Chapter 71: The Final Rollback
"Kichyō, awaken… Kichyō!"
The voice gradually approached from a distance, initially sounding as if it were separated by a layer of water, but gradually becoming clearer.
She suddenly opened her eyes, as if breaking through a thick layer of fog, and the scenery before her became dazzling.
Even the woman before her became amiable and approachable.
"Ato?" she softly called out his name.
"I was truly frightened to the point of tears, Miss. Suddenly, there was no response from you," the middle-aged maid breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm… fine," she shook her head, then immediately looked around, "Where is this place?"
It seemed to be a lounge, but she didn't recognize it. Her family had always favored a traditional Japanese aesthetic, while the decor here was distinctly European.
"This place? It's a hotel, didn't you forget?" Ato turned her around halfway. "This is the makeup that just got done, would you take a look?"
"Makeup?" the young girl lifted her eyes, looking at herself in the mirror, with her genetically inherited delicate oval face from her mother, slightly thin lips, and bright and clear eyes with sparkling teeth.
Indeed, this was her own face.
She instantly became stunned, raising her hand to carefully touch her facial features, gradually confirming each detail.
"Is this me?"
She was starting to forget what she looked like.
After going through hundreds of rollbacks, she finally liberated herself from that body that didn't belong to her. She has returned, she has become herself once again.
"Yes, indeed, Miss, as long as you dress up nicely and put on slightly more mature clothing, you will bear a striking resemblance to Lady Hua…," the maid reminisced, saying, "And finally, there is this comb, another belonging of Lady Hua. If her spirit in the heavens were aware, she would surely desire to be a witness."
"What witness? What kind of witness?" Kichyō asked, bewildered.
"Do you forget? Today is…"
"It matters not, these matters are inconsequential!" Kichyō promptly rose and inquired, "Ato, what time is it now?"
"Eleven thirty-three…"
"Eleven o'clock!" Kichyō whispered, her pupils contracting.
Time turned back once again, rewinding a full hour, so she returned to her own vessel.
This is good news, unprecedented good news!
She is now completely beyond the sight of the cult of the evil deity.
Therefore, her actions are unrestricted, and she no longer needs to be restrained.
Nowadays, she is no longer Nishino Junko. All dangers have distanced themselves from her, and the attacks from the cult of the evil deity are henceforth unrelated to her.
In a fleeting moment, she would contemplate that she could, in fact, disregard everything, feign ignorance, and continue to be a blissfully naive bird trapped in a cage.
Since one has already liberated oneself from the sea of suffering, why would one willingly immerse themselves in it once more?
However, this thought lasts no more than a second before being cast aside.
She must put an end to this endless cycle, once and for all.
Both for herself and for that person!
"Time is running out," she whispered to herself, "I must set off immediately!"
"Miss?" Ato promptly intercepted, "Where are you headed? You have only a few minutes until you need to enter the venue."
"I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I need to go out for a while." Kichyō maintained a calm demeanor and smiled reassuringly at the maid, who was not related by blood but felt like a family member, "Don't worry, Ato, I will return soon."
The maid, Ato, watched her grow up since childhood, but the words and actions of the young woman before her are filled with a sense of unfamiliarity, as if she had grown up overnight, considerably.
She was eager to utter a sigh, but instead, words of endless concern filled her mouth.
"Where are you going dressed in pristine white? Even if you need to go out, this attire is too…"
Kichyō looked at her reflection in the floor-length mirror, dressed in a flawless white bridal gown, known as the "White Robe of Purity" in Yingzhou. From the jacket to the stockings, everything was pure white, symbolizing a woman's immaculate marriage. From this point on, she would change her surname to that of her husband's, as white can be dyed into any other color.
It is indeed inappropriate to run out like this, and it is not very convenient for movement, attracting far too much attention.
However, there was no time to change clothes, and the process of wearing a kimono was far more complicated than anticipated.
She raised her hand and took off the horns and white cotton cap she wore on her head, throwing them aside. Then, in a few swift motions, she unraveled the hair ties that were intricately done for hours, causing her carefully arranged hairstyle to be hastily undone, leaving her silky black hair cascading down her shoulders.
Kichyō gathered her hair, swiftly tying it into a ponytail, and then coiled the ponytail neatly. Finally, she secured her mother's heirloom comb within the strands of her hair, firmly fastening it in place.
In a span of less than ten seconds, she transformed from a soon-to-be bride into a daughter of a martial clan, capable of drawing a sword to strike at any moment.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, feeling quite satisfied. Then, she picked up the scissors by her side and made a slit in the tightly stretched kimono skirt, tearing it open to create ample room for unrestricted movement. The impeccably tailored kimono transformed into a slightly slit high Cheongsam skirt.
