Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 601 Confession
A familiar voice came from outside the door, carrying a hint of inquiry and barely perceptible worry.

Li Zhongren was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that the girl would actually find his home. Clearly, she had discovered that he had skipped class.

He glanced at the potion bottles on the table that were emitting strange fluctuations, and casually stuffed them into the backpack he had prepared beforehand. However, the distorted energy remaining in the air was difficult to completely dissipate for a while.

"coming!"

He responded and went to open the door.

Outside the door, Liu Huizi, dressed in her school uniform, looked at him with a slight frown, clearly unhappy that he had skipped class.

However, the moment she stepped into the room, something unexpected happened!
"Om~~"

With a soft chime, a pendant woven from plain silk thread and seemingly an ordinary amulet worn by Liu Huizi suddenly emitted a soft, pale green halo carrying the fragrance of herbs.

The halo, like a semi-transparent dome, instantly enveloped Liu Huizi. Faint, intricate vine patterns flowed across the dome, exuding an aura of life and protection.

Clearly, the talisman sensed the unusual residual energy in the room and automatically activated its defenses.

Liu Huizi's expression changed, and she subconsciously took half a step back, placing her hand on the pendant. Her sharp gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on Li Zhongren, her eyes filled with shock and inquiry.

"The energy here... Zhongren, you...you are also a superhuman?"

"Oh, you too."

Li Zhongren smiled as he looked at the activated amulet. During the day, his super senses had already detected Huizi's extraordinary nature. Of course, it was just an intuitive warning: this girl was dangerous.

"Come in, Keiko."

Liu Huizi hesitated for a moment, but still walked in. The aura of the amulet rippled slightly as she entered the room, but it did not weaken.

She closed the door behind her, cutting off any view from outside.

The two sat facing each other in the simple living room, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

"You skipped class just to do this?"

Liu Huizi broke the silence first, her gaze sweeping over the backpack.

"That energy is peculiar, unlike the common distorted pollution; instead, it has a feeling of being 'tamed.' Zhongren, what are you doing?"

"Making medicine."

Li Zhongren didn't hide anything and directly opened his backpack, revealing the bottles and jars inside.

"In short, I had a serendipitous encounter and became a twisted superhuman. These potions are things I tried to create using my abilities, derived from an ancient recipe."

Liu Huizi listened quietly, her shock gradually turning into a complex expression.

She looked at Li Zhongren as if she were getting to know her childhood sweetheart all over again.

After a long while, she gently exhaled, her fingers unconsciously stroking the amulet on her chest, the pale green halo gradually fading.

"I understand."

"how about you?"

"me.."

Huizi sat sideways, leaning back in her chair with her legs crossed, and began to speak.

“My ancestor was a priestess from the Warring States period of Japan, Kikyo Takayanagi. I awakened a part of her bloodline and became a priestess. This amulet is one of the manifestations of my power.”

"I see."

Li Zhongren nodded, though he couldn't help but mentally complain about the word "Kikyo," since he had watched Inuyasha in his previous life.

"So, Zhongren, what are your plans now that you have gained power?"

"I'm going to drop out of school."

After thinking for a moment, Li Zhongren spoke.

“Going to school is meaningless to me, because as you know, unless you can obtain the official sequence inheritance of the City of Light, going to school is just to broaden the horizons of us wild twisted superhumans. I can learn these things in society as well, so I focus on being a hunter.”

This morning, Li Zhongren carefully reviewed the school's textbooks and materials. In this world, due to the prevalence of distortions and fortuitous encounters, cases like his, where people suddenly gain power, are commonplace. Therefore, he believed that the two policemen that day must not have reported it at all, and the thing he was worried about would not actually happen.

"However, the principle of 'the loyal and benevolent drown even those skilled in water' applies."

“I know, but everyone has their own path to choose. A stable life is certainly good, but I prefer the feeling of being able to control my own destiny.”

Of course, this is a lie that is half true and half false. Only by becoming a hunter and frequently coming into contact with twisted events can he rationally use and enhance his power and better conceal the secret of his transmigration.

Liu Huizi remained silent. She could understand Li Zhongren's choice, but she also knew that while she could understand, she couldn't control other people's lives. So, she didn't really know what to say.

However, just as Liu Huizi was struggling with her inner conflict, unsure of how to persuade or respond, the seemingly simple jade pendant on her chest suddenly lit up again without warning.

This time, it was no longer a defensive pale green halo, but a more restrained and profound crystalline light, as if moonlight was flowing inside the jade.

Liu Huizi herself looked surprised, even a little flustered, because this meant that the ancient soul, her ancestor, Takayanagi Kikyo, had awakened.

This jade talisman is not a simple amulet, but the former dwelling place of the soul of Kikyo Takayanagi, a priestess from the Warring States period.

To be precise, her bloodline awakening was inseparable from the help of this jade stone. When she awakened her bloodline, Takayanagi Kikyo's soul had already merged with her, but this consciousness was mostly dormant and would only appear under specific circumstances.

