After bidding farewell to Lianhuan, Zhang Qiling returned to his unchanging solitude.
As time drew nearer, the instability of the Bronze Gate lessened, leaving one to wonder if it was the dawn of victory or the calm before the storm.
Zhang Qiling, lacking the curiosity to delve deeper, simply walked through the wilderness, traversed mountains, and on a dim evening, entered an inconspicuous antique shop with only a soliciting flag.
The shop owner was a young, tall, and slender girl. She regarded the figure shrouded in black cloth with a wary expression.
But just as she was about to grab the stick from beneath the counter, a hand emerged from beneath the black cloth.
The hand was slender, and against the backdrop of the black cloth, it appeared unusually white. It was cradling a black seal.
"...Deposit," the mysterious person said softly. He slowly placed the seal on the counter, and before the owner could react, he had quietly departed, like an unknown traveler carried by the wind.
When the owner came to her senses, she realized she had forgotten to collect payment.
She picked up the seal with a murmur. It was covered in ghastly heads, appearing exceptionally terrifying. Fortunately, a chipped corner disrupted that oppressive feeling, making it look more like a crude piece of art.
The sky had darkened completely at some point, and the mysterious person seemed like a phantom that arrived with the darkness.
The young girl shivered. Yet, inexplicably, she found herself placing the seal carefully into a box at the innermost part of the shelf.
As she closed the box, the words "Ci Shan Ju" shone beneath the gilded lacquer.
—
3202.1.6. Everything returned to the very beginning.
Zhang Qiling traversed the raging wind and snow, arriving at Changbai Mountain.
Standing behind the towering mountain, he could see from afar a figure happily running into the Changbai Mountain entrance with a "light brain."
"That carbon-based lifeform is Wu Tianzhen," the system said.
Wu Tianzhen was a scar on his hand. He felt a stir within his heart, but Zhang Qiling could hardly recall anything.
He tried hard to remember, but the vast white snow gradually froze his body.
The white blade behind him emitted a gentle warmth, bringing him back to consciousness.
The system's voice, rarely, carried a hint of sadness.
"Host's current fusion degree is 99%, not meeting the requirement for reshaping the fate line."
"Even with the system's best efforts, only 10 days remain."
...Ten days, a short duration that essentially declared mission failure.
Zhang Qiling, however, remained calm. He had wandered through almost every corner of the land in his long journey, yet he still couldn't truly blend with this world.
"In the remaining time, does the host wish to acknowledge those two carbon-based lifeforms?"
The system spoke, perhaps the gentlest farewell it could analyze.
But Zhang Qiling refused.
He seemed to suddenly recall something, slowly stroking the hilt of the white blade. The smooth jade texture exuded a gentle warmth.
In his final moments, he wanted to visit his mother.
—
Baima's tombstone still stood firmly. After the erosion of long years, its once sharp edges had become rounded. A snowflake lay upon that curve, resembling a small white flower in bloom.
Zhang Qiling became an undocumented person, hijacking a car to go home. The system remembered this as something that had happened to the host shortly after arriving in this world, but Zhang Qiling had no memory of it when it was spoken.
Everything in the snow mountains seemed unchanged, except for the burnt-down wooden hut, now buried under snow, with a few fixed stones protruding faintly from it.
...When Zhang Qiling had rushed back years ago, he hadn't paid much attention to that hut.
He only wanted to stay by his mother's tombstone, his entire focus drawn to the cold stone tablet.
But now, he wanted to repair the small wooden hut.
Before death arrived, Zhang Qiling wanted to see his former home one last time.
The system offered no further opinions. It simply appeared in silence, its screen displaying a stark red number.
"00:12:23"
Only twelve minutes remained until Zhang Qiling would be erased. But this time was enough for him.
He carefully scooped up the covering snow, revealing the mess beneath. Time and decay had destroyed all wooden structures, making the remaining stone elements stand out more prominently.
...Beneath layers of debris, a narrow stone box was hidden.
The box had been damaged during the house's collapse, revealing a crack as it lay half-exposed. However, it had ultimately held firm, ensuring its contents remained intact.
Through the crack, Zhang Qiling saw a strand of faded, tattered cloth, showing a half-white, half-red hue.
And that cloth was barely tied around the hilt of a cold stone blade.
...This was a cold stone knife, to be precise—
Zhang Qiling slowly bent down and cradled the blade. Without the cloth's protection, the knife felt bone-chillingly cold in his hand.
...This was the knife his mother had forged for him.
Although the Bronze Gate's power was chaotic and threatened the world, it ultimately possessed the power of wishes.
And wishes were often beautiful.
When Baima was on the verge of death, realizing her imminent separation from her child, what thoughts would she have had?
...If only I could wait for Nuobu to return, if only I could hold on until I gave him the knife, if—
If only I could always protect him, accompany him...
That would be wonderful.
What kind of wish was this? She showed a satisfied smile in her final moments. Her physical body died, but her soul was condensed and reshaped by the power of the Bronze Gate.
Zhang Qiling noticed a flickering light before him, realizing it emanated from the white blade that had accompanied him for centuries.
The white blade remained so warm in his hand. Zhang Qiling seemed to understand something, but his mind was a blank slate. He could only tightly embrace the blade.
(You've grown, my Nuobu.)
His mother's voice was as gentle as in his memories.
(I am so happy I could accompany you for so many years.)
The voice was so familiar. Zhang Qiling didn't know if it was a hallucination. The stark red countdown before him grew more urgent, but he paid it no mind.
(The gods granted my wish, my Nuobu has a heart of his own.)
(But Nuobu, don't hurt yourself anymore, don't shut yourself away.)
(Every wound a child bears is like cleaving his mother in two.)
(Nuobu, don't blame yourself.)
Baima's voice grew weaker, while the countdown's sound grew stronger. Zhang Qiling felt inexplicable emotions, perhaps it was panic, perhaps it was timidity, perhaps it was simply overwhelming joy.
The countdown reached zero.
(I love you, my child.)
The system's voice sounded simultaneously—
"Fusion degree: 100%, fate line reshaping successful."
"The Bronze Gate is completely sealed, host will soon return to the normal node."
Everything shattered. Immense energy swept through everything. Amidst the flight of light particles, Zhang Qiling heard no sound.
He only called out, lost and cautious:
"...Ama?"
There was no reply.
He suddenly realized that the collapse of the Bronze Gate meant that all the wish-granted products it had generated would also disappear.