33 On to a New Journey

29,025… she only has 29,025 Rubies in her so-called bank account.

She inwardly cried for the loss of her system money. She looked at her shaking palms, thinking, and 'It was 5 Million back then… 5! In just a short span of years, it reduced to these mere 29,025 Rubies?! My babies…'

Chang Xiuying rubbed her small hands on her chubby cheeks as she sighed in remorse. Later on, she squeezed her cheeks, convincing herself that the 10,000 Rubies will definitely benefit her. She definitely paid some more money back in Earth for a rush. It's not a huge difference here, but every penny she earned from Xue resulted from hard work.

Wait, it's a huge difference! She can sit right back then on her swivel chair and can earn a lot! But now… sigh. It looks like she has to get used to this kind of lifestyle, it's a huge leap from her usual living status into this. It's not that different when she was a child with no money at all.

She pursed her lips and nodded to herself.

Qiang Zhihao, all this time, was eyeing the little child in a weird manner. Constantly asking himself what's wrong with the little girl who looked frustrated, then became relieved, turned sad, and then blank.

The next thing he knew, the little girl flinched and fell on her butt.

It was then that Chang Xiuying received a loud notification from Xue that he finished the rush download of the high-grade shapeshifter and ready to be retrieved from the pedestal.

She hissed at Xue to at least lower the notification volume.

The tall man saw Chang Xiuying reach for the glow of light, his eyes widened as he held her wrist and pulled it away from it, "Don't touch it, Xiuying. It's a dangerous thing."

Before he knew it, the child's other hand was already clutching on the glow of light which surprised him since the little kid's gaze was still on him. His eyes twitched as he can't restrain the little girl under his control. His past relationships were not this stubborn! Well, besides his birth mother.

A pillar of light erupted from the pedestal as it covers Chang Xiuying's wrist and it turned into a silver bracelet with emerald stones, there were wire patterns engraved on the surface of the bracelet just like the one in her Imperium Axis but much more complex.

Suddenly, the bracelet let itself be engraved in Chang Xiuying's skin then it's like it hummed in satisfaction. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she tried to feel the bracelet with her other hand, 'XUE! What the heck is wrong with this?!'

[That… I don't know. But I sensed a sweet resonance of it to you. The hum was like a relieve expression from the bracelet upon being one with you… it's like it finally found its rightful owner.]

It confused her more but she didn't let it get to her and just accepted whatever happened earlier. Her eyes landed on the bracelet on her right wrist, deeply engraved in her skin.

Qiang Zhihao was dumbfounded. How can the guardian of the library just latched itself into this… this mysterious kid?! It didn't even respond to him or his master like a child, you even have to ask it with a polite and respectful manner before it can grant you access to its database.

And why did he suddenly felt jealous of this? He decided to just ignore the mysterious feeling he's feeling right now. It just didn't make sense to him.

"Uhm… ha ha ha. Is there any more things to be retrieved before we can leave?" Chang Xiuying asked sheepishly as she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve.

"Y-yes, there's just one more and it's inside the Pagoda."

"Great… so… we can leave now." She pointed at the door where they entered earlier.

"Wait a moment; I still have to give you the imprint of access here in the temple."

Another imprint… she thought that at the end of her journey, she might be filled with imprints. Should she just open up a business of Tattoos?

She hesitated then asked, "You have the imprint?"

"Of course, it still stayed."

"That's great then. I'll just use you as the key to open up this place. You're stuck to me in eternity anyway. There's nothing to sweat at all! Come on! Let's go!" She raised her right arm and pointed towards the door as she marched excitedly.

Qiang Zhihao felt bitter about it.

…

The Pagoda was still dark as there's no light when Chang Xiuying got out from one of the passages that led them out at the back of the Pagoda. She pondered where everyone went; she was already out for almost 'a lot' of hours that she never really counted or aware of.

She's not complaining, in fact, this made the work easier for her.

Qiang Zhihao walked towards the door of the Pagoda like he owned the place. Of course, they were the previous residence of the South Garden Pagoda. He led the little child towards Irene's room towards the stone wall with weird designs.

Chang Xiuying looked at the cracks of the wall as it slowly pulled her into it. It instantly opened for her and sucked her into it then it slammed shut, leaving Qiang Zhihao outside.

There was another pedestal inside the dark room that was only lit by a few torches that she didn't know where the light suddenly came from, the pedestal was like the one in the library where she got the bracelet from; rectangular, a golden crown surrounded the red hands with emerald nails, but the hand was holding a book and a small staff stuck at the side of it.

She never noticed how the Life energy here were the thickest as it slowly flowed into her as she stepped closer and closer towards the item sitting on the pedestal. It didn't matter now as she reached for it. Without any of Xue's assistance, the items rushed towards her body as it entered her system.

