Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 54

There was a special training mission today. Early in the morning, the instructor arrived at the training ground to set up. Then he saw Ling Xiao and Ying Feng jogging. Ling Xiao was running far ahead, and when Ying Feng saw him, he stopped.

“You two are truly diligent,” the instructor expressed with surprise. “Didn’t I say you already exceeded the physical requirements for the entrance exams?”

“It was Ling Xiao’s request,” Ying Feng said, moving to the side and watching with the instructor as Ling Xiao ran on the track. After deciding to take the exam, Ling Xiao viewed the Qizhu as a future competitor and didn’t lower his standards just because he was the Qizi.

“He jogs every morning, practices his mental strength during the day, has practical training in the evening, and stays up late reading history books.” Almost every night, Ying Feng had to use some force to make him turn off the lights.

The instructor nodded in appreciation. “Ling Xiao is incredibly talented. It’s rare to see someone so naturally gifted yet also so hardworking. For many years, he has aimed to surpass you. Several times, I’ve seen him training alone deep into the night before an exam. And the next day, after the test, when he asks whose score was higher between the two of you, I often can’t bear to disappoint him. In any other batch, with his abilities, he would have stood out. But in this batch, he met you.”

Just as Ling Xiao finished a lap, he approached them. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing.” The instructor quickly changed the subject. “Ying Feng mentioned you’ve been reading a lot. Studying history is not just about reading books. Visiting a historical museum can be very insightful.”

“Museum?” Ling Xiao’s eyes lit up. After days of intense reading, his view of history had changed. He no longer found it boring and had even developed an interest. Hearing about the museum, he looked at Ying Feng, his intentions clear on his face.

“Let’s go.” Ying Feng turned to leave, and Ling Xiao, after greeting the instructor, quickly followed. The instructor watched them go, feeling relieved. While it was regrettable that Ling Xiao couldn’t become the Qizhu, it seemed he had found a new direction.

The historical museum the instructor mentioned was not far from their place. In a short while, they arrived. The museum was open to the public with no admission fee.

It was organized by themes, not chronologically. Ling Xiao studied the map and decided to start with the military-political section on the top floor.

Upon reaching the top, he was immediately drawn to the statues lining the corridor. These statues, made by later generations, were of historical figures. Each had a glass display containing a dagger they once used, with their life stories engraved below.

After several days of intensive reading on history, Ling Xiao no longer drew a blank when looking at these historical figures; he recognized the very first one he saw.

“I know him. He’s the great marshal who overthrew the emperor and established the republic. The first year of the New Era refers to the year he founded the nation.”

Ying Feng gave a slight nod, acknowledging that Ling Xiao correctly stated basic historical knowledge.

Having received the “Ying Feng-style encouragement”, he enthusiastically continued talking about one figure after another. As he continued, he recognized fewer and fewer of them, and Ying Feng proceeded to explain each one to him.

After walking through the corridor and reviewing the history of their world, they reached the end, where several empty spots awaited future figures. Ling Xiao mused, “If my statue could be here one day, my life would be worth it.”

“We are constantly oscillating between sleep and awakening; how do you know you’re not among those ahead?”

This statement startled Ling Xiao. As he looked back, he felt that each figure seemed more vibrant and familiar. Any of them could have been from his era—they might be heroes he looked up to, or close companions, comrades, family he spent day and night with, or even himself. With this thought, it seemed as though the barriers of time no longer existed.

“You might be right. Maybe not just me, but you could also be here.” He scanned the statues and pointed at the founding marshal. “I think he looks a bit like you.”

Ying Feng silently diagnosed Ling Xiao with “face blindness“, a condition he read about in an extraterrestrial medical book. It seemed there was one more ailment their people could suffer from.

If Ling Xiao really had face blindness, his earlier comment about a first-year student resembling the Tianxiu ancient ancestor couldn’t be entirely trusted.

“Ah.” Ling Xiao suddenly pointed ahead. “Isn’t that Xing Lou?”

Following his direction, Ying Feng saw a man standing alone next to a display case in the center of the hall. Unlike the usual tourists who would lean in to inspect closely, this man was almost pressed up against the showcase, with his raised right hand lingering on the glass.

He looked down at the artifacts inside. Rather than looking like he was admiring, it was more like he was mourning. An indescribable emotion flowed in his eyes. Surely, one wouldn’t show such an expression for an inanimate object.

