The aftermath of the Soul Beast's death left a silence in the Sect of Shadows—but not in Liu Shen's heart.
He had seen Yu Meixing hesitate.
Not out of fear, but recognition.
> "She knew that technique. My technique."
Something buried deep had cracked. But it wasn't enough.
> "If Heaven truly erased the Ninth Shadow's name… perhaps she was never meant to be remembered."
And yet—he remembered the pain.
He would find a way to remember her.
---
Descent to the Lost Well
Deep beneath the Cult's main shrine lay an ancient place called the Well of Withered Souls, sealed since the age of the first Sovereign.
Only one dared enter now: Liu Shen.
The cultist guide warned him:
> "The Well is not meant for the living. Only those whose memories were stolen will hear the whispers."
He entered anyway.
Darkness swallowed the light. Steps spiraled downward like an endless spine.
> "I am not seeking safety," Liu Shen said.
"I seek the truth… no matter how cursed."
---
The Forgotten Whisper
At the bottom, the Well was not water—but fog. Memory made manifest.
It pulsed with regret. It carried voices.
> "Liu Shen…"
He turned sharply. A wraith of white flame hovered, forming the shape of a cloaked woman.
Not Meixing—but familiar.
> "You locked away your own truth…" the voice said.
"For revenge, you must first unlock your own betrayal."
From the mist rose a scroll — marked with the Seal of the Ninth Pact.
A method forbidden even to the Celestial Court:
> "Soul-Thread Restoration."
With it, one could revive broken memories—at the cost of burning current ones.
Liu Shen took the scroll.
> "If remembering her costs me everything else…"
> "Then so be it."
---
Atop the Sect
That night, Meixing stood atop the black pagoda, staring into the void.
> "Who was I… in his past life?"
As she watched the stars fall like tears, she felt it—
A distant connection, warm and cold.
> "Liu Shen…"