Hearing Evernight mention business, March 7th blushed and finally pulled herself out of Fu Zhu's embrace.
"What business?"
Evernight sighed at March 7th's demeanor and said, exasperated, "March, have you forgotten your own situation? That man named Lygus is still looking for you everywhere. And besides him... people from the Garden of Recollection have infiltrated this place. They are also searching for you."
"The Garden of Recollection?"
Fu Zhu was a bit puzzled. He could understand Lygus searching for March 7th, likely intending to use her as leverage against him. But why were people from the Garden of Recollection also looking for her?
Fu Zhu thought for a moment, the only person he could think of was Black Swan.
"Evernight, when you say people from the Garden of Recollection, are you by chance referring to Black Swan?"
"Of course not."
Evernight shook her head, then lifted her own, smiling mysteriously at Fu Zhu as she asked with pointed meaning, "Fu Zhu, if March were being hunted by a great power, what would you do?"
"A great power?"
Just as March 7th was about to say something, Evernight suddenly raised a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. March 7th instantly found that she couldn't make a sound and could only mumble and tug on Fu Zhu's arm.
Fu Zhu glanced at March 7th and knew it was Evernight's doing. While using a command to remove the negative BUFF from March, he replied casually, "Then I'd just wipe out that great power. A trivial matter."
It wasn't a question of whether he had the ability himself. Even if he didn't, he could always lead the Ender Dragon to them. With the Ender Dragon's current strength, even if that so-called great power called upon its backing Aeon, the Ender Dragon's unique characteristics were enough to give that Aeon a massive headache.
Not to mention, with his current strength, he could wear down an Aeon to death.
"So, the great power you're talking about... you're not referring to the Garden of Recollection, are you?"
Fu Zhu didn't believe it was a coincidence that Evernight would mention people from the Garden of Recollection were looking for March, only to immediately follow up by saying a great power was hunting her.
Evernight knew Fu Zhu's temperament well. She didn't play the part of a riddle-maker and stated plainly, "That's right. The Lumina Garden is March's enemy."
"Huh? When did I ever provoke the Lumina Garden?" March 7th, no longer silenced, tilted her head, completely baffled.
Evernight was a bit helpless. She really wanted to quiet March 7th down and have a proper talk with Fu Zhu, but with Fu Zhu here, she knew he wouldn't let her silence March at will. Evernight could only explain softly, "March, Fu Zhu, you should both know about the Pure Children of Anāsrava from the Lumina Garden, right?"
"We know." x2
They had learned quite a bit about the major factions and notable figures of the universe from Himeko, so they were naturally aware of the Pure Children.
"Then it's simple. The reason the Lumina Garden is hunting you, March, is because you are also a Pure Child."
As soon as Evernight said this, both Fu Zhu and March 7th were stunned. The former whipped his head around to look at March, never expecting his little girlfriend to have such a significant background.
"A Pure Child? Me?" March 7th blinked her eyes in a daze, finding it hard to believe.
Evernight nodded and continued, "For a new life to sprout, its seed must die. This statement doesn't just apply to ordinary life; it includes Aeons as well. You should know that the mission of [Remembrance] is to record all the memories of the entire universe. Fu Zhu, if it were you, how would you go about recording all memories without missing a single drop?"
Fu Zhu fell into thought.
By his understanding, these so-called memories could be seen as a collection of stories. Assuming he had a photographic memory, the best way to record everything would be to pick a book that was already completely finished!
If the book were still being serialized, there was no guarantee he wouldn't drop it for some reason in the future.
Thinking of this, Fu Zhu suddenly let out a "holy shit." A bold idea sprouted in the depths of his mind. He looked at Evernight with an expression of disbelief.
"You don't mean to say... Fuli hasn't been born yet?"
Evernight was a bit surprised that Fu Zhu had arrived at the correct answer, but she then clapped her hands in admiration.
"Only someone with a mind as wild as yours would dare to voice such a shocking answer. But... your answer is completely correct."
Then, under the bewildered gazes of Fu Zhu and March 7th, Evernight paced before them with her umbrella in hand.
"That's right, Fuli has not yet been born. Only when a Pure Child faces their final choice will the Aeon be born from that choice. This is a secret that has been buried deep within the Lumina Garden. This is also why the Pure Child from the Lumina Garden sends people to find March—to find her, take her, and ultimately, absorb her."
The more March 7th listened, the more terrified she became. Thinking that she was being targeted by such a horrifying existence, she nervously hugged Fu Zhu's arm.
Fu Zhu, however, found it quite interesting.
"Isn't this just the War of the Nine Princes! A whole bunch of Pure Children vying to become a god."
March 7th unhappily slapped Fu Zhu's arm. "I don't want to! I just want to be a Nameless Guest and keep traveling with you guys!"
"But March, even if you don't want it, they do."
Evernight sighed, then looked at Fu Zhu, her eyes full of questioning. "Now that the situation is clear, Fu Zhu, are you still confident you can protect them?"
"Wait, them? There's another March?"
Fu Zhu looked left and right, even glancing at his minimap, but couldn't find another March 7th.
"I'm talking about her."
Evernight raised her hand and pointed at Mimi, who was beside them.
"Mimi? (I'm a Pure Child too?)" Mimi pointed at her own little face, a look of bewilderment on it.
Both March 7th and Fu Zhu looked at Mimi with some surprise.
March 7th turned her head stiffly to look at Fu Zhu. How was it that after just a short time apart, he had brought back another new sister for her?
Fu Zhu was also surprised. Mimi was clearly a data entity he had brought back, so how could she also be a Pure Child?
"Yes, that's right. I wasn't entirely sure just now, but after observing her up close, I've confirmed it. A massive thread of karma exists on her body, one that should be connected to Amphoreus. However, the people from the Lumina Garden probably don't know about the existence of another Pure Child for now. Their main target is still March."
"Whatever. If they come, we'll fight."
Just moments ago, he was still wondering which Aeon he would have to fight. It turned out to be the Lumina Garden, and Fuli hadn't even been born yet!
Then what was there to worry about? He'd just crush them!