Chapter 72: The Unveiled World
Yu Sheng’s question prompted Bai Li Qing to arch her brow ever so slightly.
“The Borderland, of course, is singular,” Bai Li Qing replied. “Something like a ‘World Convergence Point’ isn’t something that can be mass-produced.”
“I’m speaking of the ‘Boundary City,'” Yu Sheng clarified, his expression grave. “If the Borderland is unique, then what of Boundary City? This city within the Borderland—is it possible that another city much like it exists somewhere in the world?”
He paused, locking eyes with her, and spoke slowly: “Very similar, yet not quite the same. They share the same name, and certain locations even overlap in title, but it’s not ‘extraordinary’ like this place. Just an ordinary city. If the observable universe spans hundreds of billions of light-years or even more—could a city matching that description possibly exist out there?”
Bai Li Qing’s expression subtly shifted, taking on a rare solemnity.
The Madam Director was silent for several moments before answering with deliberate caution:
“That conjecture of yours—I’ll call it that for now. Scholars have indeed proposed a similar hypothesis. It goes like this:
“If the universe is infinite in space and time, or even statistically infinite within the scope of human comprehension, then it is possible that two identical or near-identical locations might exist. Two planets with matching parameters, two nearly identical mountains, even two eerily similar historical timelines. The likelihood of such ‘mirrorings’ may be low, but given sufficient time and space, the probability is never zero.”
Yu Sheng mulled this over and nodded lightly. “I think I’ve heard something like that before…”
“Then let me tell you the restriction of this hypothesis—a non-public clause,” Bai Li Qing said. “Even if the hypothesis holds true, even if the universe allows for mirrored events and locations, there are two exceptions. Places that have no mirror.
“First, a planet named Terra, located deep among the stars, distant from here, yet intricately and secretly connected to the Borderland.
“Second—this very Borderland.
“In other words, there will never be a second ‘Boundary City,’ because it is a fundamental part of the Borderland. And the Borderland itself… has no mirror. No matter how boundless the cosmos or eternal the timeline, from past to future, there will only ever be this one Borderland. This one Boundary City.”
Yu Sheng widened his eyes slightly and remained silent for a long while.
“From your reaction…” Bai Li Qing adjusted her posture, “You’re nearly certain that another ‘Boundary City’ exists—perhaps, you’ve seen it yourself?”
Suppressing the tide of emotions within, Yu Sheng took a deep breath, fingers tapping gently on the table.
“Yes. I’ve seen it. It’s a small Coastal City, where you can drive from the southernmost point to the northern edge in thirty minutes. No Otherworld, no Special Affairs Bureau. People there live ordinary lives. The sunlight is always gentle, never harsh, and the evening glow is beautiful…”
Yu Sheng began to describe the scenes of that place etched into his memory.
He held nothing back. Since she already knew the truth about Wutong Road No. 66 and was charged with overseeing Otherworld-related matters, this Madam Director seemed like the only person who might be able to help him.
Bai Li Qing listened quietly. Her colorless eyes revealed nothing of her thoughts. Only when he finished did she finally speak:
“May I see it?”
Yu Sheng was momentarily stunned. “See it? How?”
She reached out and pressed her hand against his temple.
Along with the cold sensation came a brief sense of disorientation.
“This is my ability—if you don’t mind, open your imagination to me, just for a moment. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, I won’t insist,” Bai Li Qing said seriously.
Yu Sheng frowned, then nodded after a quick calculation.
Closing his eyes, he summoned the image of his hometown—that other ‘Boundary City.’
The unremarkable seaside town formed clearly in his mind. And then, he felt as though another pair of eyes was watching the scenery alongside his memories.
Moments later, he opened his eyes again.
Bai Li Qing remained motionless, eyes still shut. Behind her, the infinite stretch of the café began to collapse, silently unraveling from afar. Rows of neatly arranged, endlessly repeating tables and chairs were swallowed by darkness, the structure falling away into what seemed like a bottomless abyss.
Yu Sheng was momentarily dazed, unable to grasp the current situation. “Hey! The floor just collapsed! Wake up! This place—”
He had barely gotten halfway through his sentence when Bai Li Qing finally opened her eyes. “It’s fine. Just a minor aftereffect from activating my ability.”
