Chapter 12: The Bet

The morning light in the antique shop's backyard filtered through the window cracks, the table empty, with ashes of blood porcelain vases, bronze mirrors, and other antiques long scattered. The air was cold and silent. Jiang Hao leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly brushing, murmuring, "The chess game is not over. What are they betting on?" He glanced at Lin Yao, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Lin Yao sat at the workbench, holding an ancient book, her fingers tapping on its pages, murmuring, "The Archive faction wants order, the Destruction faction wants rebirth, and the wager is the soul." She looked up at the wooden door, cracks forming black mist. "But who is playing the game?" Her voice was calm, yet tinged with inquiry.

Old Zhong stood behind the counter, holding a rag in his hand, speaking softly, "You've disrupted the archive, they're getting anxious." He paused, his eyes filled with complexity. "Thirty years ago, when Yongning was destroyed, I heard about the 'bet,' but didn't understand it."

A soft sound of a wooden cane tapping the ground came from outside the door, and a figure in gray entered, thin and blurry, holding a staff carved with runes. His voice was low: "You're right, but only half of it." Jiang Hao frowned, his voice low: "Who are you?" Old Zhong gasped: "The deliveryman?" Lin Yao whispered: "The blood porcelain, the bronze mirrors... it was you?"

The gray-clad man nodded, speaking softly, "I am Yu Guan, one of the Observers. Delivery is my task; the bet is our watch." He paused. "The antique shop is just one part of the board, countless bets, countless pieces, and you are one of them."

Jiang Hao murmured, "Observers? Explain yourself." He tried using his Soul Viewing technique, whispering, "No voice in the soul, you're not human?" Yu Guan chuckled lowly: "Half human, half soul. The fate of an Observer."

Lin Yao scanned with her Remembrance Eye, revealing countless antique shops, soul locks, gray robes, and red robes facing off. She murmured, "Countless bets? You deliver, but what are you watching?" Yu Guan replied softly, "I observe the destination of souls. The gray robes of the Archive faction want to trap souls in the archive, maintaining order; the red robes of the Destruction faction want to destroy and reshape souls, seeking rebirth. They bet on where the soul goes, who wins."

Old Zhong murmured, "When Yongning was destroyed, the red robes said 'the wager is the soul, the winner lives, the loser is destroyed,' and the gray robes scoffed, 'The soul goes to the archive, order prevails.' I didn't understand with Zhang Lao Liu, thought it was a task."

Yu Guan spoke softly, "The task is a surface act; the bet is the essence. As long as the soul lock isn't broken, you're just pawns. Old Zhong is a useless piece, Yongning was an abandoned game."

Jiang Hao furrowed his brow, his voice low: "We've archived it, why are they still pushing? What's the bet on?" Yu Guan whispered, "The bet is on control. The Archive faction traps souls, the Destruction faction destroys them, both are methods. Dark Light is pushing behind the scenes, seeking the 'path of the soul.'"

Lin Yao murmured, "Dark Light? What are they plotting?" Yu Guan replied softly, "Dark Light is the mastermind, orchestrating countless games like hands on a chessboard. We Observers are witnesses. We deliver, record, and watch where the soul goes." He paused, "I am only one of them. The organization is widespread. The antique shop is a small game, the soul world is the grand board."

Jiang Hao whispered, "Soul world? Who are the Observers?" Yu Guan chuckled softly, "We are half-souls. Our soul locks haven't fully shattered, we observe the bet, but do not interfere. Dark Light orchestrates, the game is countless, you've broken the antique shop, and the cracks have appeared."

Old Zhong spoke softly, "After Yongning was destroyed, my soul lock lasted thirty years. Were you delivering too?" Yu Guan nodded, "Delivery is a test, the bet is a filter. You're stronger than Old Zhong, your soul lock loosened, but hasn't broken."

Jiang Hao whispered, "Our abilities are chains. They bet whether we will break or not." He used his Soul Viewing technique to listen to the wooden door, murmuring, "Dark Light is silent, cold as ice." Lin Yao whispered, "I'm decoding the soul-lock array, my vision feels burned. They're betting how long I can last." She looked at Yu Guan, "If we break the lock, can the bet end?"

Yu Guan whispered, "The soul lock is the key. Break the lock, or be locked. Abilities are the wager, the chains are the chips. You've disrupted the archive, the game has cracked, but it hasn't ended." He paused, "We Observers watch, but do not intervene. The path is yours to choose."

Black mist poured out of the cracks in the wooden door, the Archive faction coldly spoke: "Order is disrupted, the soul is not archived." The Destruction faction responded in a deep voice: "Destruction is not complete, all souls may be destroyed." The voices of the two factions collided, the mist split, and Dark Light spoke softly: "The game is not over, where does the soul go?" The voice was deep, cold as ice.

Jiang Hao growled, "I'm not gambling!" The Archive faction murmured, "The order is undecided." The Destruction faction snorted coldly, "Destruction is not finished." Dark Light was silent.

Yu Guan whispered, "The game has cracked, the soul lock is not complete. My task is finished, you choose." He turned and merged into the morning light, the sound of his cane fading away. Jiang Hao whispered, "The soul lock won't break, the game won't end. Let's break the lock." Lin Yao murmured, "Dark Light is orchestrating, the soul belongs to us." Old Zhong whispered, "There are locks outside Yongning, I'll lead the way."

The crack in the wooden door revealed a stone slab, carved with half a rune. Lin Yao whispered, "A broken array, the soul-lock point." Jiang Hao packed his bag, murmuring, "Not archiving, not destroying, we'll find the root." The three of them stepped out of the backyard, the antique shop silent, morning light leading the way.