Chapter 20: Awakening Liu Ying
The moonlight bathed the ancient courtyard in a silvery glow as Li Wei knelt in the center, his palm pressed firmly against the smooth, warm stone.
He closed his eyes, his breath slow and steady, sinking into the depths of his cultivation.
His heart raced with anticipation.
Tonight was the night when the truth would finally be unlocked, the night when Liu Ying's full memories would return.
Liu Ying, the mysterious and powerful woman who had remained by his side through the trials, was not just any ally—she was once his closest companion.
A woman whose strength had been unmatched, whose loyalty had been unwavering, and whose identity, until now, had been obscured by a shroud of forgotten memories.
But not anymore.
The air around Li Wei vibrated with energy, and the temperature dropped as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath.
His senses sharpened, and the space around him seemed to grow still, the weight of fate heavy in the atmosphere.
In front of him, Liu Ying stood silently, her eyes closed, her back straight, her demeanor unchanged.
Yet beneath the calm surface, Li Wei could feel the stirring of something deeper, a latent power, waiting to rise.
It had been weeks since they had first met, and despite her initial coldness, a bond had formed between them.
Liu Ying had been distant, her memories locked away behind an invisible barrier, and Li Wei had felt an almost inexplicable urge to help her awaken.
He knew that unlocking her memories would be the key to understanding the trials they faced and, perhaps, even the path to overcoming the darkness threatening their world.
The Seven Spirit Guardians.
That's what she had once been—a title reserved for the fiercest and most loyal protectors of the realms, the chosen few who wielded power beyond imagination.
But Liu Ying, even now, was unaware of the true extent of her abilities.
And so, Li Wei had devised a plan.
Tonight, he would perform the ritual that would unlock her memories, a ritual that could shatter the chains of the past and reveal her true identity.
As the energy in the air intensified, Li Wei's voice broke the silence.
"Liu Ying," he said softly, his voice a gentle whisper carried by the wind.
"Are you ready?"
Liu Ying's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting his.
The depth of her gaze was like an abyss—vast, unyielding, and full of unknowns.
Her lips parted, but no words came.
She simply nodded.
Li Wei's heart pounded.
There was a sense of both excitement and fear.
This moment would change everything.
The path they walked would never be the same again.
But in this moment, there was no turning back.
He closed his eyes once more and began to chant softly under his breath, his voice steady and clear as it resonated through the courtyard.
The words were ancient, drawn from the depths of the forgotten texts he had discovered on his journey.
They were words of power, words that had the potential to break the shackles of memory and spirit.
The wind picked up, swirling around them as a gentle light emanated from Li Wei's palm.
It grew brighter, larger, as if the heavens themselves were responding to his call.
Slowly, the light shifted, coalescing into a glowing orb that hovered between them.
The orb pulsed, its rhythm matching the beating of Li Wei's heart.
Liu Ying stood still, her body rigid as the light washed over her, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
She had no idea what to expect, no idea what would happen when the memories of her past came flooding back.
But she trusted Li Wei, and that trust gave her the courage to stand there, to let the unknown unfold.
The ball blinked, slowly opened like a soft flower, showing the spinning tunnel of pictures and sound.
A sudden rush of sensations flooded the air.
Memories, long buried and forgotten, began to resurface.
Liu Ying's breathing stopped for a moment as broken images filled her mind.
A vast battlefield, her hand gripping a shining sword, the faces of companions lost to time, and most haunting of all, the image of a figure she could not recognize, yet felt in the way she cannot be explained.
Li Wei's voice cut through the chaos.
"Focus, Liu Ying. Let the memories come. Let them flow."
Her eyes tightened as she fought to remain grounded.
Slowly, the images began to slow, and she saw herself standing in a grand hall, a throne at her back.
Her eyes were filled with determination, but there was an air of sadness about her.
She could feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders.
The Seven Spirit Guardians.
Her brothers and sisters in arms.
But they were no longer by her side.
She could remember their faces—each one as clear as day—but their names avoided her.
And then, there was the greatest mystery of all—the face of the person she loved, the one who had stood beside her through every battle, the one whose heart had been intertwined with hers.
But the face was blurred, like a dream slipping away at dawn.
She felt the loss acutely, as if something vital had been torn from her.
"Li Wei," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Why can't I remember..."
The sound of her voice seemed to trigger something deep within her.
The memories were rushing in now, flooding her senses, and with them came the overwhelming emotions she had long buried.
Guilt. Pain. Betrayal.
"I'm here, Liu Ying," Li Wei's voice was soft, but there was an undeniable strength in it.
"I'm here to help you remember. You don't have to face this alone."
The memories began to take shape, the spinning tunnel of images slowly became clear pictures.
She saw herself standing in front of a burning city, the flames licking the sky, the air thick with the strong unpleasant of smoke.
The cries of the innocent filled her ears, and a bitter taste rose in her throat.
She had failed them.
She had failed her people.
"No!" Liu Ying cried out, stumbling backward, her hands reaching for her head as if she could physically block the flood of memories.
"I don't want to remember! It's too much!"
Li Wei stepped forward, his hands gently resting on her shoulders.
His touch was warm, grounding.
"You must face it, Liu Ying. You cannot run from your past.
But you're not alone.
I'm here with you, every step of the way."
Liu Ying closed her eyes, her breathing ragged as she tried to steady herself.
Slowly, she opened her eyes once more, and this time, she looked at Li Wei with a different kind of clarity.
The fear, the uncertainty, was gone.
In its place, there was determination, resolve.
"I remember," she said softly.
"I remember everything."
Li Wei smiled, relief washing over him.
"Then we'll move forward together.
Whatever the next trial holds, we'll face it as we always have—as companions."
Liu Ying nodded, her grip tightening around the handle of the sword at her side.
She felt the weight of the memories settle within her, but this time, she welcomed them.
The pain of the past had shaped her, but it would not define her.
She was no longer the person she had been, but neither was she the person she had feared becoming.
"We must train," she said, her voice strong once more.
"There's no time to waste. The next trial awaits."
Li Wei's heart swelled with admiration for her.
The woman who had once been a guardian of light, a protector of realms, had now found her way back to herself.
But he knew that the trials ahead would not be easy.
Liu Ying's memories had returned, but with them came the weight of the past and the burden of the future.
Together, they would face whatever came next.