Chapter 56: Farewell to My Former Self

At that moment, she was truly lost. She didn't know what to do next, nor did she dare approach anyone. All she could do was curl up in a corner, trembling. The collapse of her beliefs left her mind clouded; she felt that if things continued this way, she would surely lose her sanity.

Perhaps it was the body's self-protective mechanism kicking in. After half an hour of aimless confusion, Hong Ling felt herself changed.

Under certain extreme pressures, a person's thoughts may veer in strange, obsessive directions.

She no longer regarded those visions as glimpses of the future, but as divine revelations.

It was then that she began to believe in the divine, firmly convinced that what she had seen was a mandate from heaven. This conviction banished all confusion from her gaze, replaced by a faintly manic excitement.

They want her to use her body to please other men? How ridiculous!

She was chosen by heaven!

She would become strong—invincible! Every man who dared covet her body would be trampled beneath her feet.

Just like that woman wielding the long spear, she would make men fear her and submit. Only then could she truly seize control over her own fate.

With this mindset, when Hong Ling looked back on her former self—immersed in decadent pleasures, flirting with directors and writers, currying favor with wealthy bosses—she found it all childish beyond belief.

She even laughed in anger, hardly able to believe she had acted that way. If she could return and meet her past self, she would slap her awake.

Once she understood her goal, she didn't hesitate over how to become strong. Hong Ling's burning eyes immediately fixed on Kong Zhe.

This young man, who had brought her the divine revelation, must also be favored by the heavens.

How else could he be so powerful—facing the onslaught of monstrous beasts with such ease, killing Zhang Qiang as effortlessly as slaughtering chickens? She had a strong intuition: in the future, this man would reach the summit and become the strongest.

So Hong Ling firmly believed that following him would allow her to grow stronger.

Moreover, since the revelation was brought by him, she was naturally compelled to follow. No, only he was worthy of her loyalty.

The others were nothing—men like Zhang Qiang weren't even fit to carry her shoes!

Excited beyond measure by these realizations, Hong Ling was eager to express her intentions to the young man.

But she forced herself to resist the impulse, knowing that it would only repel him.

She waited silently, knowing that soon the young man would offer everyone an opportunity, or rather, a trial—crossing the broken bridge.

Before then, no matter how much she did or how well she performed, it would be pointless. Only by leaping across that bridge, which made ordinary people tremble, could she truly win his approval.

She was still just an ordinary person. If she wanted the young man's consent to follow him, this was her only chance. So Hong Ling began preparing early.

In the corner of the hall, she found sneakers, swapped out her high heels, and tore off the cumbersome hem of her dress. She kept her body active, making sure her muscles stayed limber and didn't freeze in the cold. She ate only a little of the food allotted to her, just enough to keep her strength up, discarding the rest to avoid excess weight.

Finally, standing at the edge of the broken bridge, she knew it was time to prove herself to the young man.

Even though Hong Ling felt she had prepared as thoroughly as possible, she couldn't help but tremble as she faced the bridge in the distance.

It was the innate human fear of heights, not something easily overcome.

But Hong Ling knew she couldn't hesitate for a moment.

She was a woman, and leaping such a distance was already more challenging than for the men. Not to mention, she rarely exercised, and her strength was weak even among women. Now, she regretted not making time to train herself—if only she'd spent half an hour each day, things would be so much easier now.

She glanced at the opposite side, feeling a pang of envy for the girl on the young man's back, able to stay by him without effort, enjoying his protection, never worrying about food or clothing.

Yet she only allowed herself envy, not jealousy—for in the vision, it was jealousy toward the girl that led to her abandonment. She could imagine: if, at that moment, she had turned the broken wine glass not toward the girl but toward the charging crowd, she would have ended up with a fate so fortunate she could laugh herself awake from a dream, rather than dying miserably in the snow.

Everything hinged on a single thought...

Shaking her head, Hong Ling hurriedly cast aside these chaotic ideas. There was no time for regret now. Since she was already disadvantaged in strength and lacked any experience in jumping, she had to perfect every other detail, above all, avoid any hesitation—otherwise, she would certainly die.

