Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 556 - 522 Past Lives and Present Life

Chapter 556: 522 Past Lives and Present Life

The power of the Unfortunate people lightly spares those whom the person involved doesn’t care about but pays special attention to those whom they do care about. This pattern reminds me of the power of Impermanence to alter history and revive the dead.

The deeper the relationship with Impermanence, the harder it is for Impermanence to resurrect them. Conversely, ordinary people with no significant connection to Impermanence can often be revived in large numbers.

The power of the Blessed Monk has a similar effect. The more one desires something, the more one gains power from it, and the source of this emotion of "desire" is the reality of "unattainable." Those who become Blessed Monks seem to be cursed. Blessed Monks with the power to guide directions are destined to lose their own way, and those who desire other things as Blessed Monks cannot obtain their true desires.

Looking back, people who have gained incredible powers in the abnormal world always seem to end up with results contrary to their wishes, no matter how convenient their powers seem. The stronger the power, the more this nature becomes evident. I don’t know if the pattern I summarized is correct, and if correct, what kind of logic it is based on.

Returning to the issue of the Unfortunate people power. One of the reasons I judge that Tan Xiang becomes relatively safe after leaving me is another reason. That is, I am now very far from Mazao.

The more distant the relationship with Mazao, the lower the extent to which one is affected by the power of the Unfortunate people. Although I am confident in my close relationship with Mazao, now that we are separated in different eras, it is already a miracle that the Unfortunate people power continues to care for me. In other words, this is probably the limit for me.

In fact, as someone who is close to Mazao and unaware of the long time spent together, Little Bowl seems to be free from the misfortune of the Unfortunate people power after Mazao crossed into the modern world while she was in the Doomsday Era. I don’t think the power of the Unfortunate people has truly left Little Bowl by following Mazao into a different era; otherwise, it cannot explain my current situation. I am more inclined to believe that the influence of the Unfortunate people power on Little Bowl has been reduced to the extent that it can be covered by Little Bowl’s strong luck.

Since Little Bowl and I are already at the end of the Unfortunate people power’s influence, it will not be passed on to people we come into contact with.

Tan Xiang lowered his head and said nothing more. I think he should roughly be resolute about leaving this small three-person team and let him think it over alone. Compared to this person, encountered on the journey, who doesn’t make a difference if there’s one more or less, I am now more concerned about the wandering soul.

"Have you heard about the Tai Sui Army?" I asked the wandering soul.

"The Tai Sui Army, they’re referred to as the Tai Sui remnants," the wandering soul replied. "That’s what they call themselves."

This was much as I had expected. Just as in martial arts novels, demon sects rarely call themselves demon sects, but rather refer to themselves as holy sects. Similarly, the Tai Sui remnants wouldn’t truly call themselves remnants. Originally split again and again under the hunt and capture of the Evangelical Institute, calling themselves remnants might just dampen their spirits too much.

The wandering soul’s gaze still lingered on my face.

I knew what he wanted to say, so I took out the Three-Life Stone Powder from my flame.

As a secret medicine capable of restoring the memory of a Doomsday survivor, although it comes with the cost of shortening the life span of the user, there might exist some method that can exempt from this cost. I don’t know exactly what method it is, but I don’t have the habit of giving up easily after nothing has been tried. Therefore, in my heart, there is always the possibility of keeping it first, for later use to help Little Bowl recover her memory.

But since Little Bowl subtly hinted at leaving this item to the wandering soul, I have no choice but to trust her.

The wandering soul extended his hands, solemnly taking the paper packet containing the Three-Life Stone Powder as if receiving a sacred object.

"I’m deeply grateful..." he muttered dreamily.

Tan Xiang silently watched this scene. Everyone here knows that the Three-Life Stone Powder is a poison with no chance of survival. Although we are merely casual acquaintances, the wandering soul is, after all, a teammate who shared hardships with us, so Tan Xiang’s feelings must be complicated now.

The wandering soul opened the paper packet, revealing a handful of gray powder that looked like crushed rock, with varying coarseness, causing concern that it might scratch the throat of the person consuming it.

"Can you spare me some water?" the wandering soul asked Tan Xiang.

Tan Xiang retrieved a plastic bottle filled with pure water from his backpack and tossed it to the wandering soul.

After catching it, the latter expressed his gratitude and then, without hesitation, poured the Three-Life Stone Powder into his mouth, swallowing it mixed with water. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

A mysterious woman mentioned before that the amount of Three-Life Stone Powder in this paper packet was only enough for one person. And now, the wandering soul has consumed it all.

After drinking the water, he vigorously wiped his mouth and attempted to screw the cap back on. Suddenly, his expression changed, his body swayed back and forth, and he abruptly sat down on the ground.

Tan Xiang immediately stood up and asked, "What’s the matter?"

