Chapter 7 - The Truth

Lava bubbled violently in the deep cavern, threatening to spill onto cracked earth. The entire world seemed as if it was shaking, as dust and rocks tumbled from above and splashes of deeply hidden magma stained the high walls of igneous rock.

The already sweltering heat only grew more unbearable as the earth rumbled, and a ferocious beast of magma appeared from the depths of the central lava pool.

It roared ferociously, terribly enraged at having its territory invaded so wantonly. A strong aura of intimidation and power swept through the area, as blazing eyes of gold stared down its intruder.

The young woman that was the recipient of the beast's terrible fury was tall and slender, dressed in plain dark blue robes with some sewed patches on them. Her long, lustrous black hair was left mostly loose behind her, its only adornment being an elegant pearl hairpin, with petals of translucent azure and delicate silver tassels. Slanted eyes of mesmerizing amber stared back at the beast, seductive and warm in appearance, yet its depths and aura were hopelessly cold and aloof.

A simple iron sword was held in her hand, plain and unordinary, with even a slight hint of rust on its edge.

Mao Shuhai calmly met the gaze of the Magma Serpent, the newly crowned King of the Valley, and smiled.

She had known this fellow for a very long time now, always causing noise and chaos whenever she went on the search for fire-attributed gems, ores and rocks in this extensive cavern.

He was an excellent training partner and helped hone her elemental abilities, due to his entire body being made of lava and spiritual qi. Though it was true that he sincerely tried to kill her every time, eager to crush her bones and erase the existence of this annoying pest of an intruder, Mao Shuhai found the life or death experience valuable every time.

However, this would, unfortunately, all come to an end today.

Perhaps even the Magma Serpent could tell that something was off, as it glared at her without making a move.

"Today, I will end you."

Mao Shuhai spoke calmly, without a single change in tone. Her voice had changed a little since her youth, sounding a little more deep and sultry, which she inevitably had mixed feelings about.

One, her appearance as a seductive vixen had grown more prominent, which reminded her of the endless suffering she endured due to it as a youth, hence her distaste. However, it reminded her of the deep and gentle voice of her mother, whom she had also received most of her appearance from.

"Hmph, so you finally won't run away."

The King of the Valley snorted as he responded, though he naturally realized that today, only one of them would come out alive.

It wasn't only Mao Shuhai that had gotten stronger over these years afterall, he too had matured and honed his strength steadily, landing him the newfound title of King of the Valley.

After a moment of silence, a great wave of energy abruptly exploded as the pair clashed.

Mao Shuhai had coated her blade in a thick layer of spiritual qi, whilst the Magma Serpent had armoured itself against her strike using its concentrated spirit flame. The clash of amber and golden energy burned bright throughout the cave, illuminating even the darkest depths that magma couldn't reach.

Geysers of rippling lava abruptly rose from the surrounding pools, sending rubble and rock into the air whilst simultaneously taking aim at their target.

With clear eyes, Mao Shuhai glanced at the rubble in the sky whilst deflecting the Magma Serpent's surprise frontal attack and began to deftly weave between the hail of debris and lava, using her control of wind to nudge certain objects and create a path if she couldn't sense one nearby.

Giant snakes of lava dived towards her, relentless in their pursuit as she continued to use the raining rubble as her cover. With a swing of her blade, a gleaming wind strike was shot out, glowing a faint pale green as it split one of the snakes in two, which fell apart and melted away back into a puddle of lava.

As the ground became unstable and tricky to stand on, and the entranceway had been blocked off with boulders and lava, the Magma Serpent roared and called forth a great wave of magma from beneath the earth to flood the cavern.

Mao Shuhai's eyes flashed slightly as the ground was swallowed up, deftly continuing to dance between the falling rocks to stay alive.

She wasn't expecting the new king to unleash so many attacks in quick succession straight away. It seemed he wanted to end things decisively and quickly for once, since in most previous battles Mao Shuhai had managed to escape every time.

Still, it wouldn't do to remain on the defensive like this. Before long, she'd be drowning in lava.

She had desired a more drawn-out battle to hone her consistency in combat, but quick, explosive battle training would be good too, similar to a clash and test of pure strength.

She was always reluctant to expend her spiritual qi too recklessly, but she would make an exception today.

Her leaps became faster and faster as she used her powers of wind to propel her movements towards a destination, before taking a large leap behind a great pile of falling rubble.

