Chapter 135 A Gentleman's Character is Like a Steadfast Jade Pendant (10)
After the farce ended, Lin Shengyi was forced to take a leave of absence.
Over the weekend, she received an unexpected message.
The caller was Lin Chuxu, who was recuperating at home and had lost contact with his former classmates for many days.
She looked much more haggard after a few days. Her face, which used to have some delicate features, was now so thin that her cheekbones were prominent and she looked very pale.
Shu Ningmiao had no idea that Lin Chuxu was suffering so much because of Lin Shengyi's affair. Could their family relationship really be that good?
Lin Chuxu adjusted her glasses. She had tied her long hair up, which made her look even more melancholy. She looked at her old friend in the video call and said in a low voice, "Would you like to go to Belia Corridor for a cup of tea this afternoon?"
Upon receiving the unexpected invitation, Shu Ningmiao initially intended to refuse, but then she reconsidered. If Lin Chuxu had a good relationship with her uncle, perhaps he knew something.
She is now very curious about Lin Shengyi's motives.
Her thoughts raced, but her face remained impassive, and she still didn't give a straight answer.
Lux's egregious act of assaulting his colleague conveniently covered up the student's prank. The one who did it was the crown prince of Cornunos. The academic affairs office dared not offend him and tried to smooth things over by giving both sides equal punishment. Lin Shengyi had just been forced to take a few days off, so Lin Chuxu's invitation to her at this time was somewhat intriguing.
Lin Chuxu glanced at her and said in a hoarse voice, "There are some things... I want to discuss with you. I also received an invitation to the Shi family's banquet."
Ah, Shu Ningmiao suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to ask Lin Chuxu about the dinner party.
The Lin family and the Shi family are not close, and Lin Chuxu and Shi Yu do not usually interact, so how did they receive an invitation?
In this way, the guests who received the invitations all seemed to have something in common, except for her.
All of these people have intricate connections with the United Parliament.
Shu Ningmiao's face suddenly turned extremely ugly.
Lin Chuxu noticed the change in her expression and understood. He turned his head and sighed softly, "Your uncle and I had a misunderstanding and argument. He lost his temper. I apologize on his behalf. Let's talk about it when we meet."
To apologize on behalf of Lin Shengyi?
She didn't need to suppress her displeasure. She hadn't taken it to heart after teasing her, and Shu Ningmiao casually agreed to her words, but suddenly seemed to think of something and asked thoughtfully, "How did you know?"
"What?" Lin Chuxu asked, bewildered.
How do you know that Lin Shengyi and I had an argument?
Shu Ningmiao explained tactfully, "Someone like him wouldn't tell you that on his own initiative."
Lin Shengyi and she had never had any open conflict. Only the two of them knew about this. How could someone like Lin Shengyi tell such a shameful thing to a younger person?
It's not that she necessarily wants to pry into other people's affairs, it's just that it's become a habit, and she can't help but focus her thoughts on the points of doubt.
"Really... nothing can be hidden from you." Lin Chuxu wasn't surprised, and couldn't help but sigh again: "Let's talk about it when we meet."
She arrived at the Belia Gallery as agreed. Lin Chuxu had arranged to meet her in the rooftop garden. When she entered, Lin Chuxu had already been sitting inside for a while.
The rooftop garden, which covers the entire top floor, uses archways and various flowers to naturally separate private spaces. At the end of the path, a round table is decorated with several oil paintings and birdcages.
Lin Chuxu sat at the round table, reaching out to tease the white birds on the perch with his fingertips. He looked up and saw her, then pushed the list on the table toward her: "Take a look, and have them send over any birds you like."
Shu Ningmiao sat down and casually flipped through a couple of pages. The dazzling array of seasonal accessories didn't pique her interest much. "You have something more important to say, don't you?"
The slender girl glanced at her furtively, then lowered her eyes helplessly.
