Beneath a Bodhi tree that seemed to weep for the world, Lin Wei sat opposite a young man whose features were as beautiful as a woman's.
Falling leaves drifted down with the gentle breeze, sweeping past the handsome man's tightly closed eyes and landing softly in the teacup before him, creating the faintest ripple.
"It has been a long time, Visitor."
Su's smile wasn't particularly warm. His voice, as always, was calm and serene, carrying a sense of peace as if he had seen through all the complexities of the world.
Of course, Lin Wei knew very well, that was just an appearance.
"Yes, it has been a long time, Su."
Lin Wei cast a reassuring glance towards Yae Sakura and Yuno waiting in the distance, then turned his gaze back to the familiar yet distant Flame-Chaser before him. He couldn't help but sigh.
"I remember you were the first Flame-Chaser I met after entering the Elysian Realm, yet we haven't interacted much, it seems."
Lin Wei had spent a considerable amount of time living in the Elysian Realm, but from some point onwards, he had never encountered this young man again—until today.
"The me that exists here is merely a virtual image, a reflection from the Seed of Sumeru," Su explained softly. "An existence like a bubble in a mirror, there's truly no need for me to appear often. As for this time, I only hope my sudden visit doesn't cause you too much trouble."
Su gently lifted the teacup before him, drinking its contents, leaves and all, as if savoring an entire lost world.
"Visitor, please."
Lin Wei raised his cup and drank as well. It felt like clear spring water entering his throat—initially sweet and plain, unremarkable, yet leaving a bitter aftertaste that lingered, difficult to dispel.
"Your brand of hospitality really is unique." Lin Wei set down the teacup, unable to stifle a chuckle. "You haven't changed at all."
Observe the man, observe his tea. This "Enlightened One's" heart was nothing like his outwardly detached, world-weary appearance suggested. On the contrary, his heart was filled with pain, drowning irredeemably in past failures and the weight of sins committed.
He was a doctor, capable of alleviating the suffering of others, but as the saying goes, "The healer cannot heal himself." This was true for many, and it was true for Su. Lin Wei had once offered him well-intentioned advice, but it seemed to have had little effect. Then again, if a few simple words could easily persuade him, he wouldn't be Su.
"It seems my appearance did not surprise you." Perhaps noticing Lin Wei didn't care for the tea's flavor, Su waved his hand lightly, dismissing the tea set between them. Only the gentle breeze and the endlessly falling leaves remained as companions. He spoke peacefully. "It appears you had already 'foreseen' all of this."
He remembered how Lin Wei, upon spotting him from afar, had shown only a momentary flicker of surprise before calmly walking over alone, taking a seat as if this wasn't a confrontation, but merely a casual outing.
"Not exactly 'foreseen,'" Lin Wei corrected. "When I spoke with Elysia, I vaguely guessed from the words she didn't say that there might be some unexpected encounters on this path. I just didn't expect it would be you."
Lin Wei paused, then couldn't help shaking his head with a chuckle. "But thinking about it carefully, it's not strange at all. After all, within the entire Elysian Realm, you are probably the one who dislikes Mobius the most. This dislike, in my opinion, is no less intense than Kalpas's towards Aponia; you just don't express it as bluntly as he does."
In the Elysian Realm, Su greeted everyone with a smile, even patiently trying to persuade Kalpas. Only towards Mobius was his attitude cool. For someone as cultured and composed as Su, this indifference was already an extremely blunt statement.
"Yes, just as you say. I can never agree with Mobius," Su calmly accepted Lin Wei's rather insightful, almost "intrusive" assessment of him. "Precisely because of this, I truly do not wish to see you further ignite her already rampant ambition. That would likely not bode well for the Elysian Realm, nor for the real world."
Throughout the past ages, Su had always, overtly and covertly, tried to prevent any visitor from contacting Mobius. And Mobius, as if in direct opposition, always found ways to initiate contact with them, often rendering his well-intentioned efforts futile. But someone like Lin Wei, who actively sought out Mobius and achieved such earth-shattering results, was a first. It made it impossible for Su to simply sit back any longer.
"I have compelling reasons for contacting Mobius," Lin Wei gestured towards the two women waiting patiently in the distance. "You are a doctor. You should understand the suffering of a patient seeking medicine."
Su remained silent, not rushing to speak, knowing Lin Wei hadn't finished.
