Chapter 209

Looking at the unconscious boy, Hearing Liu Qingmeng's fingertip condensed tiny specks of white light.

Indeed, everything that had just happened should not have existed; the boy's memories of it must be erased.

To bury the black history, the flickering spiritual light drifted toward Fang Can's forehead.

Hss—

Almost instantly, a hand seized her delicate, pale fingers.

The boy, who should have been unconscious, opened his eyes helplessly and said: "Senior Sister Liu, are you trying to kill me?"

I've already refined my entire body into a brain—how could I possibly be knocked unconscious, especially now that I've entered the First Transformation?

I was just avoiding the awkwardness earlier; I feigned unconsciousness to let you strike without resistance.

But I never expected you'd try to do something unfriendly while I was out cold—this I cannot ignore.

"I only meant to erase the memory of what just happened," Hearing Liu Qingmeng said, gazing at the boy so close by, yet unable to meet his eyes, her gaze drifting away faintly.

"Erasing my memories—is that any different from killing me?" Fang Can released her hand and sighed in disappointment.

"Senior Sister, your heart clearly only cares for yourself—completely indifferent to my feelings, you acted without a second thought."

"This is best for both of us. If any improper act occurred, how could I explain it to Jiang Ningan?"

Hearing Liu Qingmeng spoke coldly, but her words were cut off by Fang Can's gaze.

Fang Can turned away, his tone distant, utterly defenseless: "If you truly wish to delete my memories, then go ahead."

'Feigning retreat to advance?' Hearing Liu Qingmeng's mind was icy—under the suppression of her Dharma power, nothing external could shake her Dao heart.

The next moment, the spiritual light on her fingertip touched Fang Can's occiput, ready to enact the Memory Erasure Technique.

Immediately, Fang Can's calm voice came: "Senior Sister, my mind has been refined into every part of my body—be careful not to miss anything."

Hearing Liu Qingmeng's motion paused slightly, then she replied calmly: "I know."

Less than half a stick of incense later, Fang Can stared blankly at the empty meditation chamber, scratching his head, sensing something was off.

'Something's missing, something's missing… never mind, I'll figure it out later.'

Fang Can thought seriously, stepped out the door, and smiled: "Senior Sister Liu, I've broken through to the First Transformation."

"Good. What is your inheritance and mental image?" Hearing Liu Qingmeng's robes fluttered, yet her expression still held unease.

Though she had already cleansed her sticky clothing with the Dust-Clearing Technique.

Still wearing the same attire, gazing at the boy's smile, she felt again the same three moments of weakness she'd experienced before.

'These are delusions—need time to fully refine them away,' Hearing Liu Qingmeng murmured to herself.

"Of course, my inheritance is the Forbidden Character Technique. As for my mental image, once solidified, I call it…" Fang Can's brow furrowed as he spoke, feeling strangely familiar with these words.

Hearing Liu Qingmeng's heart leapt: "What? Did you encounter a cultivation mishap?"

"No, no—it's wrong," Fang Can stared at Hearing Liu Qingmeng before him, suddenly finding her repulsive.

This feeling was unmistakable; the last time he'd felt this way about someone… was it Wang Peng?

'Hearing Liu Qingmeng definitely did something to me just now.'

With this thought, Fang Can's mind instinctively probed into the Subspace Star Belt—and found inside a piece of flesh.

He withdrew his awareness and smiled, waving his hand: "Nothing. I just thought you looked strange—probably my imagination."

After speaking, Fang Can bowed: "I haven't shared my breakthrough yet—I'll take my leave now."

Watching the boy's retreating back, Hearing Liu Qingmeng frowned slightly, thinking inwardly: 'Did he guess?'

On the way back to the mansion, Fang Can placed the flesh in his palm—and quickly regenerated the erased memory through the flesh backup.

'No wonder I forgot—it's no surprise Senior Sister deleted it.'

Having recovered the memory, Fang Can sighed softly, offering no judgment on Hearing Liu Qingmeng's actions—only understanding.

But understanding did not mean acceptance—memory deletion was something he could never accept.

'Let it be,' Fang Can shook his head, refusing to dwell further.

Meanwhile, watching the direction Fang Can had vanished, Hearing Liu Qingmeng had not yet pondered deeply when a girl's joyful voice reached her.

"Master, I've mastered the Shattered Dream Heart Scripture," Jiang Ningan rushed to her the moment she emerged from seclusion.

"Shattered Dream Heart Scripture…" Hearing Liu Qingmeng murmured the term, her expression freezing involuntarily.

Could what just happened be the doing of Jiang Ningan's cultivation, the Verdant Flourishing?

Leaving aside other matters, Fang Can's sudden misstep in solidifying his mental image—producing the AT Field—was almost certainly the work of Verdant Flourishing.

After all, how could a First Transformation Fang Can resist a Third Transformation Jiang Ningan's technique?

Coupled with my own confidence in letting the boy test the technique, and my own decision to give Ningan the scripture…

Did I willingly let Fang Can play with me?

Am I the one who seduced Fang Can, making him tremble three times?

The more Hearing Liu Qingmeng thought, the harder the boomerang struck.

Faintly, the aftereffects of eating ice struck again.

The strange hallucinations of those three massive presences surged back into her mind—then were suppressed.

Yet a thread of regret rose within her—she regretted teaching Ningan the technique.

As she pondered, Jiang Ningan chattered on about her cultivation insights.

"Master, your scripture is incredibly powerful! Though it doesn't stay constant, it occasionally boosts my cultivation talent—especially at night. Sometimes, for three or four hours, my talent increased more than tenfold."

Jiang Ningan spoke with a touch of wistfulness, then added: "By the way, just now, for about ten breaths, my talent spiked over fifty times its normal level." Jiang Ningan sighed in wonder.

"Just now?" Hearing Liu Qingmeng's pale hand clenched instinctively, her body trembling with anger: 'Calm your heart, calm your heart.'

"Yes, Master—is there really no cost to this scripture?" Jiang Ningan asked seriously. Aside from its unstable talent boost, this technique was practically divine.

After all, she'd trained for years and seen countless techniques—every method granting power beyond one's natural talent demanded a corresponding price.

"... None," Hearing Liu Qingmeng gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing the regret in her heart.

The path of the Heart-Only Martial Dao is one walked straight into darkness; what it most forbids is regret.

It's just a mere risk of becoming Fang Can's Star-Rage Power.

If you haven't formally entered, it doesn't count as adultery!

"That puts my mind at ease..." Jiang Ningan sighed with relief, then asked: "Then may I give this technique to Fang Can for cultivation?"

"It can only be cultivated by women; if a man cultivates it, great disaster will befall him. Do not even think about it."

Hearing Liu Qingmeng swept her sleeve and spoke, her figure vanishing from the spot:

"My cultivation has advanced again; I need to enter seclusion for a period. During this time, manage yourself, but do not neglect your cultivation."

"Thank you, Master; this disciple understands," Jiang Ningan said joyfully.

(End of this chapter)