"Deputy (Fùjiàng,副将)… Da Qiang (Dà Qiáng,大强) — hey!"
"Hey… here!"
Yi (Yì,毅) jogged as he called out, feeling increasingly exasperated — sure enough, the deputy was at the city gate, earphones in, bobbing along to music.
"Ah, come on… Quick! Pick a few of the best fighters and come with me out of the city to meet the enemy — give your captain a hand!"
"Yes!"
This was the plan Yi had just thought of — sharing blessings and hardships alike. It was time to show some real skill.
Soon, the deputy had swiftly assembled a squad of elites. They looked righteous enough… except their hands and feet were trembling.
"What are you shaking for!"
Yi glanced back in irritation. "—Be brave! You're the best! With me here, what's there to fear…"
"Yeah, and with me too!" The deputy puffed out his chest and stood tall in agreement.
"Uh? Brotherinlaw (dàjiěfū,大姐夫), aren't you…?" The squad members glanced at each other, then all turned their eyes toward Yi along with the deputy.
"I'm just… warming up because it's cold, alright! I'm not scared…"
"Wait — you don't need to go out of the city!"
Just as they were hotly debating the cause of their trembling legs, the strategist's (cānmóu,参谋) voice suddenly rang out from the wall, instantly easing the tension. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen…
"You two, get up here on the wall — there's a show to watch…"
The legshaking stopped at once. The two, full of grievance, hurried up to the wall and demanded of the strategist, "What is it? At such a critical moment? We were just about to go fight!"
"No need!"
The strategist simply smiled, relaxed, and pointed into the distance. "Look…"
The two obediently followed the old man's finger — and saw a current of electricity racing toward the Giant Monster (jùguài,巨怪). The silver light was as bright as moonlight, and its speed was no less than the lightning that had fallen from the thunderclouds earlier.
"—That light, could it be…?"
"Mm, that's right!"
Everyone craned their necks, a mix of joy and uncertainty in their hearts. But the strategist calmly stroked his beard and confirmed with confidence, "That is the sacred beast (shèngshòu,圣兽) of Baihu County (Báihǔ Jùn,白虎郡)!"
At that moment, Qing's (Qīng,青) eyes brimmed with uncontrollable killing intent. She held off the Giant Monster's attack with one hand, while the other was poised to break free — her intent unclear. At her waist, the greenbladed saber trembled and shone. If not for concern over the elder's (Zhǎngzhě,长者) safety, Qing would have already flattened the brute before her. She had not noticed the approach of reinforcements.
"They're here…"
Just as the female general resolved to risk the next move, the elder suddenly pushed herself up on one hand, slowly stood, and placed a hand on Qing's shoulder, speaking weakly but with certainty…
"—It's alright now!"
Following the elder's gaze, Qing saw a bolt of lightning roar past her. In an instant, a sphere of electricity came to a steady halt before them, blocking the Giant Monster's path of attack. The beast froze in shock, eyes wide, and even stumbled back several steps.
As the electric light faded, the form of a tiger emerged — a white tiger, far larger than any ordinary tiger. Snowwhite fur was patterned with silvergleaming stripes, and arcs of electricity rippled across its body. It radiated an aura of absolute dominance.
"You've come!" The elder bowed her head slightly in greeting.
"—Lord White Tiger (Báihǔ Dàrén,白虎大人)!"
"Rooaaar—" The White Tiger raised its head and roared toward the enemy ranks.
Truly the king of beasts — the sacred beast's roar sent those enemies who had just gotten back on their feet, still groggy and preparing to attack, into a panicked retreat. They tumbled and scrambled away for several li, then stopped, staring at each other, not daring to advance.
Of course, the Giant Monster was the exception. It did not retreat, but pounded its chest with all its might, bellowing in defiance. Its eyes still gleamed, its silver back shone even brighter — looking impressively fierce… though perhaps it had hit itself too hard, for it nearly choked.
Steadying itself, it opened its mouth as if to launch a new attack. In the next second, a deep crimson energy sphere began to form.
The sacred beast, however, seemed disinclined to bother with it. It merely glanced back — those deep blue eyes sharp and commanding.
Qing, oddly flustered, returned the gesture with a bow. When she looked up again, there was another flash of lightning and a thunderous boom. The Giant Monster — needless to say — could no longer stand. Its eyes glazed over as if drunk, and it crashed heavily to the ground. Its mouth looked as though something had exploded inside — lips charred, thick, and smoking… like two burnt sausages.
Qing's eyes widened in shock, afraid she had misseen. Such a fierce strike left her inwardly humbled and full of respect.
At that moment, thunderous applause erupted from the distant city wall, led by the familiar trio, as everyone cheered loudly.
The sacred beast turned, looked at the elder, then at Qing, dipped its head in return, and slowly approached the bundle.
At last, the elder opened the precious thing she had been clutching to her chest. Qing frowned slightly, eyes widening in surprise…
Inside was a sleeping infant, apparently a boy. The child was unremarkable — in truth, rather sicklylooking.
But strangely, a light flickered on his forehead — erratic and disordered, like a broken lamp.
"Achoo!"
Leaning in too close, Qing couldn't help but let out a small sneeze. For some reason, her nose itched fiercely, sneezes welling up, and she quickly stepped aside.
"Are you certain?"
The elder asked in a tone of confirmation. The White Tiger glanced at the child but said nothing.
"—Understood!"
After several more sneezes, Qing's symptoms finally subsided. She turned — and saw, before the White Tiger's chest, a mysterious energy sphere forming. Pure silver, it radiated a dazzling light.
After a while, the small energy sphere slowly moved from the sacred beast's (shèngshòu,圣兽) chest to hover above the infant's navel, then descended, sinking into the tiny body that made Qing (Qīng,青) feel both a little annoyed and a little sympathetic.
Immediately, at the child's lower dantian, a mysterious seal appeared — shaped somewhat like a tiger. The light began to flash in an orderly rhythm, its color turning clearer, with the purity of silver. Then it slowly faded, and the infant's complexion gradually returned to normal.
"Quick — open the city gates! Everyone, maintain alert status!"
At the same time, Yi (Yì,毅), seeing the battle over and the situation stable, gave an eager order: "—Old brother, I'll leave this to you… Deputy (fùjiàng,副将) — take your men and come out of the city with me!"
"Yes!"
Before long, the two were smiling as they drove a retrostyle carriage out of the city with a group of bodyguards.
At first glance, the carriage seemed unremarkable, but on closer inspection, the brand name "Nangong" (Nángōng,南宫) was printed on its body. Not only was it fast and stable, it also boasted hightech features like autopilot, voice control, and perfect aerodynamics. Its bronzecrafted axles were so intricately made that even the latest human technology would struggle to replicate them.
Thus, with the deputy driving, Yi humming a tune beside him, and the bodyguards marching in light steps, they set off together to welcome victory.
"Are you alright…?"
On the battlefield, the elder (Zhǎngzhě,长者) had already withdrawn her arm and cradled the infant again. Looking at the White Tiger (Báihǔ,白虎) with concern, she asked, "—Lord White Tiger (Báihǔ Dàrén,白虎大人)?"
The sacred beast still gave no reply, only slowly turning its massive body to check the surroundings. Then, once more, it transformed into a bolt of lightning and sped toward the distant forest — growing smaller and smaller until it vanished from sight.
"Thank you! Please take care!" the elder said with heartfelt concern, gazing in the direction the White Tiger had gone.
"Master (Shīfu,师父)!"
"—Slow down, Master!"
As the carriage drew closer, Yi's voice rang out again and again. He stood on the driver's bench, waving. Qing, carefully supporting the elder, was already impatient to ask questions. Hearing his voice, she shot Yi a look of disdain — but in her heart, she felt a surge of warmth.
"Are you alright — but tell me, why were there so many exotic beasts (Yìshòu,异兽) attacking you? Where did they come from? So many… I remember the Barrier Squad (jièjiè bān,结界班) just inspected things two days ago."
"No matter — perhaps it was… cough!"
The elder answered slowly, her tone unsteady. With a trace of fatigue, she glanced at the bundle in her arms, sighed, and explained, "—They came for this child!"
