Qin Ye stared at his own hand in an absentminded manner, and only after a long while did he lower it back to his side. He knew that even if he were given another chance, he would make the same choice.
The entire world fell silent again. The trial of inner demons was like an infinite cycle, and after each failure, the time before the next reset was filled with nothing but silence and darkness.
Qin Ye couldn't afford to waste this time. The rules of the trial of inner demons were completely unclear, so he had to find them himself, and time was of the essence.
"Everything that I experience during the trial has already happened, so the events are not to be altered. Any attempts to alter or delay the events will result in the failure of the trial. Everything beyond that seems to be tolerated."
A contemplative look appeared on his face.
It seemed to be quite simple, but Qin Ye didn't allow himself to grow complacent. According to the Heavenly Dao, this was supposed to be an invincible divine art, and at the moment, it seemed too easy.
Impulsive urges struck everyone from time to time, but once the lesson was learned, one would be able to exercise restraint. He was certain that the next time this happened, he would be able to keep himself from interfering.
His actions just now were a farewell to his past, an act of defiance toward the powerlessness of his past self, and a way of honoring the memory of his grandfather.
However, as the ruler of the Cathayan Underworld, his status and his responsibilities meant that he had to implement a policy of mind over matter.
He heaved a forlorn sigh as the face and voice of his grandfather began to surface in his mind again. All of a sudden, his expression changed drastically, and he looked around in a stunned manner.
He discovered that he couldn't recall his grandfather's face anymore!
Not only that, but he couldn't recall any of his experiences from his childhood!
Aside from details like his name and where he was born, he had no recollection of anything that had happened to him prior to 15 years of age!
A layer of goosebumps instantly appeared over his skin as he looked up with an incredulous expression. "Is this what a divine art is capable of?"
The trial of inner demons was finally baring its fangs!
"There's no limit to the number of times the trial can be repeated as there's no need for that! The price paid for each failure is memories!" A grim look appeared on his face as he mused, "I've only been alive for less than 130 years, and I don't know if the amount of memories that'll be erased next time will increase. If we assume the worst-case scenario and say that twice the amount of memories will be lost next time, then..."
He would only have three more chances left at most!
Assuming the worst-case scenario, he would lose 30 years worth of memories next time, then 60 years of memories after that, and if he were to fail for a third time, even if he could find the key to passing this trial, he wouldn't be able to remember it!
Thus, after that, each time that he entered the trial of inner demons would be equivalent to entering it for the first time, thereby making the trial impossible to pass! That would create an infinite, inescapable loop, and he would truly be lost for all of eternity!
At this moment, he was like a man standing alone amidst a pack of wolves in the night, and if he were to suffer even the slightest lapse in concentration, the countless wolves around him would instantly pounce on him and tear him to shreds.
"So I have three more chances at most." Cold sweat was flowing down his face, and he was wringing his hands together tightly. Before he knew it, the wolf pack had already bared their fangs, and only now did he sense its presence.
What could he do?
He still didn't know what had happened after the emergence of the Taisui fungus, and that was most likely the key to this trial of inner demons. The problem was that he wasn't confident in his ability to clear the rest of the trial in a single attempt.
If he were to fail again, even if he were to only lose another 15 years of memories, he would be unable to recall that he had once consumed the Taisui fungus! That would result in the loss of his only advantage, and things would only spiral further and further out of control from there.
He had already been forced into a corner.
However, before he had a chance to think about anything else, the surrounding space suddenly blurred once again, and beams of white light pierced through the darkness.
The third trial of inner demons was about to begin!
"Why has it come so soon?!" Qin Ye gritted his teeth tightly as the familiar rush of dizziness washed over him, and as soon as the dizziness faded, he immediately opened his eyes.
Sure enough, he was lying on the straw bed once again.
"Grandpa isn't here, so he's on the way back. If I leave the house now, I'll run into Ye Xianzu." All of the leads that he had thus far quickly flashed through his mind, and he decided not to get out of the bed on this occasion.
