Chapter 173: Section 174: Memory Crystal
Dock.
The Pig Kiss lay quietly at anchor, with a few crew members staying on board while the majority enjoyed themselves in taverns and gambling houses on the dock. The departure was scheduled for tomorrow.
Inside a warehouse on the dock.
A sturdy and exquisite wooden box, its lid now opened, revealing the contents inside.
“Ah, what is this?!” Lord Zhenjin stood in front of the wooden box, unable to help but exclaim in amazement.
He saw: inside the box lay a blond youth, who was in a deep sleep. From his nostrils to his eyebrows, his arms to his ankles, he was an exact copy of Lord Zhenjin, even down to the same height.
...
“My lord, this is the substitute I have prepared for you,” Zi Di said with a smile beside him.
“Incredible! It’s just unbelievable. How could such a perfect substitute be found!” Lord Zhenjin exclaimed repeatedly.
Zi Di explained, “It wasn’t found, of course, he was genetically modified. He is one of the Beastification People.”
“Beastification People?” Lord Zhenjin’s pupils slightly constricted, and he quickly recalled related intelligence. “These biological weapons seem to have become very popular. Especially in recent years, they are increasingly appearing in the warzones across various continents.”
“Not surprisingly, my lord, you have extensive knowledge indeed,” Zi Di complimented gently.
Such flattery from a beauty was quite pleasing to Lord Zhenjin.
Lord Zhenjin hummed softly, then frowned again, “But why does he look exactly like me?”
Zi Di responded, “Because this Beastification Person was custom-made for you, my lord.”
“There’s customization?” A keen light flickered in Lord Zhenjin’s eyes, and he inwardly praised, “The Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce truly lives up to its reputation as one just below the top six guilds; no wonder my father agreed to this alliance through marriage. With its vast scale, Purple Vine has touched many dark corners of the world and many dangerous figures. Even if crippled, they are not to be underestimated.”
Zi Di continued, “As per our request, this Beastification Person was customized by an arms dealer. You see, he has the same appearance, height, and other characteristics as you. More importantly, like you, he is also a Knight, practicing Fighting Spirit. His Fighting Spirit has already reached the Silver Level.”
Lord Zhenjin felt a chill in his heart and said, “Capturing a Silver Level Knight, a figure of the City Lord level, must not have been easy, right?”
Zi Di shook her head and smiled, “Our guild would not do such dangerous things. It was all provided by the arms dealer.”
Lord Zhenjin pressed on, “So, what is his actual identity? Is he a noble’s son or a knight promoted from the commoners?”
Zi Di continued to shake her head, “We do not know, but you can rest assured, his original memory has been completely erased, and he is now a blank slate. Even if we wake him up now, unaware of his identity, he will definitely remain loyal and obey our commands until death.”
“This technology of Beastification is indeed convenient,” Lord Zhenjin remarked, though a sense of crisis arose in his heart.
If a Silver Level Knight had fallen, what about him, a mere Black Iron Level?
“However, Zi Di and I are connected by marriage, I am a Holy Temple Knight, and also the sole heir of the Hundred Needle Family. They wouldn’t dare harm me.”
As Lord Zhenjin thought this, his brow furrowed deeper, noting a drawback with the Beastification Person, “A blank slate as a substitute, how could he convincingly portray me?”
“Regarding that, please look here, my lord,” Zi Di prompted, showing Lord Zhenjin an object. “We were, of course, prepared for this.”
Lord Zhenjin looked and saw a milky-white crystal cylinder in Zi Di’s palm.
“Angel’s Tear?” Lord Zhenjin raised an eyebrow, “No, this is the Memory Crystal of You Can!”
Zi Di smiled, “Having a conversation with someone as insightful and wise as you, my lord, is truly a pleasure.”
Ancestor of the Undead, You Can, ranked sixth on the wanted list, a legendary figure who pioneered Necromancy.
It was impossible to determine his exact race, but many reports mentioned he was a successful Desecration Priest, having stolen divine powers from many gods.
This was no simple feat.
He had repeatedly deceived gods into believing he was a devout believer of theirs, causing them to channel divine power into him.
Some powerful beings speculated that You Can might have stolen a great amount of divine power from various gods for his private research, leading him to successfully create the art of Necromancy.
And the essential tool You Can used to deceive the gods was his newly developed Memory Crystal.
This magical artifact, which appeared similar to an Angel’s Tear from the outside, could delete, modify, and duplicate the memories of intelligent life forms.
Each time You Can changed his identity or started to follow a different deity, he would transfer his own memories into the Memory Crystal and then plant forged memories into his own body.
By doing this, he deceived even himself, eliminating any discrepancies and therefore managing to deceive various deities as well.
