Volume One, Chapter 19: When Falsehood Passes for Truth, Truth Becomes Falsehood

Inside the hospital room, Chu Xuan had already departed after finishing his questions, leaving Chu Xinghe alone to struggle with his thoughts. Chu Xuan's words continued to echo in his mind.

"While you were unconscious, I had a comprehensive examination performed on you. It is essentially certain that your amnesia is not related to any physical factors."

"Combined with what you saw in the Ghost Mirror, it is highly likely that you do not have amnesia at all. Rather, your subconscious simply refuses to face the past, and your brain has locked away those memories as a form of self-protection."

"Of course, this is merely my hypothesis. If you wish to find the true answer, you may have to start with that Ghost Mirror."

"I will have someone notify you if there is any news regarding other fragments of the Ghost Mirror. As for what to do, that is for you to decide."

Not amnesia, but a refusal to remember?

Chu Xinghe’s pupils lost their focus. What had happened during that battle on the moon two years later that could have driven his future self to such a state of despair?

No one could answer this question for him. Even someone as formidable as Old Sun had lacked the qualifications to participate in the lunar battle in the previous life.

The only thing known for certain at present was that everyone had been reborn, which meant everyone had died once.

In that final battle above the dome, he had been defeated.

"Xinghe, don't think too much about it. Professor Chu also said it was just his hypothesis." Wei Hongying felt a pang of heartache for him; he shouldn't have to carry so much on his own.

"Exactly. That guy named Chu just wants to trick you into collecting Ghost Mirror fragments for him so he can continue his research," Leng Huaping said, though her fists were clenched behind her back. She swore that in this life, she would never again let Chu Xinghe fight alone.

"I know, but the Ghost Mirror fragments must still be collected." Chu Xinghe picked up the vanity mirror made from a fragment of the Ghost Mirror. The reflection of [Wei Hongying] inside was no larger than a palm.

Whether to find the true answers or to restore [Wei Hongying] to her original state, gathering the fragments was imperative.

...

Elsewhere, in an office.

Chu Xuan dismissed his secretary and sat down at the computer himself to begin drafting the report on Chu Xinghe.

Li Jianjun stood behind him as always, looking as if he had something to say. Finally, unable to hold back, he asked, "Professor Chu, do you truly believe Chu Xinghe’s amnesia is due to an avoidance of the past?"

Chu Xuan did not turn his head, continuing to type his report. As he reached the conclusion regarding Chu Xinghe's amnesia, he paused and asked, "And what do you think?"

"I don't know." Li Jianjun was self-aware enough to know his place. In terms of combat, he could kill Chu Xuan with a single glance, but when it came to intelligence, a hundred of him wouldn't be worth one Chu Xuan. "But from what I know of Chu Xinghe, he is not the type to be defeated, let alone to run from reality."

Chu Xinghe was different from the "Chosen Ones" like them. He had started with nothing more than a severed ghost finger. To an ordinary person, that might have seemed powerful, but in their eyes, it was negligible.

Yet, this weak Ghost Controller had managed to reach heights that even they, the chosen ones, could not attain.

With someone of such iron will, Li Jianjun could not believe he would avoid reality. Even if Chu Xinghe had been utterly crushed in the final battle, now that he had a chance to start over, he would only be more driven than in his previous life, not hiding away his memories like a coward.

"Everything you say makes sense, but how can you be certain that the Chu Xinghe you know is the same Chu Xinghe we have now?" Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses.

"What... does that mean? Even if he has amnesia, Chu Xinghe is still Chu Xinghe," Li Jianjun said, confused.

"You have all overlooked one thing. You focus entirely on the Ghost Mirror’s replication ability, yet you have never considered what happens after a replica successfully kills its original," Chu Xuan remarked.

Li Jianjun felt a cold sweat break out on his back as an absurd idea bloomed in his mind. "Are you saying the real Chu Xinghe died long ago, and the one who walked out of the city center in the previous life was actually..."

"This afternoon, the high-ranking officials of Dayan City are meeting with Chu Xinghe. They hope to use his reputation to stabilize public sentiment and prevent unnecessary panic and capital flight," Chu Xuan said, cutting off Li Jianjun with a seemingly unrelated statement.

Li Jianjun understood immediately and kept his mouth shut. Who exactly Chu Xinghe was did not matter; what mattered was that Dayan City needed a savior named Chu Xinghe.

