“Me?” Shen Feng Xue laughed. “Why would I steal your memories?”
Shen Gurong coldly replied, “Because I read the Records of the Capital.”
Everything connected.
Shen Gurong had been in a daze all day, but now he was more lucid than ever before.
“After I sealed Li Genglan, I obtained the divine artifact Records of the Capital, but I never used it,” Shen Gurong said coldly, “until I met Mu Zhe…”
Mu Zhe, who was covered in the aura of a plague demon.
The reincarnation of the Master who died tragically for him in his previous life.
The plague poison existed in Mu Zhe's soul, and even the spiritual fruit of the Human Face Tree could not completely remove it; Shen Gurong in his past life was powerless to do anything about it.
Instinct told him to find a way for Mu Zhe to live as soon as possible, but reason prevented him from being ruthless enough to force himself on Mu Zhe because he was the reincarnation of the Master.
Caught in a dilemma, Shen Gurong thought of the Records of the Capital.
The Records of the Capital could connect the past and present, allowing Shen Gurong to see decades into the future.
If he didn't dispel the plague demon's aura from Mu Zhe, the inevitable outcome would be Shen Gurong's tragic death and Mu Zhe and Yu Xinghe becoming bitter enemies.
The Records of the Capital told him everything, but Heaven wouldn't allow anyone to glimpse the secrets of decades or even centuries into the future.
Knowing that Shen Gurong had accessed the Records of the Capital, Heaven unleashed a tribulation of divine punishment.
Heaven wanted to reclaim everything Shen Gurong knew.
Shen Gurong had only guessed the general outline based on the details he knew. He stared intently at Shen Feng Xue, not wanting to miss a single emotion in his eyes.
"You are me, but I am not you."
Shen Feng Xue's pupils contracted.
This reaction…
Shen Gurong's eyes widened suddenly; he knew he had guessed correctly.
He strode up a step, grabbed Shen Feng Xue's collar, and coldly approached him, saying, "Your memories are merely those separated from my spirit by the Heavenly Tribulation. Even if I have a demonic influence, I won't let it escape my control."
As for Shen Feng Xue… this separated memory, although still within Shen Gurong's body, had clearly escaped Shen Gurong's control.
Because Shen Feng Xue was controlled by the Heavenly Tribulation, his actions, while seemingly considerate of Shen Gurong, felt off upon closer inspection. Why would a demon not try to possess the body, but instead trick him into crushing his primordial core, causing them both to dissipate?
Shen Gurong: "The Heavenly Dao wants to kill me, it wants me to actively shatter everything I saw in the Records of the Capital."
As he spoke, he suddenly smiled and grabbed Shen Feng Xue's hand, which was holding the "separated soul."
A sudden gust of wind whipped through Shen Gurong's red robes, making him appear as if bathed in blood. His white hair danced in the air, and though he stood below the steps, his aura was colder and more imposing than ever before.
He swallowed the "Soul Separation Pill" whole, staring at Shen Feng Xue's suddenly contracting pupils, and laughed again.
"But I won't," he said.
If Heaven says it's wrong, then is it wrong?
He refused to believe it.
Shen Feng Xue was stunned for a long time, as if he had never known Shen Gurong before.
He remained silent for a long while, then suddenly burst into laughter.
As Shen Feng Xue laughed, two lines of tears slowly slid down his cheeks. He gently pinched the spiritual fruit lying quietly in his palm with two fingers. A faint white light flashed, and after the disguise dissipated, it was indeed the Soul Separation Pill.
The spiritual fruit that Shen Gurong had just swallowed was the one that could fuse with memories and inner demons.
Shen Gurong had made the right choice.
Shen Feng Xue, his face streaked with tears, gently stroked Shen Gurong's white hair, murmuring, "You're right."
Shen Gurong remained silent.
Shen Feng Xue laughed through his tears, "There's just one thing you're wrong about."
Shen Gurong didn't know much; most of it was based on his years of experience reading storybooks, a mere fluke.
Hearing this, Shen Gurong feigned composure, coldly replying, "I'm not wrong."
