Me, Su Qing'an, the Courtesan.

Su Qing'an did not refute.

Regardless of whether Li Shishi can communicate normally with him, if he is to be kept in Zhen'an Ward, then the only conclusion that can be drawn is that it is acceptable.

After all, at this moment, the boy was not much different from a puppet without any independent consciousness.

But this doesn't mean he'll stay in this state forever; [Nian] was ultimately reverted to the stage where he could still exist in the world.

This means that the concept of Su Qing'an, and even the memories that shaped her personality and emotions, will inevitably be gradually restored to their original state through the autonomous repair of [Nian].

The reason Atropos didn't wait for the other party to return to normal in that space was because that area was too special; apart from the ability for thought to communicate and fluctuate, everything else would be in a state of absolute stagnation.

Otherwise, from a tool perspective, allowing players to automatically wait until their health bar is fully restored before assigning a dungeon quest is not a violation of the rules.

However, there was no point in remaining in that space.

Although subjecting Su Qing'an to another restart in this state could lead to unpredictable consequences and is somewhat unethical, it is the only option.

One can imagine that when the boy Soul Scale, he never thought about restarting them.

Therefore, it is reasonable for players who defeat the boss to bear the corresponding debuffs for their actions.

The Manas consciousness is damaged, the power of creation is nearly extinguished, the Soul Scale is dim, the physical body is frail like a sickly beauty, memories are burned away, the personality is broken beyond repair, and even the realm of emptiness is no longer present...

However, based on the Void Realm, the complete soul manifestation—[Stigmata]—still retains some abilities at this moment. Coupled with the martial arts skills and Honkai Energy micro-management habits imprinted in their instincts, they are mostly safe in terms of self-preservation.

To be precise, in this era where Herrscher will not appear.

Aside from the nearby Immortal Chi Yuan, the only other beings who could potentially threaten Su Qing'an's life are the other pioneers and beings from outside the world.

However, this is also because today's teenagers have no concept of life and death and have no desire for it. They may not have the awareness of attack and defense. Even if they have a well-honed fighting instinct, it is conceivable what the consequences will be if they think that there is nothing to do with death.

This is especially true given that Su Qing'an is currently quite vulnerable.

Theoretically, even a fragment of the Manas consciousness, if even a fraction of it can be broken, would make any Herrscher from the Previous Civilization with Sequence Number First Kill.

Honkai Consciousness and even the powers of the Herrscher directly and irrationally makes even the strongest Herrscher no different from an ordinary person.

However, this kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation that seals skills is something he cannot do now.

First of all, the fact that Su Qing'an's Manas consciousness is damaged and confined within his body is actually a good thing.

The loss of his Ascended State means that his personality will no longer be assimilated by heaven and earth.

For a teenager in a state that is almost like a shell, reverting to Ascended State would be no different from death.

The deity's approach was to replicate Su Qing'an's previous actions, using the life level of Planetary-class embryo to temporarily suppress the fragmented Manas consciousness, thus achieving a peaceful coexistence between the two.

The difference is that the outer shell of the [Divine Kingdom] was crushed.

The Planetary-class embryo is closely connected to the flesh and blood of the human body, thus completely sealing off the broken Manas consciousness and achieving a state of isolation from the outside world.

However, it can be seen from the panel that since this Planetary-class embryo is completely used to entangle and balance with the Manas consciousness, it does not have any effect on nourishing or strengthening the outer shell.

To put it simply, Su Qing'an is now like a glass bottle containing a remnant of Mars and a Pluto.

If it breaks down, not only will he lose himself, but the ensuing chain reaction could also affect the whole world.

Li Shishi had no idea that the child before her, who seemed like an immortal, was far more terrifying than she had imagined in a fleeting moment. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have been so wary or suspicious of a child who allowed them to pinch their cheeks at will.

The young girl pondered the series of things that would require leaving her here, and she asked:

"What your name?"

The boy retrieved a vivid answer from the blankness of his mind; this was the only accurate information he hadn't forgotten. The rest were merely instincts and past cognitive habits, but he didn't understand their origin or reason. He answered:

"Su Qing'an."

She repeated the name to herself several times, thought for a moment, and then said:

"Your skin and hair are very well-maintained. It's obvious you haven't suffered much hardship in the past. You must be from a wealthy or official family. Judging by your age, you probably attended a private school and are literate."

The child before us is male, so it is only natural to cultivate his understanding of classics and history from a young age in preparation for the imperial examinations.

In contrast, for a woman, the freedom to pursue her studies is all the more precious in a society where men are superior to women and women are considered virtuous if they are not talented.

Su Qing'an instinctively heard the person's soft whisper, trying to find a trace of remnant information in the chaotic and blank Sea of consciousness. His dark eyes lowered, as if the stars within them were dying, dimming slightly.

He had lost all his emotions and memories, and was even deprived of the right to feel sorrow and loss, even though he understood his own situation as if he were a wrecked corpse with nothing left.

In the end, however, the person responded in a flat tone, without a trace of emotion.

"I don't know, that's all I remember."

If you were in someone else's shoes, you might not trust these words; at most, you would see them as an excuse.

