In the vast darkness, I kept walking forward.
After leaving Xuan’er, I couldn’t escape this endless darkness either.
Along the way, I met many people and saw many things, but they were all just fleeting memories.
However, seeing things I had long forgotten brought some emotion. Even carrying Yi Shui had an effect on me.
The first thing I saw was my father’s tearful face; it was the memory of my birth.
On that day, he received us but lost the one he loved the most.
At that time, Dad drowned his sorrows in work, and we were sent to live with Grandpa.
I don’t have many memories of Grandpa. Although he seemed to have taken care of us since we were babies, and he even gave us our names. I only remember Grandpa wearing a loose robe and having a hearty, generous smile. He would hold us in his arms, tell us stories, and sing us to sleep.
After a while, Dad picked us up, and Grandpa emigrated overseas. Although we talked on the phone during New Year’s, it always felt like something was missing. If I had the chance, I should go see him. No, no, don’t think about unlucky things. He’s still healthy and strong; nothing will happen to him.
He wouldn’t die as miserably as I did.
Continuing forward, the next scene I saw was at home. However, Dad was still rarely home, and I was basically the one taking care of Xinran. I remember holding her and comforting her when it thundered, and doing various things with her. Yes, since I was young, I didn’t have a mother, so for a while, I took care of Xinran.
I don’t remember this memory clearly. In my impression, Xinran was rarely close to me and never acted spoiled. But… was there some of that?
Looking back now, if Xinran still remembered this time, would she have liked me? After all, I was her only source of support back then. Perhaps she realized her feelings very early on. But at that time, I was just a clueless kid and couldn’t perceive her emotions at all.
Oh, right. We also met Xiao Bai then. Hehe, I thought Yu Hui was a boy, and Xinran always liked to be with her.
“I even wondered if Xinran liked him… What were they even talking about back then?”
Later, Dad started coming home earlier and even tried cooking for us. Hehe, he never made a mistake during surgery, but his cooking was terrible. Yet, Xinran and I would always finish every last bite, and Dad’s furrowed brow would relax.
Then, that person came to our house – Auntie An Yue. After she arrived, she started cooking for us. I guess Dad realized his cooking was too bad and asked Auntie An Yue to help.
It was indeed delicious. She also began to fulfill the role of a mother in taking care of us. She must have had a tough time, balancing her own job and taking care of Ke Ling at home, yet she still made time to look after us.
Xinran and I both thought Dad should marry her, especially since An Yue’s husband had already passed away. When we were still in elementary school, Xinran, Xiao Bai, and I even schemed to get them together.
Later, Auntie became our mother, and I gained a new sister, An Ke Ling. Unlocking her heart… Yes. From the first time I met Ke Ling, I felt a natural closeness, which is why I doted on her. Ke Ling, in turn, felt more like a true younger sister to me, and it was I myself who unconsciously grew distant from Xinran. As a result, I didn’t treat my two sisters equally.
After that, the scenes became fewer and fewer. That period of stable daily life didn’t leave many memories, but it gave me a sense of peace.
This was a time that belonged only to me.
I lived freely and leisurely without any worries or troubles.
It was the most relaxed period of my life.
But good times don’t last forever. As I continued, I saw the most recent scenes.
That day, after getting a leave pass from Lily, I was sitting in the park drinking coffee when I was knocked unconscious by a flying Yata no Kagami, and from then on, I stepped into a world of the abnormal.
And because of that, I met her… Lian.
Later, I also stumbled upon Lily’s secret, reunited with Yu Hui, confessed to Lan, and met Xue Qing and Xuan’er, Li…
The scenes flashed by frequently, truly because too many things had happened recently. Recalling them now gives me a sense of nostalgia.
Experiencing these things firsthand, yet in such a documentary-like manner? This question arises.
I also started to wonder, “Why did I think that way back then? Why did I do those things?”
The reason for these thoughts is that I have changed. The current me cannot understand the actions of my past self.
As people grow, they “kill” their past selves every moment. What I’m doing now is because I’ve become different from before.
People always change.
Moving forward, without looking back, without regret, and taking responsibility for my actions.
Finally, the very, very last…
I finally arrived here again. What I saw was Xuan’er crying in a pool of blood. I sent back the alien god, who bore a striking resemblance to her.
I suddenly felt immense heartache. Although it was the only way to return her to her original self by letting her devour me so that the alien god, who was so unlike a human, could be sent away.
Only by having Xuan’er drink Yi Shui and remember the past could she avoid making the same mistake and changing into that.
But this also made her remember me… and led her to such a cruel ending.
I desperately wanted to hold her and comfort her, but that was already a luxury.
Others too…
We promised to return safely, but in the end, I couldn’t keep my promise.
