Chapter 775

No matter how reluctant they were, those who had to leave had to go, because the sound of the library beginning to collapse could already be heard in the distance.

The high-ranking witches did not need to pack their own luggage; with a mere wave of their hands, the luggage was automatically sorted and packed, then carried by their apprentice, Miss Delage.

The god sat before the campfire, and Xia De stood up to see them off.

The four of them arrived before the library's giant door frame. Although Miss Samuel was very disappointed and looked like she wanted to chat with Xia De about more things, she still reached out her hand. Xia De was stunned for a moment, then reached out and shook it.

"Mr. Hamilton, this journey has been very interesting for me. I hope there will be another chance to meet."

This bespectacled witch held Xia De's hand tightly, and after letting go, she looked at her own palm and smiled happily:

"Truly interesting. When I am old, I will surely be very happy to have had such an experience in my youth."

She was probably the only one truly happy right now.

Seeing that her teacher did not speak first, Miss Delage said softly to Xia De:

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Hamilton. I am only at the middle tier; after leaving the valley, I might find it hard to remember this memory, but truly, thank you..."

Unexpectedly, she kissed Xia De on the face, then retreated behind Miss Olandernode, her large crimson tail swaying slightly behind her. Mia was curious about this and also turned her head to look at her own short tail.

Xia De looked at Miss Olandernode. The two gazed at each other, and the pointed-eared witch had a melancholy expression on her face:

"Sometimes it feels like time passes so quickly."

She reached out and hugged Xia De:

"I hope there is a chance to meet again. I hope next time, it won't be you coming to help me again, but rather me, like Teacher Feilian, giving you help."

"It will happen, it certainly will."

Xia De nodded.

Miss Samuel quietly nudged the pointed-eared witch, and only then did the latter gently kiss Xia De on the cheek:

"May the moon always shine upon you, Xia De."

She took two steps back and then looked at her boots:

"Do you need me to take off my boots and give them to you as a parting gift?"

That pair of ladies' lace-up long cloth boots did indeed suit her well, but Xia De still shook his head immediately, and at this, everyone laughed.

Blaney Olandernode, the first librarian of Saint Byrons, pulled off the black cloak she was wearing and placed it into Xia De's hands:

"See you next time, definitely, see you next time."

Afterward, she held her wooden staff high, aiming it forward, and golden spiritual light split the crimson snowy night, carving out a path forward for them:

"Farewell, Xia De."

Miss Samuel said softly and followed.

"I hope we can meet again next time."

Fiona, carrying an exaggeratedly large backpack, was at the end. She said softly, and as they brushed past each other, the tip of her tail brushed the back of Xia De's hand again.

The group of witches walked into the deep night of the Valley of Silence, the red moon illuminating their figures.

"Goodbye!"

Xia De stood at the library entrance waving his hand. This was the first time he had watched others depart in the past.

"Partings and stories are things no one can escape."

The gray-robed Old Sage stood behind Xia De at some point. He walked forward and, together with Xia De, whose body was covered in golden cracks, looked at the backs of the witches as they left.

"May I ask... what is it you wish to tell me?"

Xia De asked softly, glancing at little Mia in his arms. The cat did not feel any discomfort from being in close contact with a god, likely protected by the afterglow on Xia De's body.

"I just wanted to talk to you about my story."

They looked together at the witches' increasingly blurred figures. There were indeed things in the darkness rushing toward them, but all three could fight, and they were safe for now.

"Please, go ahead."

"Once, a mortal searched for forbidden knowledge of the First Era in the library. He naturally could not find it, so he prayed to me in the sanctuary and questioned: 'You are the guardian of the library; can even you not protect us in understanding those lost pieces of knowledge?'"

The god took a puff of his pipe, and Xia De asked:

"And how did you answer him?"

"The god said: 'Mortals are ignorant, knowledge is priceless. I am the guardian of the library, not the guardian of all knowledge.'"

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is. The guardian of the library draws power from the 【Silver Moon Sage】. But knowledge and wisdom are the domain of that ancient god, the 【Secret-Keeping Mentor】... do you understand now?"

The gray-robed Old Sage even winked somewhat playfully.

Xia De, however, closed his eyes, feeling liquid sliding down his cheeks—it was blood and tears. The Old God had directly described the overlap of divine offices between ancient gods; the weight of the knowledge and information almost caused him to lose consciousness for a moment.

Compared to those Old Gods who always hid half, or even ninety percent, of what they said, this Old Sage was truly too direct.

【The library of the old days contains the stories of the beginning and the present. The gray-robed sage who guards knowledge will not proactively provide secrets, but he is happy to share those ancient collections with suitable mortals.】

【You have listened to the story of the Old God "Gray-Robed Sage," and you have learned one of the miracles of the Old God "Gray-Robed Sage."】

【Outsider, you have obtained the spell, Library Retrieval.】

There were still double images before his eyes; in the deep night with red snow flying everywhere, the figures of the three witches were even more distant.