A blue shielding light curtain rose around the two of them. Lin Chuxu withdrew his hand, sighed deeply, and moved his finger to tap the invitation on the table.
“The Shi family invited me,” she repeated vaguely.
Shu Ningmiao leaned back in her chair, vaguely guessing what she meant, but unwilling to be the first to speak, she used the same tone to brush her off: "I don't understand what you mean? If you're bothered by this, you don't have to go. It's just a charity gala."
Lin Chuxu's voice was hoarse: "This is more than just a charity gala."
Pressing her hand on the table, Shu Ningmiao subtly tensed her back and silently watched her.
The girl, oblivious to her change in attitude, clenched her hands tightly and, after a long pause, finally said, "I don't know where to begin..."
“Let me start by explaining my uncle’s situation. You should be able to understand.” She thought for a moment before speaking: “The special abilities of our family members are very special. Members of the Lin family who share the same bloodline will only awaken the same type of ability once they awaken one.”
"—Inheritance"
It is not uncommon for people of the same region, race, or bloodline to have the same superpower, but it is unheard of for an entire race to awaken only the same superpower.
“The ability ‘Inheritance’ has no physical form and cannot affect others. Its only function is to allow one person who possesses ‘Inheritance’ to see the experiences of another person who possesses ‘Inheritance’,” Lin Chuxu said. “It’s like a shared videotape stored in the minds of every member of the clan.”
Shu Ningmiao's expression was strange, and she instantly understood why she knew so much about Lin Shengyi. With such a strange ability, wouldn't her previous threatening and provocative behavior towards Lin Shengyi be played out in their entire family?
If everyone's brains are connected, then the whole family would be like an octopus. No wonder the Lin family has survived to this day.
“Of course, not everything will be put into the ‘inheritance’.” Lin Chuxu seemed to know what she was thinking, and an extremely unnatural smile appeared on his face: “Do you know the black box in an airplane? It’s the recorder on the plane, which mainly records various data and sounds during the flight. When an accident occurs, other people will extract data from the black box to understand the cause of the accident.”
"Inheritance is like a black box that stores memories. Whenever someone with superpowers encounters danger, that memory will be stored in the superpower forever. As long as someone in the Lin family awakens their superpower, they can see all the dangerous past events within the superpower."
Shu Ningmiao was thinking about something else. Back in the office, Lin Shengyi had scared himself half to death, actually thinking she was going to kill him, which caused her threatening image to be shared with Lin Chuxu through the "inheritance".
...This man is truly a paper tiger.
"Do you know why our family awakened such a special ability?" Lin Chuxu asked, looking up at her. His tone made the atmosphere around them seem a little heavy. "The earliest memory in the 'Inheritance' comes from three hundred years ago."
"...Parliamentary purge?"
Shu Ningmiao felt that her reaction seemed a bit unusual. After all, the parliamentary purge had been going on for a century, and most Pinnechians would not immediately associate it with this.
But as the associations in her mind gradually took shape, she couldn't care less about them for the time being.
320 years later, a three-year parliamentary purge took place. The "Executioner" slaughtered all those associated with the United Parliament. Except for the sword hanging in the United Building, all clues were wiped out in blood.
To this day, people still know very little about the accident, and she has not been able to find any useful evidence.
But the "executioner" probably never imagined that the Lin family, which had been wiped out after the parliamentary purge, would be resurrected because of this supernatural ability.
If Lin Chuxu's supernatural ability "inheritance" preserves the memories of those involved in the council's purge three hundred years ago, does that also mean...?
—Have they ever faced "executioners"?
“That’s right… it was the parliamentary purge.” Lin Chuxu seemed to recall something, and his emotions became agitated: “Back then, the Lin family revived the parliament for three consecutive terms, and was slaughtered and exterminated by the executioners. Decades later, a member of a collateral branch, which is our current branch, awakened supernatural abilities and returned to the center of Pinne.
