Unusual Fate Records

Chapter 264, page 055: Sanshui's Choice

In Jin Ziyue's mind, the sky was like purgatory.

The setting sun was tinged with blood, and the horizon divided the world into two realms of red and black.

The oppressive power of "living in a prosperous era" ravaged his nerves, forcing his soul out of his body. He seemed to alternate between weightlessness and hypergravity, as if the sky was collapsing and the earth was splitting. After staying in the abyss for a long time, he could no longer distinguish whether he was rising or falling.

"Is it painful? Just nod, and everything will be over." The voice of [Gongfeng Shengshi] was somewhat old, but it couldn't hide his excitement.

A man's willpower is stronger than anyone can imagine, but under relentless torment, even the tightest string will eventually snap.

Jin Ziyue suppressed the nausea and urge to vomit blood, clenching his teeth.

At this moment, a second figure appeared.

"We meet again, didn't expect that, did you?"

Chu Pingqiu flew slowly closer, looking at Jin Ziyue, hoping to see the expected surprise in his eyes.

But Jin Ziyue only gave him a cold glance.

“You destroyed my physical body, but you don’t know that at the moment my body was destroyed, my soul made a pact with [Gongfeng Shengshi]. From the beginning, I was the one who released [Gongfeng Shengshi] on the condition that he would preserve my soul, and that I could be reborn by using the person he possessed if necessary.”

Chu Pingqiu's soul form was human, hovering beside Jin Ziyue, revealing a triumphant smile: "This is my last trump card. I originally thought that my invincible physical body would be enough to deal with you, but I didn't expect that you would still force me into this miserable state in the end."

[Gongfeng Shengshi] said, "Kid, he hasn't given in yet, so don't be too happy too soon."

Chu Pingqiu knew that this was [Gongfeng Shengshi] asking him to exert pressure, because it had already tried and found that no amount of mental torture could completely subdue this man, which was why it sent Chu Pingqiu out to break down his mental defenses.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I know his weakness."

Chu Pingqiu said, "Aren't you worried? The [Cuckoo's Cry of Blood] outside has recovered and its first priority is to devour your little girlfriend. That plump soul must be a great tonic for it. So, you must break free quickly, otherwise how will you save them?"

He strolled leisurely around Jin Ziyue, while Jin Ziyue in the soul world was unable to move.

He was waiting for Jin Ziyue to fight desperately, because only hysterical madness is the state in which people are most likely to fail.

Surprisingly, Jin Ziyue remained lukewarm, enduring the pressure from the onslaught as if he were wearing shackles.

"You don't believe me?" Chu Pingqiu asked.

Jin Ziyue remained silent.

This calmness made Chu Pingqiu feel very uncomfortable.

He changed his approach and continued, "Do you know what will happen to you? The last person to be possessed, Wei Zheng, is still imprisoned in [Prosperous Times], becoming nourishment for the fateful words. No matter how big your goals are, the moment you are devoured, you will be dead."

"You think you've schemed everything, but little do you know, the greatest schemer is fate. They are like hunters, waiting for those who think themselves clever to walk into their trap. All they have to do is take advantage of you when you're least prepared, when you're at your weakest, and seize everything you have—your life, your power, your achievements, your reputation. Don't you understand who the real enemy is? You ignorant fool."

A muffled, thunderous voice echoed from the sky: "Chu, don't forget, you're just a loser living under someone else's roof now."

“Okay, okay.” Chu Pingqiu seemed to be implying something, raising an eyebrow at Jin Ziyue and saying, “If you give up struggling, we can coexist and become one of the personalities that jointly drive this body, then you will have a real chance to survive.”

Jin Ziyue gave him a cold glance, and Chu Pingqiu had no idea what he was thinking.

……

"Hey! I can't see where the enemy is!" Chen Ruolan shouted helplessly.

She was neither a Fate Master nor a Spirit Communicator, so while [Cuckoo's Cry of Blood] could attack her, she was unable to retaliate and could only flee with Sanshui Linxin.

Zhang Rang was able to hit [Cuckoo's Cry of Blood], but his sparse life control skills offered him no means of restraining it; Feng Shenglei was also able to withstand its mental attacks, but he couldn't use his life-manipulation techniques, so a direct confrontation was ultimately not a long-term solution.

"Sword Attendant!" Sanshui summoned his loyal guardian spirit to join the battle against [Cuckoo's Cry of Blood].

However, the three of them barely managed to hold their own against the weakened [Cuckoo's Cry of Blood].

