Chapter 737: Erased Memories

The sound of the Pipa continued.

Zhuo Feifan held onto the railing and quietly listened to the Pipa music from within the room.

There were many Pipa players in the world, and countless pieces for the Pipa. There were passionate and vigorous pieces, and melancholic and sorrowful pieces.

But never had he heard such a Pipa melody.

It was sorrowful, yet not weak. It was gentle, yet carried a hidden power. Each note was like a silent lament, conveying unspeakable grief.

Even more peculiar was the strange rhythm of the Pipa music.

It was irregular, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, like a chaotic stream of water or a jumbled ball of thread. If it were any other music, this kind of rhythm would be unbearable, making one want to stop listening.

But the odd thing was, even with this irregular rhythm, it still felt like a perfect whole, seamlessly integrated.

As Zhuo Feifan listened, he felt a peculiar and complex sensation welling up in his heart, causing an indescribable pain.

He clutched his chest. It felt like his heart was about to crack.

This Pipa music was truly strange. It seemed to tug at one's emotions, pulling out the most profound and painful memories, causing unbearable suffering.

He thought of his experiences in the Secret Realm of the East Sea.

The betrayal of his junior sister, the framing and pursuit by the cultivators of the nine Immortal Sects and ten Demon Sects, the countless near-death situations, the tragic deaths of his family and friends...

Waves of pain surged through his body. His veins bulged, and his face twisted in agony.

He felt like his mind was being torn apart.

He couldn't take it anymore!

He had to stop listening!

He covered his ears with both hands, his body trembling uncontrollably. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the sound of the Pipa.

But it was no use.

The sound of the Pipa seemed to penetrate through his ears, directly entering his mind, and continuing to play in his consciousness.

The sound grew louder and louder, faster and faster, more and more chaotic.

Zhuo Feifan's body swayed. He felt like he was about to fall.

He gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and fled in a panic.

He ran out of the courtyard, ran out of the alley, and ran out of Qingzhou City. He ran all the way to the desolate outskirts, only stopping when he could no longer hear the Pipa.

He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his face pale as a sheet.

The Pipa music was gone.

But the pain in his heart still lingered.

He clutched his chest, his brows furrowed. He felt like he had just experienced a nightmare.

What was that Pipa music?

And who was playing it?

He couldn't help but recall the words of the mysterious old woman: "The world is impermanent, only sorrow is eternal."

Could it be that the Pipa music was meant to evoke sorrow?

But why?

What was the purpose of this Pipa music?

Was it a test?

Or something else?

He lay on the ground, his mind in turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.

A long time passed before he finally regained some strength. He slowly stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, and looked back at the direction of Qingzhou City.

His eyes flickered.

He still had to go back.

Even if that Pipa music was strange and terrifying, he couldn't back down.

He had to find the person playing the Pipa and figure out what was going on.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and turned around, heading back towards Qingzhou City.

...

Within the small courtyard.

Ning Wuxie stopped playing the Pipa.

He put down the Pipa, his expression calm. He looked at the slightly trembling Pipa strings, his eyes filled with a hint of melancholy.

He had used the Heart Shattering Melody.

This melody could evoke the deepest and most painful memories in a person's heart, causing them to feel immense sorrow and pain.

Most people would be unable to bear this kind of pain and would collapse.

Some people might even go insane.

But if they could withstand it, their emotional state would be tempered, and their minds would become more resilient.

This was a cruel method of cultivation, but it was also very effective.

He looked towards the door of the room, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He wondered if that person could withstand it.

...

Outside the courtyard.

Zhuo Feifan stood at the entrance of the alley, hesitating.

He had been away for an hour, and his emotional state had calmed down a lot. But the memory of the Pipa music was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

He was afraid to go back.

He was afraid to hear that Pipa music again.

But he also knew that he had to go back.

He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and walked into the alley.

He walked slowly, cautiously, with a vigilant expression.

He reached the entrance of the courtyard and stood there for a moment, listening.

There was no sound of the Pipa.

He breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet, just like before. The old locust tree stood tall and straight, its leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The small pond was still, reflecting the blue sky.

Everything was peaceful and serene.

He walked towards the room where the Pipa music had come from, his heart filled with apprehension.

He reached the door and stood there for a moment, hesitating.

Should he knock?

Or should he just go in?

He decided to knock.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock."

There was no response.

He knocked again.

Still no response.

He frowned.

Could the person inside have left?

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pushed the door open.

The room was empty.

There was no one inside.

He walked into the room and looked around.

The room was simply furnished, with a table, a chair, and a bed. On the table was a Pipa.

He walked over to the table and looked at the Pipa.

The Pipa was exquisite, made of a dark wood, its strings gleaming under the sunlight.

He reached out and gently touched the strings.

The strings were cold to the touch.

He looked at the Pipa, lost in thought.

Who was playing this Pipa?

And where did they go?

He felt a sense of disappointment. He had come back to find answers, but it seemed like he had only found more questions.

He stood there for a while, then turned around and walked out of the room.

He walked out of the courtyard, out of the alley, and onto the street.

He wandered aimlessly through the streets of Qingzhou City, his mind in a daze.

He didn't know what to do.

He had come to Qingzhou City for the Secret Realm of the East Sea. But now, he felt like the Secret Realm of the East Sea was no longer important.