He only had close to an hour until he and his grandfather set off for the mountain again.
He had to find a solution during this time, and he couldn't allow anything to delay his thoughts.
If he couldn't think of a solution here, then he would lose even more memories. That would make him unable to recall what had happened during this point in his life, and everything would become a complete blur in his mind. If he had a 50% chance of passing the trial of inner demons in his current state, then that probability would drop to below 10% if he were to fail again!
How could he get himself out of this predicament?
His mind had never raced as quickly as it was doing now. Soon, he heard the sound of his grandfather speaking with someone outside, which meant that he had already met Ye Xianzu and was about to come in.
Qin Ye's fists were clenched tightly as he frantically thought of his own advantages, which were immortality and the ability to see supernatural things. How could those advantages help him in this situation?
Countless thoughts were flashing through his mind one after another, and all of a sudden, his pupils contracted slightly as he thought of a certain person.
It was Lee Jung-sook.
She had lost her memories at least six times in the past, yet she was still her current self.
What she had done was...
Qin Ye immediately jumped out of bed, then rushed into the kitchen and picked up a sickle before swiping it toward his own arm.
However, right as the sickle's blade was about to come into contact with his skin, he was unable to force it down any further!
He gritted his teeth tightly as he forced the sickle downward with all his might, yet there seemed to be an implacable, invisible force that was keeping his hand aloft, preventing him from implementing his plan.
He immediately tossed the sickle aside, then gathered some Yin energy at his fingertip before swiping it toward his own arm again.
However, in the instant the Yin energy came into contact with his skin, it immediately dissipated.
A frustrated look appeared on his face as he rubbed his own arm viciously and cursed under his own breath.
The inability to record his own memories in any way, shape, or form, was most likely another rule imposed on him by the trial of inner demons.
Thus, it seemed that the trial of inner demons only had two rules:
Number 1: any attempt to alter the events in this memory will result in failure.
Number 2: all attempts made to record memories will be rendered ineffective.
It seemed to be very simple, but the combination of the two rules and the punishment for failure created a dilemma with no solution!
"Dogballs! What are you doing?!" Qin Zhongguo's panicked voice suddenly rang out, jerking Qin Ye out of his reverie. He turned to discover Qin Zhongguo staring at him with a stunned expression. He was holding his own wrist with a sickle on the ground beside him, so it was no wonder that Qin Zhongguo was so alarmed.
"Nothing." An unnatural smile appeared on Qin Ye's face. "I was a little hungry, and I wanted to see if there was some food."
He knew that his grandfather had thought of something just now, but there was no reason for him to commit suicide, so he could easily make up a lie and gloss over the situation.
Sure enough, Qin Zhongguo didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he heaved a faint sigh as he patted Qin Ye's head with a loving expression. "Things will get better... Come on, I just picked some wild vegetables, let's have a good meal."
Qin Ye gritted his teeth tightly as he watched Qin Zhongguo get to work.
He didn't want to give up!
He didn't have absolute confidence that he would be able to pass this trial of inner demons on this attempt, so he had to record his own memories!
He took a deep breath and put on a calm facade as he said, "Grandpa, do you have a pen? I suddenly thought of some things that I want to record."
If he couldn't record the memories himself, could he get someone else to record them for him?
If he were to see those records upon entering the trial of inner demons again, would he be able to recollect everything?
"I don't." Qin Zhongguo turned around with a perplexed expression. "We've never had anything like that... Can't you get a few branches from outside and carve whatever it is you want to record onto the wall? Isn't that what we've always done? Let's have a good meal first, you need food to fuel your growing body."
Qin Ye's brows furrowed tightly as he realized that this plan wouldn't work.
If he were to ask his grandfather to make those records, he would definitely agree, but that would delay the timing of their trip up the mountain. The Taisui fungus only appeared for less than three minutes, and any delay would result in a failure of the trial again.