At this, Qing's expression grew puzzled. She looked at the child, her eyes a mix of doubt and displeasure, struggling to control her emotions as she helped the elder into the carriage. Then, suddenly, she leaned out of the carriage and shouted at the two drivers in front:
"Notify the Exotic Beast Administration (Yìshòu Guǎnlǐjú,异兽管理局) immediately — have them round up all the remaining beasts. And that Giant Monster (jùguài,巨怪) — tell them to study it thoroughly and find out what's going on!"
"Yes…"
The deputy grinned and agreed readily, then turned to look — and suddenly blurted out in confusion, "Uh… where's the Giant Monster?"
"Have you been bingewatching dramas lately… eyesight going bad? Let me see."
Muttering, Yi followed the deputy's gaze — and what the—? The Giant Monster that had been lying there just moments ago had suddenly vanished.
"—What… happened?"
Seeing this, Qing was about to jump down to investigate, but Yi stopped her.
"Hey! What are you doing — it probably just… woke up and ran off. Let's get back to the city, come on!"
"No! This must be investigated!"
"Eh… let the Administration handle it! Look, Master's condition doesn't seem good — she needs to return for treatment immediately. And besides, those beasts might come back. Staying here isn't safe!"
"Hmph—"
Yi put on a serious face, speaking with conviction. This time, Qing found herself unable to refute him. After all, her master's safety was paramount. She pursed her lips in frustration, then reluctantly agreed: "Then… let's… go!"
"Huh? Go… where?"
In that instant, Yi felt rather pleased with himself — it was rare for Qing to be persuaded by him — but he was still a little unsure, so he shamelessly asked.
"Home!"
Qing, having forgotten her earlier mood, shot Yi a helpless glance and answered, then turned back into the carriage in a huff.
"Got it… Da Qiang (Dà Qiáng,大强) — let's move!"
"Yes!"
And so, with Qing and the elder resting inside, the two men drove the carriage homeward, bodyguards flanking them on both sides, steadfast and close — there was strength in numbers, and at least it felt safe.
Inside the carriage, after giving the elder a restorative potion, the female general busied herself cleaning away bloodstains. She kept her head down, silent, her expression somewhat heavy, her gaze unfocused…
"Ask, it's fine."
From time to time, Qing glanced at the elder, wanting to speak but holding back. But the elder suddenly broke her hesitation, speaking while sitting crosslegged with eyes closed, regulating her breath.
"So… was the battle successful? That fellow should have been defeated — but why are there still enemies? And… why is this child with you? Why protect him so fiercely? You even got hurt like this — wait, what happened to your hair…?"
Given permission, Qing immediately began firing off questions like a curious child, spilling everything she'd been holding back.
"You… so impatient!"
The elder was amused despite herself, then glanced at her disciple and closed her eyes again. "—Don't worry. He's been imprisoned in the safest place; for now, there's no need to be concerned. I was injured in the battle, but it's nothing serious — you needn't worry too much. As for this child…"
"—This is nothing? You look badly hurt!"
Anxious, Qing interrupted without thinking, then, after a pause, continued softly, "Besides, even with a serious injury, your hair wouldn't be like this — no… did you use that technique?"
Qing had been clever since childhood — nothing could be hidden from her. The elder knew this well; she understood her disciple too thoroughly.
So the master exhaled slowly, then looked at her and said, "You guessed right. It was the technique recorded in the Forbidden Tome — the immortal art (xiānfǎ,仙法) 'Qíxīng' (祈星), created by our Zhuge clan (Zhūgě yīzú,诸葛一族)."
On the continent of Suoluo (Suǒluó Dàlù,桫罗大陆), Guardians' abilities fell into three main categories — of these, immortal arts were deeper, harder to master, and more powerful than secret arts (mìshù,秘术) or special skills (juéjì,绝技). The formation Qing had used earlier was one such art.
"—Was it… because of this child?"
By now, Qing seemed to have guessed most of it. She stared at the child with astonishment, her voice trembling as she sought confirmation.
"Correct… Only with this art could I activate our clan's secret technique, the Eight Gates Golden Lock (Bāmén Jīnsuǒ,八门金锁), to suppress what's inside this child's body…"
"—Why! Master…"
The female general's emotions nearly broke. Tears welled in her eyes as she forced her voice low, choking out, "Just for this child, you'd throw away your own life? Who is this boy, that you'd protect him so — even at the cost of your life? That's a lifeforalife method…"
"—Cough… This child is the hope of our Guardian Alliance (Shǒuhùzhě Liánméng,守护者联盟), and of the entire Suoluo Continent's future!"