"I'm going to save Jin!" Sanshui said.

"The idea is good, but what about the method?" Chen Ruolan asked.

“Take me to a place, I have a way to save him!” Sanshui Linxin’s eyes regained their light.

"You two, hold them off!" Chen Ruolan said to Zhang Rang and Feng Shenglei, as she couldn't see the sword attendants.

She unloaded her gear case, slung Sanshui Linxin over her shoulder, and asked, "Where are we going?"

"The ancestral home of the Sanshui family! The spiritual aspect must be handled by the spiritual communication family!"

"Okay, let's hope that kid can hold on!"

Chen Ruolan immediately started running. Although she was wearing trousers, the way she ran still showed the flair of a 100-meter relay athlete from back in the day.

Soon, they arrived at the ancestral home of the Sanshui family.

Affected by the fighting, fences and many dilapidated houses have collapsed.

Sanshui searched the backyard for the array, which was covered by various debris and soil. The erosion of time had made these array points lose their characteristics, just like an ordinary dilapidated courtyard, with withered yellow straw and piled-up dust everywhere.

"What are you looking for?" Chen Ruolan asked.

"Spirit Summoning Array!"

Sanshui said.

Suddenly, the world froze the moment she finished speaking, and Chen Ruolan remained with her mouth agape, as if about to ask a question.

"No."

The strange man with the smiling mask reappeared behind Sanshui.

"The remaining formations can only be activated by true descendants of the Sanshui clan, while the Spirit Gathering Formation can be used by anyone who can communicate with spirits, which is why you have the illusion that you are also a member of the Sanshui clan," the strange man explained.

Sanshui glanced at him and said, "No need for you to trouble yourself."

"You want to activate the spirit-guiding array to pull Jin Ziyue's soul out of the suppression of his fate, which is a good idea, but you don't have the authority to use the remaining spirit arrays."

The strange man covered his mouth with the back of his hand, and combined with his smiling mask, it looked like he was chuckling: "I can tell you the time, roughly when Jin Ziyue will be devoured by fate, and when his soul will be completely obliterated. Want to hear it? Don't worry, he can hold on for a while longer."

Sanshui asked, "Does our talking here affect the flow of time?"

She asked this question because she noticed that when the strange man appeared the previous times, no one around seemed to notice, as if time had stood still.

"Of course it won't affect anything. You can also use this opportunity to ask me for more ways to break the deadlock."

The eccentric man made no attempt to hide his true feelings.

"I am an all-powerful soul merchant. Merchants value integrity and user experience above all else. Otherwise, how can we get customers to willingly dedicate their souls?"

“Listen, Miss, this is the most dangerous time for Jin Ziyue. Once his soul is possessed, all his secrets will be exposed. There are many people who covet his secrets. Who knows what they will do with them? They could rule the world or destroy it.”

San Shui clenched his fists and silently lowered his head.

"Besides, you clearly love him deeply and know your true identity. A man is willing to go against the whole world and travel across the ocean for you, which is enough to prove that you are deeply in love. Are you willing to watch him die in front of you? His ultimate goal is you. You are right in front of him. Don't you want to acknowledge him? But you have to let him live to acknowledge you."

The eccentric man patiently and persuasively guided him.

"I can save him from this calamity, and from then on, he will enjoy good weather and a worry-free life. What do you think of this deal?"

San Shui Lin Xin remained silent.

"Of course, you can also choose cash on delivery. I will rescue him first, you can recognize him, and then I will pay you the reward."

Sanshui bit her lower lip, her bangs obscuring her expression and hiding the girl's downcast eyes.

"If all else fails, you can choose to pay in installments." The strange man adopted a tone of reluctant concession, saying, "I can reunite you. You can go back and live happily with him for a year. Every month, I will take one-twelfth of your soul, and in the last month, I will quietly take you away. How about that?"

Sanshui's shoulders shrugged, and his clenched hands loosened as if in resignation.

"What do you think he did all this for? Wasn't it just to find you? Now, as long as you agree, you can go back with him and live a peaceful and happy life for the rest of your days. Happiness is never a one-sided effort. The man has done so much for you; all he needs is your final push."

"I've made up my mind." The girl's voice sounded as if she had lost all her strength.

The strange man's smiling mask seemed alive, the smile stretching to his cheeks: "So, your decision is—"

The girl raised her head and said:

"I reject."

At this moment, her eyes were cold, yet filled with an unprecedented determination.

"?"

(End of this chapter)