Chapter 60: Return to the Familiar Path

The moment Su Xinxin stepped out of the subway station, she paused.

She had expected to be overcome with emotion, to be moved by the familiar sights, to stand rooted at the exit like a character in a television drama, unable to move for a long time.

Instead, she simply stood there, observing the scene before her, unsure how she was supposed to feel.

The small path ahead seemed to have widened slightly, yet the old locust trees lining it appeared somewhat thinner.

The earthy scent in the air remained unchanged, as did the distant barking of dogs. And then there was that indescribable, elusive aura of home—a warmth that seemed to cling to her, like a gentle pat on the shoulder.

A familiar sense of intimacy.

Lost in thought, Su Xinxin took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the air.

She wondered if this new body would adapt.

Hesitating for a moment, she decided against hailing a taxi.

Since she had already come this far, she might as well walk. After all, at this moment, she had no particular destination.

Su Xinxin strolled slowly along the path, her footsteps unconsciously slowing to a leisurely pace.

As she passed several small shops, she instinctively glanced inside, wondering if she might encounter an old acquaintance. However, she saw no one familiar.

Instead, there were bubble tea shops, fried chicken outlets, and a newly opened fruit supermarket. All seemed to cater to younger tastes.

Further ahead, some breakfast stalls remained, still in their original spots with the same rickety tables, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

She watched them from a distance for a while, deciding she wasn’t particularly hungry, and continued on her way.

Before she knew it, she found herself in front of a school. The iron gates were closed, and the guardhouse was empty. The sports field was also deserted, seemingly devoid of any people.

She stood at the entrance, gazing at the school buildings and their windows, and memories of the past that had lingered within those walls began to surface in her mind.

She stood there for a long time, simply watching the closed iron gate.

She had imagined children pouring out, but then, what time was it now? Besides, it was still summer vacation.

Turning, she continued walking forward.

It felt like a long journey before she finally reached that familiar path, just ahead.

One more turn, through a small patch of fields, and she should be able to see it.

She had lived there for most of her life, from marriage to retirement, from the birth of her daughters to their weddings. Every brick, every tile, she had envisioned countless times in her heart.

Yet now, standing at the crossroads, looking at the path that was more familiar than any other, she found herself unable to take that first step.

What then, if she walked over? How would she face everything now?

Xiao Ming remained silent within her phone, but Su Xinxin could almost hear it thinking: ‘Those memories no longer belong to you.’

She looked up at the old tree by the roadside, its bark wrinkled like an elder’s hand. The grass beneath it grew tall and untended, a tangled mess.

She stared at the tree for a long time. ‘In the past… sigh, it’s better not to think about it.’

Now, the tree stood perfectly intact, yet the person who once sat beneath it was gone.

She turned and began to walk back. After a few steps, she looked back at the path once more. How much effort would it take to walk forward again? How many memories would resurface?

‘Forget it.’

‘I won’t go.’

She took another path and somehow found herself at a cemetery.

The cemetery was on a small hillside, surrounded by pines and cypresses. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled softly. She stood at the entrance, gazing at the rows of tombstones, a sudden emptiness in her heart.

She had forgotten to buy flowers.

How could she forget even this? She always used to bring them every time she visited.

She remembered her husband loved flowers; he seemed to love all kinds.

When he was young, he preferred bright and vibrant blooms, but later, he grew fond of fresh and elegant ones, especially small, white, unassuming flowers.

She used to tell him she wasn’t good at choosing, always bringing back a jumbled mess. He would just laugh and say it was good enough to have any at all, so why be picky?

Now, standing here, her hands were empty, without even a single bouquet.

She walked slowly between the tombstones, looking at them row by row. Some had fresh flowers, some had wilted ones, and some had nothing at all.

She stopped before one tombstone.

It was her husband’s grave, and right beside it was her own, perfectly placed together.

She looked at her own tomb, her gaze somewhat vacant. After all this time, she truly felt the impermanence of life, marveling that someone could actually see their own grave.

She reached out, wanting to touch the stone. Her fingertips almost brushed it before she pulled her hand back.

‘Never mind, never mind.’

She looked at her husband’s grave again, and a wave of guilt washed over her. This time, she hadn’t even brought flowers.

The tears welling in her eyes unconsciously spilled over.

Just then, she suddenly felt something. It was very faint, very light, like a wisp of coolness, drifting from behind her.

Su Xinxin started, her belief in old superstitions resurfacing.

‘Could it be my husband… has he come for me?’

“It’s the Corroder! The Corroder! Why are you still believing in such ridiculous superstitions?”

Xiao Ming’s timely warning came through, proving its usefulness in crucial moments.

“I thought you were sulking, not saying a word since we arrived here.”

Su Xinxin replied.

“Is this the right time for me to talk, returning to your homeland? Oh, never mind, prepare for battle first!”

With the lightness of magic, Su Xinxin quickly rose and turned around.

She saw it: beneath the pines and cypresses not far away, a shadowy mass wreathed in black mist slowly writhed in the shade. This mass seemed larger than a mere speck of dust, likely a lower-grade R-class entity, a Wandering Soul.

Su Xinxin frowned. This thing had interrupted her moment of emotion and sorrow.

To appear in such a place, such a creature… she couldn’t quite articulate her feelings. Although it hadn’t actively attacked, its presence here felt inappropriate, wrong.

Especially a Wandering Soul, notorious for its pranks. What if it truly scared someone? What if it made others believe it was the spirit of a departed loved one? Such unintentional conjecture could lead to immense guilt and fear.

Perhaps, it was merely an illusion, a pathetic Corroder formed from the solidified emotions of those departed souls, clinging to memories of old days.

She shivered involuntarily but chose not to transform. Instead, she simply raised her hand slightly, intending to purify it.

Su Xinxin’s palm faced the shadowy mass, and yellowish-white particles of light seeped from her palm, forming a simple orb of light that shot towards it.

Scented Core Touch · Heal.

“Disperse, phantom of the old days.”

Su Xinxin murmured softly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it sounded familiar and… rather cool?

Perhaps it was an influence from ‘Su Xinxin’s’ memories.

However, she remembered this move, having learned it entirely from Jasmin, imitating her ‘Jasmin’s Fragrant Healing · Soothe.’ It had a healing effect on people but inflicted purifying damage on Corroders.

There were no particularly flashy light effects; it was a simple, direct purification skill with no wind-up.

But at such a distance, perhaps it was still…

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