Though time stretches without end, the river of time Lin Luo inhabited had a terminus. After an indeterminate duration, all the visions abruptly ceased, and Lin Luo finally withdrew from that temporal flow.

He had finally returned to the future, or rather, his original timeline. Lin Luo didn't immediately check if the future had changed or try to ascertain his surroundings; his mind was still steeped in the history of Gensokyo. The scenes that had just vanished before his eyes continued to flash within his mind.

Most of what was seen in the River of Time was incomplete, much like fast-forwarding a movie—the full plot was never visible. Sometimes, a single jump spanned hundreds or even thousands of years. For example, Shikie, perhaps due to her exceedingly low profile, was very subdued in the River of Time as well; the sightings of her were pitifully few.

Lin Luo witnessed the most of Yukari Yakumo and Kazami Yuuka, but that was before Gensokyo was established. Once Gensokyo finally materialized, what he saw shifted from individuals to the entirety of the realm itself.

It was at that precise moment the leaps in the River of Time slowed, allowing Lin Luo to see many things he hadn't known before.

The one who affected him most deeply was, naturally, the First Shrine Maiden. Although she died very early and her appearances among the inhabitants of Gensokyo were very infrequent, those brief glimpses were enough to etch themselves into his memory.

The First Shrine Maiden was undeniably the greatest person Gensokyo had ever known. When she learned that establishing Gensokyo demanded the life of either herself or Yukari Yakumo, she unhesitatingly chose herself—a decisiveness that commanded profound respect. When Yukari Yakumo asked her why she didn't allow the entity known as Yakumo to vanish instead, the First one’s response was equally profound…//Fastest text update from Shumi Lou

To the First, her primary consideration was never herself, but Gensokyo. For Gensokyo, she was willing to sacrifice everything, including her most cherished life.

Then came the Second, the Third... Every subsequent Shrine Maiden, despite differing personalities and hobbies, and vastly different ways of conducting affairs, all inherited the will of the First, diligently guarding Gensokyo.

However, the death of the First left behind more than just a Gensokyo where youkai and humans could coexist peacefully; it also left behind an endless sorrow.

And this sorrow was borne entirely by Yukari Yakumo alone.

The First died, her duty fulfilled by her life. Yukari Yakumo lived on, shouldering the pain to continue the guardianship... If the First possessed the noblest soul, then Yukari Yakumo carried the heaviest soul.

So heavy that no one else could possibly bear it.

Yet, Yukari Yakumo was not the only one burdened by painful memories. In fact, within Gensokyo, almost every person or youkai carried a heavy past.

Take Fujiwara no Muchikurin, Remilia Scarlet, Alice Margatroid, Yuyuko Saigyouji. And Kaguya, Eirin, Byakuren... Even those who appeared utterly carefree and devoid of a dark history, like Reimu and Marisa, possessed deeply troubled pasts.

The difference was that all of them had, consciously or unconsciously, chosen to forget. Even if someone accidentally brought it up, they adopted an air of complete indifference. To the uninformed observer, they might seem truly unconcerned, but Lin Luo, having witnessed Gensokyo’s history spanning over five centuries, knew that their seeming indifference was not genuine; it was because they could not bear the weight.

Choosing to forget was, for them, an equivalent exchange.

Gensokyo was undoubtedly a paradise for youkai. But... the price paid for establishing this paradise was far too heavy.

“Perhaps, she was truly right.” In this era, Lin Luo abruptly recalled the words Yukari Yakumo had spoken when she first brought him to the gap. One day, you will become the scourge that destroys Gensokyo.

At the time, he had been dismissive, believing that unless an unavoidable cosmic reason arose, he would never deliberately destroy Gensokyo. But now? Lin Luo dared not guarantee anything; perhaps... he genuinely might commit such an act, whether for Yukari Yakumo, for the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, or for Gensokyo itself.

Never before had Lin Luo felt so utterly conflicted.

Tap... tap... tap... tap...

“Hm?” Just then, Lin Luo suddenly heard a faint sound nearby—it sounded like someone walking, deliberately muffling their footsteps. If he hadn't been paying close attention, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

Lin Luo paused, then finally realized the environment around him was subtly different. He hadn't examined his surroundings closely upon exiting the River of Time. Startled by the footsteps, he looked around only to find himself enveloped in absolute darkness, so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He had no idea where he was.

Mere darkness couldn't defeat Lin Luo for long. He quickly discerned he was in a cave, twisting and turning in a complex maze, which struck him as utterly bizarre.

Strange, how did I end up in this place? Where even is this?

