Free Web NovelFang Ji stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment, as if he hadn't just experienced an attack from the Black Armor Monstrosities, nor was he standing in front of a Zoroastrianism temple.
Where exactly was the problem?
Did she have anything in common with Disaster?
In his understanding, Disaster was extremely special, probably like the First Generation Holy Child, an existence capable of influencing the future of an entire region—a being rumored to be able to create "doomsday." That's why Disaster could repeatedly "borrow" the miracle flower from him.
Could Shen Baiwei be the same?
However, so far, she hadn't shown any characteristics similar to Disaster or the First Generation Holy Child...
It was only then that Fang Ji realized he couldn't discern her true age from the woman's delicate face.
She looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, yet there was a hidden charm of a mature woman in her brows.
Under his gaze, which was like looking at a monster, Shen Baiwei's amber eyes, hidden behind her glasses, darted around nervously. Her small, restless hands uncomfortably tidied the hair at her temples. frёewebηovel.cѳm
The color of her hair was peculiar, somewhere between black and dark grey, appearing as if black dye had naturally faded over a long period.
Fang Ji wanted to ask Shen Baiwei again about her background, but remembering that he had asked the same question not long ago, and Shen Baiwei would likely not answer, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
In the silence, he turned to look at the small temple bathed in faint golden light not far away, then looked at Shen Baiwei, letting out a silent sigh. “Let’s go first. We need to rendezvous with the Elders.”
Although he didn't know why his miracle flower had transferred to Shen Baiwei, one thing he was certain of was that staying with Shen Baiwei would surely lead them to successfully rendezvous with the Elders.
Now that they had found a temple suspected of containing the First Generation Holy Child's mausoleum, the next step was to enter the temple to explore, confirm the exact location of the mausoleum, and then offer the five holy relics.
Shen Baiwei was very clear about the Miracle Order's plan this time. Upon hearing Fang Ji's words, she immediately understood his intention and nodded, “Mhm.”
Immediately after, just as she was about to take a step and follow Fang Ji to leave, she found Fang Ji standing still, staring at her with a solemn expression, unmoving.
“Didn’t you say we were going to rendezvous with the Elders?”
Fang Ji raised a finger, pointing at her, then at the front, saying with a hint of resentment, “You go first...”
“That way is safer, and it will be easier to find the Elders successfully.”
“You don’t want anything unexpected to happen during this operation, do you? Didn’t you say you have a wish that must come true? If you still want your wish to be fulfilled, you’d best listen to me obediently from now on.”
Although common tanks are either like Disaster, with maxed-out health and defense, or like Gu Qianqian, with extremely high evasion, Fang Ji knew there was also a special type of tank: one with off-the-charts luck, who absolutely couldn't be killed by monsters.
He used to be that kind of tank, but now... clearly, Shen Baiwei had replaced him and become the tank.
With Shen Baiwei leading the way, he felt at ease!
Thus, under Fang Ji's coercion, Shen Baiwei surveyed the surrounding dilapidated buildings and winding alleys, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled out her small notebook.
In the small notebook was the simple map she had just drawn.
Having a simple map to guide them was always safer than aimlessly wandering like a headless fly, relying purely on luck to find the Elders scattered in various corners of Yumen Pass.
Although she could feel that she was inexplicably enveloped by the strong fragrance of the miracle flower, she was not a fervent believer of the Miracle Order and did not intend to rely entirely on miracles.
Avoiding the direction taken by the divine bull summoned through Mitra's grace, which had left with two Black Armor Monstrosities, the two ultimately chose to proceed along a main road that appeared relatively safe on the map.
As they walked, after a brief silence, Fang Ji, who was following behind Shen Baiwei, asked the question that was second only to his curiosity about Shen Baiwei's origin: “I remember you said something earlier... You said someone touched the past? What did that mean?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Baiwei's steps paused slightly. She glanced at Fang Ji out of the corner of her eye and explained, “It means exactly what it says.”
She paused briefly, then looked up at the small palace in the center of Yumen Pass and continued, “Someone has, through some special means or medium, touched people or things from past time, and even caused a certain disturbance to some events that have already occurred.”
“This...” Fang Ji frowned, pondering thoughtfully for a few seconds before asking, “Is it really possible to do that?”
If it really could be done, wouldn’t it be possible to completely put the First Generation Holy Child to death in a different way, without having to take risks like now... Fang Ji thought.