What could he do?
He ran his hands through his own hair in frustration as he desperately tried to think of a solution.
He couldn't make the records, nor could his grandfather... Could he ask Ye Xianzu to do it?
That wouldn't work, either! If he told Ye Xianzu everything, the latter would just ruin everything for him!
What exactly happened in that Taoist temple after he consumed the Taisui fungus?
Ye Xianzu was definitely one of the core figures involved!
Who else could he ask?
Who else could make those records for him? Alternatively, was there another way out?
The room fell completely silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the firewood from the kitchen. However, this was an extremely stressful silence, and he felt as if he could hear a countdown timer ticking down incessantly.
After some time, Qin Zhongguo emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of soup. "Come and have some food, Dogballs. Once you drink this soup, you won't be hungry anymore..."
His voice abruptly cut off there.
Having raised Qin Ye since he was a child, he was naturally familiar with Qin Ye's personality. He was a growing young man who was constantly ravenous, yet at this moment, he was completely absorbed in his own thoughts, displaying no interest in the food, and it was clear that whatever was on his mind was quite serious.
He heaved a faint sigh as he set down the bowl, then made his way over to Qin Ye's side before patting him on the shoulder. "It's a good thing that you want to pursue an education, but we have to fill our stomachs so we have the energy to do things. The people in the city are using... I think they're called fountain pens. We can't afford those, but I can perhaps buy you a pencil or two. Be a good boy and have some food first. Tomorrow, I'll try and catch a fat rabbit and see if I can trade it for some pencils in the city."
He was just about to continue persuading Qin Ye when Qin Ye abruptly turned to look at him with a gleam in his eyes.
Even though he had been transported back in time, he still retained his memories and his powers. In that case, there was something else that he could use to achieve his goal!
With that in mind, he nodded in response, and as his grandfather left the room to speak with Ye Xianzu, he made a grabbing motion, upon which a silver pen appeared in his grasp.
It was Fate!
Qin Ye stared at his own hand in an absentminded manner, and only after a long while did he lower it back to his side. He knew that even if he were given another chance, he would make the same choice.
The entire world fell silent again. The trial of inner demons was like an infinite cycle, and after each failure, the time before the next reset was filled with nothing but silence and darkness.
Qin Ye couldn't afford to waste this time. The rules of the trial of inner demons were completely unclear, so he had to find them himself, and time was of the essence.
"Everything that I experience during the trial has already happened, so the events are not to be altered. Any attempts to alter or delay the events will result in the failure of the trial. Everything beyond that seems to be tolerated."
A contemplative look appeared on his face.
It seemed to be quite simple, but Qin Ye didn't allow himself to grow complacent. According to the Heavenly Dao, this was supposed to be an invincible divine art, and at the moment, it seemed too easy.
Impulsive urges struck everyone from time to time, but once the lesson was learned, one would be able to exercise restraint. He was certain that the next time this happened, he would be able to keep himself from interfering.
His actions just now were a farewell to his past, an act of defiance toward the powerlessness of his past self, and a way of honoring the memory of his grandfather.
However, as the ruler of the Cathayan Underworld, his status and his responsibilities meant that he had to implement a policy of mind over matter.
He heaved a forlorn sigh as the face and voice of his grandfather began to surface in his mind again. All of a sudden, his expression changed drastically, and he looked around in a stunned manner.
He discovered that he couldn't recall his grandfather's face anymore!
Not only that, but he couldn't recall any of his experiences from his childhood!
Aside from details like his name and where he was born, he had no recollection of anything that had happened to him prior to 15 years of age!
A layer of goosebumps instantly appeared over his skin as he looked up with an incredulous expression. "Is this what a divine art is capable of?"
The trial of inner demons was finally baring its fangs!