“Xing Lou!” Ling Xiao’s voice echoed prominently in the quiet, spacious museum. Like being shocked by electricity, Xing Lou’s hand jerked away, and he quickly took a step back from the display case. Recognizing the person who called his name, he showed a gentle, harmless smile. “Senior Ling Xiao.”

Ling Xiao didn’t notice Xing Lou’s unusual behavior earlier. Meeting an acquaintance here just felt serendipitous to him. “You’re here to visit too?”

Xing Lou replied, “The history teacher mentioned this place, so I was curious and came to take a look.”

After speaking, Xing Lou shifted his attention to the person next to Ling Xiao. Suddenly, Ling Xiao became nervous. If asked about Ying Feng, he wouldn’t be able to introduce him as his Qizhu like other Qizis could.

Fortunately, Xing Lou only glanced briefly and didn’t ask the potentially awkward question.

“Senior, I’ve finished this floor. Continue your tour; I’m heading downstairs.”

“Oh, alright.” Ling Xiao nodded, bidding him farewell.

As Xing Lou walked past Ying Feng, he unconsciously slowed down. Both slightly turned their heads, their gazes brushing over each other but quickly shifting away. As Xing Lou walked further away and Ying Feng didn’t turn back, their distance widened, with Ling Xiao watching for a moment.

“Was it, was it?” After Xing Lou was out of earshot, Ling Xiao urgently asked Ying Feng. “Doesn’t he look a lot like the male ancestor of the Tianxiu people?”

Ying Feng mentally upgraded Ling Xiao’s face-blindness by a notch. “How do they look alike at all?”

“Not alike?” Ling Xiao, puzzled, touched his chin. He felt they looked very similar, almost identical.

“Oh right, what was he looking at? He seemed so engrossed.” Ling Xiao went to examine the central display. The artifact inside was palm-sized, severely corroded from age, but faintly recognizable as a badge.

On one side of the display case, there is a 3D restoration projection of the artifact, allowing people to clearly see its original appearance. It has the outline of a hexagram with intricate patterns engraved in the center, the most prominent of which is a crown.

“This is the emblem of the ancient royal family,” Ling Xiao read the description. “Over four thousand years old, it is one of the oldest known artifacts, symbolizing the heir of the ancient royal family.”

After reading, he commented, “To have something from 4,000 years ago preserved so well indicates an advanced civilization back then.”

“Is he really a freshman?” Ying Feng suddenly asked.

“Of course, why do you ask?”

“His eyes don’t seem like a fledgling’s.”

“That’s because you haven’t seen him almost die from fright at the sight of a spider.” Ling Xiao chuckled, recalling that event. “But what should a fledgling’s gaze look like?” He only knew about the eye color of the fledgling.

Ying Feng didn’t continue. They finished touring that floor, moving to the next level showcasing folk artifacts. This area was more relaxed than the top floor, with softer lighting and soothing music playing.

“Mem, mory, Stone.” Ling Xiao read the name of the artifact in front of him.

He looked down and noticed that this wasn’t just one stone, but a row of them. From left to right, there were about more than ten stones. Each stone was inscribed with ancient characters that he couldn’t understand. In front of the stones, there were also labels indicating their respective eras.

It was then he realized that these stones weren’t excavated from the same batch. Even their estimated ages varied. The stone on the far left dated back to 4,000 years ago, and as he looked further to the right, the stones became progressively newer. Surprisingly, the one on the far right was marked as being from just 70-80 years ago.

“Logically speaking, items within a hundred years should not be classified as historical relics. However, this item is an exception in this museum. The ‘Memory Stone’ spans from thousands of years to just decades, transcending the scope of typical artifacts. Its existence remains an enigma in historical circles.”

Ling Xiao looked up to find the museum staff member who had been explaining to him standing politely nearby.

“Can I ask about these stones?”

“These artifacts from different eras share a common feature—they all bear the exact same inscription. When historians found the first ‘Memory Stone’, they thought it was just a typical stone inscribed with ancient script. But as the second and third stones surfaced, it became clear that these were no ordinary stones.”

“No one can live for thousands of years,” Ling Xiao said. “The inscriptions on these stones were probably engraved by different people. For example, the most recent one; anyone who’s been to this museum could mimic it.”

“In theory, yes. This made the discovery of the recent stone quite controversial. Given how popular the culture of the Memory Stone has become, many try to imitate it. But after extensive scrutiny by handwriting experts, the inscriptions on these stones, whether in writing style or engraving technique, all seem to originate from the same person. That’s the most intriguing part of the Memory Stone.”

