Chapter 751: Change Never Stops, What Is Fated Remains Fated |
When An Mingyu arrived at the Fire Passing Hall, only Qin Xin was there.
Looking at the heavy armor reflecting cold light, the Blind One's heart swirled with a thousand conflicting emotions.
Only then did she realize what Qin Xin's words at the end of the last trial — "Welcome home" — truly meant. This founder who steadfastly upheld goodness had personally sent another version of himself, one who equally upheld goodness, to a different world, and then greeted her arrival with that single phrase.
He was still him, yet he was no longer him.
"You're here, Mingyu."
Qin Xin smiled and waved the Blind One over, though a trace of lingering sorrow lurked within that smile.
The Blind One sensed that sorrow and assumed he was mourning the Blind One who had originally belonged to this world.
"You... certainly had no qualms letting her go off alone."
Qin Xin blinked in surprise, then smiled and shook his head. "There's nothing to worry about. I know that in that world, there's another me who will look after her."
Because given all the despair she had endured today, this founder of the Torchbearers could hardly be said to have "looked after" her. Rather, it was the Fate Weaver who had arrived "just in time" to stitch her shattered destiny back together and pull her from the brink.
Of course, the Blind One wasn't complaining. She was simply reflecting on Fate — especially her own.
Seeing that the Blind One had come but remained silent, Qin Xin quickly guessed what she was thinking. He sighed and said:
"Perhaps the original intent of the Torchbearers never accounted for a situation like this, but Mingyu, you must believe — we have never meant any harm."
The Blind One sighed as well. "I know. Relax, Qin Xin. I'm not a fragile person..."
By the second half of that sentence, even her own tone lacked conviction. But Qin Xin knew the Blind One was a resilient player, so he smiled and moved past the heavy topic.
"Any news to share? Or would you rather rest for a while?"
"I came to—"
"If you want to 'take a leave of absence,' I can extend your time off a bit. But if you're thinking of resigning — sorry, Mingyu, I'm a ruthless boss. I won't approve it.
You can walk further alongside the Torchbearers. We will never be a burden to you, just as we won't be a burden to the Fate Weaver either."
"..." If he hadn't brought that up it would have been fine, but mentioning it only made the Blind One's expression grow stranger.
Lao Deng had slipped through both their grasps and nearly caused Cheng Shi catastrophic trouble — and it was Cheng Shi himself who resolved the mess. Given that, where exactly did this so-called "not being a burden" apply?
But the Blind One also knew it had been an "accident" — an unavoidable one caused by the gods' interference that couldn't be blamed on the Torchbearers. So she told Qin Xin that Cheng Shi had already dealt with Lao Deng.
Qin Xin was stunned by the news. His first thought wasn't about why Cheng Shi had the opportunity or the strength to eliminate Lao Deng immediately, but rather whether the Flame of Hope's nonchalant attitude meant He had already foreseen the outcome of this entire affair.
Born in the Void and connected to a certain "future" — this identity made Qin Xin wonder about His relationship with Fate.
And just how many of Their wills had been woven into this "accident"?
"In that case, the danger is completely resolved. It's time to forget the Fate Weaver." As he spoke, Qin Xin once again produced two vials of Remembrance Needle.
The Blind One looked at the Remembrance Needles on the table and shook her head, placing her own vial alongside them. She said softly, "I can't forget him just yet. I'm sorry."
"..." Qin Xin froze, then furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment. "Does the Fate Weaver know?"
The Blind One nodded, her expression complicated.
Qin Xin understood. He asked nothing more, simply picked up one of the Remembrance Needles with resolve:
"Alright. In that case, I'll just forget this along with everything else.
But Mingyu, since you've chosen to keep your memories, remember to remind me about the Prisoner after I've forgotten everything related to the Fate Weaver.
I'm afraid his memory might get swept away along with the rest."
"The Prisoner?" The Blind One frowned. "Still no word from him?"
"None. After the special trial ended, he never appeared again. And it's not just him — I've received confirmed reports that quite a few players vanished after that trial. They seem to have found something during the trial, and the instant they were transported out, a mysterious force spirited them away."
"Alright. I'll remind you."
With the Blind One's assurance, Qin Xin smiled and used the three vials of Remembrance Needle. He used one extra, though the Blind One didn't know what additional memory he had erased.
Shortly after, Qin Xin opened his eyes again. The two Torchbearers exchanged a few words, and then he frowned as he pulled a letter from within his armor.
He couldn't remember who had written it, but after reading it, he turned to the Blind One with a peculiar question:
"Mingyu, if possible, could you ask Zhen Xin for me — what changes have occurred recently on Memory's Ladder of Ascent?"
The Blind One found the question baffling, but she silently noted it and asked nothing further.
"Sure."
...
Meanwhile, in the Void.
A pair of star-filled eyes suddenly opened amid the infinite darkness — irises etched with constellations and spirals that coldly swept across the surrounding emptiness. After a moment, a frigid voice spoke:
"How much longer do you intend to hide?"
The Void offered no response. It seemed as though He had been mistaken, but those eyes did not withdraw. Instead, they grew colder still:
"The Authority you traded with me led me straight to you. I took that as an invitation. Now that I've arrived, you refuse to show yourself.
What — afraid after the beating you took?"
"Me? Afraid?"
A derisive snort echoed before those eyes, and then an identical pair snapped open directly opposite.
Deceit — the Manifestation of Void — couldn't endure His sibling god's mockery and immediately leapt to retort:
"Who's afraid of whom? That's far from settled!"
Normally, Fate would have fired back with something even sharper upon hearing this — especially today, right after their internal war, when tensions between them should have been at their peak. His counterattack should have been fiercer than ever. Yet upon hearing the taunt, He fell unexpectedly silent.
When He went quiet, the Fun God across from Him fell silent too. The Void suddenly became still — not a single sound left in existence.
After a long while, a flicker of complexity passed through Fate's eyes. He looked at Deceit and asked an inexplicable question.
"Who am I?"
The playful gleam at the corner of Deceit's eyes stuttered, but He quickly let out another scoff. "Heh — got hit so hard you forgot? Who else could you be?"
"Then who are you?"
"Heh~
Now that's an interesting question. Who should I be?
Or rather — who do you want me to be?"
Fate fell silent again for a long moment, then said: "I don't know who you are. But all I want is to be myself."
With that, He departed — left without anger, as if He would pursue the matter of the lost Authority no further.
Deceit raised an eyebrow, watching the direction of Fate's departure. A cunning light flickered through His eyes.
"Figured it out? Or just scared?
No matter. Change never stops, yet what is fated remains fated."
...
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