"What... is going on?"
Jiang Mu took a few steps back, somewhat shocked.
"System, come out and explain yourself!"
"..."
The system remained silent.
"Hurry up, don't play dumb with me!" Jiang Mu was really angry this time.
"Host……"
After a long while, the system finally replied leisurely.
"Do you think erasing favorability is such an easy thing to do?"
"Could it be..." Jiang Mu said in disbelief.
"What kind of aftereffects might there be?"
"Yes, it will." The system continued in its completely unwavering mechanical voice.
"However, this aftereffect is too severe and would cause a great psychological impact on the host at the time. In order to protect the host's physical and mental safety, this system has decided to conceal it."
"Fuck your mental and physical health!" Jiang Mu was completely enraged. "You? Speak up already!"
"Of course the system can say that," the system said calmly, "but shouldn't you help her up first?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu quickly helped Hu Tao up from the ground, then took out a tent from the system space, set it up, and carried Hu Tao inside.
After putting Hu Tao down, Jiang Mu breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he felt a sharp pain in his hand. Looking down, he saw Hu Tao gripping his arm tightly, her face contorted in pain.
If you listen carefully, you can even hear Walnut muttering to herself...
"Who are you……"
"Please...don't...go..."
"I don't want to... be alone anymore..."
Please...
Seeing Hu Tao's furrowed brows, Jiang Mu abandoned his plan to leave and let out a long sigh.
"What a tragedy..."
Slowly leaning back and sitting down, Jiang Mu said calmly.
"System, you can talk now..."
"Forcibly interfering with people causes their memories to become disordered, which means that it can cause damage to their brains."
"And this will inevitably have some impact on their lives."
"Hu Tao has been distraught during this time, Xiang Ling has fallen seriously ill, Yan Fei's agency has been closed recently, and Gan Yu has returned to True Monarch Liu Yun Jie Feng to repair her damaged Dao heart..."
“But…” Jiang Mu murmured to himself, “Isn’t this the best ending for them… to completely forget about me, an irrelevant person, isn’t that the best redemption for them?”
"Host, when are you going to get rid of this chauvinistic habit of yours!"
The system rudely interrupted him.
"You think this is the best solution, but have you considered their feelings? You keep saying you're doing this for their benefit, but the end result is still a lose-lose situation. Is this your best solution? Don't be ridiculous. You might as well jump off Mount Aozang and end it all."
Ignoring the system's sharp tongue, Jiang Mu continued to ask.
"Then what's going on? Why is she here?"
This time, the system didn't answer directly; it simply silently generated a light screen...
………………
"Cough cough cough..."
A figure lying on the bed appeared on the screen. Upon seeing its appearance, Jiang Mu was startled, for it was…
Grandpa Hu!
As expected... it seems I couldn't escape the convergence of world lines...
Jiang Mu sighed and continued reading...
"Grandpa..." The door was opened, and Hu Tao walked in carrying a bowl.
"The medicine personally prepared by Master Baizhu has arrived..."
"Cough cough cough..." Old Master Hu coughed a few more times and waved his hand at Hu Tao.
"Hu Tao, I know my own health condition, so there's no need for me to go through all this trouble. It's all fate..."
"Grandpa!" Hu Tao pouted, "What a fate! You need to take your medicine quickly and get better soon. The affairs of the Rebirth Hall still need your leadership..."
"Hu Tao..." Old Master Hu smiled kindly and waved to Hu Tao.
"Come here quickly, Grandpa has a few words to say to you."
“Okay, but Grandpa has to promise me that you’ll drink your medicine obediently after you finish speaking,” Hu Tao said.
"Okay, okay, Grandpa promises you..."
"So..." Hu Tao quickened her pace and snuggled up to her grandfather. "Grandpa, what do you want to say?"
Grandpa Hu stroked Hu Tao's long hair and smiled faintly.
"Hu Tao, Grandpa will tell you a little secret."
