“A vessel,” Bai Ci finally defined her role.
Upon hearing this, Lin Wenyu immediately imagined something taking over his own body and moving around. The mental image sent a shiver down his spine, giving him goosebumps.
Bai Ci fell silent after speaking, recalling various pieces of related information she had read on the forums or encountered in the instances she had played or run.
What would such a ritual involve, and how would it manifest in or relate to her current situation?
Bai Ci thought of a possibility with a very high occurrence rate.
She looked at Lin Wenyu and asked for help, “Do you have a modern mirror on you? The kind that can reflect details with crystal clarity.”
Though Lin Wenyu didn't understand why and couldn't guess what she wanted to do, he didn't hesitate at all. He immediately nodded. “Yes, I have an outfit that can summon a mirror.”
He swiped his hand through the air, where a screen visible only to him appeared.
With a click of confirmation, his attire changed from a black leather jacket into a gorgeous, vintage Western gown.
The dress was paired with a large, open-collared black cape, which looked strangely familiar to Bai Ci.
Lin Wenyu seemed long accustomed to this somewhat comical outfit, showing no discomfort whatsoever.
He coughed lightly and cleared his throat.
“Magic mirror, magic mirror, who is the fairest of them all?”
As the outfit's skill activated, a wide, full-length mirror abruptly materialized, floating in midair not far from where Bai Ci stood.
Only when she heard Lin Wenyu's classic line did Bai Ci suddenly realize.
This attire was clearly the classic look of the Evil Queen from Dis*ey's 《Snow White》.
However, it lacked the headpiece that completely covered the hair and made the wearer look bald, which was why she hadn't made the connection immediately.
Looking at Lin Wenyu with his big, red wavy hair, she realized that was how they avoided copyright infringement.
“Can this mirror actually answer questions?” Bai Ci couldn't help but ask casually.
“No,” Lin Wenyu shook his head flatly, speaking with complete honesty.
“Other than being used as a mirror, its only feature is that it's extremely sturdy and hard to break. Most of the time, I use it to block damage or block paths.”
Bai Ci nodded slightly, not prying further into the details of his skill. She immediately threw off the thin quilt and stood up.
She said to Lin Wenyu, “Turn around first. Don't look.”
Lin Wenyu immediately turned around obediently, standing straight with his back to her, strictly maintaining proper boundaries.
Facing the mirror, Bai Ci began to unbutton her inner robe, which she wore as pajamas.
She was following up on her previous deduction.
A human body was by no means a mere object; it couldn't bear another person's presence out of thin air. If she truly were a carefully nurtured living vessel, there would surely be traces on her body left from adjusting her physical compatibility.
Ancient bronze mirrors were blurry and dim; without a close look, similar colors would show no difference at all. But a modern mirror was different.
Bai Ci unfastened her clothes, stepped closer, and then closer still, standing right in front of the magic mirror.
Under normal circumstances, when looking at one's own body, there were always spots that were hard to see or notice.
She first checked herself without the aid of the mirror. From her own perspective, she didn't see anything unusual on her body.
Then she looked into the mirror directly in front of her. Right at the junction of her chest and abdomen—a spot she couldn't see by simply looking down—was a ring of extremely fine stitching that almost merged with her skin.
It was visible to the eye, but when she touched it, she couldn't feel the existence of the stitches at all.
This was absolutely not a mark her body should have.
Looking closer, the skin texture above and below the stitches was different.
Bai Ci's character was a peasant girl who worked the fields year-round. Her skin should be rough, her muscles firm, bearing the weathered texture of hard labor. Indeed, the upper half of her body, above her abdomen, fit this setting perfectly.
But looking below her chest, the stitched-on skin was delicate and fair, with a translucent texture that belonged to someone who stayed indoors year-round and rested due to poor health. It was completely different from and incompatible with the skin on her limbs and neck.
Bai Ci turned her body slightly and could see the stitching extending toward her back.
“Lin Wenyu, can you summon another mirror? Position them at offset angles facing each other.”
“Sure.” Lin Wenyu raised his hand at her request, and another identical magic mirror appeared. “Done.”
Bai Ci looked at the reflection in the mirror behind her and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
The stitching marks on her back were even more numerous and complete than those on her front.
Two completely contradictory flesh textures were perfectly stitched and pieced together with fine thread, forcibly forming a complete body.
She finally understood the purpose of those topical ointments.
This body didn't entirely belong to her.
It also belonged to her husband, Xu Qinghe.
“You can turn around now.”
Bai Ci calmed her breathing, put her clothes back on, and pulled the open collar back to expose half of her back.
Lin Wenyu turned around as requested. His eyes instinctively fell on her exposed skin. When he clearly saw the multiple suture lines, his pupils dilated instantly, his face filled with shock.
“W-what are these marks? They don't look like scars. They're way too neat.”
“Suture lines.”
Bai Ci's tone sounded calm. “I'm afraid that before I woke up, this body of mine had already been modified, pieced together with another person's body.”
“Combining the muscle characteristics and the clues we already have, there's a high probability that the person stitched into me is my husband—Xu Qinghe.”
Lin Wenyu felt the goosebumps he had just managed to suppress instantly flare up again, this time covering his entire body. He found it both absurd and terrifying.
“Stitching a man's body into a woman's body? Is this the cult's secret resurrection technique? Hiss—”
“It's likely just one part of it. The specifics are up to you guys to investigate.”
“These suture lines are very unusual. It might be a good direction for your investigation.”
Lin Wenyu nodded quickly, his expression solemn. “Got it. I'll tell the Boss as soon as I get back.”
“Tonight's findings are absolutely mind-blowing. Who would've thought a breakthrough would be hidden right on the bride's body.”
Bai Ci thought for a moment and requested, “I have an idea. I'll need your help next. Focus on investigating two things and bring the information to me.”
“First, find the complete process of this resurrection suturing technique. After the physical bodies are stitched together, what other steps are required to fully complete the resurrection? Focus on what changes occur during the process.”
“Second, dig deep into Xu Qinghe's life deeds. The more detailed, the better.”
“As for the timeline, the faster, the better. I know the first task might be difficult, so focus on the second one.”
“Although I could ask about the second matter myself—since it's only natural for a wife to want to know about her husband—under the current circumstances, doing so might easily arouse suspicion and tip them off.”
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