SWHCBB 92

Chapter 92: The Truth of ‘Rebirth’

Jiang Chuang followed the voice and saw a wisp of green smoke condense midair into the form of a woman. Through the mist, one could vaguely make out her features, which bore some resemblance to Bai Yuan, but she looked far more approachable.

The wisp of smoke shifted shapes, first circling Bai Yuan, then drifting over to Wen Jue and Jiang Chuang, spiraling around them. Jiang Chuang straightened alertly, shielding Wen Jue in his arms.

Wen Jue seemed to sense the presence of the smoke and turned his head slightly, sniffing the air. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of peace.

Bai Yuan spoke uncertainly, “Ancestor?” The ancestor was a woman? How had he never known!

The wisp of smoke spoke again. “Being called ‘Ancestor’ sounds awful. Forget it. So you’re the current clan leader of the Yousu fox clan?”

Bai Yuan stood and respectfully placed a hand over his shoulder. “Yes, that’s me!”

The fox clan’s ancestor circled around Wen Jue’s eyes twice. “Why is Zhiyu still blind? Don’t tell me you can’t even cure this little bit of poison and had to call for me.”

She didn’t wait for Bai Yuan’s reply before floating around Jiang Chuang, murmuring with admiration: “Not bad, not bad. Strong, kind-hearted, with striking eyes and brows. So handsome and so devoted. Xiao Zhiyu really has great taste~”

Jiang Chuang, flattered, lifted his chin slightly and said with a touch of pride, “Thank you for the compliment, Senior. But I think my taste is even better than Zhiyu’s.”

Wen Jue nudged him away a little. Thanks to Bai Yuan’s interruption, his mood had improved a bit. Still, the unease in his heart hadn’t cleared. He didn’t know how to act like nothing had happened. He didn’t even know what attitude to take with Yunchuan.

The ancestor’s tone sounded like that of an elder fondly praising a junior they hadn’t seen in years, but Wen Jue couldn’t feel any familiarity from her at all.

“Senior, do you know me?” Wen Jue asked, confused.

The wisp of smoke floated up and hovered midair. “Silly child, you and your sister were both born because of a mistake I made. You are anomalies in this world. Of course I know you. I saw you even when you were still in your mother’s womb. And after your death…”

She trailed off, no longer speaking.

“So the world’s timeline was really reversed by you!” Bai Yuan stood up, excited.

The ancestor snapped coldly, “What are you doing, shouting like that? I’m only a sliver of divine consciousness. If you say things so bluntly, are you trying to get me erased?”

Bai Yuan immediately shut up and dared not speak another word.

He didn’t dare ask, but Jiang Chuang did. If they didn’t clear this up, how was he supposed to win back his Wen Xiao Yu?

What past lives, what different people, he had always been the same person, no matter what had happened!

“Senior, why was I able to relive my life with my memories? What really happened?” Jiang Chuang asked.

The ancestor didn’t answer.

Jiang Chuang pressed on: “Zhiyu and I should have died, but I was pulled back five years into the past and allowed to change what happened. I became a different person, less reckless, less stubborn. I used to be impulsive and full of pride, which hurt both me and Zhiyu deeply.”

“Now, with my memories, I’ve made completely different choices. My personality, experiences, and thoughts are no longer the same as who I was the first time. So, strictly speaking, am I still the same person?”

Wen Jue was stunned. He thought Yunchuan would ask the elder to affirm that all versions of ‘Wen Jue’ were the same person, no matter what. But Yunchuan didn’t. He tried to understand Wen Jue’s doubts and never once blamed or questioned him in front of the elder.

He was too kind, so kind that Wen Jue’s heart ached. Wen Jue even had a selfish thought: the former Wen Jue was dead. No one else would compete with him now. And it was only because that version of Wen Jue had died that Yunchuan had become such a good man. Why shouldn’t he accept this love and be with Yunchuan without guilt?

