Chapter 523 Past Life and Present Life
The jinx of bad luck seems to spare those the person doesn't care about, but focuses intensely on those they do care about. This pattern reminds me of the power of the Great Impermanence to alter history and resurrect the dead.
The more deeply someone is connected to the Great Impermanence (the god of death), the less likely they are to be resurrected by him. On the contrary, ordinary people who have little to do with the Great Impermanence can be resurrected in large numbers.
The power of Blessed Monks shares a similar principle. The more one desires something, the more power one gains from it, and the source of this "desire" is the reality of "not getting what one wants." Those who become Blessed Monks seem to be cursed by some unseen force. Blessed Monks with the power to guide are destined to lose their way, and those who desire other things cannot obtain what they truly desire.
Looking back, those who gained incredible powers in strange worlds, no matter how convenient those powers seemed, often ended up with results contrary to their wishes. The stronger the power, the more pronounced this characteristic became. I'm not sure if this pattern I've observed is correct, and if it is, what is the underlying principle behind it?
Returning to the issue of the jinx's power, there's another reason why I believe Tanxiang will be relatively safe after leaving me. That is, I am currently quite far away from Asahi.
The more distant one's relationship with Asao, the less affected they are by the jinx's power. Although I'm confident in my close relationship with Asao, we are now separated by different eras, and it's already a miracle that the jinx's power continues to favor me. In other words, this is probably the limit for me.
In fact, as someone with a close relationship with Asahi, and whose relationship spans an unknown period, Koyuki seemed to have escaped the influence of the jinx's power after Asahi traveled to the modern world, living in a post-apocalyptic era. I don't believe the jinx's power truly left Koyuki as Asahi went to a different era; that wouldn't explain my current situation. I'm more inclined to believe that the jinx's influence on Koyuki diminished, to the point where it could be overshadowed by Koyuki's strong luck.
Since Xiaowan and I are already at the end of the influence of the jinx, we will no longer infect those who come into contact with us.
Sandalwood lowered his head and stopped speaking. I figured he was close enough to decide to leave the three-person team, so I'd let him think it over on his own. Compared to this person I'd just met on the road—whose presence or absence wouldn't make a difference—I cared more about Wandering Soul.
"Have you ever heard of the Tai Sui Army?" I asked the wandering spirit.
"The Tai Sui Army is the remnant of Tai Sui," the wandering spirit replied. "That's what they call themselves."
This is pretty much what I expected. Just like how demonic cults in martial arts novels wouldn't call themselves demonic cults but rather holy cults, I doubt the remnants of the Tai Sui faction would actually call themselves remnants. They've already been a troubled force, repeatedly splitting under the Gospel Academy's manhunt and pursuit; such a claim would be too damaging to morale.
The ghost's gaze remained fixed on my face.
I knew what he wanted to say, so I took the Three Lives Stone Powder out of my flames.
As a secret medicine capable of restoring memories to survivors in the apocalypse, it comes at the cost of shortening the lifespan of those who take it. However, there might be a way to avoid paying that price. I don't know what that method is, but I don't have the habit of giving up without even trying. Therefore, I've kept it in my mind for now, hoping to use it later to help Xiaowan regain her memories.
But since the little bowl hinted that the item should be left to the wandering spirit, I have no choice but to believe her.
The wandering spirit stretched out its hands, as if receiving a sacred object, and solemnly accepted the paper packet containing the Three Lives Stone Powder.
"I am deeply grateful..." he murmured absentmindedly.
Tanxiang watched this scene silently. Everyone here knew that the Three Lives Stone Powder was a deadly poison. Although they were strangers who had just met, the wandering soul was still a teammate who had gone through thick and thin with them. Tanxiang must be feeling very complicated right now.
The wandering spirit opened the paper package, which contained a large handful of gray powder. It looked like a substance formed after rocks were crushed, with particles of varying sizes, making one worry that it might chafe the throat of the user.
"Could you give me some water?" the wandering spirit asked the sandalwood incense.
Sandalwood took a plastic bottle filled with clean water from its backpack and tossed it to the wandering spirit.
The latter accepted it, first thanked it, and then poured the Three Lives Stone Powder into his mouth without thinking, swallowed it with water, his Adam's apple bobbing.
The mysterious woman had mentioned that the Three Lives Stone Powder in this paper package was only enough for one person. Now, the wandering spirit has consumed it all.
After finishing his water, he vigorously wiped his mouth and was about to screw the bottle cap back on. Suddenly, his expression changed, his body swayed back and forth, and then he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Sandalwood immediately stood up and asked, "What's wrong?"
From the surface of the wandering soul, I observed numerous fluctuations in emotion, but even I couldn't decipher its current emotional state. If its heart was originally a stable and clear pond, then now it was as if a shovel had violently stirred up the silt at the bottom, making it incredibly turbid and chaotic.
