Chapter 810: The Old Home is Stolen (Part One)
Chapter 810: The Old Home is Stolen (Part One)
"So, you... you're Tieguanyin?"
The arrival of the Twelve Ghost Altars had left the Imperial Capital with an indescribable sense of weightlessness. The remnants of the recent nightmare still lingered in their minds, but suddenly, they felt pulled back into an intensely real, normal world.
Amidst this surreal feeling, as they struggled to break free, they heard a strange voice. Turning towards the source, they saw a woman in a green robe sitting atop an altar, stretching leisurely before jumping down.
Her gaze swept over the crowd, and it was unclear if she felt joy at seeing her kind or a hint of sigh.
"So, you were really suppressed by the Twelve Ghost Altars?"
As everyone's hearts were filled with astonishment and doubt, Hu Ma was also scrutinizing the woman intently.
His heart trembled no less than the others. From the bamboo scrolls left by the Dalaofa Religion or the State Preceptor, he had read about the Twelve Ghost Altars suppressing someone, and this woman seemed to have even reached an agreement with the Dalaofa Religion.
That was why he was certain that inviting the Twelve Ghost Altars would release this woman, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
He didn't need to do anything special; the arrival of the Twelve Ghost Altars had brought her along.
"No, the Twelve Ghost Altars protected me," the woman in green, or Tieguanyin, said, glancing at Hu Ma.
That glance seemed to encompass an endless assessment, especially as her gaze finally rested on Hu Ma's shadow, revealing a hint of relief as she noticed his three heads and six arms. She nodded slightly towards him.
"Otherwise, I would have been devoured long ago," she sighed.
"Holy shit!"
At this moment, the surrounding reincarnates suddenly became excited, not because of what she said, but because they finally confirmed that they had found Tieguanyin, a crucial figure for the reincarnate community.
Their hearts were filled with countless questions, and the crowd surged towards her like a flowing river.
Numerous questions were on the tip of their tongues, but they got stuck in their throats.
Amidst this atmosphere of joy, anxiety, and fear, the first to ask these questions was surprisingly the White Wine Miss.
"What exactly is underneath the Imperial Capital?"
"Are Daughter Wine and the others still alive, or..."
"..."
"They are our matrix."
Tieguanyin turned and looked at her, answering a question no one expected.
Then, she calmly responded to the other questions, "For them, there is no life or death; they are just..."
"Reincarnated!"
"..."
These questions did not resolve the doubts in White Wine Miss's heart; instead, they only amplified her confusion.
But Tieguanyin had already turned away, scanning the crowd and saying, "Actually, these questions shouldn't be directed at me."
"I also know that you have many questions, but there are some things I'm more anxious about than you."
"If we follow the rules of this world, how many steps have you taken on the bridge?"
"..."
"Ah..."
The crowd was left dumbfounded by this question, but the quick-witted Flower Carving Wine, holding a treasure umbrella, calmly replied, "Most of us are still in the Beyond Human Realm."
"We only stepped onto the bridge a month ago."
"Many of us also just encountered the Purple Tai Sui after stepping onto the bridge."
"In fact, the vast majority of reincarnates have just begun to improve their abilities. Stepping onto the bridge requires understanding the feeling of being on the bridge and entering the Beyond Human Realm."
"Regardless, more Purple Tai Sui is needed to walk steadily on the bridge, and more understanding is required to go further. Only then can one reach the Beyond Ghost Realm, which is above the Beyond Human Realm."
"But for reincarnates, those with solid foundations from past hard work or better comprehension can take a big step forward after a few more months of digestion. Reaching the Beyond Ghost Realm is not difficult, and the exceptional ones may even touch the threshold of the Beyond Divine Realm."
"This is the innate advantage of reincarnates, a superior characteristic brought about by the Life Temple..."
"..."
"Indeed," Tieguanyin nodded slightly, "Good, but also not so good."
"Precisely because you walk slowly on the bridge and entered late, your foundations are solid, and you haven't been corrupted."
"That's the good part."
"Not having reached the bridgehead means the influence from the other side is minimal, and there's no need to worry about the awakening of the temple's contents."
"The downside is that the historical process of this world has already restarted."
"But with your current abilities, seizing the Heavenly Mandate will be extremely challenging."
"..."
Hearing this, the reincarnates became agitated, and the questions bottled up in their hearts finally burst forth:
"What does the temple contain?"
"You're referring to the other shore, right? Are you talking about… our original world?"
"..."
