Chapter 14

Chapter 13 Changming Town 13

Shi Zong and Zuo Sanqiu left the graveyard on the far side of the river and first returned to the inn.

Both were a bit hungry, so they continued eating roasted potatoes.

After finishing, they quickly went back to the square to wait for the next batch of NPCs to arrive.

In the center of the square stood a statue.

The statue was of a beautiful woman holding jade, with a graceful figure, about the height of two adults.

At her feet was a plaque with a red button—the tool mentioned by the system to initiate voting.

This was the “Saintess Statue,” symbolizing the purity of women.

In this backward, enclosed town, only men held power. Women followed the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues,” valuing chastity above all else.

So the townspeople worshiped the Saintess Statue, hoping all women would be as pure as a saintess.

Shi Zong looked up at the statue a few times and casually sat beside it.

Tilting his head back, he squinted slightly, as if looking at light hidden behind layers of clouds and mist.

At that moment, his expression was serious, with an unusually rare hint of confusion in his eyes.

Unless he was deliberately acting, Zuo Sanqiu had never seen him show this expression.

Walking closer, he asked, “What are you thinking? It can’t be about the potatoes, right?”

Shi Zong’s answer was somewhat unexpected. “I’m thinking that my situation is actually a bit like Jiang Wan’er’s.”

“Ah? Like what? You’re male, she’s female, how is it alike?” Zuo Sanqiu reminded him. “You can’t immerse yourself too much in the game!”

Shi Zong continued looking at the sky, speaking lightly, “I mean, both Jiang Wan’er and I lost our memories, no longer remembering the past. Also…

“Sometimes I dream. In my dreams, someone tells me I am a person guilty of grave crimes, someone who would go to hell after death.”

Maybe I committed crimes.

But I don’t remember them.

This is what Shi Zong meant when he said he was similar to Jiang Wan’er.

Understanding this, Zuo Sanqiu stayed silent but shifted his seat slightly away from Shi Zong.

Shi Zong continued, “Memory represents the past, and the past shapes a person’s character and, to some extent, their future.

“If someone loses their memory, in a sense, they lose their former self. From the moment of amnesia, new memories and experiences give them new life. So…

“The life before amnesia is no longer related to the current me.

“The current me has new memories, new life experiences. If I returned to the past, I might not make the same choices as my former self.

“Then, are the crimes committed by the former me still the crimes of the current me?

“I am clearly no longer the person I used to be.”

In Zuo Sanqiu’s impression, Shi Zong spoke little and would never reveal his innermost secrets.

Surprised, Zuo Sanqiu was also stunned by Shi Zong’s logic.

He stayed silent for a while before saying, “Your words are so roundabout… and why do I feel it’s so philosophical?

“What you said sounds reasonable at first glance, and I don’t know how to argue against it with your logic. But I do know one thing—

“If what you’re saying is true, then anyone who committed crimes could just lose their memory and be cleansed? As long as they forget, their past wrongs don’t count?

“That, of course, is impossible. So your idea is completely wrong.

“In the happiness staged by everyone, the current Jiang Wan’er feels joy. Maybe her anger has dissipated, and she won’t kill recklessly like before.

“But still, past causes create present effects. She can’t just say, ‘I lost my memory,’ and erase everything she did!”

Zuo Sanqiu noticed Shi Zong smiling. “What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right. You’re very righteous, saying what a child of your age should say. You’re only 19 this year?”

“You’re not mocking my innocence, are you?”

“Why ‘mocking’? Innocence isn’t a derogatory word.”

Shi Zong’s expression returned to normal. “Back to the main point. Do you really think Jiang Wan’er is purely a great villain?”

“Do you have another view?” Zuo Sanqiu asked. “By the way, you haven’t told me where my previous theory went wrong.”

Regarding Zuo Sanqiu’s theory, the first doubt was that Jiang Wan’er cursed everyone in the town—any young person, anyone born here after 1938, would not live past 35.

On top of that, the entire town willingly lived in the river-surrounded so-called “rich district,” cooperating with the three families to stage a grand play, just to complete four weddings and save Li Eldest, Li Second, Wang Zhien, and Zhang Ye, who were about to turn 35?

All that effort, just to save four people.

The input-output ratio didn’t make sense.

