Chapter 128: Two Ziyis

Hearing Ziyu say that Shangguan Wan'er was coming, I felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. Although my feelings for her were far less significant than those I held for Wang Ying, meeting her after traveling back to this era was an incredibly miraculous experience.

I hurriedly showered and dressed, but upon walking out, I did not see Wan'er. Instead, I only saw that mischievous girl Ziyu standing there, watching me with a cryptic, playful smile.

"Hehe, Brother, I knew you’d come right out the moment I mentioned Sister Wan'er. I was just teasing you." She stood there giggling, looking utterly impish.

I felt an indescribable sense of disappointment. If I could have seen Wan'er here, it would have been a completely different sensation.

Ziyu giggled again and walked over to my side. "Here! Sister Wan'er asked me to give this to you." With that, she handed me a small slip of paper.

I opened it to find tiny, delicate handwriting: "Brother Yi, tonight, when the moon rises above the willow branches, I shall wait for you at the One-Step-Three-Bridge."

A wave of excitement washed over me. I wondered how she would react when she saw me. Not knowing where the One-Step-Three-Bridge was, I asked Ziyu, "Little sister, would you like to accompany your brother tonight?"

Ziyu looked at me in bewilderment. "Brother, are you alright? You used to sneak away from me whenever you had dates with Sister Wan'er. Today, you’re actually asking me to come along?"

"So what if I am? You’re my sister; it’s a date, not an illicit affair." As soon as I said it, I realized it might have sounded a bit too bold; after all, this was two thousand years ago, and people’s sensibilities were still quite conservative.

Ziyu rolled her eyes at me. "Such a glib tongue!"

"Little sister, if you don't want to go, then don't. But I have a serious question for you: the Luoshui Ring is in your possession, isn't it?" I certainly wouldn't forget about that.

"The Luoshui Ring? Hehe! Didn't you give it to me?" Ziyu chirped with a grin.

"Little sister, please return the Luoshui Ring to me. I have a use for it," I said sincerely.

"What kind of use? You gave it to me, and now you want it back? I won't give it to you. Now, hurry off to the One-Step-Three-Bridge; Sister Wan'er is waiting for you there." Ziyu pushed me by the back, gesturing for me to leave. By now, the sky had turned dark, and a full, round moon hung in the sky like a bright, polished plate. Without the shroud of smog, the moon here was significantly rounder than the one in the 21st century.

Seeing that Ziyu wouldn't give me the ring, I suddenly had an idea. If she wouldn't give it to me, I would have Wan'er ask her for it. A future sister-in-law would have more influence, and Ziyu would likely yield. "Brother has been overtired these past two days and has become a bit forgetful—which way was the One-Step-Three-Bridge again?"

Ziyu looked at me in surprise. "You can't be serious? You don't remember the place where you two frequently meet? Just walk out, turn right, then turn right again. Isn't the One-Step-Three-Bridge right under that old, crooked willow tree?" Ziyu glanced at me, curled her lip, and turned to walk away.

"Little girl, I was just teasing you! Of course I know where the One-Step-Three-Bridge is," I called out to her retreating back.

Watching Ziyu head home, I didn't bother with a servant to escort me. I walked according to her directions toward the old willow tree. While still some distance away, I saw a white figure standing beneath it. Gazing at that familiar silhouette, my eyes grew moist. I had spent some time with her, but today was the first time I was seeing her in the flesh. It was just a pity that she knew nothing of her own future.

I took a few steps forward, and Wan'er saw me and walked over to greet me.

As she drew closer, everything became clear. A living, breathing Wan'er stood before me. Compared to the "walking dead" version of her from the 21st century, the current Wan'er was far more vibrant and beautiful.

"Brother Yi, you've finally returned." Upon seeing me, Wan'er leaned toward me. However, it was just a lean; there was no dramatic scene, and she did not throw herself into my arms as I had imagined.

"Wan'er, are you doing well?" Looking at the girl before me, I subconsciously compared her to the corpse-spirit hybrid Wan'er of the 21st century. Her appearance was identical, and her tone of voice was exactly the same. I finally understood: she was different from me. I was the reincarnation of Ziyi after his death, and my appearance might have changed slightly. She, however, was not; her corpse had remained uncorrupted for two thousand years. The "her" of that time was the same "her" as now, merely a combination of soul and body after death.

