Yama Reborn-Chapter 485 - 482 [She is...]

Chapter Four Hundred Eighty-Two: She Is...

"So, is it all because of Zero?"

Chen Nuo looked at the Gray Cat, and the Gray Cat slowly shook its head.

"I cannot be certain," the Gray Cat’s tone carried a hint of fear of the unknown. "But I only know that when that thought surfaced in my mind, I once believed, and even thought, it was my own idea... but..."

"But you sensed danger, sensed something was off?" Chen Nuo asked. "Why didn’t the other Seeds doubt? Why did you, specifically, doubt?"

The Gray Cat looked up at Chen Nuo, then suddenly smiled. "Do you know, I’m not even sure if the thought of ’doubt’ is my own, or if it’s an idea Zero intentionally implanted in my mind!"

Chen Nuo fell silent.

This... if I think about it deeply, it becomes even more terrifying!

"Maybe it’s just conducting an experiment. Maybe it wants the other Seeds to compete against each other, to see how they evolve. Maybe, while instigating this competition, it’s also unsure whether this path is correct, so it hopes to keep one Seed outside the competition... And then, it chose me.

"I suddenly felt terrified, and then I withdrew from the competition.

"Over such a long time, I’ve seen too many Seeds killed by their own kind in these competitions. I’ve seen too many Seeds perish.

"Yet, I’ve always remained neutral, standing outside the circle, watching everything...

"Perhaps this is what Zero hoped for. It wanted to keep a Seed outside the competitive circle as a... well, maybe as insurance. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"In case the competition ultimately fails, without producing a correct evolutionary path.

"Then, not all Seeds would be wiped out, and there would still be one to preserve a spark.

"And I am that insurance, that spark."

Chen Nuo remained silent for a long time.

Zero? Another kind of existent "Seed"? It sounds like the mastermind behind the scenes. By that logic, my return to 1981 and everything I’ve encountered—does it all seem like Zero’s calculations? Including meeting this little girl named Louise? So Zero knew I would meet this little girl? That’s just too bizarre. It predicted I would return to 1981, come to London, and meet this little girl?

And Chen Nuo still had a few doubts he couldn’t openly discuss with the Gray Cat.

In 2002, I returned to 1981 by killing Chen Jianshe. If all this was a scheme by the Zero of that 2002 era, then what about Zero in 1981? This Zero, the one that instructed the Gray Cat to take care of the little girl Louise—are it and the Zero from 2002 part of one grand plan?

Okay, let’s reason this out logically. Assume everything is Zero’s plan. Zero in 1981 tells the Gray Cat to take care of the little girl because it calculated that I, Chen Nuo, would return from 2002 to 1981. But how could the Zero of 1981 know there would be a Chen Nuo in 2002? Because in 1981, I wasn’t even born yet! Could the Zero of 1981 foresee that a person named Chen Nuo would eventually be born into this world?

And what’s even more frightening to consider is... this Zero, which Chen Nuo is it scheming for? If the Zero of 1981 had already started acting against Chen Jianshe, hinting and awakening him with voices in his mind, granting him special abilities... was it because Zero predicted Chen Jianshe would have a son named Chen Nuo? But the problem is... Chen Jianshe’s son, Chen Nuo, was supposed to be an ordinary young man! That calculation doesn’t hold up! Because in the original history, Chen Jianshe’s son, Chen Nuo, didn’t possess Chen Yanluo’s abilities! Originally, Chen Jianshe’s son Chen Nuo was not Chen Yanluo! So, if all of this is Zero’s calculation... Zero must have predicted that in 2021, a powerful human expert, Chen Yanluo, would die, become a four-dimensional being, travel through time to 2002, and perform a Body Seizing on Chen Jianshe’s son, Chen Nuo. Then, this Chen Yanluo, having become Chen Nuo, would only have a conflict with Chen Jianshe in 2002, kill him, and then return to 1981! In other words, the fundamental condition for Zero’s entire scheme to work is that it must have known I am Chen Yanluo, who time-traveled back from 2021! Not the ordinary, weak young Chen Nuo! So, the question arises: 2021, Chen Yanluo’s original era, the time before all his rebirths began! Where was Zero in that era? What did it do?!

