When something weighed on your mind, time seemed to fly.
The day passed in a blur. Mo Yuan packed his things, said goodbye to Tang Wulin, and hurried home.
At dinner, Na'er was plainly distracted. Even a blind man could have told something was bothering her.
"Na'er, is something on your mind?" Mo Yuan asked softly, pretending he knew nothing as he stroked her hair.
Na'er looked up at him, a strange glimmer in her clear violet eyes. "Brother, will you come to the beach with me after dinner?"
There was reluctance in her gaze, and longing too, along with a hint of scrutiny.
"Of course."
Mo Yuan did not ask why. He simply nodded without hesitation.
Red Mountain Academy was not far from the shore. It took only ten minutes or so to walk there.
Aolai City's beach was nothing special, though. It had none of the fine golden sand seen in anime. Instead, it was mostly coarse grit and shards of unidentifiable shells.
The moon was unusually beautiful that night. For once, stars filled the sky, set like jewels in black silk. The round moon shone brightest of all, casting light that made even the waves sparkle.
Na'er took off her shoes and carried them in one hand. Holding Mo Yuan's hand with the other, she walked through the shallows beside him and let the waves wash over her feet.
"Brother, if I had to leave one day, would you miss me?" Na'er asked suddenly.
Mo Yuan turned to look at her. She stood beneath the moonlight, her long hair and skirt blowing in the sea breeze.
He sighed. "Na'er, you've recovered your memories, haven't you?"
"Brother, you..."
Na'er froze.
"And if I'm right, your family has found you too. He wants to take you away. Maybe he even threatened you."
"Brother, you—"
Na'er shook her head. Her shoes slipped from her hand and splashed into the water. She stepped forward, trying to cover Mo Yuan's mouth before he could say more. She knew Di Tian had to be watching from the shadows.
She was afraid Mo Yuan might say something that would send Di Tian into a rage.
But Mo Yuan caught her by the waist and drew her into his arms.
"Mm—"
"You know, Na'er, there's a question I've never stopped thinking about. If someone with amnesia recovers her old memories, is she still the person she was before?"
Feeling the slight tremor of the girl in his arms, Mo Yuan continued, "I'm no philosopher, so I don't really understand the question. But my answer is this: whoever she may be, to me, she's still her."
"Bro..."
Then Mo Yuan raised his voice. "I know you're listening out there. Come out and talk to me!"
"Brother!" Na'er's eyes went wide. She stared at Mo Yuan in utter shock.
"What's wrong? You had no qualms about spying on me earlier today. Lost your nerve now?" Mo Yuan taunted.
"Hmph! It's been a long time since I've met a human as brazen as you!" an imperious voice sounded behind him.
Mo Yuan did not turn around. "Well, now you have."
"Interesting. How did you detect me?"
Mo Yuan chuckled. "Didn't Na'er tell you? I'm a Near-Level-9 Soul Engineer. Is it so strange that I'd have a Soul Tool capable of detecting someone watching me?"
"Smooth talker." Surprise flashed through Di Tian's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Boy, you have talent. But no matter how gifted you are, it's best not to act so arrogantly before you've grown strong enough to realize that potential. As you humans say, a genius who never reaches his potential is no genius at all."
A mere Level-9 Soul Engineer had never been worth Di Tian's concern. What constrained him was not technology, nor any powerful human, but the responsibilities he bore.
"I won't deny that. But I'd say I'm rather hard to kill, so you needn't worry about me." Mo Yuan turned and moved Na'er behind him. "You want to take Na'er away? Fine. Everyone has secrets, and perhaps she has a mission of her own. But before any of that, she's my sister. If you want to take her, you'll need my approval."
The sheer audacity of it!
Di Tian almost laughed in disbelief.
He was the Beast God, here to take his liege away, yet a human had the nerve to demand his approval. It was absurd.
"Hahaha! Human, I'll give you this: you have nerve. Do you know who I am? If you'd spoken to me like that ten thousand years ago, I'd have crushed you on the spot!"
Still, this human had his liege's favor, so Di Tian held back. Besides, a part of him admired the boy.
"I told you, I'm hard to kill. I certainly don't think you can finish me off. As for who you are..." Mo Yuan gave him a dangerous smile. "Beast God Di Tian. A pitiful wretch who's been locked away for who knows how many years. A beaten dog with nowhere to go. What do I have to fear from you?"
"Human, you have a death wish!"
Di Tian's fury erupted. He pointed at Mo Yuan and roared, "Step aside, now, and I'll pretend I heard nothing today. Otherwise, even with my liege here, I'll tear you to pieces!"
"See? All those years locked up did have an effect. I can't see a trace of the Beast God in you." Mo Yuan took out a metal rod nearly two meters long and drove it into the ground.
The moment it touched the earth, a silver beam shot from its tip. It climbed a thousand meters before spreading outward into an invisible barrier that enclosed everything within a ten-kilometer radius.
"This is a Level-9 Concealment Soul Tool I developed. Inside its range, two Quasi-Gods could beat each other bloody and no one outside would notice a thing."
Mo Yuan spoke casually. Then he turned to Na'er and handed her a golden necklace. "This necklace contains a Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Barrier that activates when needed. Step back for now and wait for me, all right?"
Na'er could no longer hold back her tears. They poured down her cheeks, soaking the front of her clothes.
"Brother... no... you..."
She sobbed as though her heart would break, hurt and worry mingling in her voice.
"It's all right. Don't worry. Your brother's strong, you know."
Mo Yuan fastened the necklace around Na'er's neck and tapped it lightly.
A flash of silver light formed a barrier around Na'er. Space warped faintly along its surface, lending it an eerie quality that seemed not to belong to this world.
It was a special Soul Tool Mo Yuan had made using technology he had studied from the Key of Eternity: Thousand Worlds. It folded the person it protected into a special pocket dimension. As long as its capacity was not exceeded, nothing could harm its user.
Once that was done, Mo Yuan waved a hand, and a metallic cane appeared in his grasp.
Mimicry: Key of Devouring, Stellar Sea Harmony!
"Come on, Di Tian. Today, I'll show you what it looks like when a star shatters!"