The Consistent Path of Memory

Li Jingming seized the opportunity, or rather, he clearly knew what he needed to remember. So he looked intently at Cheng Shi and asked one of the questions he had been most looking forward to.

What happened during that Trials? And why did [Prosperity] fall?

Cheng Shi had probably guessed that the other party would ask this question. He chuckled and raised the corner of his mouth, saying, "Does that count as two questions?"

"?" Li Jingming pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Then let's call it two questions."

That's generous!

Cheng Shi laughed, a bright laugh. This time he did not hide anything and told the whole story of the Trials he had experienced. However, he concealed some details about the Fated and the Big Cat, and pushed the reason for the Divine Descent to the unknown.

"[Prosperity] went mad and wanted to assimilate [Decay]. The Divine Descent to uphold the Justice of the [Covenant] and intervened. Thus, [Prosperity] was imprisoned and then destroyed itself. This is the whole story."

But I didn't witness it myself; He told me everything.

"[Destiny]!"

"Yes, it was my Lord of Grace. I don't know why I was fortunate enough to meet Him, but He said it was an accident, an accident driven by Change."

Li Jingming was deeply shocked. Even though he already knew that Prosperity had fallen, he still felt a sense of respect when he heard that Prosperity had perished under the siege of the gods.

Yes, reverence; he seemed to be earnestly experiencing His "piety."

Upon seeing Cheng Shi, Cheng Shi felt that the Dragon King's mentality was somewhat problematic. He clicked his tongue and suddenly asked:

"I say, Dragon King, you're a little too devout about [Memory]. The smell is practically wafting into my nose. I've met quite a few people, and everyone's devotion is mixed with some desire, but you're different."

I can sense your piety, but as for whether that piety is directed towards Him...

Before Cheng Shi could finish speaking, Li Jingming laughed, "You want to ask me why I have so consistently followed the path of [Memory]?"

"Tsk, 'consistent' is such a good word. You've already labeled it 'Deception,' so what kind of consistency is that?"

"..." The Dragon King ignored Cheng Shi's banter and said with a slightly serious expression, "I just want to do something for this world."

"?" Cheng Shi was taken aback, thinking he had misheard.

Li Jingming repeated it again, and added:

"Life is fragile, Civilization is short-lived. Since I was born and raised here, I naturally want to do something for this place before everything is gone."

And Memory is the best way I can think of.

"You..." Cheng Shi was dumbfounded. He never expected the Dragon King to suddenly start talking about value. But the problem was, his tone, his expression, and his manner of speaking sounded too real.

Are you serious, buddy?

Li Jingming seemed lost in memories, and continued in a nostalgic tone:

"I was born an orphan and was abandoned by the side of the highway. My Master took me back to Yunye Temple and raised me to adulthood."

"What temple? Huh? You really are a Daoist priest?" Cheng Shi blinked.

"Of course, many of you [Deception] me and accused me of putting on an act, but you don't know that only this outfit is my true self."

Yunye Temple is very small, so small that there are only my Master and me there.

However, Yunye Temple is very large, so large that it records the lives of all the ancestors Founding Master from ancient times to the present.

It's amazing, really. No matter how much this land has changed and how the world has changed, the lineage of Yunye Temple has never been broken.

Besides cooking and tending the fire, my daily routine consisted of reading about the lives of my Founding Master, whether extraordinary or ordinary. Perhaps it was from that time that I developed the habit of Memory...

Cheng Shi Shiben was initially enjoying the conversation, but as he listened, he realized something was amiss. Was the Dragon King... leaving behind his past?

In remembering others, he also makes others remember him.

The idea was good, but the wrong medium was chosen. Cheng Shi curled his lip and waved his hand dismissively, interrupting the other party without any politeness.

"Alright, alright, who isn't an orphan at some point?"

What's there to be sad about?

These aren't part of the transaction details. I didn't ask you; you said so yourself. Don't try to renege on your promise.

Li Jingming smiled and nodded, saying, "A person's past, present, and future all deserve to be remembered. Cheng Shi, if you want to leave something behind for this world, my Memory can help you."

No need.

The followers of [Existence] are truly cunning, constantly finding ways to draw others closer to [Existence].

We, the "Nothingness," are different; this world has no inherent meaning.

At this point, Cheng Shi silently added in his mind, "Because the person who made this world meaningful is no longer here."

Li Jingming was very perceptive. He noticed the fleeting sadness in Cheng Shi's eyes, paused slightly, then nodded and didn't pursue the topic any further.

"It's your turn, Cheng Shi. The Memory you provided are exceptionally rich, but I must remind you that the exchange of Memory is voluntary, and I'm not always this generous."

"..."

Cheng Shi understood. The Dragon King was pointing out to him that he couldn't use a bunch of small problems to exchange for a big one. Seeing that the bug he had just found had been fixed by the "official" team, Cheng Shi rolled his eyes speechlessly.

"Alright, but since I've answered two of your questions, I naturally have two more to ask."

Hmm, let me think... let's talk about them, about Lucia and Yog."

"?"

"[Sacred Sound of Procreation] Lucia and [The Corpse Vulture King] Yog?"

These two have nothing in common and have no connection whatsoever, so why ask them both suddenly?

Why? Naturally, it's to keep track of our allies' movements.

Hu Xuan took Zhen Xin away to find the so-called Lucia. Big Cat only asked about Yog from Afros. They both had targets. Although Cheng Shi couldn't help, he at least knew the background of these two people so that he could deal with new Change in time.

But of course he couldn't reveal his true thoughts, so he dodged the question with a subtle, evasive answer:

Is this considered a new problem?

"..." Li Jingming was speechless. He glanced at Cheng Shi with a strange expression, shook his head, and after recalling for a moment, slowly said:

"Lucia was an orphan born in the Grand Inquisition. As a child, he was taken back to a tribe that Faith [Birth] by a merchant from the Natural Alliance. As an adult, he went to the Tower of Reason and became an important member of the [Life Church] in the Tower of Reason."

Wait, another orphan?

No, that's not the point. The point is the Life Church. This church, which players used as a prototype when establishing their Nature Sect, seems to have produced quite a few famous figures. The Grand Scholar Therius was one of them.

"His childhood Memory are untraceable. All I know is that before he became [He], he was a midwife in Tusnat."