Although he was only a “halfway” Miracle Saint, he still clearly understood that the so-called mausoleum of the First Generation Miracle Saint was not a true tomb; in a sense, it should more appropriately be called the sleeping palace of the First Generation Holy Child.
There has always been a saying circulating within the Miracle Order: resurrection from the dead is the greatest miracle.
This saying arose because the First Generation Miracle Saint would always reappear in various inconceivable ways.
And according to the golden figure that granted him the authority and identity of a Miracle Saint in Qianqiu Town, the First Generation Miracle Saint was able to achieve this most likely because, in the distant past, the First Generation Miracle Saint created an important opportunity to create miracles, which is the holy relic.
If it were possible to influence the past in some way, to disrupt the First Generation Miracle Saint's ritual of creating miracles, then there would be no need to risk awakening him first.
“Of [N O V E L I G H T] course.” Shen Baiwei replied, “Aren’t there many urban legend whose powers can traverse time?”
“For example?” Fang Ji pressed eagerly.
“For example...” Shen Baiwei opened her small mouth, almost blurting out the answer, but just as the words reached her lips, she seemed to remember something and paused, answering somewhat perfunctorily, “I’ve only vaguely heard that such powers exist, but I don’t know what they are specifically.”
As her words fell, some fragmented but intensely painful images quietly flashed through her mind.
...
In an empty room, under the bright lights, the pure white walls gleamed dazzlingly. In her line of sight, an old man wearing a worn-out cloak, his face completely obscured, spoke in a hoarse, low voice, “Good child, be good, try again. With your ability, you can definitely do it...”
Upon hearing this, the little girl opposite the old man tremblingly raised her hands. Her tender, white hands were covered in unhealed scars, crisscrossing as if cut by countless sharp blades.
The next moment, pain surged like a tide, immediately causing the little girl’s body to convulse violently.
Darkness rolled in, like smoke and clouds, with countless chaotic black lines dancing within it, plunging everything into impenetrable darkness.
Like a volcanic eruption, intense negative emotions surged in her heart.
It was the regret of not confessing to a crush, the remorse of not having seen her parents one last time before their passing, the regret of having destroyed others' happiness and bearing lifelong shackles... Everything transformed into solid knives, poisoned thorns, continuously destroying the little girl's body.
These were not her own emotions, but the sorrow left behind by others in the past.
...
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Shen Baiwei pulled her thoughts away from the painful memories and looked at Fang Ji, saying with a serious expression, “I advise you not to entertain such ideas. The price you’ll have to pay to influence the past to change the present will be terrifying.”
She paused, then added, “The higher the Spiritual Energy fluctuation level of the corresponding person or urban legend you wish to influence, the greater the price you’ll have to pay. If you were thinking of the First Generation Holy Child just now, I estimate no one in this world could succeed.”
Although I could try, what good would that do me? Shen Baiwei added in her heart.
“The past is the past precisely because it has passed, so let it be...”
With that, Shen Baiwei turned her head and continued walking forward without another word.
Fang Ji’s gaze narrowed slightly as he observed Shen Baiwei’s retreating figure. After a long while, he spoke again, “I have another question. Would you be able to answer it?”
Shen Baiwei didn't turn back, merely responding faintly, “Mhm, go ahead.”
“Earlier, when you said someone touched the past, you seemed to instantly become very unwell. I want to know, what does someone else touching the past have to do with you? Why did it affect you? Is it related to your Spirit Mark power?”
“...” Shen Baiwei paused, then shrugged. “Sorry, I can’t answer that question.”
“Is that so? I understand.” Fang Ji nodded.
According to the Miracle Order's intelligence, Shen Baiwei's Spirit Mark power was 【Mythological Species · asura collective】, but Fang Ji felt that from Shen Baiwei's series of actions just now, there was a high probability that she had lied about her Spirit Mark power.
Her Spirit Mark ability allowed her to cast multiple Spells without burden, corresponding to the asura collective's monstrous image of three heads and six arms, or even multiple heads and arms...
And her past behavior within the Miracle Order, besides her subtle arrogance towards the Left Emissary and Elder Xu, seemed to align with the legendary, incredibly proud nature of the asura collective...
Everything seemed to be in order.
However, asura collective definitely did not possess powers greatly related to the “past.”
At this moment, upon hearing Shen Baiwei's answer, Fang Ji immediately had some conjectures.
Unable to answer means there's a connection, but it's inconvenient to say, right?
So what was her true power?
If only I had the methods of Disaster, she's much better at extracting other people's little secrets than I am... Fang Ji thought.
