Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1513 - 18: Phoenix’s Overture
"Swish—"
In an instant, the girl’s coarse hair turned black and shiny, and her sunken cheeks flushed with the color of first snow. A myriad of frosty blossoms bloomed on her clothes, countless ice petals unfurled one after another, her tattered outfit quickly transformed into a gown fit for a snow princess.
The witch’s magic.
It was enough to turn an "ugly duckling" into a powerful and noble white swan, enough to transform a ragged girl into a beautiful princess.
Tao’er spun around, snow feathers flying, silver flowers covering the ground. She looked at herself in shock but did not linger long, quickly turning and running downhill:
"I’ll go down the mountain right now to see what’s happening for you, God!"
Bei Wang’s words caught in his throat.
The girl seemed utterly unconcerned about the dangers of this power; she was merely delighted to help the deity.
After descending the mountain, Tao’er passed by Mujin School, where the sound of reading aloud echoed. Mr. Zhu, with his goatee, saw Tao’er outside the window, his anger making him bristle as he snatched up a ruler:
"Tao’er! Come here! How did you end up dressed like that!"
"Did that evil god on the mountain do something to you?"
"Sir! I’m busy!" Tao’er hurriedly ran away, the frost and snow beneath her feet incredibly light and allowing her to slide away easily. She heard the children’s commotion from the school:
"Tao’er looks so pretty!"
"To make Tao’er this pretty, it can’t be an evil god!"
"Hush! My mom said a god who doesn’t bless the townfolk isn’t a deity, but a spirit! Spirits eat people, and Tao’er took its clothes, so she’ll be eaten soon!"
"No way, Tao’er is still so nice... Oh right! Quick, let the Little Fortune Star family at the town entrance ward off the evil for her!"
... Little Fortune Star.
Tao’er’s pointed ears quickly picked up on this. Recently, a little girl once seen as a "burden" at the town’s edge suddenly became favored by fortune; the hens she touched laid many eggs, pregnant women she supported with difficult births had twins, she even found a severely injured major general from a big city who miraculously healed after she applied herbs.
Since then, no one in town disliked her.
"The danger the God mentioned... could it be her?" Tao’er pondered a moment and ran towards the town entrance.
On her way, she passed many people—Aunt Shen selling vegetables, Aunt Zhao hawking fish, Uncle Li forging iron... They all gawked in shock at her sight.
"Yang Family’s Ah Tao is possessed!"
"Look at her, look at her, dressed like that and flowers underfoot, this must be the evil god’s doing!"
"I said long ago we should extinguish that mountain evil god, before Wang Ergou chased a rabbit up there and only just escaped back. That evil god doesn’t even have any real strength!"
"Oh dear, is Ah Tao heading to the town entrance? Stop her quickly, the major general from the city is holding a blessing ceremony with Little Fortune Star, don’t let her interrupt and ruin the whole town’s luck!"
The cold wind brushed her face as Tao’er covered her ears, repeatedly shouting:
"I’m not possessed!"
"The deity is not evil! He never ate anyone, it was he who sent Wang Ergou back after he got hurt!"
"The deity just loves osmanthus cake, he never did anything wrong!"
In the alley, Aunt Shen put down her vegetable basket and hurriedly knocked on a door: "Chen Niang, Chen Niang, look at your adopted daughter! Xiao Xi, look at your sister!"
A woman with her hair in a bun and wearing an apron rushed out, followed by a black-haired girl wearing an eyepatch.
"What trouble has Tao’er caused now? Did she skip class?" The woman hastily put down her tasks.
"It’s more serious than that!" Aunt Shen sighed: "She’s possessed!"
The woman’s face changed upon hearing this, and she hurried towards the town entrance.
At the town entrance, Tao’er immediately saw the grand blessing ceremony.
Red lanterns were hung high, with mismatched red silk, blessing plaques, and even tarot cards dangling. Below the high platform, the townfolk eagerly looked on, tossing their coins upward. On the stage stood a major general with a handsome face donned in military insignia, alongside a blonde-haired, purple-eyed girl with an amicable demeanor.
"Ah Zi!" Tao’er called.
Before, as an outcast of the town, she and Ah Zi played well together, but since Ah Zi became the Little Fortune Star, dyeing her hair blonde, their friendship had turned distant.