But for Su Qing'an, it was a completely different story. In the early stages when his Soul Essence was in the double digits, he possessed a natural affinity that permeated his surroundings.

This originates from external transmission of one's true nature and belongs to a position that is compatible from higher to lower.

With the unit of the soul scale being sublimated into the Manas consciousness, and its total amount being ten times greater than before, even if it is incomplete, it can still interfere with the scope of the self.

In fact, it was no coincidence that Su Qing'an was found by Li Shishi earlier.

Rather, it is the Manas consciousness that filters people's minds time and time again.

However, the one who ultimately gained its instinctive approval was a last Courtesan who was not in control of her own destiny, as if she were imprisoned in a cage.

Li Shishi once said that it was fate, and perhaps the truth is not much different from that.

Even if that day were repeated a thousand times, only she could pick up the immortal who had fallen to the mortal world at that time.

Even if Su Qing'an lies, even the most cunning and treacherous person will involuntarily choose to believe him, and vice versa.

Not to mention that Li Shishi had a certain initial goodwill towards him and was kind-hearted by nature, the fact that she was an ordinary human being made it impossible for him not to question her.

This is the constraint.

During Su Qing'an's dimensional ascension process via genetic modification, the information and whispers that embraced consciousness were essentially a higher level's rendering of what lay below.

If any other human being in the world at that time had been tasked with this transformation, the result would have been the same: being swallowed up by their own self.

Only the Soul Lifeform can be exempted from this to some extent.

Li Shishi gazed at the man's expressionless, handsome face, seemingly sensing the emptiness and bewilderment beneath his indifference. She felt a pang of pity and sighed inwardly.

The girl patted his head, her eyes lowered, shimmering with tears, as if there were turbulent waves within them.

Does she really intend to treat this child the way Grandma Li treated her back then?

After that, she went on to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and later served people with singing and dancing.

Those who remained in Zhen'an Ward seemed to have a clearer idea of their fate thereafter.

But if his body fully develops, where can he go?

Li Shishi's eyes turned up at the corners, and she parted her lips, revealing a pure smile.

She seemed to see in this child herself thirteen years ago, when the snow was falling heavily, she knew nothing about the future, and let the wind and rain rage on her.

My own fate is already sealed, but the young boy before me has an unknown future ahead.

If... he could see the world for me, experience the martial arts world, perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.

Let's talk about it later.

What right does a lowly Courtesan, chosen and kept like a canary in this vast Capital City, have to speak of others' futures?

She stopped thinking and whispered:

"My name is Li Shishi, and I'm the Courtesan in Zhen'an Ward. Just treat me like an older sister."

"From now on, your stage name will be Su Su. When people ask you your real name, just answer with that."

"This room will be your residence from now on."

"I'll have the people here recognize you later. Sometimes I might not be in Zhen'an Ward, so it'll make me feel more at ease if more people look after you, both openly and secretly."

The "girl" picked up the pastries on the plate on the table, and while calmly putting them into her lips, she remained silent without any objection.

Appetite.

This is Su Qing'an's most obvious desire now that she has fallen into the mortal world.

Seeing this, Li Shishi poked his puffed-out cheeks, and suddenly laughed. Her gentle eyebrows and eyes were like water lilies slowly opening in the water, exuding an elegant charm and a tender childlike innocence.

So cute.

She thought that things might not be as boring as usual for the next while.

After that, the bewildered young man settled in a brothel called Zhen'an Ward at the beginning of the restart.

The sheer power of his Soul Essence enabled him to learn anything with the blink of an eye, replicating and surpassing it all.

Li Shishi realized with a sigh that in just one week of occasional free time she had spent teaching him, almost all of her life's knowledge had been absorbed.

The power of this learning ability lies not only in its photographic memory and instant comprehension, but also in its ability to evolve, integrate, and surpass the original owner's capacity.

Although the girl was not skilled in martial arts, she could still glimpse her special control over her body strength and even muscles from the scene where the man perfectly reproduced Zhao Ji's slender gold calligraphy style after seeing it.

This made her begin to suspect that she might have found some secret martial arts technique in the martial arts world, since the child could learn all the stances in just a few breaths.

However, the true martial arts that exist on the land of Shenzhou are basically controlled by ancient clans, and are rarely circulated in the martial arts world. Most of them are pure martial arts that do not involve Honkai Energy.

As a renowned Courtesan in the Capital City, Li Shishi knew far more people than ordinary courtesans. Although wandering knights of the martial arts world had almost no right to interact with her, she still possessed a few martial arts manuals of dubious authenticity, which she vaguely remembered being given to her as a gift.

But what if Su Su practices incorrectly?

After considering this, although I wanted to teach him self-defense, I decided to give up on that idea.

It will probably be a very long time before this young Courtesan realizes that this seemingly harmless child, whom she occasionally lifts up, is in some ways much stronger than the legendary Immortal Chi Yuan. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she has found a true immortal who has fallen to earth.

Even though she knew nothing about this, Li Shishi still doted on him. Although she let Su Qing'an stay in Zhen'an Ward, she used the emperor's influence to ensure that he didn't sign a contract of servitude and settled there peacefully.

