I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

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Le Zhengling raised his eyebrows. He took the whole big box downstairs and compared it with the family tree. He found that the chain was what he was looking for, but the most important part was missing.

At that moment, he had a premonition that the missing entity was not in this room.

Sure enough, after searching the entire house without finding anything, he could only turn his attention to the clues he had been resisting.

I picked up the letters; the envelopes were yellowed and the stamps had been torn off, but thankfully the inner pages hadn't been taken.

He quickly glanced at the familiar Chinese characters and forced himself to read the letters. Just as he expected, although they didn't go into detail, there was a faint bitterness between the lines.

There should have been one letter a year, a total of six. Grandpa should have replied to some of them, because one of them was a letter that he never sent.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Mystery of the Past

Each letter contained very little information, and Yue Zhengling read them quickly.

The first letter basically said that everything was fine, although they were poor and the work was a bit heavy, but they had survived. At the end of the letter, the letter asked about their living conditions in Japan and subtly told them not to come back.

The second letter said that his aunt's family had been taken to another place and there had been no news of them. It also inquired about Le Zhengling's health. Because he didn't know the person who wrote the letter, he didn't know whether this aunt was from his grandfather's generation, his father's generation, or his own generation, but he figured it should be from his father's generation. Apart from that, there was no other useful information in the letter.

The third letter briefly mentioned that all the "things" had been destroyed after the house was raided, and hoped that the grandfather would record what he remembered to prevent the lineage from being broken. It also said that if he could not protect the child, he should give up.

The fourth letter mentions a key word, "Ji family," saying that the family has been given an ultimatum.

The fifth letter stated that neither family had any meaning anymore; the Ji family members had either fled or died, and the Ji family was grateful that their grandfather had taken them with him, at least preserving the family line. Furthermore, everything was in the past, there was no point in returning, and there was no need to send any more letters.

"The Ji family?" Le Zhengling stroked the last letter, the one his grandfather hadn't sent. He hadn't read it yet, but the so-called "Ji family" shrouded his heart like a fog.

Ji is not a simple surname in China, and the fact that the mother of Guanbuzi mentioned the hexagrams makes this surname even more intriguing.

"Could it be that my mother's surname is Ji?"

Finally, he opened the letter that his grandfather hadn't sent. It finally mentioned the pendant. His grandfather had taken the pendant apart and entrusted the most important part to his old friend. He also said that if his old friend appeared in front of his grandson after his death, it meant that his grandson would not escape the same fate either, so it would be better to change his surname to "Ji".

"Damn it, Grandpa, you have no conscience!" Upon seeing this, Le Zhengling was startled. "You didn't even mention changing your surname to me, and you just died like that? That's so irresponsible..."

"However, the name Ji Ling sounds like a girl's name, doesn't it? Besides, Ji Ling sounds like clever, quick-witted, and wagtail. Grandpa, you really are trying to trick me!"

Actually, he was extremely flustered, which is why he blurted out irresponsible things that interrupted his thoughts. He knew that the thing was in someone else's hands, and he didn't even know who that person was. In that case, there was no way he could get the thing!

"That's not right. Since Guan Buzi's mother told me to find that thing within three days, it proves that I can find it within these three days, because her future vision is absolute. In other words, Grandpa's so-called old friend will appear within these three days?"

Thinking of this possibility, he calmed down again. "So, does that mean I still have to open the door to customers? But it would be such a hassle if I couldn't use gas."

The problem was still not solved, and he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Just then, his stomach growled again.

"...Let's get something to eat first. And this too." With mixed feelings, he opened the jewelry box, put the necklace around his neck, and then put the Chinese knot into his pocket.

"If you are truly left to me by my father and mother, if souls truly exist in this world, please bless me so that I may safely escape this calamity..."

After saying that, he picked up the two books he hadn't had time to read yet, carefully walked downstairs along the wall, and went to the backyard to cook.

After having a simple meal of braised tofu with white rice, he opened the shop but then hung up a sign saying it was temporarily closed. He then sat quietly in the shop reading and waiting.

A day has passed, and after dinner, Le Zhengling sat blankly in his original spot. He had dismissed all the customers who came today by saying that there was a problem with the gas pipes, but there was no one special among them.

At 11 p.m., he finally closed the shop door and forced himself to calm down before walking to the guest room in the backyard.

"If these three days—no, only two days left—don't show up in the next two days, does that mean this is the last time of my life?"

Thinking about this, he felt empty inside and didn't know what to do.

I want to talk to someone, but I have no relatives or friends.

When he thought of the word "friend," the image of the Aozaki sisters flashed through his mind, but it quickly vanished. People who met by chance could not be called friends.

Then he thought of his guardian, whom he had never met, but he had never even seen what the guy looked like, so there was no way he could talk about him.