Her eyes glowed red with a mixture of gold like it's swimming in the sea of blood. White colors flickered then it turned completely black.

The fire was suddenly put out as the stone wall crumbled down, revealing the confused Qiang Zhihao.

Everything that happened today only concludes to two things, Qiang Zhihao and Chang Xiuying being overly confused all the time and being awkward. When she realized it, she facepalmed herself as to why did she let herself be confused to these things which were not completely wrong itself since the things that she encountered today was confusing as heck.

Then it dawned to the two that it will only be a few hours before the morning sun crashed its way towards the dark sky. The tall man suddenly disappeared as she felt that Xue made the man enter the system without his knowledge.

Chang Xiuying got confused for the last time as to where the people are right now? They're still not home which puzzled her more. They were never this late.

In any case, she contacted Xue, "Hey, big guy, what will happen now? As I see, my life will be just filled with school, school, school, school, and school. I studied enough on Earth and I don't want to even stay my life there."

[Nothing really. You'll be doing just as what you're thinking.]

She groaned as she threw her head back in frustration, "Well, isn't this the right time to leave now? There's still approximately two and a half hour before the sun goes up. It's a perfect time for leaving discretely."

[True. You'll be rendered useless here if you stayed any longer. Well, you were in the span of the previous two years. Got any farewells?]

"Oh. I suddenly have an idea to just go out of this situation. Can you scan the imprint of access in Qiang Zhihao's and gain control at the temple?"

[It's possible by paying 5,000.]

"… nevermind. I'll just be shameless and leave a letter."

[I was just kidding, you know.]

"Too bad, I already decided. You're going to scam me no more." She scoffed as she turned around to enter the empty Pagoda.

[Oh come on!]

…

Once Chang Xiuying finished her letter for the family that took care of her, she nodded in satisfaction after reading the letter over and over again. Though she went blank after thinking that writing is really not her forte, when she read it for the last time again for confirmation, she scrunched her nose and feels so disgusted with her own writing.

She left the letter on the nightstand of Irene's bed and carefully cleared all the things in her room as if she never existed. It only took her a short time to clear out all of her belongings. The cold wind entered her bedroom through her window; the lonely lights of the village entered her vision. The only scene she watched in her 2 years of living here.

She didn't hold any special feelings towards the village which made her more comfortable if she left. Though there are a lot of people that truly cared and loved her, she just can't seem to feel anything about it, yet she appreciated their sincere actions towards her.

Chang Xiuying sighed and jumped out of the window.

She landed gracefully and didn't cause any disturbance upon landing. She trotted out of the Pagoda and entered the forest area. Scanning the surrounding, she discovered Yao Yun training by the fire. His sweat glistened as it dropped at the soft ground.

Her presence was known when the boy pointed his wooden swords at Chang Xiuying. He was shocked but it was instantly changed into delight.

"Ying! How come you're early today?" He tried his best to wipe all of his sweat, but he thought that it wasn't enough, "Uh… hey? I'll just go and change my clothes for a moment. Please stay."

Without waiting for her reply, he immediately fetched his storage bag and hid behind a tree, she heard the rushed shuffle that made her grin. The boy's head peeked behind and sighed when he still saw Chang Xiuying not moving in her position.

"Answering your question with a question. Do you want to know a secret?"

Yao Yun's eyes widened. If this is her secret, then it must be that she trusted him that much in able to tell it to him! It's such pure bliss for the little guy.

He nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Yes! Please."

Chang Xiuying smiled that made Yao Yun's breath hitched, but her moving closer towards him made him stoned. Her breathe fanned on his ears made him shudder from the warmth. "I breakthrough a few years ago and I am leaving now. As promised, I'll try and wait for you."

With that, Chang Xiuying's figure was nowhere near him. He can't feel the familiar warmth anymore as he frantically turned his head in any direction in order to find her. But it was all in vain, he can't find even a trace of her.

Is this it? This is the last time that he will see her? That he will feel her? It made his chest tightened and ached at the thought.

"YING!" He howled.

And now, he's too determined to get stronger and meet the girl that he wanted to love and be loved.

…

Near the border of the Central Marsh, Chang Xiuying stood at the high hill with her eyes closed as she inhaled the air. The fog made her somewhat small body ethereal. When a familiar warmth hit her face, she slowly opened her eyes to see the morning sun rising with a beautiful luster of orange and purplish-pink. Its light gave color to the village that seemed like a canvass.

She smiled at the scene and crouched down, putting enough force into her right feet as she made a jump high enough to see the whole landscape. She raised her wrist with the engraved bracelet and a small surface emerged from it, like a camera. She took a picture of the beautiful scene before she reached the peak of her jump.

Upon knowing that she's slowly going down, she twisted her body and dived towards the fog that engulfed her whole figure.

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