The elder's resolute answer left her devoted disciple stunned. For a moment, she felt as slowwitted as Yi, unable to grasp the meaning.
In Qing's mind, however, a voice kept insisting she must have misheard — yet reason told her that her master was perfectly lucid and calm. The elder had never spoken without certainty, and never lied.
Gradually, Qing's gaze grew vacant. She looked again at the infant — so ordinary, so frail, nothing about him suggested he could bring hope. On the contrary, this little brat… would even require her master's very life force to save.
"Master! I don't understand… why?"
She forced herself to sort through her tangled thoughts, calming her voice as much as she could, and asked again, choking back emotion. The elder seemed to have anticipated her question. Eyes still closed, she spoke slowly, one word at a time, revealing the truth.
It turned out that the infant before them was the very child spoken of in Guardian (Shǒuhùzhě,守护者) legend — the one who, in the future, would be the only person capable of saving the Suoluo Continent (Suǒluó Dàlù,桫罗大陆), and even the entire world.
But Qing had little faith in such legends. She looked helplessly at the child again, still unable to see anything special — in fact, he seemed stranger than most.
That thin little face, sallowskinned, with eyes, nose, mouth, and sparse hair — nothing unusual; didn't everyone look like that? Oh — except for a pair of small, slender ears, their tips pointed, almost as if…
"You don't yet know what he is enduring now, nor what he will face in the future. You must understand — within this child's body, an external force is devouring him. His condition now is already much better than when I first found him… cough… As for that force, it comes from the Reformer (biàngé zhě,变革者) — the one you spoke of. Even in defeat, he refused to relinquish his obsession. In the instant before being sealed, he invoked a supreme, restrictedlevel technique from that Forbidden Tome — the Eastern Emperor: Dharma Manifestation of Heaven and Earth (Dōnghuáng · Fǎxiàng Tiāndì,东皇・法相天地). It is a sorcery capable of seizing another's divine consciousness — and is counted among the Ten Great Divine Arts of the ancient era…"
"—What!"
At this moment, Qing (Qīng,青) clearly could no longer hold firm to her inner resolve. Too many emotions surged uncontrollably, and in a burst of impulse she interrupted her master again — but the elder (Zhǎngzhě,长者) only smiled faintly, nodded in affirmation, and looked at her disciple. Waiting until Qing calmed down, she continued, "—Mm! Only in this way could he hope to break the seal early and make a comeback. But there is one more condition — subversion. And so, this child has become a thorn in his eye…"
"—But… why would that man go to such trouble? Isn't he just making things harder for himself?"
—Ah, not bad! From an ordinary person's perspective, there could be many choices for such a spell's target; wouldn't picking someone weaker be easier?
Qing pondered the intricacies for a moment, then suddenly understood — this was a plan to kill two birds with one stone. In this way, the Reformer (Biàngé Zhě,变革者) could not only help himself return to the battlefield, but also weaken, even eliminate, his future nemesis — the legendary child before her…
—How could that man be so cruel, to strike at an infant… Ah! In that light, this little one does seem rather pitiful after all.
"Mm… Originally, this child could have lived with his parents, carefree. Though in the future he would still face many challenges, at least he could have had a normal childhood! Cough…"
The elder glanced at Qing again, speaking while regulating her breath. But perhaps she had said too much at once; she seemed a little fatigued and could not stop coughing a few times.
Qing, however, remained silent, her gaze slightly dazed — as if she had grasped part of the truth. Her expression gradually softened. She couldn't help but look at the child again, her eyes far gentler than before.
"—Then we could take this child to the Sacred Healer Clan (Shèngyī Zú,圣医族). There, he could receive more comprehensive help… Why must you use such a bodydamaging technique to extend his life?" she asked after a quiet moment's thought.
The Sacred Healer Clan, as Qing mentioned, was as renowned as the Zhuge clan (Zhūgě yīzú,诸葛一族) — one of the oldest families on the continent, dwelling for generations in Azure Dragon County (Qīnglóng Jùn,青龙郡), famed for unparalleled medical skill. In theory, no physical ailment could stump them.
