Chapter 421 The Power of Divine Seal Fragments
I recalled the scene when Xuanming suddenly attacked Xiaowan.
When I saw Xuanming suddenly concentrate his flames and attack Xiaowan, I reflexively thought he was going to kill her. But upon reflection, I realized that wasn't the case. His "attack" lacked any killing intent. If his flames were like mine, with the ability to control their intensity, they might not have actually killed Xiaowan.
Zhu Shi suspected that Xuan Ming's purpose was not to "kill" but to "capture," and I think this expression is quite apt. Indeed, the intent filling the flames, and the final action of swallowing the small bowl into them, did carry a very strong sense of control and capture. Xuan Ming may very well have really intended to seize the small bowl at the moment of the destruction of the illusory realm.
But what exactly was his purpose?
And, since he wanted to capture Xiaowan, why did he remind Xiaowan beforehand, clearly stating the value and danger of the Child of Divinity, and even telling Xiaowan to be more careful?
I sensed a contradiction in it. However, I couldn't tell whether this contradiction stemmed from my own reasoning or from Xuan Ming himself.
Asaho was still worried about Xiaowan, whom she had lost contact with in the apocalyptic world, and I tried to comfort her. In truth, I didn't think I would never see Xiaowan again. It's just that to outsiders, my reasoning might seem unfounded.
In my mind, my adventure began with my encounter with Asahi, propelled by her mysterious power. Caught in her vortex, I not only encounter countless bizarre events I could never have experienced before, but I also meet Kouzuki, who lives in the future. And this series of events is not something I can simply walk away from. Because I cannot easily "quit halfway," there is no such thing as an interrupted adventure.
In other words, I can't possibly sever all ties with Xiaowan before I've solved all the mysteries surrounding her and truly understood her. We will definitely meet again somewhere. Even without any material evidence, I have no doubt about it.
I understand that this has gone beyond belief and reached the level of superstition. But I just have such strong faith in Asahaya's power. Even though I am now regarded as a god by countless demon hunters, and Asahaya is seen as a girl under my protection, in my own eyes, Asahaya is my true god.
Despite my seemingly flawed reasoning, Ma Zao gradually calmed down and seemed to believe what I said.
Zhu Shi looked at me and Ma Zao, and suddenly said, "Speaking of which, now that it's confirmed I'm not Xiao Wan, what about the engagement..."
"Are you planning to call off the engagement?" I asked.
Upon hearing me utter the word "annulment of engagement," Zhu Shi, for some reason, suddenly covered her mouth and burst into laughter. She quickly regained her composure and continued, "Well, let me clarify beforehand, I don't have any issues with you, Senior Brother Zhuang. It's just that since I wasn't Ma Zao's friend during the apocalypse, Ma Zao would probably find it difficult to accept me having a child with you, Senior Brother Zhuang, so..."
“No, I have no objection,” Ma Zao said seriously. “In fact, if you, Zhu Shi, insist on having a child, then I hope it will be with Zhuang Cheng.”
"Why? Is it because you think Xiaowan could be my child?" Zhu Shi retorted. "But even if Xiaowan is my future daughter, it doesn't necessarily mean she'll be Zhuang Cheng's child, right?"
“But, like Zhu Shi when he was young, Xiao Wan is a child of divinity, right?” Ma Zao said. “I’ve heard that it’s very difficult for children of divinity to be born in later eras, but Xiao Wan still appeared. So, given that the mother is Zhu Shi, it makes sense to assume that the father is Da Wuchang, right?”
As for the most likely person Zhu Shi would marry and have children with among the great impermanences he would encounter, I'm the only one that comes to mind—that's probably what Ma Zao wanted to say.
To put it another way, considering that Xiaowan has memories of Zhu Shi's childhood, the theory that "Xiaowan is Zhu Shi" isn't completely ruled out. It's possible that some accident caused Xiaowan to malfunction and become unable to accept the names Zhu Shi and Zhu Jiuxing again.
There is actually some supporting evidence that Ma Zao may not have thought of, which was deduced from the fact that "Xiao Wan has Zhu Shi's childhood memories".
It's not surprising that demon hunters actively record their skills and memories into their genetic material to pass on to their descendants. What's surprising is that they even record their childhood memories into it. This kind of thing might only happen to demons that are born with the ability to pass on their memories to their offspring, and coincidentally, I might also belong to that kind of "demon".
My entire body is made of flames, or rather, a form of spirit, capable of preserving memories. Even my genetic material may possess this property. Based on my knowledge of occultism, assuming my genetic material enters Zhu Shi's womb and forms offspring, this offspring may also absorb the mother's memory information while absorbing her physiological and spiritual nourishment.
This is definitely not a figment of imagination; similar examples can be found in Luoshan's historical records. Some demon hunters who are half-demon do indeed exhibit this property.