Guilt overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t accept myself.
Moving on… I’ll probably reach the other world next. Huh?
I wonder if Bu will be there to welcome me? Or perhaps that Soul Messenger, Miss Qin Lianshe?
It would be quite grand if King Yama himself came to pick me up.
Speaking of which, I can still reincarnate.
Yu Hui once told me that I made a bet with a very powerful monk, with a limit of ten reincarnations.
And this life seems to be my last. After that, I’ll remember nothing.
My chances are all used up. Well, it’s all up to fate. Anyway, after drinking Meng Po’s soup, I’ll forget everything.
Oh, I see it now, the light ahead.
Reaching there means I’ll have completed this “dead end,” and I’ll become a part of the underworld.
In my next life… I just want to live an ordinary life.
If there is a next life, I hope I won’t have any more messy things happening to me.
My posture changed to lying down.
The bright light made me close my eyes, and my body became immobile. I also seemed to have gone from standing to lying down.
I opened my eyes and woke up.
The sun…
Why is there a sun in the afterlife? Ridiculous.
I remember Xuan’er once saying that the underworld isn’t like Black Street, where it’s gloomy all over.
A place this bright doesn’t fit my impression of the underworld at all.
Anyway, I’ll get up and take a look.
Pushing myself up, the first thing I saw was the surging ocean.
…Is this the Sanzu River? It looks like this?
And the water looks quite ordinary. Or rather… why does it look so much like the sea?
I looked around again.
I saw a very, very familiar scene.
During those few days of vacation, I had practically made this place my own!
This…
This uninhabited island!!!
“Ooooooooooh!” A crab pinched my nose.
I screamed and jumped up, doing a few flips before face-planting into the sand.
“Wow!”
The pain made me quickly shake my head and spit out the sand from my mouth. When you come back to life, you’re so happy you forget…
But this didn’t diminish my good mood. Anyone who discovers they’re supposed to be dead but suddenly comes back to life would be ecstatic.
That’s right, that’s me.
So, I knelt on the sand, raised my hands, and thanked from the bottom of my heart:
“Thank God for giving me a chance to start over!”
Great! Although I don’t know what’s going on, I’m actually alive! The sound of waves hitting the sand, the smell of the sea breeze, and the pain from the crab pinching my nose, all of this is undoubtedly real.
…Sensation?
Wait, why do I have pain sensation? This is important.
This question might seem absurd to an ordinary person, but to me, it’s quite significant.
You must know that after I became a zombie, my pain sensation dulled considerably. Even being stabbed with a knife…
But now, I can feel pain just from a crab pinching my nose?
At this moment, I discovered another problem.
Didn’t I just raise… my hands? I raised them over my head.
I stared blankly at my right hand, then slowly raised it, knowing I could lift it past my shoulder.
I can really lift it.
My thoughts…
My right hand moved freely as I willed it to.
I raised my left hand in front of me and wiggled my little finger. It works perfectly.
“This…”
I’ve turned back into a human!
My God, could I have truly been reborn? As for my body, being able to lift my right hand or move my left little finger doesn’t seem strange at all! It’s just… why is it on this island? This island where time seems to be out of sync with the outside world.
Could this be a respawn point? Or a rebirth point?
Could it be that I have the ability to be reborn after death?!
Wow, can I start a religion with “Believe in Brother Cheng, Achieve Eternal Life”?
Cough, cough, what am I thinking about… Don’t think about such messy things.
After the initial excitement of coming back to life, I calmed down. The situation was so serious, and there were so many witnesses.
In any case, I should go back. I don’t know how the others are doing. The casualties this time…
The organization won’t be able to cover up this incident, and I need to ensure my food and safety.
Since I’ve turned back into a human, I can’t work sleeplessly anymore.
Speaking of which, there are quite a few wild beasts on this island that are dangerous. I need to ensure my safety.
Thinking this, I started to act. I took off all my clothes, as they were still stained with blood and uncomfortable to wear, and then went to the stream for a cool bath. Although it’s like this, I’m still wearing my boxer briefs.
After all, there’s no one on this island, so it’s okay to be naked… Although speaking of which, I shouldn’t be shameless like Lan.
After washing my clothes, I wrapped them in two large leaves and headed towards the cave. The fire pit where I lived before is still there, as are my homemade fire-starting tools and other necessary items. I don’t need to make them from scratch.
If I can make a raft, I can return to the resort island.
If that’s the case, as long as I’m careful, I can live safely on this island and rebuild my raft. Then I can tell the others where I am.
Once I can do that, returning to modern civilization will be easy. Communication is so advanced; it only takes one phone call.
My heart suddenly filled with confidence.
Just wait, everyone! I will definitely return safely!
