“Why do you seem completely unconcerned with what Auntie Tong is saying…” I asked somewhat puzzled. “Isn’t she a member you recruited?”

“This isn’t the first day I’ve heard her talk,” Jiang Ruoxue closed the manga book and shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s related to our ‘Echoes,’ but Auntie Tong’s way of thinking and mine are vastly different, so we often can’t communicate. I simply stopped listening.”

“How so?”

“For example, I believe ‘everything is predetermined’—everything now has already been destined,” Jiang Ruoxue answered. “But Auntie Tong believes that everything we do now will be returned to us in other forms in the future. This leads to me doing whatever I want, while she only does what she wants to achieve something.”

I felt this explanation was very philosophical and interesting, so I nodded and asked, “Then what do you think Auntie Tong wants now?”

“Although I wasn’t listening, she should have mentioned it, right? She wants to get closer to the ‘Mother Goddess’ in her heart,” Jiang Ruoxue stretched and said. “In her view, she’s currently helping a lost young person, which counts as doing good. From a ‘Karma’ perspective, in the future she might change her own fate because of this act.”

Whether it was Jiang Ruoxue’s “Causality” or Auntie Tong’s “Karma,” both seemed too abstract to me.

These were supportive “Echoes” that couldn’t immediately act upon oneself or the environment, but instead required long-term planning.

To say they weren’t strong enough—these two “Echoes” were sufficient to influence a person’s fate. To say they were strong enough—they had completely no way to deal with various sudden dangers.

“Child,” Auntie Tong said to Baiyang. “Now your body has been touched by ‘Karma.’ Your ‘good karma,’ ‘bad karma,’ and ‘neutral karma’ will all change the direction of your future.”

“Alright…” Baiyang nodded, then asked again, “Auntie, if one day I’m no longer myself, will this ‘Karma’ still exist?”

“What do you want to ask?” Auntie Tong asked in return.

“I mean… if one day I’m no longer ‘Man-Goat’ or no longer a ‘Zodiac,’ or even if I’m no longer human… will this ‘Karma’ still act upon me?”

“Child, this depends on you,” Auntie Tong said again. “As long as you believe you are you, you will always be you. This ‘Karma’ isn’t specifically acting on a ‘Zodiac’ or ‘Man-Goat,’ nor is it acting on a certain ‘person’—rather, it’s acting on yourself.”

“I’ve learned much,” Baiyang nodded toward Auntie Tong, then turned to look at me. “Yan Zhichun, the person you brought this time is extremely formidable. Thank you.”

“Hold on!” She frowned and said, “What do you mean by ‘this time’? Are you saying I’m useless?”

“No,” Baiyang shook his head. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“Well, it’s pretty much the same anyway,” Jiang Ruoxue slowly walked forward. “Since Auntie Tong is willing to give you ‘Karma,’ I can also give you ‘Causality.'”

“Give me ‘Causality’…?” Baiyang seemed not to understand the meaning of these words.

After hearing this, I felt something was wrong and stepped forward to pull Jiang Ruoxue back. “Ruoxue… I’m afraid you can’t give this ‘Causality’…”

I clearly knew that what Baiyang was planning in his heart was far greater than the “Extreme Path.” Back then, just one “Extreme Path” nearly left Jiang Ruoxue exhausted—how could she possibly speak of “Causality” to Baiyang?

Jiang Ruoxue turned her head and smiled mischievously at me, saying in a low voice, “Actually, I also know I can’t give it… but I want to see my own capabilities.”

Hearing this, I had no choice but to stop blocking her and let Jiang Ruoxue grab Baiyang’s hand.

Baiyang nodded. “It seems my understanding of ‘Echoes’ is still not comprehensive enough… there are actually unique individuals like you here?”

“Don’t be too happy yet,” Jiang Ruoxue said. “Zhichun told me about your situation. I’m not sure if I can manipulate such powerful ‘Causality.'”

“It’s fine,” Baiyang said. “I’m already very grateful that you’re willing to try.”

Jiang Ruoxue took a deep breath, then slowly closed her eyes. Holding Baiyang’s hand, she said softly, “Baiyang… you must understand the logical relationship in this…”

Just as she finished speaking, under my gaze, Jiang Ruoxue’s complexion instantly became deathly pale, as if in just one second all the blood had been drained from her body.

“Ruoxue!”

“Little Jiang!”

Auntie Tong and I exclaimed simultaneously and moved forward to pull her away, but she gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t touch me…!”

We stood frozen in place, completely at a loss for what to do.

Large beads of sweat began to emerge on Jiang Ruoxue’s forehead. I had seen her use “Causality” many times before, but this was the first time I’d seen her in such pain.

“Baiyang… as, as long as you…” Jiang Ruoxue forced out a few words, but couldn’t continue the sentence.

Every word she tried to say seemed like a sharp knife, deeply cutting her throat.

A few seconds later, she decisively let go of Baiyang’s hand, then walked to the side, bent over, and gasped for air in large gulps.

Seeing this, Auntie Tong and I hurried forward, patting her back and helping her regulate her breathing.

“This is too ridiculous…” A few seconds later, Jiang Ruoxue lifted her head and said, “This is really too ridiculous… just how many people’s ‘Causality’ is involved in what he wants to do? This contradictory feeling… am I also part of it?”

“You might have to ask him yourself, child,” Auntie Tong said.

“Auntie Tong…” Jiang Ruoxue turned to look at her. “Didn’t you feel anything when you used ‘Karma’? That heavy, desperate, massive fate involving tens of thousands of people with overwhelming oppressive force…”

“Unfortunately… my ‘Karma’ is very different from your ‘Causality.’ I only focus on him in the present moment,” Auntie Tong said. “What will happen to his future doesn’t depend on me, but depends on what his future self will do. I only amplify his own inherent ‘karma’—I don’t directly interfere with his future.”

“I see…” Jiang Ruoxue wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand, and her face finally regained some color. “Because I was trying to directly tell him an ‘outcome,’ it caused the weight of this ‘Causality’ to be extremely heavy…”

“Child, we can’t interfere with him,” Auntie Tong said. “Let him reap the fruits of his own karma.”

“Fair enough…”

“‘Causality,'” Baiyang called from behind us. “Although you seem to have failed, I’m still very interested in you.”

After hearing this, Jiang Ruoxue turned her head and stared at Baiyang, asking, “Is that so? I also think I’m quite interesting. Is there anything else you need my help with?”

“Just now when I heard you mention the words ‘Causality’ and ‘logic,’ I suddenly became interested in your ‘Causality,'” Baiyang said. “If I understand correctly, can you create simple logical effects? Achieving simple logic like ‘if, then,’ ‘if not, then’? Like an ‘AND/OR gate.'”

“That’s naturally not a problem… such simple logic doesn’t consume much ‘Causality’ at all,” Jiang Ruoxue answered.