Chapter 581 Little Bowl Regains Its Memory
The more fragments of divine seals an Apostle of the Void Realm binds to, the deeper their connection with the Void Realm. Considering Number Seven's position, the fact that she brought this up herself makes it hard not to wonder if she harbors ulterior motives.
Since three divine seal fragments were to be used simultaneously, it was inevitable that Xiao Wan would become bound to them. Furthermore, Xiao Wan herself possessed the ability to weaken the connection with the Void Realm, and we had previously discussed the matter together, so I refrained from interfering. Xiao Wan, without changing her expression, stepped forward and reached out towards the unclaimed divine seal fragment held in one palm by number seven.
The moment they made contact, the unclaimed divine seal fragment vanished. A bound divine seal fragment automatically enters the consciousness of a Void Realm Apostle; this is normal and only happens to Void Realm Apostles. It was called "unclaimed" simply because it wasn't bound. In reality, Huang Quan may have already used that divine seal fragment for many things, such as developing the Dushuo Mountain formation.
Then, the little bowl reached out to the unclaimed divine seal fragment here and completed the binding of the third divine seal fragment.
I handed her the Three Lives Stone Powder, which she accepted with both hands, and then looked at Number Seven.
Number Seven looked at the Three Lives Stone Powder with a sigh and said, "This is the last Three Lives Stone Powder in the world... Originally, there were several other copies in the Tai Sui Army, but unfortunately, they were all destroyed and disappeared with the attack of the Great Demon Xuanwu."
She shook her head regretfully, then said to the small bowl, "Then, I will now guide you on how to use the power of the three divine seal fragments to accurately construct time anchors for the past, present, and future in your consciousness, and to evenly distribute the medicinal power of the Three Lives Stone Powder in these three locations. Don't be afraid of difficulties; this is just a meditation technique. With your talent as a child of divinity, you will be able to master it immediately after listening."
Little Bowl said obediently, "Please, Ms. Seven."
Number Seven nodded and then explained the method to Xiao Wan. Just as she herself said, it was simply a meditation technique. It didn't possess any powerful supernatural properties. Even if an ordinary person mastered it, at most they could adjust their biological clock well, allowing them to roughly guess the time in a completely enclosed indoor environment without looking at their phone or clock. Many people with sufficiently regular biological clocks could do this on their own, even without learning this meditation technique.
Xiao Wan listened very attentively, then closed her eyes, as if repeatedly confirming it in her mind. After a moment, she verified the details of the insights with Number Seven. After confirming that there were no errors in any aspect, she picked up the Three Lives Stone Powder in her hand and looked at me again.
It's clear she's very nervous. Her lost memories are about to return, and the mystery of "who she really is and where she came from" will soon be solved. Many things may change drastically in the future.
What if your past self and your present self are completely opposite? If it's a completely different self, how much impact would retrieving those memories have on your current self?
The Asahi who "long ago followed Huang Quan's orders to carry out a plan to slaughter humans," the Asahi who "resolutely betrayed her master," and the Asahi of today—these likely represent key differences in their mentalities. If Asahi were to regain her past memories, it might lead to conflicting changes. Kouwan now faces the same contradictions. Issues we hadn't noticed before, or those we noticed but felt "not things we should be considering now," have now become vividly apparent.
Even if my mental state changes somewhat, I will not treat Xiaowan differently. But this is just my own subjective thought and expectation. How will Xiaowan think and judge?
“Xiaowan, it’s okay if you don’t want to regain your memories. Returning to the world of the living isn’t just about the fifteenth-floor basement; we have other options,” I said. “Or, if you feel it’s too hasty and want to give yourself some time to think it over, that’s fine too.”
Upon hearing this, Number Seven looked puzzled. We haven't told her about what happened in the basement on the fifteenth floor.
What I'm saying now isn't just empty talk. Those kinds of lies wouldn't work on Xiaowan. I genuinely believe it. Although Xiaowan's true identity is a mystery that has intrigued me for a long time, I've already considered her a true friend.
I've never considered myself a "detective who vows to unravel all mysteries," and not knowing Xiaowan's true identity won't affect my future adventures. Besides, even if I can't find out her true identity by restoring all of Xiaowan's memories, can't I explore other avenues in the future? With Xiaowan's intelligence, surely she can solve this puzzle if she's willing to spend the time.
Perhaps it was only at this moment that I fully confirmed my true feelings. Yes, Xiaowan's background is completely unimportant. What matters is that, just as she has always stood firmly by my side, offering me unwavering help, I also want to stand firmly in front of her, sheltering her from the wind and rain.
At the same time, when she makes a decision, I will listen carefully and respect her heartfelt voice, becoming the source of strength for her to take the next step.
"No matter what happens, I will always be your partner," I said.
Xiao Wan paused, and after a few seconds, she smiled and said, "Brother Zhuang Cheng, you should have made that promise to Sister Ma Zao."
Then, she took a deep breath, opened the paper packet containing the Three Lives Stone Powder, revealing the gray granular powder inside.
"Are you sure it's okay?" I asked.
“No problem,” Little Bowl said. “Because I also want to know who I am.”
Number Seven took a bottle of water out of his shoulder bag and handed it to Xiao Wan.
After taking the bottle from Xiaowan, she unscrewed the cap, took a small sip, and then slowly adjusted her state. Her expression became increasingly peaceful and calm, clearly indicating that she had followed the guidance given by Number Seven and used the correct meditation techniques to bring her mind into the most suitable mode.
Finally, she swallowed all the gray granular powder in one gulp, and then drank all the water in one gulp, thus sending all the Three Lives Stone Powder into her body.
She wiped her mouth, removing the remaining water. Then, like a wandering ghost, her expression suddenly changed, and her body became unsteady.
I was prepared, and immediately stepped forward and hugged her from behind. She clung to my arm, twisted her body, and buried her face in my clothes. I simply picked her up and carried her horizontally. She nestled tightly in my arms, arched her body, and let out a moan like that of a young animal.
Gradually, her tense body relaxed, as if she had fallen asleep.
"Is this normal?" I turned to ask Number Seven.
“It’s normal. Speaking of which, you should have seen the wandering soul take the Three Lives Stone Powder before… The wandering soul probably didn’t fall into a coma, right? Because he mostly only recovered the part of his memories that he wanted the most, so he was able to digest it quickly. But Xiaowan has to recover all her memories, which is too much of a shock for her, so she has to use sleep to recover,” Number Seven said.
"That's good."
I felt relieved for the time being, found a place to sit down, and looked down at Xiaowan's sleeping face.
Number Seven followed behind me, silently watching this direction. But she wasn't looking at Xiao Wan; she was looking at me.
After a while, I couldn't help but feel something was off, so I asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Number Seven replied hastily.
I felt a little strange, but I wasn't really concerned about her thoughts. If she wanted to watch, let her watch; I'm not one of those people who's particularly sensitive to attention. Or rather, I've always believed that being able to ignore all sorts of gazes and comments is a sign of strength, and disregarding others' scrutiny is a simple form of spiritual practice.
Only two or three seconds later, Number Seven seemed to retract his earlier "It's nothing," and said in a strange tone, "So... you can also show such a gentle expression."
I deliberately said, "Although I don't know what misunderstanding you have about me, I'm not some kind of vicious person."
"Hahaha..." Number Seven actually laughed.
"Keep your voice down, what if you disturb Xiaowan?" I said.
"Okay, okay, I'll shut up now," said Number Seven.
She really didn't make a sound after that. Since there was nothing else to do, I quietly held the little bowl and waited for her to wake up.
Fortunately, the gas station wasn't attacked by any apocalyptic monsters during this time, and I managed to spend a rare period of peace in this afterlife.
After a long while, the little bowl in my arms finally stirred. Like a child who had just woken up, she shifted restlessly, then slowly opened her eyes. I looked down at her face and our eyes met.
She stared at me silently for a long time, and after a few seconds she finally uttered, "...Brother Zhuang Cheng?"
"It's me," I said. "How are you feeling?"
She used my body as a support, helping me down to the ground, as if confirming the state of her soul and body. I observed her every move with extra care, especially the color of her soul.
Compared to before, the color of her soul had changed somewhat. However, this change wasn't fundamental; it was more like a difference in emotion and state of mind. It's like when someone learns astonishing information that can change the way they see the world, they're bound to be shocked and unable to see their surroundings with the same perspective as before.
In fact, ever since Xiaowan learned from Number Seven that the "Apocalypse Era" was the afterlife, her emotions and state of mind had undergone similar changes. Not only her, but I myself felt the same way.
In other words, the woman before me should still be the Xiaowan I know.
"I've remembered everything," said Xiaowan.
(End of this chapter)
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