Otto, are you ready?

"The Crimson Kite's beak is soft, smooth, and sweet—it's simply wonderful!"

Ji Lin readily expressed his praise for Fu Hua.

A-Lin subconsciously touched his lips, a hint of eagerness in his eyes:

"How about I try again next time? Actually, if Lianshan hadn't confessed back then, I'd always secretly liked Crimson Kite... Anyway, if you marry her, it's the same as me marrying her. You won't be angry, will you?"

"Hey, we're all family, why are you being so polite with me! If it really doesn't work out, we can give it a try. You can feel it now, right?"

Ji Lin said with an innocent expression.

Actually, Anqi has been lusting after the old ancestor's body for a long time, and if given the chance, she would definitely be happy to kiss him.

What?

You call her a "scumbag woman"?

So what if she's a jerk? Our Anqi isn't exactly a good person either! She can just take responsibility afterward!

A-Lin's eyes flickered, clearly showing some interest, but in the end, he lowered his head shyly.

"It still feels a bit strange to be with myself."

"I think if you can't even let go of yourself, how can you marry Crimson Kite in the future?"

"Crimson Kite might not agree, so you'll have to work hard, sister! Oh, I should say we'll all have to work hard!"

"Don't worry! Crimson Kite is incredibly resilient, and we're not far behind now. We'll persevere until we succeed!"

Ji Lin grinned confidently.

A-Lin laughed along, and the two huddled together by the crack in the door, talking for a long time before finally leaving.

Ji Lin, hands on his hips and the other arm around A-Lin's waist, wore an arrogant expression that seemed to say, "My empire is mine!" and said smugly:

"Now that Crimson Kite is gone, Great Void Mountain is our territory! Let's go, let's start patrolling the mountain and see if there are any treasures that Crimson Kite left behind but have forgotten!"

"Want to go treasure hunting, sister?"

"That's right, the treasure hunt at Great Void Mountain, let's begin!"

"Yay! Let's go, sister!"

A-Lin was also aroused and snuggled close to Ji Lin, responding happily.

As Ji Lin said, Fu Hua has left quite a few traces over the past five thousand years.

Some antique tiles, some decayed swords and spears, some fragments of books and scrolls—the corners of the mountains are full of traces of life in the past.

With a sense of anticipation, A-Lin would happily explore every new trace of life he found, chattering excitedly as he analyzed Fu Hua's life there with Ji Lin.

After more than a month of exploration and patrol, they finally traversed a lush forest and arrived at the edge of a towering cliff.

"The scenery is amazing!"

Ji Lin stood on the edge of the cliff and took a deep breath.

A-Lin floated beside him, nodding and smiling in strong agreement.

"Speaking of which, standing on the edge of a cliff like this, you always have the urge to jump off!"

"Sister is right, I understand that feeling!"

"Since we've got nothing better to do anyway, let's go jump off a cliff for fun!"

"Just don't get the clothes too dirty, otherwise the washing machine won't be able to clean them properly, and I'll have to hand-wash them!"

A-Lin smiled as he watched Ji Lin jump forward.

Then, as if walking on flat ground, I stood firmly in the air.

"???" ×2

"It's an illusion! There's something else ahead!"

"Could it be the treasure left behind by Crimson Kite? Sister, let's go in quickly, I can't wait!"

With identical excited smiles, the two rushed towards the empty space ahead without saying a word, their figures disappearing beyond the cliff edge.

Chapter 118 Otto, are you ready?

This is an illusion that blocks the view, hiding the huge platform and the quiet, ancient mansion in a place that seems to be empty.

However, it is not a mere illusion, but rather a place that constantly sends psychological suggestions to those who enter it to leave and forget. In addition, upon reaching the edge of the illusion, one encounters a physical barrier as solid as an invisible city wall.

Anqi couldn't tell how much of it was technology from the Previous Civilization and how much was a near-mystical technique used by Fu Hua.

But in any case, these obstacles could not stop Ji Lin and A-Lin.

They successfully overcame all obstacles and entered the antique mansion, which was devoid of any human presence.

"It looks pretty good."

"It's a bit old, and it looks like no one has been here for a very long time. Many parts are broken."

"This must have been Crimson Kite's residence a long time ago, right?"

"We'll see when we look. Let's keep going!"

As Ji Lin and A-Lin looked around and chatted, they gradually entered the main hall of the mansion.

Slowly pushing open the faded paint and cracked carvings of the wooden door, a brand-new hall came into view through the crack.

Why is this the only place that's so new?

"The Crimson Kite must have done something to protect us, right?"

"Here's the problem: none of the other places we found had any protective measures in place; they were either collapsed or rotten. Only this place looked brand new, as if it had just been cleaned—did Crimson Kite hide treasure here?"

"Very likely! Sister, let's go in and take a look!"

A-Lin urged Ji Lin to push open the door so he could go in and find out what was going on.

As for privacy awareness and such, are you talking to indigenous people from 5,000 years ago about this?

The two then stepped into the spacious and bright hall.

The smooth, polished wooden floor looked brand new, spacious and bright, and at the far end of the hall, on the table with seats on either side, an exquisite wooden box lay quietly.

Ji Lin and A-Lin exchanged a glance, swallowed hard, and then slowly walked over.

The wooden box is carved with intricate patterns, adorned with gold lacquer. Beneath its elegant and luxurious exterior, the box is lined with soft gold silk, and its top is covered with a transparent and sturdy glass dome.

