Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 172 - The Snake Shaman’s Answer

“I can’t see anything.”

“Can’t see anything?” Tian Fangfang asked, bewildered. “What is there to see?”

The Snake Shaman gazed quietly at Zanxing for a long time before slowly speaking, “I can’t see your past clearly, and your future is also a blur. You are not truly yourself, which is why even the Mirage Woman’s illusion couldn’t discern your deepest desires.”

Zanxing remained silent.

In truth, the Mirage Woman’s illusion had shown her something. When she and Gu Baiying were trapped in the stone chamber, she heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she saw Wang Shao.

Wang Shao was dressed in wedding attire, and her own clothing had transformed into bridal wear. The room was decorated for a wedding, complete with celebratory candles and red silk with the character for “double happiness.” It was the bridal chamber prepared for their marriage.

She was marrying Wang Shao.

The “Young Lady Yang” desired to become the wife of the young city lord. In a way, the illusion woven by the Mirage Woman wasn’t incorrect. However, she was Yang Zanxing, not “Young Lady Yang,” so her first reaction upon seeing Wang Shao was not to be enthralled but to be cautious. Because of this, the illusion failed to deceive her from the beginning.

The past that the Snake Shaman could glimpse belonged to “Young Lady Yang,” while the Snake Shaman said she couldn’t see her past. This clan that transcends the three realms should not be underestimated.

“Does that mean my junior sister’s mental strength is so strong that others can’t find her weaknesses to exploit, which is a good thing for her?” Meng Ying asked.

The Snake Shaman lowered her gaze. “All things in the world have their destiny. Fish live in water, birds soar in the sky. The seasons change, and fortune and misfortune are predetermined by the heavens. But you, you have no Book of Fate.” She looked at Zanxing. “A person without a Book of Fate will be erased by the Heavenly Dao. Those who shouldn’t exist in this world will eventually have their traces erased. For you, this is not a blessing.”

Zanxing was speechless.

Being hunted by the heavens was something she had already experienced. Hearing it from the mouth of a seer who understood the workings of the world felt different.

She was a little scared.

At that moment, a sneer came from the corner. Turning around, she saw a young man leaning on a silver spear, mocking, “According to you, if people live by their destiny book, does that mean they should die when they reach a certain age?”

“But Senior Uncle, the way of the heavens is ruthless…” Men Dong said timidly.

“Shut up! The way of the heavens is nonsense,” Gu Baiying impatiently interrupted. “If it were so powerful, she wouldn’t have had her spiritual weapon taken and ended up a prisoner. Cultivating immortality means transcending fate. Have you lost your mind?”

“Snake Shaman, listen,” he stared coldly at the shaman. “Not having a destiny book means even the heavens can’t control her. If she wants to live, the heavens can’t stop her. Understand?”

Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying in surprise, not understanding why he was so agitated.

After a long silence, the Snake Shaman nodded slightly. “Very well.”

She turned to Zanxing, her gaze somewhat strange. “Since you are here, destiny has altered because of you. Perhaps you can change fate.” The Snake Shaman extended her hand, a black light glowing in her palm, revealing a pitch-black ring resembling a coiled snake.

“This contains a sliver of my spiritual power, with the ability to read minds, but it can only be used once.”

Zanxing reached out to take it.

“Walking an uncharted path is difficult. Destiny is unpredictable. To contend with it requires great courage and luck. If you hadn’t saved the shark demon’s soul in Li’er Country out of a moment of kindness, we wouldn’t be meeting today. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

Zanxing thought she saw a softer expression on the Snake Shaman’s face when she said this.

“Excuse me, Immortal, but what should we do now?” Tian Fangfang hesitated for a moment before adding, “And where has Douniang gone?”

Ever since the illusion broke, Xu Douniang had vanished, and everything here was gradually turning into grains of sand and flowing away.

“Your friend has long since passed away. The Mirage Woman trapped their souls in the illusion, sustaining the entire city. Wufan City has already disappeared; the current Wufan City is an illusion woven from the dreams of countless souls. The deeper the souls sink, the stronger the illusion becomes. Fortunately, you passed the final test.”

Mu Cengxiao asked, “The final test?”

“If you had believed the Mirage Woman’s words and killed Xu Douniang’s father, Xu Douniang’s eye of the illusion would have been erased, and you would have been trapped in the illusion forever. At that point, even I wouldn’t be able to break it.”

Tian Fangfang suddenly understood. “She deceived us?”