He had no relatives or friends to talk to, and he deliberately kept everyone he interacted with at a distance.

Although he did not show any signs of disliking humans or having an abnormal mental state, he was always unconsciously distancing himself from others, something he was actually aware of.

"It really is a failed life..." He reflected on his past and couldn't help but feel heartbroken about the time he had wasted.

"How am I going to spend the remaining two days?" Sitting on the bed, he began to plan again.

"How about... I record what I know about this world? If someone discovers these things after I die, their life will be very interesting, right?" Yue Zhengling suddenly thought of this idea.

"It would be even more interesting if Aoko and the others saw this." He got off the bed, sat at the desk, turned on the lamp, and began to write down the stories of the Type-Moon world that he knew.

"I wonder if the world I'm in is the one where Tsukihime and Fate separated, or the one where they're together?"

According to Kinoko Nasu's previous setting, the worlds of Tsukihime and the Holy Grail War have separated. After all, there are many things that can't be explained, and probably only the troublemaking old man, Jewel Mage, knows about all the worlds.

The Holy Grail world has a Heroic Spirit summoning system, while the Tsukihime world is about "how could something as powerful as a Heroic Spirit become a human's familiar."

The point of contention is probably whether Michael RoAvaldamjong, the founder of the Burial Agency, met the True Ancestor Princess, Arcueid Brunestud, eight hundred years ago.

If not, although Roya would still become a Dead Apostle, he wouldn't be as strong, and Arcueid wouldn't hunt him down. This would result in fewer Dead Apostles in the current world, and the so-called ranking of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors would come to nothing. Magicians could quietly conduct their research, and the few who became vampires were doing so to gain more time for research. The number of victims was kept to a very small number, and Alaya didn't interfere, thus entering the Holy Grail timeline.

If they encounter this, Roya tricks Arcueid into drinking his blood, and during the reincarnation process, he escapes pursuit and kills many people, eventually leading to a proliferation of Dead Apostles. Magicians and the Holy Church suffer heavy casualties in the process of clearing them out, leaving no time for research. Vampires are ultimately defined as enemies of humanity, and the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of Dead Apostles are ranked in the underworld. Alaya intervenes, and this leads to the Tsukihime world line.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Story Yue Zhengling Knew

He first noted down this biggest point of divergence, then drew a tree diagram on another piece of paper, writing "Moon World" and "Holy Grail World" on either side.

After thinking it over, he realized there were too many branches in the middle, so he wrote the ending of the world, Steel Earth and Moon Coral, at the very bottom of the paper.

The Steel Earth is the final fate of the Moon World. Gaia (Earth's consciousness) was ultimately defeated by Alaya (the consciousness of all humanity). Gaia died completely. Before dying, it was afraid of humans who still wanted to live even if their planet died. So, before dying, it asked the UO (the highest-ranking individual in the biological system of another planet) to let the child and mother die together.

Other Ultra Incarnations responded to the call and came to Earth to exterminate humanity, eventually reducing pure-blooded humans to a single survivor.

While Gaia triumphed over Alaya in the Moon Coral, Alaya did not lose either. Humanity entered the Space Age and migrated to the Moon. Advanced technology developed to the point that it could create artificial planetary brains and change the environment and obtain resources at will.

Humans, having evolved to their limits, gradually lost their passion for exploration, reproduction, and other pursuits, and are now on the verge of extinction, living like mayflies. A small minority of them wish to restore their former glory.

There are many other important things in these two endings, but he doesn't want to write them down because they are too far in the past. He wants to record the things that are more recent in time first.

On the branch of the Moon World, he drew another line, wrote the words "Witcher's Night," and noted the year 1991, a story belonging to the Aozaki sisters and a witch.

Then, on the other side, the Fourth Holy Grail War is written, set in 1988. This is a tragic story of people who want allies of justice to save humanity.

That night, the desk lamp in the room stayed on all night, and the small figure on the desk was writing furiously, recalling those stories and writing down these stories that no one else knew. The more he wrote, the clearer he became, and he knew what was going on with this feeling that was gradually emerging, and he also knew why he had this unprecedented excitement.

This is all because he has awakened!

It unearthed the mischievous spirit hidden in everyone's heart!

The next morning, he looked at the manuscript pages filled with dense handwriting, his eyes gleaming with dark circles, and felt a surge of joy.

"Was Father Mapo feeling the same way I do now?" Yue Zhengling put down his pen and muttered to himself, rubbing his wrist, which ached from writing too much.

After washing her face, Yue Zhengling looked at her bloodshot eyes in the mirror and couldn't help but laugh. "It's been a long time since I've seen her looking like she's cultivating immortality."

"However, my lifestyle has been irregular these past few days, which can easily cause health problems. I'll have some nourishing porridge today." With that, he went to the backyard to prepare it.