"True, that makes sense. But you don't know — when I used this method, the clan leader of the Sacred Healers was standing right beside me!"
The elder had already anticipated her disciple's question, and her next words struck directly at the heart of it. She shook her head helplessly, still regulating her breath. "—Even this method can only temporarily suppress the external force within the child… You saw it just now — without Lord White Tiger's (Báihǔ Dàrén,白虎大人) help, the child's condition would not be as stable as it is now…"
"—Then… is there truly no other way?"
Qing knew her master well — unless absolutely necessary, the elder would never take such a reckless risk, much less gamble with her life. Unless it was because…
"—Mm… Correct. This is the only method your grandmaster (tài shīfu,太师父) could think of!"
"You mean… that… that old man!"
At this, Qing's anger flared again. Her previously softened tone suddenly hardened once more. "—Hmph, I knew it. It's his rotten idea again…"
"—Do not be rude!"
The elder's expression suddenly turned stern. She opened her eyes and chided softly, then paused before speaking earnestly: "—My master has spent years strategizing to protect this world, never once miscalculating. If there were even the slightest other possibility, he would never allow his own disciple to use this technique…"
"—I… but that old man… no, your master… he can't possibly know everything. There might be things he doesn't know!"
Qing lowered her head, saying nothing, but couldn't help letting her grievance show — she dared not anger the elder further, so she only muttered softly.
"You must understand — my master is a onceinacentury genius of the Suoluo Continent (Suǒluó Dàlù,桫罗大陆). His contributions to the Alliance (Liánméng,联盟) are in no way inferior to the Three Sects of ancient times!"
Fortunately, the elder did not seem to hold her disciple's words against her, speaking gently instead.
"—Moreover, your grandmaster is also a witness to that legend… He understands this child's importance even better than we do, including everything we can do for him. As the youngest grandmaster in Suoluo history, the current NineStar Pavilion Master of the Dark Moon (Jiǔxīng Yōuyuè Gé Gézhǔ,九星幽月阁阁主) and Divine Executor of Baihu County (Báihǔ Jùn Shénzhí,白虎郡神执), he would never — and will never — make a mistake in something this important…"
"—But… what if this child isn't the one? What if we've got the wrong person?"
"Ah! All signs already show that this child is the only candidate — and can only be him!"
"But…"
Gradually, the more Qing listened, the more her confidence faltered. Her voice grew smaller — all her doubts had been answered one by one by her master. Now she was left speechless. Reason told her it was all true… yet even if facts spoke louder than words, she still felt a trace of unwillingness in her heart.
After all, she too had been raised by the elder — master as both parent and teacher, the one who had nurtured her into who she was. So apart from the elder, Qing trusted no one.
Of course, the elder likewise deeply respected and trusted her own master — perhaps such things were inherited?
Strangely, though, Qing harbored a strong dislike for her master's master — her own grandmaster. Whether it was a generational gap or youthful rebellion, she didn't know. She always called him "old man" behind his back, thinking he was full of bluster, spouting chivalry and grand principles, always posing before them as allknowing and in control… and most infuriating of all, he had indeed never once been wrong!
—But so what if he was that capable? You want to be a hero, to save the world — what does that have to do with us? And now my master has ended up like this because of you… I'm not convinced!
"Enough — this… was my own decision as well!"
Just as Qing stood there, head down, stomping her foot in silent struggle and frustration, the elder squinted her eyes, smiled at her, and offered a gentle reassurance. Then she looked down at the infant in her arms — now awake, as if he had been listening to the conversation for some time, babbling and giggling to break the tension.
The elder reached out a large hand to tease the tiny, waving one, then murmured again, "—Don't forget, we are all caught within this fate — whether it's my master, or you and I, or this innocent child. And the title 'Child of Destiny' may sound grand, but who knows how much hardship and suffering is hidden within that socalled mandate of heaven!"
"But… you can't take the fall for him — your body's already like this…"
Beside her, Qing's heart was a swirl of mixed feelings, unsure how to express them. Her words sounded as if she were blaming the little one before her — but in truth, what she most wanted to say was: What does that old man have to do with us? Why doesn't he do it himself, instead of making my master exhaust herself like this?
"No matter! In the face of the greater good, the fate of all Guardians (Shǒuhùzhě,守护者) is bound together… we are one whole!"
