Chapter Ninety: That Buried Memory

Returning to that study, Ji Muyu glanced at Yin Su, who had long since fallen unconscious, summoned someone, and had her taken away. “When the Dark Envoy Yin Su wakes, tell her to go straight into seclusion.”

“Yes.”

A man in black supported Yin Su and withdrew.

...

Lying in bed, Gu Xinyu looked utterly drained. Only after resting for a while did he open his eyes and see Yinrou and Liyue moving about busily. In a weak voice, he called out, “Liyue, Yinrou.”

Hearing his voice, the two turned around together and looked at the now-awake Gu Xinyu.

“How are you? Feeling any better? This time, your duel with Yin Su consumed a great deal of your strength. I’m afraid you won’t recover in a short time.”

Gu Xinyu tried to sit up. Liyue stepped forward and supported him, helping him lean against the bedframe. Gu Xinyu motioned for Liyue and Yinrou not to worry.

“I know. I also understand the gap between my strength and Yin Su’s. I expected this outcome long ago. I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

Yinrou smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. Among those who remain, only you can stand against Yin Su. How could that be a burden? If anyone is being troublesome, it is our master troubling you.”

A faint smile touched Gu Xinyu’s lips. Seeing him like this, Liyue naturally understood that he was still far too weak and needed proper rest, so she said, “There’s no need for you to worry. The most important thing now is for you to recover some of your strength as soon as possible and then enter seclusion without delay. You mustn’t fall too far behind our master and the others.”

“Thank you for the reminder.” Gu Xinyu nodded.

“Have a good rest. In three days, return to the secret chamber of Lingyu Pavilion and enter seclusion,” Yinrou said, repeating Silver Yao’s exact instructions.

Looking at Yinrou in some surprise, Gu Xinyu had not expected her to have thought of even this, calculating even the timing so precisely. And for him, that timing was exactly right.

Seeing his reaction, Yinrou smiled. “That wasn’t my idea. It was our master’s command.”

Gu Xinyu nodded. More and more, he was beginning to suspect that Silver Yao could somehow foresee what had yet to come.

Liyue and Yinrou left the room together, leaving everything in Gu Xinyu’s hands.

...

Within Cold Spirit Valley, Silver Yao sat cross-legged upon a slab of white marble, wreathed all over in pale mist. Behind her hovered the phantom image of a snow-white fox. Both she and the spirit form had their eyes tightly shut, wholly absorbed.

Feeling spiritual power flowing through her body, Silver Yao smiled faintly to herself. With her will, she guided the once-disordered currents of power, making them move through her body in disciplined pathways. As she sensed the spiritual power within her growing fuller and fuller, she began preparing to break through the barrier at the peak of the Illusory Realm.

Once, twice, three times...

Only on the tenth attempt did Silver Yao finally force open the paper-thin barrier, creating the finest crack. Gathering all her spiritual power, twisting it into a single strand, she drove it toward that narrow fissure.

The barrier shattered. The spiritual power that had nearly been exhausted came surging back in full, even richer and purer than before. Silver Yao knew that she had entered the Void Realm.

Five days had passed. Silver Yao had broken through the barrier between the Illusory Realm and the Void Realm and successfully entered the latter. She wished to press her advantage, so without resting for even a moment, she began preparing to push the power of the Void Realm to a still higher level.

For some reason, after entering the Void Realm, Silver Yao felt the spiritual power within her become even more lively. It now moved in patterned circuits instead of wandering aimlessly as it had at first. This was a good sign. Because of it, her later attempts at advancement went as smoothly as a fish taking to water, rising step by step with scarcely any difficulty at all.

Once, her father had said to her: when you possess enough strength, I will come to find you. And when that time comes, it will also be the time for you to journey to another parallel world.

Silver Yao looked forward to the day when her father would appear in her consciousness once more.

On the twelfth day, her power came to a standstill at the peak of the Void Realm, unable to advance another step. Knowing that the Void Realm was by no means the end, Silver Yao still persisted. She thought: if she truly broke through beyond the Void Realm, then in this war, would victory not be all but certain?

And yet, no matter how hard she tried, her strength remained fixed at that point. It could not move forward even a single step.

The fifteenth day was the date originally set for her to leave seclusion, because Silver Yao needed to make a trip to the imperial palace to treat Wan Youxue and restore her memories.

When she opened her eyes, warm sunlight fell across her body, bringing warmth even to the heart. Rising from the marble slab, Silver Yao stretched lazily, looking almost at ease. But if one looked carefully into her eyes, one would find them filled with questions.

She truly could not understand why she was unable to break past the Void Realm. She could clearly feel that her strength was enough to strike at that barrier. Yet every time she finished gathering power, all the spiritual energy would inexplicably disperse. And each time she gathered it again, it would scatter of its own accord. It left Silver Yao deeply vexed, but she truly had no idea why.

After straightening her clothes a little, Silver Yao left Cold Spirit Valley and descended the mountain. Splendid City had not changed in the slightest because of the departure of the few of them; it was still peaceful as ever. But Silver Yao knew this was only the calm before the storm. As the three-month pact drew nearer, how many more days could such harmony and peace truly last?

