Liu Hui’s soul had returned to the past, now knowing the truth behind Shu Yan’s death, but why did this suddenly appearing "Shu Yan" insist she was the real Shu Yan? Moreover, she knew so many secrets that only he and the real Shu Yan should have known, leaving Liu Hui momentarily bewildered.

A few days later, Liu Hui spoke to a slightly sulky Shu Yan, "Yanyan, I want to take you to meet someone. Would you like to go?"

Shu Yan immediately brightened up and replied, "Yes! I’m willing to go anywhere as long as Huihui is taking me."

Hu Xian'er, standing nearby, shot him a questioning glance, and Liu Hui returned one of reassurance. Since he couldn't read any of Shu Yan's true thoughts even with his Mind-Reading Artifact, he decided to try another approach to understand what was truly in her heart.

At the Starry Sky Terminal Illness Hospital, there was an expert in hypnosis who was renowned there for successfully resolving many people's psychological issues through hypnosis. This was why Liu Hui wanted to take Shu Yan to meet this hypnotist, hoping to uncover some secrets about her through hypnosis.

When Liu Hui brought the overjoyed Shu Yan to the Starry Sky Terminal Illness Hospital, her expression immediately fell; she already knew what Liu Hui was thinking.

Liu Hui said, "Yanyan, you say you are Shu Yan, but that Anqi doesn't believe you. Why don't you prove to Anqi that you are the real Shu Yan? What do you say?"

Shu Yan bit her finger and thought for a moment, then asked, "Then what method will you use to prove that I am Shu Yan?"

Liu Hui replied, "I will find you an expert in hypnosis. After he puts you under, he can discover from your subconscious whether you are truly Shu Yan."

Shu Yan considered this and said, "That's not impossible, but you can't ask any privacy-related questions!"

Liu Hui laughed, "That's absolutely no problem. I will be in the same room as the hypnotherapist, and I won't let him ask those things."

Shu Yan smiled, "That’s wonderful. Once I prove I am Shu Yan, I’ll go find that imposter Anqi. I want to see what she has to say, hmph hmph..."

Liu Hui’s previously confident heart started to grow confused again. Shu Yan wasn't afraid of hypnosis at all. Was her confidence stemming from the fact that she truly was Shu Yan? But why was her personality so different from the real Shu Yan?

The hypnosis expert was indeed formidable. In his therapy room, he quickly managed to hypnotize Shu Yan completely, plunging her into an unconscious, deep sleep. Liu Hui watched this unfold beside her, feeling somewhat tense.

"Boss, it’s done. You can ask her questions now," the hypnotherapist said.

Liu Hui glanced at the expert, who immediately understood and said, "Boss, I will step out. Just call me if you need anything. Oh, right, when I was hypnotizing this young girl just now, I sensed a magical power protecting her. So my hypnosis wasn't 100% successful. If you question her now, you will only be able to elicit memories that are most deeply etched in her mind; nothing else can be brought out."

Liu Hui asked doubtfully, "Are you saying there is a magical power protecting her?"

The expert replied, "Precisely. It is this magical power that caused the deviation in my hypnosis; I could only manage a reluctant trance."

Liu Hui waved his hand, and the expert left. He suddenly began to understand—his Mind-Reading Artifact must have been unable to access Shu Yan's true thoughts for the same reason: this magical power.

Liu Hui sat in front of Shu Yan, looked at her, and asked, "Tell me, what is your name?"

Shu Yan replied, "My name is Shu Yan."

Liu Hui asked, "Shu Yan, who do you love the most?"

Shu Yan replied, "The person I love most is Liu Hui."

Liu Hui asked, "Which Liu Hui are you referring to?"

Shu Yan said, "I call my Liu Hui 'Huihui.' He is from Pingding Mountain in Bashi City, Huaxia."

Liu Hui asked, "Tell me how you two met!"

Shu Yan paused before answering, "On July 15, 2007, near the ancient city wall in Chuzhou, I met my destined love—Liu Hui. I already had a premonition that I would be entwined with Liu Hui for all eternity..."

Shu Yan began to recount the entire process of how she met and fell in love with Liu Hui, with exquisite detail. There were even many small details that Liu Hui himself had forgotten, yet Shu Yan narrated them perfectly accurately. Listening to Shu Yan's confession, Liu Hui grew increasingly perplexed, unsure what was happening.

He had witnessed the process of Shu Yan transforming into Anqi with his own eyes, so Anqi definitely was Shu Yan, only Anqi had lost Shu Yan’s memories. And this Shu Yan perfectly remembered all their shared experiences, only failing to recall some people around Shu Yan—she was practically Shu Yan reincarnated...

"Reincarnation..." Liu Hui suddenly paused. Having experienced reincarnation himself, he believed that people could indeed be reborn after death. But what if Shu Yan's soul had dispersed upon death, and the Anqi who revived immediately after was actually an entirely new soul?

If that were the case, the entire situation would make sense: although Anqi originated from Shu Yan, she was a different person from Shu Yan. Their only commonality was possessing the same body. Because Anqi and Shu Yan shared the same physical form, the electric current of familiarity that once passed between Liu Hui and Shu Yan had been retained as a bodily instinct. This explained why Liu Hui and Shu Yan felt such familiarity with each other initially but couldn't recall why.

After Shu Yan passed away, although her body continued to exist in another bizarre manner, her soul had begun the cycle of reincarnation. Wait, no, it shouldn't be called reincarnation, because calculating by age, this Shu Yan was quite old. If it wasn't reincarnation, then perhaps it was soul possession. Under circumstances unknown to him, Shu Yan's soul had taken over this young girl’s body, resulting in a fusion of their souls that ultimately produced a soul slightly different from Shu Yan—this was the current "Shu Yan." Other changes might have occurred during this process, causing this new "Shu Yan" to forget whose body she had possessed.

Thinking this, Liu Hui tentatively asked, "Shu Yan, who are your parents? What are their names?"

Shu Yan replied, "I don't know."

Liu Hui asked again, "Shu Yan, where are you from?"

Shu Yan replied, "I don't know."

Liu Hui continued to ask several questions related to Shu Yan’s own background, and in every case, Shu Yan answered that she didn't know. By this point, Liu Hui was starting to believe his recent deduction.

This Shu Yan might truly be the Shu Yan from Chuzhou, but due to reasons unknown to him, her personality had shifted somewhat, though her love for him remained unchanged.

Liu Hui asked several more questions, and Shu Yan answered with ignorance each time. At this juncture, Liu Hui remembered what the hypnotherapist had said. He realized this was because Shu Yan genuinely loved him; thus, the memories most deeply ingrained in her mind were those related to her love for him. Other memories, being less profound for her, were currently inaccessible.

Liu Hui had achieved his objective. He signaled the hypnotherapist, who was watching from outside the glass wall, and the expert promptly entered, asking, "Boss, how did it go?"

Liu Hui said, "I have a rough understanding now. Wake her up, please."

The hypnotherapist snapped his fingers three times in front of Shu Yan, and she slowly woke up, looking vaguely conscious. Seeing Liu Hui standing beside her, she asked nervously, "Huihui, well? Have you confirmed it now?"

Liu Hui smiled, "Yanyan, let's go home first, and we'll discuss the details slowly!"

On the way home, Shu Yan noticed Liu Hui's attitude towards her had significantly improved. She immediately understood—this was Liu Hui’s reaction after confirming her identity. Recalling the hardships she endured just to see Liu Hui, Shu Yan couldn't help but weep.

"What? This Shu Yan is really the Shu Yan from Chuzhou?" Hu Xian'er was greatly shocked upon learning the truth.

Liu Hui quickly whispered, "Xian'er, keep your voice down, don't let Yanyan hear."

Hu Xian'er exclaimed, "You mean, after Shu Yan died, she split into two people: Anqi, who inherited her body, and this little Shu Yan, who formed after her soul possessed someone else?"

Liu Hui sighed, "I know this sounds absurd, but it's the only way to explain the strange phenomena surrounding both these women!"

Hu Xian'er looked at Liu Hui strangely and asked, "Water Buffalo, so what are you thinking now?"

Liu Hui blinked, "I haven't figured it out yet; that's why I'm consulting you!"

Hu Xian'er asked, "You're not going to tell me that because both women are Shu Yan, you plan to keep them both, are you?"

Liu Hui protested, "Xian'er, how could I be that kind of person..."

Hu Xian'er said, "It's good that you're not that kind of person. Immediately find this Shu Yan a place to live and have her move out. I’m afraid if she stays here, I might have to leave this house sooner or later."

Liu Hui embraced Hu Xian'er and laughed, "Don't you know my feelings for you?"