The elder (Zhǎngzhě,长者) kept her smile, looking at her disciple to reassure her. "—Rest easy… this technique may look dangerous, but I only opened the third layer. Though it has caused some damage to my body, with proper recuperation there's no danger to my life — unlike… unlike my master, cough!"
"—The old man… oh, no… he used it too…? Ah, Master, are you alright?"
Cough, cough…
Before the elder had even finished speaking, Qing (Qīng,青) could hardly believe her ears. She blurted out in surprise while also fussing over her master's condition.
But the elder merely adjusted herself, not answering directly. Slowly, she raised one hand toward Qing in a small gesture… Her expression still seemed calm, but anyone observant could see the subtle change.
In that moment, Qing knew very well — in the past, no matter what happened, her master's expression had never been like this. Now, she could tell the situation was truly serious. So she didn't press further; she didn't want to sadden her master. Her emotional side was gradually settling, and she began to adjust her own mood.
"You must understand — we Guardians have, for generations, maintained the balance of this world. Since ancient times, we've stood at the front lines to protect people from outside forces. Even now, hidden here, moving from the open to the secret… all because we possess gifts ordinary people do not. These gifts are to us as wings are to a bird — their importance goes without saying. As the saying goes, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' In the face of the greater good, we must set aside the small family for the sake of the greater one. This is the awareness every Guardian should have!"
When she finished, the elder looked at Qing again and spoke patiently: "—In every battle, you've been at the very front of the team. You know this well; otherwise, you wouldn't have risked your life to save the strategist (cānmóu,参谋) back then…"
Listening to her master's earnest teaching, Qing asked no more. She was already regretting her earlier impulsiveness — when suddenly, a tiny hand appeared in both their lines of sight, waving toward her as if beckoning.
Without thinking, Qing extended a finger… and now she began to feel she didn't dislike this child so much after all. In fact, there was even a faint, soursweet feeling in her heart.
Suddenly, the child's small hand closed around Qing's finger. On that pitiful little face appeared a smile — not bright, but gentle — and two small eyes blinked up at her, as if sending some kind of power. In that instant, Qing felt a sweetness in her heart, and a sense of freedom.
"—If not for this child's extraordinary gift, I fear all we've done might have been in vain!" The elder glanced at the two "children" and smiled in quiet reflection.
"This… but wasn't it already stabilized?"
"—Indeed, but this can only hold for a time. That technique's dominance is not something an ordinary Guardian can withstand. If this child hadn't been born with an unusually strong gift, I might not have had time to use my art at all. By the time we arrived, his gift had been almost completely depleted — of the three elemental attributes he originally possessed, only one remained, like a fledgling with broken wings. Fortunately, this sole remaining element is of the same lineage as ours, allowing my power to be applied to him smoothly. And, remarkably, this remaining gift element can harmonize with Lord White Tiger's (Báihǔ Dàrén,白虎大人) strength — as you saw just now, that's why his condition is now temporarily stable!"
A "gift" (tiānfù,天赋) was a mysterious power Guardians were born with, sourced from the planet's energy, Sacred Qi (Shèngqì,圣炁), located in the lower dantian. It could be understood as a special energy source, like the power system of a nuclear reactor, called "Língxī" (灵犀). Its overall structure resembled particles in quantum physics: the energy units in the gift were like quarks in a particle, forming the particle's core. Surrounding the core were elemental electrons with inherent attributes, varying in number and corresponding to the types of energy quarks within.
Elemental electron attributes came in many kinds, broadly defined by the Five Elements, with each of the Five Counties having its own characteristics. Special cases existed, but were rare.
Generally, a Guardian's gift core contained at least one energyquark attribute, and the covenant allowed for — or could dissociate — basically only one type of elemental electron. For example, Qing's sole elemental electron was of Baihu County's (Báihǔ Jùn,白虎郡) Metal element in the Five Elements, with a lightningtype ability.
But for our little protagonist to be born with multiple energyquark attributes and have them already dissociated was extremely rare in this era — though in the ancient Five Counties, such multiattribute cases were more common.
"—Oh… I see. So just now… that was the completion of a Língxī Contract (Língxī Qìyuē,灵犀契约)?"
"Correct!
