Chapter 813: Unwilling to Accept Fate

The grand hall hovered between illusion and reality, its general outline discernible.

Gray mist filled it, akin to a skeleton.

Beyond that, it was imperceptible to the naked eye.

“…”

Chen Lusi held the young girl’s hand, turning to survey his surroundings, vaguely.

He seemed to see more grand halls.

Yet those grand halls appeared clearer than the one before him.

However, when he wished to discern the directions and specific outlines of those halls,

everything seemed to vanish.

Only a gray mist remained not far away.

Like a dream, yet resembling an illusion.

“Is this the Ten Halls?”

Chen Lusi tightened his grip on the young girl’s hand, looked down at her, and asked.

But when he looked down, he realized he didn’t need to lower his head to see the girl anymore.

She had grown taller.

Or more precisely, she had grown up.

…becoming a girl.

She stood quietly beside Chen Lusi, still wearing a simple, pure white long dress, with an indescribable sense of ethereal and sacredness added to her presence.

At that moment, she turned to look at Chen Lusi.

Chen Lusi’s gaze slowly moved upwards, meeting hers, and then he smiled and said, “When you first appeared, …didn’t you look like this? So why did you make them appear suddenly back then? To give me a nightmare-like journey down the mountain? Was it for fun, or was there a deeper meaning?”

Here, he referred to them as

the wheelchair, the shadow, and… the Clockwork Man.

The source of Chen Lusi’s Authority Ability.

The young girl… or more accurately, the young woman looked at Chen Lusi and then uttered a word, “Audience.”

“Is that what you call an audience?”

Chen Lusi found it a bit absurd, “I was pretty scared back then, you know. For an ordinary person who knows nothing, encountering them and you in the deep mountains, do you know how big the psychological shadow is?”

“…I don’t know.”

The young woman was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

“Forget it.”

Chen Lusi looked at the earnest young woman, shook his head, and said, “I’ll teach you slowly in the future. It’s unrealistic to expect you to instantly possess human nature.”

“…”

Upon hearing this, the young woman neither opposed nor agreed. She merely turned around, leaving the back of her head for Chen Lusi, and said, “Help me with my hair.”

“…”

Chen Lusi looked at her smooth long hair, thought for a moment, then stepped forward and began to help tie her hair… in the Yellow Springs.

In this regard,

because of his two sisters,

Chen Lusi was quite adept.

Although the young girl suddenly grew a lot taller, which was a bit disconcerting, it wasn’t an insurmountable problem.

Because Lin Wan was also this tall.

And as Chen Lusi grasped her smooth long hair,

not far away,

the grand hall that hovered between reality and illusion seemed to become more ephemeral.

Just now, he could barely discern its outline, but now even the outline seemed indistinct.

“Do you regret it?”

Chen Lusi turned to glance at the grand hall, then suddenly asked lightly.

“…Regret?”

Lan, with her back to Chen Lusi, tilted her head slightly, appearing somewhat puzzled.

“Do you feel unwilling?”

Chen Lusi pondered and explained, “To give up the already formed Ten Halls, completely losing the role of ‘Mother of the Underworld,’ and from now on, integrating into the mainstream, truly becoming a part of the mainstream.”

“…”

Upon hearing this, Lan didn’t reply, just stood quietly.

Seemingly contemplating.

Or perhaps unwilling to answer.

She remained silent like this.

And the mist swirling around her seemed to grow at a moment.

Beside Chen Lusi, the grand hall continued to twist and transform.

Chen Lusi gently tied her hair, without urging.

…When those ancestors indicated for him to head to the mainstream, borrowing the Jade Seal and Tai’e, Chen Lusi already knew what awaited him.

Residual veins, in the end, are still residual veins.

Whether or not those Heroic Spirit Marks or those ancestors took action, Emperor Shi’s action doesn’t affect this point.

The existence of residual veins, or rather their birth, was meant to overturn and overthrow the entire Yellow Springs Mainstream.

This point won’t change.

Yet, after nearly eternal time, the Yellow Springs Mainstream had long become the mainstream for Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, for emperors, heroes, warriors, common people…for everyone.

As Emperor Shi said, the era before the unification of the Six Kingdoms under Qin had long turned into an illusion dream, with the Qin Stream already formed as the mainstream across this Divine Land after successive generations’ constructions and structures.

Those ancestors, from Yellow Springs to Bi Luo, all over the Divine Land… all beings wouldn’t allow a single residual vein to overturn the mainstream and take its place.

Perhaps before, Chen Lusi’s orientation as the master, Emperor Shi’s recognition, Xia Yue’s actions in Yellow Springs, could temporarily suppress the universe’s repulsion.

But.

When Chen Lusi claimed the Goryeo Branch, when those ancestors followed the path Chen Lusi opened to appear in the human world.

It was equivalent to Chen Lusi announcing Lan’s presence to all mountains and seas, and ancestors…

The matter could no longer be suppressed.

Or more accurately, the Yellow Springs Mainstream could no longer ignore Lan.

The ancestors’ choice to take action at that time didn’t mean they could tolerate this matter.

Even if they admired Chen Lusi, they wouldn’t yield in this matter.

Because, as always, this was no longer the Qin Stream.

Ever since Chen Lusi returned to the human world, he realized this.

And he always pondered what he should do.

In fact.

When he chose to replace Si Yujie as the Celestial Strategy of the Third Brigade, he could feel that Lan had always been by his side.

Not only Lan, but also the sources of his Authority Ability…the shadow, the wheelchair, and the Clockwork Man, he could sense them too.

