When Lin Du woke up, it was already light.
Sunlight streamed through the cracked window frame, cutting golden rectangles across the floor. He lay on his wooden plank bed, staring at the beam overhead, dazed for a long moment.
Last night felt like a dream—jumping off the cliff, the heart seed, those three faces, his past life's confession, his mother's return.
But he knew it wasn't.
Because the stone was still clutched in his right hand. That character "Mother" was still there, warm to the touch, as if something alive breathed within it.
"Host." The trash can poked its head out of his robe, its two little eyes swollen like walnuts. "You're finally awake..."
Lin Mu looked at its pitiful state and blinked. "You cried?"
"I did not cry!" The trash can's lid snapped shut, a muffled voice coming from inside. "I just... got something in my eyes."
"Do you have eyes?"
"..."
The trash can fell silent.
Lin Mu couldn't help but laugh. But as his laughter faded, so did his smile.
He sat up and looked down at the stone in his hand.
Inside the stone, that blurry figure was still there. Faint, almost too faint to make out, but he knew who it was.
"Mom." He called out softly.
The stone brightened.
Just a little, very warm, as if responding.
Lin Mu's eyes suddenly stung.
He had lived twenty-eight years—no, counting his past life, he had lived over three thousand years—but he had never once uttered that word.
In his past life, he had no mother. In this life, the original owner had a mother, but those memories belonged to the original owner, not to him.
But now it was different.
Inside this stone, there really was a soul waiting for him.
"Host." The trash can's voice came again, back to normal now. "Um... Lin Zifan is still waiting outside."
Lin Mu blinked. "Outside?"
"Yeah." The trash can said. "He came before dawn. Just stood at the door, didn't knock."
Lin Mu was silent for two seconds, then stood up, walked over, and pulled open the door.
Lin Zifan stood right there.
Morning sunlight streamed from behind him, stretching his shadow long. When he heard the door, he turned around, his face etched with a sleepless night, dark circles under his eyes.
But the three hearts above his head were still there.
The red one—still steady.
The grayish-blue one—more cracks than yesterday.
The golden one—still bright, still warm, but Lin Mu looked closer and noticed it was beating slower than before.
Very slow, almost imperceptible.
But Lin Mu noticed.
"You..." Lin Zifan opened his mouth, his gaze falling on the stone in Lin Mu's hand. "Is Mom..."
"She's in here." Lin Mu said. "Do you want to see?"
Lin Zifan didn't answer.
He just reached out, then pulled back, then reached out again, like a child who didn't know what to do.
Lin Mu handed him the stone.
Lin Zifan took it, looking down at that character "Mother," at that blurry figure.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but his throat seemed blocked. For a long moment, no sound came out.
Finally, his voice hoarse, he managed:
"Mom."
The stone brightened.
Just once, as if responding.
Lin Zifan's tears fell instantly.
He quickly wiped them away, but they kept coming, faster than he could wipe. Finally, he gave up and just stood there, tears streaming down his face.
Lin Mu stood beside him, saying nothing.
He just watched the golden heart above Lin Zifan's head.
In that moment, it beat just a little faster.
Just a little.
But Lin Mu saw it.
---
They sat down in the room.
Lin Zifan placed the stone on the table, his eyes fixed on it, unable to look away.
"Can she... speak?" he asked.
Lin Mu shook his head. "Just a trace of consciousness. She can sense, she can respond, but she can't speak."
Lin Zifan was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"That's enough." he said. "Just having her back is enough."
Lin Mu looked at him and suddenly asked: "How much longer can that golden heart above your head last?"
Lin Zifan blinked.
"How do you know—"
"I can see." Lin Mu pointed at his own eyes. "Emotions, hearts, I can see them all."
Lin Zifan was silent for two seconds.
Then he laughed.
It was a faint smile, tinged with bitterness, but mostly relief.
"No wonder." he said. "No wonder you knew I hated you."
"I don't hate you." Lin Mu said.
Lin Zifan blinked again.
Lin Mu continued: "I don't know if the original owner hated you. But I'm not the original owner. I'm Lin Du."
Lin Zifan stared at him for a long time.
Then he looked down at the stone.
"Three years." he said. "That golden heart can last another three years."
Lin Mu's heart tightened.
Three years.
Three thousand years of waiting, only to get three years together?
"That's enough." Lin Zifan suddenly said. "Three years is enough."
He looked up at Lin Mu.
"These three years, I'll live well. I'll be with Mom." he said. "When this heart finally gives out, I'll be able to handle it."
Lin Mu didn't speak.
He looked down at his right hand.
On his ring finger, the character had changed again.
Not "Bury," not "Hide," not "Longing."
A new character.
"Unlock."
The character for opening.
He suddenly remembered what the Fisherman had said: What's sealed is about to come out.
Now, that character "Unlock" had appeared.
What did it mean?
What was about to be opened?
"Host." The trash can's voice suddenly rang out. "Someone's coming."
Lin Mu looked up at the door.
Sure enough, footsteps approached, then a knock.
"Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan!"
Wang Tiezhu's voice.
Lin Mu walked over and opened the door.
Wang Tiezhu stood there, face pale, sweat on his forehead. When he saw Lin Mu, and then saw Lin Zifan inside, he blinked.
