Chapter 354: Chapter 354 : A New Life (2)

The young woman was exceedingly lovely, and her kiss unbelievably sweet, but Qiao Wei remained as clueless as he was before the kiss.

Eventually, the one person who could provide him with some clarity arrived.

Though his youthful features could deceive the unwary, the man’s bearing and commanding presence betrayed a depth of experience and authority that transcended his years. Qiao Wei’s intuition proved true; this man was no ordinary individual.

And yet, when he spoke to Qiao Wei, his facial expression was amicable and his tone was gentle.

"Qiao Wei, how are you feeling?" He asked as he dragged a chair to Qiao Wei’s bedside and sat on top of it.

"I feel relatively fine, but I cannot remember anything. Or anyone," Qiao Wei said openly.

The other man nodded in apprehension.

"Your name is Qiao Wei. You are one of the senior disciples in the Wushan Temple Sect. You are currently resting in your bed chamber at Wushan Temple Sect’s residence on top of Mount Wu."

He then gestured toward himself, "Myself is your shizun, Bai Siyang, the current Wushan Temple Sect Leader."

Qiao Wei bowed himself before Bai Siyang.

"I... I am sorry for not recognizing Shizun."

"Hahaha, it’s fine, no worries. You hurt your head when you were hunting for medicinal plants. You might have run into a wild boar or something."

Qiao Wei swallowed hard.

"Shizun, I... It might sound ridiculous, but I am not really Qiao Wei."

Bai Siyang stared at Qiao Wei.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I... I remember nothing about being Qiao Wei," Qiao Wei stuttered, all the while knowing that his words were far from convincing.

Bai Siyang hummed and patted Qiao Wei’s shoulder in a fatherly manner.

"Trust me when I say that it’s normal to feel that way for now. There is no rush -- rest for now. My daughter, Bai Ling, will be upset if you keep forcing yourself."

"Bai Ling is..."

Bai Siyang smiled at Qiao Wei.

"She was the one who took care of you for days and nights when you were unconscious. It’s fine if you can’t remember me, but you should remember her. After all, you are childhood sweethearts."

"..."

The revelation left Qiao Wei numb inside at first, but then panic slowly took root in his heart and spread like a drop of dye in a pool of crystal-clear water.

C-childhood sweethearts???

While Qiao Wei was struggling to come to terms with an unknown body, an unknown identity, an unknown life, and also an unknown relationship with a certain childhood sweetheart, a certain mighty general of the Heavenly Realm was scanning the Human Realm for him.

Or better said, for the soul that was currently inhabiting Qiao Wei’s body.

Despite being a mere ripple in the boundless pool of existence, each soul left faint, but perceptible traces behind.

For those who were unable to pick them up, let alone utilize them, they were nothing but shallow imprints meant to fade within a short time.

But for those who mastered the art, these traces were precious cobblestones that could be used to pave their way toward the very soul.

Unfortunately, it did not go without an extensive search.

Xie Jianyu was reborn over a hundred times in the Human Realm, but the number of times Zhang Fengxi managed to find him among all kinds of living creatures that populated the realm could be counted on two hands.

It was also the amount of time he managed to hold his beloved wife as his life bled out and he slowly slipped through his fingers again and again.

Though Zhang Fengxi knew that Xie Jianyu’s every death in the Human Realm would bring him one step closer to his awaited return to the Heavenly Realm, a sliver of Fengxi’s heart ached with his wife’s every mortal death.

Birth and death, the cruel twist of fate Heaven spun, left him forever chasing a ghost of the man he loved.

And now, he was searching for him again.

Zhang Fengxi took a deep breath. Holding his palm out, he muttered an incantation, each word a spark in the air.

A swirl of golden mist materialized, solidifying into a lotus flower that pulsed with ethereal light.

More incantation spilled from his lips. They danced and twined, forming luminous bands of script that encircled his mighty form.

"Supreme General Zhang Fengxi, why am I not surprised to find you loitering above the Human Realm?" A displeased voice rang out some distance away from him.

Zhang Fengxi opened his eyes and turned in the air to face the Goddess of Fate and Destiny, who pursed her lips at him.

"Long time no see, Goddess."

"Didn’t you say that you will wait patiently for him to come back?"

"I am waiting," Zhang Fengxi flashed the goddess his most charming smile. "I never said that I wouldn’t try to find him."

The silver-haired goddess rolled with her eyes.

"I hope you did not do anything else to meddle with fate," she said. "You know that it will only prolong his return to the Heavenly Realm."

"Of course not," Zhang Fengxi calmly answered. "I merely want to hold him in my arms again, no matter in what form."

"Hmpf."

Zhang Fengxi arched his brow at the goddess.

"And what about you, Goddess? What are you here for? You don’t usually wander this far from your secluded residence."

The goddess shot the supreme general a glare for a few seconds before she decided that Zhang Fengxi was more help than trouble.

"Well, since you are already here, we might as well work together. The Crown Prince’s soul is supposed to be reborn as a human being in this reincarnation cycle. Alas, an unexpected incident happened above the Naihe Bridge. His soul fell into the Divine Waterfall, and now I don’t know where he is."

Zhang Fengxi’s face darkened in an instant. "What do you mean, you don’t know?" he asked with a furrow. "Surely his fate is written across the palm of your hand."

"Fate is fickle, Supreme General," the Goddess remarked. "A simple thoughtless act might result in a bloodbath. A single meeting can turn two strangers into either allies or enemies."

The Goddess’ forehead glowed brightly with a divine symbol as she spoke.

"Right now, all I know is that the Crown Prince’s fate is tethered to a body not his own. The owner of the body relinquished its breath a short while ago."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay