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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 91: The Price of Resurrection
Ji Zichen found himself lost in a dream, one that lingered at the moment in the Moon Viewing Pavilion.
"Lin Chuyu... where are you? Come back, please come back."
In his dream, Kiko called out for Lin Chuyu, but the Moon Viewing Pavilion was devoid of doors, windows, or anyone else; he was trapped within, unable to escape.
Suddenly, the eerie sound of laughter echoed through the empty pavilion.
"Hahaha, it's useless. She's already dead, no longer existing in this world. It's your fault; you killed her."
Kiko felt a surge of guilt and panic. "No. I didn't kill her. I... I tried my best."
The owner of that haunting voice appeared before him—it was Great Seat. Like a shadowy specter, Great Seat loomed over Kiko, delivering a cold judgment. "The truth is what it is. You must face reality. You've been deceived by your foolish heart for too long. Now... I will kill you. Do not resist... Do you want her to wander alone in the Underworld?"
With that, Great Seat swung a merciless axe, severing Kiko's head from his body. Suddenly, Kiko let out a scream as he awoke, gasping for breath. Cold sweat streamed down his back, and his palms were slick with perspiration.
"It was... just a dream..."
Finally regaining his senses, Kiko realized that the harrowing moment had only been a nightmare. Yet it felt so real that the remnants of fear still lingered within him. He took a deep breath to steady himself and sat up halfway in bed. Beside him was an armchair positioned close to the bed, suggesting someone had once sat there waiting for him.
Kiko glanced around the unfamiliar room. "Where am I...?"
He got out of bed and felt soreness in his limbs. He asked himself, "How long did I sleep?"
In the empty room, of course, no one would respond to this.
The door creaked open, and Shen Bifan stepped inside. Upon seeing Ji Zichen standing in the center of the room with a dazed expression, Shen Bifan found the situation strange, but at least Kiko was awake.
Suddenly, Shen Bifan exclaimed joyfully, "Brother Zichen, you're awake!"
Ji Zichen's heart jolted at the sight of Shen Bifan. "Bi... Bifan..."
With a beaming smile, Shen Bifan asked, "Brother Zichen, when did you wake up? Are you feeling alright?"
Seeing that Shen Bifan was fine eased Ji Zichen's worries. He slowly approached Shen Bifan and asked, "Where is this place?"
Shen Bifan replied, "This is Uncle De's home. We are in Menhe Village."
"Uncle De? Menhe Village?" Ji Zichen had no recollection of either the person or the village. "How long have I been asleep?"
Shen Bifan sighed softly. "Brother Zichen, you've been asleep for three months."
"Three months!" Ji Zichen was taken aback. "I've been asleep for three months?"
Shen Bifan nodded. "A lot has happened during these three months, but we'll tell you everything gradually. Now that you seem so energetic, I feel relieved."
"We?" Ji Zichen asked. "Who else is here?"
Knowing that Kiko would be happy to learn that Lin Chuyu was still alive, Shen Bifan feigned mystery and said, "Oh, hurry and get dressed! I’ll take you to see her. You’ll be very happy!"
Ji Zichen finally noticed the drowsiness enveloping him. He put on his clothes and asked, "Who? Who would be happy to see me?"
Lin Chuyu had just entered the room and saw the rice and minced meat that Shen Bifan had bought laid out on the table. Not seeing Shen Bifan around, she raised her voice, "Sister Bifan, are you in here?"
At that moment, Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan happened to come out of the sleeping quarters and spotted Lin Chuyu in the center of the living room.
Upon seeing Lin Chuyu, Ji Zichen's eyes filled with both confusion and surprise. Lin Chuyu was momentarily stunned to see Ji Zichen standing before her, then she smiled and said, "You're awake!"
Ji Zichen stood there in shock, utterly astonished. "You... how is this possible... it really is you..."
"Uh..." Under Ji Zichen's questioning gaze, Lin Chuyu found herself at a loss for words. She stammered, "I'm sorry, I... actually don't know if it's really me..."
"What do you mean if it's you? What are you talking about?" Ji Zichen asked.
Shen Bifan cleared her throat and said, "Chuyu Sister, let me explain it to him."
Lin Chuyu took a deep breath and said, "I think I should do it. I don't remember anything from before; you and I had some history that Sister Bifan has told me about. To put it simply, I've lost my memory."
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "Lost your memory?"
He turned his gaze to Shen Bifan, silently asking her to confirm whether Lin Chuyu was telling the truth.
Shen Bifan understood Ji Zichen's unspoken question and sighed helplessly. "Chuyu Sister has indeed lost her memory. At first, I thought it was temporary, but now it seems like it might be a side effect of her revival."
"Side effect?" Ji Zichen felt a wave of unease wash over him. "Then Yukang... he is called Yukang, right?" Ji Zichen asked Shen Bifan to confirm, fearing he might have remembered incorrectly.
Shen Bifan nodded.
Ji Zichen said, "That old man Yukang, what kind of aftereffects could there be?"