Concentrating the waves of spiritual qi coursing in the depths of her dantian, she unleashed a great flow of wind elemental energy, letting it flow through to her rusty blade which grew a faint green.

With a single decisive swing, a thin but powerful vortex of wind materialized before her, tearing magma and rock from its surroundings as it cut towards the Magma Serpent.

With eyes blazing in golden fury, the Magma Serpent pulled up a wall of molten magma and rubble to deflect the blow, whilst simultaneously armouring its draconic body with rock as it looked for Mao Shuhai's movements through the hail of rubble using its honed hearing.

Making use of the opening left by the vortex, and the king's brief moment of distraction, Mao Shuhai had reached an unnatural speed in order to suddenly reach the Magma Serpent's open back, the complete opposite side to where she was just a moment ago.

She had noticed that after her whirlwind strike, despite repeatedly enforcing her rusty iron sword with spiritual qi, it had begun to waver and crack. Though, she had expected as much.

Charging her blade decisively with deep, thunderous lightning, in a flash, her blade had cut down the middle of the magma beast's back, spewing glowing lava as she jumped backwards to avoid the king's backhand strike.

For a moment, she had seen it. The king's golden beast core, located high on its back near its nape, glistening and pulsating with powerful spiritual qi.

Keeping this in mind, she continued to jump between the floating, sinking, and falling rocks, though a little tired of the lack of stability, in order to dodge the Magma Serpent's rage from her strike.

Giant claws of lava repeatedly attempted to slash and burn her to ash, yet Mao Shuhai always managed to find an opening and slip out, which only infuriated the king further.

Seeing that the human wanted to get close again, the Magma Serpent redoubled its efforts in preventing her from doing so, concentrating its magma streams to block her movement forward.

Yet, Mao Shuhai made use of this opportunity to decisively throw her rusty iron sword, empowered by both wind and thunder elemental qi, through one of the magma streams and pierce the giant beast's forehead.

As he roared in pain and the earth began to rumble once more, Mao Shuhai decisively nocked an arrow on the wooden bow she had just retrieved from her spatial ring, and let it fire.

The previous two strikes were similar to paper tigers, they looked fierce with unruly thunder and wind energy surrounding them, and had some force behind them, but this arrow was truly an embodiment of her strength.

She had analyzed her equipment earlier, and noticed that the simplistic wooden bow was the sturdiest of all her current usable equipment.

Having planned for this move, Mao Shuhai had been conserving a portion of her spiritual qi for this very arrow, allowing it to fly at an inhuman speed like a strike of thunder.

It pierced through the Magma Serpent's roaring mouth and through to the stone wall on the otherside, leaving a blaze of destruction in its wake as lightning ferociously coursed through the spirit beast's body and tore it apart.

The king desperately pulled the lava around it to replenish its energy as it used its extensive golden qi to protect itself, yet in what world would Mao Shuhai patiently give her opponent time to recover?

Decisively, she propelled herself forward and brought forth a rusty axe, coated in her spiritual qi and similar in appearance to the rusty iron sword from earlier, and gave the beast three final, powerful strikes, much unlike the long, but relatively shallow sword strike from earlier.

As the axe crumbled to pieces in her grip, unable to withstand her powerful surge of spiritual qi, the beast sighed as he slowly breathed his last, sighing and staring at her as he melted away reluctantly.

"If only I had killed you that day, five years ago..."

She stared back at him with calm, emotionless eyes, standing on a rock that protruded unsteadily out of the lava with ease.

"You wouldn't have been able to."

She finally responded with a soft smile, though he was already long gone, before picking up his intact golden beast core and leaving the area.

---

"Oh, grandfather, I've completed my task."

Mao Shuhai called out happily as she noticed the familiar figure waiting outside for her. Mao Qing hadn't changed much at all over these years, only having a gentler aura and wearing a bit more blue than in the past.

He smiled and looked over as she approached, before ruffling her hair and chuckling.

"I knew it would pose no problem to you. You have learnt well."

She too broke out into a soft smile at his praise, despite her hair now being messed up once again. Mao Qing was actually one of the main reasons why she began to let her hair down more often, as he seemed to enjoy ruffling her hair like a child.

Sometimes she may feel a tad aggrieved by this treatment, but deep down, she knew that she enjoyed the affectionate familial affection that she hadn't received from an elder for a very long time.

