Chapter 112: Killing Myself (Part II)

Back in the room, I began to realize that many doubts had lingered before, and I could no longer tell if the things I had witnessed were real or imagined.

Xiyue sat by my side, her voice soft: "You saw many illusions, but because of your unique nature, you are able to perceive many things that are yet to come. The Thrush Village you saw is merely shifting within your own consciousness."

Hearing this, my face drained of color. I stared at Xiyue, filled with anxiety, and for a moment, I could feel her gaze fixed upon me, her expression perfectly clear. She was not lying to me.

"But..." Before I could finish, the door was pushed open.

It was the innkeeper.

"Hungry, are you both? I’ve had my servant prepare two bowls of plain noodles. Please, make do with this!"

For some reason, I was genuinely hungry, but as I met the innkeeper’s familiar gaze, my appetite vanished instantly. I could feel a sinister force radiating from him, a sensation that struck a chord of terror deep within my marrow.

Xiyue nodded slightly and said softly, "We are going to rest now."

Hearing her, the innkeeper turned and left. Once the door was closed, Xiyue let out a long breath. "We must be extra careful with that innkeeper. Two Yin-Yang masters are coming soon, and we must be wary of them as well."

"Two Yin-Yang masters? Is one of them named Feng Yang?" I asked immediately, recalling the pair of brothers—the elder, Feng Yang, and the younger, Feng Hu.

Upon hearing my question, Xiyue flashed to the door and looked out. Sure enough, two figures appeared downstairs: one burly man carrying an axe, and another robust man with a long sword strapped to his back. It was indeed the brothers, Feng Hu and Feng Yang.

Xiyue pulled me back into the room.

"Tell me everything you saw next..."

I did not hesitate, recounting everything I had experienced. As she listened, Xiyue shuddered violently. "It seems we must find the Corpse Coffin immediately. Only by finding it and recovering your memories can you truly control Thrush Village!"

The Corpse Coffin? Thrush Village? Me, in control?

I looked at her, bewildered. I longed to understand everything I had heard and felt, especially the meaning behind the notion that in Thrush Village, no one could harm me but myself.

Xiyue looked at my confused face and sighed. "The truth is, as you experienced and saw, you are the true master of Thrush Village. You founded it yourself."

I stood there, stunned. Thrush Village had always been a place of profound mystery to me, filled with countless unknowns.

"It might be hard for you to believe, but I was once just an ancient corpse within the village. The same goes for the other two corpses we discussed. I had suspected there was a place where three corpses converge, and now I am certain that place is somewhere here in Thrush Village."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Zhao Shiwu told me that the convergence of three corpses would give birth to an ancient demon. Are you saying I orchestrated all of this myself?"

Xiyue did not nod; she shook her head.

"Things are far more complicated. Because Su Ying broke the balance of the Life-Blood Formation set within your body, your essence began to change from the moment Zhao Shiwu rescued you from the Ghost City. You have lost all your previous memories."

"Because you forgot who you were, the version of yourself you created seeks to replace you, to become the master of Thrush Village and control all the resources in this space-time."

Myself? I immediately thought of the innkeeper.

"Xiyue, are you talking about the innkeeper?"

Xiyue nodded without hesitation. I had no reason to doubt her; in these circumstances, she was the only one I could trust.

"I warned you when we entered: the only one who can kill you in Thrush Village is yourself."

I nodded. "What should we do now?"

Xiyue smiled slightly. "We must remain calm and adapt to changing circumstances. The innkeeper is clever and has lived here for many years; he knows the village inside and out. The reason this inn accepts Yin-Yang masters is that it sits at the heart of the village. At night, massive space-time turbulence sweeps across the areas outside. Anyone walking about would be shredded by that terrifying force, their souls scattered. Even the ghosts must hide in nearby caves or tunnels."

"But we are out in the open, and the innkeeper is in the shadows. We are no match for his methods."

Xiyue shook her head. "As long as we do not leave this room, we should be safe. Once Zhao Shiwu and Chen Balian locate the Corpse Coffin, they will come for us."

I felt a wave of relief. They had made it in safely and were already in contact with Xiyue.

"By the way, Wan Niang entered with me. Why did she disappear?" I asked, still worried about her, especially after losing her daughter.

"Don't worry. I saw Wan Niang earlier; she has gone to find her daughter."

I fell silent. After this exchange, my heart grew calmer. I knew now that many of the ghosts in the village feared me; I only needed to guard against the innkeeper. I even felt that he was afraid of me, and if I pretended to have regained my memory, I might be able to bluff him.

I reached out to pick up the bowl of steaming noodles.

"Don't touch it!"

Xiyue stopped me, stepped forward, and waved her hand over the bowl. My hand trembled—I looked down to see that the bowl I was holding contained not noodles, but a tangled, writhing mass of human hair.