Momo Luo said that *Xunqu* was one of the most famous mainstream publications in the Alliance.
It was published weekly, based on the standard time in Central City. However, due to limitations in various regions, the reception of new issues in the outer Star Layers was always severely delayed.
"They’ve been demanding improvements to the transport layer protocol for a long time, but it seems there are still some problems. It’s a headache for everyone," Momo Luo said.
"Huh?"
"The Information Collection Mind Branch," Momo Luo said. "Usually, it has its sub-branches handle updating the content for each issue, but even they often lose content due to differences between their respective Star Layers. Mr. ∈ hasn’t received any new content for a week. Data from the Wuyuan Domain is especially easy to lose. It’s such a tough job."
Luo Binhan pretended not to hear. He flipped to the pages with the darkest corners—which, according to Momo Luo, indicated the most hotly debated topics. He skipped past seven or eight papers filled with mathematical symbols, statistical tables, and technical jargon, and found the last article, which began like this:
"Ringo Linger Ringale’s famous novel *Shepherd of the Sun*, published in the online magazine *Star Net*, touches upon many important topics. A society’s fear of danger leads to an even more dangerous concentration of power, and this is a critical issue for us today.
"Of course, this paper does not suggest that the current Alliance intentionally seeks to tear us apart or erase our collective memory of past struggles. That is beyond the scope of this discussion. But I have indeed discovered that from Central City, the heart of the Alliance, to frontier outpost 1031 in the Wuyuan Domain; from the Jilala Catman in the Covenant Law district nearest to me, smoking Magic Sugar Water Smoke and touching the information on the wind delivered by the Spirit Field in a plant-induced dream, to the Durand mermaids I know from the Alliance’s pan-Star Layer consciousness-uploading network, who reside on a Dyson sphere built around a sweet and gentle Red Giant Star in Star Layer α372213—it seems none of us tell our history along a historical timeline anymore, nor do we view ideas and events in their historical context. We merely fear, and as a result, we hang on every word of self-proclaimed experts. This change is one of the motivations for my writing this article."
"What the hell is he even talking about?" Luo Binhan said.
Momo Luo sat down next to him and nodded in understanding. "The language in mainstream publications is very profound. It’s completely different from our school textbooks. I can only understand it thanks to Lady Yalei’s guidance."
Luo Binhan kept scrolling. He noticed that some words were underlined, and if he stared at them for too long, a new window would expand below the word. The explanation for the term "Shepherd of the Sun" was as follows: A famous novel by Ringo Linger Ringale, published in *Star Net*. The book depicts the unique way of life of the Duka, a frontier people of the Alliance, and how it was upended and destroyed during the Alliance’s expansion. After the novel was completed, it sparked widespread controversy due to the clear value judgments in its writing and ending. It is currently classified as a restricted document in seventeen Star Layers. If you wish to read this book, please confirm that it is legal to do so in your current Star Layer.
Luo Binhan nudged Momo Luo. "Is this book porn?"
"Mr. Luo, what does that mean?"
Momo Luo blinked his big, innocent eyes, waiting in confusion for an explanation. Luo Binhan didn’t have the heart to explain it too clearly. He could only shake his head, close the annotation window, and continue reading the article.
"...See, today, we are being told that we live on a dangerous edge [1];
"We—the participants of the Alliance—are being told that we, and our relationships with ourselves and each other, are undergoing a radical change, one that has never happened before [2];
"And, most importantly—today, there seems to exist a ’hidden mastermind’ or ’greatest threat,’ an entity so powerful that it could ’cause November to fall into the Abyss’ [3]...
"There are many such warnings, maxims, or prophecies, and strangely, their content is astonishingly consistent. Moreover, they almost all—and only—come from the Alliance’s Central City, where the Fire Thief resides... They all emphasize how dangerously different this period is from all times past. This era is supposedly so terrifying, so close to collapse, so one step away from the Abyss—but at the same time, this information is so homogenized, its sources so similar, and its intent to foment a precarious sense of crisis so clear. It leads one to ask: if the ’Burner of Stars,’ the entity that the Fire Thief (a founder of the Alliance from our very own Central City) claims to oppose, truly exists, why have we never seen any evidence of its existence?"
"What the hell is this even about?" Luo Binhan said.
Momo Luo blinked and explained in a gentle, friendly tone, "They’re discussing whether the Burning Dawn Moon exists."