As the light expanded, Liu Huizi felt her consciousness being gently drawn, as if passing through a warm water curtain, and the scene before her suddenly changed.

It was no longer a simple apartment living room, but rather a place of tranquility and peace.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a warm orange-red, and in the distance, the verdant mountains stretched out, shrouded in twilight.

Nearby, a small village nestles at the foot of the mountain, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys.

The path beneath my feet was a soft, muddy track, with unnamed wildflowers blooming along the way, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth, grass, and wisps of smoke.

This is the edge of the village from the Warring States period, a place deep in Takayanagi Kikyo's memory where she once lived and protected.

Under an old cherry blossom tree by the roadside, a small bonfire was crackling and burning.

A woman dressed in a classic red and white shrine maiden outfit, with cascading black hair and an aloof and ethereal air, was kneeling beside a campfire, carefully cooking rice in an ancient earthenware pot.

Her movements were graceful and focused, as if she were performing some kind of sacred ritual, a manifestation of Kikyo Takayanagi's soul.

"Lady Kikyo"

Liu Huizi's consciousness stood not far away and said respectfully. This was not her first time here, so she was not flustered.

Takayanagi Kikyo raised her head, and on her beautiful face, which bore a resemblance to Ryu Keiko but appeared more mature and weathered, a faint yet genuine smile appeared.

She pointed to a smooth stone next to the fire.

"Huizi, please sit down."

Liu Huizi sat down as instructed, watching as Jiegeng gently stirred the bubbling rice porridge in the earthenware pot with a wooden spoon, the aroma filling the air.

she couldn't help but ask.

"Lady Kikyo, why did you suddenly call me in?"

Kikyo did not answer directly, but instead cast her gaze toward the distant mountains that were sinking into the twilight, her voice as calm as still water.

"This young man, Li Zhongren, his destiny is like the surface of water tossed with a boulder, undulating and closely intertwined with some very grand and ancient 'luck'."

She paused, looked at Liu Huizi, her eyes deep.

"Following such a person means your life will no longer be peaceful. It could lead to a dazzling peak, or it could plunge you into deeper darkness. Have you thought it through?"

Liu Huizi lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, her voice soft yet firm.

“I want to help him. I don’t want to see him become as depressed as before, and I don’t want him to face danger alone. I just want to be by his side.”

Kikyo gazed at her quietly, a hint of understanding and a touch of pity flashing in her worldly-wise eyes. "Just...want to help?"

She stirred the porridge gently, her tone mild yet possessing a penetrating insight.

“Huizi, you don’t need to hide anything from me. Your heart beats very fast. I feel the same way about the feelings that originated from our childhood companionship and rekindled after our reunion.”

With her secret thoughts directly exposed, Liu Huizi's consciousness blushed instantly, like the sunset on the horizon.

"Lady Kikyo! I... but..."

She was speaking incoherently.

"This is too sudden, and I have the blood of a descendant of the Japanese people flowing in my veins. What will he think? Will he believe that I simply like him and don't have any other intentions? It sounds like a lame excuse."

Seeing her flustered state, Kikyo sighed softly, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if she had traveled through time and space to see a silver-haired figure in red.

"Whether it's an excuse or not, time will tell, but if you remain silent because of concerns or shrink back because of your status, what will often be left is a deeper regret."

There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"I once shared a deep connection with someone, but due to differences in status, the machinations of others, and the cruel twists of fate, if I could do it all over again, I would choose to be completely honest with them from the very beginning, rather than letting misunderstandings fester and lead to bitter consequences."

Liu Huizi raised her head and saw the fleeting pain in Kikyo's eyes. She understood the past Kikyo was referring to—a regret that would forever remain in her heart.

"so."

Kikyo withdrew her gaze, her expression becoming firm and clear once more.

“Huizi, since you’ve made up your mind, why not tell her frankly? Sincerity is the sharpest sword to dispel suspicion. If you find it difficult to speak, then I will speak for you. At least, we can’t let the seeds of misunderstanding have even the slightest chance to sprout.”

"no!"

Liu Huizi instinctively objected, so embarrassed she almost jumped up.

"This is too direct! To say something like that to his face, I... I can't do it! Lady Kikyo, please don't!"

However, Kikyo Takayanagi's mind was made up.

Having experienced tragedies caused by silence and misunderstandings, she would never allow similar regrets to be repeated in Keiko's life.

She looked at Liu Huizi with a gentle yet unquestionable gaze.

"Huizi, some paths may seem difficult, but they are the shortest shortcuts. Trust requires courage to earn. So, please listen to me on this matter."

After speaking, before Liu Huizi could object again, Kikyo's thoughts stirred slightly, and the twilight village scene in this sea of ​​consciousness began to slowly fade away.

Liu Huizi felt a warm and firm force enveloping her consciousness, pushing her back to reality, while Kikyo's calm and ancient will prepared to temporarily take over communication with her body.

"Lady Kikyo!"

