Chapter 153

【Nahida stared for a long time.】

【Finally, she slowly stood up.】

【Her gaze became much more resolute.】

【"Don't worry, since my dream is something that will inevitably happen in the future of Sumeru."】

【"I naturally won't continue down the same path."】

【"But as for what you said, I won't fully obey."】

【Nahida stared at Su Bai before her.】

【Her attitude was exceptionally firm.】

【"Scaramouche can help me investigate information about the World Tree; I will naturally use his power to gain more knowledge about the World Tree."】

【"The more I understand, the more I can help the people of Sumeru in the future."】

【"Moreover, from my repeated exploration of the dream."】

【"Scaramouche leaped into the World Tree and was reborn; I found his personality and temper have become completely different from what they were before."】

【"He was taken in by a fruit vendor in Sumeru; though he would get distracted by curiosity about the city and let fruits be stolen from the stall."】

【"When the boss scolded him, he admitted his mistake and helped the boss make up for the loss."】

【"He even thanked the boss for taking him in and worked for free without asking for wages."】

【"I don't think this is a bad thing."】

【"As long as his memories aren't restored, he can be shaped into an outsider who contributes to Sumeru."】

【"Killing him outright is less effective than making him atone for his past crimes against Sumeru through actual deeds."】

Dottore: "Making Scaramouche serve Sumeru through brainwashing and such? How vile."

Scaramouche: "....."

Nahida: "Huh? Vile...?"

Neuvillette: "Don't listen to that doctor's nonsense. Scaramouche harmed Sumeru; making him atone through action is a good idea."

Tianquan Ningguang: "Without his memories, Scaramouche has become a simple-minded fool—easily manipulated since he doesn't understand the world."

Keqing: "And after losing his memories, he seems unusually obedient—he went to pick sunset fruits for the boss and even planned to wash them before taking them home."

Tevyat: "So he's being controlled? It's kind of pitiful to think about."

Yuan Shang: "I've been betrayed three times before; I've seen through all the world is nothing but deception. The fourth time, I was deceived."

Diluc: "For some reason, I suddenly felt like laughing, though I'm usually serious."

Paimon: "This Yuan Shang is really the mood leader of the livestream."

【"Are you sure?"】

【Su Bai sneered.】

【Nahida did not retreat because of Su Bai's attitude.】

【She looked earnestly at the man before her.】

【Nodded: "Though you asked with mockery in your tone, I believe this is the best solution I can conceive."】

【"As for killing, I am not skilled, nor do I wish to harm others' lives excessively."】

【"But what you said is not wrong."】

【"A god must act like a god, and must know how to love their people—and which kind of people to love."】

【"As the god of Sumeru, I yearn to grow, to become what my people need, like the Great Tree King."】

【"This is a belief I will never change."】

【Nahida smiled: "Thank you, Su Bai. Your question has illuminated me."】

【"Wisdom is not fixed like known knowledge."】

【"Wisdom is diverse, capable of changing at any moment."】

【"No matter what, one cannot judge it based on a single perspective."】

Paimon: "Nahida suddenly became confident."

Zhong Li: "Perhaps she resolved her greatest doubt and found a better key to handling problems and viewing things, hence becoming confident?"

Lumine: "Nahida has gradually turned evil under Su Ye's verbal assault."

Nahida: "Huh? Evil? No way—I feel I've grown, become more mature."

Yaoyao: "Lumine, I think you're the one who's suddenly unlocked some forbidden thing—you've become a version I've never seen before."

Aether: "Uh... I don't feel anything unusual. My sister is perfectly normal... I mean, she's just like before..."

Dainsleif: "Could it be that after fusing the seven elemental forces, his power was restored along with his past memories?"

Furina: "Hey, Lumine, you're not turning weird, right? I mean, developing some strange habits?"

Lumine: "Hmm, I'm going to collect all the beauties of Teyvat to serve me on the Floating Island."

Furina: "....."

Eula: "Mr. Su Bai, aren't you going to do something? Your Lumine seems to have lost her mind."

Paimon: "Lumine is controlled by Su Bai and has become his mouthpiece."

Su Bai: "You brat, you think she's like you, still a mouthpiece..."

【Seeing Nahida's firm resolve.】

【Su Bai did not continue to argue with her over this issue.】

【At the same time.】

【The space of consciousness began to collapse; soon, the two returned to the real world.】

【Within the Palace of Pure Virtue, in a very secluded room.】

【Nahida opened her eyes once more.】

【The surroundings were as familiar as they had been five hundred years ago; she was trapped within a circular Barrier.】

【"As I thought, you are not the consciousness left behind by Greater Lord Rukkkhadevata."】

【Through the Barrier, Nahida gazed at her opposite.】

【The figure standing there was precisely the person who had appeared in her consciousness.】

【Su Bai.】

【"Although I do not know who you are, the feeling you gave me at that time carried no aura of Greater Lord Rukkkhadevata."】

【Nahida spoke to Su Bai with a calmness like still water.】

【"Is it because the aura from Greater Lord Rukkkhadevata's final memories led you to that judgment?"】

【"Mm!" Nahida nodded, making no attempt to hide anything.】

【"It is just that I cannot understand now why you would say the dreams I create will be events of the future."】

【"Since you are able to probe the contents of my dreams, I believe everything was implanted into me by you."】

【"So, what is your purpose?"】

【Nahida was utterly perplexed.】

【Although Su Bai had deceived her by claiming to be the consciousness of Greater Lord Rukkkhadevata, in Nahida's perception, the man before her did not wish to harm her.】

【He had even helped her resolve some questions of thought.】

【Yet, for such a person to stand before her now without saving her left Nahida feeling deeply confused.】

【She could not fathom the reason again.】

【"My true identity is the Grand Sage of Sumeru."】

【"What, the Grand Sage?" Nahida was slightly stunned: "Is the Grand Sage not Azar?"】

【"Of course not; I merely used his identity when implanting the dreams into you."】

【"After all, for words as foolish as those, I truly could not bring myself to speak them."】

【Su Bai smiled: "But I can responsibly tell you that the dreams you create will come true one by one in the near future."】

【"You might be able to defeat the Shogun and the others who created the Shogun of the True Machine with the help of the golden-haired girl."】

【"But you cannot use the so-called power of dreams to defeat me."】

【"To be precise, if you cannot unravel Greater Lord Rukkkhadevata's final memories, you will never find a way to defeat me."】

【Hearing this,】

【A hint of solemnity finally appeared on Nahida's calm countenance.】