Chapter 674 But Destiny
Lethe River.
In the underworld that is beyond the reach of the living, the Forgotten River, the lifeline river that runs through the underworld, has been flowing for billions of reincarnations.
It is the river of cleansing, it is forgetfulness, it is rebirth, it is neither good nor evil, it is the cycle of heaven.
Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, love, hate, unforgettable memories, obsessions deep in the soul... are all regarded as the "impurities" of the soul, and are ruthlessly extracted, washed away, and melted by the water of the Forgetful River.
This is fading away the dust, this is baptism.
This is a matter after death, this is a welcome speech from the underworld.
The river surges and rises, and amidst the waves lies a baby's face, a hillside covered with wildflowers, and a tragic farewell...
There is also golden ecstasy, deep blue sorrow, crimson anger, and pale green jealousy...
Countless memories, boundless emotions, they roll, collide, merge and settle in the river.
They become the mineral deposits of the Forgotten River, marking the billions of joys and sorrows of countless creatures.
Ordinary people cannot mine or touch it. It is the most magnificent monument in the world!
The cleansed souls, as light as a feather, floated to the surface and drifted to the shore. There, ignorant and innocent, they stepped into a new world, both externally and internally.
Forgetting is an end and also a beginning.
The long River of Forgetfulness flows endlessly across the dark and vast land of the underworld, with no end in sight. New, weighty souls constantly descend into the river, sinking, struggling, being washed, becoming lighter, rising, and drifting...
With its eternal torrent, it washes away the soul's past, carrying away sorrow and joy, as well as the proof of existence. Its silent surge is the pulse of the underworld, the foundation of reincarnation. Before this river, no matter how epic or profound the epic, no matter how deep the love, it ultimately becomes nothing more than a speck of dust at the riverbed, a wisp of smoke on the surface.
Wangchuan, the place of restart and reset.
Even as a tributary, the Forgotten River still retains its power.
Ning Zhuo was eventually swallowed up by the tributary of the Forgetful River. He fell into it and couldn't extricate himself.
The waters of the Forgotten River were bone-chillingly cold, a terrifying chill that eroded and seeped into his very soul. A violent force fiercely washed over his spirit, attempting to tear apart his memories and emotions, forcibly stripping them away, washing them away, and scouring them!
"No, I can't forget, and I shouldn't forget!" Ning Zhuo glared and gritted his teeth in the river.
He struggled hard and cast spells, trying to break free from the water and fly out of the River Lethe.
In vain!
His body became extremely heavy and fell heavily to the bottom of the water, as if an anchor as big as a huge ship was tied to his body.
The cruel and cold reality will not change because of his anger and persistence.
The memories and emotions became blurry, and in the next moment they would be peeled off, washed away, and leave him.
At the critical moment, in the Dantian of the Divine Sea, the Buddha Heart Demon Seal shone brightly, calming his soul.
The light covered his entire soul, resisting the power of the tributary of the Forgotten River!
At this moment, all the memories and emotions that were deeply engraved in his mind were stirred up and became extremely vivid.
Fire Persimmon Fairy City.
Little Ning Zhuo knelt beside the bed, crying and begging.
Before her death, Meng Yaoyin told him to secretly practice mechanical arts and wait for the opportune moment for the Lava Fairy Palace to emerge. Seize this opportunity and rise to prominence.
…
The aunt pretended to be concerned and coaxed him repeatedly: "Little Zhuo, be good, take it out and let your aunt keep it well... When you grow up, I will return it to you..."
…
In the house that was so empty that you could hear the echo, all valuable items, even traces of the mother's existence, were completely moved out.
In the corner, the official books of the government were torn apart by the little Ning Zhuo. He had read them countless times and could recite them by heart.
hiss!
He gasped and his little hand jerked back.
The cut on his finger was bleeding, and the pain made Ning Zhuo cry.
But he finally persisted and successfully assembled the first mechanical doll in his life.
…
In front of the stall outside the school, little Ning Zhuo stared at those exquisite mechanical toys with undisguised desire and envy in his eyes.
Next to him, Ning Ji, who was dressed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food, walked by and sneered at him with contempt.
…
Sun Lingtong stuffed a brand new mechanical toy into his arms, and a pure and brilliant smile instantly broke out on Ning Zhuo's face.
That smile brightened up his dark childhood.
…
"My sadness, my forbearance, and my warmth shaped who I am as a child. Without them, what would I be?"
Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth and tried his best to infuse magic power into the Buddha's Heart Demon Seal to stimulate the power of the seal.