“Human nature is difficult to fathom, especially at the end of one’s rope, where it is most tested. There were cultivators who, in order to escape, killed unarmed civilians within the illusion, only to lose themselves here forever. The illusion exists in this place and within the human heart,” the Snake Shaman explained. “The Mirage Woman used this to create the illusionary city, aiming for permanence.”

“What about Douniang…”

“She has long awakened from the illusion and naturally went to her final resting place. All the illusions have been shattered, and this place is about to dissipate. I must leave as well.”

Zanxing curiously asked, “Where are you going?” Her gaze fell on the Snake Shaman’s staff. “Will you still make deals with people in the future?”

“The Snake Shaman Clan has guarded the human race for generations, only to be killed by them in return. This is the fate of the Snake Shaman Clan,” the shaman said calmly. “I am the last shaman of the Snake Shaman Clan. In the future, I will still repeat my fate.”

Human nature is fickle, and even a shaman who can glimpse destiny cannot see through the complexities of the human heart.

“When everything here disappears, it will return to its true form, and you will be able to leave.” She looked at Zanxing. “You have done me a favor, and I owe you a debt of gratitude. You may ask me one question.”

“A question?”

“The Snake Shaman Clan communicates between the heavens and the human world. Everything in the world has an answer. You may ask me one question, and I will give you the answer.”

“Any question?”

“Yes.”

Tian Fangfang interjected, “Junior sister, this is a rare opportunity. You should think carefully…”

Zanxing didn’t hesitate. “The Mirage Woman said my Senior Uncle’s spiritual veins are damaged and that he won’t live long. Is there any way to repair his spiritual veins?”

Tian Fangfang was taken aback.

Gu Baiying looked at her in astonishment, then furiously said, “Yang Zanxing, why are you asking about my problem? My situation has nothing to do with you. Ask something else…”

“I just want to know how to repair my Senior Uncle’s spiritual veins,” Zanxing said, more smoothly this time.

“To the east of Douzhou, there is a treasure land,” the Snake Shaman answered. “In this place grows a sacred tree. If you refine the fruit of this tree into a pill and consume it, his spiritual veins will be restored.”

“A treasure land…”

A beam of white light appeared before Zanxing, with a map floating in it. She reached out, and the map automatically fell into her Qiankun Bag.

“I have given you the treasure map,” the Snake Shaman said, glancing into the distance. “This place is about to disappear.”

As she finished speaking, everyone felt the ground tremble beneath them. Countless white light spots emerged, growing from small to large and becoming transparent. Within them, countless human figures could be seen—these were the souls trapped in the illusions here. The lush trees in the mountains, the cycle of seasons, all seemed like a fleeting dream. In a moment, the illusions shattered and vanished completely.

Nothing was left.

The legendary city dissolved, the last brick turning to wind-blown sand. The mysterious images of shamans carved into the stone walls shattered into dust along with the splendid dreams. The bustling streets, lively taverns, red-mud houses disappeared in an instant, along with the beautiful girl who had hoped to return home soon.

The illusion was gone.

The setting sun cast its light over the wilderness, illuminating the rolling dunes. The desert was vast and empty, with shadows growing long and lonely.

“It looks like we’re out,” Mu Cengxiao observed, looking around.

Tian Fangfang silently sat on a sand dune, appearing a bit dejected. The little girl they had once supported each other in hardships couldn’t find her way home in the end. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, only to find everything changed.

Mimi licked its paws, its gaze fixed ahead. A familiar voice called out, “Senior Uncle, we found it!”

It was Ziluo’s voice.

“The illusion is gone, which means Senior Uncle and the others found the communication talisman I left,” Meng Ying looked ahead where Xuan Lingzi and Ziluo were approaching. “We can leave now.”

Leave?

Zanxing turned back, looking at the golden desert behind her. The former Wufan City was now buried under sand, and from now on, no one would know that countless splendid dreams had once been buried here. Perhaps one day in the future, a magnificent city would rise again, and those dream seeds rooted in the silent wilderness would awaken when a traveler passed by, reassembling into pavilions and palaces.

“Yang Zanxing.” She heard Gu Baiying call her name, and as she was about to respond, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her palm. Looking down, she saw a red flower-shaped mark rapidly growing, the spreading pain overwhelming her senses, making her bend over in pain.

“Yang Zanxing!”

The last thing she heard was Gu Baiying’s anxious shout.

ILLUSION ARC: COMPLETE.