Tears welled up in Hu Xian'er's eyes. "I only feel Wang Jin's love for me; I haven't felt your heart toward me."

Liu Hui felt a pang of heartache seeing Hu Xian'er looking wronged. "Alright! I’ll listen to you. I’ll go talk to Shu Yan right now."

Hu Xian'er asked, "How do you plan to face this Shu Yan?"

Liu Hui shook his head, "I truly don't know what to do. Maybe the bridge will sort itself out when we get to it!"

So, Liu Hui employed all sorts of trickery and cajoling techniques to finally gain Shu Yan's trust, and she agreed to move into an apartment outside. After settling Shu Yan in, Liu Hui quickly fled the scene, unsure how to face this woman.

Little Black was undergoing evolution after being injected with the Ultimate Evolution Fluid and showed no signs of waking up. The "Starry Sky City" continued its rapid development, and the global situation remained stable without any major shifts; the entire world appeared peaceful.

However, another plane was entirely different: the Insectoids and the Protoss were locked in fierce battle, both suffering heavy casualties, though no winner was apparent yet.

In the Magic Plane, Alexander began resting and recuperating, striving to expand his Church of Light, aiming to make the religion he and Liu Hui had concocted a major power.

The department Liu Hui had previously established solely for compiling the canons of the Church of Light had not been disbanded; instead, its strength had increased. Many experts from various fields were added to this department, collectively researching and refining the canons to make them perfect and serve as the ultimate tool.

Liu Hui continuously transmitted the newly written canons to Alexander, who utilized these fresh scriptures to effortlessly implant the doctrines of the God of Light into the minds of all believers. Consequently, the influence of the Church of Light expanded rapidly, attracting followers even among some of the Elven race.

Meanwhile, the otherwise smooth-sailing cultivation world saw its master, Xiaoyaozi, looking troubled one day. Upon inquiry, Liu Hui learned that the Sky Demons, who hadn't appeared in the Cultivation Plane for a long time, had surfaced, and their targets seemed to be their Artifact Refining Sect. This was why Xiaoyaozi was constantly frowning.

Although the Artifact Refining Sect was unprecedentedly powerful now, the Sky Demons of the past were even stronger. If their target was indeed the Artifact Refining Sect, then the sect faced an immense crisis. Therefore, Xiaoyaozi wanted to borrow some high-grade Spirit Stones from Liu Hui to bolster the sect's strength.

Despite Xiaoyaozi’s visible anxiety and his urgent tone, Liu Hui was unconvinced and unwilling to lend the high-grade Spirit Stones, all because he had been tricked by Xiaoyaozi too many times and feared being deceived again.

Liu Hui finally showed Xiaoyaozi a clear path: accelerate the research progress. If the large Illusionary Array could be completed sooner, it would yield vast quantities of high-grade Spirit Stones, allowing him to enhance his power however he wished.

Seeing that Liu Hui would not agree to his terms, Xiaoyaozi reluctantly hastened the research on the large Illusionary Array to confront the impending danger.

The area of "Starry Sky City" had now surpassed one thousand square kilometers. As the territory expanded, some of the architectural projects Liu Hui had planned earlier began to materialize.

Comprehensive structures such as the Vertical Agriculture Zone and the Huaxia Culture Museum Zone commenced construction in earnest. Simultaneously, an artificial freshwater canal encircling the entire "Starry Sky City" and a large freshwater lake were also underway.

Watching "Starry Sky City" continuously grow and expand, some individuals and organizations grew extremely anxious. They deeply understood that if they allowed "Starry Sky City" to develop unchecked, they would have no future and would forever suffer comprehensive suppression from the City. Consequently, they began to act proactively, staking everything on controlling their own destiny, aiming to execute the plan they had devised to destroy "Starry Sky City" while they still held a sliver of advantage.

Within Huaxia territory, late at night, on a desolate mountain, a beautiful woman ran desperately ahead, pursued by two men who taunted her relentlessly: "Beauty, still running? The more you run, the more excited my brother and I get..."

The woman dared not stop, continuing to sprint forward, but the path ahead suddenly vanished as a very high cliff materialized before her. Feeling despair, she stopped, turned, and backed away, repeatedly warning, "Don't come closer! Don't come any closer, or I'll jump!"

One man panted heavily, sneering, "Go ahead and jump! If you jump, it’s suicide, and it has nothing to do with us brothers. Besides, we can find your corpse at the bottom and try out the flavor of decay, hahahaha..."