Shen Feng Xue laughed, "I am you."
He had only been implanted with the command by Heaven to shatter Shen Gurong's memories himself, but ultimately, he was still Shen Gurong.
Still Shen Gurong with those missing memories of a hundred years of purgatory.
Shen Feng Xue slowly descended the steps, finally standing beside him on the same level.
He slowly embraced Shen Gurong, resting his chin on Shen Gurong's shoulder, and murmured, "You didn't see the Record of the Capital."
Shen Gurong was stunned: "What?"
Shen Feng Xue's voice grew weaker, and his figure faded further.
"You entered the Record of the Capital and personally experienced that lifetime."
He forcibly defied fate, which is why the Heavenly Dao was so enraged.
Shen Feng Xue left behind his last words: "The Record of the Capital has been hidden for thousands of years. Only those approved by the Heavenly Dao are qualified to open it, and you are not that person, Shen Gurong."
Shen Gurong froze.
After Shen Feng Xue finished speaking, his figure seemed to turn to dust and vanish instantly. At the same time, the missing piece in Shen Gurong's mind seemed to be filled with countless things.
Memories that had been missing for half a year flooded into his mind. Shen Gurong suddenly covered his head, staggering and almost falling.
In that instant of weightlessness, a pair of hands suddenly embraced him, holding him tightly in an arms.
A familiar scent filled the air.
Shen Gurong endured the excruciating pain, barely opening his eyes. His vision focused, and he saw Mu Zhe's tear-streaked face.
"Why are you crying?"
Shen Gurong struggled to raise his hand, forcing a smile, and gently wiped away Mu Zhe's tears, murmuring, "Didn't I say I'd come back?"
Mu Zhe's tears fell even more fiercely.
As soon as Shen Gurong finished speaking, the memories surged back, instantly engulfing him in a deeper swamp of consciousness.
"Master!" Mu Zhe's voice seemed to come through countless layers of barriers, his voice trembling with sobs.
Shen Gurong's heart ached terribly, but he had no time to care.
The memories forcibly stripped away by the Heavenly Dao returned to their place. Shen Gurong's head throbbed with pain; he wished he could just die. But he couldn't move a muscle, and could only forcefully endure the excruciating pain, painstakingly piecing together the chaotic memories.
***
Deep within the memory.
Lantern Street.
Thirteen plague demons slaughtered the city.
Huitang City was engulfed in flames, filled with agonizing screams and littered with corpses.
Shen Gurong was stunned. He still clutched the candied hawthorn his teacher had given him, standing blankly on the steps, his eyes vacant.
The disaster seemed to have swept through like a whirlwind, transforming the city in an instant.
It happened so quickly that Shen Gurong hadn't even had time to react.
Shen Xiwu screamed, instantly snapping Shen Gurong back to reality. He rushed forward and pulled her into his arms, his voice trembling as he struggled to speak, "Don't be afraid, Xiwu, don't be afraid, brother's here."
Shen Xiwu choked out, "Brother, what happened to them?"
Shen Gurong himself didn't know. He picked up Shen Xiwu, wanting to run home without a second thought, but his teacher stopped him just as they reached the top of the steps.
Shen Gurong asked blankly, "Sir?"
The master, dressed in blue, held a bamboo flute and said with apparent pity, "Gurong, you can't go back."
Shen Gurong was stunned, feeling for the first time that his brain wasn't working properly, unable to understand what his master was saying: "Huh? What?"
The master raised the bamboo flute and gently pointed to the place where the fire had spread, saying, "The plague spread from the outer perimeter to Lantern Street. Where the fire passed, the plague demons have slaughtered all living beings."
Shen Gurong didn't understand and stammered, "Sir, is this some new storybook excerpt?" But he had neither the time nor the inclination to listen to stories. He picked up his sister and, disregarding everything, wanted to go home.
His parents, brother, and sister-in-law were still waiting for them at home.
Although Shen Gurong had a vague suspicion, he still refused to believe it, couldn't accept it.
Just now… everything was fine.