As soon as these words left her mouth, they immediately attracted the attention of many, who trembled and asked, "Yes, can we still go back?"
"Earlier, news came out that our home was stolen. What does that mean?"
"..."
Countless gazes, including Hu Ma's, fixed on Iron Guanyin, trembling and excited, all waiting for an answer.
Even Hu Ma, who was deeply concerned, developed a sense of fear towards the answer.
Iron Guanyin, facing the countless gazes, seemed to grow indifferent. After a long while, she suddenly sighed and said softly, "Even if there are questions, must I answer them all right now?"
"I've been locked up for twenty years. I've just been released, and even if you're in a hurry, show some basic human decency. Is there anyone who can arrange a meal for me?"
"At least wait until I've eaten and drunk my fill before interrogating me?"
"..."
"This..."
Everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with impatience, yet they also held a sense of reverence for this senior.
Hu Ma, standing nearby, took a deep breath and said, "Please."
Iron Guanyin nodded at him and walked out. After a few steps, she suddenly turned back and said softly,
"By the way."
"The meaning of our home being stolen is that our world no longer exists."
"..."
As she spoke these words, a smile even appeared on her face, and she lightly pointed upwards with her finger, saying, "It was eaten by that guy up there."
"Even we were eaten."
"..."
Her light words were like thunder, stunning everyone on the spot.
They looked at each other, only to see the daze and confusion on each other's faces.
Amidst this silent shock and collapse, Iron Guanyin's figure floated lightly through the crowd, turning back to ask Hu Ma.
Hu Ma, suppressing the shock in his heart, led the way, guiding Iron Guanyin towards the Hu Family Manor. Second Pot Head, standing nearby, followed with a slightly focused gaze, and White Wine Miss didn't hesitate to join them.
Sweet Potato Burn, seeing that everyone was familiar, followed confidently, feeling a bit proud.
The others found it inconvenient to enter the manor, some still restless, remaining at the original spot, while others grew anxious.
"Open the main door and light the lamps!"
Upon returning to the Hu Family Manor, Hu Ma first instructed the old butler, "Wake up the chef and prepare a good feast."
"Bring out the best wine, following the highest standards."
"..."
Although it was already late at night, and the city had just experienced a major disaster, the old butler didn't dare to delay and quickly made the arrangements.
In the hall, there was still the hot pot left by Miao Shan Immortal Lady, but of course, it couldn't be used to entertain Iron Guanyin. A new table was set up in the main hall, and Iron Guanyin was invited to sit down. After eight cold dishes were served, Iron Guanyin didn't touch her chopsticks. Even after four hot dishes were brought out, she still didn't move.
Hu Ma, watching from the side, sighed softly, "Bring the incense and candles!"
The old butler brought the incense and candles, and Hu Ma lit them in front of Iron Guanyin. Wisps of blue smoke rose, and Iron Guanyin took a deep breath.
On her face, a look of intoxication appeared, and she sighed softly, "It's so comfortable..."
"This is the closest I've been to the human world in the past twenty years..."
"..."
"You..."
Seeing her like this, even White Wine Miss was surprised, "You're no longer a living person?"
Beside them, Sweet Potato Burn was even more eager, wanting to go up and pinch her.
As a member of the Punishment Soul Sect, he couldn't understand how Iron Guanyin managed to look so much like a living person.
"I voluntarily gave up my physical body."
Iron Guanyin inhaled the aroma of the incense, candles, and food, then smiled slightly, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to resist the will of that thing."
Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, she appeared very calm, only smiling faintly, "Elder Jun Eyebrow, Great Red Robe, Dragon Well, these guys are quite efficient in their actions, and their deaths are decisive. They even left their affairs in good order."
"They talked about taking care of me, only to assign me the task of delivering messages to the people below. Later, I realized that this message delivery was the most difficult task."
"They found peace, avoiding the Celestial Year God, but I had to endure the fear of eternal punishment for over twenty years, just to bet on this uncertain future. If given the chance, I'd rather trade places with them and let myself fall into eternal silence ahead of time."
"..."
From the moment they welcomed her back, prepared the feast, and waited for her to enjoy the incense, every moment was torture.
But out of politeness, Second Pot Head also waited until this moment, his voice slightly trembling as he spoke, "So..."
"Our world is truly gone?"
"..."
"Yes, it's gone."
Iron Guanyin smiled and looked at him, "While you were carefree, playing in this world, you didn't know that we had lost our way back."
"Of course, don't rush to put on that expression."
"In what I'm about to tell you, this is the lightest matter..."
(End of Chapter)
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