The courtyard fell into a peculiar hush.
For the first time, a faint pause crept into Ruan Mei's usually placid gaze—like her mind had briefly stalled while processing the sheer information density of what Wei Qing had just said… and the absurd whiplash it carried.
An Aeon's descent. Nous's fleeting attention. A once-in-an-era opportunity—one where you could pose a question to the highest intelligence in the cosmos, the kind countless seekers would trade their lives for…
…And that was what he asked?
He asked Nous who the most beautiful woman in the universe was.
A shallow, pointless question—so shallow it bordered on offensive.
If Herta or the Genius Society ever found out about this, they'd probably combust on the spot.
Whether or not Wei Qing was lying was one thing, but if this was truly what happened, it was the sort of story that could be passed down as "history."
Of course, it would probably be spread by Masked Fools of the Elation—or immortalized by those "fictional historians" who adored the absurd.
Meanwhile, Wei Qing's expression remained awkwardly sincere, with a touch of helplessness that seemed to say: I know it's ridiculous, but that's genuinely how it went.
Ruan Mei stayed silent for a good ten-plus seconds. She very much wanted to put a question mark on his forehead.
After a brief rub at her temple, she looked away, as if she needed a moment of quiet to recalibrate.
Now she finally understood why Herta so often looked at this man like her patience had been taxed to the limit.
At last, Ruan Mei spoke. Her voice carried little emotion, but the sharp edge of interrogation had noticeably dulled.
"…That is certainly… unexpected."
"Sigh. I was too nervous." Wei Qing continued, earnest to the point of tragic. "My mind went blank and the question just slipped out. Maybe, subconsciously, I thought only something even Nous couldn't answer would be worthy of an Aeon's descent?"
That explanation managed to be even more baffling.
"…So," Ruan Mei asked, the scholar's instinct dragging her forward despite the fact this had long since left the realm of academia, "did Nous respond?"
She genuinely couldn't imagine how that cold, mechanical Aeon would react to a question like that.
Wei Qing let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooping. "And that is the part I still can't wrap my head around."
"I mean—who's the most beautiful woman in the universe? Even if you don't believe in the Beauty, any normal person would say it's Idrila, right?"
Just like the Knights of Beauty always proclaimed: Idrila's beauty was peerless and unrivaled.
Even people who disliked the Knights—or outright despised them—wouldn't casually deny it, if only out of respect (or fear) for the concept of an Aeon and a Path.
"At worst," Wei Qing went on, "you'd get some kind of cop-out like 'the goddess in your dreams' or whatever."
His tone hardened with indignation.
"But Nous actually told me the most beautiful woman in the universe is Yaoshi—that plague-progenitor, the Abundance!"
The courtyard went silent again.
This time, it was even quieter than before.
Ruan Mei found herself… shifting in her seat.
Nous—declaring Yaoshi as the most beautiful woman in existence?
The sheer absurdity of that answer outstripped even Wei Qing's idiotic question.
Ruan Mei refocused on Wei Qing's face, searching for any trace of joking—any crack, any tell.
There was none.
Only pure, unfiltered embarrassment—like a man forced to confess a humiliating secret—mixed with genuine confusion. It was so real it was airtight.
And after seeing her reaction, Wei Qing added fuel to the fire.
"Right?! Miss Ruan Mei, you also think that's impossible, don't you?" he pressed, righteous outrage blooming. "If you ask me, Nous has absolutely no taste. How could Yaoshi possibly be the most beautiful woman in the universe? What does Yaoshi have that Idrila doesn't?"
"As a true-blooded Xianzhou native, that answer was a straight-up provocation against my faith!"
"So I rebutted Nous on the spot—Idrila is obviously the most beautiful woman in the universe!"
Ruan Mei fell silent again.
For once, she discovered she was at a loss for words.
Reason told her this entire account was paradoxical, suspicious, and packed with holes.
And yet, in a grotesque way, it was internally consistent.
Especially when paired with the later fact that Aha showed up to stir the pot—suddenly, everything irrational became… perfectly explainable.
After all, what could justify this kind of chaos better than the interference of the Aeon of Elation?
So was it possible that Nous's manifestation—and that bizarre Q&A—were themselves part of Aha's "production"? A deliberate farce meant to muddy the waters and make any serious analysis impossible?
That possibility… wasn't zero.
For Aha, it would be standard procedure.
But Ruan Mei's rationality still refused to accept it.
She would rather believe her truth serum had simply failed.
After all, her truth serum was never meant to be invincible. Being countered or rendered ineffective was entirely plausible.
Only after a long while did Ruan Mei exhale, slowly.
"I understand." Her tone regained its measured calm. "Thank you for your candor. Mr. Wei Qing's experience is… indeed unusual. I will record it."
Her gaze flicked to the remaining lotus cakes on the table, faintly thoughtful.
"As long as the pastries suit your taste, that's enough. I've imposed on you today."
Ruan Mei stood, returning to her usual cool detachment—as if the impossible conversation they'd just had had never occurred.
"Leaving already, Miss Ruan Mei?" Wei Qing rose as well, showing a hint of polite insistence. "Not staying a bit longer? I was hoping to hear your expert opinion on Nous's aesthetic sense."
As if he truly cared about the answer.
Ruan Mei's steps paused—so slightly it was almost imperceptible.
"I have no interest in researching an Aeon's sense of beauty," she said evenly.
"And Herta is still waiting for my analysis results." Her refusal was gentle but firm. "Regarding the Qiongguan Array's aftermath… there may still be matters where we require Mr. Wei Qing's assistance."
"Anytime," Wei Qing said, smiling with harmless warmth.
He walked her to the gate. Only after her slender figure disappeared down the street did his smile slowly fade.
"Truth serum…" he muttered. "You're playing some fancy games."
"Too bad it doesn't work on me."
Because if an Emanator of Destruction could be taken down by a drug that easily, that would be the real joke.
Still—Ruan Mei's probing, and the Qiongguan Array's results, both rang like warning bells.
A trace of Destruction had been caught, however faint.
If not for Aha crashing the scene, he wouldn't have exposed even that much.
So was it all Aha's fault, after all?
"Wei Qing."
A cool voice cut in—carrying a faint, unreadable edge.
Wei Qing's heart sank.
Jingliu was standing just outside the courtyard gate. At some point—he hadn't even noticed when—she'd returned. She was still in Cloud Knight attire, as if she'd come straight from a mission.
Her crimson eyes lingered in the direction Ruan Mei had left.
Then they turned to him.
"Was Miss Ruan Mei here for something?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter50)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter50)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter50)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 10
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 10
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin