Sitting in her room, Qi Ling looked at the red key in her hand, feeling utterly bewildered. She hadn't expected that after doing as the Blood Devil had told her, Zhen Hong would actually give up the Demon God's Godhood to her.
This made Qi Ling extremely curious: what exactly was the relationship between Zhen Hong and the Blood Devil? Why did Zhen Hong make such a big decision after confirming certain things?
Lying in her bed, Qi Ling pondered the matter, but couldn't figure it out. If she couldn't understand it, she was afraid she would suffer from insomnia.
"No! I have to find Zhen Hong and ask her why she did this!" Qi Ling muttered to herself after getting out of bed. "Otherwise, I won't feel at ease taking this reward."
So Qi Ling left her room and her temporary residence, intending to find Zhen Hong's whereabouts.
However, after leaving her lodgings, Qi Ling was dumbfounded. She was currently in what was essentially the border region of the Devil Realm. While not entirely desolate, she knew absolutely nothing about this area. Where was she supposed to find Zhen Hong?
Just as Qi Ling was in a dilemma, Bai Qian's voice suddenly came. " Qi Ling, why aren't you resting so late? What's wrong? Your injuries haven't healed yet. You need to recover your strength so you can prepare to accept the Demon God's Godhood."
Qi Ling saw Bai Qian walking towards him. He didn't know how others usually interacted with this second-in-command of the Demon Alliance, but Qi Ling didn't sense any airs from her, so he had a good impression of her.
"It's nothing, Bai Qian. I just have some things on my mind, that's why I can't sleep," Qi Ling said.
Bai Qian smiled and said, "Is it because of Zhen Hong that you can't sleep?"
"How did you know?" Qi Ling asked in surprise.
"Although I haven't had much contact with you, I already know your personality quite well," Bai Qian said with a smile. "Someone like you, accepting such a great benefit from someone for no reason, would definitely feel uneasy if you didn't understand the ins and outs."
"You're right, that's exactly the kind of person I am," Qi Ling said. "At the very least, I need to figure out what Zhen Hong is really thinking! I don't like owing people favors."
"Alright, but coincidentally, the person you're looking for is also looking for you," Bai Qian said with a smile. "Once you step outside, you'll find them. Go on ahead."
Qi Ling was taken aback. The person Bai Qian was referring to was naturally Zhen Hong, but why was she looking for her?
Regardless, since Zhen Hong was also looking for her, that was perfect. So Qi Ling hurriedly went outside and met Zhen Hong waiting for her there.
At this Zhen Hong Zhen Hong wore an expression that revealed no emotion whatsoever, so Qi Ling had no way of knowing why Zhen Hong had come to find her.
"Oh, you were looking for me? I was just looking for you too. I have some questions for you," Qi Ling said. "Why don't we find a place to talk?"
Zhen Hong nodded and said, "That's why I came. Let's go."
After they went out, the two strolled along the street as if taking a leisurely walk. It was quite late, and there wasn't a soul in sight, making it a perfect time for conversation.
Zhen Hong spoke first, saying, "You must be wondering why I'm giving you this reward, right? Because it's something I have to do; it's my destiny."
"Huh? Destiny?" Qi Ling was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What does this mean? I've never met you before, so how can you talk about destiny?"
"So-called destiny doesn't arise after meeting someone. Two people can have a destiny that is inherently theirs even if they've never crossed paths," Zhen Hong said.
" Qi Ling, I don't fully understand what's between us either, but I do know that I must help you obtain the Demon God's Godhood."
"This kind of thinking has been very troubling me, because I am clearly aware that it is not my own thinking, but the thinking of my former self, or rather, the thinking of my self before my rebirth."
Qi Ling was so surprised that her mouth dropped open. According to Zhen Hong, she was also the reincarnation of someone, and someone who was closely related to the Blood Devil. If this was the case, then her reincarnation was very likely also for the Blood Devil Demon.
"Because of this, a question has always lingered in my mind," Zhen Hong continued, "Am I Zhen Hong, or someone else entirely?"
" Qi Ling, tell me, who am I really?"
Sensing Zhen Hong's deep confusion, Qi Ling couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy, because such fatalism had also troubled Qi Ling for a time.
Am I Qi Ling, the Dragon God, the Blood Devil, or someone else entirely? As the reincarnation of two beings, even without memories of them, can I truly be considered an independent individual?
After pondering for a while, Qi Ling came to an answer: I am who I am, I am not anyone else, and no one else is me!
Regardless of who she was in her previous life or what she experienced, now, Qi Ling is simply Qi Ling who grew up in the Douluo Continent!
And his existence didn't need any proof at all, because everyone he had ever interacted with, including Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Ye, were all proof of his existence in this world!
Sensing that Zhen Hong shared similar doubts, Qi Ling shared her own thoughts with Zhen Hong, hoping to offer some help.
"I see, that's definitely your style of answer," Zhen Hong said with a slight smile. "But Qi Ling, you have so many ties to others, which proves your existence in this world, but I don't."
"I was once confused, so I never had any deep interactions with anyone. I didn't know which world I belonged to, or even whether I belonged to myself."
"That's easy," Qi Ling said. "To put it simply, it's just about making friends. It's never too late to do something like that."
"So, Zhen Hong, you can also build more bonds with other people to prove your existence in this world! Why don't we start with me today?"
As Qi Ling spoke, she extended her hand to Zhen Hong Zhen Hong, who asked in confusion, "You? This..."
"That's right, it's me," Qi Ling said firmly. "Not some Blood Devil, not some reincarnation, I am who I am, Qi Ling! And now I can prove that you are Zhen Hong!"
Zhen Hong looked at Qi Ling's outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand to grasp it. After a moment of silence, she said, "Yes, I am who I am, I am Zhen Hong, right? It has always been this way, and it has never changed."
"Thank you, Qi Ling, thank you for giving me this insight," Zhen Hong said. "After this, I may travel to various worlds to search for my true self. We probably won't meet again until I find it."