In this respect alone, she is far superior to the women in the entire Tianshui Lane brothel.

Women who frequented Tianshui Lane typically had several distinct identities based on their social standing.

The lowest class are courtesans, who are like duckweed floating on the water in brothels, their role being to receive and entertain guests.

Most of them were of average appearance and little education, and were short-sighted women who could only associate with the common people who were entertaining themselves. They had no chance with the young men of high society. When they grew old and their beauty faded, a miserable life awaited them.

Slightly better off are the experienced prostitutes, whose contracts of servitude are held by the brothel, leaving them with no freedom; their clients are arranged by their respective madams.

Although you can earn some money, a portion of it still has to be handed over.

Brothels provide them with food and lodging, treating them like prostitutes. However, once they are no longer sought after and lose their value, they are driven away and left homeless.

In Tianshui Lane and Zhen'an Ward, there is another layer of people known as Elegant Pavilion.

These were high-class courtesans, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and possessed a wealth of talent.

They sell their art, not their bodies; their daily work involves drinking and chatting with refined individuals and wealthy young men.

These people are rare, and they are either not exceptionally beautiful and carefully cultivated by madams from a young age, but rather have fallen on hard times due to their families' decline, leaving them with no choice but to wander here.

However, there is still a possibility that someone will redeem his indenture and allow him to live a better life.

The highest-ranking Courtesan, practically the living advertisement of the brothel. Even the madam had to give her some respect. Not only was she highly valued, but she could also choose her own customers and lived a very comfortable life.

Li Shishi belongs to this category, but she also has a contract of servitude that she signed since childhood.

To put it bluntly, once you've entered this industry, you want to get out of it.

No matter what social class you belong to, it is not an easy thing.

Su Qing'an didn't even sign a contract of servitude; at most, he was just doing temporary work, and he could even leave if he was unhappy.

Even considering that someone who can rampage across the entire Shenzhou of China doesn't care about the so-called rules, it's still clear that Li Shishi's attitude towards him was genuinely sincere.

But at the very beginning, there was one thing that kept Li Shishi from having a major headache.

That is to say, Su Qing'an was so taciturn that he could only exchange a few sentences in a whole day—his level of autism was even more complete than when he was rebooted last time.

Even during the learning and teaching process, the other party only glanced at it a few times or listened occasionally with a distracted mind, yet they were able to surpass their teacher.

This left the girl, who was really looking forward to getting along with the other person, feeling somewhat disappointed, yet there was absolutely no reason for the other person to speak up.

However, it seems that due to the blank in his memory, he is now almost no different from other children, and has inherited his soft-hearted personality. Whenever he senses that the other person is in a negative mood, he will try to say a few words.

Her somewhat clumsy words, coupled with her pretty yet childlike face and her aloof and refined temperament, often struck this Courtesan, who was pursued by many powerful nobles and princes, like a blow, making them unable to resist pinching her cheeks.

Susu is so cute.

Li Shishi soon discovered this pattern: whenever she was unhappy, no matter why, the other person would try to talk to her, which was quite easy to understand.

This led to the girl gradually becoming an immersive actress in the presence of her partner, and gradually developing a perverse sense of humor.

She couldn't deceive Su Qing'an, but he, being as naive as a blank sheet of paper, had absolutely no problem with using tricks.

In every sense, the Immortal Chi Yuan, who was far away in Qingzhou slaying demons and monsters, was gradually becoming "dangerous".

On the other hand, during the week they spent together, Li Shishi gradually realized that the child she had taken in was not simply someone who had lost his memory.

It was as if a certain area of the brain had been completely destroyed. Even if it did not affect the survival of the body, the mind was completely different from that of an ordinary person.

Sometimes Li Shishi felt that the real Su Qing'an was dead, and the child she dug out of the snow was just a remnant of the human world.

However, this is merely a fleeting, unfounded connection that lacks any logical basis.

Moreover, such thoughts were too tragic, and she certainly didn't want the other person to actually have experienced such a miserable end.

Therefore, the girl deliberately connected it with his extraordinary talent, thinking that the reason he was in his current state might be related to this exceptional talent.

This is what is meant by "the heavens are jealous of talent"—possessing extraordinary talent, yet also having corresponding flaws.

In short, on the other side, the Immortal Chi Yuan awakened fragments of his memories and was still shouldering the responsibility of Shenzhou land of China, carrying out acts of slaying demons and monsters.

With Li Shishi's help, Su Qing'an's life in Zhen'an Ward settled down almost smoothly.

Qingzhou.

In the endless night, the sound of the night watchman's gong slowly spreads from the dim and desolate lights, like ripples gently rising and falling on the surface of water.

It was past midnight, and the small town, located in a remote area, was shrouded in a deathly silence, like the depths of a swamp.

Under the dim, sparse light, the monster, moving with heavy, ghostly steps, sniffed the last remaining human scent and slowly walked in one direction.

The immortal gazed calmly at this hellish realm of Asura, her blue and black oil-paper umbrella lightly touching the ground.

Honkai Energy uses this as a node, spreading like a spider web for thousands of miles.

And so, in the blink of an eye.

The owner of those footsteps vanished into the deep night, gone without a trace.