The blonde, purple-eyed girl glanced at her indifferently and addressed the townfolk:
"...Townfolk, you can stop tossing coins now, next, we’ll move to the final step of the blessing ritual."
She produced a red button and said gently:
"Please, the most esteemed among you, press this button."
"This is the final step of the blessing ceremony; after pressing it, we’ll all be enveloped in the glow of good fortune. But when pressing the button, please be sure to be wholeheartedly accepting, without any doubt or negative feelings."
... It requires a revered person, someone whole-heartedly accepting... This, the deity taught me, is a classic method of summoning an evil god. With such methods, malicious beings could be summoned... Tao’er hurriedly rushed up, trying to pry away the red button:
"Ah Zi! Don’t keep making mistakes! You’re already the Little Fortune Star, you must have made a deal with bad people, isn’t that enough?"
Ah Zi looked at her flatly: "Look at yourself, haven’t you made a deal with bad people?"
"The deity is different!" Tao’er replied without hesitation.
"Is that so? For me, ’they’ aren’t any different." Ah Zi gently pushed her hand away. "...Accept it, we are only roles, merely entertainment for others, only through ’their’ guidance can we find true purpose."
Tao’er couldn’t understand Ah Zi’s words, she stammered: "You... you’re not the Hui Zi I knew..."
Ah Zi was unfazed, let out a cold sneer: "Get lost!"
At that moment, a distant cry reached them:
"Ah Tao! Come down! Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you, whatever you want, I’ll help you, don’t act rashly! Don’t let the evil take over!" The tearful plea came from a woman forcing her way through the crowd, kneeling on the ground.
Mother... For a brief moment, Tao’er hesitated.
In that moment, the major general drew his sword and plunged it into Tao’er’s chest. His strike was swift and fierce, the girl had no time to react.
Blood flowed as Tao’er fell to the ground.
She heard muffled voices.
"...This girl is possessed, pour black dog blood and bury her." The Mayor’s stern voice.
"...Save her first, Ah Tao grew up under our watch, she’ll recover." Aunt Shen’s pleading voice.
"...No, she interfered with the Little Fortune Star, what happens if the blessing ceremony fails?" An elder’s voice: "Bury her, only then will things be clean."
Tao’er saw her adoptive mother kneeling, ceaselessly kowtowing, just begging for her life. Her forehead broke open, and blood flowed.
But those high above always remain high above. The woman’s relentless kowtowing only made the compassionate more compassionate, and the ruler more relished in it.
Tao’er saw the Mayor take the red button.
She saw Ah Zi’s faintly expectant eyes.
She saw Mr. Zhu with the ruler chasing after, urging the Mayor to take her to the doctor.
She saw the boy Wang Xiao’er, who once played hide-and-seek with her, leading the doctor over, shouting for her to hold on.
No... No!
Ah Zi had already changed, if that red button was pressed, the thing the deity worried about... would certainly happen!
"I was..." Her thin voice escaped her throat: "Saving you..."
Mother, Aunt Shen, Grandpa Liu, the Mayor, Mr. Zhu, Wang Xiao’er...
"Bury her." The Mayor’s cold voice.
"Spare Ah Tao! Her mother died early, she’s had it hard... I’ll discipline her better in the future..." Aunt Chen couldn’t stop crying.
"Bury her." The Mayor said indifferently.
A few tall townfolk came to drag Tao’er away.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle."
A subtle, frosty sound arose.
Just as the Mayor gave the order to bury her, Tao’er heard these sounds.
One ice flower after another began to bloom around her, her wounds began to heal, her breathing no longer labored, and her skirt swirled like the Galaxy, as frost flowers turned into silver butterflies fluttering...
The Deity granted her immense Strength...
Her arm moved, aiming at the red button.
"Bang!"
A crisp sound.
A massive frost flower sprang from the ground, striking the red button out of the Mayor’s hand, as silver butterflies fluttered and placed the red button into Tao’er’s palm.
In the midst of astonished gazes, Tao’er slowly floated up, wings like those of the Celestial Clan sprouted from her back, her ears like coral, with waves of silver-white cascading over her skirt, like a god.
Such a sacred appearance, how could it be an Evil God? The Deity who told her stories of the Heroic Magpie, how could he be an Evil God?
Tao’er, holding the red button, looked at Ah Zi.
"Your conspiracy has failed."
"The Deity and I... hmm, will protect everyone and never let your plot succeed!"
