53: Chapter 53 Protective Mechanisms

"Serve as a nail for the Righteous Alliance, driven into their hearts?"

Chen Fan felt completely numb.

Again? Are you playing with me?

He went from being a Prince's Mansion guard to a White Lotus Sect assassin, and now he had to go from a White Lotus Sect assassin to a spy for the Righteous Alliance?

Was he just jumping back and forth, playing some sort of Infernal Affairs game?

He felt like a brick, moved wherever it was needed.

The key was that the mortality rate for this job was just too high.

Inside the main hall, everyone's gaze was focused on him—some with scrutiny, some with anticipation, and some with undisguised commands.

Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing's words didn't sound like a discussion; they sounded more like a notification.

Chen Fan's heart sank to the bottom.

Enduring the burning pain in his back, he struggled to bow his body and spoke in a trembling tone.

"Alliance Leader Song... Disciple... Disciple fears I am not up to this task."

"Oh?" Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing's refined face betrayed no emotion; he simply uttered that single word calmly.

Yet, that one word caused the temperature in the main hall to drop significantly.

Chen Fan felt an invisible pressure descend, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Disciple... Disciple has just escaped the clutches of the devil. That White Lotus Sect enchantress, Su Xin, is devious and excels at bewitching people's hearts. Disciple fears... fears that if I return, I will be deceived by her again, failing the trust of the Alliance Leader and the Sect!"

He bowed his head even lower, his tone sounding incredibly sincere.

These words sounded like an excuse, but in reality, he was kicking the ball back to them.

It's not that I don't want to, but my ability is lacking, and I'm afraid I'll mess things up.

If you insist on me going, then don't blame me if something goes wrong.

Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing's brows furrowed imperceptibly.

Clearly, he was not satisfied with this answer.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was about to solidify, a loud, resonant voice broke the deadlock.

"Alliance Leader Song!"

Vice Sect Leader Liu Cang stepped forward abruptly, blocking Chen Fan.

He cupped his hands toward Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing and said in a deep voice, "My unworthy Disciple has just returned from the gates of hell. Not only is he severely injured, but his spirit is also greatly shaken. To force him back into the tiger's den now is truly... asking too much!"

Master Liu Cang's personality was famous in the Longxing Sect for being protective of his own.

Although Chen Jinzhong had committed a grave mistake, since he had turned back, he was still Master Liu Cang's Disciple.

Forcing his Disciple to go to his death in front of him was something he would never accept.

"Vice Sect Leader Liu," an old man with a goat beard next to Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing stroked his beard and said slowly, "Now that the demonic Sect's evildoers are plotting something, we of the Righteous Path should naturally prioritize the big picture. If Nephew Chen can redeem himself by going deep behind enemy lines, it would be a great service to our efforts to exterminate the demonic Sect."

"Bullshit!" Master Liu Cang's eyes widened. "What big picture? Is my Disciple's life not a life? If you want to go, you go; don't use my Disciple as a throwaway piece!"

His crude words caused the goat-bearded old man to flush red, but he couldn't easily lash out.

The atmosphere in the hall became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Hidden behind Master Liu Cang, Chen Fan secretly gave this convenient Master a thumbs up.

Well done!

On the main seat, Alliance Leader Song Yuanxing watched this scene and finally slowly raised his hand.

"Enough."

As soon as he spoke, all arguments ceased.

"Vice Sect Leader Liu's concern for his Disciple is understandable. The Righteous Alliance has never been one to force others against their will."

His gaze passed over Master Liu Cang and landed on Chen Fan.

"Since you are unwilling, this matter is dropped. You may go down and recover from your injuries."

Upon hearing this, the heavy stone hanging in Chen Fan's heart finally dropped.

He quickly bowed. "Thank you, Alliance Leader Song!"

"Take him away." Master Liu Cang waved his hand at the Disciples behind him.

Two Longxing Sect Disciples immediately stepped forward, supported Chen Fan, and exited the council hall.

...

In a clean and tidy guest room.

Chen Fan was lying on the bed, and a Disciple was carefully applying medicine to the wounds on his back.

The cool ointment touching the lacerated wounds brought a sharp pain, but it also eased the burning sensation.

The door creaked open, and Master Liu Cang walked in with a dark face.

The Disciple applying the medicine saw him and quickly saluted, "Vice Sect Leader."

"You may leave first." Master Liu Cang waved his hand.

"Yes."

The Disciple retreated and closed the door.

In the room, only the Master and Disciple remained.

Chen Fan struggled to get up to salute, but was pressed down by Master Liu Cang.

"Stay lying down!"

Master Liu Cang's voice held not a hint of warmth.

Chen Fan's heart tightened, and he dared not move again.

He had just protected him in the main hall, so was he now going to settle accounts after the fact?

He had already prepared himself to be scolded severely.

However, Master Liu Cang's next words left him completely stunned.

"You bastard!"

Master Liu Cang slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to vibrate with a buzzing sound.

"I ask you, why did you get involved with that White Lotus Sect enchantress in the first place?!"

"Have you forgotten that you are a married man?!"

"For the sake of some enchantress who appeared out of nowhere, you would even abandon your own wife?!"

Chen Fan lay on the bed, his head buzzing.

Wife? What wife?

He instinctively wanted to refute, but the words were swallowed back hard.

A strange, deeply buried memory, like a bursting flood, suddenly broke through the floodgates.

Countless images flashed rapidly through Chen Fan's mind.

This was a small courtyard with a grapevine planted in it.

A woman wearing a simple cloth dress with gentle eyes was sitting under a lamp, mending his clothes.

Her name was Lin Wan.

She was Chen Jinzhong's lawfully wedded wife.

They had been married for less than two years.

The reason Chen Jinzhong left home and joined the White Lotus Sect was partly because he had offended powerful people, been abandoned by the Sect, and felt disheartened.

On the other hand, he was indeed bewitched by Su Xin's beauty and methods, and developed inappropriate thoughts.

These memories had always existed.

They were just protectively sealed away by the System.

Every time he reincarnated, he would inherit all the memories of his previous self, but this was to protect the host's primary consciousness from being overwhelmed and polluted by the massive amount of memories.

All inherited memories would not be recalled without reason unless he actively read or recalled them.

This was a protective mechanism; otherwise, as the number of his reincarnations increased, his consciousness would be overwhelmed by the massive amount of memories.

Now that Master Liu Cang brought it up, he immediately read the memories and quickly recalled everything.

At this moment, Chen Fan truly realized.

He, Chen Jinzhong, was a married man.

The room was deathly silent.

Master Liu Cang looked at his Disciple lying on the bed without a word, thinking he was ashamed, and most of the anger in his heart dissipated.

He sighed and walked to the bedside to sit down.

"Your parents passed away early, and it was I who raised you. You finally managed to start a family and married such a good wife as Lin Wan; I thought you would finally be able to settle down."

"Who knew you would... Sigh!"

Master Liu Cang shook his head, his face full of disappointment that his protégé hadn't lived up to expectations.

Chen Fan remained silent.

He didn't know what to say.

Say he wasn't Chen Jinzhong?

Say that the man who abandoned his wife and home was already dead?

No one would believe him.

He could only take the blame.

After a long time, he squeezed a few words from his throat. "Master... Disciple was wrong."

Hearing this admission of fault, Master Liu Cang's expression finally softened.

He patted Chen Fan's shoulder, lightly, for fear of touching his wounds.

"It is a great virtue to correct one's mistakes."

"Men, who hasn't made mistakes at some point? As long as you can genuinely repent, break clean with that enchantress, and live a good life with Lin Wan in the future, you will still be my, Liu Cang's, good Disciple."

Master Liu Cang stood up and walked to the door.

"Rest easy and recover from your injuries. We elders will handle the matter of exterminating the White Lotus Sect."

"After this matter is over," Master Liu Cang paused and looked back at him, "you will go home, bring your wife back, and properly apologize to her."

After saying this, he opened the door and walked out.

With a creak, the door was closed again.

In the room, only Chen Fan remained.

He lay on the bed, motionless, his mind filled with the gentle figure mending clothes under the lamp.

Wife...

Chen Fan sighed slightly. It seemed that in future reincarnations, he would have to diligently read the memories to avoid missing anything.