The annual Lantern Festival was supposed to be the same as every year. The fireworks would start in half an hour, and only after that would they go home, go to bed as usual, and have all sorts of strange dreams.
But not now… The fire burned his skin. He wasn't dreaming, but what he saw was more terrifying than a nightmare.
Shen Gurong couldn't bear to look at the corpses scattered on the ground. Even at this moment, he was extremely clever. Trembling, he ran towards the place where screams were rare, but as he ran, he got lost in the deep alleys.
Shen Gurong didn't want to frighten his sister, so he pretended to be calm and reliable, saying, "Xiwu, do you… do you remember how to get home?"
Shen Xiwu raised her head blankly from his embrace, looked around, and shook her head.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong's face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He wanted to pick up his sister again, but after carrying her for so long, his arms were aching. He could only carry Shen Xiwu on his back and run through a random alley.
Even in the alley, there were disfigured corpses every now and then. Shen Gurong ran past without looking, his voice trembling slightly, "Xiwu, close your eyes."
Shen Xiwu quickly closed her eyes tightly.
Shen Gurong comforted her, "When you open them again, brother will take you home."
Shen Xiwu nodded, "Okay, Xiwu trusts brother."
Shen Gurong forced a smile.
His mind was a mess, feeling as if he were in a ridiculous dream, unable to wake up no matter how much he ran.
Huitang City had been peaceful for thousands of years; how could it suddenly suffer such a calamity?
Shen Gurong didn't want to believe it, he couldn't believe it.
He desperately tried to convince himself, running for a long time, until the screams throughout the city grew fainter and fainter.
After rushing into an alley, Shen Gurong stared blankly at the sea of fire all around him.
He was back in the same place.
Lanterns floated on the river, making the water shimmer, a scene of tranquility that, in stark contrast to the hellish scene on the banks, made it all the more chilling.
Shen Gurong refused to believe it and was about to leave again when he heard a sound breaking the surface of the river not far away.
He stared blankly.
On the river, a person stood on a small boat, his face blank as he looked at the hellish city of Huitang, and his body… was semi-transparent.
Shen Gurong: “…”
The ghost-fearing Shen Gurong almost fainted.
The master had appeared behind him unnoticed, covering his eyes and saying calmly, "That's a water ghost."
Shen Gurong seemed to find a sense of security, letting out a sob as he clutched the master's hand, his voice trembling, "Didn't you say... there are no ghosts or demons in this world?"
The master seemed to smile slightly, saying calmly, "Only in Huitang City."
He shielded Shen Gurong and Shen Xiwu behind him, instructing, "Stand behind me, don't run around."
Shen Gurong stammered, "But my parents and brothers..."
The master sighed, saying, "They're all dead."
Shen Gurong was stunned, for a moment thinking the master was joking.
When did the master, whose mouth was always filled with sages, come to utter such cruel words with such a calm and collected demeanor?
"Dead...dead?"
Shen Gurong stood frozen in place, even Shen Xiwu forgot to cry.
The water ghost's boat couldn't dock; they could only watch from afar. The demon's hand still bore the marks of the "Raising Plague Ghosts" magic array.
"Chosen one, state your name."
He spoke to the master, his voice hoarse as if it contained pebbles.
The master turned his head to look at him, smiling gently: "Not worth mentioning."
"Indeed," the water ghost said, "Today has passed, and there will be no one left to guard the 'Records of the Capital,' so it doesn't matter if you don't know their names." His eyes darkened as he stared at the Master: "Those who return to Tang City will be slaughtered by the plague demons. Even if you possess cultivation, you cannot interfere in mortal affairs, or you will surely incur divine punishment."
Shen Gurong was completely stunned, utterly bewildered by their conversation.
The water ghost raised its sharp claws, coldly saying, "Hand over the Records of the Capital, and I will spare your life."
The master smiled, gripping the bamboo flute in his hand, casually twirling it like a sword flourish, his wide sleeves fluttering, releasing a faint, refreshing sandalwood scent.
"The Records of the Capital are right here," the master said. "Come and take them."
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