Chapter 293 What Happened Twenty Years Ago?

"Senior Bai Shu... what happened more than twenty years ago?"

Gu Shen's question echoed over the wilderness.

After a long while, Bai Shu spoke, "Li Rou was once a member of the Guwen Hui (Ancient Text Society). She was Alan Turing's assistant."

The words "Guwen Hui" landed in his heart like a stone, creating ripples.

Gu Shen looked up.

He fell silent... His identity as the "key" was currently kept a close secret, unknown to outsiders.

But Master Qianye knew, and Mr. Gu Changzhi knew, which meant that Bai Shu now knew as well.

Bai Shu didn't expose anything.

"The truth about Alan Turing's death is not a secret to the Highest Seat," Bai Shu said. "Back then, the Federation announced the 'bad news' to the public and secretly launched an investigation into the Guwen Hui. After getting wind of it, Alan Turing decided to head north, trying to cross the fortress walls and go to the ruined [Old World]."

"In the end, he succeeded."

Bai Shu paused slightly, looking at the serene woman lying in the coffin, and said, "However, in order to escort him to safety, many people... paid the price with their lives, and many of the Guwen Hui's secret lines were exposed. After Alan Turing escaped, the Highest Seat sent Gu Changzhi to hunt him down. After transferring 'Douzhan' away from the Five Continents, the council began a purge against the Guwen Hui. During Gu Changzhi's absence from the Five Continents, the once-thriving Guwen Hui was uprooted."

"Li Rou was the last 'suicide soldier' to escort Turing out of the Northern Continent's fortress."

Bai Shu's voice was hoarse as he said, "Back then, my [Rewind] was accomplished, but I had too many burdens on my shoulders. No matter what, the Bai Clan couldn't be involved in the investigation of the 'Guwen Hui', so no matter how worried I was, I couldn't intervene... The pursuit eventually spread to the Northern Continent. I received information that on the last night before Turing was about to leave, the Sky Throne sent out the strongest [Apostle] under the Tower of Origin."

A long pause.

"Perhaps if I had been able to abandon everything and rush to the battlefield back then, everything would have been different."

Old events and fragmented history, accompanied by a final sigh... were slowly spoken by Bai Shu.

In a few words.

He didn't even sound too sad.

But Gu Shen knew that in the past twenty years, Bai Shu's heart had long been filled with regret and guilt... It was just that time was the most terrifying thing in the world; it could erase everything.

True sorrow, when revealed, only leaves behind blandness.

Sorrow is greater than the death of the heart.

Even if Bai Shu rewound ten thousand times, he could not return to the past he regretted most.

"And then?"

Gu Shen looked at Bai Shu, wanting to know the ending of that year.

"And then..."

Bai Shu was dazed for a moment, and said, "Turing crossed the high wall of the Northern Continent and left this 'ungrateful land'... After that night, Li Rou became an 'Out of Control'. Zhou Jiren brought her back, and from then on, she was no longer 'Li Rou', but 'A-009'."

Gu Shen looked at the woman in the formal dress in the coffin, and a hint of sorrow welled up in his heart.

He could roughly guess the reason for Li Rou's loss of control. On the last night, Li Rou had to help Turing escape, and she had to stop the Sky [Apostle], so she used the "Ruler of Truth", which led to the overdraft and collapse of her spiritual sea.

Before leaving the Five Continents, Pluto left the "ruler" in this world... Although he didn't know what happened in between, or what the specific cause and effect was, it was certain that, after twists and turns, the ruler was handed over to Li Rou.

And over the years.

A-009's spirit collapsed, and her consciousness shattered, but she still remembered looking for the owner of the "Ruler of Truth."

This news also matched another conjecture in Gu Shen's mind.

That was the true identity of the young "031"—

Zhou Jiren.

Gu Shen was basically certain that his teacher was "031", who appeared in the conference room as a young man, because only he could so carefully protect "A-009" and the "Ruler of Truth"... After Mr. Gu Changzhi left, the Great Arbiter of the Eastern Continent was one of the few who held the highest authority in this land.

Therefore, his entry into Zero Zero One and his meeting with Chu Ling in the spiritual link were no accident.

Zhou Jiren had already found him.

