[Moments later, Ye Yu not only escapes imprisonment and flogging, but even earns the right to sit before Luo Shu.]
[He is even given a cup of black tea.]
[This tea, they say, is the last keepsake the Great Sage, Guardian of the Realm, Luo Shu took when leaving the Demon World.]
[Every sip makes it scarcer; only the most important guests may taste it!]
[Once the hospitality is set, Luo Shu waves lightly to Liu Yuenong, signaling her to withdraw.]
[After she leaves, only he and Ye Yu remain in the side hall.]
[“That line you used just now gave me a very unusual feeling. As if someone very familiar once said it to me. And that person was certainly not you.”]
[“What exactly is going on?”]
[Faced with Luo Shu’s question, Ye Yu doesn’t answer at once. After a moment’s thought, he says softly, “Don’t you remember who called you ‘Doggie’? She was your most important companion.”]
[“Companion?”]
[After the soft murmur, Luo Shu’s expression turns dazed.]
[His hands clench unconsciously; a trace of turmoil flashes in his eyes.]
[Luo Shu lowers his heads slightly and says in a deep voice, “It feels like I’ve forgotten someone very important. I want to think carefully, but it’s as if there’s an invisible shackle in my mind. I can’t break it, and I can’t recall her—not for now, at least!”]
[Hearing this, Ye Yu can now be sure in his heart.]
[In this former Tongtian Pavilion, White Rainbow is a taboo.]
[Even a being like Luo Shu has had his memory sealed.]
[No wonder merely speaking her name warped the space.]
[But why?]
[Ye Yu can’t figure it out.]
[With that suspicion in mind, he is determined not to bring up White Rainbow to Luo Shu.]
[So he smiles lightly and reassures him: “Don’t worry, Great Sage. It’s fine if something doesn’t come to mind right away. Perhaps in a few days, at some moment, it will suddenly return. No need to dwell on it.”]
[Luo Shu’s three dog heads bob up and down; he nods repeatedly.]
[“Makes sense. Thinking of it that way, I suddenly feel much better.”]
[“Right—boy, why would you curse our Tongtian Pavilion out of nowhere?”]
[Ye Yu gives a wry smile. “I didn’t curse you. I told the truth. What’s today’s date?”]
[Luo Shu does a quick calculation. “Epoch Thirty-Seven, year two thousand and sixty, first month, third day.”]
[In the God Realm, every eighty million years is one epoch.]
[Ye Yu knows this basic fact.]
[Recalling the history of Tongtian Pavilion Luo Shu explained before, Ye Yu’s expression grows grave.]
[“Three days from now, the heart-devil cultivator Dong Hongzhuo of Tongtian Pavilion will fall at Past Days ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Mountain.”]
[“The ones who kill him are from the Boundless Sea Divine Alliance.”]
[“After you investigate and confirm it, you’ll go to war.”]
[“The alliance lord of Boundless Sea will personally fight you. You’ll be grievously wounded and lose much of your strength.”]
[“From there, Tongtian Pavilion begins its decline.”]
[“This is fate. Believe it or not, in three days it will happen.”]
[Having said this, Ye Yu can’t help a sigh.]
[To be honest with himself, he had not wanted to speak of these things.]
[Heroes fading—hard to accept.]
[But to make Luo Shu believe him, Ye Yu has no choice.]
[And of course, if he can change that tragic end, so much the better.]
[Even a change within a secret domain would be good!]
[After a long silence, Luo Shu says only four words.]
[“I understand.”]
[Then he summons an attendant god to take Ye Yu to rest.]
[He grants Ye Yu freedom to move about and tells him to return in three days.]
[Until then, it is best not to leave Tongtian Pavilion.]
[Ye Yu does not refuse, and follows the attendant away.]
[As the side-hall doors close, Luo Shu’s expression turns indescribably wistful. He looks up at the ceiling and lets out a long sigh.]
[While speaking with Ye Yu, he secretly ran nine rounds of divination.]
[Every result was the same.]
[A being with no origin and no roots whatsoever.]
[In other words, a god who should not exist in the God Realm.]
[What—could Ye Yu be carrying some treasure that skewed the result?]
[Impossible. Absolutely impossible!]
[Know this: Luo Shu’s method of divination differs from others.]
[Other gods must observe and calculate; Luo Shu’s way is to smell.]
[With a few sniffs of a dog’s nose, the truth is laid bare.]
[This divine art has never failed Luo Shu.]
[For that very reason, he cannot help but believe Ye Yu spoke the truth.]
[Perhaps it is fate—or heaven’s will.]
[But so what? Luo Shu does not believe in fate!]
[He takes out a communication stone and orders, “Dong Hongzhuo should be training in the northern God Realm now, yes? Notify him to return to the alliance at once. And remember—he must not approach Past Days Mountain!”]
[A reply comes quickly.]
[“I obey the Great Sage’s decree!”]
[With that arranged, Luo Shu’s eyes grow sharp.]
[“I am the Great Sage, Guardian of the Realm. I have struggled against heaven my whole life. I do not believe in fate!”]
[In the time that follows—]
[Ye Yu remains within Tongtian Pavilion.]
[Not that he hasn’t thought of leaving—but he cannot get out at all!]
[Whenever he reaches the main gate of Tongtian Pavilion, a gentle force pushes him back inside.]
[Ye Yu tries to resist, but it’s useless.]
[Since he can’t leave, he may as well wait for now.]
[And slowly seek a way to break the game.]
[After that, Ye Yu plunges headlong into the archives.]
[The demon gods of Tongtian Pavilion wanted to stop him, but Luo Shu barred them.]
[“Let him do as he pleases.”]
[With the Guardian’s word, all demon gods can only obey.]
[Still, they are not convinced.]
[After all, Tongtian Pavilion is full of demon gods—yet a yokai god has slipped in and can come and go from the archives? What is that supposed to be?]
[Many even begin to wonder if Luo Shu has gone senile—has he forgotten the most basic rules of the alliance?]
[Luo Shu pays no mind to such grumbling.]
[From time to time he only looks in on Ye Yu outside the archives.]
[“Boy, if three million years from now you truly are the alliance lord, then of course you may read whatever you like here.”]
[“But I do not wish history to proceed as you have said.”]
[At midday on the third day—]
[Within Tongtian Pavilion’s archives, Ye Yu takes a solid step forward and enters early Great God realm.]
[It must be said: at its peak, the archives hold an astonishing number of methods—more than ten times what remained in decline.]
[Because he has read so broadly, Ye Yu can break through so quickly.]
[As he prepares to leave, he sees a woman in white robes.]