He was more concerned about the Pipa music and the person who played it.

He felt like there was a secret hidden behind the Pipa music, a secret that was related to him.

He had to figure out this secret.

He had to find the person who played the Pipa.

But where could he find them?

Qingzhou City was so big, and he didn't know anything about the person who played the Pipa.

He felt a sense of helplessness.

Just as he was feeling lost and confused, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

His vision blurred, and his body swayed.

He felt like his mind was being torn apart again, just like when he was listening to the Pipa music.

But this time, the pain was even more intense.

He clutched his head, his face twisted in agony.

He felt like he was losing something, something very important.

Memories.

His memories were being erased.

He saw flashes of light and shadow in his mind, fragmented images that he couldn't grasp.

He saw the faces of his family and friends, but he couldn't remember their names.

He saw scenes from his past, but he couldn't remember what happened.

His memories were being erased, piece by piece.

He screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground.

He felt like his brain was being ripped apart.

He wanted to remember, he wanted to hold onto those memories, but he couldn't.

They were slipping away, like sand through his fingers.

He watched helplessly as his past disappeared, leaving behind a blank slate.

He felt a sense of terror.

If his memories were gone, then who was he?

He was losing himself.

He was losing his identity.

He was becoming an empty shell.

The pain continued, intensifying with each passing moment.

He felt like he was going to die.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he heard a voice.

"Hold on!"

The voice was faint, but it was filled with power.

He felt a surge of energy enter his body, pushing back against the force that was erasing his memories.

The pain lessened, and the flashes of light and shadow in his mind subsided.

He lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body trembling.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked up.

He saw a figure standing above him, a person with a calm expression and deep eyes.

It was the person who had spoken to him earlier, the person who had given him the strange advice.

The mysterious old woman.

The old woman looked at him, her eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Zhuo Feifan struggled to sit up, his body weak and trembling.

"You... you saved me?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The old woman nodded.

"Your memories were being erased," she said. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have become a blank slate."

Zhuo Feifan's heart trembled.

He knew that she was right.

He had been so close to losing his memories, to losing himself.

He looked at the old woman, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "You saved me."

The old woman smiled faintly.

"You're welcome," she said. "But you should know that this is only a temporary solution. The force that was erasing your memories is still there. It will return."

Zhuo Feifan's heart sank.

He had only been saved temporarily.

The threat was still there.

He looked at the old woman, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Why were my memories being erased?" he asked. "And what is that force?"

The old woman's expression became serious.

"That force is the power of the Secret Realm of the East Sea," she said. "It is trying to erase the memories of everyone who enters it."

Zhuo Feifan was shocked.

The Secret Realm of the East Sea could erase memories?

He had never heard of such a thing.

"But why?" he asked. "Why would the Secret Realm of the East Sea do that?"

The old woman sighed.

"That is a long story," she said. "A story that is related to the history of the Secret Realm of the East Sea and the people who created it."

She paused for a moment, then continued.

"The Secret Realm of the East Sea is not a natural formation," she said. "It was created by a powerful being from ancient times. This being wanted to create a world of peace and harmony, a world where there was no suffering or pain."

"But they failed."

"The world they created was flawed. It was filled with sorrow and pain, just like the outside world."

"The being was disappointed and angry. They decided to erase the memories of everyone in the Secret Realm of the East Sea, hoping to start anew."

"But this was a cruel and misguided act. Memories are a part of who we are. Without memories, we are nothing."

"The people of the Secret Realm of the East Sea resisted. They fought against the being, and in the end, they sealed the being away."

"But the power of the being still lingers in the Secret Realm of the East Sea. It is this power that is trying to erase the memories of everyone who enters."

Zhuo Feifan listened to the old woman's story, his mind reeling.

He had never imagined that the Secret Realm of the East Sea had such a dark history.

It was not a place of opportunity, but a prison, a place of suffering.

And he was trapped in it.

He looked at the old woman, his eyes filled with despair.

"So, there's no way to stop it?" he asked. "Is there no way to protect my memories?"

The old woman looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion.

"There is a way," she said. "But it is very difficult. You need to strengthen your mind, make it more resilient. You need to temper your emotional state, so that you can withstand the power of the Secret Realm of the East Sea."

Zhuo Feifan's eyes lit up.

"How can I do that?" he asked eagerly.

The old woman smiled faintly.

"You have already taken the first step," she said. "The Pipa music you heard earlier was a test. It was meant to evoke your deepest and most painful memories, to temper your emotional state."

Zhuo Feifan was stunned.

The Pipa music was a test?

And the person who played it was helping him?

He suddenly understood.

The mysterious old woman was not just a fortune teller.

She was a guide, a mentor.

She was helping him.

He looked at the old woman, his eyes filled with gratitude and respect.

"Thank you," he said again, his voice filled with emotion. "Thank you for helping me."

The old woman smiled.

"You're welcome," she said. "But this is just the beginning. There are many challenges ahead. You need to be prepared."

Zhuo Feifan nodded solemnly.

He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he was not afraid.

He had a goal, and he had a guide.

He would overcome the challenges and protect his memories.

He would not let the Secret Realm of the East Sea erase who he was.

He would fight back.

He would survive.

And he would find the truth.