Chapter 537: Fate's Dice (Golden)
Chapter 537: Fate's Dice (Golden)
In the following mission, Su Yu brews a potion to help Tao Shi recover her memories.
Once her memories return, Tao Shi recalls that she is a member of the Shadow Trace Sect. She lost her memory during an important mission, which led to her current predicament.
With her memory restored, the most important thing for her to do is to return to the Shadow Trace Sect and report back to her superiors.
Su Yu accompanies Tao Shi and her adoptive daughter, Tao Lili, as they leave the capital and set out on the journey to the Shadow Trace Sect's main base.
Su Yu's speed is incredible; it takes him only a few minutes to bring the mother and daughter to the Shadow Trace Sect's headquarters, where they meet the sect's leader, Zhu Talan.
Unfortunately, Tao Shi has been amnesiac for over five years. The crucial information she carries, which was vital five years ago, is now completely useless.
Moreover, the Shadow Trace Sect has undergone a significant turnover in the past five years, with most of her familiar comrades having died while on missions.
Returning to her old haunt, Tao Shi feels a profound sense of desolation.
Despite this, Sect Leader Zhu Talan warmly welcomes Tao Shi back, saying, "Tao Shi, if you wish to return, I welcome you to continue serving the Shadow Trace Sect. The sect will always be your home! However, if you prefer to retire, I can approve your request to return home and take care of your adoptive daughter, and I will provide you with a substantial settlement fee. To be honest, the sect is not a suitable place for a child to grow up healthily."
The Shadow Trace Sect, after all, is a highly profitable enforcement organization where the bodies of criminals pile up like mountains, and the members frequently discuss plots, fraud, assassinations, and lies. Living in such an environment for a long time can easily lead a child's mind to extremes.
Tao Shi is caught in a dilemma.
On one hand, she still wants to continue serving the Shadow Trace Sect, as her lifelong goal has been to fight for justice within the sect.
On the other hand, she cannot bear to part with her adoptive daughter, Tao Lili. They have relied on each other for five years, and their bond is stronger than that of a typical mother and daughter. How could she easily let go?
At the end of the mission, she turns to Su Yu and asks, "Adventurer, what should I do?"
"Um..." Su Yu is taken aback.
He was about to tell her, "This is something you should decide for yourself, follow your heart."
But then he remembers that he said the same thing in his previous life.
In his previous life, Tao Shi decided to return to the Shadow Trace Sect and was killed by a mantis demon's claws during a mission a month later. He grieved for a long time over her death.
Surely, this life won't end the same way, right?
However, Su Yu has a concern: if he advises Tao Shi to leave with Lili, she might not listen to him.
After much deliberation, Su Yu decides on a different approach.
He takes out a prop from his necklace, one he obtained in the past but rarely used—the Lead-Weighted Dice of Morgan.
Lead-Weighted Dice of Morgan
Usage: Roll the dice. It has six faces, numbered 1 through 6. When the dice stop, one of the faces will be facing up.
Note: Due to the lead weight, the probability of rolling a 4, 5, or 6 is 98%, while the probability of rolling a 1, 2, or 3 is 2%.
Su Yu hands the Lead-Weighted Dice to Tao Shi and smiles, "Why don't you let fate decide? If you roll a 1, 2, or 3, you stay with the Shadow Trace Sect. If you roll a 4, 5, or 6, you take Lili and go home. Leave the choice to fate."
"Alright," Tao Shi takes the dice, closes her eyes, and prepares to roll it, letting fate decide her future.
But just as she is about to roll, Sect Leader Zhu Talan suddenly shouts, "Wait!"
Tao Shi stops and turns to look at the sect leader.
Su Yu felt a bit uneasy. Could the pandaren have seen through the tampering with the dice?
Zhu Talan, the leader of the Shadowtrace Sect, gave Su Yu a deep, penetrating look.
Then, he took the dice from Tao Shi's hand, tossed it a few times, and said, "We have a more precious dice stored in our warehouse. For such a crucial moment that decides your fate, I think you should use that one. Please wait a moment while I go and fetch it."
With that, Zhu Talan turned and vanished in a gust of clear wind.
About half a minute later, Zhu Talan returned to Su Yu and Tao Shi, holding a golden dice in his hand.
He handed the golden dice to Tao Shi and said solemnly, "Use this dice. As the human adventurer suggested, if it lands on 1, 2, or 3, you stay with the Shadowtrace Sect. If it lands on 4, 5, or 6, you take your adopted daughter back home."
"Alright," Tao Shi nodded seriously.
She closed her eyes again and gently rolled the golden dice, which represented her fate.
Clack, clack.
The golden dice hit the floor tiles, producing a metallic sound.
However, the dice stopped quickly, with a large "6" facing the sky.
Tao Shi still had her eyes closed, afraid to look.
Zhu Talan's furrowed brows, however, relaxed.
He smiled at Su Yu and gently patted Tao Shi's shoulder. "Go back. I wish you and Lili a safe and peaceful life."
Tao Shi finally opened her eyes, saw the large "6" on the dice, and sighed softly. Perhaps this was her destiny.
In fact, the moment she rolled the dice, she already knew what she truly wanted. She wanted to stay with the Shadowtrace Sect, where her dreams and her youth lay.
But fate had made its choice, and she had to accept it.
Su Yu also let out a sigh of relief.
Though dying on the battlefield was the ultimate fate for most warriors, Tao Shi had an adopted daughter to think about. Living for her sake was better than dying.
Zhu Talan slowly walked forward, his aged body trembling as he picked up the golden dice from the floor.
He dusted off the dice and said kindly to Su Yu, "Adventurer, thank you for helping Tao Shi return to the Shadowtrace Sect. Five years ago, we thought she was dead. Let bygones be bygones. This is a small token of our gratitude, and I hope you will accept it."
Zhu Talan took a golden potion from his spatial ring and handed the dice to Su Yu along with it.
"Ding, [Tao Shi's Illness (10/10)] is now complete. You have received [Advanced Health Potion (Golden)] x1, 5500 experience points, +5 affinity with [Tao Shi], and +10 affinity with [Tao Lili]."
"Ding, your kindness has moved [Zhu Talan]. [Zhu Talan] +10 affinity. You have received an additional reward of [Fate Dice (Golden)] x1."
[Fate Dice (Golden)]
Usage: Roll. The dice has six faces numbered 1 through 6. After it stops, one face will be facing up. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Note: This dice is linked to your fate. If you are about to experience something good, the number will be higher. If you are about to experience something bad, the number will be lower.
"Oh~" Seeing the attributes of the dice, Su Yu immediately understood what it was all about.
(End of Chapter)
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