Chapter 596 Life or Death
The White Tiger's killing power is specifically designed for battlefield combat, a concept also reflected in the Dog's power.
Strictly speaking, the silvery-white magic of the Dog (戌狗) is merely similar to the killing magic of the White Tiger (白虎). It is very likely that Ying Lingyun incorporated his own understanding of the killing magic of the White Tiger when he modified the Dog, but it is enough to serve as a reference and material for evaluating the killing magic of the White Tiger.
As a man-made Great Impermanence, the Dog not only lacks awareness of increasing power density but also lacks basic understanding of mystical knowledge. However, relying on its silvery-white magic power, which is adept at killing, it has demonstrated combat power comparable to that of a veteran Great Impermanence on the battlefield.
Zhu Shi's use of the White Tiger's killing power to unleash the Yama Sword was no less powerful than that of the other sword. Facing Ming Zhuo's sudden attack, she actually seized on his overconfidence and the flaw he had made. First, she neutralized Ming Zhuo's attack with a sword strike, and then she forced Ming Zhuo back to a distance with another sword strike.
Ming Zhuo must have been very shocked at that time. He wasn't actually injured in any serious way. With his eyesight, he could probably tell that Zhu Shi was nearing his limit after unleashing two attacks. However, in his original calculations, there was definitely no such thing as "a Great Impermanence-level combatant suddenly appearing to counterattack him."
His miscalculation may also have been partly due to the caution he inherited from Huang Quan.
At the time, Zhu Shi had actually anticipated that Ming Zhuo might take advantage of my absence to harm Ma Zao, so she temporarily put aside her studies at Xianshui University and lived inseparable from Ma Zao. However, if Ming Zhuo hadn't spent so much time repeatedly confirming the safety of his actions and had acted two months earlier, then no matter how closely Zhu Shi stayed with Ma Zao, it would have been useless, and everything might have proceeded as Ming Zhuo had calculated.
Zhu Shi's interception completely exhausted Ming Zhuo's golden opportunity to strike, and Fa Zheng arrived at the scene immediately afterward. Knowing that his situation was hopeless, Ming Zhuo could only retreat temporarily and went to hide in an unknown location.
"I do owe Fazheng a huge favor, since he didn't mention this matter at all before..." I said.
Mr. Zhu said slowly, "From Fazheng's perspective, since you are still alive, the alliance between you and Fazheng is still in progress."
"Mingzhuo clearly intended to kill everyone present except for Mazao. Since he was going to break with you anyway, he might as well go all the way and wipe out all your comrades. If Fazheng hadn't acted when he should have, the consequences would have been very serious."
"All your reasons for staying in the hegemonic camp will disappear, and you will likely resent Fa Zheng's inaction, becoming a complete enemy of the hegemonic camp."
"That might be part of the reason," I said. "But since we owe Fazheng such a huge favor, we have to repay it later."
After nodding, Mr. Zhu said, "Well then, we've pretty much finished discussing things here. Next..."
He looked at the small bowl hiding behind me.
"Who exactly is this little girl who looks exactly like my granddaughter Zhu Shi when she was a child...?" Old Mr. Zhu asked tentatively.
Zhu Shi also cast a complicated look at the small bowl.
While explaining the ins and outs to me, Zhu Shi spent most of her time observing Xiao Wan. She possessed an observational ability derived from the True Position Law of Heaven and Earth, capable of analyzing the flaws in everything with her eyes. Although this was a special ability, like the White Tiger's killing power, specifically born for combat, it could also be utilized to a certain extent in non-combat situations. During this process of observation and insight, the opponent's soul composition and structure would also be clearly presented in her eyes.
So now she probably has a pretty good idea of what the small bowl is made of.
She looked at the small bowl, hesitated, and called out those two words: "Mom...?"
"What?" Mr. Zhu exclaimed in surprise.
Ma Zao glanced at Zhu Shi, then at the small bowl, and slightly opened her mouth: "...Huh?"
Xiao Wan looked like he had something to say but couldn't say it.
"No, wait... wait a minute! My dear granddaughter... what did you just call her?" Mr. Zhu asked hurriedly.
Zhu Shi seemed somewhat confused as well. She said hesitantly, "Although the shape is completely different and the structure looks strange, the color and composition of this soul... are exactly like my mother's!"
Mr. Zhu said in a frenzy, "But she doesn't look like your mother at all, and she doesn't look like your mother when she was a child either! Isn't she exactly like you when you were a child? Although this kind of intelligent look and temperament is indeed hard to match with you when you were a child, how could she be your mother?"
"Grandpa, did you just make a sarcastic remark to me without even realizing it?" Zhu Shiyou said quietly.
I turned to look behind me and asked, "Xiao Wan, should you explain next, or should I?"
“…Let me explain.” Xiao Wan seemed to have mustered up her courage.
She took two steps forward and came to stand in front of me. Zhu Shi and Old Mr. Zhu both quieted down, their gazes simultaneously fixed on her. She took a deep breath and then explained her background to the two of them, as well as to Ma Zao.
