Forbidden knowledge was like chili peppers: the pleasure came from the pain, and the worse you were at handling it, the more you tended to enjoy it.
Since you'd brought Expert Fu in for questioning, you'd better be prepared for Harriet's triple whammy.
After improvising, Fu Qian quietly watched the two people opposite him, without even taking a sip from the drink in his hand.
That was mainly because this pineapple-flavored stuff was only good for rinsing your mouth.
The two across from him, meanwhile, looked as if they'd just downed a bottle of onion water.
"You're saying the elder did it on purpose back then? Katon was used?"
But even frowning took time. After a long exchange of glances, the Dawkinses finally couldn't stay silent any longer and gritted their teeth as they asked Fu Qian to confirm what he meant.
"Don't rush to decide whether it's true. Try using it as a reference."
Fu Qian couldn't even be bothered to persuade them. He suggested they assume it was true for now and see how it sat with them.
"Judging by your reaction, whether the Redeemer had to know and consent is probably still a blind spot in your knowledge—but that doesn't mean it was a requirement for him."
Fu Qian gestured with the cross star in his hand.
"Could it be that after speaking with Katon, he realized not only that Katon had potential, but that he'd make a suitable vessel? So after doing it to him, he performed a daring ritual on himself as well—only there was just one Redeemer?"
Pointing at Tooth-Robe Lady, Fu Qian blinked.
"And Katon never realized it... until many years later, when he was nearing the end of his life, he discovered the problem and tried to undo it?"
Reassuringly, despite his