The possibility that Xiaowan is my daughter with Zhu Shi seems to be getting higher and higher.
Zhu Shi seemed to want to refute something, and perhaps thinking in a similar direction to me, after silently opening and closing her mouth several times, a look of realization and astonishment slowly appeared on her face, and she looked at me at the same time.
"No, no, no..." Zhu Shi muttered, "This is too absurd. Xiao Wan is my and Senior Brother Zhuang's daughter... In the end, if it weren't for Ma Zao, Senior Brother Zhuang and I would never have truly met..."
“But in the post-apocalyptic era, there’s no such thing as anchoring. Even without anchoring, the Great Impermanence can still access the supernatural world normally. That means even without me, Zhuang Cheng could still meet Zhu Shi, who is a demon hunter.” Ma Zao surprisingly displayed wisdom she didn’t usually have at this juncture. “After you and Zhuang Cheng meet, your grandfather will definitely try to bring you together. You two shouldn’t have any objections to marrying each other and having children, right?”
“…Uh, it seems so.” Zhu Shi could only admit it.
I had no choice but to nod.
According to Ma Zao's reasoning, the birth of Xiao Wan between me and Zhu Shi was a natural consequence. Although I don't know why Zhu Shi and I weren't with Xiao Wan during the apocalypse, upon closer examination, this reasoning is even more plausible than the explanation Xiao Wan gave in the virtual realm.
"And if Xiaowan has to have a father, I hope it's Zhuang Cheng who will be Xiaowan's father."
Asaha seems to have mixed strange personal motives into her reasoning.
"Reasoning alone isn't enough; we also need a verification step at the end," I reminded him.
"Okay, verify, verify..."
Ma Zao racked her brains, then as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head, she said, "—How about Zhuang Cheng and Zhu Shi decide what name they would give their daughter if they had one, and then bring it up to ask Xiao Wan when they meet her in the future?"
I was shocked to find that my boyfriend was urging me to discuss with other women what names to give our daughters.
Afterwards, perhaps worried that her presence would interfere with my discussion with Zhu Shi, Ma left early.
Zhu Shi said jokingly, "Senior Brother Zhuang, do you feel like Ma Zao dislikes you? I feel like Ma Zao is trying her best to push me towards you."
"If that's the case, I'll be relieved."
That was just something I made up on the spot. If Asaho disliked me, I definitely wouldn't feel at ease, but Asaho's problems might be more complicated than that.
I want to have Asahi all to myself, but she doesn't feel the same way. Is it because she doesn't like me? I think it's the opposite. Although it might sound narcissistic to say this, I believe Asahi is very, very attached to me.
While she was attached to me, Asaha didn't have any possessiveness towards me, which I think is because she lacked the will to live.
Although she is no longer as world-weary as she used to be, and no longer occasionally displays a self-destructive side, a deep-seated self-destructive habit still lingers in her consciousness. This deep-seated habit may not have developed overnight; it's possible that this path dependency has even penetrated the very core of her thinking. And this mental inertia might lead her, when faced with certain important choices, to prioritize "what to die for" over "what to live for."
I don’t know if she was consciously or unconsciously thinking about what would happen after she disappeared from my life.
On the one hand, I hope she can change herself and face the world with a sunny and positive mindset; on the other hand, I even find her morbidly fragile side adorable, wanting to keep her as she is, while also wanting to do everything I can to protect and warm her.
After exchanging a few words with Zhu Shi, she left first, while I stayed in the room to test my connection with the fragments of the divine seal.
Even though Xiaowan isn't with me right now, the blessing she cast on me doesn't seem to have completely faded. Perhaps it's because Xiaowan is still praying for me in this apocalyptic world. The effect isn't as strong as it was in the virtual realm, but it's still enough to provide me with significant assistance.
I'm in excellent condition right now, with all my indicators, including my perception, at a highly agile level. Although I haven't broken through the limit, this state of being close to the limit isn't something that can be achieved easily. With the help of this favorable wind, I have a deeper grasp of the connection between myself and the fragments of the divine seal than before, and I even vaguely grasp the mysterious power existing within the fragments of the divine seal.
At a certain moment, just as the gears of my mind precisely meshed with another gear, my mind seemed to finally pry open a sliver of mysterious power, enabling me to draw it out.
Then, I enveloped that wisp of mysterious power in my mind and tried to make it manifest. I raised my right hand, as if using a lighter, and an orange-red flame ignited on my fingertip.
This is a flame infused with the power of the Divine Seal fragments. I have successfully drawn out the power of the Divine Seal fragments!
Although the amount is extremely small and cannot be expected to produce a powerful effect, it is a breakthrough from zero to one, proving that I am also qualified to manipulate the power of the Divine Seal fragments.
This tiny flame looked very similar to the flames I usually summon, but I immediately noticed the difference.
(End of this chapter)
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