Chapter 608: Shattered Shadows

Buzz…

Lu Xin’s shadow merged with the white mental entities that had gathered around the hourglass. In an instant, these entities began shattering one after another, breaking into flickering white sparks that scattered chaotically yet intertwined in a fierce, tumultuous display.

Even Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of surprise.

Father’s power surged like a dark, overwhelming torrent – heavy and chilling.

Everything it touched seemed to wither the vitality of life and warp all forms into a state of relentless decay.

Meanwhile, the pale mental entities summoned by the hourglass, after being shattered by the black shadow, did not disperse immediately. Instead, their broken white light gathered around the hourglass, forming ribbon-like strands that, pressed by the force of the black shadow, burst open like petals – stretched to their limits without collapsing.

It was clear that the black shadow dominated the battle without dispute.

Yet this alone was enough to astonish Lu Xin.

This was the first time he had encountered a force that could stand toe-to-toe with his Father’s might.

Back then, Father’s short temper meant he’d beat anyone in sight – and they’d break down crying immediately afterwards.

That the power summoned by the hourglass could barely hold its own under Father’s might was utterly perplexing.

“Huh?”

Father’s voice of astonishment was unmistakable.

In a rush, as if worried that Lu Xin might catch his bewilderment, his power surged forward without pause.

A rapid, grating clatter – like countless blades slicing and rubbing together – filled the air with a detailed, nauseating sound that churned uneasy feelings within.

Wave after wave, Father’s force advanced, and the intensity of the black shadow deepened as it pressed forward relentlessly.

Straining to hold back the white mental power of the shadow, which was being eroded like a drill burrowing in with wild, merciless force, shattered sparks flew in every direction, shaking the surrounding furniture with a clatter.

“Who exactly are you?”

The young man clutching the hourglass trembled with even greater fear.

Lu Xin was already amazed that the black shadow hadn’t eliminated him immediately, yet the young man’s feelings were of pure terror.

In a moment of despair, he unleashed a piercing scream and made a daring decision.

Clutching the hourglass, he shouted desperately, “Mental Overwrite!”

Buzz…

A massive surge of vibrating air suddenly filled the room.

The hourglass burst forth with dazzling white light once more – its sand dropping by at least a third in an instant.

And this time, the white light no longer resisted the black shadow blindly; instead, it spread relentlessly over it, racing along the dark form to engulf Lu Xin’s body…

This peculiar white mental power possessed a truly unusual nature.

Under a microscope, one would see that its minutiae resembled scenes from a filmstrip – countless human silhouettes interlocking densely to coat the surface of the shadow, much like a layer of oil glossing over dark water, revealing an astonishing vibrancy beneath the Red Moon.

“Huh?”

Lu Xin found himself slightly taken aback.

He understood the concept of mental overwrite, but it was unsettling to realize someone could actually ‘overwrite’ him mentally.

Before he knew it, the white mental entity had crept along the shadow to his very front, climbing onto his outstretched palm.

In the past, he was the one who’d imposed his will over others…

In a flash of thought, that white mental entity had already reached right in front of him along the shadow.

At that moment, Lu Xin faced two choices.

One: Sever his connection to the black shadow immediately to prevent that bizarre mental power from seeping into him.

Two: Allow the peculiar white mental force to make contact.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he chose the latter.

After all, this was his Father – how could he possibly cut ties at a time like this?

Besides, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by that mysterious white shadow.

…

“Ah?”

A cry of surprise rang out as the white shadow touched Lu Xin’s palm.

It wasn’t Lu Xin but the young man with the hourglass who reacted.

He hadn’t expected the white mental entity to actually cover and cling to Lu Xin.

But in an instant, he understood the reason, his expression shifting to one of wild, frenzied excitement.

His whole body began contorting and transforming as he merged with the white mental entity, charging toward Lu Xin. In that split second when their mental powers made contact, Lu Xin could even sense the young man’s unexpected delight and the thrill of having survived a near-death ordeal.

“Even if you can block everyone else’s memories, there’s one person you can’t lock away…”

“And that person is you…”

“I never would have guessed there’d be such a huge gap in your memory…”

“Though your power is strong, your weaknesses are unimaginably vast…”

“…”

Amid the tremors of mental energy radiating wild excitement and thought, Lu Xin’s body jerked violently backward. He tumbled, flipping over and coming to rest atop the roof of a sedan parked below, half-kneeling and shaking his head in disorientation.

The young man in black clothing, the one clutching the hourglass, had vanished.

He had merged into his own body.

In that instant, Lu Xin felt an odd, inexplicable strangeness.

Memories churned relentlessly, as if he had suddenly recalled an ex-girlfriend out of the blue.

He was utterly out of control.

Yet it wasn’t thoughts of an ex-girlfriend – he didn’t even have one now…

Instead, he was flooded with fragments of the past.

Specifically, the memories from the time he left the orphanage until he met Teacher Xiao Lu.

