Chapter 57: The Incomprehensible Child of Heaven

After that, Hen gradually grew up under the care of the couple.

However, this process… was a bit too fast.

From a very young age, Hen displayed her peculiar traits that set her apart from ordinary people.

When her parents found Hen, He Zhu was already nine years old, but in just three or four years, the former soon surpassed the latter, growing into a youthful appearance that was not much different from her own.

Aside from that, Hen’s intelligence was particularly surprising. Despite not receiving any formal education, she managed to learn how to read and write just from the few tattered books at home, and even discussed profound topics with passing travelers that even He Zhu’s parents couldn’t comprehend.

Though it wasn’t intentionally publicized, the legend of the child prodigy of Xinghu Village quickly spread among the people after Hen grew into her teenage years within just a few years.

Soon enough, even more impressive powers discovered a key that was even more shocking than this incredible talent.

【Innate Spirit Body】

This girl was the new generation of Spirit Girl bestowed upon the West Yuan Spirit Kingdom by the Ancient Spirit Realm, and prior to that, a Spirit Girl had not appeared for a hundred and ten years.

Although there were differences from the records of past Spirit Girls, the fact that she descended from the stars was filled with fantastical colors; yet, an innate spirit body was an undeniable truth.

Soon, Hen was sent to the capital by the Onmyoji Bureau, drawn in by reports of her talents, to receive more professional education and guidance.

He Zhu, unable to trust her quiet yet amiable younger sister who was different from ordinary people, chose to temporarily part from her parents and accompany her as a maid to continue caring for the newly appointed 【West Yuan Spirit Girl】.

Although she was actually much younger, due to Hen’s rapid growth and fixed appearance, the sixteen-year-old He Zhu appeared somewhat more youthful than her younger sister. Since there was no blood relation between them, apart from a few well-informed people, hardly anyone realized that she was actually the Spirit Girl’s older sister.

Hen became the West Yuan Spirit Girl about three years ago. During these three years, she demonstrated her strong adaptability and learning ability, quickly mastering the qualities expected of her position and forming her own team to thrive in the tasks of repairing spiritual veins and punishing evil demons.

To be honest, while He Zhu often envied the extraordinary talents of her adopted younger sister, she did not feel jealous.

Hen was a child of heaven and destined to bear the heavy responsibilities of being a Spirit Girl; she was a precious gift from the Ancient Spirit Realm to the West Yuan Spirit Kingdom. Being the older sister of such a noble existence, He Zhu felt quite honored, and outside of official matters, the two sisters maintained a close relationship.

Originally, He Zhu thought this situation would continue until Hen became the most outstanding Spirit Girl in the history of the West Yuan Kingdom, leaving behind a legendary tale…

However, that Spirit Girl changed one day.

He Zhu couldn’t pinpoint exactly how she changed, but the original Hen, though quiet, was not cold and often displayed warm gestures that warmed the hearts of young girls, treating her like family.

Gradually, for some unknown reason, Hen began to refuse private exchanges with He Zhu, becoming indifferent, uninterested, and continuously creating distance between them.

While everything seemed normal on the surface, He Zhu could clearly feel that Hen was gradually distancing herself from her, and sometimes, she could sense a strange pressure from Hen that hinted at fear, a heaviness that certainly wasn’t something her little sister, who was barely a few years old, could emit.

At the same time, the actions of this West Yuan Spirit Girl began to become increasingly mysterious. She frequently corresponded with unknown individuals and performed various actions with a clear intent.

Yet on the surface, Hen maintained her usual demeanor, never slacking off in her duties related to spiritual veins. Apart from He Zhu, who knew her best, no one even noticed the slightest change in this Spirit Girl.

He Zhu felt lost and anxious, attempting to inquire a few times, but each time she was met with vague avoidance.

After all, she was just an ordinary village girl, only sixteen years old this year. Encountering such absurd situations, she naturally didn’t know what to do and could only continue to observe helplessly.

Soon, it was nearing the year-end of the Fourth Holy Era, 999.

As the Spirit Girl, Hen proactively suggested to the West Yuan Holy Monarch that she conduct a heavenly inspection of the world, checking on various counties and celebrating with the people, and she received permission.

After that, a series of changes unfolded, leading up to the present.

“A subtle change in temperament…?”

Though He Zhu’s words seemed unbelievable, directly assuming that the other party had been swapped was rather naive. But as a more well-informed traveler, Miss Vilyric could understand this situation, which, rather, could better explain some of the Spirit Girl’s strange behaviors.

The name “Hen” was something the Priestess did not think could be purely coincidental.

While it was unlikely that she was the same Hen that Vilyric knew, to assert that there was absolutely no connection was also not definite.

There were many possibilities, but until the other party was found, the Priestess had no intention of jumping to conclusions.

“So, do you think that Spirit Girl had already known this attack was coming? What’s the reasoning?”

He Zhu nodded and cautiously glanced at the unmoving spirit guards patrolling in the distance before whispering.

“In fact… just before we encountered the attack, when the stone bridge broke, I clearly saw the Spirit Girl seated across from me smiling at that moment, as if she was talking to herself.”

“That was one of Hen’s habits. Although she didn’t make any sound, I know her too well; even through her lip movements, I could roughly judge what she was saying…”

The girl straightened her expression, her demeanor serious.

“What she likely said at that moment was—‘After waiting so long, has it finally arrived?’”

“Wow…?”

Now this was getting interesting.

The similar habit described by He Zhu was also present in the Hen that Vilyric knew.

Hen was a person who appeared cold on the outside but warm on the inside. While she seemed quiet and preferred solitude, often not saying much, her inner emotions were actually very rich. If she felt particularly pent up, she would release a portion of it through this silent self-talk.

Even Vilyric herself noticed these little details only after years of interaction and collaboration with her.

Well, based on the collected intelligence so far, it could at least be concluded that the situation was still under the plan of the West Yuan Spirit Girl, and her safety should not be a concern.

In fact, she even had the means to ensure the safety of her adopted older sister He Zhu when the attack occurred, and even…

“By the way, my lady, there’s one more thing… I believe it’s necessary to tell you.”

“Hmm?”

The Priestess paused her thoughts and turned to look at this small maid she had initially thought was just a passerby, but who continuously revealed surprising insights.

“What is it?”

Seemingly having made up her mind, this time He Zhu did not hesitate and spoke directly.

“Although I’m not sure where the Spirit Girl is now, I once mustered the courage to glimpse at a letter she was writing midway, a majority of it was quickly covered, but I still saw that the recipient’s name vaguely revealed the words【Cangyun Mountain, Peach Blossom Peak】.”

“This place could very likely conceal some extraordinary clues that may aid your search…”

“Hmm, Cangyun Mountain, Peach Blossom Peak… Wait, did you just say Cangyun Mountain?”

   

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