As she spoke, the ruined structure in the distance, along with the shattered furniture, quietly reassembled themselves, returning to their original state as if nothing had ever happened.
Yu Sheng gave an awkward chuckle, scratching his head. “Oh. That’s… a pretty flashy ability you’ve got.”
Bai Li Qing said nothing. She gently rubbed her forehead, seemingly deep in thought.
“You saw it all?” Yu Sheng asked curiously, encouraged by her silence. “That place—what did you think?”
“I did see it. Just as you described—a tranquil Coastal City. But many corners of it mirrored this city here,” Bai Li Qing cut in before he could finish. For reasons unknown, there was hesitation in her tone at first, though she quickly concealed it. “I believe now that you’ve truly seen such a ‘Boundary City.’ But what I don’t understand is… why are you so fixated on this ‘place’?”
“Because of something personal,” Yu Sheng answered solemnly. “I want to find it. But according to what you said earlier…”
“A theory is still just a theory,” Bai Li Qing shook her head. Her tone now carried far more flexibility than before, no longer as certain. “To be honest, I still don’t believe there exists a second ‘Borderland’ in this world. But… if it’s merely a place that coincidentally shares some architectural and spatial similarities with this city—then I suppose it’s not entirely impossible.”
Yu Sheng gave her a skeptical look. “…Really?”
“Who knows?” Bai Li Qing exhaled. “Some scholars have said that our universe is still young—there are even physical laws yet to be born. So every understanding we hold, bound by the human perspective, might one day be proven wrong. I believe now that the ‘Boundary City’ you showed me does exist. It’s just that… it’s not recorded in any of the Borderland archives.”
“And if one day you folks manage to find it…?”
“You’ll be the first to know,” Bai Li Qing replied with a serious nod.
Yu Sheng gave a word of thanks.
But he didn’t entirely believe her. Something about her tone felt… off. Not outright dishonest, but lacking sincerity.
He didn’t know where that feeling came from, but decided not to press the matter.
“I’ve got another question,” he pivoted quickly. “For a friend.”
Bai Li Qing nodded. “Ask away. I have time today.”
Yu Sheng paused briefly to gather his thoughts. “Regarding ‘Alice’s Little House’—does the Special Affairs Bureau know anything about that group?”
“Alice’s Little House? Of course we do,” Bai Li Qing answered instantly. “Those ‘Living Dolls’ have long been active in the extraordinary realm. We’ve crossed paths more than once.”
Yu Sheng’s heart leapt. Finally, a lead for the little doll. “You mean the ‘Dolls of Alice’? Then this ‘Little House’—it’s officially registered with your bureau?”
“No, that’s where you’re mistaken,” Bai Li Qing shook her head. “Alice’s Little House isn’t something ‘registered’ with the Special Affairs Bureau. It’s an independent force, existing beyond the Borderland. Though they keep a low profile, their influence is no less than our own.”
Yu Sheng: “…?”
“This world doesn’t revolve solely around the ‘Borderland,’ nor are we the only major organization,” she continued. “The Special Affairs Bureau is just one of many official bodies that deal with the Otherworld and Entities. There’s also the Bamosa Hermit Society founded by the Bamosians, the Academy and the Archaeological Association from Terra, the Alglade Astrological Society of the Alglade Star System… and many others. ‘Alice’s Little House’ is one such force. They follow an Ancient Holy Spirit known as Alice—ancient constructs directly blessed by her. Their time of activity… actually predates the founding of the Special Affairs Bureau.”
Yu Sheng: “……”
Wait, that little doll Irene is from such a big-name background?! So she wasn’t bluffing all this time!
He made no attempt to hide the change in his expression, and Bai Li Qing caught it immediately.
“I recall,” she said thoughtfully, “the report mentioned you had a ‘doll’ companion?”
“Yeah. Her name is Irene. She claims to be one of the ‘Dolls of Alice,’ just… sealed away for a long time due to some accident.”
“But I also remember the report stating her height was only about… this tall?”
Bai Li Qing gestured beside the table, indicating a very small size.
Yu Sheng scratched his nose awkwardly. “Ah, well… that’s another accident altogether…”