He arranged everything... arranged for A-009 to meet him, arranged for the gift of the Ruler of Truth, and arranged for the next president of the Guwen Hui. Under the surveillance of the turbulent [Deep Sea], this seemingly unreliable old fellow protected Lu Nanzhi, a member of the Guwen Hui's [Red Door] who was about to be exposed, in his own way, driving away wolves to devour tigers. He was the real desperate hunter looking for the [Key].

And he found it.

After understanding this, Gu Shen's mood became extremely complicated.

He had already guessed Zhou Jiren's true intentions.

But... where was that old fellow now?

Gu Shen asked hoarsely, "Senior, what was the Guwen Hui's crime that required such a purge?"

A long silence hung over the wilderness.

The three stood before the coffin, the breeze rustling the grass.

The serene smile on the sleeping woman's face seemed like a silent mockery.

Bai Shu gently uttered four words.

"Betraying humanity."

Alan Turing created the Guwen Hui with the initial intention of deciphering the incredible power left behind by the [Old World] texts... The Li Clan Shrine Mountain's "Prayer Art" evolved from [Ancient Texts].

Qianye and the Tower of Origin's prophet's "Divination Art" were also comprehended from [Ancient Texts].

The ancient humans of the [Old World], the bone-winged creatures that crashed into the Doru River disaster zone earlier, and the high-level transcendent intelligence, all possessed a certain amount of "Ancient Texts." Those strange characters could produce mental fluctuations...

In a sense, ancient texts were the source of transcendence!

If humans could understand ancient texts, then they would have the opportunity to uncover the ultimate secret of "transcendent origin matter"!

How could such an organization bear the heavy crime of "betraying humanity"?

Gu Shen couldn't understand.

Chu Ling couldn't understand either.

As the [Source Code], a look of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Although Chu Ling had lived in the Deep Sea for many years, she had been eliminated by the Deep Sea's repeated upgrades and iterations after Mr. Turing left, and her habitat had become smaller and smaller... She was hearing about the taboo old events of more than twenty years ago for the first time.

In the world of "code", there was only zero and one, knowing and not knowing.

These things were concealed by the [Deep Sea] in the deepest places that even the [Source Code] could not detect.

"Who issued this crime?" Gu Shen asked again.

And Bai Shu's answer was still simple.

"No specific person. Betraying humanity... The one who issued this crime was 'all of humanity'."

Bai Shu said, "[Deep Sea] presented the Guwen Hui's crime to the councils of the Five Continents... Soon after, each continent began the clearing mission by order. In just one week, the Guwen Hui's researchers on the surface were killed cleanly. Because 'Ancient Texts' could not be viewed, when these people died, the knowledge in their minds disappeared with them, becoming untraceable 'relics'."

"..."

Gu Shen fell silent.

Although he hadn't witnessed that period of history with his own eyes, even just hearing these fragments allowed him to imagine how tragic the situation was at the time.

This was a blatant massacre.

The butcher's knife was raised.

And then it fell.

"They were once the blazing fire of the burning world."

"But now, only embers remain."

Chu Ling's eyes were filled with grief, and she gave Gu Shen a look that said "I didn't know"... At that time, her consciousness in the Deep Sea should have just awakened, similar to the birth of a human infant.

"I still don't understand..."

Gu Shen murmured, "Why did [Deep Sea] think that the Guwen Hui was 'betraying humanity'? And why did the continental councils carry out this 'massacre' so easily?"

"The reason why the continental councils passed [Deep Sea]'s proposal... is because it was too correct." Bai Shu said softly, "Who could oppose a 'God's Supercomputer' that predicted success with 100% accuracy and led all of humanity to achieve a leap forward at the peak of its fame? Who would dare to oppose it?"

"Besides... it also gave definite reasons."

Bai Shu lowered his eyes and said, "[Deep Sea] clearly informed the continental councils that 'Ancient Text research' was the root cause of the 'order collapse' within the Five Continents... The more humanity understood 'Ancient Texts', the more serious the collapse of order within the Five Continents became."

"What?!"

Hearing this news, Gu Shen's expression could no longer be described as simply shocked.

Chu Ling was no exception.

At this moment, she even felt that... she was a fake [Deep Sea]!

"Facts prove that [Deep Sea] was not wrong." Bai Shu smiled mockingly, "A large area of 'black spots' appeared near the Guwen Hui research institute, and 'black holes' continued to emerge... Humanity still cannot explain this phenomenon, but after the Guwen Hui was wiped out, the speed of order collapse slowed down greatly."

"Haven't you noticed?"