“Brilliant!” Zhenjin clapped his hands in laughter. “Just by duplicating a set of memories and infusing them into this substitute, it’s as though I’ve cloned myself.”
“But…” Zhenjin thought of something and started to harbor new doubts.
Zi Di knew what he was thinking and quickly reassured him, “My lord, rest assured that the secrets of the Hundred Needle Family and the Holy Temple Knights will not leak. Once the memories are infused, he will only think he is Zhenjin. How could he possibly reveal these secrets and harm himself? We will strictly control the Memory Crystal and make necessary modifications and deletions. We won’t transfer some critical memories to him. Besides, the only people handling this Memory Crystal are the two of us. I am your fiancée, with devotion to magic, and I certainly have no designs on these secret skills. Our interests are aligned, Lord Zhenjin.”
Zhenjin nodded, “You are quite right. Actually, the family’s combat skills and secret techniques have already been leaked. As the defeated, they have been hidden deep in the Empire’s library. These combat skills and secret techniques can only show their true value when combined with our Hundred Needle Family’s bloodline.”
Zhenjin looked at the sleeping substitute before him, increasingly satisfied: “Excellent, having a substitute makes me very safe. The Silver Fighting Spirit is also perfect for competing for the position of White Sand City Lord. My own fighting energy is still too weak. My father truly made a wise decision. I fully approve the decision now. Cooperating with the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce really brings substantial benefits.”
Noticing the changes in Zhenjin’s expression, Zi Di knew he had approved her plan, so she softly continued, “Lord Zhenjin, there are a few considerations we should keep in mind when copying memories.”
“First, we don’t need to copy all memories into the crystal since humans tend to forget. We don’t even remember everything that happened in the past.”
“Second, please try not to miss any significant moments in our lives. If those are missed, the substitute might treat enemies as friends when they meet, which could trouble us.”
“Third, please try to duplicate more positive memories. Let the substitute recognize himself as a Holy Temple Knight, a distinguished noble offspring. That way, he can bring more value to us.”
Zhenjin’s demeanor turned serious, nodding continuously.
What Zi Di said made a lot of sense, and he quickly thought of people like Qing Kui and Hei Juan: “Haha, let my Silver substitute deal with them. They will be very surprised when they see my level has suddenly advanced to Silver.”
After a moment.
“How do you feel now, my lord?” Zi Di asked.
Zhenjin shook his head slightly, “Apart from the headache caused by copying memories, everything else is fine.”
He stared intently at the mirror in front of him.
In the mirror was a young man with a sword at his waist. With black hair and eyes, his skin was dark, and his hair naturally curly.
Zhenjin looked at his reflection with curiosity: “This is indeed worthy of Duke Ami’s personally crafted potion; I have completely become someone else! What should I call this new identity?”
Zhenjin thought about it and suggested a few names, but Zi Di shook her head to dismiss them: “My lord, those names are too noble. You are playing the role of a mercenary now; a mercenary’s name needs to be more common. Perhaps we should call it Hei Juan.”
“Hei Juan? That’s a terrible name,” Zhenjin shook his head, then shrugged, “But never mind, let’s settle for that.”
Zi Di then glanced at the sword on Zhenjin’s waist, “My lord, please also entrust the sword to the substitute.”
This time, Zhenjin’s refusal was very firm. He shook his head decisively, “No, that can’t happen.”
“This sword, named Silver Lightning, was personally bestowed by my father. It is of Gold Level, and in fact, it is one of the auxiliary swords of the Shining Nine Swords.”
“Such a precious item must be personally guarded by me!”
Zhenjin added, looking at Zi Di, “But don’t worry, although the Shining Nine Swords are famed throughout the world, the auxiliary swords are numerous and obscure. My identity won’t be exposed because of this.”
Zi Di nodded, “Then, Lord Zhenjin, you may go rest now. I have prepared a room for you, and also engaged the most popular dancing lady from the docks. Of course, she does not suit your true status. Consider it a trial to get acquainted with your new identity.” Sёar?h the n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
“Ha ha ha,” Zhenjin laughed loudly, “I’ve never experienced these activities as a low-ranking mercenary before. This will certainly be interesting. Oh, Zi Di, I am very pleased with everything. You have done well. I have come to recognize you, and perhaps, in time, you will indeed be fit to be my wife. Are you not coming to join me tonight, though?”
Zi Di smiled, curtsying while using the moment of bowed head to disguise her scorn, “I’m sorry, my lord, the Pig Kiss will set sail tomorrow, and there are still many things to handle.”
“Ha ha ha,” Zhenjin laughed, “Then go and handle that. Keep striving, becoming the wife of nobility is not easy for someone of your status and bloodline.”
“I’ll keep your words in mind, my lord!”