Memento

Gu Yun’s response left Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en in a brief silence.

“Senior Sister, you’re not a jinx, are you? Speak of the devil, and here we are—actually running into a case where memory can deceive…”

Zhong Yi couldn’t help but complain.

No sooner had Qin Li’en mentioned that memories might lie than they encountered Gu Yun, who had no idea why he wanted to go to the Moon Realm.

“Shut up… I think you’re the real jinx.”

Qin Li’en shot Zhong Yi a glare.

“Still, we’re in luck.”

Zhong Yi looked curious. “How so?”

“All we have to do is plant a ‘cause’ of joining the Nine Heavens Sect,” she replied. “For a child, it’s easy to accept.”

A piece of information immediately popped up in front of Zhong Yi:

[Nine Heavens Sect: One of the few remaining major sects in the Blue Realm, highly skilled in the way of exploration. Using the sect’s grand formation, one can step out of the Blue Realm and travel to other domains.]

Qin Li’en’s reasoning wasn’t hard to follow.

To go to the Moon Realm, one had to join the Nine Heavens Sect and learn its techniques.

Whatever Gu Yun’s true reason for wanting to go to the Moon Realm, joining the Nine Heavens Sect was the only way to achieve it.

Thus, if they planted the “cause” of joining the Nine Heavens Sect early in Gu Yun’s life, they would likely fulfill his wish to go to the Moon Realm.

“Senior Sister’s right. What kid doesn’t want to become a cultivator? If we plant this ‘cause,’ we’ve got a ninety-nine percent chance of success!”

Zhong Yi praised, fully agreeing with Qin Li’en.

Decision made. Qin Li’en walked over to Gu Yun and talked things over with him.

“…Now we need to go into your childhood memories to plant that ‘cause.’”

Qin Li’en explained the stakes in detail.

“To enter your past memories, we need an item that’s very important to you as an anchor point.”

“Will this work?”

Gu Yun cooperated without hesitation, handing over the yellow-and-blue paper rabbit he kept by his side.

“Yellow-and-blue paper rabbit? I saw that in the lighthouse—it seems really important to Old Master…”

Zhong Yi whispered to Qin Li’en.

Qin Li’en took the paper rabbit, cast a technique, and a faint glow emanated from it.

“It’s done. Junior Brother Zhong, let’s go.”

…

…

The figures of Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en reappeared in the old mansion—this time on the first floor.

White-haired Gu Yun sat before an exquisite seven-stringed zither, his fingers plucking the strings rapidly.

It was that same tune, “Remembering Lin Xi.”

Though a cheerful melody by nature, it now carried an inexplicable sorrow.

“Why are there so many paper rabbits!?”

Qin Li’en exclaimed in surprise.

Fortunately, before entering this memory, they had already concealed themselves as observers, moving through it without affecting anything, so Gu Yun was completely unaware of their presence.

The old mansion was covered floor to ceiling—paper rabbits everywhere: on the ground, on tables, on the stairs…

Countless white folded paper rabbits, with only one yellow-and-blue two-toned rabbit standing out among them.

“Senior Sister, you might not know this, but in the real world, the old mansion has just as many of these paper rabbits…”

Zhong Yi described what he had seen in the basement and lighthouse.

“It seems these paper rabbits are very important to Old Master Gu.”

Qin Li’en walked thoughtfully toward the two-toned paper rabbit. The moment her finger touched it, a flash of light entered the jade pendant on her chest.

From the skill description, Zhong Yi had basically figured out how [Memory Leap worked.

To reach a more distant memory, one first had to collect dream power from items that carried the host’s memories.

Then, find special objects that existed in both memory scenes to serve as memory fragments that would open the passageway.

Using dream power to activate the [Memory Leap] technique, they could use these memory fragments as conduits to enter even earlier recollections.

Zhong Yi’s sharp eyes quickly spotted several items imbued with dream power.

“Paper rabbit, wall clock, chrysanthemum, books… even pickled cucumbers can hold dream power!?”

Zhong Yi couldn’t help muttering under his breath.

“That stuff is sour as hell—Old Master Gu has a weird taste.”

“Stop blabbering and let’s move on to the next memory!”

Qin Li’en grumbled, dragging Zhong Yi by the arm downstairs.

The memory fragment for this segment:

An umbrella.

…

…

Memory jump.

Rain poured, thunder roared.

Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en followed that umbrella and appeared before the lighthouse in the storm.

In their observer state, they remained dry despite the downpour.

Amid the furious wind and rain, white-haired and gaunt Gu Yun held the umbrella, standing sorrowfully before Lin Xi’s tombstone.

After collecting the dream power, Zhong Yi walked to the lighthouse entrance.

He and Qin Li’en were about to head up the tower when a hoarse, choked voice came from behind.

“It’s all over, Lin Xi.”

Gu Yun’s voice was fragmented, nearly merging with the rain.

“Now I can take care of her every day, just like you did.”

“…She won’t be alone anymore.”

Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en both stopped, turning back to look.

In the rain, Gu Yun stretched out a hand full of wrinkles and calluses, gently stroking the tombstone.

“Though I might never understand what you were thinking…”

“But I’ll do it for you.”

“An Ya must be grateful to you too.”

As he spoke—whether it was rain or tears—the side of Gu Yun’s face became wet.

“But after I’m gone…”

“Who will take care of us?”

Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en exchanged glances, both full of confusion and doubt.

Who was An Ya?

It sounded like their child, but according to the commission’s records, Old Master Gu had no children.

Just as Zhong Yi was puzzling over this, Qin Li’en—usually so sharp-tongued—suddenly disengaged her observer state, revealing herself to actively ask Gu Yun.

“She was never meant to rest here…”

“She didn’t have to do this. But she…”

“You wouldn’t understand. Neither would I…”

Mentioning Lin Xi, the old man was overwhelmed with grief, causing ripples throughout the entire illusion world.

Zhong Yi quickly froze Gu Yun, stabilizing the illusion.

“Senior Sister, weren’t you the one who told me not to break the observer state?”

“Shut up.”

“What you just did was dangerous. If I hadn’t—”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up.”

“Who is An Ya?”

“I don’t know. Didn’t have time to ask. But it’s not important—as long as we get him to join the Nine Heavens Sect, the mission is complete.”

Qin Li’en sounded a bit flustered.

They reached the top floor of the lighthouse, gathered enough dream power, and activated the memory fragment again—

The patched, slightly faded platypus plush that Gu Yun always carried with him.

…

…

This time.

The timeline had been pushed back much further.

Gu Yun’s hair was just starting to gray, and he seemed much more spirited.

Zhong Yi and Qin Li’en appeared in a bedroom. Though the layout was similar, the room was smaller—clearly not the old mansion from reality.

The bedroom floor was also covered with layer upon layer of paper cranes.

Lying on the bed was a middle-aged woman with graying hair, presumed to be Gu Yun’s deceased wife, Lin Xi.