Chapter 320
Chapter 320
At first, I did not understand what the note meant. I had only understood the first point: Seventh Master would be in danger.
But I had already cast a hexagram for him before we came. It was an ominous one, so trouble had been inevitable.
The strange part was that the person who gave me the note also knew Seventh Master would be in danger.
Then there was the second point.
It told me not to casually use what I knew, but to save it until the very end.
I had not understood it at all back then.
The only art I possessed was the Hexagram Art.
But before we reached Lincheng, I had never truly used the Hexagram Art. Even I did not know I possessed it, yet the person who gave me the note somehow did.
Third: do not kill the great Ghost.
The great Ghost referred to Xiuzhu and the vengeful spirit. But before reaching Lincheng, I knew nothing about the Luo Mansion, so I did not understand the third point at the time either.
It was only as events unfolded and we gradually learned the Luo Mansion’s story that I began to understand what the second and third points referred to.
Yet although I knew what they were talking about, the truth had not fully emerged at the time, and I still could not grasp their exact significance.
Only now, with the entire affair over, did I finally understand.
The second point told me not to casually use what I knew, but to save it until the very end. Looking at the situation as a whole, the great Ghost of the Luo Mansion was both the vengeful spirit and Xiuzhu. And Xiuzhu herself was split between the part influenced by the spirit and her true self.
At the very end, I asked Seventh Master to use the Thunder Method to destroy the dead of the Luo Mansion. I had used a Thunder Method then as well.
But I did not know the Thunder Method. Even a mage who had cultivated for his entire life might not know it, so how could I?
The truth was that Seventh Master had only just recovered from serious injuries, so I knew he could not unleash the Thunder Method at full power. All I could do was use a technique from the Mysteries of the Six Yao and let him borrow my yang energy to maximize its strength.
His Thunder Method then activated my Thunder Formula, while my Thunder Formula amplified his Thunder Method.
That was how we destroyed the dead of the Luo Mansion.
But if I had used everything I knew from the very beginning and combined my power with Seventh Master’s Thunder Method before uncovering the monster’s true identity, the outcome would have been completely different.
The monster might have noticed me and targeted me before Seventh Master and I ever had the chance to join forces. At that point, I still would not have known its identity. Without knowing its identity, I would never have achieved enlightenment or thought to sacrifice myself for the Dao in order to persuade it to release its obsession.
At the time, the vengeful spirit’s mind had been dominant, and the influenced Xiuzhu would have obeyed its instructions. The monster would have done everything it could to kill us.
Another possibility was that Seventh Master and I might have joined our Thunder Methods too early. But that possibility led to the same end: we would still have died.
So once I understood what the second point meant, I followed its instruction strictly and avoided using the Hexagram Art whenever possible.
The facts proved that the note had been saving our lives. I did not use the Thunder Formula until after I had uncovered the monster’s true identity and formed a plan to perform Exorcism for it.
Had I ignored the note’s warning, things would never have ended as they did.
As for the third point, it told me not to kill the great Ghost, meaning Xiuzhu and the vengeful spirit.
It was precisely the third point that gave me the idea of sacrificing myself for the Dao at the end.
Without it, I might not have been so resolute. I might not have insisted on jumping from the rooftop despite everyone trying to stop me.
In a sense, the third point was what led me to enlightenment.
I explained every part of my reasoning to Seventh Master in detail.
He was deeply shaken when I finished.
There had been only four short points. They looked insignificant, almost optional, but other than the first, failing to follow any one of them strictly might have changed the final outcome.
The person who gave me the note had clearly been helping us. He must have known about the Luo Mansion and what would happen to us in the future. Only then could he have given me such perfectly chosen warnings.
“Who exactly was this person?”
Seventh Master asked, “Didn’t you notice any distinguishing feature?”
I thought about it, unsure how to tell him.
There had indeed been one distinguishing feature, but it was so absurd that I still could not understand how it was possible.
Lowering my voice, I said, “I recognized the handwriting on the note.”
Seventh Master immediately brightened. “Then doesn’t that settle it? You know exactly who… Wait. You can’t remember whose handwriting it was?”
I drew a breath. “The handwriting was mine.”
That was the part I found absurd.
Handwriting could be imitated. It would make sense for someone to imitate mine, but I had no idea who this person was. He had wrapped himself up so thoroughly, so what would be the point of imitating my handwriting?
Even if he had used his own handwriting, I still would not know his identity.
Seventh Master’s eyes widened in equal shock. “What did you say? Your handwriting? How could it possibly be yours?”
I frowned. “I don’t know. There wasn’t the slightest trace of imitation either. Who could reproduce my handwriting so perfectly?”
This person had to be someone close to me.
But apart from Seventh Master, the only people close to me now were Song Xiaotian, Meng Yifan, and Anning.
It could not possibly be one of those four, could it?
Besides, this person knew about the Luo Mansion and could predict the future.
“Could it be…”
Seventh Master stared blankly at me. “Maybe your future self encountered a nine-star alignment and traveled back through time?”
I was speechless. “That’s ridiculous. Have you watched too many time-travel dramas?”
Seventh Master frowned. “But this is far too strange. That person’s handwriting was exactly the same as yours…”
It made no sense.
The two of us thought about it for a long time, but got nowhere.
At last, Seventh Master said, “If we can’t figure it out, then let it go. Without that note, the ominous hexagram might truly have come to pass. In any event, that person meant us no harm and even helped us. If he does not wish to reveal his identity, we do not need to investigate any further.”
I had only just stepped off the plane when I received a call from Meng Yifan.
He told me about an upcoming industry conference hosted by Pan Xiaorou’s company.
Perhaps because of her connection to Song Xiaotian, Pan Xiaorou had sent us an invitation as well.
That was naturally a good thing. The conference would be filled with others in our line of work. For one thing, we could build connections and help our little storefront grow. For another, we could learn from the knowledge and experience of our peers.
The problem was that this was an industry conference. Du Yunting would be attending too, and as one of its most distinguished guests.