During this process, she also took the opportunity to explain to me the truth about the "apocalyptic era" and our adventures in the afterlife.
She explained everything about herself as the second apostle of the Void Realm: the master of the Divine Seal, the apostle of the Void Realm, fragments of the Divine Seal, and so on.
After hearing this, Asaha was surprised, but she seemed to try her best to accept it.
The “apocalyptic era” she had been experiencing was actually the afterlife… This fact certainly shocked and shook her, but we had made many speculations in this direction before, so she was not entirely unprepared.
She certainly never imagined the true origin of Xiao Wan, but even if she knew those things, it obviously wouldn't change her opinion and feelings towards Xiao Wan.
Then, as if struck by a thought, she muttered to herself, "Can memories lost due to madness really be restored?"
Zhu Shi and Mr. Zhu looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief, as if their worldviews had been greatly challenged.
Compared to the "apocalyptic era" they had never experienced, their attention was more focused on the true origin of the small bowl.
"What does this mean... My granddaughter possessed my daughter? And it was my daughter who did it willingly?" Old Mr. Zhu seemed to be trying to sort out the logic. "Or is it that my daughter and my granddaughter merged? But it doesn't belong to either my daughter's or granddaughter's self-awareness... Is this considered a synthesis of a new self-awareness?"
"If I had to describe it... it's like a character in a gacha game who has the design and appearance of a historical figure, but whose core is a completely different character? Or maybe it looks like an old character, but is actually a fusion character with a new personality stitched on?" Zhu Shi stared at Xiao Wan in disbelief. "What kind of anime mobile game is this? My mom has been reborn after getting the loli daughter attribute!?"
Xiao Wan glanced at Zhu Shi speechlessly, then reminded him, "The most important issue now is not how to define me, but to confirm Zhu Jiu's physical condition."
"Yes, that's right..."
Mr. Zhu calmed down, then looked at me and said, "Zhuang Cheng, could you take us there?"
"no problem."
As I spoke, I summoned flames that engulfed everyone present. Then I took a step forward, and the surrounding scenery changed. After the flames dissipated, I had brought everyone present to the living room on the first floor of the Zhu family's villa in Xianshui City.
Zhu Shi's grandmother was also there, and she was startled to see us suddenly appear. Mr. Zhu explained the situation to her, and then we all moved together towards Zhu Jiu's bedroom on the second floor.
At this moment, I feel conflicted.
There is one ugly thing I absolutely cannot say to Zhu Shi and the others: in my heart, there is a part of me that hopes to confirm that Zhu Jiu's body is dead.
If Zhu Jiu's body is still alive, it means that through a mysterious connection with her soul, that body has confirmed that "Zhu Jiu's soul can still be defined as alive." However, Zhu Jiu's soul is currently being used as material for the small bowl's existence. If Zhu Jiu's soul is to be restored to its original state, then the small bowl occupying Zhu Jiu's existence must disappear.
Based on my own knowledge of the mystical arts, I can think of at least two ways to restore Zhu Jiu's soul to its original state.
The first method, which is also the most direct and easiest to think of, is to directly use the power of Ma Zao's return to repair it;
The second method is to forcibly strip away the childhood dream obsession that belongs to Xiaowan's soul.
This approach is dangerous. It doesn't mean that simply stripping away the elements of Zhu Shi from childhood will automatically reconstruct Zhu Jiu's original soul form. The soul is a very fragile thing, and this approach could very well result in an imbalance of the soul, ultimately leading to its collapse and complete disintegration.
However, if the imbalanced soul can be transferred to Zhu Jiu's body in time while stripping away Zhu Shi's childhood traits, the danger may be eliminated.
The body is the vessel of the soul, recording its proper shape and structure. If Zhu Jiu's body is regarded as a mold and a "soul that has lost its shape" is injected into it, the soul may find its proper shape according to the vessel.
I didn't really care that much about Zhu Jiu's life or death. Of course, Zhu Jiu is Zhu Shi and Chang'an's mother, someone important to me, so if anyone wanted to harm her, I would definitely help them. However, ultimately, Zhu Jiu is still a complete stranger to me. If Zhu Jiu and Xiao Wan both fell into the water, and I could only save one of them, and you asked me who I would save, I would choose Xiao Wan without hesitation.
But what would Zhu Shi and Mr. Zhu think? I simply cannot imagine that their feelings would be more biased towards Xiao Wan.
Amidst a complex and conflicting set of thoughts, we arrived at the door of Zhu Jiu's bedroom on the second floor. Zhu Shi's face showed tension; she seemed to have made a tremendous decision before slowly pushing the door open and entering.
We followed them into Zhu Jiu's bedroom.
In the deepest part of the bedroom, Zhu Jiu's body lay peacefully on the soft bed, like Sleeping Beauty.
She is still alive.
(End of this chapter)
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