At this moment, countless thoughts occupied the wandering soul's mind. He hugged his head tightly and let out a low groan that was hard to tell whether it was sadness or joy.
"His memory is returning," I concluded. "Give him some time."
Upon hearing this, Tanxiang sat back down in her chair and continued to observe the changes in the wandering spirit.
After a long time, the wandering spirit finally calmed down, and I also observed that the "mud and sand" in his heart was settling back to the bottom, and his mind was slowly returning to a state of order.
After a long while, he finally exhaled, then raised his head and looked at us.
His gaze seemed somewhat unfamiliar, but it wasn't the kind that treated me and Tanxiang as strangers; rather, it contained a lot of complex emotions that I couldn't decipher.
The "Three Lives Stone" in the Three Lives Stone Powder symbolizes a person's past, present, and future lives, a concept highly intertwined with reincarnation. When it comes to their past and future selves, many people feel they are entirely different individuals from their present selves. This is because, in their view, memory is the key material that constitutes personality, and erasing memories and starting over is no different from death.
In a sense, the wandering spirit that Tanxiang and I knew is already dead, and the wandering spirit looking at us now is someone else.
And this person is about to die; those who take the Three Lives Stone Powder are destined to die young.
The apocalypse is the end of the world; there will be no afterlife.
"Have you regained your memory?" I asked.
The wandering spirit nodded slowly: "It's recovered."
“Xiaowan told you that as long as your memory returns, she can get out of the crisis. Can you tell me why now?” I said.
"Okay, but I need to solve a problem first."
As he spoke, the wandering spirit looked at another person present, "Sandalwood, it seems you want to leave, but you lack a team of survivors willing to accept you, right?"
Sandalwood was taken aback at first, then nodded.
The wandering spirit took out paper and pen, as well as a cartographer's map, from his backpack.
"I've remembered a lot of things, and I can help you out."
As he spoke, he wrote some words on the paper and the map, then folded them up separately, and handed these items, along with the blessing lantern he was carrying, to Tanxiang.
“What happens next must not be heard by outsiders, so take these things and leave,” the wandering spirit said. “Near the area where this abandoned evangelistic home is located, there is a place where survivors gather. Just leave this place, turn left, and keep walking straight, and you will get there.”
"You should be able to find a group of survivors still lingering there. Just give this letter of recommendation to their leader, and you'll be able to join them. That leader is an old acquaintance of mine, and he'll accept you out of respect for this blessing."
"There will be a person wearing a black cloak there. After you enter that place, the person will try to talk to you. Just give them this map with writing on it. Don't unfold it to look at the contents, because you won't understand this kind of map anyway."
Sandalwood reached out and took the items. Faced with the inevitable, he seemed to be gripped by intense hesitation and unease, saying, "But..."
"Stop talking nonsense. Zhuang Cheng and I won't go with you. I'm going to die soon, and Zhuang Cheng is cursed and it's inconvenient for him to make contact with other survivor groups," the wandering spirit said. "Don't worry, as long as you keep heading in that direction, you'll get there quickly. The blessing will also automatically correct your route to the right direction."
After listening to what the wandering spirit said, I had some vague thoughts in my mind, but I didn't raise any objections to the decision he made.
Tanxiang hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he seemed to have finally made up his mind, standing up and saying, "I understand... Well then, goodbye."
"Well... before we part ways, let me, as someone who's been through this, give you some simple advice," said the wandering soul. "Do you remember what Zhuang Cheng said last time?"
"Which sentence?" Sandalwood asked, puzzled.
"As long as you have enough willpower and make a vow to your heart that you can do your best, then even a mortal can wield the power to influence fate," the wandering spirit said. "Don't you want to go home? Then remember these words; they might be of some help to you."
Sandalwood was clearly puzzled, but instead of arguing, it seemed to take it as a parting message. After nodding, it said, "Oh... I'll remember that."
After we left the ruins, Sandalwood bowed to me and the wandering spirit, and said sincerely, "Thank you for taking care of me along the way. Well then... I'll be going now."
He turned around nervously, took the blessing lantern, and left into the distance, looking back every three steps.
Watching that terrified figure disappear into the darkness, I turned to the wandering soul and said, "Now you should get down to business, right?"
The wandering spirit nodded first, then walked to the pond not far away, took out his knife, cut off his messy hair, shaved off the beard covering his chin and upper lip, squatted down and washed all the dirt off his face with clean water, and finally stood up and faced me again.
After he finished cleaning and tidying up, he revealed a face that was almost identical to the person who had just left, except that his expression was more weathered, his skin was rougher, and his face was covered with some mottled scars.
A feeling of utter absurdity overwhelmed me.
“Sandalwood?” I blurted out.
“It’s me, Zhuang Cheng,” he said wistfully. “I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten everything you said.”
(End of this chapter)
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