Back at the shop, I sat in the same spot as yesterday. I had already finished reading the two books I had read before: one recorded strange tales from ancient times, and the other was a scripture that I couldn't understand at all.

So he continued adding various things to the manuscript, and as he wrote, he finally succumbed to sleepiness and drifted off to sleep on the table.

He slept soundly until he was awakened by a torrential downpour.

Upon waking, Yue Zhengling wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth as a sudden downpour began to pelt the windowpane.

He blinked, clearing his head slightly, and then remembered that he hadn't taken in the laundry. He hurriedly stood up to run over, but after seeing the intensity of the rain, he sat back down, because it looked like the rain had been going on for a long time.

"I can just wash it again if necessary." He said with a pout, cupping his face in his hands. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Because the shop door was not completely closed, he was staring blankly at the rain outside through the half-open door.

The clock showed it was 7 p.m., meaning he had slept for at least ten hours.

He was sleeping longer and longer, and he didn't know if it was because too many things had happened in the past few days or if it was a sign of something. He pressed his heart, and it was still working fine.

The outside world was shrouded in mist, and even the familiar street scenes seemed completely unfamiliar. He remembered a game he had played on the PS3 called "Rainy Day".

In a dreamlike existence, there is a mysterious, transparent girl, a rainy night, a monster chasing the girl, and a boy searching for her.

It's a lighthearted, artsy story about a boy and a girl, made up of just these elements.

What impressed him most was the song "A Tale Only the Rain Knows" composed by Yugo Kanno, which played when he finished the game.

The lyrics are also very evocative. Recalling the game, and with it raining, he couldn't help but hum that familiar melody.

As he hummed, he slowly remembered the lyrics of the song. He started humming and started singing, and his melodious voice rang out in the Chinese restaurant. Passersby who were rushing home from get off work also temporarily forgot about the heavy rain and slowed down after hearing the song.

Been wandering around

Lost in this night

Like a stranger, I walk alone.

Through a cold and empty world

Where the rain whispers to my heart

And the moonlight shows me the way.

Scared to fade away

Seeking to find a light, therefore I pursue it.

That once was mine.

Where Raindrops Talk

Where the moonlight knows.

They guide me to your place.

I'll always be by your side.

You bring dawn to this night.

Take my hand now.

We'll find a path.

When the rain stops, we know...

There will be a rainbow.

Where raindrops fall

fall... [to fall down...]

Passersby passing by the store couldn't help but peek inside. They were amazed to see Yue Zheng singing. Some even stopped in front of the store, but after seeing the "Temporarily Closed" sign, they walked away disappointed and didn't leave until the song was over.

After all the passersby had left, Yue Zhengling saw a tall figure standing silently in front of the shop.

Chapter Twenty-Five: They Came to the Door

"So this is it." The melancholy philosopher stood in front of the shop, looking at Yue Zhengling with his lifeless eyes.

There were streetlights in front of the shop, but when he appeared, all the lights went out.

Do you big bosses come with your own lighting technicians?!

Recalling that when Nero appeared before, all the streetlights seemed to have gone out, Yue Zhengling couldn't help but complain in his heart.

"Welcome, sir, but I'm closed today." He sat calmly in place, casually folding the papers beside him.

There was no time to hide it, so he put a piece of white paper on top to cover it. Luckily, he wrote these things in Chinese, so even if someone saw it, they probably wouldn't be able to understand it completely in an instant.

"It doesn't matter, I didn't come here to eat anyway." Araya Sōren closed the shop door, separating the indoors from the outdoors.

"If you're not here to eat, please leave immediately. This is considered trespassing, and I will call the police." Seeing his actions, Yue Zhengling's pupils shrank in fright, but she still spoke firmly.

Rain dripped down his robes as the melancholy monk strode forward with heavy steps.

"You've gotten my shop wet." Knowing he couldn't stop it, he had given up, but he was still a little angry to see the other person walk in all wet.

Upon hearing Yue Zhengling's words, Huangye Zonglian stopped in his tracks, looked down at his body, and then pulled out his left hand from his coat and clenched it, causing all the water on his body and the ground to evaporate.

Seeing this, Yue Zhengling was not surprised. After all, Araya Sōren was a very powerful magician, and it was only natural that he could use such tricks.

“As expected, you’re not surprised.” Araya Sōren had been staring at Yue Zhengling the whole time. After seeing that he was completely unmoved by what he had done, he finally realized that Yue Zhengling knew about the “mystery.”

Upon hearing his mention, Yue Zhengling finally realized what he meant, but it was a trivial matter. He was now pondering how Huangye Zonglian knew he lived here.

Tracking yourself?

He was certain that Araya Sōren had left that day, and he hadn't left the house in the past two days, so this possibility was unlikely, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that the other party had placed a beacon or something on him.

Did he find out the address at the hospital?