"What little secret?" Hu Tao tilted her head up and asked curiously.
"Actually, Grandpa's health had already started to give out several years ago."
"Huh?" Hu Tao was about to speak when Old Master Hu stopped her.
"Let Grandpa finish speaking."
"oh……"
“For the past few years, Grandpa has been kept alive by the medicine provided by Mr. Baizhu. Otherwise, he might have been bedridden several years ago…”
"The medicine is no longer effective for Grandpa. This is all Grandpa can do for you now..."
"But, for some reason, Grandpa always felt that he owed someone something, not because of Grandpa's affairs, but because of the Hall of Rebirth, because of you, he owed him something..."
"It's strange, isn't it? Didn't you say that lately you felt like you'd lost something, and that you felt empty inside?"
"As for what happened and who he is, only you, Hu Tao, can find the answer to that question..."
"After I'm gone, Hu Tao, you will be the 77th head of the Hall of Rebirth."
"From now on, the thousand-year legacy of the Hall of Rebirth will rest on your shoulders..."
"You are a child your grandfather is proud of. People praise you for your intelligence and quick wit. When you were three years old, you could read classic texts from memory and even recite them while standing upside down. One day when you were six, your tutor told me that you had skipped school and disappeared. When we found you, you were sleeping in a newly made coffin and complained that we had disturbed your rest. Since you were eight, you have been studying funeral rites and ceremonies diligently in the ancestral hall. Now, five years have passed, and your grandfather can finally entrust the ancestral hall to you with peace of mind..."
“But…” Hu Tao wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Grandpa Hu.
"If you don't want to inherit this position, then all the persistence of our Hu family for nearly a thousand years, and all the efforts of my grandfather throughout his life, will be for naught... sigh..."
Grandpa Hu sighed. If he could, he wouldn't want to use this kind of coercive method to force Hu Tao to take over...
"I understand, Grandpa," Hu Tao said after a moment of silence.
"I will become a qualified head of the Hall of Rebirth, and I will never dishonor you or the reputation of our Hu family ancestors!"
"hehe……"
Grandpa Hu smiled with satisfaction, picked up the Qiankun Tai Gua hat symbolizing his status as the head of the Rebirth Hall from beside him, slowly stood up, and said.
"Hu Tao, help me to the ancestral hall."
Hu Tao was about to refuse, but when she saw Hu Tangzhu's serious face, she obediently lowered her head and said.
"yes."
………………
Inside the ancestral hall, all the ritual officiants and guests of the funeral hall were present, lined up in two rows, solemnly awaiting what was about to happen.
Master Hu changed into a set of jet-black clothes and stood in the center, with Hu Tao in a formal suit in front of him.
"Hu Tao, the 77th Hall Master of the Hall of Rebirth, listen to my command!" Hall Master Hu commanded sternly, his expression hardening.
"Hu Tao is here!"
Hu Tao took a few steps back, knelt down on both knees, and raised her face high to face Master Hu.
"Today, I, the 75th generation head of the Rebirth Hall, hereby bestow upon you the position of head of the Rebirth Hall and the Qiankun Tai Gua hat before the ancestors of my Hu family. I hope you will not forget the teachings of our ancestors, carry forward the honor of the Rebirth Hall, and not be unworthy of your position as head of the Rebirth Hall!"
"yes!"
Hu Tao lowered her head, letting Master Hu place the Qiankun Tai Gua hat, which was several times larger than her own head, on her head.
"You all must do your best to assist the 77th Hall Master and live up to your positions!"
After glancing around, Hall Master Hu spoke loudly.
"yes!"
Led by Zhongli, all the officials and guests bowed and paid their respects to Hall Master Hu.
"Okay, okay..."
Looking at the people around him, Master Hu smiled faintly.
"With you all stationed at the Hall of Rebirth, this old man has no regrets..."
Immediately afterwards, Master Hu's tall body collapsed to the ground as if it had lost its support...
"grandfather!"
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