Chapter 164

"Did I fail?"

After an unknown duration, Su Bai slowly awoke.

Yet he had already arrived at the main gate of Sumeru City.

"This is..."

Su Bai looked around; several students were waving greetings to him.

"Teacher!"

"Don't see us off, we are going back."

Every face seemed to carry a trace of fear and unease, forcing a weak smile.

"Rosaline..."

Dainsleif: "Is... is it the Tsaritsa..."

Lisa: "I recall Rosaline did indeed go to Sumeru to study, returning to Mondstadt after the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah."

Venti: "Rosaline is actually Su Bai's student?"

Paimon: "This... this..."

Kamisato Ayaka: "How is this possible? The Tsaritsa whom Mr. Su Bai killed back then, was she his student?"

For some reason, Su Bai wanted to reach out and greet them.

But their gazes did not seem to be looking at him.

"Have you decided?"

A familiar voice sounded from behind; Su Bai turned to look, and the person standing behind him was none other than himself from the moment the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah first occurred.

"After all, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata once possessed experience in combating Forbidden Knowledge; perhaps Sumeru would be safer."

"What are you saying, Teacher."

"Isn't the reason we are returning to use the knowledge you taught to help our nation survive the calamity?"

"We have indeed learned quite a bit of experience in alleviating Forbidden Knowledge from you."

"Take care; when the disaster ends, let us gather again."

"By the way, you must take good care of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, Teacher."

"....."

"This is..." Su Bai's pupils trembled.

The scene before him suddenly began to shift.

Inazuma, Liyue, Snezhnaya, Natlan...

Bodies corrupted by ruin lay scattered everywhere.

He picked up the scattered personal items beside the body; they were from the Sumeru Akademiya...

"Aaaaaah..."

In an instant, the agonizing wail interrupted Su Bai's thoughts.

He raised his eyes.

Blinding red flames of fire rushed toward him.

"You are..."

Su Bai stared at the shattered hourglass on the ground, stunned.

"Teacher, look..."

"This was given to me by Rustan; I told him that our Teacher once said boys in love must occasionally learn to be romantic."

"So he gave me this hourglass, saying that when the sand runs out, it will be the time we meet."

The Scorching Flame of the Burning Witch.

No, if you become like this, you can never return, Rosaline...

Even if you wish to burn all monsters in the world, no one will accept you.

Stop.

Hey!

"Buer, do you think..."

Ha!

Su Bai looked blankly at everything around him.

His excellent students were all gone.

A voice drifted slowly from a room not far away.

"I am a person from another world; if I go to contact Forbidden Knowledge, will there be unexpected effects?"

"After all, just as you jokingly said, Teyvat seems to be rejecting me; I think perhaps Forbidden Knowledge will welcome me."

"Perhaps I can find a way to eliminate Forbidden Knowledge."

This is...

Su Bai was shocked.

This was the scene from back then when he and Buer discussed accepting Forbidden Knowledge.

There was no time to think too much.

Su Bai rushed quickly toward the room, his body passing directly through the door and entering the room.

Buer...

A beautiful long silver hair fell beside Bai Xi's bare feet.

She was still as beautiful as ever, her smile still giving the feeling of a gentle breeze brushing the face.

But Su Bai knew that she had already been corrupted.

"That won't do, my dear Mr. Su Bai."

"After all, no one can guarantee what the consequences might be—if even you were corrupted, I would suffer even more."

Ye Er walked to Su Bai's side and cupped his face.

"I know you've always felt guilty for being unable to help me."

"But you've already done so much."

"You are a teacher at the Sumeru Akademiya, a key figure in cultivating talent for Sumeru."

"Whether for Sumeru's future or for myself, you cannot afford to falter—I won't let you risk touching that terrible thing."

Su Bai gazed at himself, lips moving but silent.

Emotions erupted in this moment.

"Don't listen to Ye Er, hey!"

"Can you hear me?"

"Don't always obey Ye Er—go and seek the forbidden knowledge. While Ye Er is still here, you can still find every possible method to solve everything."

"Did you hear that? You're a man—you must take responsibility to protect the one you love."

570

"The two of you have a higher chance of success than one alone—did you hear that..."

"....."

"Please don't follow her."

"I'm begging you..."

"I have a way to resolve your problem, Ice Empress."

The Ye Er before him suddenly vanished; Su Bai snapped back to awareness and realized the person standing before him had changed into the Ice Empress of Fontaine.

And Su Bai had already donned the Fatui mask.

The operation to collect the Divine Seals began.

Upon encountering the Burnt Infernal Witch again, Su Bai smiled and called her "Madam."

Even Mondstadt no longer remembered who she was.

Even though she had helped put Babatoss to sleep after defeating Dvalin and slain countless monsters surrounding Mondstadt.

The Burnt Infernal Witch, from any perspective, was not the same outstanding, innocent, and carefree student Su Bai once knew.