Chapter 903: Shared Interests
"We finally meet, it’s not been easy..."
Watching the scene from a distance, Gu Mo softly sighed, not interrupting the touching moment of mother-daughter reunion.
According to the normal trajectory of fate, Fujikichiro would be bewitched by Layman Guoxin and fall into darkness, then after Ah Xiu defeated Fujikichiro, she would be stabbed in the back due to carelessness... And then the maiden would die and enter the in-between realm—
This is the boundary between this world and the other, where deceased souls linger with unfinished business.
Waiting day after day for the arrival of those they wish to see.
Miyoshino, or Suzuka Imperial Lady, who has long been deceased, has always been quietly waiting there, and the mother and daughter would meet... She would warn Ah Xiu about many things, tell her secrets that were once left unsaid, guide her on what to do next, and advise her not to get lost.
But...
That was the original trajectory of fate.
With Gu Mo’s intervention, it would be truly strange if Layman Guoxin still managed to stir trouble, requiring Hidechika to die once and go to the in-between realm. Therefore, until now, upon returning to the early Heian Era, Ah Xiu sees her mother for the first time.
Of course, there are some differences.
In the original trajectory, Hidechika probably did not confirm this, but now she has confirmed it immediately. Her control and exploration of her own lineage and her analysis and understanding of her life’s essence have far surpassed the level of the original fate line.
Regarding the brother-in-law she’s never met and doesn’t even have any concept of, it’s difficult to say whether she can completely confirm it.
At most, she recognizes him as her kind, just as Ootakemaru identified Hidechika as a demon; she might simply consider him a fellow kindred, without realizing he is the brother-in-law. Hence, while fiercely dealing with him recently, there was no sense of holding back.
—Even though she didn’t use her full strength, that was because it wasn’t necessary.
—Just enough to kill the opponent was sufficient, no need to waste extra Demonic Power.
However, when facing Suzuka Imperial Lady, confronting the deeply memorable aura from childhood, even with different times and slight differences, the bond of blood allowed Hidechika to keenly confirm this fact, making it hard to suppress her emotions at this moment.
Like a dream, overwhelmed with joy, yet deep down feeling anxious, fearing it’s just an unreal dream.
"No wonder you insisted on bringing her along..."
Beside her, Kikyo lightly nodded, then asked with some confusion, "But what about the second young lady? Why didn’t you bring her over too? Is it because you’re considering her resentment?"
Since the second young lady’s birth, she has never seen her mother, feeling abandoned when the mother chose to leave with the elder sister without a word. She must have some feelings of resentment and conflict... never having spent a day together, never experiencing a day of maternal love.
No impression left, searching memories but finding no trace of the mother figure, it’s hard to describe the subtle state of such complex emotions.
Considering this, it’s very likely this person took it into account.
"Ahem, indeed there are some concerns, so I feel it’s unnecessary to bring the second young lady along." Gu Mo first blinked, then laughed, slightly teasing inwardly; perhaps there’s a trace of reason, but the true focus isn’t this.
There’s no necessity, not lacking in strength, so no need to place the second young lady in a rear position just for bonds... If none of these reasons apply, then bringing her along would be like a huge, conspicuous lamplight, wouldn’t that be odd?
—The father-in-law is already suspicious, always agitated...
—If he openly brought both sisters to meet the mother-in-law, even he would find this strange...
"Your power is indeed strong, but the elder brother is undying; relying on martial force alone won’t defeat him..."
Over there, Suzuka Imperial Lady spoke earnestly, gazing into Hidechika’s eyes, feeling inexplicably at ease with the half-demon maiden before her. Perhaps it’s the feeling of kindred, the familiar aura, or perhaps recognizing the extraordinary brilliance within her.
Of course, there could be some indescribable reasons, just at this moment, Miss Suzuka couldn’t imagine the possibility, just felt the maiden before her made her feel at ease and trustworthy. And indeed, she had no other recourse but to seek assistance from her.
"Stopping you just now was for this reason too; fighting against an immortal brother recklessly is unwise, it could leave you severely injured while he recovers instantly..."
Speaking seriously, she sighed softly, glancing at the bloody battlefield.
Now it appears free of blood, a clean feeling instead, given the recent whirlwind peeled a layer off the surface, and Hidechika’s sword pressure created strong wind compression and a vacuum attack, the shockwave plowed the surface anew.
The battlefield traces, including broken swords, shattered armor, were either blown away by Baofeng, dissolved by lightning, or melted by fire rain, even metal didn’t remain, how could any traces like corpses and blood pools have a chance to survive.
Hidechika pressed her lips, gazing at the unfamiliar yet familiar maiden before her, feeling both joy and unavoidable disappointment.
