Chapter 46: Chapter 46

And Today, I Am Already Without Fear.

After enduring countless ordeals of life and death, I had seen through many things.

When I made up my mind to stand before fate, I decided I would never retreat.

From today onward, I am unafraid of suffering...

She and I had settled all accounts of blood and tears.

When I suddenly looked back, past affairs had already turned to dust.

Ah, the brilliance of stars—who understands my sorrow?

In this life, I have already been perfect enough.

In the Corridor of Time, silver fragments drifted about.

"Our sleeping beauty princess has finally awakened."

The girl called Snake stood up from the pale corridor.

The Goddess of Time's eyes remained half-closed, and she did not speak.

The door at the deepest part of the Corridor of Time opened.

"I had thought that this time, it would be eternal slumber..."

A silver-haired girl stepped out from behind the door.

The girl had skin as smooth and translucent as crystal, as if frost and snow covered her; pale and bloodless, her beautiful cheeks framed by long lashes, and her crimson eyes slightly opened. Under her flat chest was a slender waist. She sighed as if weary and helpless. (←This is the protagonist)

"Good morning, yinhua." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fire.net

The girl's name was Yinhua. Snake was the first to greet her.

"Good morning, heavenly Snake."

"I'm glad you still remember me."

"But I'm not glad that I still remember you."

Yinhua gazed at her alabaster, delicate fingers, stretching them a few times, as if confirming whether she could move freely.

"The last time I perished, I also thought it would be my eternal sleep."

Snake let out a self-mocking laugh.

"But someone seemed to snatch me back from the hands of the Goddess of Death. I have no idea what her scheme was."

Snake's gaze shifted to the Goddess of Time floating above.

"Who knows, do I still have some use? With a soul this broken and half-ruined, if you want me to go to a construction site and move bricks for cash, I'm afraid even the bricks would get the better of me."

Yinhua spread her hands.

Yinhua was not exaggerating. Her soul was indeed in a half-broken state—perhaps even moving a single brick would be a challenge.

The Goddess of Time said nothing, still floating in mid-air.

"There she goes pretending to be cool again. I don't think we've ever gotten along. Every time she sees me, she's reluctant to speak. At first, I even thought she was mute."

The Goddess of Time's scythe slammed down beside her foot.

"Alright, I was wrong, I take it back. Clearly, I am the one who's mute."

Yinhua reflexively took a step back, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.

Under someone else's roof, bow your head.

The Goddess of Time still did not speak, apparently disinclined to converse with Yinhua.

"If you don't talk, how am I supposed to know what you want? You're not really going to put me on the construction site, are you?"

Yinhua lowered her hand.

"Honestly, I'm already thoroughly dead. Yet you insist on dragging me out for some new trick."

Contrary to her beautiful appearance, yinhua's words were full of biting sarcasm; she was the picture of a master of irony.

"If you wish to disappear like that, I can help you right now."

Finally, the Goddess of Time spoke.

"I was just joking, I'm sorry, okay? My mistake."

Yinhua saw that the Goddess might actually act and immediately surrendered.

"Living is still better than being dead. Though I'm half-dead anyway. But surely, you're not so kind—if I was of no use to you, you'd never let me resurrect, so you must want me to do something for you."

"I'll say this upfront: I gave everything I had to my beloved. I have nothing left now, so my value to you can't be that high."

"Of course, if it's brick-moving, I can just barely..."

Before Yinhua could finish, the Goddess of Time chopped her scythe down again, this time nearly hitting Yinhua for real.

Yinhua quickly admitted fault again.

"Have you considered returning to that world?" the Goddess of Time asked.

"I cannot, miss Yishen."

Yinhua called the Goddess of Time "Yishen."

"She and I are the same existence. The two of us cannot appear together in this world."

"This is the rule of time, the law of order—it does not allow two identical beings to exist on the same timeline. If that is broken, time itself could collapse."

"No two identical people may exist on the same timeline."

"I once wielded time myself, so I know these rules better than anyone."

"Do you still want to see her?"

"From your words, it sounds like you have some method?"

Yinhua smiled playfully.

"It's not free, is it?"

"Of course it's not free. But I can let you walk the world again, which is something you cannot refuse."

"What do you want me to do, then? Speak plainly, stop being so cryptic—I can never guess what's going on in your head."

"I will let you walk the world again. In exchange, you will help me recover the lost fragments of time."

Yinhua had no idea what that was.

"When you stand on the surface of the world again, you'll know what I mean."

"Fine, you're still talking in riddles. I really don't get it. So, here's another problem: how am I supposed to get out?"

Yishen glanced at Snake.

"Neither of you can leave this Corridor of Time because of your damaged souls."

"But I have a way to have you two repair each other."

"I've known you for nearly a few million years—since when did you get that ability?"

Snake asked directly, baffled.

"What does mutual repair mean? Can you speak in terms I can understand, please?"

"The two of you, with one soul, use a single body. That's all it takes."

Yinhua and Snake voiced their confusion at the same time.

"Me, with this disgraceful snake?"

Both of them pointed at each other with unmistakable expressions of distaste.

"I'm out. Just toss me back in the coffin."

"What do you mean? Are you saying I'm unclean or something?"

Snake caught Yinhua's hand, visibly angry.

"I'll be honest, I find you terribly annoying. From the very first time I saw you, ages ago."

"Be grateful I don't hate you. And you have the nerve to dislike me? Don't forget, I was the previous Will of the World."

Heavenly Snake countered.

"Key word: previous. I still remember you died pretty quickly, so you're honestly pretty disgraceful."

Yinhua gave her a deeply disgusted look.

"You two are merely guests in my world. Many things are not for you to decide."

Yet Yishen cared not for how the two saw each other.

"Prepare yourselves."

She was ready to act.

Both of them looked utterly unwilling.

Yishen let out a helpless sigh.

And yet, she would not care for their feelings.