[First Life: Ended]
[Primary Gains from This Life:]
[1. Candied Plum Soybean Cake (Curio Crafting): The special effect varies depending on the maker's state of mind. Authorization: Only I can make it; cannot be granted.]
[2. Forget-Sorrow Plum Blossom Wine (Curio Crafting): Drinking wine aged 3 years or less has no side effects—one cup dissolves worry. Wine aged 4 years or more: consuming 250 mL guarantees intoxication—one drunken sleep dispels a thousand sorrows; upon sobering, memory of the intoxicated period is lost. Authorized quantity: 1.]
[3. Knowledge of Bio-Mnemetics (Biological Memory Studies).]
[4. An Indestructible Zhongruan (Cannot be discarded).]
[5. A Plum-Scent Sachet Whose Fragrance Never Fades (Cannot be discarded).]
[All gains will be carried into the next reincarnation. Please choose any memories you wish to forget. If none, ignore this prompt.]
In the soul domain of the System, Qi Zhimu looked back on his life and found himself full of emotion.
Right and wrong no longer mattered.
He did not resent anyone. He did not resent fate.
The lantern-reel of memories finally froze. His gaze drifted across different stages of his life—until it stopped on that graceful back, carved into his bones.
"If a hundred years pass and I never contact you, then forget me. I don't owe you—and you no longer owe me."
"…"
Those words echoed in his heart. After a brief silence, Qi Zhimu chose to erase every memory related to Ruan Mei.
"Teacher… this is the last time I'll follow your instruction. May your future be well, and your road smooth."
Goodbye. Forever.
[Anchoring timeline… Locked: Cangcheng Xianzhou.]
[Generating Talent Cards and Destiny Cards. Note: Talents cannot be retained after death.]
[Talent tiers: Rainbow, Gold, Purple, Blue, White, Black]
[Beauty, Brief Fate (White)]: Exceptional looks and aura; greatly increased probability of dying young.
[Luck Withers (Black)]: Few achievements in life; the times rarely favor you.
[Heaven's Punishment (Black)]: You cannot live past age 24.
[Censorship-Proof Best Friend (Blue)]: If you work as an online fiction writer, you won't get thrown into "small dark rooms" for writing 18+ content.
[Bloodrage (Purple)]: The lower your rationality, the more terrifying your destructive power. Can be activated at will; cannot be deactivated voluntarily.
[Born Defective (Black)]: You are born with a defect—randomly: blindness, deafness, dwarfism, etc.
[Pure Yang Body (Gold)]: Abundant qi and blood, strong physique; immune to most diseases and toxins.
[Swordsmanship Master (Purple)]: Sword training yields twice the results for half the effort; effort will always bear fruit.
[Baji Quan Grandmaster (Rainbow)]: Upon adulthood, you will naturally master this fist art without a teacher.
Qi Zhimu was surprised.
Not only had a Gold appeared—there was even a Rainbow.
Humans were creatures of avoidance and appetite. He had no taste for suffering, and naturally would not pick cards with brutal side effects.
[Select three to begin the next life.]
"Pure Yang Body, Swordsmanship Master, Baji Quan Grandmaster."
[Sealing retained memories of this life. Default unseal at age six. Next life countdown: 10, 9…]
[Second Life begins. Due to the large span between this timeline and your current point, you will be sent to a future node.]
Qi Zhimu's consciousness blurred rapidly. Future or past—he didn't care.
Future. The Cangcheng Xianzhou. Stellar Calendar 5700.
A family with the surname Qi welcomed a son. The couple each took one character from their own names and named the child:
Zhimu.
…
Twenty years after Qi Zhimu's death.
Another year of snow.
A ship of strange design descended from the sky, hovering above the snowfield outside the bamboo house.
The hatch slid open. Yu Qingtu stepped out—and at a glance saw that familiar figure.
Her eyes brightened. She moved like wind toward the bamboo house.
"Little one—long time no see. Missed me terribly, didn't you?"
Yu Qingtu was in excellent spirits.
After resolving a thorny matter that had plagued her for twenty years, she chose whom to visit first between her friend Ruan Mei and her friend's wooden student—
In the end, she chose the latter.
And the thing between teacher and student back then… had kept her curious for ages.
She had to ask him herself.
With a graceful smile at her lips, Yu Qingtu's toe had barely touched the ground when the figure turned around.
The instant she saw the face, her smile froze.
"A doll?!"
For a split second she thought of Ruan Mei—thought Ruan Mei was here.
But why would she bring that thing here?
Letting the boy see it would only cut him open.
Yet almost immediately Yu Qingtu sensed something off.
This doll had none of Ruan Mei's unique markers. Even its craftsmanship was cruder by far.
It swept its emotionless gaze across her as though confirming information. Within two seconds, its voice proved her guess.
"Memory vault match successful. Identity confirmed: Genius Society #55, Senior Yu Qingtu. Welcome."
"…"
Yu Qingtu fell briefly silent.
So it had independent intelligence—how good remained to be seen.
As the doll identified her, Yu Qingtu also dissected its structure with a few casual scans.
This mechanical doll was unmistakably Qi Zhimu's work.
"Teacher and student… you two are unbelievable."
What in the world had happened over the last twenty years?
"Where's the little one? Notify him—tell him I'm back."
"I will offer a brief introduction, respected Senior Yu Qingtu: I am a mechanical doll powered by Qi Zhimu's memories and bound to act according to prime directives."
"I can tell. Spare me. Get him here, or take me to him."
"Senior Yu Qingtu… Qi Zhimu has been dead for twenty years."
"…What did you say?!"
Yu Qingtu's disbelief thickened into something almost tangible. She flashed in front of the doll in what was practically a blink.
The doll opened its chest cavity. Its right hand reached into a special folded space within, and withdrew two items.
A vial of vivid green liquid brimming with life.
And a container like a preservation box—its lid opened to reveal an exquisitely arranged dish of candied plum soybean cake.
Staring at the familiar green potion and the both-foreign-and-familiar cake, Yu Qingtu's thoughts tangled.
The doll raised two fingers to its temple. A memory projection unfolded.
A young man bustled in a back kitchen, meticulously crafting a new confection.
After success, he stored part of it in a device capable of long-term freshness.
Then he placed it into the doll's internal folded space.
"Senior… sorry. I'm going to die of old age soon, so I can't hand-deliver your favorite cakes."
"Please forgive me for fulfilling your request this way. I'm not capable enough—at most, I can keep it good for one hundred and fifty years."
"I hope when you return, it won't have expired. May everything go smoothly for you."
"And… you promised you'd help me unconditionally with one thing, didn't you?"
....
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