298. The Mystery of the Fourth Simulation
After Zhuge Kongming explained what 'reincarnation' meant, Kiana nodded, seemingly understanding it.
Then she asked again.
"But in that case, is the reincarnated person still the same person?"
This question silenced everyone again. Kiana thought she had asked another silly question and chose to remain silent.
However, this question stumped the others.
After a moment of contemplation, Kongming gave her answer.
"I don't know, but... someone told me I can see him again, so I must find him!"
"So who told you that, and you trust them so readily?" Yun Ling raised an eyebrow, trying to extract information from Kongming.
"It didn't deceive me, and even gave me time to wait for you. Why wouldn't I believe it?" Kongming waved her fan, staring defiantly at Yun Ling.
"So the person who told you about 'reincarnation' and the one who granted you immortality is the same person?" Yun Ling seemed to be slowly guessing something.
"I told you, once I see Lin Chaoyu, and then you come with me to Shenzhou, I'll tell you everything I know." Kongming remained silent on this point.
So, even Lin Chaoyu's appearance in this era is related to that thing?
The fourth simulation mystery...was it the system's doing?
Or was it the 'god' who appeared twice in the fourth simulation?
Or perhaps, they are actually the same person?
In fact, Yun Ling had always felt there were many suspicious points in the fourth simulation. First, it was the only forced simulation he experienced, and the system's explanation at the time was that he triggered it because he encountered a key figure, Cheng Lingshuang, in reality.
Before the fourth simulation, he should have had memories of Shenzhou, but they seemed to have been blurred, making him even forget that Cheng Lingshuang and Li Sushang were his family.
It wasn't until he met Cheng Lingshuang and did the forced simulation that these memories slowly awakened.
Furthermore, the fourth simulation was also the first simulation to be completely aligned with reality, like the eighth simulation, based on events that actually happened in the past. Then, in the fourth simulation, someone appeared who absolutely shouldn't have been there at that time—Su!
If he remembered correctly, Su should still be implementing Project Valuka at this point, searching for a way to combat the Honkai.
But in the simulation, Su appeared in front of Yun Ling's parents like a charlatan, not only bestowing a name upon him but also guiding him to find Fu Hua.
This in itself is a huge contradiction.
If Su wanted Fu Hua to accept Yun Ling, he could have simply told her directly. Why go through all that trouble leaving a leaf as a marker?
If the leaf were lost, wouldn't it be impossible to continue?
Regarding this, Yun Ling felt it was possible that the person who appeared at that time wasn't Su at all; he was afraid to meet Fu Hua for fear of revealing his true identity.
Later, on Mount Wang, Yan Shilu mysteriously self-immolated, constantly muttering "God," while the twin sisters seemed possessed, speaking strange words to Yun Ling.
Later, while listening to Li Sushang's account of Yun Ling's sword-testing experiences at a teahouse, the storyteller, as if possessed, spoke incomprehensible words like the twin sisters.
During this time, there was also the illness afflicting the Sword God Yun Ling.
Yun Ling found it hard to believe that a mere blue-talented, 'A Leech on the Bone', could cause him, who had cultivated the 'Void Unity True Technique', to die before the age of seventy.
The 'Void Unity True Technique' was a true immortal cultivation technique; Cheng Lingshuang and Li Sushang had attained immortality through its cultivation.
And then there were the three inexplicably appearing demonic beasts on Mount Wang, especially the most powerful 'Formless', which looked like a demonic figure from another world.
Even a Judgment-level Honkai Beast wasn't this difficult to kill!
It survived hundreds of attacks from the Sword God Yun Ling, finally being killed only after exhausting all its strength and using the final 'Void Unity True Technique' to attack it. (Yun Ling was unaware that it was Fu Hua who finished it off.)
Then, the fourth simulation inexplicably deducted 80,000 points due to energy loss.
Looking back on his experience in the fourth simulation, it felt like he was being forced into a corner.
It was as if someone had forcibly led Yun Ling down a predetermined path, only to force him to his death.
So what was the purpose of doing it?
Yun Ling couldn't understand.
Currently, the only clue lay with Su, but Su remained within the Sumeru Mustard Seed, and Yun Ling didn't know his current location.
However, that clue was merely speculation. If it wasn't related to Su, then the mystery of the fourth simulation would be completely buried.
After the fourth simulation, even the system assistant was killed to silence them, which shows how much the system was involved in it.
This kind of unknown, beyond the plot, wasn't what Yun Ling wanted, but his arrival had indeed changed too much, making it impossible to investigate even if he wanted to.
"Chaoyu has gone on a mission and won't be back for a while, so please be patient and wait a bit," Yun Ling explained.
"Of course I'm not in a rush," Kongming said, casually fanning herself.
Mei and Bronya were both deep in thought at that moment.
Reincarnation…
That word was a bit too mystical.
But they understood!
Mei and Yun Ling's acquaintance and growing friendship began with that strange dream, didn't it?
If it weren't for that, their relationship couldn't have progressed so quickly.
She even still kept that marriage certificate, intending to present it when Yun Ling married her.
Bronya remembered it even more vividly; she was a reincarnated person!
And in her world, Yun Ling was much younger than her!
Although she hadn't specifically memorized Yun Ling's birth year, based on her age at the time, Yun Ling should have been born around 2015. It was already 2014, which meant...
Could Yun Ling have died this year? And then been reincarnated as the Yun Ling she remembered?
No, don't scare yourself. This world has changed too much, so it's not a reliable reference.
But this thought, once it surfaced in her mind, wouldn't leave. The scene of the data erasure replayed in her mind once more.
Kiana, on the other hand, still didn't have a detailed understanding of reincarnation, and her thoughts about Yun Ling and Ling had completely diverged, making it almost impossible for her to connect the two.
"Alright, let's stop here for today. I've really learned some incredible things," Yun Ling couldn't help but sigh.
Suddenly, Mei grasped Yun Ling's hand.
"Yun Ling, if we really do become enemies of Schicksal in the future... I'm willing to be the sword in your hand," Mei said earnestly.
"…And me! Wherever Yun Ling goes, I'll go!" Kiana grinned sheepishly.
"If you're willing to ask Bronya for help, she might be able to lend you a hand…" Bronya also stated her position.
"Yun Ling, I…me too!" Yuna said firmly.
"Ling's enemy is my enemy." Luna Kindred hugged Yun Ling's arm and said so sweetly.
She already had a grudge against Schicksal, and this action wasn't just to help Yun Ling, but also for revenge.
Then the atmosphere became tense.
"Yun Ling, shouldn't you introduce this Miss Luna to us?" Mei looked at him with a forced smile.
Yun Ling looked up, and Bronya gave him a helpless look. So, he couldn't escape this love triangle after all?
…