By the time Jingliu regained full clarity of mind, she found herself standing within a crystal palace.
She glanced at Su Ran, who had entered alongside her.
"A gift from Fuli."
This palace was something Fuli the Remembrance had left within his mind.
It possessed a deep connection to the Path of Remembrance.
"Fuli truly dotes on you. To think They would create such a magnificent palace for your sake."
Looking around at the palace, Jingliu couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
Though only their consciousness had entered this place, the aura of the Path permeating it was stronger than any Emanator she had ever encountered.
In other words, this place was even closer to an Aeon than an Emanator could be.
If the owner of this palace—Su Ran—wished to summon Fuli, he might have an easier time doing so than even the Memokeepers.
"Well, I couldn't help it. The secret I offered was enough to shake the entire universe."
It was only because Remembrance was essentially the universe's ultimate observer that he had felt safe revealing it.
Besides, Fuli's excessive curiosity toward him had left him rather helpless.
It wasn't as if he could simply ask Fuli to stop watching him.
When had Aeons ever negotiated with mortals about such matters?
Thus, Su Ran had traded a secret of little consequence to himself
in exchange for Emanator-level authority over Remembrance.
"What secret?"
Naturally, Jingliu grew curious.
A secret capable of piquing even Fuli's interest...
was difficult to ignore.
"The truth of the universe, and the answer to all things."
Jingliu found herself even more intrigued.
"You can stop looking at me like that. Even if you stare, I'm not telling you."
Su Ran crossed his arms in front of himself in an X.
There was no way he could let Jingliu know something like that.
Who knew if she'd go insane after learning it?
"The answer to all things? Including Baiheng's death, and Yaoshi's existence?"
A universal answer sounded absurd to Jingliu.
How could such a thing possibly exist?
If a single answer could resolve every question in existence, then what meaning would this world even have?
"It might sound ridiculous, but yes—this answer really can explain everything."
"Then what price must be paid to learn it?"
Jingliu found herself genuinely tempted.
If it truly could answer all questions, then she desperately wanted to know what it was.
"Classified information."
"You really are a bastard, deliberately arousing my curiosity like this."
Jingliu cursed him.
Still, compared to seeing Baiheng, that answer no longer seemed so important.
As long as the person still existed, everything else could wait.
"Where is Baiheng?"
Right now, all she wanted was to see Baiheng.
"Don't be so impatient. Come with me."
Su Ran led Jingliu deeper into the palace.
The vast crystal hall was remarkably empty.
Inside, there were only two things.
A cluster of golden flames.
And a fragmented figure.
The moment Jingliu saw that broken silhouette, her pupils contracted.
Had she been present in her physical body rather than merely as consciousness, she might have forgotten how to breathe altogether.
That figure...
was Baiheng.
Yet her form was incomparably shattered.
Even Nanook's body wasn't as damaged as this.
This represented everything Su Ran had extracted from the deepest recesses of Bailu's consciousness regarding Baiheng.
The fact that he had managed to recover even this fragment of Baiheng's awareness was already an extraordinary achievement.
He truly had to thank Dan Feng for what he had done back then.
Without Dan Feng's actions, Su Ran would've had to resort to methods beyond ordinary comprehension to recreate Baiheng.
Walking up to Baiheng,
Jingliu reached out to touch her.
Only for Su Ran to slap her hand away.
Holding the hand that had been swatted aside, she looked at him in confusion.
She wasn't angry.
Su Ran must have had his reasons.
Surely he wasn't simply teasing her for the sake of it.
Though, considering his personality, that possibility wasn't entirely impossible.
"Contact between consciousnesses carries risks."
"Especially with a damaged consciousness like this. If you touched her..."
"She might end up being colored by you."
Su Ran reached over and pinched Jingliu's cheek.
"You wouldn't want Baiheng to come back obsessed with killing Yaoshi, constantly trying to unleash Transcendent Flash, would you?"
Jingliu accepted this explanation.
She wasn't particularly knowledgeable about Remembrance.
As such, the authority to interpret how it worked naturally rested with Su Ran.
Even so, merely gazing at that familiar figure filled her heart with countless emotions.
"As expected of a Foxian. She's really quite beautiful."
To Jingliu's astonishment, Su Ran reached out and ruffled Baiheng's remaining consciousness by the head.
Then he rubbed her fox ears.
And finally pinched her cheeks.
Jingliu: ???
Wasn't he the one who said touching her was dangerous?!
What exactly was this supposed to mean?
Having one standard publicly and another privately was one thing.
But at least do it when she wasn't watching!
Wasn't doing this right in front of her a little excessive?
"Don't misunderstand."
"While I'm not an Emanator of Remembrance, because of Fuli's blessing, my control over the Path of Remembrance is effectively equivalent to one."
The only difference was that he couldn't simultaneously become an Emanator of multiple Paths.
Otherwise, Su Ran would already qualify as an Emanator of three separate Paths.
Xipe had also expressed considerable approval toward him.
After all, his actions aligned rather well with the ideals of Harmony.
"Could you at least be gentler?"
Jingliu frowned.
Watching Su Ran continuously handling Baiheng's consciousness made her uncomfortable.
Baiheng's awareness was already fragile.
What if he accidentally harmed it?
Hearing her concern, Su Ran's movements paused slightly.
The look in his eyes when he turned toward Jingliu became somewhat complicated.
Did Jingliu count as the wronged party here?
Probably.
After all, she could only watch everything unfold without stopping him.
That really was a little tragic.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Seeing Su Ran stop what he was doing and stare at her with that meaningful gaze,
Jingliu found it deeply unsettling.
She couldn't help asking.
"I was just thinking that pinching your cheeks is better."
"At least you provide some feedback."
Su Ran promptly switched targets and began pinching Jingliu's face instead.
Jingliu: "..."
Had she spoken too much?
Why was he bullying her again now?
...Forget it.
She couldn't be bothered resisting anymore.
He could do as he pleased.
—------------------------------
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