At this moment, the bewitchment cast by Hui Zi gradually faded, and people began to vaguely realize that they had trusted Little Fortune Star too much, almost like being brainwashed. They hesitated for a moment, gradually looking at Hui Zi with suspicion.
Hui Zi stood quietly in place, raising her head.
A few raindrops fell on her forehead.
...
"[After defeating the villains, the Frozen Man and his companion continued their adventure.]" Lunxue, resting his chin on his hand, sipped his hand-brewed office coffee and turned to the third page:
"[In the forest, the Jellyfish met new friends, Big Brother Ye Zi and Little Brother Bamboo.]"
"[Little Brother Bamboo was a person who didn’t like to talk much, but he always silently completed everything.]"
"[Once, the Jellyfish encountered some very bad adults, and at the critical moment, Little Brother Bamboo acted.]"
...
Red Tower, Royal City, Edge 31 District.
The sky was filled with a hazy mist, the air pressure heavy and oppressive.
Beneath the High Tower, Lü Shu leaned against the wall, watching a procession of escort troops pass by.
This was the most secluded area of the Royal City, responsible for executing sinners deemed unpardonable. Fully armed guards escorted the death row inmates, some in despair, some filled with anger, some weeping silently, all entering the High Tower one by one, followed by the not-so-loud sounds of gunshots.
Clang—clang—clang—
The sound of bells masked many noises, doves flapped their wings, everything seemed peaceful.
These people were the sinners from last night’s underground assembly case and the civilian massacre from the day before, some guilty, some innocent.
Gradually, as the escort team reached the end of the line, Lü Shu saw a familiar figure.
Lü Shicheng.
Lü Shicheng’s eyes were no longer sharp, his head no longer held high, covered in egg liquid and rotten vegetable leaves. Seeing Lü Shu, he let out a laugh, without bitterness:
"This is the consequence of doing something foolish."
Lü Shu’s eyes showed a slight change.
Lü Shicheng had anticipated this long ago. Although he had gone undercover by Bai Qiu’s side to explore the mastermind, he inevitably got his hands dirty. Once it became necessary to blame someone, the powers above had countless reasons to take his life.
"Do you regret it?" Lü Shu asked, standing with arms crossed, the Black Blade resting on his shoulder.
"Regret... just a little." Lü Shicheng’s steps slowed down: "But what I regret is not being able to save the lives of civilians, not catching the mastermind, rather than regretting my own actions."
The guards escorting Lü Shicheng also slowed their pace, willing to give him time for final words.
"I can’t save you," Lü Shu said.
"Yes, I know, going against the Royal Family is too difficult..." Lü Shicheng understood.
"No, what I mean is." Lü Shu shook his head: "All of this has already happened. I can’t save you."
In history, all of this had already occurred.
The Lü Shicheng Lü Shu saw was already destined for this outcome.
Lü Shicheng didn’t understand, slowly regained his pace, heading toward the High Tower.
Suddenly, he said: "Xingdong, in the place where we played together as children, I’ve left you a gift... consider it a relic."
Lü Shu was momentarily stunned, knowing exactly the place, in the backyard.
He watched as Lü Shicheng slowly walked into the High Tower, as if walking into a gaping maw.
Before going in, Lü Shicheng turned his head slightly.
He lifted his head, feeling the cool raindrops on his cheek.
"It’s raining..."
"It hasn’t rained at the Red Tower for a long time..."
He slowly turned his head, taking one last look at Lü Shu:
"Lü Xingdong."
"Let me ask you... just hypothetically speaking, if my report had succeeded, if Bai Qiu had been caught and killed, would everything have changed? Would more people have been saved?"
Lü Shu remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, in Lü Shicheng’s calm and sincere gaze, he slowly shook his head.
Bai Qiu would die, but Vivian would still live.
Vivian would die, but the politicians would still live.
Some things would die, some things would never die.
"I see, there would be no change at all." Lü Shicheng turned his head, slowly walking into the Darkness:
"I see..."
...
"Bang!"
...
The Bell Tower echoed, doves flapped their wings, crystal clear sunlight glided over the mottled exterior of the Lighthouse.
...
Red Tower, Royal City, Creator Conference.
"Number 39, Phoenix, please explain your Genesis philosophy." The white shadow of the World Tree spoke.
Noel stood up from his seat, greeted by a flurry of gazes.
He cleared his throat, walked onto the high platform, and smiled.
