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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 18: Memories of the Past
Ji Zichen was firmly convinced that there were many things left to do. The Cult of the Hall of Malevolence had to be eradicated, but the most important task was dealing with the Arbitrator. The Hall of Malevolence existed because of the Arbitrator, and Ji Zichen was not part of the Cult. Therefore, he did not understand the deeper philosophies of the Hall of Malevolence, but he knew that those philosophies were certainly something he could not accept.
Sometimes, Ji Zichen found it hard to comprehend how things had come to this point. He had only wanted to reveal Divine Dawn, yet now matters concerning the Arbitrator, Gravel Demon, and Evil God were clearly far more significant than Divine Dawn. He thought of Xia Lian; if he had never encountered her, would he have been drawn into such affairs?
Lying on the hard bed, Ji Zichen let out a sigh. He knew that regardless of whether he had met Xia Lian or not, once such events unfolded, he would inevitably get involved.
Just as Ji Zichen closed his eyes, he heard a faint whisper beside him: "Too many sacrifices, too much unnecessary suffering."
Ji Zichen sat up abruptly. He scanned the room; aside from the unadorned walls and furniture, there was nothing else. However, when he looked toward the dark corner of the room, he saw Lin Chuyu sitting there on a stool against the wall.
Ji Zichen asked in surprise, "How did you get here?"
Lin Chuyu stepped out from the shadows and sat down beside him. "I've been here for a while. This is your room, so I came here to wait for you."
The chill emanating from Lin Chuyu startled Ji Zichen at first, but he quickly regained his composure. He asked her, "What sacrifices and suffering? What are you talking about?"
Lin Chuyu slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. She softly parted her lips and said, "Is everything we saw on the Travel Path real?" She pouted slightly, waiting for Ji Zichen's response. Remembering what he had seen on the Travel Path, Ji Zichen replied, "If what you saw is the same as what I saw, then it is real. What did you see?"
Lin Chuyu's expression dimmed as she said, "Corner Lodge, slaves, Tuxia Village—were those truly my memories? But I don't remember them. Those memories have become meaningless to me now."
At first, Lin Chuyu's words left Ji Zichen somewhat at a loss; after all, he couldn't fully grasp her feelings. However, after a moment, he said, "Regardless of whether you remember or not, those are still your memories. I believe there will come a time when you will recall them."
Lin Chuyu shook her head. "Brother Ji, I don't want to remember. Even though what I saw on the Travel Path was fragmented, if I remember everything fully, I would surely be very unhappy."
Ji Zichen did not deny Lin Chuyu's perspective; their experiences were indeed far from pleasant. Yet amidst it all, there were still moments worth remembering. Since Lin Chuyu no longer recalled her past experiences, Ji Zichen chose not to press further. Instead, he asked, "Stop overthinking it. By the way, why did Kai Zhou Shen keep you here?"
Lin Chuyu recalled the incident and said, "Kai Zhou Shen asked me if I was Zhuque."
Ji Zichen was not particularly surprised by Kai Zhou Shen's question. After all, with his ability to foresee, knowing her identity was not a difficult task. However, Ji Zichen couldn't understand why Kai Zhou Shen would inquire about her identity.
"What did you say?" Ji Zichen asked.
"Of course, I told the truth. Isn't Kai Zhou Shen able to foresee? It would be hard to deceive him," Lin Chuyu replied.
Ji Zichen chuckled, "And then?"
"That was it. After asking me, he sent me and the clan leader out," Lin Chuyu said.
"That's strange," Ji Zichen remarked.
Lin Chuyu tilted her head and smiled. For some reason, whenever she could talk with Ji Zichen, all her worries seemed to vanish. "What's so strange about it? Maybe Kai Zhou Shen just wanted to ask."
Ji Zichen smiled back at her. "Maybe."
Lin Chuyu sensed a hint of something in Ji Zichen's words and asked, "Brother Ji, do you think Kai Zhou Shen has some other intention? Wasn't it just a casual question?"
"I don't mean anything by it; perhaps Kai Zhou Shen was just asking casually," Ji Zichen replied.
Lin Chuyu walked over to the cabinet and took out a wine jug. She handed it to Ji Zichen, who opened the cap and inhaled deeply. A rich aroma of wine wafted up, invigorating her senses. "This smells so good."
"I know you love drinking, so I brought it for you," Lin Chuyu said.
Ji Zichen paused and replied, "I love drinking? Who said I love drinking?"
"Brother Ji, don't you like drinking?" Lin Chuyu furrowed her brows. "I seem to remember you took me to a place that looked like a wine jug, somewhere we could drink."
Ji Zichen's eyes widened in surprise. "You remember I took you to a place that looked like a wine jug!"
Lin Chuyu nodded. "Yes, but I don't remember it clearly. It's like a dream; I feel like I remember something happened, but when I try to think deeper, I can't recall anything at all."
Ji Zichen explained, "That place that looked like a wine jug is the Pottery Flask Inn. I didn't take you there to drink."