Mao Shuhai's task this time around was to slay the King of the Valley using only the poor-quality, ungraded equipment he had given her, which emphasized one of her grandfather's favourite teachings.

"Value your weapon, but do not abuse it. A skilled fighter knows to not rely solely on the abilities a good weapon brings. Trust in yourself and your movements. As a future weaponsmith, this matter will be particularly important for you."

She had taken it to heart over the years, ensuring that her combat foundations and cultivation were stable and plentiful, strong enough to hold their own against strong enemies even if she didn't have one of her powerful weapons with her.

She truly admired Mao Qing for this matter, as she had never particularly taken note of something like this, which seemed so obvious and crucial now.

It seemed that part of the reason so many noble childes were called paper tigers was also due to this, which she originally thought was mainly due to their sheltered upbringing and lack of actual battle experience.

Powerful weapons could enhance one's strength tenfold. But relying on one would lead to your downfall, as all the opponent had to do was knock the weapon out of your hand for an easy opening/exploit.

It was a fatal weakness, one which Mao Shuhai would never allow herself to have. The flexibility this teaching had brought her over the years was incredible as well. Anything could be a weapon if one had the eye and skill for it.

The pair strolled lightheartedly back home, chatting about idle things before eventually and inevitably discussing blacksmithing, their favourite topic, once again.

Mao Shuhai noticed that the nearby spirit beasts had once again fled, just like last year when she had slain the previous King of the Valley. It seemed the nearby forest would be at peace for a while again.

She knew this place like the back of her hand by now, having extensively explored it for the past five years during tasks, material-gathering and training. Few things had changed with time, mainly only the distribution of certain flora/fauna species.

One for example, being the population of Dark Star Blossoms. They were said to be rare demonic flowers that thrived with little sunlight, yet Mao Shuhai had seen them quite often over the years, hidden in the roots and nooks of trees.

It was interesting recalling how time had affected her home for the past five years, and wondering how her presence, via hunting spirit beasts or collecting flora and minerals, had affected things.

One of her hobbies, if she was in the area, would be to climb the tallest tree peak and gaze over the forest towards the distant city over the horizon. She couldn't see much at all, due to her reluctance to get too close before her training was over, and also since the Valley of Death was a plane situated below the city in terms of elevation.

But there were people she longed to see over there, which made the city seem all the more bright, lively, and colourful.

And today... she would finally return there.

It wasn't that she particularly liked or enjoyed the city. She had truly enjoyed the tranquility of living in a deeply secluded grove, where even sunlight found it difficult to reach, and focus solely on bettering herself. But there was no longer anything left for her here, as she had grown too strong. Her cultivation speed had lessened greatly as she grew stronger and wiser, since cultivation relied on experiences and threats to find breakthroughs.

Even the King of the Valley was not a threat. She must travel to more distant lands, find stronger opponents and face new battles of life and death.

It wasn't that she was power-hungry. It's simply that she would perish if she did not.

Her poison had gotten stronger over the years. Naturally, her own growth in strength had kept it relatively at bay for a while, but she could still feel a constant aching pain enveloping her entire body. She was used to it, and it rarely hindered her in everyday life, but she had no idea when she would suddenly drop dead.

Her grandfather pondered the possibility that she may need to reach the Core Formation Stage, or perhaps even higher, to expel the poison from her body. This naturally made her doubt her initial deduction on the origin of her poison, as she found it hard to believe that Concubine Cao, or her other family members from a declining clan, could find a poison so powerful.

The only speculation she had involved her dear mother since it was only her that had an unknown, difficult-to-trace background. Su Yawen, her mother, had once revealed to her that she was a runaway daughter from a big clan, despite having been adopted by a branch of the noble Su family here in Snow Spirit Kingdom.

It's not that she speculated that her mother poisoned her... but perhaps she, as her daughter, was targetted by her home clan to punish Su Yawen. Though... even that theory was unclear.

Her mother had never spoken of where she had come from beforehand... but many of the nearby kingdoms were stronger than the one they lived in, and had a higher chance of having such a potent poison.

It had to be known that Snow Spirit Kingdom had scarcely any Core Formation experts. If there were any, they were most likely protectors/allies of the royal family, or figures that hid in the shadows for their own reasons.

Snow Spirit Kingdom was after all, a lowly One-Star Kingdom. If one had great talent, why would they stay in this small country, that had nothing but freezing winters and bitter weather to offer?

