Phew...
Phew...
Phew...
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two of them grew tired from running. They bent over in unison, hands resting on their knees, staring into each other's eyes while gasping heavily for air.
I... I can't do this anymore. I need to rest for a bit.
After looking at her for a moment, Ye Shu propped himself against a wooden stump with one hand and sat down heavily on it.
On the other side, Xia Hanmo was also exhausted from running.
She sat down on the stump as well, back-to-back with Ye Shu, the backs of their heads touching. Using each other's weight to keep balance, she tilted her head up and looked at the night sky through the gaps in the leaves.
The sky was filled with stars, shining as brilliantly as diamonds.
The two sat there quietly, neither saying a word.
Listening to the sound of breathing behind her, she caught the scent of his sweat. It was the scent of hard work, mixed with a faint bamboo fragrance, like a deeply buried aged wine that made one want to take another whiff.
Xia Hanmo subconsciously twitched her nose.
But her mind wandered into a daze.
Looking at the starry sky, her eyes were filled with confusion.
He was different.
Way too different.
Was this guy behind her really the same person from her memories?
Completely different cultivation methods.
A different personality.
A different timeline.
Moreover, he had saved her... Even though before she woke up, he didn't know her and had no idea she would appear here. He was completely saving a stranger.
Xia Hanmo suddenly recalled the recording stone she had seen a few days ago.
In that scene, the youth sitting cross-legged, his body battered and broken, faced the Soul Formation realm Feng Mengli with perfect composure, asking three times if he had ever done wrong.
He truly felt completely out of place compared to the youth in her memories.
Nothing matched up.
The timeline, the personality, the character.
But... the location matched.
Ye Shu existed, and Feng Mengli existed.
For a moment, Xia Hanmo felt lost.
She didn't know if those memories were real, or just an exceptionally vivid, incredibly coincidental, and long dream. Her heart was suddenly consumed by bewilderment.
Just then, a voice came from behind her.
What are you thinking about?
I'm wondering... have I really been reborn?
Are those memories actually real? Xia Hanmo didn't hide anything and spoke her mind completely.
Hearing this, before Ye Shu could even speak, Danxia was already stunned.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
You've got to be kidding me. Has this girl actually started doubting if there's something wrong with her memories?
She, the master who had been with her for fifteen years.
Was somehow less influential than a complete stranger...
For a moment, Danxia looked at Ye Shu with deep guilt.
On the other side, Ye Shu had no idea that Danxia was feeling insecure again.
He just asked calmly:
What makes you say that?
Because you are different from the one in my memory. The cultivation techniques you practice, the time you appeared, your attitude towards me... apart from your somewhat handsome face, everything else is different.
Perhaps... I just had a dream?
Maybe those memories are all fake, and I never actually caused anyone's death?
Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou.
Who can say for sure? Ye Shu said casually.
Exactly. Xia Hanmo nodded in agreement, then let out a somewhat relieved sigh. This makes me feel a bit better.
But I'm going to die anyway.
Whether the future happens or not doesn't really matter. Once I'm dead, the foundation for it to happen will be gone anyway.
She planned to lean there a little longer, and then go jump into the river.
The forest fell into a certain silence once again.
The two of them just sat back-to-back, looking at the starry sky.
Neither spoke.
Fireflies danced in the forest.
Fluttering about.
Watching those faintly glowing little bugs, Xia Hanmo's eyes gradually softened. Life truly was a wondrous thing.
As long as she died, everything would be resolved.
Um, there's something I don't know if I should say or not.
Go ahead.
Xia Hanmo's lips curled up slightly. As long as you're not asking for a quick thrill, anything else is fine.
Alright, I just have a question I want to ask you.
It's just...
Ye Shu scratched his head and asked with a hint of puzzlement:
Have you ever thought about this.
Do you think there's a possibility that if you die, the Cholera Poison Body won't disappear? Instead, without you suppressing it, it might completely lose control and erupt... rendering a hundred-mile radius utterly barren?
Of course.
Ye Shu smiled.
I'm just proposing a hypothesis.
Xia Hanmo froze.
She sat blankly on the stump, her eyes glazed over.
After a long while, she replied numbly: That question... I really haven't thought about it.
Theoretically speaking.
That possibility did exist.
So if you really commit suicide, everyone around Yuanyang Town will die, right? Ye Shu continued.
And that's just my guess.
After all, no one can say for sure how large the range of something like the Cholera Poison Body is. If you die, I might not even have time to run away.
Xia Hanmo fell silent.
The moment this question was raised, all her plans were completely thrown into disarray.
So should I die now or not?
She muttered softly.
If she died, the Cholera Poison Body would very likely erupt.
If she didn't die, the Cholera Poison Body would still erupt eventually.
Either way, she would end up hurting others.
She thought everything would be fine as long as she died, but now she realized that even her death... would hurt others.
The future still couldn't be changed.
She was an absolute jinx through and through.
Seeing her looking so conflicted and distressed, a fully rested Ye Shu suddenly stood up and patted the dust off his pant legs.
If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it.
Eh?
Xia Hanmo was stunned.
Ye Shu looked back with a smile, flashing a mouthful of bright white teeth. In your memories of rebirth, are there any particularly bad guys in Yuanyang Town?
Bad guys?
Exactly.
Like the kind who covet you and want to use the chaos to kidnap you and take you home as a wife, but actually just want to force you to heal their injuries exclusively.
There are.
Xia Hanmo nodded.
There's a Mercenary Association in Yuanyang Town that always charges everyone exorbitant hunting commissions and processing fees, as well as high medical costs. Because I've been providing free medical clinics for everyone, they've tried to get rid of me several times so people would have no choice but to go to them for healing.
Fortunately, everyone protected me together.
So they didn't dare to go too far.
Saying this, Xia Hanmo blinked curiously. But how did you know?
Heh, isn't it like this everywhere?
Ye Shu chuckled and didn't elaborate.
Was he supposed to tell her that he had read this kind of cliché plotline thousands of times? Even if Xiaobai and Xia Hanmo didn't say anything, he could have guessed it with his eyes closed.
Anyway, as long as they exist, that's good enough. Ye Shu spun around, his steps dashing and carefree.
Let's go burn that place to ashes!
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