"Um... am I interrupting something?"
"What's wrong?" Lin Mu asked.
Wang Tiezhu swallowed hard and lowered his voice:
"Last night, something else happened."
Lin Mu's heart stirred.
"What?"
"Another person died." Wang Tiezhu said. "An outer disciple named Zhang Gui. Same as Zhou Yuan—heart missing, no wound on the chest."
Lin Mu froze.
Another death?
He looked back at Lin Zifan.
Lin Zifan had already stood up, his expression turning grave.
"Let's go." he said. "We need to see this."
---
Zhang Gui's quarters were already cordoned off by Enforcement Hall.
When Lin Mu and Lin Zifan arrived, a crowd had gathered outside, murmuring among themselves. Enforcement Hall disciples had sealed off the scene,不允许 anyone near.
Lin Zifan flashed his credentials and pushed through with Lin Mu.
Inside, Zhang Gui lay on the floor, eyes wide open, mouth agape, his expression identical to Zhou Yuan's—terror, disbelief.
On his chest, his clothes had a hole.
Fist-sized, edges clean, as if something had burst out from within.
"Has the coroner examined him?" Lin Zifan asked.
An Enforcement Hall disciple nearby nodded. "Examined. No heart in his chest cavity. Same as Zhou Yuan's case."
Lin Zifan was silent for two seconds, then looked at Lin Mu.
Lin Mu didn't speak.
He just stared at the space above Zhang Gui's head.
Nothing there.
But he could feel it—something had left recently.
A very faint aura, like... resentment.
But not quite the same.
"Bro Bin." He called out silently.
The trash can's voice came from his robe: "Host, I feel it too. It's the heart seed's aura, but not yours."
Lin Mu's heart tightened.
Not his?
That meant—
One of the other eight had appeared.
---
Coming out of Zhang Gui's quarters, Lin Mu walked in silence, head down, mind racing.
If Zhang Gui's death was connected to a heart seed, it meant the other seeds had started to emerge.
But why now?
Because he had jumped off the cliff and triggered something?
Or because—someone was pulling the strings?
"Lin Yuan." Lin Zifan's voice came from beside him. "What are you thinking?"
Lin Mu stopped and looked at him.
"Brother." He suddenly said.
Lin Zifan froze.
This was the first time Lin Mu had called him that.
"You... what did you call me?"
"Brother." Lin Mu said again. "I need to ask you something."
Lin Zifan took a deep breath and nodded. "Ask."
"Do you know about the 'Corpse Collectors'?"
Lin Zifan's expression changed.
Grew complicated.
"How do you know that name?"
Lin Mu didn't answer, just looked at him.
Lin Zifan was silent for a long time.
Then he spoke.
"Three years ago, when Mother died, I saw someone." he said. "A figure in black robes, standing in the distance, watching us."
He paused.
"I asked Mother who it was. She said, 'That's a Corpse Collector.'"
"She also said—if anyone ever asks about them, tell them—"
Lin Zifan looked at Lin Mu.
"The reincarnation has begun."
Lin Mu's pupils contracted slightly.
The reincarnation has begun?
"Did she say anything else?" he asked.
Lin Zifan shook his head.
"No." he said. "After she said that, she..."
He didn't finish.
But Lin Mu understood.
He looked down at the stone in his hand.
Inside, that blurry figure was still there.
But now, it seemed slightly brighter than before.
"Mom." Lin Mu called softly.
The stone brightened.
Then, on its surface, an image suddenly appeared.
Faint, but recognizable—a heart.
Black, fist-sized, surface smooth as a mirror.
Identical to the one he had seen at the bottom of the cliff.
But not the same one.
Because on this heart, there was a character.
"Hatred."
Lin Mu stared at that character, his heartbeat quickening.
"Bro Bin."
"Yeah?"
"Look."
The trash can poked its head out of his robe, took one look, and fell silent.
After a long moment, it finally spoke:
"Host, this is... the second heart seed."
---
That night, Lin Mu sat alone on his bed, staring at the stone.
The image inside had vanished, leaving only that character "Mother," quietly present.
But he knew it wasn't an illusion.
The second heart seed had appeared.
Where was it? Who had it? What did it want?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing—
That heart seed was looking for him.
Just like Zhou Yuan's heart seed had waited for him.
"Host." The trash can's voice came from his robe. "Are you scared?"
Lin Mu was silent for a moment.
"Yeah." he said. "Scared to death."
The trash can didn't speak.
Lin Mu continued: "But what good does being scared do? Mom is still in there waiting. Brother is still alive. You're still here beside me. If I die of fear, who's going to take care of them?"
The trash can's lid cracked open a slit, two little eyes looking up at him.
"Host."
"Yeah?"
"You've changed."
Lin Mu blinked.
"Changed? How?"
"When you first came, you just wanted to survive." the trash can said. "Now, you want to protect others."
Lin Mu was silent for two seconds.
Then he laughed.
"Obviously." he said. "I'm their son, their brother, your host. If I don't protect you, who will?"
The trash can didn't answer.
But it closed its lid and burrowed closer into his robe.
Outside, the moon was full again.
Lin Mu lay down and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, there was still a long road ahead.
But that was okay.
This time, he wasn't alone.