Not to mention that the previous few kings have done nothing significant or praiseworthy for a very long time, preferring to highly tax their civillians and allow corruption and bribery to flood the ranks of nobility.

She would never say such a treasonous thought out loud, but anyone with a clear mind could think it. Her thoughts were naturally affected by her close relationship with Lai Taizhi as well, as he had once revealed the truth behind the current royal family to her many years ago.

Suddenly, a large hand rested upon her head.

"What's the matter? You're frowning so heavily."

Her dear grandfather inquired gently, having noticed her slightly displeased expression. Mao Shuhai had always been a calm and indifferent person. And had additionally trained herself to hide her emotions well for a long time. But after taking care of each other under the same roof for so long, Mao Qing could naturally see through her little gestures and nuances.

"It's nothing, just wondering about the current state of the capital." She smiled thoughtfully.

"You have nothing to worry about, none of them will be able to stop you from returning, no matter how miraculously powerful they might have gotten over the years." He reassured, believing that she was concerned about returning to the family clan that had mistreated her for years.

"Haha, that's true. None of them will be able to believe how strong I've gotten, though I will only reveal half of my strength to stay on the safe side. Drawing too much attention is always a bad thing." She chuckled before revealing her thoughts on the matter.

After so many years of preparation, she had long come up with a steady plan on how to make her return, which she would mend accordingly after some information gathering on the capital's current state.

Seeing her grandfather's nod, Mao Shuhai paused before speaking.

"...It has been my greatest blessing to be under your guidance these last five years, grandfather. I am truly grateful, and will try my utmost to repay this great debt in the future."

Mao Qing was an incredible teacher. One she would never forget, and one she truly had to repay her debts to. She had learned so much over the years, though she didn't receive guidance that often, with every word she received making her ponder, think and learn. It was mainly the vast amount of experiences down here in the Valley of Death that had honed her abilities, but how would she have known how to hone them without his tasks guiding her along the way?

Mao Shuhai had grown increasingly close to her grandfather over the past five years. Though she knew he had his secrets, her address of 'grandfather' was no longer as shallow and polite as it once was. She now truly thought of him as her grandfather, biological or not.

She could tell that he too had begun to take care of her as his own. There was no longer any shallow smiles or distant indifference to her progress and wellbeing. The most clear example being three years ago, when Mao Shuhai had been caught in a wild beast stampede far from the courtyard due to a task.

It was inevitable that she would face near-death encounters in her perilious training down here in the Valley of Death, yet this one was the most dangerous of all. Even one of those spirit beasts would've been an ordeal for her to escape from during that time, much less a rampaging army of them.

After an extended struggle on the brink of death, Mao Qing had suddenly appeared before her, utterly decimating the nearest spirit beasts with the pure force of his spiritual qi, and taking her back to Herong Courtyard.

He scolded and critiqued her thoroughly, leaving her no face and repeatedly showcasing his disappointment. But all she could see was the heavy trace of worry between his furrowed brows, alongside the concern and relief that flooded his dark gentle eyes.

Something had moved within her heart, back then.

Mao Qing gazed at her for a while in silence, before he ruffled her hair for the third time and smiled.

"There's no need at all, Shu'er. It has been my blessing to have such a capable and thoughtful granddaughter to accompany me for so long in my old age."

He chuckled gently, lightening up the somewhat solemn mood, just as a white flash darted forward and landed atop Mao Shuhai's shoulder with ease.

"Yue, how was it?"

"It went well. There were no problems."

"That's good. I hope you don't find your shifted form too uncomfortable, Yue. Especially once we're in the city. Remember that you can retreat to my dantian anytime, as long as you telepathically let me know beforehand."

"Understood, mistress."

Mao Shuhai conversed peacefully with the soft white kitten on her shoulder, tickling her chin slightly as they made their way home.

Similarly to Mao Qing, Yue had not changed much at all with the passing of time, only appearing healthier and silkier overall. Being with these two sometimes made Mao Shuhai feel like nothing had changed over the past five years, even though many things, including herself, had.

Yue had been enduring long-term training for her sake, practicing hiding her wings and beast core, so that she could accompany Mao Shuhai whilst out and about like a relatively ordinary white cat.

Snowsilk Kittens relied heavily on their wings for balance, hence it had pained her watching her familiar almost fall over with every step and leap. But now, she was nearly as agile as she was without her wings, showing her deep determination and diligent practice.

