Chapter 680 - 3: Severance_3
Ji Xin slightly raised her snow-white chin, carefully observing Chen Lusi’s expression before lowering her head again: "Thank you... But at this point, I can’t avoid discussing this with you, because after the incident, Shang Huan and Sun Xun gave you extremely high praise, even terrifying evaluations.
After this incident, the highest levels also hold you in high regard... After all, not everyone can win so spectacularly. Apart from you in the Celestial Strategy Mansion, others couldn’t do it, so you’ve been seen as Xia Yue’s successor, and the highest levels have decided to expand the mobile unit.
And as the principal officer of this mobile unit, you can now designate any member of the Celestial Strategy Mansion to join the mobile unit, including Tang Language and Xiang Yi, such Celestial Strategies.
Of course, correspondingly, the scope of responsibilities for this mobile unit will also expand... In addition to domestic affairs, it will need to deal with external forces such as the Roman Catholic Church."
Chen Lusi was suddenly enlightened: "So, you told me I should now focus on overseas affairs."
Ji Xin nodded: "Yes."
"Understood."
Chen Lusi breathed a sigh of relief: "As for expanding the mobile unit... I’ll consider it, I’m not sure what we’ll face yet, if truly necessary, I’ll discuss it with you... What’s the second matter?"
Ji Xin looked again at Chen Lusi: "The second matter is the request I mentioned before... I hope you can cooperate with me, systematically checking your Authority Abilities. What stage are you currently at? How many Authority Abilities do you really have? Why doesn’t mimicking others’ Authority Abilities result in shadows anymore? Also, that... Authority Ability akin to pausing time, what exactly is it? I want to know."
"... ..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lusi fell silent for a while: "There’s no problem with cooperating, but after you check, will you really be able to find the answers? Frankly, I’m somewhat in the dark myself..."
Ji Xin pondered for a moment and replied: "Even if answers cannot be found, I’m still very interested."
"If you’re merely interested, then there’s no problem, I can cooperate with you and even tell you now. As for the stage I’m currently at... I’m not precisely clear myself. Ever since the day I decided to slay Xia Yue’s Authority Source Canon, ’Kuwa Clan’, the stone in my heart disappeared."
Chen Lusi pointed to his own heart and continued: "And if you count the Clockwork Man who brought me back to life, I have four kinds of Authority Abilities, as for why mimicking others no longer results in shadows, mainly because... I seem to have become the master of the shadows."
Ji Xin was startled: "Master?"
"Yes, in fact, not just shadows, but also Lan, the Clockwork Man, and the wheelchair... It’s strange, before, I couldn’t sense them, but after I resolved to meet Lan again, they seemed to become my possessions, this feeling is peculiar."
Chen Lusi frowned slightly: "Extremely unusual, it’s almost as if, suddenly, I no longer need to borrow power from them; they’ve become part of me... And I still sense them now."
Ji Xin: "... ..."
"Now, as for that Authority Ability similar to pausing time."
Chen Lusi put down the hand pointing at his heart, hesitated for a moment, and softly said: "Named ’Shuhu’, you’ve already experienced it, but in fact, it’s not pausing time, rather it’s briefly severing everything within a certain range from the river of time, or more accurately... cutting it away.
And the specific duration of the cut is determined by me, but the price is my soul, the longer the time, the more of my soul I must pay."
Ji Xin was stunned, and her first thought was of Si Yujie’s daughter’s Authority Ability, murmuring: "... Yellow Springs Root Source Authority?"
"Correct."
Chen Lusi nodded: "Therefore, compared to cooperating with you to check the Authority Abilities, I actually want more to visit Yellow Springs... Because Lan seems to have intricate connections with the Yellow Springs Mainstream, and Xia Yue also gave me the opportunity to visit Yellow Springs.
So I want to consult with you about how to travel to Yellow—"
"No!"
Before Chen Lusi could finish speaking.
Ji Xin suddenly raised her voice, directly interrupting him.
Chen Lusi looked at her, somewhat puzzled.
Ji Xin took a deep breath, calming herself down before explaining: "No, it’s too risky, and entering Yellow Springs requires Mount Tai’s cooperation, and he hasn’t awakened yet; even if he does, it doesn’t mean that the Goddess of Longevity he shelters won’t cause trouble."
Chen Lusi frowned: "But this issue can’t be dragged on indefinitely."
"... ..."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xin was silent for a long time, then slowly said: "If you really want to understand what’s going on with your Authority Abilities... besides going to Yellow Springs, there’s actually another option."
Chen Lusi: "... What?"
