Chapter 314 Zhu Shi and Xiao Wan
The little boy in front of me didn't recognize me.
My heart skipped a beat. It's normal that Chang'an from elementary school didn't recognize me, but this little boy should correspond to the real Chang'an. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether he was actually Chang'an, merely caught up in his self-perception within the dream, or whether he was actually Ying Lingyun from elementary school.
"I am Zhuang Cheng."
I first gave my name, and then asked again, "You are Zhu Chang'an, right?"
"Zhuang Cheng...who is that?"
Even after hearing my name, he still acted quite unfamiliar. Fortunately, he then nodded and said, "Yes, I'm Zhu Chang'an... Are you Grandpa's guest?"
I breathed a sigh of relief, then asked in a deliberately probing tone, "What do you think?"
“You must be a guest,” Xiao Chang’an said. “Our house has a security barrier. Anyone who enters without permission will quickly get lost in the woods. But you walked right up to the door. Grandpa must have let you in.”
As he analyzed the situation, his gaze towards me became more trusting, though still tinged with a hint of shyness.
Now that I've found Chang'an in the spiritual world, my next step is to help him fight against Yin Yue's spirit. The problem is that he seems completely trapped in this dream, totally identifying with his elementary school self. Perhaps I should first help him regain his correct self-awareness.
But how exactly should I do it? He doesn't even recognize me. If I rashly reveal his true identity and situation, not only will I be unlikely to gain his approval, but I might also lose his trust. As a friend, I don't want to use cruel or violent methods. Of course, if I have no other choice, I can only apologize in my heart and then harden my heart to do it.
As I observed him, he seemed to be secretly observing me as well, his gaze occasionally glancing towards the door of his villa. Strangely enough, although he was supposed to have just returned home from school, he showed no intention of entering his own house. It didn't seem like he was concerned about my presence, but rather that he had a subtle, unspoken resistance to the act of entering his own home.
I realized I had absolutely no knowledge of Chang'an during this period. The Chang'an I knew about witchers and the supernatural world during my elementary school years, and had even received witcher training and education, which might have led to a difference in personality compared to the Chang'an I knew later. The Chang'an I remembered was a carefree, wealthy young master, while the Chang'an before me exuded an introverted and withdrawn air.
Was this what Chang'an was like during this period?
I realized that I had never truly understood Chang'an's past. Although I knew he was part of a demon hunter family, that he had the blood of dangerous demons in his veins, and that he had suffered from amnesia as a child... I was always asking about those "amazing parts," but I lacked curiosity about the troubles and daily life he had experienced before he met me.
"Aren't you coming in?" I asked.
He shook his head slightly, glanced silently at his tightly closed door, and then said softly, "Let's...let's not go in yet."
"Why?" I asked, curious.
He remained silent.
Seeing this, I changed the subject: "I noticed you weren't in a good mood when you came back. Did something unpleasant happen?"
"No... no... um... a little..."
At first, he seemed unwilling to talk to me, but perhaps because he had a lot of worries on his mind, he couldn't help but confide in me, a "stranger".
“Some people at school are talking badly about me… They say I’m a liar,” he said.
"A scammer?" I asked.
“I said that demons and monsters exist in this world, and that there are people who fight against them, but they don’t believe me…” he said blankly. “I… can’t prove it to them either, because I can’t find those things… I don’t even know myself whether those things really exist…”
Upon hearing this, I found it rather strange.
As I recall, Zhu Shi had mentioned to me in private that after Chang'an's demon bloodline was sealed when he was a child, although his memories were also sealed, he still had some impressions of certain "common sense," such as the existence of strange creatures and demon hunters in this world.
The problem is that his demon bloodline was sealed shortly after he graduated from elementary school, which is during puberty when his secondary sexual characteristics began to develop. The reason why his demon bloodline went berserk at that time may also be due to the rapid development of his body.
But the Chang'an before me is still in elementary school, wearing the uniform of Xianshui City Elementary School, which I recognize. The timeline is clearly wrong; he shouldn't have his memories sealed yet, but he's exhibiting a mental perspective that only appears in the future.
Perhaps this is due to the chaotic timeline of the dream; I'll accept this setting for now. Since he has memories of his middle school years even though he was in elementary school, perhaps I can use this "chaotic timeline" to entice him to remember more things.
"So... have you told any of your friends?" I asked. "You must have a friend who is very interested in urban legends, right? If it's him, he might believe what you're saying."
"Friend...friend?" He was a little confused.
"How is it?" I asked.
“...I have no friends.” That’s what he actually said.
"Not a single one?" I asked, pressing further.
He said dejectedly, "Not a single one."
As he spoke, he began to walk around, but instead of entering the villa, he moved around it.
As I followed behind him, I asked, "Where are you going?"
"At this time... Hisayuki should still be receiving training from his grandfather," he said in a cryptic tone.
"Jiuxing..."
I almost didn't react, then finally remembered and asked, "You mean Zhu Shi?"
"Ah...that's right, her name is now 'Zhu Shi'..."
He nodded, and not long after, he stopped somewhere and cast a complicated look at the side.
He was looking through one of the windows on the first floor of the villa. Through the window, he could see a rather spacious room inside, reminiscent of a university dance studio. However, there was no one dancing in the "dance studio," only two figures, one large and one small, each wielding a sword. The larger one was giving instructions, while the smaller one was repeatedly swinging his sword.
Those must be Mr. Zhu and young Zhu Shi. The former's face was almost identical to the Mr. Zhu I knew, while the latter, compared to the curvaceous female college student I remembered, was just a little rascal, and I could see her face clearly.
Young Zhu Shi, dressed in a white training uniform, gripped the heavy Yama Sword in both hands, repeatedly practicing the upward and downward slashing motions. His young face was covered in sweat, and his clothes were soaked through. Each swing of the heavy metal sword was accompanied by a soft, clear cry, but it lacked any imposing presence, conveying only pain and exhaustion.
I was involuntarily drawn to Xiao Zhushi's appearance, and at the same time, I recalled the appearance of the small bowl that Ma Zao had printed out from the photo.
There was absolutely no difference between Zhu Shi as a child and the little bowl in that photograph.
(End of this chapter)
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