Ato gazed in astonishment, perceiving the transformation that had befallen the young lady.
The maid's thoughts are not entirely misguided. Kichyō has died countless times, and very little remains of the refined demeanor she cultivated as a young lady. Grace and etiquette don't prolong her lifespan even by a second. Only the trust placed in her swordsmanship is truly reliable.
With preparations complete, she had no intention of delaying even for a moment, proceeding directly towards the location of the doorway.
There were several maids and staff members nearby, who upon seeing the bride preparing to leave in this manner, hurriedly approached to intercept her. They started saying a bunch of "It's improper and against etiquette" words, but they were completely unable to stop her.
She plunged the scissors she held into the wall, causing a crack to spread over half a meter in length.
The true qi circulated beneath her chest, much like her current anxious state of mind and untamed spirit.
"Move aside, all of you!"
She is an aura-sensitive individual, an extraordinary rarity, whose power far surpasses that of ordinary individuals.
Someone secretly called the security guards, several of whom were familiar with Kichyō. The bodyguards were in a predicament when they saw the young lady, full of anger, wanting to leave. No matter how persuasively they tried to talk her out of it, they couldn't prevent her from raising her foot to kick someone.
…
The middle-aged man in charge of receiving guests in the main hall heard the commotion. A bodyguard approached swiftly and whispered, bending down, "Master, Miss…"
The distinguished guest sitting face to face with him asked, "Your Excellency Xuanma, is something amiss?"
"Nothing's wrong. How could there be any problem? Today is the auspicious day of our engagement between our two families. Even if there are difficulties, we must resolve them," the middle-aged man exclaimed with a hearty laugh. "Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."
He stood up and left his seat.
The esteemed guest narrowed his eyes, took a sip of his drink, and glanced at the young man beside him, rebuking, "Compose yourself and sit properly. Don't behave like an immature youngster. This engagement banquet is of great significance. Don't embarrass me."
…
"Cease, all of you!" exclaimed Xuanma, a middle-aged man known for his accumulated authority. Upon entering the room, a single reprimand brought the chaotic situation to a halt.
The crowd gathered together, and he briskly made his way through, reaching his daughter's side with swift strides.
As he glanced over, furrowed brows formed deep vertical lines, revealing the extreme displeasure on the face of the head of the family.
"What are you doing! What kind of attire is this? It's unseemly. Do you plan on attending the engagement banquet like this!"
"Go back immediately and change your clothes! Behave yourself and stay put!"
After he finished speaking, intending to turn around and leave, a single reprimand was usually enough to quell his daughter. It had been like this for over a decade, and he thought today would be no different.
But he heard a simple sentence.
"- I refuse!"
"What?" The middle-aged man had already taken three steps, thinking he must have misheard. Immediately, he stiffly turned around, looking back and asking, "Say it again!"
"Father." The girl, dressed in pure white, clenched her unpainted lips and enunciated each word deliberately. "I said! I! Refuse!"
With a furrowed brow and tense facial muscles, Xuanma exuded a commanding presence.
He couldn't believe that his own daughter had dared to defy him, especially at such a critical moment.
Kichyō also bears great pressure, but when these words are uttered, she feels an immense sense of relief and gratification.
Perhaps she should have said that earlier.
The pressure brought by my father is truly dreadful, but compared to fanatical worshipers of the evil deity, compared to the constant cycle of death and the never-ending rewinds, what does it amount to?
She should have seen through it long ago and matured as well.
So she, facing her father who was not angry but imposing, facing the father who had been only meek and submissive for over a decade, took the initiative to break the silence and voiced her questioning.
"Why wouldn't you even inform me ahead of time that this is an engagement banquet!"
"Why can't I even know who I am going to marry?"
"Why should I agree to this absurd wedding?"
With every question she asked, she took a step forward, gradually shedding her reservations, akin to beating a war drum, her voice resounding like thunder, commanding attention.
Lost in contemplation for a moment, Xuanma gazed at his daughter, who had matured overnight, with countless doubts swirling in his mind. However, he refrained from voicing them and instead responded with composure.
"These matters, once the engagement ceremony is concluded, I shall naturally enlighten you as to the reason!"
Kichyō didn't hear the answer she desired, but the conflict had already occurred, inevitably intensifying into a white-hot state.
"I beg your pardon, esteemed Father, but I shall never accept this engagement."
She approached her father, keeping a distance of three feet, with blazing flames in her eyes.
"I am leaving this place now to attend to a matter of greater importance, to meet someone of greater significance. Let's see who dares to stop me!"