Although Yue had told her that this training was not only beneficial for her, but also for herself combat-wise, Mao Shuhai had pampered her with all kinds of fish prizes regardless. There was even a great sixth-grade Tiger Fish that she had slain and fed to her, quickly turning Yue into a fish connoisseur.

As the trio entered Herong Courtyard, Mao Shuhai split off from the other two to make herself and Yue a simple lunch before heading out. It would be their last meal here, as surreal as that statement seemed, hence she chose to make full use of the Valley of Death's ingredients.

High-grade spiritual beast meat, spiritual herbs, rare fruits and vegetables, such a diet over the years had truly made her body strong. Though it was mainly her increase in cultivation that had kept her alive, she believed that without the powerful qualities lying within her daily cuisine, her weak body wouldn't have been able to withstand the ordeals and tasks that had come her way, at least initially.

After placing a plate of lightly-seasoned steamed flatfish in front of Yue, Mao Shuhai retrieved her own dish. Sliced pheasant breasts with plum sauce were laid atop a bowl of previously-prepared hand-made egg noodles. Various spiritual herbs and vegetables dipped in a garlic-y sauce complemented the meal, whilst a bundle of pink berries were laid in a bowl to the side for dessert.

She was never one that ate too much or cared too much about what she ate, but today was a special occasion. Her cooking skill was also nothing special, but her grandfather had taught her how to make some better dishes over the years, using only the wild ingredients found in the valley.

As per usual, her grandfather chose not to eat with them but accompanied the pair to chat as they would be leaving soon after this meal.

"Even though it doesn't get very cold here, it is late winter, so remember to bundle up and wear more layers after you enter the capital..."

"Don't forget to eat and take care of your health... Yue, if she goes on her studying sprees again make sure she eats and rests afterward at least..."

"Be wary of strangers... though I suppose you've always been cautious enough to avoid such things. Still, be careful of those around you..."

"Although you will need to face precarious situations to grow stronger, always place your life and safety first... Things can be sacrificed and replaced, but you cannot be."

Mao Shuhai patiently listened to her grandfather's nagging whilst she ate, letting him drone on and on as the dishes on the table were depleted.

It was a little sad to think that soon, she wouldn't be able to hear his voice so often anymore. Hence, she continued to listen without interruption until she finally placed her chopsticks down.

After all, time was precious. And she too had words she wanted to say.

"Grandfather, I don't mean to interrupt your words of concern, but I have a few words I would like to say too. Before I leave."

She began calmly, her hands folded in an elegant posture. Despite having spent five long years deep in a perilous wilderness, Mao Shuhai had not forgotten the majority of the manners and etiquette ingrained within her due to her mother's teachings.

Her grandfather could tell that this was a serious matter, and faintly nodded his head for her to continue speaking.

Today, the words that had been held back for many years, would finally reveal themselves.

"Mao Qing is not a name that exists in my family register, and is certainly not the name of either of my grandfathers."

"The cooking style you have taught me is not common in today's society. Even the cooking utensils utilized here are outdated."

"Although this was hard to discern, the plain style of robes you keep and mend here have uncommon patterns and embroidery, the likes of which I have not seen at all in common clothing or fabric stores."

"Your handwriting had always been a little strange. I know you have adapted to the way I write characters, but previously, the way you wrote certain characters, was akin to the writing in history books..."

"And finally... I have not once seen you eat, in these past five years. Nor use any ingredients or utensils, apart from when you make food for me or Yue."

"And so, I want to ask, who are you? Or... what are you?"

Mao Shuhai stared calmly at her grandfather's dark eyes, curious and probing, but not at all demanding or intimidating in nature. Rather, the amber hues in her eyes were as soft and gentle as always, like warm twinkling stars after a long day, as was the case whenever she looked at those she cared for as her own.

After a small period of silence, her eyelashes fluttered downward as she spoke softly.

"...It is fine if you cannot answer this now. I know I am still lacking in many ways. But regardless of the answer, I want you to know, that I have long acknowledged you as my grandfather."

"Regardless of rain or storm, I will stand by your side, and care for you till I have breathed my last."

Her voice was as soft and sultry as always, but the firmness in her tone was unmistakable. She meant every word she said, and after spending so long with her, Mao Qing, of course, knew that.

"Thank you, Shu'er."