Lin Chuyu exclaimed, "Then what did we go there for?"
Her expression suddenly turned serious. "Well, we didn't do much; we just went to see a friend."
"A friend?" Lin Chuyu looked dejected. "I can't even remember what your friend looks like."
Not wanting to bring up the Pottery Flask Inn again, Ji Zichen shook the wine jug and asked, "Where did you get this from?"
Lin Chuyu whispered mysteriously, "Oh, this? I got it from the village's wine cellar. But you have to keep it a secret; according to the villagers, this Cool Blossom Wine is very precious."
Ji Zichen found it amusing that Lin Chuyu had stolen wine for him, but he felt warm inside at her gesture. "Cool Blossom Wine? Is this cool flower a vegetable or a flower?"
Lin Chuyu replied, "I don't know either."
Ji Zichen quickly took a sip of the wine and exclaimed with wide eyes, "It's really good! It can compete with the Swallow Brew from the Pottery Flask Inn."
"Swallow Brew? Is that wine really good?" Lin Chuyu asked.
Ji Zichen thought for a moment. If Swallow Brew wasn't good, Madam Jiang wouldn't keep it around. But remembering that Lin Chuyu didn't quite recall it, he decided not to mention it again. "Well, I think this Cool Blossom Wine is better than Swallow Brew."
Lin Chuyu was pleased that Ji Zichen liked the wine. "Brother Ji, finish your drink quickly; I'll go get more," she said.
Ji Zichen couldn't help but laugh. "Drinking isn't like gulping down water; you can't rush it."
No matter what, Lin Chuyu had become the closest person to Ji Zichen. Before Lin Chuyu's companionship, Ji Zichen couldn't even remember how he had gotten through his days. He gazed deeply into Lin Chuyu's eyes, realizing he couldn't look away.
Lin Chuyu made Ji Zichen blush. "Brother Ji, why are you looking at me like that?"
Ji Zichen cleared his throat and took a few quick sips of wine. Lin Chuyu hurriedly said, "Brother Ji, weren't you just saying that drinking isn't like drinking water? You shouldn't drink so fast!"
This time, Ji Zichen felt a bit embarrassed. He forced a smile and replied, "Right, right, drinking should be done slowly; no need to rush."
Lin Chuyu took the wine jug from Ji Zichen's hands and placed it in the cabinet. "You can take your time with this. When you're done, let me know, and I'll sneak some more for you."
Ji Zichen had never experienced sneaking drinks like this before, but there was something oddly delightful about it. "Okay, I'll tell you when I'm finished," he said.
Lin Chuyu closed the drawer and sighed. "Brother Ji, am I really that useless?"
"Why do you think that?" Ji Zichen asked.
"Recently, everyone has been so busy with their own things while I’m left alone here, unable to help with anything," Lin Chuyu admitted.
Ji Zichen smiled and glanced at the Vajra hanging at Lin Chuyu's waist. "You’re not useless at all. That Vajra you carry has saved my life."
Lin Chuyu's eyes widened with anticipation as she asked, "Really? I saved your life?"
Ji Zichen nodded seriously. "Of course it's true! The girls you saved back then all regarded you as a heroine."
Lin Chuyu was particularly interested in this memory, but after a moment, she appeared somewhat disappointed. "Is that so? I don't remember any of that," she said.
Ji Zichen replied, "How about this? Once I deal with the Evil God, the Gravel Demon, and Divine Dawn, we can go together to walk the paths we once walked. I’ll tell you everything that happened bit by bit."
Lin Chuyu laughed heartily. "Really? That sounds wonderful!"
However, Lin Chuyu's expression turned a bit worried. "Even though I haven't been much help, I've heard about the Evil God. I think this Evil God is quite formidable."
Ji Zichen's gaze grew serious. "The Evil God is indeed difficult to deal with, but strength in numbers will help us find a way to overcome it."
Lin Chuyu stared with her round eyes. "I believe Brother Ji will defeat the Evil God."
Ji Zichen looked at Lin Chuyu's head; the color of her hair had not deepened, which was a relief lately. Lin Chuyu's body had not transformed into Vermilion Bird Form, and Ji Zichen didn't know why she had stopped changing. Regardless, it was a good thing.
Ji Zichen got up from the bed. "Where did the clan leader arrange for you to stay? I'll take you back."
Lin Chuyu suddenly remembered that Ji Zichen needed rest. She could see the fatigue on Ji Zichen's face. "Oh, Brother Ji, you don’t need to take me back. I've gotten familiar with this village lately; I know it well now. You should rest first. I'll come find you tomorrow."
With that, Lin Chuyu left without disturbing Ji Zichen any further.
Ji Zichen approached the door and watched Lin Chuyu's retreating figure. Lin Chuyu's house wasn't far from Ji Zichen's—just five houses away. Once he saw Lin Chuyu enter her home, he returned to his bed to rest.
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