"As for Mobius... since you know her so well, aren't you aware of a simple fact?" Lin Wei's voice remained calm. "Her ambition has always been this rampant. It doesn't need any 'igniting.' As long as I remain in the Elysian Realm, she would eventually appear before me on her own. I've merely expedited the process."
"..." As a doctor, Su naturally couldn't ignore the suffering Lin Wei spoke of. He simply shook his head. "For someone from the present world to place their hopes in the phantoms of the past... this itself is not a wise course of action. As for Mobius's ambition..."
Su paused slightly, then said pointedly, "As long as you are not in the Elysian Realm, her ambitions are like rootless trees. They will naturally wither away with time."
As one of the three Flame-Chasers responsible for maintaining the Elysian Realm's operation, Su felt it was understandable for Lin Wei to seek answers to his problems within the Realm.
However, for someone from the real world to attempt to interfere with the future destiny of the Elysian Realm was already a serious overstep. Furthermore, the fact that it involved Mobius made it even harder for him to accept.
He truly didn't want the already delicate order and balance within the Elysian Realm to be disrupted because of this, nor did he want it to negatively impact the real world.
From Su's perspective, possessing the dual identities of a "Precursor" and a "Flame-Chaser," ending this before it could even begin was the best possible solution for everyone involved.
Except... Su sighed silently in his heart. Although he would feel guilty towards Lin Wei because of this, his mission dictated his actions. He had no choice.
"Hahaha! First courtesy, then force; acting decisively on your own judgment... That really sounds like something you would do!" Lin Wei naturally understood Su's intention—to ask him to leave the Elysian Realm. He couldn't help but laugh. "So, if I don't agree, are you going to forcibly remove me from here?"
In the real world, Su had acted this way towards Kevin and Durandal. In the Elysian Realm, he treated Kalpas the same way—first trying persuasion, and if that failed, resorting to decisive action.
As for the results... Kevin, being straightforward, saw through his old friend's intentions immediately and played along.
Durandal, however, didn't know him well and wasn't having it; after breaking free from his illusion, she delivered a personality-correcting punch straight to his face—highly effective.
In the Elysian Realm, only after Kalpas's earth-shattering blow did the memory-based Su truly awaken...
Before that, Su, unable to grasp the thoughts of others, lost in his own self-absorbed world, wasn't truly "enlightened." He has some similarities to Aponia, just without the latter's extremism, Lin Wei mused. And now, Su was merely "following the script" with Lin Wei.
Lin Wei wondered: if he also gave Su a "punch," could he wake him up earlier? Of course, Lin Wei knew he didn't possess such power. He never intended to use physical force.
"Su, this reasonably friendly conversation we're having, and every word I've spoken here... did you foresee all of it already?" Lin Wei looked at Su's sorrowful expression and chuckled lightly. "No wonder you seem so calm and composed. It's like an open-book exam when you've already read the script; naturally, there are no surprises. I bet you've even seen exactly how I'm going to respond, haven't you?"
"Though I'm reluctant to admit it, this method is indeed somewhat contemptible and discourteous." A hint of shame crept into Su's smile, and his tone carried a trace of regret.
"Just as I foresaw, Visitor, you are indeed a guest worthy of respect. Even when pushed to this extent by me, you have consistently refrained from using the Key of Corruption in your hand, even though it could easily shatter my blockade, or even erase my existence entirely. From that perspective, my victory, if achieved, would indeed be unfair."
"Oh, a blockade?" Lin Wei reached out, caught a falling leaf, and examined it closely in his palm. "So this is the Seed of Sumeru? Truly impressive."
"Yes. Although the 'Seed of Sumeru' within the Elysian Realm is no longer the world bubble it was in the real world, it can still easily banish someone to any corner of the Realm—of course, these minor tricks are equally fragile before the Authority of Corruption." Su sighed softly. He had already foreseen that Lin Wei wouldn't use the Key of Corruption, because...
"But if I really did use the Key of Corruption destructively, I'm afraid I'd truly become the public enemy of the Elysian Realm, wouldn't I?" Lin Wei sighed as well.
Even Kalpas was helpless against the "banishment" aspect of this technique. The preferential treatment he received was partly due to Rin, but also because his restraint hadn't gone unnoticed. Wasn't that also crucial?
"Yes, regrettably, my victory this time is indeed unfair," Su spoke with deep apology. I've already shown him respect. It's best to end this quickly, he thought, preparing to activate the Seed of Sumeru. I'll apologize to Elysia later...
