Chapter 96 How could this be Ji Fuguang?! ...
For a moment, Sheng Zhiyi's mind went blank. She stared at Ji Fuguang across from her with her eyes wide open.
His words just now exploded in her mind like a thunderbolt, shattering all her anger, suspicion, and indifference.
Destroy the spiritual root...
Just to complete that damn system task?
She shook her head in disbelief, took a half-step back unsteadily, and stared intently at Ji Fuguang's face.
So, his return to the Demon Realm wasn't his own wish, but rather because he personally severed any possibility of returning to the Immortal Path? Then... do his seemingly cold, cruel, and ruthless actions also conceal other hidden reasons?
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her—shock, guilt, and a bitterness she herself was unwilling to admit.
She opened her mouth, but found that she could not make a sound. All the questions and rebukes seemed so pale and powerless at this moment.
Just then—
"Buzz!"
The array on the temple floor suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light.
The formation, which was originally slowly recovering, seemed to be completely enraged by the violently fluctuating demonic energy on Ji Fuguang's body, or perhaps it sensed some kind of power of the same origin but more fundamental, and began to operate and strangle with all its might.
Sheng Zhiyi felt a surge of heat in her dantian. It was the sword spirit residing within her body that was stirring, sensing the aura of the gods.
She tried to suppress it with her spiritual power, but she couldn't control it at all.
In that instant, she understood Ji Fuguang's feelings—
So powerless, yet so unwilling to accept it.
Rumble!
Huge stones fell from the dome, crashing onto the bluestone floor with a deafening roar. The entire temple space shook violently, as if it might collapse completely at any moment.
Golden rune chains extended from the array as if they were tangible, carrying a sacred aura that could purify all evil spirits, and frantically coiled around Ji Fuguang.
"Ah—!" Ji Fuguang let out a suppressed groan of pain, and the demonic energy around him rapidly evaporated and dissipated under the golden light. He knelt on one knee, veins bulging on his forehead, clearly enduring immense pain.
The power of this broken divine formation far exceeded his expectations, especially considering that his spiritual root was destroyed and his power was not at its peak.
"Ji Fuguang!" Sheng Zhiyi exclaimed instinctively, trying to step forward, but was blocked by an invisible wall of air and falling rubble.
The situation was critical; more golden chains were about to completely bind and crush him, burying him along with the temple!
Ji Fuguang suddenly looked up at Sheng Zhiyi, who was blocked on the other side of the chaos. Those eyes, which were always unfathomable, now clearly reflected her figure, surging with determination, reluctance, and a kind of madness that was almost burning with life.
The temple is about to collapse, and if Sheng Zhiyi stays here, she will only wait to die with him.
"Go!" he growled hoarsely.
The next moment, a more ancient and powerful force, completely different from demonic energy and spiritual power, suddenly erupted from Ji Fuguang's center!
That's... the power of will? It's an obsession strong enough to distort space itself!
He didn't want her to die here.
He wanted her to be safe.
This thought, at this moment, transcended his control over his own demonic energy, transcended his resistance to the divine array, and even touched the fundamental law of "space" within Hai Yaoyue.
Sheng Zhiyi felt an irresistible force strike her, and the surrounding space instantly distorted and blurred. Ji Fuguang's figure rapidly receded and shrank amidst the blinding golden light and collapsing rocks.
In the instant before she completely lost consciousness, she seemed to see Ji Fuguang give her a very slight smile, one that was filled with apology and relief.
...
The intense tearing sensation subsided, and Sheng Zhiyi crashed heavily onto the solid ground.
She shook her dizzy head, struggled to get up, and found herself in a completely unfamiliar place, on a dirty, muddy street.
High walls surrounded the area, squeezing the sky overhead into a narrow line, making it look like a side gate of a grand mansion for servants to enter and exit.
Has she entered a new parallel universe? Is she now observing events that happened before, or is she able to participate in them personally?
Sheng Zhiyi reached out and tried to push the door next to her.
With a creak, the door opened.
Does her ability to touch this place mean she's involved?
