After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 527 A Familiar Taste

In the instant he regained consciousness, the scene before him rapidly faded until it turned into complete darkness.

Shen Xu suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the worried little girl in front of him, but his heart was completely unmoved. He knew that this was the goddess's influence on him.

"Brother Xu, are you alright? A little water will do you good!"

Shen Xu looked at Xiao Feng indifferently, took the water bottle Xiao Feng handed him, and gulped it down.

The water in the kettle seemed to have a miraculous effect, immediately dispelling all the discomfort in his mind and gradually bringing him back to his senses.

At first, he was able to maintain an observer's perspective in the goddess's memories, but the more he went on, the more immersed he became, and he couldn't even distinguish whether it was his own feelings or the goddess's memories.

This wasn't the first time he'd experienced something like this; when he first obtained the Black Seed, he had become the Black Seed and lived its entire life.

That time was different from this time. That time, he only had a vague memory, but he truly experienced endless years. This time, although he felt the same way, he only experienced fragments of memories.

In his experience, the goddess was not a good goddess; everything she did was just for her own amusement.

Moreover, she is probably not an ordinary spirit. She has inherited memories and is extremely wary of humans. Since the arrival of the ancestors of Hundred Flowers City, she has never allowed them to set foot on Goddess Peak.

As for the last person who looks a lot like Song Han...

That flower must be a love flower. Could it be that the Song family's ancestor and the goddess were entangled...?

If that's the case, then the engagement between Song Han and Ji Ling Shuang becomes quite interesting.

Thinking of this, Shen Xu couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If he could have continued watching, he might have discovered the truth back then.

Looking up at the goddess whose expression remained sorrowful, Shen Xu frowned. Judging from the goddess's attitude towards the ancestors of Hundred Flowers City, Hundred Flowers City shouldn't have such a strong faith in the goddess.

However, he has always viewed the story from the goddess's perspective, so his understanding of history may be somewhat biased.

Although the goddess believed she didn't care much about them, she was indeed the "goddess" who enabled the ancestors of Hundred Flowers City to live at the foot of Goddess Peak at that time.

Moreover, judging from the goddess's attitude towards the old temple priest, it seems that her attitude towards the human race has changed later.

But after going around in circles, none of the questions he cared about most remained answered.

Thinking of this, Shen Xu sighed softly.

"Brother Xu, are you alright?" Xiao Feng's worried voice rang in his ears again.

How do you know I'll be fine after drinking water?

Shen Xu looked at the crystal-clear spring water in the kettle. The spring water here was indeed hundreds of times better than the water outside.

He felt that even if Li Linghui stood naked in front of him now, he probably wouldn't feel anything at all.

"The water of sages!" Shen Xu thought to himself, and decided he should take as much as he could before he left.

"I don't know... but I just know!" Xiao Feng said incoherently.

"Uh... what do you mean by knowing or not knowing?" Shen Xu was a little confused.

“I knew it! I want to hear a story, the one you promised to tell me.”

"Approximately how much time passed between you leaving and returning?"

"I run very fast," the little girl said proudly.

Upon hearing Xiao Feng's explanation, Shen Xu realized that he had not been immersed in the goddess's memories for too long.

It's not far from here to the Spirit Spring; in fact, the entire temple area isn't very large.

Yet, in such a short time, it felt like he had lived for thousands of years.

He even suspected that if Xiao Feng hadn't interrupted him, he might have become more and more deeply immersed in the goddess's memories and eventually become her puppet.

After all, he had lost himself at that time and completely regarded himself as a goddess.

Thinking of this, Shen Xu gave Xiao Feng a slightly apologetic smile, "I should thank you, Xiao Feng. There aren't many stories left, so I'll tell you them all at once!"

After a while, Xiao Feng stared intently at him and asked, somewhat unsatisfied, "Brother Xu, is that all?"

"Of course it's not over yet. After all, Aoki is still very young, and her story will only get more interesting. It's just that I'm no longer by her side, so I naturally can't know what happens next in her life."

Why did Brother Xu leave Aoki?

“She no longer needs my help, and my continued presence by her side will only cause her trouble.”

"Does Brother Xu like Aoki?"

Upon hearing this question, Shen Xu was taken aback, then smiled and asked, "At your age, do you even know what 'liking' means?"

"Sister Chiling once told me that liking someone means blindly being good to them and being willing to give up everything for them."

"Brother Xu, you seem to treat Lord Aoki that way!"

Shen Xu gently shook his head. "Liking is a very broad concept. What Chi Ling said makes some sense, but it's too one-sided. True liking is something that can't be described in words."

I only treat Aoki like a younger sister, just like I treat you, Xiaofeng. And how do you know that I'm nice to her without any ulterior motives?

"I don't understand!" Xiao Feng's big eyes were full of curiosity.

“I told you her story hoping you could become independent and self-reliant like her, but your focus seems a bit strange.”

It's too early for you to understand what liking someone means right now. Maybe when you grow up and mature, you'll naturally understand what liking someone is.

“You always say I’ll understand when I grow up, but I feel like growing up is so hard! I’m trying so hard to grow up, I eat a lot every day, but you always say I’m not big enough.”

Shen Xu patted Xiao Feng's hair, "Growing up is a never-ending process. Even if you are an adult in your eyes, you may just be a child in other people's eyes."

But if you grow a little bit every day, maybe one day they'll need to look up to you!

"I don't want people to look up to me. I just want to be with the aunties in the temple, but they always try to kick me out. The goddess doesn't approve of me either. I feel so useless."

Actually, I know that after tomorrow, I might never see them again.

Xiao Feng lowered her eyes as she said this.

Sensing Xiaofeng's low spirits, Shen Xu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He knew that what Xiaofeng said could very well become a reality, in another sense.

"Since you're leaving, Xiao Feng, how about you come with me from the temple today?"

"No!" the little girl answered with unusual firmness.

"What's the difference between leaving today and leaving tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is the Hundred Flowers Festival. My aunts, whom I rarely see, will all be there. I want to say goodbye to them."

"Since you're unwilling, I won't force you. Perhaps we'll meet again tomorrow. Would you be willing to come with me then?"

What are the benefits of going with you?

"Um... I don't think so, but I'll do my best to keep you safe, and you might even get to see Aoki!"

Xiao Feng immediately smiled with delight, "Then I want to go with you!"

"You trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'll sell you out?"

"Yes! I believe you." Xiao Feng nodded vigorously.

"So do you think I'm a good person?" Shen Xu asked with a smile.

"It doesn't seem like it!" Xiao Feng replied hesitantly.

"Really? Then why should you believe me?" Shen Xu smiled.

"Because Brother Xu is very kind, somewhat like... a mother," Xiao Feng said somewhat shyly.

"Huh?" Shen Xu looked completely bewildered.

"Why do I have this feeling?" Shen Xu asked, puzzled.

"Hmm..." Xiao Feng took out a yellowed handkerchief from his pocket, with a small sky-blue flower embroidered on it.

“This is something my mother left me. Brother Xu smells like my mother.”

The moment Shen Xu saw the handkerchief, his gaze sharpened.