His pose hadn't changed at all since she began speaking, but a faint haze was visible in his dark eyes, which was not missed by Mao Shuhai.

"I always knew this day would come."

His low voice faintly filled the dining room, as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.

"...I did not lie when I said that we are blood-related, Shu'er."

"However, the depths of this connection go much deeper than you would've initially thought."

"My name is also not false. Mao Qing is, and always has been, my name."

"You said that Mao Qing does not exist on your family register? As expected of that ungrateful bastard."

He snarled, a powerful icy pressure seeping from his body, before quickly retreating as his expression returned to normalcy. Mao Shuhai knew she would most likely see a new side of her grandfather today, still, such an aggressive expression startled her.

"The Iron Dragon. Does this name ring a bell, Shu'er?"

"...Yes? Is that not the alias of the clan's founding ancestor, Mao Hai?"

Mao Qing abruptly laughed coldly, his eyes sharper than a knife's edge. The very air seemed to freeze and suffocate her, but as his eyes looked back at her, that pressure immediately dispersed.

Her grandfather had always been so calm and composed throughout these five years, it seemed almost unreal to see his current expression.

Mao Qing breathed lightly to steady his mind, before continuing.

"Mao Hai... was once someone I called 'elder brother'."

He began softly, staring calmly into space.

"We used to be extremely close, close enough to share every secret and treasure with. When we were young, and neglected by our parents, we often relied on each other for warmth and comfort..."

"Hah. How that seems to be nothing but a joke of a memory now."

"To this day, I have little understanding as to why, and when... this changed."

His words had an unmistakably forlorn tone, which pricked Mao Shuhai's heart like faint thorns.

"I was always quite a recluse in my younger days, with all my time dedicated to blacksmithing, apart from eating and sleeping. I was fortunate to have found an amazing master back then, pity that she had perished before I could repay my debt to her."

"Later... I found it was no 'pity' that she had died."

"She was murdered. By my own brother."

"Why? Because she chose me, not him. That was all."

"Mao Hai did not have as much talent in blacksmithing as I did... hence he chose to focus more on cultivation and combat strength. I once thought we complemented each other well... until he used the weapon I made for him to pierce my heart and throw me off that cliff."

"He stole everything from me. My master, my artifacts, even my very identity... as the most renowned blacksmith in Snow Spirit Kingdom, The Iron Dragon."

"As I was someone that did not sell or showcase his artifacts personally, being a shut-in and blacksmith addict, such a feat was easy for him. Especially as he knew me well."

"He made me watch as he took everything I loved and lived for into his hands, before finally choosing to end my life."

"How he began to view me in such disgust and detest, I have no idea."

"If only I was even slightly as careful and paranoid as you are... perhaps I could have passed my legacy down myself."

He spoke softly, patting his dear granddaughter's hands. Even Mao Shuhai herself didn't realize when she had put her hands atop his.

To think, that the legendary ancestor of her clan, who went down in history as a revered expert who excelled in both cultivation and blacksmithing, was nothing but a fraud.

It was frankly, quite hard to believe. But at the same time, history was written by the victors, was it not?

"I know you may have your doubts about the authenticity of my words. And with the passing of time, any proof I could hope to show you must be near non-existent."

"I can only hope that my skills and expertise are enough to convince you, my dear paranoid little granddaughter."

He chuckled lightly as Mao Shuhai nodded her head, ruffling her hair for the nth time today.

The bond between them was no lie, Mao Shuhai truly trusted and loved Mao Qing after all this time together. It was simply in her nature to doubt everything and everyone always, ending up as a quality of hers that kept her alive, but at the same time, fearfully alienating everything and everyone around her.

As Mao Qing's mood visibly lightened up, he slowly gazed towards the heavens, his dark eyes filled with untold memories and tales.

"Why I am alive... even I do not know. Perhaps it was my deep resentment and regret that kept my spirit tethered to this plane."

"But... I am indeed not quite human anymore."

"When I woke up after falling off that cliff, I was face-to-face with my own dead body, which has long deteriorated away by now. This body you see now is an illusion of sorts, as I use my spiritual qi to feign contact and affect the physical world."

"The only hint I could discern about my situation was the amulet my master gifted me before her death, it had shattered to pieces, and no longer glowed a vivid jade green. Perhaps she had foreseen my future and chose to save me, her only disciple... The extent of her abilities had always been unfathomable to me."

"Regardless, a thousand years have passed and such things matter little to me now."

