Chapter 359 – The Group
"Good job!"
Ling Wei cheered, his voice rising above the din. "So, did you finally figure out a way to solve the mystery? What exactly is it that makes this method so effective?"
"It’s about memory—making the mind remember. What if you could teach yourself how to recall things from any direction?"
Ling Wei’s expression dimmed slightly, as if caught between the language of the group and the inner thoughts he was trying to articulate.
"Memory," he said. "We’ve been studying this for so long. You know, Ling Wei, even though the two worlds are built on the same foundation, they’re completely separate. There’s no way to bridge them directly."
"We can’t avoid the fact that our own minds are bound by limits. No matter how hard we try to conceal our secrets, every act of concealment still leaves traces—this applies to us, and to the Memory World, too. It’s a form of protection."
"Most people just accept it. Except for a few, like the Memory World itself, most are unaware—perhaps in Britain it’s the same, but in a country where such things are so deeply ingrained, the truth is different."
Ling Wei frowned. "You’re saying… the country?"
"Not quite. The country—the nation where the Law of Lawfulness was established."
Ling Wei had already been on the verge of speaking, but now he paused, his face tightening with tension.
"18th century. The country once experienced a major, unprecedented breach in memory security."
As Ling Wei spoke, the past unfolded before him, yet still remained unclear.
That nation, once called the "discovery," had become a subject of fascination to many foreign Memory Worlds. Due to the absence of any formal legal or enforcement institutions at the time, major incidents had occurred frequently, and even ordinary people had to endure such events.
There were those who, out of desperation, attempted to seize control of any available object—be it the Memory World itself, or even a blank Memory World—to use as a weapon. Or worse, they’d try to convert the powerless Memory World into a weapon of their own, and later receive rewards and recognition from the Lawful Nation.
These were the earliest "Memory Purifiers."
They knew the Lawful World existed, but they still sought to exploit it. Even if a child of their own possessed the Lawful World, they might still be punished or imprisoned.
In 18th century, a young man who had been purged from the Lawful World after a series of events became the first to openly challenge the system. This marked the beginning of the era.
The man, known as the Lawful World’s first "Purifier," was discovered in a remote area—over two dozen ancient trees in a hidden valley. He had uncovered massive amounts of information about the Lawful World, including the locations of key sanctuaries and the original Lawful Nation’s foundation.
Later, the man traveled to many of those ancient sites, sharing the knowledge publicly. He even demonstrated the existence of the Lawful World to newscasters, boldly claiming the "truth of the Lawful World" and gathering a group of dedicated followers.
This was the most significant breach in history.
Afterward, the man was arrested for attempting to "destroy the Lawful World" and was labeled a threat. The Lawful Nation even attempted to frame the entire incident as a failure of the man’s own creation, declaring him a fraud. They also punished those who had received any of the secret information.
Yet, because the news had spread too widely, the Lawful Nation ultimately failed to verify the truth. It became impossible to determine whether the information was genuine or not.
In fact, the answer was—no.
For nearly two centuries, the nation had maintained a powerful force of memory preservation, always seeking to uncover the truth behind the Lawful World. They believed the Lawful World should not exist, so their actions were always unusual and suspicious, even to outsiders. They never officially acknowledged the existence of such a place, merely referring to it as "the group."
The early research was purely speculative—built on rumors and human imagination. It was only through observation and direct perception that people could begin to understand the truth.
Some left out of failure, others returned with renewed determination. Some sacrificed everything for wealth, others for recognition.
They persisted for over two decades.
In truth, Ling Wei was the most capable of perceiving such things—the Lawful World seemed more natural to him than ordinary people. But despite living in a world rich with memory power, he never truly felt at peace. He was always restless, always anxious, always trapped in fear, guilt, and shame. This kind of imbalance could drive anyone to madness.
Most importantly—this world was real.
That’s why their efforts ultimately failed.
Yet, in the Lawful World, this wasn’t about effort. It was about truth—about how the Lawful World itself had become a force of resistance and concealment.
And the Lawful World’s power? It was real. If it existed, it did. If it didn’t, it didn’t. Human technology could never truly grasp the depth of its nature. No matter how hard we try, ordinary people can’t fully comprehend the Lawful World.
But some forces—those not dependent on physical strength—could exist without needing to be seen.
They were—human and the Memory World.
In the Lawful World, this was a paradox. It was neither good nor bad, but through mutual exchange and subtle influence, it still had enormous impact.
When humans failed, their sense of self would be shattered. When the Memory World saw everything clearly, it was, in truth, as equal to any living being. Yet, it would still be seen as a threat by many, feared and punished.
And no matter how much they changed, their core flaws remained.
That’s why the "group" kept experimenting, trying to find a stable, effective transformation system.
Ling Wei never truly believed in it. But through this process, he’d seen many people.
The tools they created—after years of trial and error—became real group members. They were no longer just ideas. They were individuals—fully formed, capable of action.
They gathered wealth, captured Memory World entities, and brought untrained individuals into the world. They trained them, taught them the secrets of the Lawful World, and prepared them for the next step.
Due to certain reasons—Ling Wei himself being a key factor—the group’s strength had dwindled over the past few decades. They could only gather a few pieces of information, and barely manage to keep the group going.
But in the past two years, the group’s influence finally turned toward Britain—this time, Ling Wei could confirm it was his own initiative that caused the shift.
Humans, the Memory World, still had a few people who had been drawn into the world through his training. And now, more and more were joining Britain.
The tools—dormant, dormant, and the catalysts—were the forces driving this change.
Ling Wei, after a few days of isolation, didn’t just recover the information he had lost. He also discovered two secret bases of the group, securing a large amount of vital intelligence.
Only a few people knew about this, and Ling Wei himself had to revise his records. It was only because of the Lawful World that he was still able to maintain his current state.
After finishing all this, Ling Wei sat in silence for a long time, unsure what to say. His heart felt heavy, but he didn’t know why.
Even if it was real, the truth was still hard to accept.
Even a genuine conversation had many layers—some subtle, some hidden. This was truly a world as it was.
"I still need to tell you," Ling Wei finally said. "I’ve brought back someone."
Ling Wei paused, then slowly added: "Someone from the past?"
(End of Chapter)
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