"The Dust Moon? Is this about cosmic environmental issues?"
Momo Luo thought for a moment, then pulled a book titled *Starlight Realm* from the shelf. He looked down, flipped through a few pages, and then handed the book to Luo Binhan.
"...Moon, also known as Mirror Star, is a celestial body that reflects the light of a star and can be directly observed by primitive civilizations; the term exists widely in the languages of all civilizations. Those on the Covenant Law side refer to their spiritual dimension as the ’Moon Realm,’ and its etymology seems to hint at its illusory nature, though the original source of this claim requires further investigation. Today, the meaning of this title has greatly expanded, with its most widespread use being an epithet for the ten individuals at the pinnacle. The term officially appeared during the third preparatory meeting held during the establishment of Central City, when the then-spokesperson of the White Tower, Yulan Tongshi, designated ’Fire-Stealing Moon’ as the Covenant Law protocol name for the Fire Thief. This established the tradition of granting Moon-based titles to all successors who reached the summit. Regarding this imagery, Central City historian Bula’er believes..."
Momo Luo snatched *Starlight Realm* away and immediately shoved *Jingwei* into Luo Binhan’s hands. Luo Binhan saw large words writhing on the page to form the title: *Step Out of the Dark Forest, Defend the Embers of Hope*.
"...Does number theory have a highest form? Some say the universe is infinite, so mathematics should be as well. Current frontier research suggests that the highest number theory life has yet touched may be Abyss Theory, whose manifestation is the Abyss itself. Can life control the Abyss? Looking at the facts of the past, it’s clear we are not standing at the zenith of history. Our physical laws and historical records still cannot be treated as objective, reliable evidence. The traces of large-scale attacks on our physical laws, tampering with our mathematical rules, and interference in our historical timeline are still deeply imprinted in our records. The ’Fire Moon’ hanging over our heads has never been extinguished. However, as our front line advances, there has always been a voice that believes the universe does not need to be ordered, that advocates for letting nature take its course, for gazing at the stars and moon, for letting civilizations maintain their ’most authentic appearance.’ But I ask you, what is this ’most authentic appearance’? Is it drilling wood for fire? Eating raw flesh and drinking blood? Or is it staking out your own territory, becoming complacent, and claiming to be a shepherd of the sun until you too are swallowed by your own expanding star? Ignorance is not a choice; it is merely a sad affliction. Every civilization should have the right to pursue knowledge, to develop itself, to climb ever upward. The romantic fantasies of art should not be a tool for distorting facts and turning black into white. The civilizations of the universe are equal, harmonious, united, and interdependent. Only by uniting as one and fighting our destiny together can we break through the ’Dawn Burner’s’ ’Abyssal Advantage’ and reach the very source of history. This is the solemn responsibility of every participant in the Alliance today. The so-called ’greatest threat fearmongering’ is pure nonsense."
Luo Binhan’s jaw dropped. He asked Momo Luo, "What’s going on with these books?"
"Debating," Momo Luo said, a bit embarrassed. "The two sides have been arguing fiercely recently. Most of the editors at *Xunqu* believe the Burning Dawn Moon doesn’t exist, while *Jingwei* and several of the citations from the article Mr. Luo just read all support the Fire Thief’s point of view."
"Huh? Citations?"
"The numbers, right here. Mr. Luo can see that they’re all using different Convention Calendar numbers, right? These are values used for time conversion, which is a sign of a cross-Star Layer debate."
Luo Binhan did as he was told and looked at the numbers [1], [2], and [3]. Before his eyes, the annotation window expanded again.
[1] ∽·Rαkshal. *Xunqu*. Alliance Convention Calendar 17529-31-622-583.
[2] 0307/0308/0315/0209/01. *Quarterly Journal of Historical Timeline Research for the No Far Star Frontier Zone*. Alliance Convention Calendar 1831-㏑25-1-84½-577.
[3] Red Crane·Orchid Stone·Blue Scale·Sibyl. *In the Icy Stream and Bloody Wind*. When Twenty-Three Stars Fell Upon the White Tower’s Spire.
He felt his head starting to ache again.
"What about *Starlight Realm*?"
"Lady Yalei says *Starlight Realm* is just a ruthless term-defining machine."
Luo Binhan took a deep breath and let it out. He put all three books back in their places, then stared blankly at Yaliriga’s legs.
"Are there any model photobooks here?" he asked calmly.