rubbed against his hand.

It has soft eyes.

Lu Tinghan stepped back half a step and looked at the scene in front of him.

—The monsters all came together: there were small birds in the sky, cats with two tails, golden snakes and fireflies, dragons tens of meters long, crustaceans as huge as mountains, horses and deer, and beasts; Under the sea are grotesque schools of fish, glowing waves, and white dolphins that have wandered around for many years. The aurora is shrouded, and everything has a dreamy color.

Like in a fairy tale…

The boy stood among them.

The heavenly demons and beasts. He stretched out his hands to them, and the monsters were his disciples, docilely awaiting redemption.

“I understand.”

He says.

Lu Tinghan remained silent for a while.

After a long time, he whispered: “Shi Yuan, why are you crying?”

“…Huh?” Shi Yuan turned his head, “Did I cry?”

The world is full of light.

His expression was calm, but his face was full of tears.

…

After the aurora dissipated, the monsters also disappeared.

The white dolphin disappeared into the sea with the school of fish and the aurora, and the sea water became swift and dark again.

Thunderstorms and hail are coming again.

They return to the aircraft.

After changing into clean clothes, Chi Yongge gave them two cups of hot tea.

“I don’t know if it’s good or not.” Chi Yongge said, “We only have tea leaves.”

Shi Yuan affirmed: “It’s better than sea water.”

Chi Yongge:?

He was very confused, and couldn’t imagine what Lu Tinghan brought Shiyuan to do.

…It can’t be that the general wanted to see Shiyuan in the swimsuit, so he dragged him to swim, right?

Shi Yuan was froze, drinking tea and wrapping himself in a blanket, his hands and feet were cold. And Adjutant Ning was worried in the command room, and murmured: “What should we do—this is a bad weather and abyss, and navigation and positioning are all out of order. We dare not leave now! We have been here for five days.”

“In two hours, it will be the sixth day.” Chi Yongge reminded him.

Adjutant Ning rubbed his brow bone vigorously.

Holding hot tea in both hands, Shi Yuan slipped into the command room.

Lu Tinghan was studying the map and various values, so he leaned over to look at it.

Looking at it, he said, “If, I mean if, we can see the way we came, can we go back?”

Lu Tinghan replied: “Yes. As long as we are careful of the monsters in the thunder cloud.”

“Oh.” Shi Yuan thought for a while, “Then I’ll give it a try.”