Chen Nuo subconsciously glanced around.

Though he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he felt as if an invisible pair of eyes were watching him.

"Now, I think my mission is complete," the Gray Cat said. "The one who gave me this task asked me to look after this little girl, probably hoping I’d protect her until she met you. Since that’s the case, my job is done. Whatever comes next should have nothing to do with this cat."

The Gray Cat hopped lightly, moving a few paces away.

Chen Nuo immediately realized this cowardly cat was trying to avoid trouble again.

Chen Nuo watched the lazy cat with resignation. He was all too familiar with its aversion to trouble.

Back in 2002, when the cat lived with him, it clearly knew so much classified information, yet it always played dumb, desperately trying to avoid any karmic entanglement. It was determined to stay out of everything.

Trying to get any valuable information out of it was like squeezing toothpaste—bit by bit.

And if this Gray Cat met me in 1981... In 2002, the creature never told me! Are these two different timelines? Or... was it deliberately concealing the truth? Or is there some other explanation?

Most crucially, a thought suddenly struck me! To be precise, a question! A question that, for a long time, I seem to have ignored! The question is: If the Gray Cat is such a trouble-averse, cowardly creature, then why on earth did it participate in that operation by the Octopus Monster organization? Why join the mission to search for Seed in the South America Tropical Rainforest?!

"So now, friend from another world, we can say goodbye," the Gray Cat said, standing in the distance and waving its paw at Chen Nuo.

Black, ever the cat devotee, immediately sprang to his feet from his spot in the corner. He walked over to the Gray Cat’s side, and then, with a gentle leap, the Gray Cat jumped onto Black’s shoulder.

Chen Nuo hesitated, wanting to stop the Gray Cat from leaving. It was like a sponge that could be squeezed further; who knew what valuable information he could still wring out of it?

But the Gray Cat was resolute about leaving.

Black retreated quickly. The Gray Cat, perched on his shoulder, arched its body, its tone carrying a slight warning. "I must leave now! If you try to keep me here by force... I must say, even though I can sense you’re very strong—don’t forget, you are a Seed’s Chosen One, and I, no matter what, am also a Seed! If you try to detain me, I will definitely resist! I can assure you, you absolutely cannot keep me here. So, let’s all save ourselves some effort."

Chen Nuo, still wanting to try, smiled. "Is that so?"

The Gray Cat sighed. "Besides, London isn’t the right place for us to have a big fight right now. Don’t you know? A formidable figure has appeared in London in recent years, and that individual’s strength is definitely no less than yours. I’ve encountered them, and they seem... a bit unstable. If we fight, it might attract their attention. Then... I can leave whenever I want, but you might not find it so easy to get away."

Chen Nuo’s heart stirred.

London? A formidable figure? Strength rivaling my own? And... a bit unstable?

"You couldn’t be talking about... Lu Xixi, could you? Hmm, do you know that name?"

"Never heard of it."

"So... this formidable figure you mentioned... is it a girl? Very pretty? With long, seaweed-like curly hair?"

As he spoke, Chen Nuo quickly fumbled in his clothes and pulled out a photo of Lu Xixi from this era. Though it had been soaked in seawater a few times and was somewhat blurry, the image was still mostly recognizable.

The Gray Cat glanced at it from afar and nodded. "That’s her. I really don’t want to get near her!"

Chen Nuo: "..."

He took a deep breath and, in a flash, blocked the warehouse door. "One last thing! Tell me the truth, and I’ll let you leave!"

He paused, clenching his fists. "Otherwise, even if it means resorting to violence, I’d rather have a big fight with you!"

The Gray Cat: "..."

The cat’s eyes narrowed, staring at Chen Nuo for a moment before it yawned. "Alright, one last thing! Ask what you want to know, quickly! I’m leaving after you’re done!"

"This girl," Chen Nuo said, raising the photo in his hand. "Tell me everything you know about her!"

The Gray Cat gazed at Chen Nuo intently for a few seconds.

"Like you, she is also a Seed’s Chosen One."

"I know that!"

"Her strength is immense; she should have already reached the pinnacle of power among you humans..."

"I know that too!" Chen Nuo shook his head. "Tell me something I don’t know! Don’t try to fob me off with such basic information."

