Chapter 152 Defining Reverberation
"No... I..." Qi Xia's voice faltered, a sense of unease creeping over him. "Are you saying this is what I wrote just now?"
"Are you okay? Qi Xia... You look very tired." Lin Qin remarked with concern. "One must learn to manage their stress; otherwise, it will eventually overwhelm them."
"Do you think I've gone mad?" Qi Xia frowned, his gaze fixed on the paper in his hand. His mind was clear, his senses sharp—he knew he hadn’t lost his grip on reality.
The bell sound earlier... it must have marked the activation of Auntie Tong's power.
She must have tampered with what he wrote.
Her ability seemed akin to Jiang Ruoxue's {Hetu Phala}—whatever Auntie Tong surmised would unerringly become what Qi Xia had written. The true horror of this power lay in its subtlety; no one else would detect the alteration, as if their memories themselves had been reshaped to believe that the text had always been this way.
Only the writer could recognize that the content had been tampered with.
Auntie Tong smiled and said, "The principle will be explained later. Is there anyone else who wishes for me to guess?"
It was clear that her answer diverged from the memories of the others, yet it perfectly matched the content on the paper.
This discrepancy sparked a quiet murmur among the crowd.
When no one else raised their hands, Auntie Tong finally turned, her gaze sweeping over the room before settling steadily on Qi Xia. She asked, her voice calm, "Child, do you believe I am correct?"
Though Qi Xia knew her answer had been wrong, there was no concrete way to prove it in that moment. He hesitated, but then nodded, the words leaving his lips reluctantly, "Yes." He paused, then added, his voice steady despite the doubt gnawing at him, "Would it be possible for you to explain why you are right?"
Auntie Tong nodded slightly at his response, a hint of approval in her expression. "What a great question. You are a very smart child." She turned then, taking the chalk in hand, and wrote a single word on the blackboard: {believe (信)}.
"In truth, many can hear their {Reverberation}, but very few possess the ability to fully control it," Auntie Tong continued, tapping the word gently as she spoke. "To {believe}—that is the key."
A murmur of confusion rippled through the room as everyone tried to grasp the meaning of her words.
Qi Xia, however, recalled something Yun Yao had once said—that {Reverberation} was a form of {belief}. Could these words be coming from Auntie Tong as well?
"The ability of {Reverberation} comes from the Mother God. She gave us the ability so that we can protect ourselves in dangerous situations, but how many people are really grateful to Mother God? Those {Reverberatee} use their abilities but fail to show their piety."
Upon hearing this, Qi Xia realized his earlier assumption had been overly optimistic.
The {believe} Auntie Tong referred to was not just the act of believing—it was a {firm belief (信仰)}, a deep conviction.
Auntie Tong continued, "Among all the {Reverberatee} I have encountered, none have a higher success rate in triggering their {Reverberation} than I. Ultimately, it is because I believe, without a shadow of doubt, that the Mother God will protect me. After all, I am her most devout child."
Qi Xia, considering her words, realized that Auntie Tong's success in activating {Reverberation} was indeed extraordinary.
Previously, Jiang Ruoxue, who had only activated her {Hetu Phala} ability twice, had remarked on how {fortunate} she had been. In stark contrast, Auntie Tong had correctly recited the contents of eight people’s papers in succession, without a single contradiction. This meant her success was absolute each time.
‘Believe…’ Qi Xia thought, a faint sense of understanding stirring within him.
To believe in {Mother God}...?
After a moment, Qi Xia slowly opened his eyes...
It was clear now—this was why Auntie Tong was in {Passage to Heaven}
Her theory was crucial, and he had let his preconceived notions cloud his judgment, dismissing her words too hastily earlier.
"Auntie..." Qi Xia raised her hand again and asked seriously, "Are you suggesting that in order to successfully trigger one’s {Reverberation}, we must believe with absolute certainty that it will succeed?"
"Yes, you are indeed a clever child," Auntie Tong replied with a warm smile. "You must believe in the power granted to you by {Mother God} from the depths of your heart, and only then can you catch a glimpse of the truth."
At that moment, everything clicked into place for Qi Xia.
"If, for instance..." Qi Xia continued, testing the boundaries of his own thoughts, "my {Reverberation} were to manifest as the act of pulling a stack of cash from my pocket, how would that be realized according to your theory?"
"It's quite simple. Your subconscious must fully believe that there is indeed a stack of cash in your pocket. There can be no doubts, no second thoughts. Only then will you be able to borrow the power of {Mother God} and manifest that money."
Qi Xia’s gaze drifted downward, his mind awash with the implications. "So that’s it..." he murmured.
A train would not suddenly barrel into the city, nor would a meteor shower begin raining down from the heavens.
Han Yimo remained untouched by such thoughts, for these catastrophic visions had no place in the realm of his reality. Thus, it was impossible for his subconscious to truly believe in their impending arrival.
Even though he was {Beckoned Calamity}, the disasters he summoned were confined to the limits of his own understanding. The harpoons scattered around the room, their chaotic flight no more than a reflection of his belief that they would pierce him—this was a calamity within the bounds of reason, one that aligned with his grasp of what was possible, not the fantastical.
But what about the {Seven Evil Sword}?
This question held an intriguing weight. Why did Han Yimo so firmly believe that the {Seven Evil Sword} existed in this world?
There was, in fact, only one answer.
When Han Yimo created his story, he had relentlessly convinced himself of the sword's existence. He immersed himself in the world he created, blurring the line between author and story. In his mind, he was not merely fabricating events; he was a narrator—one who had to believe, with unshakable conviction, that such a sword could exist, for it was essential to the unfolding of the story.
If the writer themselves did not believe in the truth of their words, how can they expect their readers to?
Thus, Han Yimo wove the {Seven Evil Sword} into existence during that dark, fateful dawn, drawing them out of thin air with an intensity fueled by his own conviction. The sword he envisioned pierced him exactly as he had imagined it would.
And so, Officer Li's behavior fell into place. When he first reached for the lighter and cigarettes, he was on the verge of unconsciousness, his body teetering on the edge due to massive blood loss. In that state, he was barely aware of his surroundings, let alone the reality of his situation.
In his mind, he subconsciously believed that it was natural for him to always carry a lighter and cigarettes—it was an automatic, ingrained habit.
This, in turn, explained why, in the final moments of his life, he drew out a {Dào}. He knew full well that he only had three, so it was absolutely impossible for him to take out the fourth one.
But just when Officer Li had all but resigned himself to death, he made the crucial mistake of forgetting something vital—he had already given one of the {Dào} to Qi Xia.
In his near-unconscious state, that simple fact slipped from his mind, buried beneath the weight of his exhaustion and imminent demise.
And so, the fourth {Dào} appeared.
The reason Auntie Tong could launch {Reverberation} with such certainty was not due to an extraordinary mastery over her {subconscious}, but rather because of her absolute, unwavering belief in the existence of a {Mother God}. To her, everything—the world, the calamities, the powers at play—was the direct manifestation of the {Mother God}'s will. She had such unshakeable faith that, as long as she worshiped devoutly, the power of the {Mother God} would flow through her without fail.
It was this freak combination of blind faith and single-minded conviction that turned her into a formidable {Reverberatee}.
"This all makes sense..." Qi Xia muttered to himself, "This is the most perfect explanation of {Reverberation}... It’s not a {superpower}, but a latent and continuous {belief}..."
Lin Qin and the others exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity as they observed Qi Xia deep in thought.
"Lin Qin..." Qi Xia suddenly turned toward her. "Can you do me a favor?"