He was unwilling to give up these things, so his body sank deeper and deeper.
Beside the Wanchuan tributary, Luo Si's face was filled with anxiety, and he couldn't help but urge Qing Chi: "General Qing, now is not the time to hesitate! The young master is sinking!"
Qing Chi's eyes were red, and he was panicking and undecided - "Which memory or emotion should I choose as bait?"
The yard was overgrown with weeds and wild flowers were climbing on the fence.
Little Qing Chi, with her hair tied in a ponytail, was giggling as she chased a butterfly. She accidentally fell on her butt and tears welled up in her eyes.
The weeds parted, and a little boy, Jiao Ma, came running over. He was not much taller than her, and his face was stern, and he was full of concern: "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
He clumsily took out a white handkerchief and carefully wiped her tears. He also took out some sweets that he had treasured for a long time and was reluctant to eat from his pocket and stuffed them into her mouth.
"Qingqing, be good and don't cry." The childish voice was filled with wholehearted care.
The memory of this brightly colored scene was like a picture dropped into water, blurring and becoming blurred. The sweet smell of candy, the scent of sunlight on the soil, the slight pain from bumping the knees, and the sense of security brought by the clumsy little figure... were all pulled out and quickly separated from Qing Chi.
Qing Chi groaned, feeling as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, leaving a painfully hollow void. Without warning, scalding tears suddenly burst forth, blurring his vision as they fell drop by drop.
Her heart was filled with regret, but when she saw Ning Zhuo struggling in the tributary, her eyes became firm again.
"Xiao Ma, childhood is not the most important thing. Don't blame me, I have to pay this price!"
However, after the bait was thrown in, Ning Zhuo was not caught at all.
Luo Si's expression changed. "Could it be that the bait is not enough?"
The brilliance of my Buddha Heart Demon Seal built a dam for Ning Zhuo's soul.
The water of the Forgetful River kept impacting and colliding, causing the treasure seal to vibrate slightly in Ning Zhuo's sea of consciousness.
Under Sun Lingtong's guidance, Ning Zhuo acquired the ability to steal.
He sneaked in and placed stolen money into the homes of the poor.
After climbing over the wall and landing on the ground, little Ning Zhu was startled to see Sun Lingtong standing in front of him, with her arms folded, tapping the ground with her toes, looking at him leisurely.
Ning Zhuo immediately showed an embarrassed look as if he had been caught: "Boss..."
Sun Lingtong: "What did you do?"
Ning Zhuo lowered his head: "I, I felt sorry for these people during the day, so I wanted to help them."
Sun Lingtong snorted: "How many families did you help?"
Ning Zhuo answered truthfully.
Sun Lingtong snorted again: "That's quite a bit of help. I told you, we are thieves."
Ning Zhuo: "But, but my mother told me before she passed away that I should be kind and help others as much as possible. She wanted me to be a good person..."
Xiao Xiao Ning Zhuo's voice was weak, but there was also a sense of persistence.
Sun Lingtong showed a playful smile: "Then let's wait and see the show."
after a while.
The poor families "sponsored" by Ning Zhuo became rich quietly and lived a prosperous life.
Ning Zhuo secretly observed them and was very happy to see them smiling happily and no longer worrying about their hard times.
But the good times did not last long, and conflicts soon arose among these families.
Some families quarreled over the sudden appearance of vast sums, destroying the harmony between brothers and fathers and sons. Some heads of households turned to extravagant eating and drinking, wasting money recklessly, and frequenting gambling dens and brothels. Some families flaunted their wealth, attracting ill-intentioned individuals who sought to curry favor or extort money, quickly turning their fortunes into poverty.
Even the monks from the City Lord's Mansion followed the clues and almost found the thief Ning Zhuo.
In the end, Ning Zhuo was so frightened that he apologized to Sun Lingtong: "Boss, thanks to you! Otherwise, I would have been discovered and thrown into jail."
Sun Lingtong snorted complacently, stood on tiptoe, and touched Ning Zhuo's head: "Now you know that you have done something stupid?"
"It's not easy to be a hero."
“Most people cannot hold on to sudden wealth; it only turns into disaster.”
Ning Zhuo, precocious, nodded immediately. Only a handful of families remained silent, planning and using their money, gradually improving. The vast majority of poor families were worse off. Some even cursed at the air, wondering why money no longer appeared out of thin air.
Sun Lingtong pointed at herself and said, "If you want to truly change your life, you have to start with yourself, not with money from outside!"
"They are poor and suffering for a reason."