Shaking her head, Silver Yao forced herself not to think too much. At an inn, she asked the waiter to bring writing materials, then swiftly wrote a few words on paper:

Has the person been found? If so, proceed according to the plan.

She handed it to the waiter, who vanished with the letter. This place was in fact one of the hidden strongholds of the Liyin Sect. Silver Yao did not wish to expose herself to the eyes of Ji Muyu’s spies, so she did not return to the sect in person, and only sent word back through others.

Night gradually fell. Looking at the bright moon hanging in the sky, Silver Yao felt something stirring in her heart. On the fifteenth of every month, Chu Su too would remember her, would he not? She wondered whether, while in seclusion, he still thought of her.

Shaking her head at the moon, Silver Yao felt that she had been thinking far too much today.

With practiced familiarity, she arrived at Xuanyu Palace. This time, just as before, Silver Yao incapacitated everyone unrelated, leaving only Wan Youxue behind.

At Silver Yao’s arrival, Wan Youxue’s heart was full of conflict. She wanted to recover her memories, yet she was also afraid and wished to retreat. But now, was she truly going to go back on it?

As though seeing through the tangle in Wan Youxue’s heart, Silver Yao beckoned to her. “Youxue, don’t worry. I won’t force you. If you wish to change your mind now, it is still not too late.”

Hearing this, Wan Youxue felt ashamed before Silver Yao. Silver Yao had put so much care into helping her recover her memories, and yet at this very moment she herself suddenly wanted to halt everything. Was this not far too unfair to Silver Yao?

Wan Youxue smiled gently and shook her head. “No. I will not regret it.”

“Even if we do not carry out the final step of treatment, I have already cured your headaches. You do not need to force yourself. Make the decision for yourself,” Silver Yao said. How could she possibly compel Wan Youxue when she could hear the hesitation in her heart? At this moment, she was truly wavering.

Wan Youxue fell silent. Silver Yao understood her well, cared for her deeply, and always thought of what was best for her. But the more Silver Yao was like this, the guiltier Wan Youxue felt toward her.

She thought back to the first time she had met Silver Yao, and to the firmness she had shown when she accepted treatment. Her wavering heart gradually steadied. Why should she not hold fast to her original resolve?

A radiant smile bloomed across her face, without the least trace of strain. “No, Silver Yao. I will hold to what I first decided. Let us begin. I am also very curious to know exactly what memories I lost.”

“Good!” Seeing that Wan Youxue had finally steadied her heart, Silver Yao was delighted as well. This way, she was not forcing her, was she?

Silver Yao sat by the table and motioned for Wan Youxue to sit opposite her. “Youxue, put aside all distracting thoughts. Look into my eyes and follow my guidance. Trust me completely, and do not be nervous.”

This was hypnosis. After Silver Yao guessed that this stretch of memory had been sealed away by Wan Youxue herself, she had formed this plan. Hypnosis from the twenty-first century was the best way to unearth the deepest secrets hidden within a person’s heart. And Silver Yao had long since resolved to use it to help Wan Youxue recover her memories.

Wan Youxue’s gaze gradually grew unfocused, drifting, until at last it turned hollow.

“Wan Youxue, now you will recall the extermination of the Wan family and the grievous blow suffered by Twilight Tower. Follow your truest heart. Do not evade those memories. Face them.”

Silver Yao’s voice seemed like something carried from ancient times, faint and elusive, as though both present and absent.

The emptiness in Wan Youxue’s eyes gradually cleared. Slowly, she began to speak.

“It was him. It was Ji Muyu who killed my family. Because my father would not consent to my being with him, he would not accept it, and in the end he struck with poison, killing every member of the Wan family. Only I was secretly taken away from the Wan household by him. I secretly returned home and saw with my own eyes the scene of my loved ones being slaughtered.”

“Ah!” Suddenly Wan Youxue clutched her head with both hands and cried out in agony.

Silver Yao rose quickly and steadied her. “It is already past. It is over.”

Hearing Silver Yao’s words, Wan Youxue slowly ceased struggling and murmured, “It is over... it is over...”

Silver Yao guided Wan Youxue’s eyes back to meet her own and said softly, “Youxue, that is in the past. We must learn to face it properly. Tell me, why did Twilight Tower suffer such a devastating blow? Was it because of you?”

“It was me. I became someone with red hair and red eyes. I succumbed to deviation. I killed so many people. That was the first time I ever killed... killed...” Wan Youxue spoke in a low voice, and by the end she could not help trembling.

At the sight of her, a flash of pain passed through Silver Yao’s eyes. But this too could not be avoided. Since Wan Youxue had chosen to face the past, she had to bear all of it.

“Wan Youxue, when I count down three, two, one, you will fall asleep. Your memories will return. If you need me, come to Fortune Inn.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

Wan Youxue closed her eyes and slumped over the table. Clearly, she had already fallen into sleep. In her dreams, she would remember everything. By tomorrow, Wan Youxue would once more be a woman with all her memories whole.

Silver Yao gave her one last look, then turned and left. She thought that tomorrow, she would see Wan Youxue again.