“Hey, doesn't this place feel a bit off?”

“Yeah, it’s so dark and big. Totally unscientific.”

Suddenly, the voices of two girls drifted into Lin Luo's ears. Clearly, they were the source of the footsteps, and they were deliberately keeping their voices low. However... the second girl’s comment made Lin Luo feel awkward for a moment. So dark and big—what exactly were they implying?

Lin Luo, allowing his mind to drift into inappropriate fantasies, failed to notice a round object suddenly appear right behind him, followed immediately by a... BOOM!!!

With a violent explosion, firelight instantly illuminated the pitch-black cave, and Lin Luo, predictably, was engulfed. At that moment, he felt a sting of tears.

The sudden blast was powerful, but no matter how strong, it posed no actual threat to him. It was just that, in that instant, he began to understand: the voices of the two girls had clearly been bait, intended to distract him for a flanking maneuver.

Such tactics would normally be useless against Lin Luo. The problem was, he was currently in Gensokyo, where he was inherently less guarded. Secondly, he was still unsettled from exiting the River of Time. Finally... the explosion’s power was ridiculously weak; it generated zero (alertness).

It was akin to walking alone at night when a murderer suddenly appears behind you; if your sixth sense is sharp, you might notice. But if an ant tries to bite your ankle from behind, even your eighth sense might fail you.

Thus, under such distracted circumstances, Lin Luo was ambushed.

However, what he couldn't fathom was why someone would target him so explicitly with such an obvious tactic. In Gensokyo, who had the time or inclination to pull stunts like this? Back when Gensokyo mobilized against the Evil King, he had forged deep revolutionary friendships with the girls. Even if those shallow-hearted beings had forgotten those bonds, Reimu’s situation hadn't been resolved yet. Even the most carefree wouldn't turn on him now.

Even stepping back a million paces and assuming some girls were bored enough to bother him, why resort to such a petty explosion? Was it not too low-level? Even as a prank, it seemed rather poor effort.

Lin Luo was utterly bewildered.

“Hahaha, direct hit! That youkai must be down for the count. Let’s hurry over and check.”

“Better be careful.”

While Lin Luo was still pondering, the voices reached him again. He recognized the girl who mentioned it being "dark and big" as the one sounding excited, though her voice was still low. The other, urging caution, sounded more reserved.

What? Youkai? Are they talking about me?

Lin Luo felt even more confused. Though he had transcended the limits of ordinary humanity at his level, he couldn't precisely be classified as a youkai—at best, a form of human evolution similar to a Celestial. Of course, in the mundane world, the general populace might mistake him for a youkai, but this was Gensokyo! For a resident of Gensokyo to call him a youkai... This was hardly the way to play thief crying thief!

Or perhaps... he wasn't in Gensokyo at all?

While this idea lacked evidence, it wasn't impossible. If that were true, it would explain why they perceived him as a youkai.

Originally, Lin Luo intended to remain motionless at the explosion site, waiting for the two girls to walk into his trap so he could scornfully lecture them. But considering the possibility that this wasn't Gensokyo, he changed his plan.

He immediately created a clone, erased its life signs, and warped its appearance to look demonic, leaving it motionless at the blast site... In truth, Lin Luo wanted to stage a gruesome scene—mangled limbs, scattered brains and viscera—to terrify them senseless.

But upon reflection, the explosion, while significant, didn't possess that level of destructive power. So, he settled for this simple setup, then concealed his true self nearby, awaiting the show.

Moments later, as faint light flickered from the opposite end of the cave, the footsteps grew distinct. Soon, Lin Luo saw two young maidens approaching cautiously, carrying flashlights.

The one in the lead was a girl in a white top and black skirt, wearing a black hat, with shoulder-length dark hair. She was quite beautiful, appearing no older than twenty, possessing the air of a researcher or adventurer.

Lin Luo found her vaguely familiar but couldn't place her.

He instinctively shifted his gaze to the girl accompanying her—another pretty, delicate girl, but with a slightly languid demeanor and pale yellow hair... Wait?!

Lin Luo hadn't paid close attention to the second girl's face at first, but once he saw it clearly, his expression drastically changed, because the person... was an exact look-alike of Yukari Yakumo!

PS: My home internet suddenly cut out last night, and I failed to notify you all. I apologize sincerely. Today, while the technician was here, I also made a trip to the hospital to get some restorative medicine. A lot of time was wasted today, leaving me no time to write much, so here is just one chapter; please bear with it.

Finally, regarding the two new girls who have appeared, I probably don't need to spoil anything in advance for you. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)