"Why tell me this story?"

"One day, you will understand."

The god smiled, the wrinkles on his face making him look even more kind. And the time Xia De had left here had reached its final minute.

"Since you did not make a wish to me to obtain the mysteries of time, I will not tell you that information. However, I will entrust this knowledge to my believers. If you still wish to pursue it, go search; search in your own time, and perhaps you truly can find the knowledge you seek."

In the Sixth Era, the Old God 【Gray-Robed Sage】 had already departed, and his sect had long since collapsed. But the portion of the sect that helped establish the Saint Byrons Library had merged into the Academy; Mr. Edmond of the 【Light-Guiding Cult】 had mentioned this...

Xia De nodded hesitantly.

He still had other questions he wanted to ask, but at this moment, white mist was already surging up from all around; it was time for him to leave.

Thus, he formally handed the stone tablet of the "Book of Nameless Sacrifice" in his hand to the Old Sage before him, who nodded:

"Good luck, child. The road ahead may not be easy to walk."

His figure disappeared from Xia De's side.

Xia De held little Mia with one hand, then used his coat to turn her into a toy and put her back into his pocket. He looked up, wanting to take one last look at the witches' backs, but found that further away in the valley, space appeared to have spiderweb-like cracks, as if it were shattered glass.

Then, those cracks shattered with a loud sound of breaking glass, a sound so piercing it felt sharp even to Xia De at the library entrance:

"Hmm? Who shattered space? Is there someone that powerful in the valley?"

Golden spiritual light came from behind the hole where space had shattered. Miss Olandernode, Miss Samuel, and Miss Delage looked in surprise at the figure behind the golden light, listening to the noisy sounds from behind the hole.

Red high heels stepped out from the shattered space, followed by a black skirt. A tall witch held down the pointed hat on her head, dressed in white clothes and a black skirt, and walked out from the hole, her long golden hair fluttering in the wind along with the red snow:

"Blaney, what are you and Fiona doing? Do you know that half a month has already passed outside..."

She first saw her troublesome students and was about to reprimand them, but suddenly looked up into the distance and saw the blurred figure at the library entrance.

The two gazed at each other across the fluttering red snowflakes, and the snowflakes could not block their meeting eyes. Xia De's heart seemed to stop beating for an instant. He opened his mouth slightly, unable to believe that in the end, he had still seen her.

"Xia De?!"

The witch abandoned her students and turned into a beam of light, rushing into the snowy night, but it was already too late.

"This is for..."

At the very last moment, Xia De reached into his pocket, took out the somewhat wilted rose, and extended it forward.

The flower fell in the snow because its holder had already left. But the falling white rose was caught by another hand before it could land on the crimson snow-covered ground.

Mana Feilian straightened her back.

The witch twisted the stem of the flower, looking at the place where Xia De had disappeared, and did not speak for a long time.

In the white mist, a giant tree appeared before Xia De's eyes, as if this tree supported heaven and earth. He reached out his right hand, preparing to catch the two leaves spinning and drifting down from above.

The voice in his ear laughed:

【Outsider, there is one flower left from the ones you bought from the flower girl on the street; who will you give it to?】

A lost and melancholy Xia De did not answer, turned around, and left the 【Corridor of Time】.

【Outsider, you have returned to the present time.】

【A message from the Old God "Father of the Infinite Tree":】

【Infinite time protects you.】

When Xia De opened his eyes, he had already returned to the side of the campfire surrounded by Priest Augustus, Sister Daelin, and Iluna, still maintaining the posture of sitting before the fire.

He reached his palm forward slightly; two emerald green leaves lay in his palm, with almost no tactile sensation.

Everyone was looking at him, and Iluna frowned slightly:

"Why is there such a rich aura of life on you?"

The Chosen of Balance was very sensitive to different forms of power.

"That is not important."

Having lost the key miracle 【Moon Shadow Illusion】, gained the 【Power of the Red Dragon】 and the spell 【Library Retrieval】, as well as that black ladies' cloak from the old era, it was hard to say what this journey actually meant. Xia De stood up, leaning on the ground, breathing heavily; although melancholy, he knew what he needed to do now.

There would always be a chance to meet again; he firmly believed this.

Hanging the witch's necklace around his neck, his expression gradually became serious:

"I should set off."

Standing by the campfire, he turned his head to look at Joey Barton on the dark, silent water; three seconds had not passed, and he was still calling out for his beloved's soul.

This place was so tranquil, and Xia De's mood calmed down due to the influence of death. Regardless, Joey Barton's story had to end today.