Guarding the River of Time-Chapter 295 - 286: If You Held Reincarnation, What Would You Do?

Chapter 295: Chapter 286: If You Held Reincarnation, What Would You Do?

The woman was tall, even slightly taller than Su Mu, dressed in a dark yellow luxurious robe, surrounded by an aura of dark yellow mist.

Her face was incredibly beautiful, a kind of ethereal and sacred beauty, solemn and holy, even making one feel a bit unreal. This kind of beauty had transcended physical appearance to reach a level of majesty, solemn beauty, and sacred dignity, fully showcasing the unique aura of a superior being.

The woman in the dark robe stood quietly on the water’s surface, her clear-boned bare feet lightly touching the water, creating ripples spreading outward in circles.

It seemed as if just standing there, she emanated an aura that made people want to worship her.

Moreover, since the woman’s appearance, the surroundings had quieted down. Even the gentle sound of flowing water had disappeared, leaving only the sound of Su Mu’s breathing.

Why could only Su Mu’s breathing be heard? It was because the woman stood there like a statue, not needing to breathe, and her body lacked any features characteristic of living creatures. Yet, she was indeed a truly "existing" being.

Or perhaps... she had evolved beyond the category of "creature" to a whole new form of life, a higher mode of existence.

Just one glance made Su Mu’s pupils constrict sharply, stirring ripples in his heart.

This dark-robed woman was the strongest person he had ever seen in years of guarding the Long River, bar none!

Because in the woman’s gaze, he couldn’t detect any emotional fluctuation, so he couldn’t discern whether she was friendly or hostile towards him.

...

After staring quietly at each other for a long time.

Su Mu finally broke the silence: "Who are you?"

A misty voice reached Su Mu’s ears.

"I planted the tree."

This voice, though it came from in front of him, felt distant as if it floated from ancient times, incredibly remote.

Hearing this, Su Mu also had an answer in his heart regarding the woman’s identity.

Was she here to trouble him?

Because he had learned from the old man that the Three-Life Tree was planted by his predecessors, and by picking a fruit, he essentially took someone else’s property.

If this tree was planted by the woman before him, it meant he had taken her item without her consent, so Su Mu instinctively felt that she was here to cause trouble for him.

Upon hearing this, Su Mu suddenly lost interest and took the fist-sized Lantern Fruit out from his sleeve, tossing it to the dark-robed woman.

It’s just a piece of fruit, isn’t it?

Making such a fuss over it, he had already compensated with three Ginseng Fruits and even repaired their stone bridge, are they really so stingy?

Damn it!

If Su Mu wasn’t unsure about defeating the woman before him, with his temper, he would definitely never return the fruit.

The Lantern Fruit didn’t fall into the hands of the dark-robed woman but hovered in mid-air.

"I didn’t come to you for this trivial matter," the dark-robed woman murmured.

"This fruit is rightfully yours."

As she spoke, the woman waved her large hand, and the Lantern Fruit flew back into Su Mu’s sleeve.

....

"I came only to ask you one question." The dark-robed woman stared into Su Mu’s eyes and asked, deliberately pausing between each word.

Upon hearing this, Su Mu was also a bit confused, wondering why the stronger people became, the more they liked to be mysterious.

"Ask away," Su Mu calmly replied.

...

"If one day you master reincarnation and control the reincarnation and rebirth of all beings in the world,"

"and your closest relative dies, would you choose to violate the Reincarnation Law to resurrect them, or let them naturally reincarnate?"

The voice of the dark-robed woman echoed in Su Mu’s ears like the sound of the Great Dao.

Hearing this question, Su Mu was dumbfounded.

To Su Mu, this question was essentially asking if one day Nannan dies, would he choose to resurrect her or let her reincarnate and live another life?

But if she reincarnates, Nannan would no longer have any connection to him; he would no longer be her father, and she would not be his daughter.

This question left Su Mu in silence, as he contemplated it seriously.

The surroundings fell completely silent.

This seemingly ordinary question, a seemingly casual dialogue, concealed a causal relationship affecting the trajectory of a path and determining which way the balance would tilt.

After contemplating for a long time, Su Mu came to an answer, a decision he had known all along.

It was merely the first time he had spoken from his heart.

"I have a daughter, and if she dies,"

"there are two possible outcomes for her death."

"First, if I’m not capable enough and can’t protect her, I wouldn’t resurrect her. I’d let her leave me, stay away from my causality, and I would protect her on her path to smoothly reincarnate, to live a peaceful, safe, and happier next life."

"Secondly, if I’m capable and can protect her to grow happily, healthily, and joyfully, and die without regrets, I still wouldn’t resurrect her, because I can’t be that selfish. Having her for one lifetime is enough; in the next life, she would have her life."

After hearing this answer, the dark-robed woman visibly paused, and even her gaze showed a fluctuation.

This answer wasn’t what she had been expecting or hoping for.

However, this answer surpassed even the ideal answer she had imagined.

After several seconds of silence, the dark-robed woman smiled, and the surrounding silence dissipated. The atmosphere relaxed, and the sound of gently flowing water resonated once again.

In her heart, there were two answers.

The first was driven by selfishness, resurrecting one’s loved ones, disrupting the Reincarnation Law, and turning it into a self-serving law.

If Su Mu had given this answer, she would have stopped at nothing to make Su Mu pay a heavy price, even if she couldn’t kill him, she wouldn’t let him progress smoothly.

Because if the most important Reincarnation Law was left in such hands, the entire Ten Thousand Realms would fall into endless darkness.

The second answer was selfless, not breaking principles or the original Reincarnation Law for anyone.

This was the answer she had hoped to receive.

Because only such a person was suitable to wield great power.

However, Su Mu’s answer wasn’t any of these options.

He had selfishness, yet he also had principles.

Because being overly emotional or overly rational wasn’t ideal; instead, this "middle ground" was the most suitable.

Perhaps... in the future, letting him govern could bring the Ten Thousand Realms better development; it’s possible...

In the heart of the dark-robed woman, she probably already had an answer, and she had made her choice.

In this "balance," she temporarily stood on Su Mu’s side.

....

"You seem... not to be the main body?"

Su Mu couldn’t hold back and asked the dark-robed woman.