Shen Bifan, equally puzzled, replied, "I don't know what's going on either, but there haven't been any cases of resurrection before. It might be the cost of coming back to life."
Ji Zichen gazed at Lin Chuyu with a heavy heart and thought, "Without memories, isn't the resurrection just a shell?"
Unaware of Ji Zichen's thoughts, Shen Bifan said, "If this is an aftereffect, we need to find Yukang to know for sure."
Ji Zichen asked, "Then let's hurry and find him. He might have a way to restore the memories."
Shen Bifan looked troubled and said, "When we were at the Moon Viewing Pavilion, he and Yuxuan were taken away by people from the Hall of Malevolence."
Ji Zichen furrowed her brows tightly. "They were taken away?"
At that moment, Uncle De entered from outside. Seeing that Ji Zichen was awake, he was very pleased and approached her warmly. "You're awake! That's wonderful!"
Although Ji Zichen didn't know Uncle De, she politely smiled in response. "You must be Uncle De. Thank you for taking care of me during this time."
Uncle De waved his hand with a hearty laugh. "It's no trouble at all. Your presence has made this home much livelier."
Lin Chuyu chimed in with a smile, "He has slept for so long; he must be hungry. Uncle De, let's go cook something!"
Uncle De chuckled and nodded. "Indeed, it's time to make a good meal."
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "You can cook?" He had never thought that the Second Sister from Corner Lodge could cook.
Lin Chuyu replied in surprise, "What? Didn't I know how to cook before?"
This question left Ji Zichen speechless. He chuckled, "I don't know either; I've never seen you cook."
Lin Chuyu giggled, "That's even better! You'll get to taste my cooking later."
With that, Lin Chuyu and Uncle De headed to the kitchen.
After they left, Ji Zichen turned to Bifan and said, "Bifan, it seems like Lin Chuyu has become much more cheerful than before."
Shen Bifan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe that's one of the benefits of amnesia. But Brother Zichen, have you noticed something about Chuyu Sister's head?"
"Her head?" Ji Zichen hadn't paid attention to Lin Chuyu's head.
Shen Bifan said, "It seems like there's been some change; her hair appears slightly red under the sunlight."
"Red hair!" Ji Zichen immediately became alert. He recalled seeing a Vermilion Bird with all-red feathers and felt uneasy. "Does this mean she is slowly transforming into the Vermilion Bird Form?"
Putting that thought aside for now, Ji Zichen wanted to fill in the gaps of his memory from the past three months. He asked, "Bifan, please tell me everything that happened during these three months."
Shen Bifan nodded. "Let's go outside."
In the courtyard outside, there were tables and benches. The two sat down as Ji Zichen basked in the long-lost warm sunlight. Shen Bifan began, "So after you used the Primal Vortex, Chuyu Sister's body suddenly glowed. Then she brought both of us out of the Moon Viewing Pavilion. I can clearly remember that her entire body shone like a peacock spreading its feathers; it was truly magnificent."
"Chuyu Sister led us out of the Moon Viewing Pavilion, and we hurried all the way to World's End. At that time, the Divine Dawn Ruins were located within World's End. You were unconscious, and she wanted to enter World's End, where there was an endless expanse of primitive jungle, and within it stood a Rainbow Gate."
"I thought it would be best for us to wait until you woke up before going in, but she seemed to sense something, as if something had happened at the ruins. She was eager to go in. Just as she was about to open the door, Chuyu Sister suddenly fainted. When she woke up, I asked her why she was so anxious to enter, but she couldn't remember anything—not even her own name."
"The jungle was cold, and with Chuyu Sister having lost all her memories and you still unconscious, I decided it was best to leave that place. We walked for dozens of miles before reaching this village. Over the past three months, I tried every possible way to help Chuyu Sister regain her memory. I talked to her about many things from the past, but she always seemed confused and unfamiliar."
"In the end, I had no choice but to let things take their course. During these three months, significant events occurred outside. I heard that the Evil God of the Suffering Holy Church had been resurrected, and the people from the Hall of Malevolence attacked the Doomed Court. A great fire raged in the palace, leaving everyone in the Desolate Central Plain in a state of panic."
Ji Zichen said anxiously, "The Evil God has been resurrected? That must be because that old man Yukang opened the door."
At that moment, Lin Chuyu innocently ran out from inside the house with a cheerful smile and asked, "Brother Ji, is there anything you don't eat?"
"Brother Ji?" Lin Chuyu's affectionate call made Ji Zichen blush slightly. "Ah... I eat everything."
Seeing that Ji Zichen had no dietary restrictions eased Lin Chuyu's mind a bit. She looked at Ji Zichen with delight and said, "Then you can eat soon; I've made chicken soup for you."
With that, Lin Chuyu bounced back into the house.
Ji Zichen watched Lin Chuyu's retreating figure with a wry smile. "Although she's not quite herself anymore, at least she's alive again. That's at least a good thing."
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