Second doubt: the will described Jiang Wan’er as a “promiscuous woman.”

If she were truly a fickle woman, why would the three families think that winning her genuine heart could lift the curse?

You can’t expect someone who isn’t devoted and sleeps around to be moved by a few melodramas.

At least, this method wouldn’t be reliable.

It couldn’t have been the optimal choice of the three families.

Explaining this, Shi Zong looked at Zuo Sanqiu again. “The three families could casually pin Elder Gong’s death on me today; back then, they could also pin the Ye family’s death on me.

“The Ye family was once large and had gold mines. Where did those mines go?

“There’s a principle: whoever benefits most is the most suspicious. The Ye family was destroyed. As Jiang Wan’er, I not only didn’t inherit the gold mines, I died, became a memory-lost ghost, and didn’t even remember what happened in life…

“I even suspect the word ‘promiscuous’ was arranged to slander me.

“So this time, I am probably the victim, not the sinner.”

“You have a point. Maybe this really has nothing to do with you.”

A youthful voice spoke up.

It was Li Fourth Sister.

Shi Zong turned his head and saw her walking over with Li Eldest.

Li Fourth Sister had two braids. Her face was innocent, yet she looked arrogant, exuding the air of a noble young lady.

Li Eldest appeared generous and easygoing, someone easy to talk to.

Together they brought two maps, both labeled “Li Family Mining.”

One map was old and yellowed, the other relatively new.

The old one was made in 1928, twenty years ago; the other in 1938, the year the Ye family was destroyed and Jiang Wan’er died.

Comparing the maps, the gold mine area of the Li family in 1938 was significantly larger than in 1928.

This showed that the Li family’s gold mines had expanded in the past ten years.

How did it expand?

“The gold mine area isn’t in the explorable zone. I called Li Family Mining, spoke to the duty manager, and confirmed that the additional area indeed came from the Ye family,” Li Eldest explained.

“According to the manager, after Jiang Wan’er killed the entire Ye family, no one managed the Ye gold mines. Only then did the three families reluctantly take over together.”

Reluctantly? Take over together?

Why does it sound like the three families were doing a good deed?

Shi Zong raised an eyebrow.

Zuo Sanqiu looked at the two and asked, “You two are paired, exploring together?”

Li Eldest nodded. “Yes, I’m with Fourth Sister. Wang Zhien is with Li Second. The maps are too large for one person to explore fully. If we act individually, we could hide information that’s disadvantageous. So pairing up is best, to monitor each other. Were you always with Jiang Wan’er?”

“Yes,” Zuo Sanqiu nodded.

Li Eldest said, “Then no problem.”

Suddenly, more footsteps approached—another batch of NPCs arrived.

It was nearly 12:30, past the 12 o’clock Shi Zong initially requested.

They came running to the square, almost crying and begging.

The scene was both comical and astonishing.

Seeing this, Li Eldest said, “When Fourth Sister and I explored, NPCs mentioned Jiang Wan’er’s threats—”

He gave Shi Zong a thumbs-up. “Nice. This saves a lot of time.”

Shi Zong said lightly, “Mainly saves time for me and Zhang Ye.”

Sensing something in his tone, Li Eldest frowned. “What do you mean by that…”

Shi Zong said frankly, “Zhang Ye and I obviously have a different amount of information than you four.”

Li Eldest’s expression changed slightly.

Shi Zong continued, “The love curse, memory alteration, and memory restoration array—you know about all of them? After marriage, your attitude toward me changed drastically, and you created opportunities for me and Li Second…

“How much do you actually know about what happened to Jiang Wan’er ten years ago, and who destroyed

Li Fourth Sister handed over the photo.

Sure enough, the photo showed a perfectly matched couple, a man and a woman who looked very much in love.

The woman leaned on the man’s shoulder, and the man held her waist tightly. They were smiling at each other, looking very affectionate.

The woman was Jiang Wan’er.

The identity of the man was still unknown.

In the lower right corner of the photo was a single character as a signature—a “Feng.”

Seeing this character made Shi Zong’s temple throb violently.

Flipping to the back of the photo, he saw a few lines of writing—

“Wan’er, though I cannot find you in the mortal world, through the azure skies and down to the underworld, I will eventually find you.

—Ye Yunfeng.”