Wan'er lowered her eyes. "Brother Yi, things are not going well. The Gatekeeper of Hejun is making things difficult for me everywhere..." Her voice was choked with emotion. At that moment, I did not know who the Gatekeeper of Hejun was, but I knew that this was the person who had poisoned Wan'er to death. It was because of this poisoning that Ziyi had entered the tomb of the King of Ju in search of the Blood Linglong, ultimately never returning, which set off a tragedy that spanned two thousand years.

I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. What could I say? Should I urge her to leave this place now and never see the Gatekeeper of Hejun again? That way, she might avoid her fate and grow old with Ziyi. But doing so would violate history and the natural laws of development; it was impossible.

Reflecting on this, I felt a deep pity for Wan'er. I reached out and took her hand, and she gently rested against my chest. Holding her, I felt her warmth and her heartbeat for the first time.

"Wan'er, don't be afraid. You have me now!" I held her, stroking her back, and added, "Wan'er, do you believe in an afterlife?"

Wan'er rested her chin on my shoulder and whispered, "Actually, I believe in an afterlife, but I have never seen one."

"Wan'er, if I told you I came from two thousand years in the future, would you believe me?" I was feeling emotional, and I didn't want to lie to her.

Wan'er pulled away from my embrace and looked at me suspiciously. "Brother Yi, are you alright? Do you have a fever?" She pressed her hand to my forehead to check.

Just as I was about to explain in detail, the sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed in the distance. A horseman appeared in my field of vision, looking quite majestic under the moonlight. As I looked at the person on the horse, I was stunned. Sitting atop the horse was another Ziyi.

It was truly a case of "enemies meeting on a narrow path." The thing I feared most had happened: I was looking at my past self, the me from two thousand years ago. The most surprised person was not me, but Wan'er. She looked at the Ziyi on the horse, then back at me, and gasped as she pulled away from my arms. "You... who are you?"

Before I could answer, the Ziyi on the horse leaped down and grabbed Wan'er’s hand, pulling her to the side. "Wan'er, he didn't scare you, did he?" He then raised his sword and pointed it at my nose. "Who are you? To dare impersonate me—I think you're tired of living."

"Ziyi, don't be impulsive! I am you, and you are me. I am you from two thousand years in the future, and you are me from two thousand years ago." Fearing he would resort to violence, I hurriedly explained.

"What? What are you talking about?" Ziyi clearly didn't understand. In that era, no one would believe in concepts like time travel.

I had to repeat myself.

After listening, Ziyi let out a cold laugh, drew his Fengchi sword in a blur, and pointed it at my forehead. "What kind of spy are you, dressing up as me?"

Seeing his Fengchi sword, I drew the one at my own waist and brandished it before him. "Ziyi, look, I wasn't lying to you. I am you from two thousand years in the future. Our swords are identical."

Ziyi looked at the sword in my hand, his brow furrowing. "How... how do you have a Fengchi sword? The Fengchi sword was forged from a meteorite by the blind old man in Hexi after ten days of burning and hammering. There is only one such blade in the world. Yours must be a fake!" With that, Ziyi lunged at me, brandishing his blade.

I retreated quickly and raised my sword to parry.

With a thunderous clash, we were both sent reeling back. I fell to the ground, while Ziyi remained standing. It was evident that his martial arts were superior to mine.

"You liar! Not only are you lying to me, but you're also deceiving Wan'er. Today, I shall kill you!" Ziyi lunged at me again.

"Ziyi, don't be like this! I truly am your future self, the you from two thousand years later!"

"Enough! You even dare to deceive the woman of a Great General of the State. Let's see if I don't kill you!" He charged at me once more.

Damn it! Trying to kill his own self—was he even human? If I didn't show him a thing or two, he wouldn't know the true power of someone from the 21st century.

I bit the tip of my tongue, gathered a mouthful of blood, and sprayed it onto my Fengchi sword. Nourished by my extremely yin blood, the sword erupted with a blinding, piercing light.