"There's no limit to the number of times the trial can be repeated as there's no need for that! The price paid for each failure is memories!" A grim look appeared on his face as he mused, "I've only been alive for less than 130 years, and I don't know if the amount of memories that'll be erased next time will increase. If we assume the worst-case scenario and say that twice the amount of memories will be lost next time, then..."
He would only have three more chances left at most!
Assuming the worst-case scenario, he would lose 30 years worth of memories next time, then 60 years of memories after that, and if he were to fail for a third time, even if he could find the key to passing this trial, he wouldn't be able to remember it!
Thus, after that, each time that he entered the trial of inner demons would be equivalent to entering it for the first time, thereby making the trial impossible to pass! That would create an infinite, inescapable loop, and he would truly be lost for all of eternity!
At this moment, he was like a man standing alone amidst a pack of wolves in the night, and if he were to suffer even the slightest lapse in concentration, the countless wolves around him would instantly pounce on him and tear him to shreds.
"So I have three more chances at most." Cold sweat was flowing down his face, and he was wringing his hands together tightly. Before he knew it, the wolf pack had already bared their fangs, and only now did he sense its presence.
What could he do?
He still didn't know what had happened after the emergence of the Taisui fungus, and that was most likely the key to this trial of inner demons. The problem was that he wasn't confident in his ability to clear the rest of the trial in a single attempt.
If he were to fail again, even if he were to only lose another 15 years of memories, he would be unable to recall that he had once consumed the Taisui fungus! That would result in the loss of his only advantage, and things would only spiral further and further out of control from there.
He had already been forced into a corner.
However, before he had a chance to think about anything else, the surrounding space suddenly blurred once again, and beams of white light pierced through the darkness.
The third trial of inner demons was about to begin!
"Why has it come so soon?!" Qin Ye gritted his teeth tightly as the familiar rush of dizziness washed over him, and as soon as the dizziness faded, he immediately opened his eyes.
Sure enough, he was lying on the straw bed once again.
"Grandpa isn't here, so he's on the way back. If I leave the house now, I'll run into Ye Xianzu." All of the leads that he had thus far quickly flashed through his mind, and he decided not to get out of the bed on this occasion.
He only had close to an hour until he and his grandfather set off for the mountain again.
He had to find a solution during this time, and he couldn't allow anything to delay his thoughts.
If he couldn't think of a solution here, then he would lose even more memories. That would make him unable to recall what had happened during this point in his life, and everything would become a complete blur in his mind. If he had a 50% chance of passing the trial of inner demons in his current state, then that probability would drop to below 10% if he were to fail again!
How could he get himself out of this predicament?
His mind had never raced as quickly as it was doing now. Soon, he heard the sound of his grandfather speaking with someone outside, which meant that he had already met Ye Xianzu and was about to come in.
Qin Ye's fists were clenched tightly as he frantically thought of his own advantages, which were immortality and the ability to see supernatural things. How could those advantages help him in this situation?
Countless thoughts were flashing through his mind one after another, and all of a sudden, his pupils contracted slightly as he thought of a certain person.
It was Lee Jung-sook.
She had lost her memories at least six times in the past, yet she was still her current self.
What she had done was...
Qin Ye immediately jumped out of bed, then rushed into the kitchen and picked up a sickle before swiping it toward his own arm.
However, right as the sickle's blade was about to come into contact with his skin, he was unable to force it down any further!
He gritted his teeth tightly as he forced the sickle downward with all his might, yet there seemed to be an implacable, invisible force that was keeping his hand aloft, preventing him from implementing his plan.
He immediately tossed the sickle aside, then gathered some Yin energy at his fingertip before swiping it toward his own arm again.
However, in the instant the Yin energy came into contact with his skin, it immediately dissipated.
A frustrated look appeared on his face as he rubbed his own arm viciously and cursed under his own breath.
The inability to record his own memories in any way, shape, or form, was most likely another rule imposed on him by the trial of inner demons.
Thus, it seemed that the trial of inner demons only had two rules:
Number 1: any attempt to alter the events in this memory will result in failure.
