Chu Zhiyuan and Zhaocai were playfully bickering.
Ning Yitao stared at Duan Qinghuai inquisitively. In her mind, his face overlapped with that of Gu Jiangli. The illusions she had experienced seemed to leave behind lingering emotions.
Ning Yitao wanted to see through him, to know who he really was.
Which one was the real him?
Yun Lianmeng floated to Ning Yitao's side and interrupted her train of thought. "Why hasn't Duan Qinghuai woken up yet?"
"He will. He's received too much information in his mind. He needs time to assimilate it."
Ning Yitao turned to look at Yun Lianmeng.
"What about you? Have you found the answers here?"
Yun Lianmeng shook her head dejectedly. "No. The talisman you gave me blocked the ghostly hands many times. They all wanted to drag me into the illusions. I kept running and dodging in the darkness.
"Many fragmented images flashed before my eyes. They were too scattered for me to grasp the key scenes. Finally, Chu Zhiyuan came and rescued me."
Ning Yitao glanced at the Soul - Washing Pond behind her, then at Yun Lianmeng.
"Do you really want to remember? You should know that the answers may not be as beautiful as you think."
Among the fragmented memories Yun Lianmeng had seen while being chased, there was only darkness.
Those ghostly hands wanted her to see these things to attract her. A big emotional upheaval would make it easier for her to be pulled into the illusions. The fragmented memories all told her how unbearable the past was.
But a voice in her heart told her that there was something she must remember and must do.
Yun Lianmeng nodded firmly. "I want to know."
"Okay, come with me." Ning Yitao patted the non - existent dust on her hands and walked towards the pond as she spoke.
The pond no longer had the stench of blood it had when they first saw it. Now it looked pure and dreamy.
"Jump in."
Hearing this, Yun Lianmeng thought she had misheard. The fear of being enveloped in darkness and the scene of being chased by the ghostly hands were still vivid in her mind.
Just thinking about it made her shudder. She had just escaped the predicament, and now she was being asked to return to that dark place. It made her a bit skeptical.
Wanting a definite answer, she pointed at herself, then at the pond, and asked again.
"Do you mean that I should jump into this pond again?"
Ning Yitao replied calmly.
"Yes, it's you. Jump in. All the resentful energy in the Soul - Washing Pond has been devoured by Zhaocai. The clear pond can preserve memories. Without the resentful energy, there will be no more ghostly hands. Don't be afraid."
For some reason, after getting the confirmation from Ning Yitao, Yun Lianmeng felt inexplicably at ease.
She secretly encouraged herself and without any hesitation, dived into the Soul - Washing Pond.
The splashing sound attracted Zhaocai and Chu Zhiyuan who were arguing.
Chu Zhiyuan saw that Yun Lianmeng had just managed to get out and now she had jumped back in. He quickly rushed over to grab her, but it was too late.
Chu Zhiyuan moved so fast and anxiously that he didn't stand steady when he landed. No one expected that he slipped and fell into the Soul - Washing Pond too.
A look of surprise flashed across Ning Yitao's face. She reached out to grab his hand, but it hung in the air. Chu Zhiyuan's fall was so awkward that she missed.
Only Zhaocai and Ning Yitao were left looking at each other. The air was filled with an awkward atmosphere, which pulled Ning Yitao back from her thoughts.
Ning Yitao pretended to stretch her arms, then retracted her hand. She covered her mouth and coughed twice, consoling herself.
"This should be okay, right?"
Zhaocai also averted his eyes.
"We may have caused trouble. Chu Zhiyuan barged in while Yun Lianmeng was condensing her memories. I've never seen what will happen in this situation."
Reacting quickly, Ning Yitao immediately pointed the finger at Zhaocai. She crossed her arms and stared at Zhaocai scrutinizingly.
"No, you were so close to him. Why didn't you grab him?"
Zhaocai snorted.
"Don't try to shift the blame onto me. Chu Zhiyuan was arguing with me excitedly just now. Who knew he would rush away the next second? I couldn't catch him."
Saying so, they both nervously stared at the water surface, observing for any abnormalities.
On the other side, Chu Zhiyuan was completely stunned as he plunged vertically into the pond. He was a physical being, not in a soul state like Yun Lianmeng.
The sudden water rushing at him from all directions made him choke on several mouthfuls of water.
Frantically, he tried to take out the water - repelling talisman from his body, but it was useless. What was in the pond wasn't ordinary water.
Something invisible beneath him was dragging him down. The more he struggled, the faster he sank.
Chu Zhiyuan thought he was going to die here. In a blink of an eye, he fell into a cold embrace, and there was a cool touch on his lips.
The water around Chu Zhiyuan receded, forming a transparent water ball.
The moment Chu Zhiyuan opened his eyes, he found that it was Yun Lianmeng who was kissing him?!
Yun Lianmeng had kissed him!
Chu Zhiyuan stared at Yun Lianmeng with wide - open eyes.
Seeing that he was okay and still staring at her, Yun Lianmeng felt her face burn. But she was a soul. How could she have such a feeling?
Yun Lianmeng pushed him away suddenly, took a big step back, and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. She stammered, "I... I saw you drowning just now. I wanted to give you air, so I kissed you."
Chu Zhiyuan, who had been pushed away, touched his lips belatedly and couldn't help but chuckle. "But you're a soul without breath. How could you give me air?"
Yun Lianmeng was stunned on the spot after hearing his words. When she saw Chu Zhiyuan in a dying state just now, her mind went blank and she only wanted to save him. She forgot that she didn't have breath.
She became extremely flustered and explained, "I was too anxious. I forgot for a moment."
However, although she didn't have breath, the pond water was now condensing her past memories. For the time being, the water would change according to her will. So, it could be said that she had saved Chu Zhiyuan, but with an extra step.
A white light flashed before their eyes. Since Yun Lianmeng entered the pond, the water had been churning, and a small whirlpool had formed at the bottom.
There was something indistinct in the middle of the whirlpool, constantly condensing. After the white light flashed, when Yun Lianmeng looked again, the whirlpool had subsided. She swam towards the center of the whirlpool.
After a long time, the surface of the pond remained calm, without a single ripple.
Zhaocai and Ning Yitao had maintained the same position for too long. Their necks were stiff, and every movement made a cracking sound.
Zhaocai rubbed his neck. "It's been so long with no movement. It should be okay, right?"
Zhaocai turned his head and found that Ning Yitao had the same posture as him. They were in perfect sync. Ning Yitao moved her neck and said,
"I don't know either. We'll have to wait and see what happens after they come out."
As they were talking, bubbles began to emerge one after another on the surface of the pond, making a gurgling sound.