"When I first awoke, I was mostly ethereal, and could not touch physical objects at will. I had to use my spiritual qi to manipulate my environment, which proved a powerful training technique in the long run, though it was painfully tedious in those first few years."

"I have no need to eat or sleep. Rather, the only element that sustains me is spiritual qi. However... I am unable to leave this place. The final resting place of my physical body chains me here... to the Valley of Death."

Mao Shuhai's eyes faintly trembled as the things she had pondered countless times over the years finally came to a conclusion. Since she had theorized many ideas in the past, this revelation wasn't too shocking, but it still felt surreal to hear the truth from his mouth.

Her grandfather was her clan's greatest ancestor. And he was not human.

Though she felt her bond with him had not shaken in the slightest, and her mind had already prepared for incredulous truths today, it would still take some time to properly process this news.

"Not long after I awakened in my new form, my old familiar found me. Despite our contract being dissolved with my death, he chose to stay with me, and form a new contract despite my foreign appearance. He even brought my old courtyard over for me... though I still sometimes wonder how he managed to achieve such a feat without any pursuers."

Mao Qing continued slowly, a thoughtful smile slowly creeping up his lips.

"Oh, you haven't met him yet, have you? He doesn't usually talk much, but he occasionally praises you from time to time. Which is very rare coming from him, mind you."

"Come out, Ruolong."

His words were spoken so calmly and casually, even as the earth suddenly quaked and crumbled beneath their feet, with stones tumbling and weeds tearing in two from the abrupt force of nature. The very ground moved upwards in the air, uplifted by a great beast as a gruff voice resounded throughout the secluded grove.

"Greetings, young miss, Yue, master."

Weaker earth around the courtyard cracked and split open, revealing a rough patterned surface beneath. Mao Shuhai's eyes gleamed with understanding through the window, as she quickly made her way outside with Yue following behind, and Mao Qing revealing a mirthful smile.

A giant pale tortoise head greeted her with a solemn nod, lowering his head so he could see her better with his dusty eyes.

"Greetings, Ruolong."

Mao Shuhai smiled warmly back, her hands lightly patting his rough skin.

To think, all these years, she had lived atop a spirit beast's back! The entire courtyard was situated atop of him, alongside much of the secluded grove. It was no wonder now, that this area seemed so randomly out of place compared to the rest of the valley.

At a glance, it certainly seemed natural. It was not that the flora and fauna were out of place, a thousand years was certainly enough time for a new ecosystem to take root, it was purely based on the landscape.

There was no deep grove like this anywhere else in the Valley of Death, cleverly situated within dense foilage and very difficult to find without guidance.

She always felt it was somewhat man-made, but she had speculated that it was Mao Qing's doing rather than anything else.

"Travel safely, Shuhai, Yue. Remember that no matter how distant the lands you travel may be, you will have a home here."

He spoke lowly, almost blending in with the sound of earth crumbling around them.

Yue had long leaped atop Ruolong's head, making for quite a comical picture considering how tiny she seemed in comparison to the giant tortoise.

"Thank you for giving us a home all these years, Ruolong. Please take care of Mao Qing for me... though you already have been for far longer than I can fathom."

Mao Shuhai spoke with a light smile, in awe at the more than thousand-year friendship the pair shared. Faintly, her heart had rekindled hope that it was possible to have such unbreakable bonds again, like the one she thought she had shared with her elder brother. Still, such a hope was something she kept very controlled, fearful of it growing too strong and affecting her usual perceptive judgements.

"I suppose it is time for farewell."

Mao Qing walked out as calm and serene as ever, however, she could see a faint sadness deep in his dark gentle eyes.

"Though you may not be my blood-related direct descendant, I have long thought of you as such. Be safe... and come visit soon."

He hugged her gently with closed eyes, as tears were unwillingly built up in both granddaughter and grandfather.

"Of course. You take care too."

Was all Mao Shuhai could choke out, as warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

She didn't think she would cry today. It had been such a long time since the last time she was so overwhelmed with emotion. She hated crying, where things felt out of control and she couldn't see clearly. Still, it only felt right to do so, at this moment.

"Farewell, grandfather."

She smiled brightly, her mesmerizing amber eyes still watery with tears.

"Let's go Yue."

"Yes, mistress. See you again soon, Ruolong, Mao Qing."

And just like that, the pair vanished from sight.