A Língxī Contract is a linked state formed when a Guardian with the qualification for trials passes the Sanctuary's test and is recognized by a sacred beast.
For most Guardians, this results in a comprehensive enhancement of their own attributes, and in some cases, the chance to gain a contract form known as 'telepathy' — a special power link granted by the sacred beast's own will. In quantum terms, it's like the energy particles of the Guardian and the sacred beast becoming entangled…"
"Oh…"
In fact, Qing had long wondered what exactly Lord White Tiger had done for this child. It seemed unusual, but she had never seen it before, so she found it strange. After all, a highlevel trial like the Língxī Contract was not something every Guardian could qualify to attempt. For Qing herself, it was a future step crucial to awakening the MindSpirit Realm — but in recent years, with so many missions, she'd had no time to participate, and besides, she hadn't even earned the qualification. Her martial skills were toptier, but her theory scores were lacking — the opposite of Yi (Yì,毅) — so neither of them had the chance.
Yet now, before her, this child had done nothing and so easily gained the fruits of such a trial…
"From now on… he's family to us!" The elder looked at the "siblings" before her and spoke with heartfelt earnestness.
"Oh… ah, but — what about this child's family? Why isn't he living with his parents — could it be… they don't want him?"
"No, absolutely not!"
At her master's decision, Qing was unusually agitated. The elder waited, then began to calm her: "We discussed it with the child's parents for a long time, and this… was the only way. Though his parents are by no means ordinary, and raising him to greatness would be easy for them, the situation this time is far too special — there can be no mistakes — so we had no choice but to take this last resort!"
"—And his parents… they agreed? That's…!" Qing could not calm down, cutting off her master's explanation, clearly dissatisfied.
"Silly girl… you don't know. The power that man infused into the technique is formidable and strange, laced with his twisted personal will. It's enough to influence, even overturn, this child's body and mind. Worst of all, until the technique is reversed, if he were to meet his closest kin, this child…"
"—What would happen…?"
"Backlash! If that happened, all our efforts would be wasted, and the world would once again fall into crisis…" At this, the elder frowned, her expression growing grave.
"Then…"
Qing stared at the child in shock, listening to her master's account — then suddenly turned to the elder, voicing her anger: "—Even so, they… they can't just abandon him! They could move here, pretend to be friends, keep him company — anything! I just can't understand how they could bear to treat their own child like this — to abandon him, then act as if nothing happened, and go on with their lives!"
"Ah, foolish girl. Only when you are a parent yourself will you understand the immense pain and torment his parents endured to make this decision. For their child, they could give up everything… No parent would willingly be separated from their child, and no one has the right to force them apart — no one. But for the child's future, they had no choice but to agree.
To be safe, the Sacred Healer Clan's (Shèngyī Zú,圣医族) clan leader went so far as to use a forbidden art to erase from the minds of the parents all memories of their child. So now, to them, he is merely a stranger…
Perhaps, one day in the future, this family might meet again. Or perhaps, for their entire lives, the three will remain strangers. Even if the crisis is resolved and they could reunite, even if they were to meet, it might be only with a sense of emptiness. But no matter what the future holds, the only belief those parents have is to give their child a chance…
By now, the elder's voice was beginning to tremble with fatigue, but she did not stop her explanation: "—So from this moment on, we are this child's family, and you are his eldest sister…"
"What… no, Master — eldest sister? But I'm so much older than him, I could be his aunt…"
As she listened, Qing's thoughts began to shift and smooth out… yet she still felt something was a little off.
"—Only this way will the child grow closer to you. In the future, his childhood will be filled with loneliness and despair. Though he will have family, they will not be his kin… So you must not only be his guardian, but also his friend…"
Looking at the child, Qing's feelings were complicated, but she could only nod in reluctant agreement. After a moment, she suddenly seemed to realize something and asked urgently, "—Wait, no, just us… what about you, Master?"
"From today onward, I will need to spend much time in seclusion to maintain the effect of the technique, so I will not have much time to care for him. The responsibility of looking after this child will naturally fall on your shoulders."
"Don't tell me it's because…"
Hearing a reasonable answer, Qing finally let out a long breath. She wanted to ask more, but stopped herself — she didn't want to tire her master further with explanations. Instead, she changed the subject: "—But we… we've never raised a child before…"