"I think the first ancestor of the Lin family to awaken this superpower probably wanted to learn from the experience and avoid danger through this method."
Lin Chuxu stood up, his eyes a little red: "But each of us, from the moment we awaken our superpowers, has to repeatedly watch the memories of our loved ones having their heads chopped off like melons and vegetables."
"So our Lin family..." She raised her head, her eyes red as she stared directly at Shu Ningmiao, "has always upheld the principle of controlling those with superpowers, and we don't want to see this tragedy repeat itself!"
"To realize your ideas," Shu Ningmiao leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, and looked at her, "unless this planet never again produces any more superhumans."
“No,” Lin Chuxu said slowly, “We just need to put the strongest people in shackles, like the Executors.”
...As expected, it was the Lin family's idea to target the perpetrators, Shu Ningmiao realized.
Lin Chuxu scrutinized Shu Ningmiao's eyes, but couldn't see any sign of approval in them.
“I can tell you a secret that only the highest levels of parliament know,” Lin Chuxu said hardening his heart. “The ‘executioner’ who massacred the parliament at the time was the one who carried out the execution.”
"One of the purposes of the executioners' massacre of the council was to destroy all information about themselves."
“We saw his image in the memories of ‘Inheritance.’ Although we can’t find any information about this person anymore, the emotions remaining in the memories tell us that he is the one who wields it. Perhaps it was just a whim; these people who possess powerful abilities are not satisfied with simple killing and begin to attempt to use their power to interfere with and control the world…”
The scorching sunlight shone on the garden, then gradually subsided, becoming quieter than ever before.
They looked at each other. Shu Ningmiao remained seated, her sharp gaze seemingly piercing through her heart: "What do you want me to do by telling you all this?"
She wasn't foolish enough to think that Lin Chuxu's heartfelt confiding in someone who might have previously "wanted to kill his family" was out of friendship.
"My uncle thinks..."
Lin Chuxu lowered his head, composed himself, and then spoke again: "The executioner may still be alive."
“If he were still alive, he would be over three hundred years old by now.” Shu Ningmiao rested her arm on the armrest without making a sound. “Superhumans are also human.”
“I know… I know it sounds absurd,” Lin Chuxu quickly said, “but we can prove it’s possible.”
She recounted everything in detail, no longer caring about the embarrassment: "My uncle secretly supported Gawande in stealing the Crimson Stone that Teacher Weston was looking after. He originally wanted to use Gawande to oust Weston and promote the Lin family's vassal. Now that the matter has been exposed, there is still one thing that has not been resolved: the Crimson Stone that Gawande stole has disappeared into thin air."
That crimson stone...
Shu Ningmiao changed her sitting posture to conceal her expression.
“He and my uncle are business partners, so there’s no reason for him to lie. The entire Crimson Palace Stone just disappeared like that, and we still haven’t found it even after using all sorts of energy detectors.” Lin Chuxu said seriously, “From then on, my uncle started to find it strange. The enormous Pandora within the Crimson Palace Stone would need several months to exhaust and supply the entire country with its energy. How could this energy just vanish into thin air?”
“Pandora’s energy has the vitality of life, which shouldn’t be a new topic. Since its energy is so active that it can give birth to new life… perhaps it can also continue the old life.” Lin Chuxu composed himself: “Let’s use this Crimson Palace Stone.”
wrong.
Shu Ningmiao thought to herself that only three pieces of Crimson Palace Stone have been discovered so far. Crimson Palace Stone No. 01 was broken by Erigi, Crimson Palace Stone No. 02 was stolen from the research center and fused into her body, and Crimson Palace Stone No. 03 was used as energy to reshape the world and her body. Pinnie no longer has any extra Crimson Palace Stones.
“A single mysteriously disappeared Crimson Palace Stone doesn’t prove anything,” Lin Chuxu said with a self-awareness. “But later, traces of executioners reappeared in Xindi. That’s right, Xindi was sealed off because of this incident.”
