Chapter 618: The Ancestor's Gift (7)

Sunlight spilled onto the hillside, and clouds drifted over the gentle slopes, casting a patch of cloud-shadow on the distant mountain peak. At the foot of the mountain was a field of golden sunflowers, burning under the fiery sun.

An old-fashioned tape recorder in the backyard was playing a lazy old song, "Why does the sun go on shining?"

"Why do the birds go on singing?"

"Why do the stars glow above?"

"Don't they know it's the end of the world?"

Guan Xinyue listened intently; the singing was like mist rising from the mountains in the dog days of summer, making one feel so stifled they didn't want to move. She remembered this was a song her grandfather liked, but she couldn't quite recall which period of time it had often played in their home.

"Is this what sunshine is?" a voice asked.

She turned her head abruptly; behind her was only a little girl sitting on the low wall of the backyard. She had a thick head of long hair, wore a plaid skirt, and carried a panda bag slung across her shoulder. She looked no older than ten, her arms and legs still chubby, and she wore a plastic Disney princess crown on her head.

Guan Xinyue should have felt fear, but the little girl looked at her with such sorrowful, troubled eyes that she suddenly forgot the reason for fear.

Before she could answer, the little girl asked again, "Is this your home?"

"Yes," Guan Xinyue said. "Where do you come from?"

The child sighed. "I am the first person."

"What first person?" Guan Xinyue wondered inwardly, but for some reason, she found herself talking to the child automatically. "Do you mean you're lost?"

"Ah, I'm lost, you could say that," the child said. "I came to see your home."

"Then I'll take you home to find your Mama..." Guan Xinyue's words were interrupted by the child before she could finish.

"Your grandfather died?"

Guan Xinyue was choked up.

"Children's words... are harmless?" the child said tentatively, as if unsure of her own phrasing.

Guan Xinyue laughed. "Yes, my grandfather died."

"Your heart hurts so much," the child said, pointing to her chest.

"People are all like this; when others lose someone who cares about them, they also feel sad."

"The end of the world?" the child asked thoughtfully.

"It's my own end of the world; others will continue to live in a happy world for a long time," Guan Xinyue said involuntarily. "When the people who care about you are gone, then your own world has reached its end. But a child like you..."

"Then I am at the end of the world," the child interrupted her again. Her stature was small, her gaze simple and direct, yet her tone carried a faint, elusive authority, as if she had been born a queen.

Just as Guan Xinyue felt something was not quite right and began to ponder, the child spoke again, "Before your grandfather died... left, didn't he bequeath you the gift of life?"

"What is the gift of life?" Guan Xinyue asked. She had never heard of Mages having such a concept; Mages did not have many traditions.

"My ancestors, before they left, should have left me their life's knowledge and experience; that is the gift of life," the child said.

"Are you talking about teaching me how to be a person? That did happen. I was raised by my grandfather; he taught me knowledge and also taught me all the principles of his life," Guan Xinyue said.

The child pondered for a moment, nodding as if she had realized something. "You could say that, too; it passed on a part of life. But I don't know where my parents went; I didn't receive much of a gift of life, only some vague parts that no one could take away."

Guan Xinyue thought for a moment, translating the child's old-fashioned yet childish words for herself. "Do you mean... you are an orphan?"

"Orphan?" the child asked in surprise, her pitch-black eyes staring at her as if she didn't understand the word. But as if staring into her eyes allowed her to read her, the child understood in an instant. "Oh, you mean orphan, yes, that's right, I am an orphan."

Guan Xinyue felt a pang of pity for her. "Where do you live? An orphanage?"

The child looked at her in surprise again. "Why are you feeling pity again?"

"I..." Guan Xinyue didn't know how to explain, and she was embarrassed to explain that she was sympathizing with and feeling affection for a helpless child.

"Oh," the child watched her with great interest. "You love me, so am I your sister?"

Guan Xinyue looked at her in surprise; she was indeed still a child, and children were all very cute. She couldn't help but go along with her. "You are my sister."

The child jumped off the low wall, reached out to take Guan Xinyue's hand, and placed her own small hand in Guan Xinyue's palm. Guan Xinyue smiled and held her hand.

"You are very lonely, always staying among those who are not your own kind," the child said. "I am too, but I will have many sisters in the future. They will also have some life gifts; when we find each other, we will be big children. You are my first sister, ah, although I am not your first sister. You are looking for your sister, aren't you?"

"How did you..." Guan Xinyue didn't finish the question; she forgot what she was going to ask halfway through. "Luo Qi knows where she is. But I don't understand why he is unwilling to say. He said the time hasn't come, and now he has forgotten too; when the time comes, he will remember. It sounds like ghost stories."

"Those Mages' words are not to be trusted," the child said. "They are very scary. When I grow up, I will help you find your sister."

Liu Hang suddenly took a step back. "What about Guan Xinyue?"

Luo Qi didn't even turn his head; he was watching Liu Ziyu's Magic and said casually, "She is right there."

"I feel like something is wrong with her." Liu Hang turned around and walked toward the door.

"Medical Entanglement?" Luo Qi turned his head this time and hesitated. "But I feel she is very calm."

"Her Yajian? You are still monitoring her? So attentive..." Liu Hang's footsteps paused. "Why does it feel like I can't sense her anymore?"

"Impossible. She is in the corridor behind the wall, her thoughts as calm as water," Luo Qi said, but he decided to follow Liu Hang out to take a look.

Liu Hang stepped out of the room, looked around, and became anxious. "Where is she? Guan Xinyue!"

Luo Qi hurried out and looked in the direction of her Yajian, but instead saw the tall backs of several Mages. "Zhao Laoda? Yu Shu. What are you doing?"

Liu Hang cursed under his breath and rushed over; Guan Xinyue was surrounded by several Lotus Burning Mages, standing in the corner of the wall as if she had been frightened. "What are you doing?"

"Wait." Zhao Jiaozhu turned around with a smile to stop him.

"Wait for what?" Liu Hang said irritably, wanting to push aside the murderous cult leader.

Yu Shu turned his face coldly to look at him. His footsteps faltered, and he suddenly raised both hands to cover his head; the sudden, intense pain made his whole body tremble.

"God, stop it!" Luo Qi caught up from behind, while concentrating on launching an attack on Yu Shu. Yu Shu nimbly withdrew his Yajian attack on Liu Hang, and the severe headache moved away from Liu Hang's temples.

"Don't be agitated." Only then did Zhao Jiaozhu come to mediate. "No one wants to hurt the little girl; we blocked the Doctor because we didn't want him to act rashly and hurt the little girl. Luo Qi, you should come and take a look."

(End of chapter)