"Is that all you foresaw?" Lin Wei, however, showed no anger. Instead, he spoke calmly. "If this were Aponia, I suspect she would have seen everything that was going to happen, right down to the smallest detail, even before I met Mobius for the first time?" Lin Wei had worried about this, but fortunately, nothing had happened.
"Although we are both psychic-type MANTIS warriors, Aponia and I are not the same," Su explained, not minding the elaboration. "She can perceive the fate of all things, while I cannot truly see the future as she does. My so-called 'foresight' is merely based on past 'previews.'"
"'What has been will be again'... Analyzing and summarizing past experiences and data, then projecting the future based on that foundation—this ability, akin to 'big data analysis,' is indeed incredibly effective within the Elysian Realm, which is itself composed of data," Lin Wei summarized. "Presumably, the 'foresight' ability you possess in the real world is significantly weaker compared to what you have in the Elysian Realm?"
Su fell silent. That had indeed been the case once. But after fifty thousand years, whether his real-world self had changed, he couldn't predict.
"Su, have you ever considered a few questions?" Lin Wei asked with keen interest. "First question: since Aponia possesses an ability similar to yours, perhaps even far stronger, yet she hasn't interfered with my actions—doesn't this suggest that, in her view, my actions don't actually pose any harm to the Elysian Realm?"
Lin Wei had considered what he'd do if Aponia intervened. He'd likely have to back down. Opposing someone like her was too unpredictable.
"I prefer not to comment excessively on Aponia's pursuits," Su replied calmly. Their focuses differed.
"Second question: the foundation of your 'foresight' comes from past experiences and data, inevitably incorporating your own subjective biases. Is it possible that this unintentionally causes deviations or overlooks subtle yet crucial clues?" Lin Wei pressed. "Su, you rely so heavily on an ability with such obvious flaws. How can you guarantee that you are truly rational and neutral, rather than unconsciously biased, leading to a result that's off by a hair's breadth yet miles apart?"
Su remained silent again, offering no answer. He simply raised his hand gently and waved.
A flash of white light appeared. The Bodhi tree vanished. The gentle breeze and falling leaves disappeared. Along with them, Lin Wei, and the two waiting girls, also vanished. He had just activated the Seed of Sumeru, sending them away, just like other successors he had banished in the past.
"Sigh..." Su let out a somewhat weary sigh, understanding that he had just committed another unkind act.
"Third thing..."
Lin Wei's voice, tinged with a sigh, suddenly sounded from about ten meters behind Su, making him jump.
"Your 'foresight' cannot see the entire future. So how can you guarantee that the corner you do see is the real 'future'?"
"!" Su spun around abruptly. Though his eyes remained closed, he clearly "saw" Lin Wei standing unharmed nearby. Yae Sakura and Yuno flanked him, one looking indignant, the other glaring predatorily at Su.
"I once said you've never truly understood your companions, Su," Lin Wei spoke calmly. "You also seem to lack unconditional trust in them. How long has it been since you had an open and honest talk with your good friend? If my actions were truly harmful, Kevin would never have let me enter the Elysian Realm. Yet you remain fixated on what you see."
In the original timeline, Su only truly understood Kevin at the very end. In contrast, Kevin held complete trust in Su, yet Su harbored doubts—hardly the behavior of a wise person.
"..." Su was speechless, his thoughts momentarily chaotic.
"You saw that I never used the Key of Corruption. On one hand, it's true I don't want to use it much here. On the other hand... I simply didn't need to use it." Lin Wei showed no mercy, his voice tinged with pity. "Do I need to say it a third time? You've never truly understood your companions..."
Su saw a pink feather dancing in Lin Wei's palm—Fenghuang Down.
"Could it be? No, impossible..." As a psychic-type MANTIS, he shouldn't be easily manipulated by the Key of Sentience.
He suddenly jolted, searching the data logs. The next second, in the "historical playback," he saw—it wasn't three people banished by the Seed of Sumeru. It was merely three pink feathers...
"Could it be..." Su's gaze shifted to the long-eared Miko, Yae Sakura. He saw her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, her sharp eyes watching him warily, ready for battle.
"..." Su fell silent again, feeling unease and awkwardness, yet strangely, also relief. He finally understood.
"Compared to your ignorant confidence, your companions guessed long ago that you would make a move," Lin Wei stated simply. The presence of Yae Sakura and Fenghuang Down said everything.
Finally, as if delivering a heart-piercing blow, he asked,
"Su, I understand you dislike and disapprove of Mobius. But honestly, looking back at that dying era... were the things she did really wrong?"