...

At three in the afternoon, the quiet hospital room received a new batch of visitors.

"This is the Secretary of the Dayan Municipal Committee, Secretary Guo Xingyan."

"This is the Mayor of Dayan City, Mayor Li Hongyi."

"This is the Commander of the Dayan Garrison District, Lieutenant General Liao Jianye."

Wei Hongying introduced the prominent figures to Chu Xinghe one by one. Chu Xinghe greeted them with a sense of restraint; after all, just a few days ago, he was an ordinary college student who rarely even saw his own university president, and now the entire leadership of Dayan City had come to visit him.

"Kid, have you really lost your memory?" Old General Liao patted Chu Xinghe on the shoulder, sighing.

Chu Xinghe nodded and looked toward Wei Hongying, who whispered in his ear, "You once saved Old Liao’s granddaughter."

Chu Xinghe understood. In that case, this Old Liao was on his side.

"Ahem." Mayor Li coughed to signal that they weren't here to reminisce. "The situation is this: although we have suppressed the supernatural occurrences in Dayan City as quickly as possible, rumors on the internet are still causing panic, which has begun to severely affect the city’s daily operations."

"If this continues, the country will not be a country, and homes will not be homes..." Mayor Li prepared to appeal to his emotions and reason, but was interrupted by Old General Liao.

"Why waste time with all that useless talk?" The old general turned to Chu Xinghe. "Kid, here is the bottom line: you will continue to serve as the Captain of the Supernatural Control Bureau. No one else is fit for this position."

"But I have amnesia..." Chu Xinghe tried to decline, but Leng Huaping and Wei Hongying grabbed him, signaling frantically for him to accept the position.

"It’s fine, no one else knows you have amnesia. It’s settled," Old General Liao said, leaving no room for refusal.

"Then please, Captain Chu, just find some time to record an inauguration speech. It’s just a formality; we have people to arrange the rest," Mayor Li added, eager to finalize the matter.

They had no choice. Several major conglomerates from other cities were looking to enter Dayan, and if they found out Chu Xinghe had lost his memory, not only would these opportunities vanish, but local capital might flee as well.

Once the business was concluded, Secretary Guo and Mayor Li departed, as they had a mountain of matters to handle. Old General Liao, however, stayed behind under the guise of catching up.

"Kid, I’ve heard from the girl Wei about the matter with Xiao Zhengxiong. I’ve joined forces with a few old friends to pressure headquarters, but I suggest you not get your hopes up."

"The country is currently in dire need of personnel; it’s unrealistic to expect headquarters to impose any substantial punishment on a Deputy Minister of the Supervision Department like Xiao Zhengxiong, especially with the Shi family using all their resources to protect him."

"But don't worry too much. You are now the Captain of Dayan City; the Shi family wouldn't dare move against you either. The logic is the same."

Hearing this, Chu Xinghe finally understood why Wei Hongying and the others had pushed him to take the captain's position—it was to ensure the Shi family would have reservations.

"But I am so weak. Is it really okay for me to hold such an important position?" Chu Xinghe still felt uneasy. After witnessing the power of Old Sun and the others, he deeply understood his own insignificance.

"You think you’re weak?" Old General Liao asked, puzzled. In the entire city of Dayan, the number of Ghost Controllers who had mastered a B-grade supernatural entity could be counted on one hand.

Chu Xinghe didn't speak, but silently glanced at Leng Huaping. Wasn't there someone right in front of him who could easily crush him?

"Bah, why compare yourself to 'Chosen Ones' like the girl Leng? There aren't even ten such special Ghost Controllers in the entire country," the old general remarked, speechless.

Great. Less than ten in the country, and he had met three in a single night.

"What is a 'Chosen One'?" Chu Xinghe noted the new term.

"Ask them about that later. Old man, I have something urgent to ask of you." Old General Liao pulled a pen and a beautifully bound book of fairy tales from his coat and handed them to Chu Xinghe. "Quick, sign your name. My granddaughter thinks about you every day."

Chu Xinghe: "..."

This was the "urgent matter" he was talking about?

Before leaving, Old General Liao didn't take the signature for free; he gave him a set of keys. He explained it was a private residence previously owned by a corrupt official who had been ousted, and it would now serve as his temporary base. A proper Captain of Dayan City couldn't be expected to live in a student dormitory.