"Tomorrow morning, we’ll go see Mu Hua."
Zhou Xuan asked Yun Ziliang again, "By the way, where’s Fifth Senior Brother? Why haven’t I seen him?"
"Oh, Li Chengfeng called and had him leave, saying the Buddha Mantra research needed an outstanding slicer."
"Fifth Senior Brother is probably unhappy. He hasn’t been in good spirits recently, and even the business with Jingyi has been lackluster. Now being asked to join the Bone Elder Association as a slicer, he must find it frustrating."
As Zhou Xuan and Yun Ziliang were chatting about Fifth Senior Brother, a shout from outside interrupted their conversation.
"Brother Zhou, are you there?"
Zhou Xuan heard Sister Cui calling from outside the shop. He went to open the door and stuck his head out. "Sister Cui, so late, and you’re still not sleeping?"
"Brother Zhou, is the Metropolitan still open?" Sister Cui asked Zhou Xuan.
"Yes, of course. The Metropolitan is a nightclub; it’s in the business of serving during the night." Zhou Xuan was somewhat puzzled as to why Sister Cui suddenly asked about the Metropolitan.
Sister Cui pulled Mu Hua, who had been hiding behind her, out and smiled sweetly. "Hua Zi is better now. I want to celebrate properly. So I thought we’d all go to the Metropolitan; it’s on me."
At this moment, Mu Hua timidly called out to Zhou Xuan, "Brother Zhou."
"Oh, wow, your mind’s clear now?"
Zhou Xuan was genuinely surprised. Mu Hua had once struggled even to smile, was unable to speak clearly even simple words, and his language ability was worse than that of a two-year-old child.
Now, though his words were short, his pronunciation and tone were fluent and animated.
"He started having a fever last night, and his spirits were down all day today..."
Zhou Xuan clearly remembered that when he went to Sister Cui’s house for breakfast this morning, Mu Hua hadn’t come out to help.
"Just a little while ago, Mu Hua suddenly told me, ’Hungry.’ I went to cook him some noodles, and after he finished eating, he actually said to me, ’Sister, the noodles you cooked are really delicious.’"
Sister Cui’s face was overwhelmed with happiness and excitement as she said, "I had never hoped that Hua Zi could recover in this lifetime, and I never imagined... he’s truly gotten better..."
while Zhou Xuan was stunned — the history of Peng Town had changed just last night, and Mu Hua began his fever the same night. Now he had regained his speech and was no longer the dazed person he used to be.
"Don’t call me... I’m thinking, too."
Yun Ziliang felt as though he had spoken a prophecy earlier.
"Sister Cui, Hua Zi... actually..." Zhou Xuan didn’t know how to explain it to Sister Cui,
whether to tell her outright — that within Hua Zi’s body resides a "Mother of Hundred Demons" that could awaken at any moment?
Or should he tell her — that Hua Zi is now the most dangerous person in Mingjiang Prefecture?
How worried would Sister Cui be then.
Only someone with a sister could truly understand a sister’s feelings.
Zhou Xuan decided not to reveal the truth to Sister Cui for now, especially when Hua Zi reminded him so much of his younger self.
As a child, Zhou Xuan had been somewhat shy and always liked to hide behind his mother while shopping.
"Sister Cui, Hua Zi getting better is worth celebrating. I’ll drive you all over to the Metropolitan in a bit, but you can’t pay. You helped me a lot today, so no matter what, the bill is on me."
"No this or that! If you don’t let me pay, I won’t drive you all to the Metropolitan."
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Celebration is the most important part. Who pays doesn’t matter."
"Well... alright then."
"Ya Zi, go wake up Little Fuzi. Tell him not to sleep and to come have fun."
After giving the instructions, Zhou Xuan turned to Sister Cui and said, "Sister Cui, Hua Zi’s better now, but he might not be fully recovered. I’ve learned some ways to check the body. Could I examine Hua Zi alone for a moment?"
"That’d be great. Hua Zi, go with your Brother Zhou into the shop."
Hua Zi lowered his head and walked out from behind Sister Cui.
Zhou Xuan brought Hua Zi into the second-floor bedroom, shut the door, and said to Mu Hua, "Hua Zi, raise your right hand and extend your middle finger."
Now that Mu Hua’s intelligence was back to normal, there was no need to guide his movements. He slowly extended the middle finger of his right hand.
Zhou Xuan also extended his right hand’s middle finger, pressing it against Mu Hua’s.
The moment they touched,
Zhou Xuan felt a strange sensation, as if Mu Hua were an extension of his own body.
In the space between them, the temperature suddenly plummeted. A translucent object, resembling both glass and a thin layer of ice, materialized rapidly.
Zhou Xuan couldn’t help but mutter.
He and Mu Hua were, indeed, mirror persons.
Beyond the layer of ice, Zhou Xuan could hear the howls of a hundred demons emanating from within Mu Hua’s body.
The chaotic noises collided messily.
But at the same time,
Zhou Xuan also sensed within Mu Hua’s body a trace of "Nuo God’s aura."
The density of the aura was indistinguishable from the one residing in Zhou Xuan’s own body.
"Nuo God, I am your mirror person. Shatter the ice, and I will merge with you. My incense offerings will become yours. Together, we will unite and serve as the Heavenly God watching over the human world."
A voice, filled with an intense and rousing tone, echoed from within Mu Hua’s body into Zhou Xuan’s mind.
Zhou Xuan forcibly suppressed the impulse to shatter the ice. He withdrew his finger, leaving the ice intact but slowly melting away.
"Fate truly is unpredictable."
Having figured out the situation, Zhou Xuan patted Mu Hua on the shoulder and said, "Hua Zi, your illness truly is cured, and you’re completely healthy now."
Mu Hua followed closely behind Zhou Xuan down the stairs. Just before they reached the corner, he gently tugged on Zhou Xuan’s sleeve. "Brother Zhou, we can’t tell Sister about the ice, can we?"
Zhou Xuan turned around sharply, feeling as though he were momentarily transported to another time. As a child, he would often whisper with his mother in lonely places.
Seeing Mu Hua, it was as though he were witnessing destiny itself cycle back again.
"We won’t tell her. It’d only worry her."
After speaking, Zhou Xuan headed down the stairs.