“That’s unbelievable!” Ling Xiao exclaimed, somewhat taken aback. “What do the inscriptions mean?”

“It’s an ancient language. Pronounced ‘Oh-sa-mi-su-ka’, in modern language it translates to ‘I miss you.'”

“Oh sami suka,” Ling Xiao repeated.

“Yes.”

Ling Xiao recited it a couple more times, finding the phrase rather pleasant to the ears. He turned around to find that Ying Feng, who had just been beside him, had wandered off to another display, presumably uninterested in the topic at hand.

“The museum offers a service where interested visitors can carve their own ‘Memory Stone’. We’ll use a ‘time machine’ to deliver it to your loved one.”

“A time machine?”

The staff member chuckled. “Not the kind you’re thinking of. We’ll safely store your Memory Stone and after three, five, or even ten years, we’ll send it to the terminal number you provide.”

“I see,” Ling Xiao mused. “I don’t really have anyone I’m missing right now, so maybe I’ll pass.”

“Just because you don’t miss someone today doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. The Memory Stone is a popular symbol of love nowadays. It translates to wanting to be with someone every single moment. Even lovers who see each other daily opt for this meaningful gift, hoping to surprise their future partners.”

Ling Xiao had to admit that the sales pitch was convincing. While he currently didn’t have a partner, if life could change so drastically in just ten days, what could ten years bring?

“Alright,” he agreed. “I’ll carve one.”

The staff chose a stone for him and provided an ancient script sample. Using his own dagger, Ling Xiao meticulously began to engrave the stone.

“Done,” handing over the finished product to the staff, the latter’s expression momentarily froze.

“Your imitation is very close to the original.”

“Really? Perhaps I was influenced by what I saw.”

The staff nodded in agreement. “I’ll package this for you. Have you decided when you’d like this delivered?”

“The longest duration,” Ling Xiao swiped his card and hesitated momentarily during registration. In the end, he filled in Ying Feng’s terminal number.

Ten years… If the ‘Awakening Plan’ succeeds, he and Ying Feng’s blood pact should be over by then. This could serve as his parting gift.

Just as he finished, Ying Feng returned and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Ling Xiao hastily handed everything back to the staff. “Just buying some souvenirs.”

Ying Feng, seeing Ling Xiao empty-handed, wasn’t convinced.

Ling Xiao truly became interested in the museum and ended up spending an entire day there. Ying Feng thought he would go back and rest in the dormitory after returning, but to his surprise, Ling Xiao insisted on going to the training hall for a “short while” of practice.

After a “short while” later, Ling Xiao, drenched in sweat, collapsed onto the floor. Even Ying Feng was forced to sit on the ground, catching his breath.

Finally stabilizing his breathing, Ling Xiao said, “Let’s take a break and then continue.”

“Again?”

“I haven’t trained all day today, and tomorrow I’ll be out the whole day for blood donation. If I don’t work hard now, I’ll fall behind the others.”

Ying Feng couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really need to push yourself this hard?”

Ling Xiao, lying flat on the floor, raised one hand, showing a tiny gap between his thumb and index finger.

“You see, this was the gap between me and you in the past. I always felt that with a little more effort, I could surpass you.”

Then he opened his hand wide. “Now, this is the gap between you and me. No matter how hard I try, I can’t catch up.”

He lowered his hand, looking straight at the ceiling, calmly stating, “Ying Feng, I’ll never catch up to you in this lifetime. But whether it was before or now, my desire to close that gap has never changed. Whether the gap is of a finger’s or an arm’s length, I’ll do my best to get closer to the height you’re at.”

Ying Feng was silent for a long while, then stood up, extending his hand to Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao took it, and with a pull from Ying Feng, was lifted off the ground.

Ying Feng took a step back, signaling Ling Xiao to get ready.

“Let’s go.”

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The author has something to say:

1. Some readers previously questioned why Ling Xiao, after taking the Ember, was defeated by Ying Feng, while Zhu Yue, after taking Ember, managed to defeat Zhen He. The original text clearly explained that the effects of the Ember had worn off when Ling Xiao confronted Ying Feng. He took on the coming-of-age ceremony with Ying Feng while under the side effects and being severely injured.

2. Some think Zhu Yue’s pact with Zhen He was sudden or arbitrary. Zhen He’s foreshadow appeared in Chapter 22, and even earlier hints in the story indicated that the Qizhu isn’t necessarily the gong, and it wasn’t referring to the virgin Ping Zong.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Here I was thinking there was going to be some switch.

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