"Then what do you want to know?" the Gray Cat asked tentatively.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath. "I already told you... tell me *everything* you know about her!"

The Gray Cat’s gaze became evasive.

"Then let’s just fight!" Chen Nuo shook his head and flexed his wrists. "I’ve fought with your kind before—with Seed, with that Octopus Monster, and also with The Fourth Seed. Of all the Seeds I know, you’re the only one I haven’t fought. A battle today wouldn’t be out of place!"

The Gray Cat, controlling Black, quickly retreated several steps. "Stop! Alright! There’s no need to fight—I can tell you."

Then the Gray Cat sighed and began to speak:

"She’s a descendant of the Huaxia people; you can tell from her complexion and hair color.

"As for her identity, I do indeed know it. Her strength is formidable, partly due to her innate talent and the abilities she inherited. The other part comes from the Seed that selected her as its Chosen One—Seeds also contribute to enhancing the strength of their Chosen Ones.

"I think you probably want to know about her origins, right?

"She... might not be quite what she appears to be on the surface."

"How is she different?"

"Er... for example... her age?" The Gray Cat’s tone was peculiar.

Chen Nuo paused, then blurted out, "How old is she?"

"A little older than you."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment. "Thirty?"

"A bit older."

"Thirty years older than me? So, over fifty?"

"Older still."

Fuck! Shit!

Chen Nuo, unsure how to react, silently cursed to himself and ventured, "She can’t be... a hundred years old, can she?"

"...Older still."

Chen Nuo: "......."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty," Chen Nuo replied with a sigh.

"Then she’s likely... more than three hundred years older than you."

"............."

Chen Nuo felt as if ten thousand "grass mud horses" were stampeding through his mind...

They say a woman three years older is a treasure. But three hundred years older? Does that make her a celestial being? I just found out today that my wife is over three hundred years older than me. What am I supposed to do about this? Seeking advice online, very urgent.

Seeing Chen Nuo’s stunned expression, the Gray Cat cautiously maneuvered Black a few steps backward.

"As far as I know, this woman is also of Huaxia descent. Over three hundred years ago, she was selected as a Chosen One by that Seed. Then... for these three hundred years, that Seed was always secretly watching her development. But in recent years, that Seed suddenly disappeared. As for where it went... I don’t know."

Chen Nuo suddenly asked, "Her... what’s her name?"

"Hmm..." The Gray Cat seemed to ponder for a moment. "I remember her Huaxia name was quite pleasant. What was it again... Ah, right! Three hundred years ago, a few humans managed to find a Mother Clone. Unfortunately, several of my kind... secretly thwarted them. Those humans were all top-tier experts, including one very formidable Huaxia individual. That operation was actually a failure for you humans. The Huaxia individual involved was then targeted by several of my kind. Consequently... the Octopus Monster and The Fourth Seed made a deal. The Fourth Seed was looking for a suitable Chosen One at the time, so... the Octopus Monster sold information about that Huaxia individual to The Fourth Seed. The Fourth Seed went to Huaxia and found that top human expert. But regrettably, by the time it arrived, the expert had already succumbed to severe injuries. So... it brought back the expert’s daughter instead. The child’s aptitude was exceptional, even better than her father’s, so The Fourth Seed was very pleased with such a Chosen One."

Chen Nuo’s heart pounded like a drum!

"That human expert... his surname was Yun?"

"Yes, surname Yun, given name... Yun He."

Chen Nuo’s breath hitched.

The founder of the Qingyun Sect! The one recruited by Noah’s Ark, invited to Africa to participate in eliminating a Mother Clone! The founder of the Qingyun Sect, Yun He! Lu Xixi’s father? Over three hundred years ago?!

"So, her name is?"

"She... I remember, her name seemed to be Yun... Yun... Ah, yes! Her name is Yun Yin."

Chen Nuo was utterly stunned.

The news was too shocking; for a moment, he found it difficult to digest. Distracted by this revelation, he didn’t even notice when the Gray Cat stealthily slipped away.

He just stood there, dumbfounded, pondering...

Lu Xixi? Over three hundred years old? The daughter of the Qingyun Sect’s founder, Yun He?! Yun... Yin?