Time Reversal

Sister Xin and Little Bean are dead?

This news brought a significant shock to Yang Qizhou, so much so that he didn't even notice the departure of the auxiliary law enforcement officers.

Sister Xin had been perfectly fine this morning, dressed in a stylish and tasteful outfit that made her look quite charming, and Little Bean had been full of anticipation for attending the animation exhibition; how could they be gone by nightfall?

Yang Qizhou returned home.

Since he was a tenant in the apartment complex, the law enforcement officers did not stop him after verifying his identity.

The room felt somewhat cold and desolate, but Yang Qizhou was long used to it. He sat on the sofa, raised his right hand, and the black Doom-Bringing Raven manifested on his arm.

I was wondering before why Little Bean asking me to accompany her to Diamond Plaza—such a mundane thing—would generate a save-load node.

So that was the reason...

Yang Qizhou felt neither anger nor sorrow; on the contrary, he was extremely calm, sitting on the sofa smoking a cigarette while his mind raced.

It was not because Yang Qizhou was cold-blooded or heartless; in fact, he cared deeply about this matter.

If it were anyone else, facing such a situation would only add to their helplessness and grief, and there would be nothing else they could do. At best, they might have a chance to avenge Sister Xin and Little Bean in the future, but that would never undo the outcome of the mother and daughter's deaths.

But Yang Qizhou was different.

He possessed the ability of the "Doom-Bringing Raven," and the save-load node from Little Bean inviting him to Diamond Plaza still existed. He could completely roll back to this morning and rewrite the ending of Sister Xin and Little Bean's deaths.

The cause of Sister Xin and Little Bean's deaths shouldn't be as simple as encountering robbers or murderers. Even the Bureau of Occult Investigation has intervened; it is very likely that this already involves players of the World of Weirdness.

If I want to save them, I will inevitably be drawn into it.

The killer's identity, strength, game progress, and methods are all unknown. Although I have high-tier treasures, the effect of the Garment of the Hidden World is concealment and invisibility, the Law Book of Windbell Town cannot be used for the time being, and while the Silver Relic can manipulate the weather, it cannot directly cause damage. When encountering a strong enemy, Holy Redemption could play a significant role, but the usage for today has already been spent on the "Old God of the Abyss" and cannot be used again. In other words, the only powerful lethal means I can actually utilize are the two "Root-Court Hounds" commanded by the Key to the Shepherd's Field.

This leads to a problem.

If I choose to use the "Doom-Bringing Raven's" ability to return to the past, what should I do if I encounter a powerful enemy that the "Root-Court Hounds" cannot handle while trying to save Sister Xin and Little Bean?

Yang Qizhou knew very well that, rationally speaking, not wading into these muddy waters and staying out of this matter was the most correct decision.

The World of Weirdness game had not been in the world for long, but it wasn't short either. Who knew what terrifying things players might have obtained from it, or whether he would encounter them.

Self-preservation, lying low, developing steadily, and raising his own strength as quickly as possible to face the increasing number of players and the foreseeable turmoil—that was the most correct choice.

Yang Qizhou understood all these principles.

Yet, images from the past kept surfacing in his mind: every time Sister Xin made dumplings, she would always send him a portion; when Little Bean learned he had punched his boss and lost his job, she was willing to take out her favorite potato chips to share with him; occasionally, when she ran into him, she would excitedly hug him, calling him "Brother Qizhou" over and over.

All those past events were vivid, flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Damn it, why does a man have to be so rational? If a person doesn't get hot-headed and do something impulsive, can they even be called human?

Sister Xin has always treated me well, and Little Bean calls me "Brother Qizhou" every chance she gets. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have been able to survive in Kyoto. Now that the mother and daughter have met with misfortune, it would be one thing if there were no way to save them, but I have the "Doom-Bringing Raven"—this "regret medicine"—so I can definitely give it a try.

Since I have the ability to change the outcome, why not give it a shot?

Whatever strong enemies, whatever consequences, whatever trouble—those are things for the future. Let's just do what I want to do right now first.

There was no time to lose.

Yang Qizhou activated the ability of the "Doom-Bringing Raven."

The scenery before his eyes immediately became illusory, twisted, and indescribable. The world seemed to melt and shatter, and the eerie cawing of a raven echoed in his mind.

"Brother Qizhou, stop going to work, okay? Come play with me."

A familiar voice reached him. Yang Qizhou opened his eyes again to see bright sunlight spilling in from the stairwell window. A seven or eight-year-old girl was jumping up and down, calling out to him, her eyes sparkling with a strange, whimsical light.

Time had returned to the early morning.

Little Lan really liked pestering this kid. Seeing that Yang Qizhou hadn't answered for a long time, Zhao Xin thought he was feeling troubled, so she picked up her daughter.

"Don't always pester your Brother Qizhou. He has to work, make money, and fend for himself; he's very busy."

"Ah, but I want to play with Brother Qizhou. Can't he take just one day off from work?"

"Behave yourself, don't be naughty."

Sister Xin was still as... well, how should he put it? She was beautiful, of course, but what was even more attractive was that certain charm. He hadn't felt it before, but now that he thought about it, if he didn't save Sister Xin, wouldn't it be a terrible pity for such a beauty to die young?

Yang Qizhou felt a surge of excitement and almost went in for a bear hug, but he ultimately restrained himself.

Zhao Xin did not have the experience of the previous timeline and did not know she would die tonight, so she wouldn't have the feeling of a lifetime having passed like he did.

Don't look at how she usually took good care of him; Yang Qizhou saw it clearly—she was just being kind and had no other feelings for him.

If he had hugged her just now, she would have slapped him across the face and kicked him out on the grounds of unpaid rent.

Better to rein in his bad impulses.

Saving lives was the priority.

"I can't, Little Bean. I didn't pay last month's rent, this month's rent is still nowhere to be found, and next month's rent is even more uncertain. If I don't go to work, your mom will kick me out."

Just like in the previous timeline, Yang Qizhou refused Ding Xiaolan's invitation once again.

The familiar scene repeated itself.

The little girl seemed to have had her sore spot touched, shouting "That won't do" and "That won't do," and insisted that Yang Qizhou buy her potato chips when he came home from work.

Zhao Xin offered an apology as well, chatted for a few more moments, and then left the house with her daughter, Ding Xiaolan.

Yang Qizhou did not head to the sorting center for work like he did last time; instead, he activated the effect of the Garment of the Hidden World and quietly followed behind them. During this, he didn't forget to check his balance, discovering that the 300 yuan in wages his boss had paid him in the previous timeline was still there...

I didn't get a free ride; I already finished the work. It's just that because the timeline reset, the packages I sorted returned to their original positions.

I can't be blamed for that.

My only mission today is to rewrite the fate of Sister Xin and Little Bean, and ensure the mother and daughter don't die.