Even if Yunchuan didn’t mind, why did he?

But Wen Jue couldn’t let it go. He cared too much about this relationship, so much that he couldn’t bear even the slightest imperfection.

The ancestor asked, confused, “Why would you think that way? The past is just your experience, it’s still all part of you. You are who you are.”

Before Jiang Chuang could reply, Wen Jue spoke, finally voicing all his worries, including the dream he had about the former Wen Jue.

“I see,” the ancestor murmured. “You dreamt of it not only because Bai Yuan’s treatment infused your soul with fox energy, but also because I… reversed… cough… the timeline for you. That dream was of you, how could it be someone else? Perhaps you always viewed your past self as an outsider and never understood why you did what you did at the time.”

Wen Jue fell silent, while Jiang Chuang still looked uneasy. He thought he understood what troubled Zhiyu: it wasn’t about whether he loved Zhiyu now, but whether this Zhiyu was still the same as the one he had fallen in love with.

Wen Jue didn’t doubt Jiang Chuang’s love. He just felt, deep down, that he wasn’t worthy of it, that Jiang Chuang had loved the wrong person.

But he didn’t understand how deeply Jiang Chuang loved him, how he always noticed the good in others, but never realized how good he himself was.

The ancestor sighed again. “It’s my fault. I promised Qingci that I’d protect you both, so she could leave without worry.”

Her voice grew filled with guilt. “But I lost track of time during my cultivation. When I emerged, you had long since died, your soul scattered into the world, with no past or future lives to speak of. I had broken my promise again and again. So I gambled everything, broke every taboo, and reversed the world’s… cough… timeline. As for why Jiang Chuang remembered everything, maybe because his attachment to you was too deep. He lingered by your corpse, refusing to enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

No past, no future… was he still himself?

Wen Jue slowly came to believe that the ‘Wen Jue’ in the dream really was him.

Yunchuan’s obsession… How desperate must he have been to hold Wen Jue and die together? What kind of resolve would that have taken?

Jiang Chuang silently watched as Wen Jue’s hand crept toward him and accidentally brushed a place it shouldn’t. Wen Jue jerked his hand back.

Jiang Chuang quickly caught his hand, interlacing their fingers, pretending nothing had happened.

Bai Yuan couldn’t bear to watch. Fortunately, the ancestor didn’t notice and continued calmly,

“In truth, I didn’t just reverse five years. My power’s not that limited. I went all the way back to before Qingci’s death. But by then, the Heavenly Dao had sensed me, and I could no longer remain in this world.”

“So I gave an order to the Yousu clan, to protect you both for life. Before leaving, I forcibly rewrote your fate, changing your doomed destiny. Though the hardships ahead would still be yours to endure, as long as you survived, your life would only improve.”

Wen Jue tried to ignore his burning cheeks and asked, “My mother… did she suffer before leaving? They say she was frail after childbirth and was killed by a traitor. But my sister says that’s not true, and told me not to feel guilty.”

“Of course not!” the ancestor immediately refuted. A hand formed from smoke floated above Zhiyu’s head and gently patted him. “Poor child, how could you believe such nonsense? Qingci wanted to leave. After becoming pregnant with you, she finally saw that man’s true nature. But she still loved you dearly.”

“She just couldn’t bear the kind of life that lay ahead. So when I told her I could send her back, she asked me to wait until after you were born. When she left… she was very happy.”

So that was the truth…

The heavy burden that had weighed on Wen Jue’s heart for years was finally lifted with clarity.

“Enough talk. Words can’t compare to seeing it for yourself.”

Without warning, a storm suddenly stirred in the closed room, lifting objects into the air. Wisps of green smoke shot toward Jiang Chuang and Wen Jue, and in seconds, both fell unconscious.

Just before fainting, Jiang Chuang instinctively cradled Wen Jue’s head, making sure he landed safely on the bed. Only then did he allow himself to pass out.