One morning, Shi Tian's eyes shot up without any warning. It held an unprecedented calmness with a tinge of helplessness.
'A trace of the divine mind travelling to another world… I never expected to become a Memetic Entity.'
The Divine Transformation Realm is no longer a simple 'realm' that strengthens the body, solidifies the soul, and pushes one's mind to affect reality itself. It bestows upon a 'status'. It is the 'weight' of someone.
The Cocoon of Finality has a 'heavy' weight comparable to the 'status' of Void Refinement Realm.
Although Divine Transformation Realm cultivators cannot compare to it, their possession of 'status' makes them above most living beings. They are above the 'Pathstriders' but below 'Emanators'.
Not to mention the Karmic Severance Sword. It is a bonafide seventh level Tao Heart that can see through karmic lines. The status it bestows, although below the true Void Refinement Realm, has the essence of 'Void Refinement Realm' in it. It is not difficult to seal one's memories and prevent them from leaking out to the outside world.
In Shi Tian's case, he relied on his 'status' to seal almost everything about himself. That was the only way to make himself 'spotless'.
Any chances of "Fuli" tampering with his real memories are completely prevented. As for the 'memories' he had of other 'fictional worlds', it was a part of his experiment on Fuli's Path and his Dao of Creation.
'A final piece… I need to encounter him to completely analyze Remembrance's Path and remove this worry...'
The fleeting clarity was replaced with a confused look.
"What did I…"
He felt the warmth of the quilt, and then a soft breathing. The huge patch of white skin filled his sight.
Mechanically, he looked upwards. Strands of black hair filled a part of his sight. The gorgeous face of a siren greeted him.
"Ah…"
He stopped breathing. He desperately scoured his brain for what happened prior to it. Shi Tian separated from her. Out of curiosity, he took several glasses of what he thought was 'Honey Brew'.
It tasted slightly like it, except with a hint of bitterness. These flavors blended so well that he drank a total of five glasses before feeling dizzy.
Then…
He couldn't remember the rest.
'This… This..?!'
Shi Tian lost his breath as she pulled his face closer to her chest. All he could smell was Hysilens' unique body scent. It was akin to the refreshing sea breeze. His panic subsided. Her calming presence elicited lost sleepiness.
And so, he fell asleep once more.
*****
"What's the matter, Ghost Fry?"
"Y-y-w-w…"
Shi Tian gave up speaking. He heaved several deep breaths before he barely calmed down. His beet red face turned back to normal. Hysilens watched these changes as she got dressed up. She did not care… or rather, she did not mind letting him see her naked body.
When he saw himself fully clothed, he calmed down slightly.
"L-last night. What happened?"
He was finally able to form a coherent sentence.
"You drank too much wine. You stormed off to the citizens' area, singing several discordant yet harmonious melodies…"
Turns out, Shi Tian has a very low alcohol tolerance. He got drunk and started to mess around. Fortunately, others couldn't see him.
He sang the lines of "Never let you go…", "E—very night is a dream…", "The future breaking out of shades…", "I thought I was no more than a bystander…", "Never can we suspend the time…", and "As fire grows to destroy the world with force..."
Although it was sung in a language native from Amphoreus, Hysilens saw more of it. The songs felt familiar, but also foreign. They were full of emotions to the point it was a complete narration of certain stories—one that is surely close to Shi Tian's heart.
Out of them all, one song resonated the hardest. For no reason, it remained stuck in Hysilens' mind. It was constructed to be a happy and verdant song, yet it hides a tinge of bitterness that can only be related by those who knew about it.
Shi Tian doesn't know… but his heart does.
"This song…"
She paused before she started mimicking his singing:
"Oh, stay true;
Blossom as spring renews;
Dream in colors every hue;
Tomorrow's heights, to tomorrow's life;
I'll walk in step beside you…"
He paused like a puppet with their strings cut off. His eyes remained glued to Hysilens. Her voice perfectly recreated everything, down to its very emotions.
Tears uncontrollably fell from his eyes.
'What is this..?'
Shi Tian recalled his years' of experience in this world. Helping the Imp-erator claim her throne, watch the bloodshed unfold, recruit the sea siren, and meeting Janus' priest…
The song stirred up everything he ever held in this world. It was saddening… to a crushing degree.
'Something… It's something… What is it..?'
He desperately searched for answers… but he knew it to himself. Whatever that triggered him, it was something sealed for a good reason. He knew not to be impatient. His memory being temporarily sealed did not rid him of his character honed in hundreds of years.
In the end, he did damage control and wipe his tears.
As soon as she was finished singing, Hysilens walked towards him with concern.
"Ghost Fry..?"
"No, it's nothing."
"It is surely something."
"..."
His downcast head shifted up to meet her gaze.
"...Yes. It's something. I want to change this song, but I don't know how. Bitter-sweetness… the world has a lot of that already."
"Changing a song's melody is no easy feat… so I will help you."
"Hysilens…"
Just then, three loud knocks disrupted their peace.
"I am coming in."
The Imperator went ahead and did just that. She was greeted by the sight of Shi Tian inside Hysilens' bedroom.
Her mind turned blank for a moment.
'Merlin… and her…'
It never occurred to her that the duo's relationship was close enough to share the same bed!
The SAME bed!!!
Her years of being a ruler didn't go to waste. Her composure remained as she stated:
"Merlin."
"Yes?"
"Somebody spoke of a drunken ballad who obstructed Okhema's public places. Does it happen to be you?"
"..."
He didn't expect there would be another one…
*****
The Golden Weaver from a prestigious family, Lady Aglaea.
She is renowned for the quality of her dresses. It was so artistically beautiful everyone priced it at a premium, yet nobody was willing to sell their piece.
The Imperator's "huge feast" caught everyone off guard. Some people wanted to see it fail. Some wanted to use it to smear their own saviors' image.
The inclusion of ordinary Okhemian Citizens removed any possibility of it from happening. The public opinion surrounding her is at an all-time high.
Aglaea, being one of Okhema's golden blooded Chrysos Heirs, silently participated in the 'banquet'.
Everything was fine until a "drunkard" appeared. The first thing he did was to steal a Dromas' food (i.e., clay) under their noses. To the poor Dromas, all they saw was the disappearance of their food.
Then came his descent to the men and women who took advantage of the atmosphere to confess. The drunkard didn't do anything mischievous except give the final push to the hesitant ones.
The trouble came when he drank his umpteenth glass of alcoholic beverage. His unsteady figure toppled one person after another. His rather discordant but still emotional singing stood out amidst the harmonious atmosphere.
In the end, the Golden Weaver, who saw all of it, reported to the city guards. This story was passed upon the guards who swore to not have seen someone like the drunkard's features last night.
This peculiarity caught the attention of a general, who was then overheard by Cerydra.
What Aglaea didn't expect was…
"Good morning. Do you take custom orders here?"
…the drunkard will drop a visit to her humble shop.
*****
A/N: Y'all will see what Tian is cooking with the Creation Dao and Remembrance in the next chapter...
PS: There are currently 2 accumulated bonus chapters thanks to the powerstone milieage. I'll be dropping them both tomorrow along with the regular chapter.
PPS: The title of the songs he sang are as follows: Nightglow, Regression, TruE, Moon Halo, Da Capo, Blazing Legacy, and Ripples of Past Reverie. And yes, if you find Blazing Legacy unfamiliar, it is an HI3 fan-song by Caitlin Myers and Project Mons. If you listen to the lyrics, it is all about Kiana's journey into becoming the Herrscher of Flamescion. I recommend to check this out if you still haven't!