Startled for a moment, Sheng Zhiyi was about to walk inside when a servant came out from inside the door, carrying a bucket of swill, and walked straight through Sheng Zhiyi's body.
...It turns out that it could only be observed.
Following the servant's movements, Sheng Zhiyi looked over and then noticed a small figure squatting on the ground in the corner of the narrow alley.
He was wearing baggy, tattered clothes, his hair was disheveled, and he looked ashen and huddled up in a ball.
The servant slammed the slop bucket down beside him and shouted gruffly, "Go, empty this!"
The slop bucket looked heavy, and the water that splashed out landed near the child's feet. He immediately stood up and said, "Yes, sir."
The servant turned and went to the back door to play cards with the others. The child stood up and was only a few inches taller than the slop bucket. He used both arms to lift the bucket and walked out unsteadily.
The alley was narrow and long, and his steps were somewhat unsteady, his whole body swaying from side to side, but he looked very skilled.
After a while, he returned with an empty bucket and placed it next to the servant. "Sir, I'm done."
The servant was craning his neck to look at the cards that had already been played when he casually hummed in agreement.
The child stood to the side, clenching his hands, looking hesitant and afraid to speak.
The servant finally made up his mind, pulled out two cards from his hand and threw them into the deck, "I'll play these!... Hey, you're still here?"
As if he had just thought of something, he took out two dry steamed buns from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "Take them, take them."
The child quickly reached out to catch it, but the servant was in a hurry to play cards and pulled back his hand too quickly. The child only caught one bun, while the other bun fell to the ground and rolled away.
"Thank you, sir," the child said as he ran to pick up the steamed buns.
After finding it, he leaned against the wall, brushed his hair aside, and carefully ate the steamed bun.
The steamed buns were dry and hard, difficult to chew, but he ate them with great care, even brushing off the dust from the one that fell on the ground before eating it seriously.
Sheng Zhiyi was initially puzzled. Logically, the time and space she would arrive at should all be connected to her, so why was she here?
Until I saw the child lower his head, revealing a tiny red mole in the crease of his eyelid.
In an instant, Sheng Zhiyi felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
She stared wide-eyed at the disheveled, unkempt, and even somewhat timid boy in front of her.
This is... Ji Fuguang?
How could this be Ji Fuguang?!
In her memory, Ji Fuguang was always elegant, refined, and even a bit of a clean freak, meticulous about everything he did, from food and clothing to daily necessities. How could he... just now, that steamed bun had even rolled over some stains on the ground, yet he ate it with such relish...
Before Sheng Zhiyi could react, several teenagers came running from the other end of the alley.
Upon hearing the sound, Ji Fuguang ate his steamed bun even faster, eagerly stuffing it into his mouth.
The boy in the lead was also dressed in tattered clothes, but he looked very strong. He walked over and slapped Ji Fuguang on the head hard, making a loud noise.
Ji Fuguang subconsciously raised his arm to cover his head, curling his body into a ball.
Sheng Zhiyi was startled, and instantly remembered that in the cave in Qibao Mountain, Ji Fuguang had a fever and instinctively made this gesture.
The boy grumbled, "How many times have I told you? This place is ours. You're not allowed to steal our garbage bin business here anymore, understand?"
As he spoke, he saw the half-eaten steamed bun in Ji Fuguang's arms, snatched it away, and shoved Ji Fuguang's shoulder, "I'll beat you every time I see you from now on, now get out of here!"
Ji Fuguang was thin and frail, and there were many people on the other side, so he dared not resist. He could only stand up and stagger away.
Sheng Zhiyi followed with mixed feelings.
Seeing that Ji Fuguang had lost his livelihood and could only cower in the street corner, his eyes filled with hunger and humility as he pleaded with passersby with his dirty little hands. Occasionally, a kind person would throw him half a hard, dry biscuit, which he would clutch to his chest as if it were a treasure and wolf down.
Until one day, he was adopted by a seemingly honest and simple farming family.
Sheng Zhiyi looked at the thatched hut in front of her, a sudden realization flashing through her mind.
This is the thatched hut she saw in the secret realm, the same thatched hut on the outskirts of Yingzhou City where the demon elites were killed.