The other man teased wickedly, "Beauty, why not play with us brothers for a bit? It won't cost you a piece of flesh. We'll have our fun, and you can have yours too! Why be so rigid?"

The woman's face hardened with resolve. "You two beasts, I would rather die than submit to you."

The first man chuckled, "No submission? What else can you do?"

The woman showed fierce determination in her eyes and began to step backward.

The two men started, crying out in unison, "Don't do it..."

The woman suddenly accelerated and leaped off the cliff. The two men were horrified but powerless to stop her jump.

Just as the woman began to fall, an ice pillar suddenly materialized between her back and the cliff face, connecting her back to the stone. The woman instantly stopped falling, suspended in mid-air.

This sudden turn of events stunned not only the woman but also the two men, who were momentarily vexed. Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the air; the previously warm weather plummeted, and snowflakes began to fall. In an instant, the area transformed into an intensely frigid, icy, and snowy world.

The two men stood dumbfounded in the blizzard, unsure what had happened. Suddenly, one man screamed, "Run, ghosts!" and turned to flee. The other man snapped out of his stupor and followed, preparing to escape.

Two snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing precisely on the two fleeing men. An intense chill penetrated their bodies from the surface inward. In mere seconds, massive ice pillars formed around the exterior of their bodies, encasing them in ice while they were still posed in mid-run.

The woman frozen against the cliff watched in utter bewilderment. Just then, she faintly heard a sigh, and then she saw a white shadow floating up from below the cliff. This shadow was entirely snow-white—not just the clothes, but the skin, hair, and eyebrows were all white.

"A ghost!" the woman shrieked, collapsing into unconsciousness from sheer terror.

The white shadow floated onto the cliff face, pointed a finger, and the ice binding the woman's back to the cliff instantly vanished. The woman floated up and gently settled back onto the cliff edge. The white shadow flicked its finger, and the ice pillars encasing the two men suddenly shattered into a pile of fine shards scattered on the ground.

The white shadow shuddered once, and a puff of white vapor entered its body, causing the surrounding temperature to immediately return to normal. The two men, however, had been reduced to piles of tiny meat scraps.

"It has finally succeeded..." the white shadow murmured, looking at its hands and feeling the immense power within its body.

A gust of mountain wind swept by, lifting the white shadow’s long hair and revealing her true face: she was Yan Hongyu, the peerless genius of the Yan family of Shuzhou Province, who had been missing for a long time.

"I wonder what time it is now. Well, I'll return to the Yan family first and see what those old geezers have to say. The first thing I do upon returning is welcome my elder brother's memorial tablet back into the ancestral shrine. In the Yan family now, those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me perish," Yan Hongyu muttered to herself, then her figure flickered and vanished completely, leaving behind only the unconscious woman and the scattered meat fragments.

Outside the US Embassy gates, a man cautiously surveyed his surroundings before quickly vaulting over the outer wall and entering the compound. However, the intruder was immediately apprehended by security officers inside the US consulate.

The man stated, "I demand to see your ambassador. I have extremely critical intelligence to deliver to him."

A US security officer asked, "What is your name, why did you trespass into our US consulate, and why must you see our ambassador?"

The man spoke with disdain, "I won't tell you my name, but I used to work for an extremely top-secret military organization. I can only discuss anything further once I meet the Ambassador."

The military attaché hesitated for a moment, prompting the man to interject, "If your hesitation causes the United States to lose critical intelligence, can you bear that responsibility?"

The attaché startled, his hesitation vanishing. He immediately began contacting the Ambassador. After a brief exchange, the attaché stated, "Our Ambassador has agreed to see you. Please follow me!"

The man instantly straightened his clothes with an air of triumph and closely followed the attaché into the Ambassador’s office.

"Mr. Ambassador, I come from the 'Yamata no Orochi' project team. I have extremely vital intelligence for you, but before I reveal it, I need to discuss my terms first..."

This novel is now entering its final stages. Because Qian Yu Chu Hai () doesn't have the best memory, he has forgotten some details from the earlier plot points.

Therefore, I ask all readers to please help by looking through and identifying any unresolved plot threads or 'pits' that were dug earlier. This will allow Qian Yu Chu Hai to weave them all back in during the upcoming final chapters!

Thank you all! RO

For more novels, visit storyread.net.