From the surface of the wandering soul’s spirit, I observed a large fluctuation of emotions, yet even I couldn’t comprehend the emotional state of the wandering soul at the moment. If previously his mind was like a stable and clear pond, then now this pond has been violently stirred with a spade, turning it muddy and chaotic.

At this moment, countless thoughts likely occupied the wandering soul’s mind. He grasped his head tightly, emitting a low moan that was neither of sadness nor joy.

"His memory is being restored," I concluded. "Give him some time."

Upon hearing this, Tan Xiang sat back in his chair, continuing to watch the changes in the wandering soul.

After a while, the wandering soul finally calmed down, and I also observed the "mud" in his mind sedimenting back to the bottom, his mind slowly returning to an orderly state.

After a long while, he finally exhaled, then lifted his head to look at us.

His gaze seemed somewhat unfamiliar, but it wasn’t as if he regarded Tan Xiang and me as strangers; instead, it revealed many complex emotions that I couldn’t understand.

The "Three Lives Stone" in the Three-Life Stone Powder symbolizes a person’s past life, present life, and future life, a concept highly tied to reincarnation. When it comes to one’s past and future self, many people feel that it is a completely different entity from their present self. This is because, in these people’s eyes, memory is the key material that forms personality, and wiping memory to start over is no different from death.

In a sense, the wandering soul that Tan Xiang and I knew has already died, and the one looking at us now is another person.

And this person is also about to die; those who take the Three-Life Stone Powder are destined not to live long.

The Doomsday Era is the end of the world, after which there will be no future lives.

"Has your memory returned?" I asked.

The wandering soul slowly nodded: "It has returned."

"Little Bowl told you that as long as your memory returns, she can escape the crisis. Can you tell me why this is now?" I said.

"I can, but I need to solve a problem first."

Saying this, the wandering soul looked at the other person present, "Tan Xiang, it seems you want to leave but lack a survivor team willing to accept you, right?"

Tan Xiang was initially taken aback, then nodded.

The wandering soul took out paper and pen, and a cartographer’s map from their backpack.

"I remembered many things, just in time to help you out."

While speaking, he wrote some words separately on the paper and the map, then folded them apart and went over to hand these items, along with the Blessed Lamp he held, to Tan Xiang.

"The next matters shouldn’t be heard by outsiders, so take these things and leave first," the wandering soul said, "In the area near this abandoned Evangelical Institute, there is a place where survivors gather. Just turn left and keep walking after leaving this place, and you will arrive there.

"You should be able to find a survivor team still lingering there. Just hand this letter of recommendation to the leader, and you can join them. The leader is an old acquaintance of mine, and in the name of this blessing, he will accept you.

"There will also be a person in a black cloak there. After you enter that place, they will try to talk to you. Just hand them the map with words. Don’t unfold it, as you wouldn’t understand this kind of map anyway."

Tan Xiang raised his hand to take these things; at the moment, he seemed engulfed in intense hesitation and unease, saying, "But..."

"Don’t say useless things; Zhuang Cheng and I won’t accompany you. I’m about to die soon, and Zhuang Cheng carries misfortune with him, making it inconvenient to contact other survivor teams," the wandering soul said, "Don’t worry. Just head in that direction, and you’ll arrive soon. The blessing will also automatically correct your route to the right direction."

Listening to the wandering soul’s words, I had some vague thoughts within, yet refrained from voicing any objection to the decisions he made.

Tan Xiang hesitated repeatedly, finally seeming to have made up his mind to leave, standing up to say, "I understand... then, goodbye."

"Hmm... before parting, I’ll give you some simple advice as someone experienced," the wandering soul said, "Remember what Zhuang Cheng said last time?"

"Which words?" Tan Xiang asked in confusion.

"As long as you have enough willpower to make a vow within your heart that is within your ability, even a mortal can master the power to intervene in fate," the wandering soul said, "Remember these words if you really want to go home; they might help you."

Tan Xiang obviously did not grasp the meaning but did not argue at this moment, seemingly treating it as parting words and said after nodding, "I will remember that."

Afterward, we walked out of the building’s ruins, and Tan Xiang, with sincere words, bowed his head to the wandering soul and me, saying, "Thank you for your care along the way, then... I’ll go first."

Nervously turning around and holding the Blessed Lamp, he left, looking back every three steps toward the distant horizon.

Watching his trembling figure disappear into the darkness in the distance, I turned my head towards the wandering soul and said, "Now, should you get to the point?"

The wandering soul first nodded, then walked to the pond not far away, took out his small knife, cut off his disheveled hair, shaved the beard covering his chin and upper lip, crouched down to wash all the dirt off his face with clear water, and finally stood up to face me again.

The person standing before me with a freshly cleaned face surprisingly resembled the person who just left, only with a more weathered demeanor, rougher skin, and some mottled scars on his face.

An incredibly absurd feeling occupied my heart.

"Tan Xiang?" I blurted out.

"It’s me, Zhuang Cheng," he said wistfully, "Sorry, I still forgot all those things you said."

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