Chapter 73: Future Prediction Ability?

Lu Yu carried the target into the Zhai, clearly feeling that the place had become much livelier.

Not far away came the sounds of children laughing and playing, occasionally interspersed with the half-scolding, half-angry rebukes of their mothers.

In a trance, it actually gave him an illusion, as if this were not the crisis-ridden apocalypse, but ordinary, peaceful, and tranquil days.

Lu Yu shook his head slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, and walked toward the direction of home.

After dinner, he would go find Wang Shu to spar in spear techniques.

"U-um, Lu Yu?" Just then, a voice as crisp as a silver bell came from behind him.

Lu Yu turned around; in the hazy night, a woman with flowing long hair was looking at him with a hint of shyness.

"It's her?" Lu Yu was slightly startled, his pupils contracting involuntarily.

The woman before him was none other than Ji Bingyu, whom Zhao Shu had mentioned earlier.

He remembered that when they first met, she had given him a peculiar feeling, which had even caused a misunderstanding among everyone at the time.

However, over the past few days, he had been entirely focused on his martial arts training and had almost forgotten about this.

"Are you looking for me?" Lu Yu asked in confusion.

"Yes." Ji Bingyu bit her lower lip, looking somewhat embarrassed, "Are you free right now? I have something very important I want to tell you."

"Something very important?" Lu Yu was stunned for a moment, "Then wait for me a moment; I'll go back and tell my parents, otherwise they'll worry about me."

"Okay." Ji Bingyu replied softly. Watching Lu Yu's retreating back as he hurried away, she placed her hands on her chest involuntarily and pondered to herself: "If I do this, will I be betraying my sister's instructions?"

Her sister had said that she must absolutely not reveal this matter to anyone, otherwise her fate would be the same as hers.

But if she didn't say anything, someone would encounter misfortune, and it was someone who had been very kind to her.

Just then, Lu Yu's figure quickly returned, "Sorry to keep you waiting." He looked at Ji Bingyu with a smile, "Your name is Ji Bingyu, right?"

"Huh?" Ji Bingyu widened her eyes in surprise.

"I heard Zhao Shu mention you," Lu Yu explained, then changed the subject, "What was the important matter you just mentioned?"

Ji Bingyu looked around vigilantly, her expression tense, looking just like a thief, and then whispered: "Can we go inside to talk? It won't take up too much of your time."

A flash of surprise crossed Lu Yu's eyes, but he nodded nonetheless and followed her into the room.

A bonfire was burning in the room, and the furnishings were simple and plain, though fortunately, it was kept clean and tidy.

He had just sat down on a stool when he heard a "creak," and Ji Bingyu closed the door.

"Huh?" Lu Yu couldn't help but swallow, muttering to himself, what was this situation?

Even if there was an urgent matter, there was no need to close the door, right? Furthermore, it was already late, and everyone had retired early; no one would be wandering around for no reason.

Ji Bingyu seemed to notice the subtle atmosphere as well and quickly waved her hands to explain: "No, it's not what you're thinking. It's because this matter concerns my safety, and I can't let others hear it."

"Concerns your safety?"

"Yes." Ji Bingyu nodded heavily, walked to the table and sat down, hesitating for a long while before slowly speaking, "Actually, I am an Awakened."

Lu Yu widened his eyes instantly, his face full of shock.

"Y-you are an Awakened?"

"Yes." Ji Bingyu met Lu Yu's gaze, her expression calm.

Lu Yu took a few deep breaths; no wonder she acted so cautiously.

However, he was still somewhat confused: "Miss Ji Bingyu, if you are an Awakened, there is absolutely no need to hide it, right?"

"Other Awakened might be able to, but I can't." Ji Bingyu understood the meaning behind Lu Yu's words and lowered her head to look at the tabletop, "Because my ability is—Future Prediction."

"!!!" Lu Yu froze instantly, as if he had been hit by an Immobilization Spell.

Future Prediction? Although there were many types of abilities, did such a heaven-defying ability really exist?

"I know you might not believe it, but my sister and I both awakened the ability of Future Prediction." Ji Bingyu's tone was slightly nervous, as if she were afraid Lu Yu wouldn't believe her.

"Then your sister, she...?" Lu Yu subconsciously scanned the surroundings; there were only the two of them in the room.

He suddenly remembered Zhao Shu saying that Ji Bingyu had come here alone.

"My sister, she is in Yongan City." A flash of sorrow crossed Ji Bingyu's eyes.

"In Yongan City?" Lu Yu subconsciously wanted to say, isn't that a good thing? It's a place so many people are desperate to get into.

But Ji Bingyu's expression told him that things were not that simple.

"What happened to your sister?"

"My sister is being controlled by them." Ji Bingyu's eyes turned red, and her voice carried a hint of a sob, "Although we are both Awakened and our abilities are the same, our control over our abilities is vastly different.

My predictions of the future can only appear in the form of dreams, and they are not under my complete control; the things I can predict are also not one hundred percent accurate.

But my sister can use this ability as she wishes and predict everything she wants to know."

Hearing this, Lu Yu suddenly realized: "So, your sister is protected on the surface, but in reality, she is under house arrest, forced to constantly predict the future for others?"

"Yes." Ji Bingyu looked at Lu Yu, a trace of unease flashing deep in her eyes.

Before deciding to tell Lu Yu her secret, she had been terrified countless times that she would end up with the same fate as her sister.

But as time passed, she gradually saw clearly that Lu Guohao treated everyone in the Zhai equally, which was completely different from the leaders of other Zhais.

And Lu Yu, as Lu Guohao's son, was equally kind-hearted; this was the biggest reason she gathered her courage.

"Then your sister, is she doing okay now?" A sense of foreboding welled up in Lu Yu's heart.

Sure enough, Ji Bingyu shook her head and sobbed, "My sister has been overdrawing her life force; I'm afraid... she won't live much longer."

"What?" Lu Yu was shocked, staring fixedly at Ji Bingyu's eyes, "Does using an ability overdraw life force for an Awakened?"

Ji Bingyu shook her head slightly: "Under normal circumstances, it doesn't; it's just that our ability is somewhat special."

"Special?"

"Yes, ordinary people have limits, and Awakened are the same; things beyond their capability cannot be done even if they want to. But we are a bit different. Theoretically, we can predict anything, as long as our Spirit can withstand it."

"You mean, when the Spirit cannot withstand it, it will come at the cost of consuming life force?" After Lu Yu finished speaking, he felt a chill run down his back.

A flash of surprise crossed Ji Bingyu's eyes, and then she nodded: "That's right, not everything can be predicted."

The more people involved in a matter, and the stronger the strength of those entangled, the greater the price we must pay.

My sister told me that whether a matter can be predicted, and what consequences will follow after predicting it, we will have a premonition in our hearts.

Yet, even though she clearly knew these things, she was forced by those people to constantly use her ability for Future Prediction.

In just a few short years, she aged until she was like an old woman of seventy or eighty. But, but..."

Ji Bingyu was choked with sobs, "She is my twin sister."