So…should he take them to the Goryeo Branch and become king on his own?

Chen Lusi didn’t want to do that, nor would he.

Although in some ways, this could be considered the retreat and goodwill left to him by that Emperor of the ages.

Once he held Tai’e, he would lead the team adept at cutting veins stuck in the Yellow Springs Mainstream to the Goryeo Branch, something Emperor Shi likely anticipated long ago.

He just didn’t expect to encounter people from the Roman Catholic Church at the Goryeo Branch.

But the ultimate goal was achieved.

The Goryeo Branch ultimately became a land without masters.

It was perfect.

To let the residual veins dwell.

But Chen Lusi can’t really do that.

Even without considering the two sisters, just considering Ji Xin, Tang Language, Si Yujie, Xia Panqiu, and others… Chen Lusi couldn’t go to the Goryeo Branch.

Therefore.

There is only one path before Chen Lusi.

…To endow Lan with humanity.

Since the Qin Stream is no longer the Qin Stream, the Residual Veins can also cease to be Residual Veins; it’s all old history.

The old Zhao Capital is now Handan within the country.

Might as well… let everything reset to zero.

However.

This process is not easy.

Because the foundation of Lan’s existence is the Residual Veins.

Or more accurately, she is the Residual Veins itself.

Chen Lusi doesn’t know how to proceed; he can only retrace… the path he once walked.

Recently, he no longer suppresses his emotions, and instead, lets all his feelings pour out, both because of Emperor Shi’s final words and because he wants Lan to once again absorb a part of his emotions.

Only, this process was just interrupted.

Buddhism… Although it’s unknown which side Huai Yuan belongs to, or what their purpose is.

But evidently, they have also discovered this point through some means.

Chen Lusi is forced to go early to the Yellow Springs Mainstream to face the final trial.

The reason it’s considered as such is primarily because Chen Lusi could have chosen to shatter the door in front of him; only if shattered, it would be tantamount to providing an answer in a different form.

Most likely.

Lan would be banished.

Chen Lusi does not want to take the risk.

But now…

“…It’s tied.”

While Chen Lusi was lost in thought, his ponytail was unknowingly tied.

He put down his hand and spoke again.

And as he spoke.

Lan came back to her senses, and the great hall around the two returned to its original state.

She still had her back to Chen Lusi, only lightly flicking her ponytail.

“How is it?”

Chen Lusi asked softly again: “Do you feel reluctant?”

“Yes.”

The girl was silent for a moment, then replied with one word, her voice ethereal.

However, the great hall beside them did not change again.

Chen Lusi pondered upon hearing this, and then softly asked: “Then what do you want to do?”

“…”

The girl did not answer but remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around: “Do you really like those two followers?”

“Followers?”

At first, Chen Lusi did not understand, but soon he thought of the connection between Clockwork Man and the shadow with the expectations of the two sisters, and suddenly understood who she meant, correcting: “They are not my followers.”

The girl tilted her head up: “Then do you really like them?”

Chen Lusi nodded: “Yes, why do you ask?”

The girl, expressionless: “Because when you mate with them, your emotional fluctuations are the greatest.”

“…”

Hearing this, Chen Lusi was suddenly speechless.

He was silent for a long time, then looked at the girl with a face full of helplessness: “Is this my influence?”

The girl’s expression remained unchanged, she looked at Chen Lusi’s face, her ponytail swaying gently, and suddenly she said softly: “…reluctant.”

This time.

Her voice was not as ethereal as before; instead, it was full of… emotion.

Chen Lusi discerned this, but before he could speak again.

Tap tap tap.

Suddenly.

A gentle tapping sound came from all around.

Then, dialogue ensued.

But it’s unclear what they were saying.

They whispered.

Yet no figures were visible.

Chen Lusi paused in his movements, then suddenly turned around, directly standing in front of Lan.

And at the same moment.

The ever-blurry Ten Halls… finally revealed their true forms.

And threads of golden light began to converge.

Along with the ground shaking violently, figures crafted from golden light, each unique, slowly descended, appearing all around.

Confucian robes, Daoist robes, monk’s robes.

Imperial crown, plain clothing, bejeweled sandals.

Wherever Chen Lusi’s gaze fell, there were ancestral heroic spirits.

…

…

Crack——

The opened ‘door’ collapsed.

And Huai Yuan, whose eyes had just emitted Buddha light, as the door collapsed, the Buddha light gradually dissipated, his body went limp, and he fainted on the spot.

Then, once again fell headlong to the ground.

At the same moment.

The crowd, who had just paused, suddenly returned to normal.

Si Yujie and Tang Language suddenly appeared in the position where Chen Lusi had just stood, directly bumping into each other.

Only.

Chen Lusi was already gone.

“Mm…”

Tang Language let out a muffled hum.

Si Yujie supported Tang Language, her expression changing, then suddenly turned to look at those Zen Masters, questioning: “What have you done!!?”

But whether it was those foreign Zen Masters or Zen Master Huizhao, facing Si Yujie’s question, all were bewildered.

Seemingly… unaware of what happened.

Si Yujie noticed their expressions, took a deep breath, and was about to speak again.

“What is seen before the eyes, all is illusion, neither servile nor overbearing, that is the true path.”

Suddenly.

Another voice came.

Si Yujie, Tang Language, and the numerous Zen Masters all paused, then slowly lowered their heads.

On the ground.

The just-fainted Huai Yuan, at some point, suddenly sat up.

His eyes were closed, hands clasped together, Buddha light radiating from his body, his voice like a bell ringing: “…Merciful is my Buddha!”