Number 2: all attempts made to record memories will be rendered ineffective.
It seemed to be very simple, but the combination of the two rules and the punishment for failure created a dilemma with no solution!
"Dogballs! What are you doing?!" Qin Zhongguo's panicked voice suddenly rang out, jerking Qin Ye out of his reverie. He turned to discover Qin Zhongguo staring at him with a stunned expression. He was holding his own wrist with a sickle on the ground beside him, so it was no wonder that Qin Zhongguo was so alarmed.
"Nothing." An unnatural smile appeared on Qin Ye's face. "I was a little hungry, and I wanted to see if there was some food."
He knew that his grandfather had thought of something just now, but there was no reason for him to commit suicide, so he could easily make up a lie and gloss over the situation.
Sure enough, Qin Zhongguo didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he heaved a faint sigh as he patted Qin Ye's head with a loving expression. "Things will get better... Come on, I just picked some wild vegetables, let's have a good meal."
Qin Ye gritted his teeth tightly as he watched Qin Zhongguo get to work.
He didn't want to give up!
He didn't have absolute confidence that he would be able to pass this trial of inner demons on this attempt, so he had to record his own memories!
He took a deep breath and put on a calm facade as he said, "Grandpa, do you have a pen? I suddenly thought of some things that I want to record."
If he couldn't record the memories himself, could he get someone else to record them for him?
If he were to see those records upon entering the trial of inner demons again, would he be able to recollect everything?
"I don't." Qin Zhongguo turned around with a perplexed expression. "We've never had anything like that... Can't you get a few branches from outside and carve whatever it is you want to record onto the wall? Isn't that what we've always done? Let's have a good meal first, you need food to fuel your growing body."
Qin Ye's brows furrowed tightly as he realized that this plan wouldn't work.
If he were to ask his grandfather to make those records, he would definitely agree, but that would delay the timing of their trip up the mountain. The Taisui fungus only appeared for less than three minutes, and any delay would result in a failure of the trial again.
What could he do?
He ran his hands through his own hair in frustration as he desperately tried to think of a solution.
He couldn't make the records, nor could his grandfather... Could he ask Ye Xianzu to do it?
That wouldn't work, either! If he told Ye Xianzu everything, the latter would just ruin everything for him!
What exactly happened in that Taoist temple after he consumed the Taisui fungus?
Ye Xianzu was definitely one of the core figures involved!
Who else could he ask?
Who else could make those records for him? Alternatively, was there another way out?
The room fell completely silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the firewood from the kitchen. However, this was an extremely stressful silence, and he felt as if he could hear a countdown timer ticking down incessantly.
After some time, Qin Zhongguo emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of soup. "Come and have some food, Dogballs. Once you drink this soup, you won't be hungry anymore..."
His voice abruptly cut off there.
Having raised Qin Ye since he was a child, he was naturally familiar with Qin Ye's personality. He was a growing young man who was constantly ravenous, yet at this moment, he was completely absorbed in his own thoughts, displaying no interest in the food, and it was clear that whatever was on his mind was quite serious.
He heaved a faint sigh as he set down the bowl, then made his way over to Qin Ye's side before patting him on the shoulder. "It's a good thing that you want to pursue an education, but we have to fill our stomachs so we have the energy to do things. The people in the city are using... I think they're called fountain pens. We can't afford those, but I can perhaps buy you a pencil or two. Be a good boy and have some food first. Tomorrow, I'll try and catch a fat rabbit and see if I can trade it for some pencils in the city."
He was just about to continue persuading Qin Ye when Qin Ye abruptly turned to look at him with a gleam in his eyes.
Even though he had been transported back in time, he still retained his memories and his powers. In that case, there was something else that he could use to achieve his goal!
With that in mind, he nodded in response, and as his grandfather left the room to speak with Ye Xianzu, he made a grabbing motion, upon which a silver pen appeared in his grasp.
It was Fate!