Such intense emotions left her somewhat bewildered, indifferent to her mother’s presumed misunderstanding.
"Speaking of which, why aren’t you speaking?" Miss Suzuka withdrew her gaze, somewhat puzzled by the black-haired maiden, feeling herself unaware talked quite a lot yet the other showed no reaction, causing slight embarrassment.
"...Madam, please understand, Ah Xiu cannot speak."
A cheerful voice came from behind, she instinctively turned around, seeing the young man and the witch slowly approaching.
"Can’t speak?" Suzuka Imperial Lady seemed understanding, yet puzzled, wondering how such a powerful demon couldn’t speak, whether cursed or something else. Wait, what did this person call her just now?
She suddenly panicked and waved her hand urgently: "Wait! I’m not a madam..."
She’s clearly unmarried, what is this person saying, how does she resemble a madam in any way.
"We are rare people, from the world of the future..."
The young man opposite smiled slightly, speaking with a hint of meaning.
"Uh, I see, this, this... even if that’s the case, but now, right now..." The still very young Miss Suzuka was momentarily stunned, then realized what the other party was implying, and was somewhat annoyed, yet also amused.
However—
"Ah Xiu, she is your daughter, madam."
The young man opposite smiled faintly, glanced at the black-haired girl over there, and casually dropped a bombshell of information.
"..."
"..."
The air suddenly fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, and the silence was so intense it felt like a twinge in the eardrums.
Hidechika’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Suzuka Imperial Lady’s eyes also widened in disbelief.
The mother and daughter’s actions were very similar, their expressions uncannily alike, and at this moment of synchronization, along with them nearly standing together, the strikingly different yet extremely similar two girls exuded a true mother-daughter vibe.
"H-How..."
Miss Suzuka was bombarded by such a revelation, rendered so dazed that she had no idea what expression to show. She blankly looked at the black-haired girl beside her, then instinctively at the young man opposite, then shook her head vigorously, her simply tied silver long hair swinging back and forth behind her.
Meanwhile, Hidechika also wore a peculiar expression, despite indeed being very disheartened just now because mother and daughter meeting without recognizing each other, with the mother not possibly knowing her while she recognized the other but had no way to acknowledge her, felt both joyful and a bit vexed.
Perhaps, there’s always some regret...
That cannot be remedied, some things once passed are indeed past, no matter how sad, how pained, what’s irrevocable is irrevocable.
The girl clearly recognized this cruel reality, and through previous historical crossings, understood a truth. History cannot be altered, it should appear as it should, and should face it as it must be faced.
But...
Why?
Hidechika looked at Gu Mo in confusion.
......
The long night stretched on, the silver moon shone brightly, and the bonfire burned quietly.
In the village previously ravaged, everyone dealt with the aftermath, and tonight, they temporarily rested here. Mainly because Suzuka Imperial Lady felt this matter needed further deliberation, and having just been hit by strange information, she was indeed somewhat disoriented.
In such a state, a bit of recuperation was truly needed.
"Don’t worry, not being able to change history is to ensure the normal course of the causal chain, as long as you understand this, there is no problem, the world line won’t change, I can confirm this..."
Facing the two witches’ questions, Gu Mo sat calmly by the fire, adding wood to the bonfire as he said this.
"In history, Miss Suzuka forged the Chuye Sword, paying a great price, completely losing her Guardian Spirit that was almost like another self, also losing power and memory... in other words, she will still forget these things later."
Through observing the branching directions of the timeline, he could confirm this fact.
"She’ll have amnesia... that makes sense."
Kikyo raised an eyebrow, if that’s the case, it indeed could fulfill Hidechika’s wish, making her journey more complete without regrets.
Shooing a glance at the girl sitting quietly opposite the bonfire, it was clear that this rarely seen spirit was genuinely delighted, letting out a long breath, and her face also unmistakably showed an expression of joy, her eyes seemingly shining.
"But the impact on Suzuka... on Miss Suzuka is too great, she had no mental preparation at all..."
The witch withdrew her gaze, speaking softly.
"No, no, Ah Xiu is a good child, I’m sure Miss Suzuka will be very happy." Gu Mo waved his hand, comforting Hidechika beside him, and took out a grill from the storage space, making use of a rare outdoor camping opportunity to add some atmosphere.
"Do you really think suddenly having a daughter is a very happy event?"
The witch glanced at him strangely, this person really forgets the pain once the scar is healed.
"..."
"..."
"Ahahaha, this, this... actually it might be quite happy..." Gu Mo braced himself, laughed awkwardly and said, his gaze wandering off, "Maybe I could even give Miss Suzuka some advice, who knows, there might be some common topics here."