"Has Master Hu... already left...?"

Jiang Mu murmured.

"Host, please remain silent." The system rudely interrupted him, and then the image on the screen changed again...

Under the dim light of an oil lamp, Hu Tao was carefully mending the Qiankun Tai Gua hat with needle and thread.

As mentioned earlier, Master Hu was a large man, and the Qiankun Tai Gua hat did not suit Hu Tao well. Therefore, Hu Tao planned to sew it back on.

"hiss……"

Hu Tao accidentally pricked her finger, but she held back her cry. After sucking on her finger a few times, she continued with her work.

"This hat has magical powers; it's righteous energy that wards off evil and brings peace..."

As she sewed, Hu Tao murmured to herself.

And so, after being pricked countless times, Hu Tao finally finished modifying the hat just as dawn was breaking...

After trying it on her head and finding no problems, Hu Tao subconsciously turned around and exclaimed excitedly.

"Grandpa, look at me..."

But upon seeing the empty room, her little face immediately fell again.

"Yes, Grandpa has already..."

"Slap! Slap!"

Hu Tao patted her face, forcing herself to calm down.

"You have to pull yourself together! This is the first funeral ceremony I've personally officiated at, so you have to do your best!"

With that, Hu Tao straightened her hat and walked straight out the door.

"Master."

The ceremonial attendants and guests in the Rebirth Hall all bowed respectfully upon seeing Hu Tao.

"Please rise, please rise..." Hu Tao waved her hand and looked at the crowd.

"I wonder if everyone has prepared the necessary items for the ceremony?"

"Go back to the hall master."

A servant said respectfully.

"We've already received the sachets made of rainbow flowers, the kites, and the glass lilies needed for the farewell. But..."

"But what?"

Hu Tao frowned.

“We have already spoken to Miss Ying’er at Chunxiang Kiln,” a servant said, looking troubled.

"However, according to Miss Ying'er, the agarwood needed to make the balm is no longer available at Chunxiang Kiln..."

"Then let's go find them!"

"Right now, almost all the staff at the Rebirth Hall are preparing for the funeral ceremony in eight days," Zhong Li said calmly. "It's very difficult to spare any more manpower..."

"Then hang it up..."

"The request has already been posted with the Adventurers' Guild."

An elderly retainer quickly replied, "But they're still not giving us any news. Time is of the essence, we..."

"There's no other way, then I'll go find it myself!"

With a wave of her hand, Hu Tao strode out...

Before long, everyone saw Hu Tao peek her head out of the doorway, scratching her head and looking embarrassed...

"Um... do you guys know... where to find agarwood?"

“Wuwang Slope,” Zhongli said calmly.

"I will definitely bring back agarwood!"

Hu Tao assured them, then quickly disappeared from everyone's sight...

“Um…” The guest elder looked at Zhongli, somewhat uncertainly.

"Guest Zhongli, will this really help Hu Tao relax?"

Upon hearing this, the attendants and guests around also perked up their ears.

Apart from some young people who had just entered the Hall of Rebirth, the remaining ritual attendants and guest elders had practically watched Hu Tao grow up. Seeing the once lively and cheerful girl transformed into her current state, they all felt somewhat distressed...

"Don't worry..."

Zhongli smiled faintly.

"It definitely will, as long as..."

"if only?"

Everyone around was curious.

"No, it's nothing." Zhongli shook his head and looked at a female attendant beside him.

"Mr. Meng, are the glass lilies ready?"

"Oh, oh!" The man scratched his head and went back to his work.

"Let's all do our jobs," Zhongli said calmly, glancing at everyone.

"It would save the hall master from complaining that we didn't work when he comes back."

Everyone nodded and then returned to their respective posts.

However, an idea suddenly popped into everyone's minds...

"Why... do you think Mr. Zhongli is more suitable to be the head of the hall..."

………………

The scene shifts, and Hu Tao is seen arriving at Wuwang Slope.

The once gloomy place seemed to have gained a unique and vibrant charm after the girl's arrival...

"The scenery here... seems a little familiar..."

"I remember... meeting someone in similar circumstances..."

Looking at the dim scenery around him, Hu Tao murmured to himself.

"who is he?"

"I...I don't remember..."

"That feeling again... my chest... it feels so tight..."

"Tears...I can't hold them back..."

"No! I am now the head of the Hall of Rebirth, I cannot be so weak!"

Holding back her tears, Hu Tao stumbled forward.

Ahead lay a vast, open plain, where moonlight filtered through the bare tree canopy, cascading onto the ground like water…

"Yes...it was on a night like this that I met..."

"ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Walnut suddenly let out a scream, startling a flock of birds in the woods...

"Why! Why can't I remember? Can anyone tell me why?!"

Suddenly, Hu Tao went berserk and began frantically banging his head against the tree trunk.

One, two, three...

Gradually, blood began to flow down her face...

Why... do you all have to... leave me one by one...?

The fear, resentment, and loneliness that had been hidden beneath the smile erupted in this moment, in a secluded place...

"Tell me..."

Blood mingled with tears, flowing down together...

In a daze, Hu Tao seemed to see that familiar yet unfamiliar figure slowly walking towards her through her blurry, tear-filled eyes…

"I'll never be naughty again, I'll do whatever you say..."

"Please come back..."

"Jiang Mu, I miss you so much..."

The girl murmured, then her exhausted body suddenly collapsed, falling heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust...

But the hand... was still stretched forward... as if it were about to touch that illusory figure...

………………

"What's going on?!"

Jiang Mu looked at Hu Tao and questioned the system.

"What is the origin of the Eye of God?" the system asked in return.

"When faced with circumstances beyond their control, people often lament their own powerlessness. But at the steepest turning points in life, if a mortal's 'desire' reaches its peak, the gaze of the divine will be cast down."

"Although I hate to say it, I must admit that human potential is limitless." The system's monotonous mechanical voice now carried a hint of sighing.

"The girl was too emotional at the time and broke free from the system's constraints, temporarily regaining her memories of you."

"But don't worry." A hint of mockery crept into the system's voice.

"After she wakes up, I will reseal her memories. Don't worry, I will be thorough in my work."

"this……"

Jiang Mu hesitated...

"Could it be that you're thinking... No way, no way, you actually..."

"Go to hell!"

Jiang Mu unilaterally ended the conversation.

"well……"

Jiang Mu sighed, looked at Hu Tao resting her head on his lap, took out an alcohol-soaked cotton cloth from his system space, and carefully wiped the wounds she had sustained.

"Why bother with someone like me..."

"Did I really... do something wrong...?"

Just as Jiang Mu was deep in thought, Hu Tao's brows furrowed slightly, and then...

"Um……"

With a soft moan, Hu Tao slowly opened her eyes.

Jiang Mu's figure was reflected in those beautiful plum blossom eyes...