That period of his past had been a blank slate, as if he had been drifting in a haze all along.

But now, vivid details suddenly burst forth.

He recalled a moment after leaving the orphanage – barefoot and clad in its tattered clothes, wandering a chaotic street – when a man dressed in black, clutching an hourglass, appeared before him. With a gentle smile, the man said, “Little one, why are you here? No one is there to care for you.”

At that time, the young Lu Xin didn’t understand a thing and could only watch in silent wonder.

The man with the hourglass flipped it over, and as it glowed with a soft light,

his expression was one of mystery and warmth as he gently extended his hand to Lu Xin, saying, “Come on, I’ll take care of you.”

Lu Xin looked at him for a while, and though he didn’t take his hand, he silently followed him.

They wandered through bustling streets and narrow alleys to reach an ordinary residential area.

The man in black began to care for him – buying him food and clothes to change into…

…Even memories surfaced of the man taking him to an amusement park, teaching him to read, feeding him medicine when he was ill, flying a kite, playing football, and even fishing in the river.

From that moment on, the man’s presence haunted every corner of his memory.

…

The overwhelming familiarity of it all left Lu Xin feeling deeply unsettled.

That once-strange young man with a pale face had gradually become a familiar figure in his eyes.

As those long-forgotten memories emerged, he slowly grew accustomed to his presence.

He realized that he had known him all along – that this man had cared for him for so long in the past…

As Lu Xin’s gaze softened, hostility melted away, replaced by tenderness.

…

Deep in his memory, the young man himself grew visibly excited, his emotions even bordering on elation.

The hourglass could unleash three distinct abilities:

First, it could scramble an opponent’s memory – making them lose logical thought and momentarily forget their next move.

Second, it could generate ‘memory sand grains’ to summon various mental entities.

Third, it could draw itself into the blank spaces of someone’s memory, weaving in new recollections.

This man was a formidable opponent – unlike anyone Lu Xin had ever faced.

Yet, his memory held vast blank areas – perhaps the easiest type to manipulate.

All Lu Xin had to do was fill those gaps, and he could transform from enemy to friend, even become like kin.

He could even leave subtle hints in that void.

Make him believe that he had been planted in Qinggang as an undercover agent, waiting for the right moment to betray…

…Of course, there was something off about this man.

Despite all the memories Lu Xin had helped weave for him, not once did he ever see him smile.

But there was no time to ponder – the effort to fill in his blank memory was already draining all his energy.

That abyssal void of memory was like a bottomless pit, devouring an enormous amount of sand.

…

Finally, after more than half of the hourglass’s sand was spent, the man clutching it saw a glimmer of hope.

Within his mind, he had become so intimately familiar with Lu Xin that they were almost intertwined.

Thus, he knew the moment had come – to finally wrap up this memory and to designate Lu Xin as his undercover asset. If successful, this powerful Ability User from Qinggang would serve his purpose.

“I’m leaving…”

In his memory, he looked at Lu Xin with a sorrowful expression and said, “I must go do something great…”

Young Lu Xin silently looked up at him.

“I am God’s servant; I am willing to sacrifice everything for the divine…”

With a grave expression, he continued, “Perhaps one day we will meet again. Remember, when that time comes…”

…

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sensed that something was amiss in his surroundings…

In his memory, he had chosen an apartment building—a common sight in Qinggang complete with wavy-haired aunties and beer-loving old men—as the place where he’d once taken care of that troubled child. It was a setting rich with elements ripe for rekindling old memories.

But then he noticed that, inexplicably, the apartment had turned into an old building.

Isolated and forlorn, it stood out awkwardly amid the bustling city.

Above the old building shone a vivid red moon, while its dark, shuttered windows stared out silently.

Just as he was about to close that chapter in Lu Xin’s memory, he found himself standing before the old building with young Lu Xin by his side.

He had no idea what was happening – or where he even was.

…

Creak…

A chilling, bone-penetrating sound echoed as he watched in terror: one of the first-floor windows, directly facing him, was slowly being pushed open in that silent, somber old building.

Inside the dark window, it seemed as if something was quietly watching him.

A sudden, inexplicable shiver ran down his spine, as if cold, crawling insects were scaling his skin.

“Creak,” “Bang,” “Hee hee…”

More windows began to open steadily from within, like endless dark, watchful eyes.

The sounds varied – from the scraping of window tracks to the rough shoves that opened them, even interspersed with a few mysterious, cold chuckles.

A sudden, sharp sense of danger shot straight into his mind.

Instinctively, he gripped the hourglass tightly and tried to step back.

But it was futile – though he managed to retreat a few steps, he realized he hadn’t really moved at all; he was still standing before that old building.

Only then did he realize that he was now inside someone else’s memory.

…

…

Panicked, he looked around and caught sight of young Lu Xin by his side.

Lu Xin was tilting his head upward, staring at him.

And for the first time in the memory, the expressionless child’s face broke into a strange smile.