Before Liu Huizi's consciousness completely left her body, she only had time to utter a silent protest before she felt Li Zhongren's questioning gaze falling on her in the real world.

Li Zhongren looked at the "Liu Huizi" in front of him. Her eyes, which were originally clear and lively, now seemed to contain the moonlight of hundreds of years. They were calm, transparent, and carried an ancient and solemn feeling that did not belong to this era.

His super perception silently resonated, clearly telling him that the person he was talking to at this moment was definitely not his childhood sweetheart with whom he had grown up.

He wasn't panicked; instead, he spoke calmly with a hint of curiosity.

"You are not Keiko. May I ask how I should address you?"

Takayanagi Kikyo nodded slightly, her movements carrying an elegant charm, her tone calm and direct.

“My name is Takayanagi Kikyo. I am a remnant soul residing in this body, and also an ancestor of Keiko.”

'Sure enough. ’

Li Zhongren understood and continued to ask.

"So, Ms. Kikyo, is there something important you wish to tell me now that you have appeared at this moment?"

Kikyo's eyes were clear and unambiguous, like the cleanest mountain stream.

"Naturally, it is to explain her feelings on behalf of my worthless descendant, so that she will not have unnecessary troubles or even misunderstandings due to her timidity and concerns."

She paused, as if stating something perfectly ordinary, and continued.

"Huizi wants to walk with you, to become your partner, and to face the hardships of the future together. This includes not only the friendship of companions, but also her admiration for you."

Even when Kikyo uttered the word "admiration" in such a cool tone, the original Yanagi Keiko, whose consciousness was suppressed deep within, felt a strong sense of shame impacting her soul.

Kikyo seemed oblivious to the embarrassment and continued her analysis with a calm and composed demeanor.

"But she had some concerns. First, she worried that you might have reservations about her because of her status as a descendant of the Japanese people and suspect that she had ulterior motives. Second, she felt that it was too... well, in modern terms, not reserved enough for a woman to take the initiative to express her feelings."

She even tilted her head slightly, seemingly searching for suitable modern words, her eyes carrying an "academic" focus that contrasted charmingly with her ancient identity.

Then, she looked at Li Zhongren, her gaze seemingly able to see through appearances.

"Furthermore, from the perspective of a priestess, you possess immense fortune, and the threads of destiny are intertwined with the fabric of the world. Following you, opportunities and dangers coexist. Pointing this out is also to let you know that Keiko's choice is not blind."

Li Zhongren was somewhat stunned. She could actually see "luck"?
This made him feel a sense of awe, and he began to truly value this ancient witch.

This insight is extraordinary.

He processed the overwhelming amount of information revealed, and a complex smile appeared on his face, a mixture of emotion and a touch of amusement.

He looked into those clear eyes that belonged to Kikyo and said sincerely.

"Ms. Kikyo, thank you so much for your honesty. I'm so happy to know Keiko's feelings, really."

He changed the subject, speaking with a hint of teasing and a deeper sense of anticipation.

"However, I would prefer that such important information be told to me by Keiko herself."

This sentence was like breaking some kind of seal!
"Ugh——!"

A suppressed sob, mixed with extreme shame and indignation, escaped from Liu Huizi's throat.

The calm expression that belonged to Kikyo on her face instantly collapsed, replaced by a bright red face and eyes that seemed to spit fire.

"Li Zhongren, you big idiot! You bastard! How can you let a girl confess her feelings like that! Go to hell!"

At this moment, Liu Huizi's soul erupted with astonishing power, forcefully breaking through Kikyo's temporary dominance!

She raised her small fist and punched Li Zhongren's chest with a mixture of shame and anger. The force was not great, but the emotion was intense.

That was exactly Liu Huizi's reaction—spoiled, shy, and full of girlish authenticity.

In that instantaneous shift, in her sea of ​​consciousness, Kikyo, under the cherry blossom tree, looked at the bonfire illusion scattered by Keiko's consciousness. Far from being displeased, the corners of her cool lips curled up with a faint yet genuine smile of relief.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness
Kikyo sat alone by the newly rekindled campfire, watching the leaping flames and whispering to herself.

“Very good... Keiko, being able to regain control through your own will proves that you are accelerating the fusion of my power, and your soul is growing.”

She didn't care about being "suppressed" at all; on the contrary, she felt a faint joy that "her own child has made something of himself."

"I am but a remnant of the old era. I would be content if I could pave a little way for your future."

She truly has little attachment to this world anymore; the loves and hates of the past have long since faded away. But being able to silently protect the happiness of future generations as a special "elder" and feel the pulse of this new era seems quite good.

"and."

Kikyo gently stirred the conjured firewood, a hint of cunning and confidence flashing in her eyes.

"Who says a remnant soul can't live long? I'm quite strong, you know."

As a former top priestess, even if only her remnant soul remains, her very existence contains great power and resilience. Accompanying Keiko for a long time is not difficult for her.

(End of this chapter)