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Chapter 36: Shadows of the Past

Releasing Tilysha, who was curiously peeking over from behind, the girl known as Xī gave a slight nod.

“You did well, but Leila, you… should no longer be a Winged Person, right?”

The White Feather Girl laughed elegantly, the radiance emanating from her gradually receding, and the unusual and sacred patterns on her forehead slowly integrated into her body, disappearing. She then responded, “Indeed, from a biological perspective, Winged People are creatures that solely possess wings. Even the transcendent Wing Emperor is no exception. The moment my sister and I gave birth to earlike feathers due to our bloodline regression, we were no longer entirely White Winged People. Now…”

“I see, no wonder you’ve transcended the boundaries of species and achieved such a miraculous state. It’s no surprise that mortals who ascend can live for thousands of years. Quite an interesting change.”

Miss White Fox removed her mask, her red and white shrine maiden attire transforming into a long white robe, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

“Leila, congratulations on becoming a true angel.”

Angel Miss also smiled and shook her head.

“This is all Lord Vilyric’s gift. Without you, my sister and I would probably still be half-dead in hell. Although there’s still much to improve, I should be able to contribute a bit now.”

On the side, Tilysha’s clear voice, filled with deep envy yet not too much jealousy, chimed in.

“Congratulations, Sister Leila. I just wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to become that awesome too… I also want to show off in front of Miss Vilyric…”

“Haha…”

Chuckling as she ruffled the blue-haired girl’s head, Vilyric was about to say something more when the figure of Little Dragon Daughter, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly flashed back into the carriage, her expression slightly unusual.

“Master, it seems something’s happened outside.”

“What is it?”

Earlier, because the space inside the carriage was relatively narrow, Vilyric had let Little Dragon Daughter go outside to keep watch. Little did she expect that there would actually be an issue?

With a graceful toss of her golden hair, Little Dragon Daughter quickly explained.

“The main road ahead seems to have been damaged by someone, and the vehicle can’t pass. This merchant caravan has been forced to stop, and a bunch of people are gathered over there, seeming to discuss how to handle it, but no conclusions have been reached yet.”

“The official road has been damaged?”

Priestess put on her mask, casually lifted the barrier, and slightly spread sp outwards, soon noticing the situation described by Xiao Guang.

The Holy Empire, with its strong national power, gathers countless pilgrims from around the world, so they’re particularly attentive to transportation issues. Under continuous management, the extensive network of official roads spans nearly millions of square kilometers across the nation, unobstructed.

The official road connecting Holy Star City to Mingguang City is no exception; it was uniformly funded for construction and maintenance by the Church of the Goddess, ensuring quality and preventing total impassibility under normal circumstances.

So, it must be human destruction.

“Let’s go take a look outside.”

Greeting her companions, the Priestess—once again in her Xī identity—first pulled aside the carriage curtain and gracefully jumped down with a “hey-ho.”

To avoid shocking the world, Leila, who had just ascended to a transcendent state, finally retracted half of her wings, leaving only the most basic pair of white feathers. Having transformed into an angel, after her significant power increase, she no longer needed Vilyric’s help or reminders for such things.

As she jumped down from the soundproof carriage, the noisy hustle and bustle immediately surrounded her from all sides. It seemed the caravan’s predicament had already reached everyone’s ears. Situations like that of the Priestess and her group borrowing rides weren’t uncommon, so encountering such bad luck naturally required seeking clarity from the caravan leader.

The group they joined was a transport team under the Merchant Association named “Dove.” As a large, long-standing merchant association, the leader here wasn’t actually the owner but was currently flustered and surrounded by a dozen passengers, all shouting and discussing something in a frenzy nearby.

Miss White Fox didn’t rush into the crowd but led her companions along the caravan, walking straight ahead.

While walking, Vilyric didn’t forget to whisper to the newly transformed angel beside her.

“I want to ask you something, Leila. Mythical beings should have inherited memories, right? What do you know or think about that holy mark on your forehead representing identity?”

Upon hearing this, Leila immediately perked up and turned her head to whisper back in a very low voice.

“Miss Xī, actually I was just thinking about telling you this… you know, when I was breaking through the transcendent threshold, I caught a glimpse of some baffling scenes in a daze. This situation should be a manifestation of the inherited memories passed down through our bloodline, but I found the content a bit difficult to understand.

“Oh? What kind of scenes?”

“I saw a figure shrouded in light, with wings interwoven of snow-white and void, surrounded by countless beings praying and worshiping at its feet. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse… it seems that because I broke through to the transcendent level, many of the fragmented inherited memories from the past became clear, and among them, the most frequent appearance…”

At this point, Leila suddenly hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue.

Noticing this and vaguely guessing something, Miss White Fox furrowed her brow slightly, her tone inscrutable beneath the mask as she whispered.

“It’s okay, just say what you saw. I won’t be angry.”

“Okay, Miss Xī, among the inherited memories, there is often a figure that appears. I don’t really know who this memory belongs to, but the deep reverence and devotion I felt is undoubtedly the emotion you call ‘faith,’ and as for the object of that faith, that figure…”

The Angel Miss glanced pointedly at the white fox mask on the girl beside her, slowly continuing, “Looks exactly like you now.”

“……”

Walking in silence for a long time, or perhaps just a few seconds, the White Fox Girl finally murmured.

“Do you think that’s me?”

Leila solemnly shook her head without hesitation.

“I can’t speculate about your identity. Since you’re reluctant to speak, there must be concerns. But from my perspective, based on the information I have, the only possibility for me to have a connection with such an existence is you, Miss Xī. So…”

“Mm…”

Not revealing much emotion nor getting angry at Leila’s straightforwardness, the White Fox Girl seemed to ponder for a moment before saying quickly.

“Leila, daring to guess, having opinions, and being willing to work hard—these are your strengths, and they are the qualities I admire most about you. To be honest, besides Xiao Guang, among the three of you following me, you are one of the ones I trust the most. So sharing some things with you is nothing.”

“Beneath all of it, Xiao Guang and I both come from another place, an existence that doesn’t belong to this world. However, the true reason for our coming here, to this day, we still haven’t found the answer, so we can’t definitively say that what you saw is entirely unrelated to me.”

“But regardless of how the past was or how the future will be, the current me, whether as Vilyric or Xī, is merely a traveler walking upon this earth, not a high-and-mighty deity. At least, please do not hold me in such awe as if I were beyond reach… that’s all, okay?”

Somewhat surprised, Leila looked at the White Fox Girl, who had quietly expressed such expectations. She opened her mouth, as if she understood something.

Ultimately, she simply nodded, giving her an affirmative response.

“Mm… I understand, Miss Xī.”

 

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