She knew more than Shu Ningmiao had imagined, and spilled out everything in one breath: "He killed many people suffering from Manla disease. We personally examined all those corpses, and the wounds were exactly the same as those in our memories. There was absolutely no mistake!"
Shu Ningmiao interrupted her: "The new land is under lockdown, how did you personally inspect it?"
If she remembered correctly, neither Lin Shengyi nor Lin Chuxu could have left the capital of Penelope during that period.
Lin Chuxu hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "I have an aunt named Lin Yin. She didn't awaken any supernatural abilities and became a nun at the Church of Reverence... She told us that."
Lin Chuxu remained cautious and did not tell Shu Ningmiao that Lin Yin's true identity was that of an undercover agent planted by T.
But as she explained, Shu Ningmiao's neck was already damp with cold sweat.
Fortunately, the nun did not awaken any supernatural abilities.
Otherwise, everyone in the Lin family would have seen her face before she died, and they would never have come to her door to tell her these things.
“We can be certain that ‘he’ is still alive, whether it’s my uncle or me. This intuition is accumulated by all the superhumans who have ‘inherited’ over the past few hundred years.” Lin Chuxu’s fingertips dug into his palm. “We will never forget the pain of our clan’s extermination. Three hundred years later, we still have the opportunity to avenge our humiliation.”
"I just want to know," Shu Ningmiao said, resting her chin on her hand, "why are you looking for me?"
"Don't you understand now that you see it?" Lin Chuxu pushed the invitation in front of her again: "I know you asked others and you know who is invited."
"Who are these people who were invited? You should know what Shi Yu is planning, right?"
Shu Ningmiao opened the invitation, remained silent for a long time, and then looked up to answer: "Someone wants to repeat the parliamentary purge of three hundred years ago."
Starting with the offspring of current members of parliament.
"That person is Shi Yu."
Shu Ningmiao didn't agree, but instead asked, "Did the person you saw three hundred years ago look like Shi Yu?"
That's impossible. If it were the same, they wouldn't have only started to suspect it now.
“No.” Lin Chuxu bit her lip. “But there are too many ways to change one’s appearance.”
"Then how can you be so sure it's related to Shi Yu?"
"—This is no coincidence, Shu Ningmiao." Lin Chuxu placed his hand on her fingertips and said seriously, "The Lin family has been monitoring him for a long time. He often disappears without a trace. We want to track him more closely, but we are always obstructed by the Yangsong Church, whether intentionally or unintentionally."
"Think about it, only by taking advantage of the Church of Reverence can he travel freely between New Territories and the City of Christ." She whispered sharply, "Yeung Wah isn't the first person to disappear while she was with him. He's not the gentle and harmless boyfriend you imagine. He's killed too many people!"
She had never used such an adjective to describe Shi Yu...
Shu Ningmiao looked at her with clear eyes: "In that case, you can notify the Public Security Bureau to arrest him, and just don't participate."
Lin Chuxu reluctantly replied, "How will we know what he's up to if we don't go?"
No, it's because there's no evidence.
She pursed her lips, knowing that things couldn't go as she wished. These clues might impress Shu Ningmiao, but they were far from forming a solid chain of evidence. The Shi family was not a pushover.
Although the Lin family successfully sided with the newly appointed parliamentary representative, they were unable to convince Lucicolay with this intuitively pieced-together conclusion.
Reminding others will also make them wary, and it's hard to say when they'll catch you red-handed.
The only way is to keep this a secret, let Shi Yu temporarily get his wish and hold this banquet, and use himself as bait until he is exposed.
“Shu Ningmiao, I know you are the one who understands Shi Yu the most. That night, you were the closest person to him.” Lin Chuxu finally revealed his purpose: “Although the Lin family has temporarily withdrawn from the council, its influence is still there. They should still be able to help you. You can have whatever you want.”
"As long as you help us kill Shi Yu," she said.
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