"Some people deserve wealth, and some deserve poverty. Those who can truly change don't need your money, they can become better, it just takes more time."
Ning Zhuo nodded: "I understand, Boss."
Sun Lingtong showed a serious expression: "No, you don't know."
"We all live together, some are poor, some are rich, some are heroes, and some are thieves."
"Snakes have their ways, rats have their ways. Since these identities exist in reality, they all have meaning and deserve to live."
"We are thieves, little brother."
“This is how we survive!”
"If we hadn't become thieves, if we hadn't hidden ourselves, our lives would have been pretty bad. What do you think your uncle and aunt would do to you if they knew your abilities?"
"Don't you still want to fight against the City Lord's Mansion? Do you have the power? Do you dare to challenge them openly with real weapons?"
"We are weak and want to achieve our goal. What should we do?"
Ning Zhuo thought of his mother's last words, his eyes dimmed, and his tone became firm: "Follow the way of thieves."
Sun Lingtong smiled: "Hehe, that's right!"
…
On the balcony.
Zhu Xuanji taught Ning Zhuo: "Roads are made by people walking on them!"
"... Just like Li Leifeng... He is so respected."
"In fact, everyone has a scale, constantly measuring others and things. Those who carry heavy burdens and keep others warm are the ones who radiate light."
"You have also been illuminated by this light! Li Leifeng has already pointed the way for you."
Ning Zhuo remained silent, then looked into Zhu Xuanji's eyes without dodging.
"Master Zhu, people are different."
“And I am always offstage.”
"Do you know what it feels like to steal the leftover pastries from the guests?"
"I am from the lower class, and I have been since I was a child."
"Although my last name is Ning, I never feel that I am noble."
"I'm mean."
"I'm a thief!"
"I'm the one who eats from the garbage."
"I'm not afraid of getting dirty, I'm only afraid of not having enough to eat."
"No one can really help me. People are lonely and cannot fully understand others."
“Most of the time, I can only rely on myself.”
"The path I take is my own choice!"
In the puppet show "Fang Qing's Injustice", Ning Zhuo performed the key parts, which touched my heart!
He understood what Zhu Xuanji meant.
Zhu Xuanji persuaded him to surrender himself and take the right path.
"Can I really take this path?" Ning Zhuo asked himself. He really longed to be illuminated by the fire.
But fate...
Haha, fate - it always makes people feel helpless and unable to control their own destiny!
Qing Chi burst into tears.
The fishing line was still stretched straight, faithfully conveying the cruel weight of reality to her.
Ning Zhuo was still sinking. The bait he had before was definitely not enough.
"Then what else in my memory can I give up?" Qing Chi was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe. "That's it."
Summer night.
In the dark, damp swamp, a rare moonlight streamed down the courtyard. The night wind rustled the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard, causing it to sway gently.
Qing Chi, however, lay on the table, sighing at his homework, with a look of trouble on his face.
From the open window, a night breeze brought the fragrance of locust flowers and the clean smell of soapberries from the boy's sleeves.
Qing Chi looked up suddenly and saw Jiao Ma's face peeking out of the window.
The girl exclaimed in surprise: "Xiao Ma!"
Jiao Ma was very anxious: "Keep your voice down, do you want me to be beaten out by your father again?"
The girl quickly covered her mouth and said, "Xiao Ma, please come and help me. I'm going crazy from all this homework."
Jiao Ma showed a helpless, gentle smile: "I knew you couldn't handle it..."
Thousand-year-old cold pond.
In this adventure where two people travel together, they are about to escape.
Unfortunately, Jiao Ma was invaded by the cold evil and was almost completely frozen. His magic power became sluggish and his consciousness quickly became blurred.
"Xiao Ma!" At the critical moment, Qing Chi turned back to rescue without caring about his own safety.
She transferred the power protecting her own heart meridian to Jiao Ma, whose body was covered with a layer of weak green flames.
Jiao Ma got a chance to catch his breath and opened his eyes with difficulty.
Qing Chi couldn't protect himself, but he still sent a telepathic message: "Xiao Ma, wake up, you are not allowed to sleep!"
"Wake up, you idiot!"
"Listen! You are not allowed to sleep! Hold on! If anything happens to you, I, Qing Chi... will never live alone in this life!"
Jiao Ma was inspired, gritted his teeth and widened his eyes.
The two of them struggled simultaneously, braving the bitingly cold water and swimming upwards. The fiery emotions in their hearts, like a quenched blade, broke through their former reserve and propelled them to break through the last obstacle and emerge from the water.
(End of this chapter)
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