She still remembered what Ji Fuguang had said in the secret realm.
"It was my childhood home, and also the home of my adoptive parents."
"This is my adoptive parents' bed. They work hard and always leave home in the morning frost and don't return until the stars and moon."
“My adoptive mother cherished this cabinet very much. She kept the key to the cabinet door close to her body every day. Even my adoptive father never touched it. I only got the key once.”
"The wooden bowl was made for me by my adoptive father."
Sheng Zhiyi felt a little relieved. Although Ji Fuguang had suffered misfortune, he had lived a good life after being adopted. His parents loved him and his family was harmonious, which made up for it somewhat.
However, this is not the case.
The door of the thatched hut opened, and Ji Fuguang came out carrying a load almost as tall as himself. Through his coarse clothes, you could see that his shoulders were chafed and swollen, but he had a happy smile on his face.
Ji Fuguang chopped firewood, carried water, washed clothes, and fed pigs in his new home...
Even though he worked from morning till night every day, with blisters on his hands and red, swollen, and ulcerated shoulders, he still worked hard. Finally, he was able to eat his fill and had a roof over his head to shelter him from the wind and rain.
The adoptive parents did indeed leave early and return late, but the adoptive mother went to work in the fields, while the adoptive father went gambling.
From their argument, Sheng Zhiyi learned that her adoptive father had gambled away all the family's remaining wealth, and her adoptive mother's dowry was locked in a cupboard, with the key always on her person.
Remembering that Ji Fuguang had said he had the key, Sheng Zhiyi's heart nearly leaped into her throat—
Was it really as he said, that he was allowed to get it because his adoptive mother doted on him?
Soon, Sheng Zhiyi saw the cause and effect.
The adoptive father found Ji Fuguang washing clothes by the river. The autumn air was chilly and desolate. Ji Fuguang's hands were swollen like little radishes from being soaked in the cold river water. The adoptive father chuckled and told him to go get the adoptive mother's key.
Ji Fuguang was a little confused. He couldn't understand the intricacies of the situation at all. Under his adoptive father's constant urging, he finally nodded.
However, before Ji Fuguang could even take the key out of the house, his adoptive mother had already returned. She grabbed the firewood that Ji Fuguang had chopped that morning and started hitting him on the head.
Ji Fuguang could only protect his head with his arms, pleading softly, "Mother, don't hit me... don't hit me..."
Before he could say anything, his adoptive father burst out of the doorway, yelling, "That little brat is definitely up to no good! Providing you with food and shelter isn't enough, he's trying to steal money too? Beat him! Beat him to death!"
The adoptive father's voice drowned out Ji Fuguang's explanation, and Sheng Zhiyi clearly saw that the light in Ji Fuguang's eyes dimmed.
Ji Fuguang's arms were weak from the beating, and when he ate, he held the bowl shakily, breaking one edge of the porcelain bowl on the table.
The foster mother angrily retorted, "What are you banging about! Do you know a bowl costs three coins? Even if you were sold, it wouldn't be enough! If you're not going to eat, then get out!"
My adoptive father used to be a carpenter. He picked up a piece of rotten wood in the yard, carved a wooden bowl haphazardly, and threw it over, saying, "Use this from now on."
Sheng Zhiyi saw that the piece of wood was rotten and musty, and it wouldn't even last long as firewood, but they used it to make a bowl for Ji Fuguang.
Ji Fuguang held the bowl, shoveling rice into his mouth. His throat churned, and he almost vomited. But in the end, he slowly swallowed and ate in silence, head down.
No wonder he's such a germaphobe...
Sheng Zhiyi turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer. She had never imagined that Ji Fuguang would have such an experience.
Taking a deep breath, Sheng Zhi began to ponder.
The demons found Ji Fuguang here, so he most likely fell into demonic possession here. So... is it because of this?
But things turned out differently than she expected. Ji Fuguang held back, but he became even more silent, busy from morning till night, avoiding his adoptive father and mother whenever possible.
He didn't have any grand wishes; he just wanted to have a full meal and survive.
So, what exactly happened next?
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