✓𝐀𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 『𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔』

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 24

Distant Memories
Part 4

"𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚"
-𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒕

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Reliving life over and over plunges Lian Xiu into a relentless cycle of anguish and monotony. Each repetition brings forth a torrent of pain, drowning out any semblance of purpose or fulfillment. In this ceaseless loop, she finds herself merely going through the motions, devoid of vitality or meaning. The blades' will becomes her only guiding force, compelling her to endure the endless recurrence and align herself with Sun Wukong's path time and time again. Yet, with each repetition, the surreal nature of her existence becomes more pronounced, leaving Lian Xiu feeling increasingly disconnected from herself and the world around her. Despite her efforts to resist, she ultimately succumbs to the overwhelming influence of the blades, trapped in a cycle of despair and resignation, condemned to relive the same moments indefinitely.

The woman's laughter echoed, starting as a mere chuckle before escalating into a maniacal frenzy that sent chills down even the simian's spine. Despite her own volition leading her down this path, she found herself unable to suppress the laughter bubbling up within her. It was a laugh tinged with madness, directed not only at the simian but also at herself for descending to such depths of despair and accepting the grim fate life had dealt her.

"Pathetic," she scoffed, her words dripping with disdain as she addressed the simian. "You, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, stooping to pity a mere mortal like me." Her contempt was palpable, yet her gaze remained fixed on the empty space before her. "I have no need for your pity," she declared defiantly, though the venom in her words was met only by the void.

His gaze remained impassive, betraying no hint of his thoughts as he regarded her from above, his simian visage inscrutable.

As she shivered in the cold, Lian Xiu weakly lifted her limb to inspect the curse that covered them, her arms adorned with fingers as dark as coal in a not so figurative way, Lian Xiu couldn't help but confront the grim reality of her situation. a stark reminder of her perpetual predicament. It was a sight she had grown accustomed to, yet it still served as a painful reminder of her endless cycle.

Taking a deep, weary breath, she confessed softly, "... I'm tired." Her words hung in the air, enveloped by a heavy silence, as if awaiting a response from the simian above. Whether he waited for her to continue or her hearing failed her in the emptiness, she couldn't discern. "I... don't want to continue like this," she admitted, her voice heavy with resignation. "Just end it swiftly. Like you always do."

Silent as a statue, he raised the cudgel high above his head, the weight of his impending action hanging heavy in the air. Lian Xiu braced herself, her breath shaky as she mustered the strength to meet his gaze, locking eyes with those golden orbs that seemed to pierce through the darkness surrounding her.

In that moment, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of warmth, a semblance of hope amidst the despair. If he weren't Sun Wukong, she might have likened his gaze to sunlight, illuminating her path through the fog of uncertainty, a beacon guiding her towards him.

A sudden smile graced her lips, her voice barely above a whisper as she uttered, "We'll meet again... Won't we?"

For a fleeting moment, he flinched, his reaction betraying a hint of hesitation. In that fraction of time, Lian Xiu clung to the possibility that perhaps, just perhaps, he shared her sentiment.

"Will you be there, foolish ape?" Her voice trembled with a mix of desperation and defiance, her breath catching in her throat as the icy air seeped into her lungs.

Wukong's expression shifted, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face before settling into a hardened glare. His silence spoke volumes as he raised the cudgel high, resolute in his duty. With a swift motion, he brought it down, extinguishing the flicker of hope within her as her consciousness faded into oblivion once more, claimed by his relentless hands.

In her subsequent life, Lian Xiu found herself immersed in the simplicity of rural living, surrounded by farm animals and fields of paddy. With a swipe of her hand, she brushed away the perspiration from her brow, basking in the gentle warmth of the sun's embrace. Born anew with the name Zhang Xiu, she remained resolute, carrying on with her daily routine as if the confrontation with the bandits had never occurred, with them accidentally handing over the artifact weaponry back to her.

It was a life she deemed good, one she sought only to find contentment in, fervently praying that no force, not even the formidable Wukong, would disrupt her newfound peace. Just as she allowed herself a moment of tranquility, fate intervened in the form of a bird relieving itself on her head, eliciting a groan of disgust as she hastily wiped it away with her towel. What a splendid day it turned out to be, indeed.

In the midst of her daily chores on the farm, Zhang Xiu found comfort in the familiar routines, surrounded by the warmth of close friends and neighbors. Among them stood a young man whose kind eyes and gentle demeanor had quietly captured her heart. Despite her hesitations stemming from the scars of past lives, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him, her defenses crumbling in the face of his unwavering presence.

Love, a notion she had long evaded, now lingered tantalizingly close to her consciousness. Despite the tumultuous emotions and the weight of her past experiences, she couldn't ignore the longing that stirred within her. Yet, the prospect of admitting such vulnerability felt daunting, her stubbornness warring with the undeniable yearning for a connection so pure yet elusive.

As she gradually allowed herself to embrace his presence, the warmth he exuded became a comforting beacon amidst life's uncertainties. Their connection, though not enchanting, provided a sense of familiarity and solace she had long yearned for. With each passing day, she endeavored to open her heart to this newfound emotion, striving to understand its intricacies.

However, tragedy struck with merciless swiftness as fire ravaged their humble village, leaving destruction in its wake. A malevolent force, akin to a raging demon, unleashed terror upon them, claiming lives without mercy. Among the casualties was the bright young boy she had grown to adore, his untimely demise shattering her hope.

As the cool air seeped through her skin, she fought against the overwhelming grief threatening to consume her. 'Ignore it,' she said to herself, willing the cold to recede. Yet, it persisted, engulfing her in a suffocating embrace, her heart screaming in agony. 'Ignore it!' she cried out inwardly, desperate to shield herself from the unbearable anguish threatening to tear her apart. The aura of accursed weapon stirred within her, pulsating with an overwhelming surge of unfathomable anger.

Then, the name—a name she both longed to encounter in this lifetime and dreaded with every fiber of her being—echoed unmistakably in her ears.

With a gut-wrenching battle cry, the Great Sage descended from the heavens, ready to confront the demon head-on. As a tear trickled down her cheek, a bitter laugh escaped her lips. The familiar chill of despair enveloped her, creeping up her skin like icy tendrils. With a sense of inevitability, the blades, once confined, broke free from their restraints, hurtling towards her with alarming speed.

Instinctively, she reached out and seized them mid-air, the sensation of control slipping from her grasp as if possessed by a will beyond her own. With a gaze fixed upon Sun Wukong's fading figure, she wondered at the haunting question that plagued her existence.

'When is this going to end...'

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