Looking at the contents of the wooden box, both of them lost their smiles.

"It's Xiaoxuan..."

Packed in such an exquisite wooden box, lined with soft silk, and protected by a transparent lid, this little girl, dressed in white cloud sleeves, with black hair longer than her bare feet and a face as delicate as if sculpted by a master craftsman, was treated with such solemnity.

Like a sleeping elf, with eyes closed, she was incredibly quiet and beautiful.

Moreover, every corner of her clothes and every strand of her hair was meticulously cleaned and arranged. This clearly demonstrates the care and love, coupled with the grief, of the person who ultimately placed her in the box and sealed her away.

The Book of Cang Xuan was created by Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu. Ancestor Ji Lin fought alongside those two to the very end, perishing almost simultaneously, so naturally he recognized this little elf.

Therefore, upon seeing the appearance of the Book of Cang Xuan, A-Lin couldn't help but cover his lips with his hands, and tears silently streamed down his face.

"So you were here. I thought you were already buried... Xiaoxuan, even someone like you couldn't make it to the end?"

A-Lin whimpered, unable to bear looking at Book of Cang Xuan's sleeping face any longer, and involuntarily turned his back.

The heartbreaking sobs continued for a long time, and then Ji Lin's slightly hoarse voice rang out.

Don't cry!

"But, but Xiaoxuan, she..."

"Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu said that Xiaoxuan is a life form, and also a machine they created themselves. But machines are different from people; machines can be repaired!"

"Sister, you mean?"

A-Lin turned around with red eyes, looking at Ji Lin with disbelief and anticipation.

Ji Lin tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and seemed to be holding back her tears.

Then she said:

"That's right! It definitely can! Look, Xiaoxuan doesn't have a single scratch. Maybe the problem isn't serious, and he'll definitely recover!"

"But even Crimson Kite had no choice but to leave her here?"

"Crimson Kite can't fix anything! She's just as reckless as us! Times have changed. People today are far more intelligent than those of the past, and they understand how to create complex machines. The old Crimson Kite couldn't do anything, but people today can definitely help Xiaoxuan!"

"Sister, is it really okay?"

A-Lin hesitated, filled with unease, fearing the cruel future where hope would arise only to be dashed once more.

"Smack!"

Ji Lin slapped A-Lin, not hard, but loud enough to wake him up.

"If we don't do it, there will be no hope at all! A-Lin, Crimson Kite has already lost too much. If there is any possibility, even if it is only a slim one, we must make it happen!"

Her firm words, like the resounding toll of a great bell, completely pulled A-Lin out of her grief and hesitation.

A-Lin touched his cheek, looking at his other self's resolute and unwavering expression, and gradually calmed down. With tears in his eyes, he nodded heavily.

"Sister is right! How can we say there's no hope if we haven't tried? For Xiaoxuan, for Crimson Kite, for Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu, we will definitely find a way!"

"Great! Our sisterly unity is the first step to success!"

Ji Lin slowly revealed a smile, then reached out and gently stroked the glass cover on top of the wooden box, as if caressing the face of the Book of Cang Xuan from afar, with a tender yet sorrowful expression.

A-Lin watched quietly, sighing silently in his heart.

'My sister has indeed inherited a stronger and braver side; compared to her, I am so weak and timid.'

Thinking this to himself, A-Lin couldn't help but feel grateful that Ji Lin was the first to wake up, and that Ji Lin was the one who took the lead between the two of them.

If it were my softer side that had awakened first, I probably wouldn't be where I am today, let alone see any hope.

"Sister, what should we do?"

"Let's take Xiaoxuan down the mountain! To see this era, to visit the masters who understand mechanics, and to find the person who can awaken Xiaoxuan!"

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say, sister. But..."

"Just what?"

Ji Lin carefully picked up the wooden box while looking at A-Lin, who was hesitant.

A-Lin sighed and said:

"I feel like it would be better to keep it from Crimson Kite for now?"

"Why?"

"If it ultimately fails, rather than letting Crimson Kite experience the transition from hope to despair, it might be better for her to simply forget it."

"I'm telling you, this attitude of considering failure before even taking action won't work! Show me your spirit! In a close contest, the brave will prevail, you know that!"

Ji Lin angrily bumped A-Lin's forehead.

A-Lin timidly took a step back, lowered his head, and dared not speak.

The saying "When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins" is inappropriate in context, but the meaning is understandable.

In short, A-Lin had nothing to say and once again expressed his admiration and respect for himself for inheriting his strong and courageous side.

Then, Ji Lin, holding the wooden box, grinned and said:

"But what you said makes sense. Instead of making Crimson Kite worry and wait anxiously, why not give Xiaoxuan a surprise as soon as she wakes up? Okay, let's do it!"

"... Then my sister scolded me?"

"What's wrong with scolding you? With your pathetic, effeminate manner, do I need to pick a day to scold you?"

"We're girls after all... Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. Whatever you say, sister! You're so wise and powerful!"

When Ji Lin glared at him, A-Lin stopped complaining and moved closer to Ji Lin, playfully patting her shoulder. At the same time, looking at the Book of Cang Xuan held in Ji Lin's hands, A-Lin's eyes softened.

"Crimson Kite, as long as you're alive, good things will always happen. I know you're suffering, but never give up hope. Just like we found Xiaoxuan, you will definitely be able to meet her again."

A smile gradually appeared on A-Lin's lips.