Chapter 44: The Archive

“After the gods fell, no new god was born in the immortal realm for a thousand years. Xi Yue as fallen god could only be born from remnant divine consciousness.”
Bai Yanci spoke slow: “Xi Yue came from one of the twelve’s scattered consciousness—but incomplete. Power and memory both fractured.”
“War God and evil god both died in the God-Slaying Array—Xi Yue’s consciousness must come from one of the other ten.”
She jolted awake: “But only the War God and Xi Yue are goddesses…”
Bai Yanci’s brows curved, continued: “Diting altered the texts—but fact doesn’t change. War God and evil god—their consciousness didn’t vanish utterly. The battlefield was in the mortal world—fallen consciousness stayed in the mortal world.”
By Bai Yanci’s thread the twelve shrank fast to two gods.
She thought of dreams of Milt—bound to a pillar, crowd calling her “evil god’s witch,” burn her alive.
And the Milt statue in the disordered space, the Spirit Tide Pearl in its heart choosing her—truth almost out.
“Evil god… Milt.”
“Exactly.” Bai Yanci went on: “Know why Diting insisted Xi Yue mend the Spirit Tide jade pendant’s break? The pendant was Milt’s creation—only Xi Yue’s consciousness could complete it.”
Diting had lurked beside the War God long—framed Milt’s fall, killed innocents and blamed Milt, stirred the other gods, took everything for himself.
Supreme power could truly blind eyes and heart.
Bai Yanci was sharp—she’d guessed early, only dared be sure now.
Closer to her origin she didn’t crumble as Bai Yanci feared—she felt peace long missing.
She laughed light: “Sister, thank you.”
“Between us—no thanks needed.” Bai Yanci answered, “I always put you above myself. Not origin—even if you wanted my life, I would…”
She shook her head, finger to lips, kissed to stop the words.
“Don’t say that…” Murmured. “Sister, I understand your heart—you weigh the same in mine. Keep your life—stay with me this lifetime.”
The crystal was vital clue—returned to her, step by step guiding her to infer truth.
If she could accept—all the better.
If not—her lover would stay, never leave.
When its mission finished the crystal broke into white light points and sank into her chest.
Warmth flowed through her body. She marveled: “This is… my consciousness?”
Bai Yanci smiled and nodded.
After that part merged she felt no change.
For a moment she thought—maybe fear of being replaced by Xi Yue was needless.
As long as her will lived in the world she wouldn’t die easy—wouldn’t be swapped.
Her love was unique—unchanged.
“Ke-ke, I love you more than all the world.” Bai Yanci kissed her forehead. “Whatever happens, believe that—never abandon me, all right?”
“I won’t. I love you the same.” She didn’t know why Bai Yanci said it—but answered without hesitation.
She thought Bai Yanci’s heart swayed too—no footing—like hers. She rose on toes and kissed back: “Sister, I actually lied.”
Nose full of Bai Yanci’s cool scent and pink rose—pulling her soul loose.
Dazed she heard Bai Yanci hum: “Mm?”
“When I confessed—I lied.” Soft. “Since I’m beside you I don’t beg for a human’s short hundred years anymore.”
She cupped Bai Yanci’s face—wrist caught tight.
Bai Yanci’s eyes burned, love bare: “When full consciousness returns you can have long years too.”
“Really?” Eyes bright.
“Of course.” Bai Yanci circled her waist, kissed without asking, bit her lip once.
“Ke-ke, you’re mine. This lifetime… don’t think of leaving my side.”
Deep kiss in the ruins until breath tangled—no telling apart.
Since meeting Bai Yanci she wasn’t lonely—she had a whole lover.
No more lies. No more hiding.
She was glad—glad fate was fair, glad she’d been favored, no longer alone in a cage of solitude.
Without meeting Bai Yanci that day she might never have stepped toward freedom—only lived in Mu’s woven lies.
After the first step toward freedom, whichever way she walked—dawn waited.
Back at the apartment—it was night.
Following all day—tired.
Washed, in bed, familiar ceiling above, she asked sudden: “Can a great immortal with deep cultivation draw the thunder tribunal and become a god?”
“The immortal realm generally thinks so. But Diting’s arts were as strong as a god’s—still couldn’t draw the tribunal. Becoming a true god must need other conditions.”
“Other conditions?”
“Of the ancient twelve, most were great immortals who passed tribulation. Some were born of heaven and earth’s spirit—gods from origin.” Bai Yanci said, “I only know the War God came from tribulation. Milt who governed life was born of heaven and earth.”
Zhen Yao was settled. She’d asked Ji Chengfeng to end leave and returned as SI team leader.
Jade Dust had what she wanted—by her temper she shouldn’t trouble Zhen Yao again.
Still Jiang Ran offered to guard nearby with people—keep Yang Yufei from making more trouble.
Since the Jiang Ci incident Jiang Ran worked harder—hated Qixie bitterly.
Same for Jade Dust.
What puzzled her: in fights with Jade Dust, Jade Dust never meant to kill her.
Jade Dust harmed many humans for pure flame—yet treated her special.
Guide. The word surfaced in her mind.
More enemy than foe—Jade Dust seemed to guide her along a set path, give clues at the right time.
Yang Yufei was the one who wanted her dead yesterday.
So she understood Jade Dust less and less.
“Jade Dust’s dress… exactly like evil god Milt.”
Message crystal and earlier dreams both proved it.
“Dress so like Milt—must be some link. With Jade Dust’s power she’s surely one of the moon’s four great immortals.” She asked, “You, Qingxi, and Xi Yue—the fourth—any lead?”
Bai Yanci shook her head. “The fourth is extremely secret. Besides Diting, no one has seen her true face.”
She inferred: “Then she only serves Diting—his close aide.”
Diting was patient and ruthless. Even with Bai Yanci at his side years he didn’t trust her.
Keeping Jade Dust outside the four—maybe for work that couldn’t see light.
Even so Jade Dust betrayed him—stole the pendant and fled to the mortal world.
She thought of the bureau by day. “Sister, how did you contact the bureau chief? Will he really give you Mu’s archive?”
“Every bureau chief has contact with immortals. I was the moon’s bridge to the mortal world—he obeys me naturally.”
Not false—years with Mu she’d heard the rumor. Only the chief could speak with the immortal realm.
Why Mu dreamed of that seat.
She asked again: “At the bureau—any useful clue?”
Bai Yanci shook her head. “Besides that archive—nothing left to trace.”
“Mu recognized you as fallen god—ran many experiments on you, including drugs to suppress ability. Those need divine consciousness as raw material to hold your power down.” Bai Yanci said soft. “Ke-ke, Mu knows more than you think.”
Low: “Mu holds… some of my consciousness.”
She remembered Yang Yufei at the Sun-Moon Cup—Mu was cautious; facing a known strong fallen god, how could she leave no backup?
That consciousness—Mu’s backup.
Mu was human—no immortal channel—yet saw fallen god in her.
Powerful ability, deep mind, reputation at the bureau.
Over years she and the chief formed two camps—balanced against each other.
Successor seat empty long—if not for feud with the chief, Mu would’ve been next director candidate.
Back then Mu had assigned her to SI without warning—then avoided her, guarded against her.
Experiment forced to stop—that wasn’t Mu’s wish.