Bai Shu said, "Qianye only came to this world after the Guwen Hui was purged... And all these years, she has always lived in Qingqiu, which is the most densely populated place with 'transcendent origin matter'. Countless origin matters are developing in the direction of collapse, but they are suppressed only because of the existence of the Mausoleum Array and the Divine Domain."

That's right... Master Qianye only came here after the Guwen Hui was destroyed.

Gu Shen was stunned.

And the other forbidden place full of "Ancient Text information" that he knew of was the Li Clan's Shrine Mountain!

It gave birth to the "Prayer Art" and was also covered with black flowers of order collapse!

All of this was not a coincidence...

"So, that prophet from the Central Continent is imprisoned in the Tower of Origin all year round by those two Divine Seats..." Bai Shu continued, "The Highest Seat has already determined that those who know a large amount of Ancient Texts will bring a large amount of 'origin matter fluctuations' to their surroundings."

Gu Shen thought of Xiang Chen, the Duke of the Northern Continent... who also loved to study Ancient Texts.

But the Ancient Texts he studied were nothing compared to Qianye.

Ordinary transcendent beings, no matter how hard they worked and studied for a lifetime, could not reach the level of "causing order collapse."

"Then, what about me?"

Gu Shen opened his mouth subconsciously. He had been studying the Qingqiu Mausoleum Array for some time, but he had not caused any abnormalities when he traveled around.

"You yourself... don't you know?" Bai Shu said meaningfully, "Think carefully, what is the reason?"

With just a slight hint, Gu Shen understood the reason.

He was too special. He was one of the future Seven Gods!

Since the birth of the Susu Sacred Tree, "Pure Land" had been like a gluttonous eater waiting to be fed, constantly craving fresh transcendent origin matter... As for order collapse, black spots, and black holes, they were not a problem for Gu Shen at all!

The fluctuations caused by Ancient Texts... the origin matter they attracted, had not had time to mutate before they were directly swallowed by the "Blazing Fire"!

How could there be any possibility of causing order collapse?

"The 'cause and effect' in this world seems to have formed a very mysterious coincidence in you."

Bai Shu said with emotion, "Before fusing with the Fire Seed, I just thought you were an ordinary person with mediocre talent... But the more I look at you now, the more extraordinary I find you. Did you first have the talent for Ancient Texts and then be favored by the 'Netherfire', or did you first be favored by the 'Netherfire' and then develop the talent for Ancient Texts?"

Gu Shen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped.

Even he himself was silent...

Ancient Texts, origin matter, and the "resonance" in fate had indeed formed a closed loop in him.

"You can relax and don't have to worry about 'black spots' appearing around you." Bai Shu said, "After I became a god, I silently observed you for a while. The 'origin matter' around you is very stable... even getting less and less."

When Gu Shen went to Shrine Mountain, the black flowers of Shrine Mountain were cleared.

When Gu Shen went to the outside of the Gubu Fortress, the origin matter of the [Maze] was also absorbed.

He himself was like an "alternative black hole" that absorbed "black holes"!

"Transcendent origin matter, in a sense, means 'breaking order'..."

Bai Shu looked at Gu Shen, his voice gradually slowing down, "So I think, maybe you really are a 'child of hope'? So many coincidences have happened to you, maybe you really can do... a 'miracle' that even I can't do?"

Saying this, he turned his gaze to the coffin.

The sleeping woman's spiritual sea had been destroyed for more than twenty years.

"Give it a try... Gu Shen."

"Try to see if you can wake her up."

Bai Shu tried to make his tone sound calm... but his slightly trembling voice still betrayed the glimmer of hope buried deep in his heart.

Gu Shen took a deep breath.

"Okay."

His mood was complicated, and he slowly reached out a hand.

The Blazing Fire quietly emerged...

The Susu Sacred Tree of Pure Land then appeared.

The mental projection of the fourth-order domain landed in Li Rou's coffin.

"Whoosh whoosh..."

Pure Land was in the middle of winter, and rolling cold winds swept behind Gu Shen, the crackling ice slag falling on the Douzhan Divine Domain protection shield above the coffin. Gu Shen tried to mobilize the power of the Netherfire to awaken this "Out of Control" whose spirit had collapsed for twenty years.

Everyone held their breath.

But... in the end, only a layer of fine ice slag was piled up on the coffin.

The miracle did not happen.

(End of this chapter)