She took several deep breaths to calm herself.

Hong Ling knew she needed an obsession to support her. That young man was her obsession. From afar, she gazed at Kong Zhe, her eyes gradually filling with longing and resolve. She would follow him and grow stronger; as long as she crossed the broken bridge, a new world awaited her.

Besides, she was out of food now, burning her bridges—all her hopes pinned on that leap.

Either she would transform and be reborn, or she would be smashed to pieces.

With these thoughts, the fear and confusion in Hong Ling's gaze gradually faded.

Behind her, the crowd watched with varied expressions—some worried, some hesitant, some ashamed, some just curious, and a few flashed with malice.

They didn't dare go across, so naturally they wished no one else would, lest it expose their own cowardice—especially a woman!

Hong Ling didn't notice their glances; her attention was wholly fixed on the runway ahead, even picturing the landing spots in her mind.

At last, Hong Ling shouted, and ran at the fastest speed of her life, like an arrow from a bow, charging toward the broken bridge. She never imagined she could run so fast—snowflakes crushed beneath her feet, air left streaming behind.

She was nearly at the bridge—

Suddenly, someone in the crowd behind her lunged with a ferocious expression, aiming for Hong Ling. But as he stepped forward, his head was pierced clean through by a stone flung like a bullet.

The others stared in shock at the fallen man, instinctively looking toward the far side of the bridge, where they saw Kong Zhe leaning against the railing, playing with a handful of stones and smirking coldly at them.

The few with ill intentions were startled, quickly lowering their heads, not daring to entertain any more thoughts.

Hong Ling didn't notice what happened behind her. She had already reached the edge of the bridge, calmly stepped onto her preselected launch point, bent her legs and leapt. In the eyes of the crowd—some expectant, some amazed—she soared like a butterfly toward the other side.

As she hung in midair, she saw the scene below: the street was crawling with savage beasts and scattered human limbs.

Humans struggled and screamed, powerless before the beasts.

It was clear: at this moment, humans were no longer rulers, but prey.

Suddenly, she understood why the young man insisted everyone make the leap.

This was just a minor challenge; what she would face in the future would be far more terrifying.

Hong Ling smiled. In that moment, she felt she had lost much, but also gained much. One thing was certain: she was no longer the timid, cowardly Hong Ling she once was.

...Farewell, old self!

Her body sped toward the far side of the broken bridge. Seeing the rapidly approaching surface, Hong Ling couldn't suppress the joy on her face.

It seemed... she could make it.

Unable to resist, she adjusted her posture, stretching her right leg forward to make contact with the bridge as soon as possible.

Her right foot touched down first. But before she could celebrate, Hong Ling was horrified to find her momentum spent, her body beginning to fall—most of her still suspended in midair.

Hong Ling's heart sank.

Was it really going to end like this?

She truly lacked experience. If only she hadn't moved so impulsively...

Feeling the pull of gravity grow stronger, Hong Ling closed her eyes in despair.

She still hadn't passed his trial...

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

Just as she readied herself to embrace death—

"Congratulations, your courage has earned you a chance to survive!"

A voice as melodious as heaven spoke at her ear.

Suddenly, she felt her outstretched left hand gripped warmly by a large hand, and a powerful force pulled her back onto the bridge.

...

It was only after being dragged onto the bridge and lying there for a while that Hong Ling came to her senses. Limp on the ground, she gazed at the man before her, unable to hold back her tears.

For the first time, she cried openly—not tears of sorrow, but of exhilaration.

She tried to control herself, not wanting to appear weak to the young man. But the joy of rebirth and hope for the future overwhelmed her, making it impossible to hold back, and she even forgot how to speak.

She cried so fiercely, and yet the man neither handed her a tissue nor paid her any mind, simply turning away and walking off on his own—so completely unromantic...

If it had been the old Hong Ling, she would have said so.

But not anymore. Hong Ling quickly wiped her tears, hurried to her feet, and followed.

She had taken her first step; she was no longer the delicate Hong Ling of the past...