"To find a person."
"Who?"
"Tang Language’s grandmother."
"... ..."
Ji Xin saw the expression on Chen Lusi’s face, knowing what he was thinking, softly explained: "Although Tang Language is quite unreliable, her grandmother can be considered a living fossil within the country.
The Nine-tailed Fox species is famously long-lived; when her grandmother was born... the Eastern Han had yet to disintegrate."
"... ..."
Chen Lusi’s pupils suddenly contracted.
"Though her grandmother... isn’t exactly reliable, in fact, their whole tribe isn’t, she’s indeed lived long enough, with sufficient experience, might provide you an answer, possibly."
Ji Xin continued: "Moreover, coincidentally... the grandmother also proposed wanting to meet you."
Chen Lusi was somewhat puzzled: "Meet me?"
"Yes, after Xia Yue died, Tang Language’s grandmother believed no one in the Celestial Strategy Mansion was safeguarding Tang Language, worried she’d suffer losses, thus wanted her to withdraw from the mansion."
Ji Xin sighed: "But Tang Language disagreed with the matter, saying she needed to be loyal and couldn’t back out amidst adversity, continually dragging it out, and after sharing what happened during the public prosecution with her grandmother.
The grandmother seemed to change her mind, but proposed to meet you before making a decision.
I was considering whether you should go see her... But looking at it now, it’s best to meet her."
Chen Lusi slowly nodded: "I see."
... A Nine-tailed Fox from the Eastern Han period, surviving till now?
Ji Xin looked at Chen Lusi, considered for a moment, and remarked without hesitation: "Currently, the Celestial Strategy Mansion has many trivial matters that don’t require you. Since you’ve decided to meet her, time is of the essence; go find Tang Language, tell her about this matter, she’ll likely be pleased to take you to meet her grandmother."
"Alright."
Chen Lusi thought it over, found it viable, and nodded in agreement, then turned around intending to find Tang Language.
However, he hadn’t walked more than a few steps.
"Chen Lusi."
Ji Xin suddenly recalled something and called out to him.
Chen Lusi turned back, looking at her quizzically.
Ji Xin advised starkly: "Remember, regardless of her grandmother’s appearance, she’s a nearly two-thousand-year-old fox."
"?"
Chen Lusi slowly raised a question mark.
What does that mean?
... ...
Chen Lusi departed.
Until the end, he hadn’t figured out the meaning of Ji Xin’s words.
Ji Xin did not explain either, after watching Chen Lusi leave and not immediately departing, patiently waiting instead.
And no more than five minutes after Chen Lusi left.
Luo Mountain reappeared before Ji Xin.
Looking at Ji Xin, sitting in the wheelchair, he sighed softly and spoke:
"You should know... Xia Yue, due to forcibly transferring Li Ge, Sang Chao, and others’ Authority Abilities to Li Zheng et al., has thoroughly offended the Ten Halls, unable to enter the Yellow Springs Mainstream, unable to be laid to rest."
"I know."
Ji Xin paused in silence before replying: "I just don’t want Chen Lusi to know, otherwise, given his disposition, he’d undoubtedly venture to Yellow Springs for Xia Yue; it’s far too risky.
Looking back now, Xia Yue became so odd after returning from Yellow Springs.
I don’t want Chen Lusi to repeat history, whether from the Celestial Strategy Mansion’s perspective or my personal standpoint; I don’t wish to lose him."
Luo Mountain sighed again: "Then Xia Yue..."
"Fengdu."
Ji Xin looked at Luo Mountain’s face, calmly said: "Your Authority Ability is Fengdu, while Xia Yue’s soul can’t enter the Yellow Springs Mainstream, it doesn’t mean it can’t enter the tributaries."
"Huh?"
Luo Mountain blinked, then stared wide-eyed: "You don’t mean to have me..."
"Yes."
Ji Xin abruptly interrupted him, quietly stating: "You inspected, Xia Yue’s soul remains undamaged, right? Such formidable combat capability to be completely buried in the soil would be regrettable.
Moreover, the Roman Catholic Church won’t relent, and our ’neighbors’ aren’t short of their dogs, Ise Jingu and Mujin New Church... They’ll certainly spring forth in the future, have Xia Yue stay in one of those places, consider it a vacation."
Luo Mountain expressed incredulity: "But how could I possibly wholly control Xia Yue’s soul? That’s a being capable of exchanging blows with the Kunlun Gods! Even if dead, the soul remains intact! Are you overestimating my abilities?"
"If you can’t wholly control... then cut, cut his memories, cut his fears."