"Teacher..."
"Little sister!"
"Uh, hello, big sister..."
"Not good enough, little sister!"
"Li... little sister..."
"Your voice is so soft, and you still want to learn etiquette from me? I can't hear you."
"Little sister!"
"Add my name and say it again."
In the empty valley, the reddish-brown big cat hiding in a corner had veins throbbing on his forehead as his face gradually darkened.
But in the end, under the smiling gaze of those golden-green eyes, Lin Xian pulled a long face, took a deep breath, then threw back his head and roared.
"Yes! Little sister Shamhat!"
"Mm, what a good boy..."
The green-haired woman in white priestly robes smiled as she reached out to stroke the big cat's head. Her relaxed expression made her look thoroughly pleased.
She looked exactly like a shepherd taming a wolfhound.
Shamhat, a sacred temple courtesan of Uruk, had once been sent to Fir Forest to tame Enkidu while he was still ignorant of the world.
Legend had it that after six days and seven nights together, that Divine Construct Weapon had completely opened his heart, placing all his trust and dependence in this sacred courtesan, and awakening his human nature.
Moreover, that Divine Construct Weapon, once covered in fur and living among wild beasts, had reshaped his appearance using Shamhat as a model.
So yes, the green-haired woman before him had facial features and a figure identical to the Enkidu in Lin Xian's memories.
In a sense, she was both the teacher who had guided Enkidu into human society and the mother who had awakened his humanity.
But even in the Silver Age, when mysteries were far more abundant, human lifespans were ultimately limited.
Thus, the present Shamhat was merely a ghost trapped in the Underworld.
Unable to remain by Enkidu's side for long while she was alive, Shamhat had stayed in this valley after death to make up for that regret and keep vigil over this sleeping child.
Yet now, she could not even keep vigil over Enkidu. She could only continue wandering and waiting within this barrier, until time wore away her soul and she vanished completely.
Everything should have remained that way.
But a few months ago, this little fellow who had sneakily come to investigate Enkidu's grave had accidentally caught Shamhat's attention.
What followed was quite ordinary.
Whether to pass the time or simply find some amusement, Shamhat began teaching the little fellow about Mesopotamian knowledge and etiquette at his pleading.
The slippery little rascal had promptly started calling her Teacher and often came running over to ask about things that interested him.
"Go on, what do you want to know today?"
"Teacher, a lesson is a lesson. Can you keep your hands to yourself?"
Lin Xian raised a paw and slapped away the delicate hand reaching for the crease beneath his belly, rolling his eyes in irritation.
Sacred courtesans were special priestesses responsible for pleasing the gods. They even served as sexual educators within city-states, making every last one of them genuine old courtesans.
This teacher of his had completely overturned the gentle and elegant image Lin Xian had formed from the fictionalized Epic of Gilgamesh. She was far more troublesome than he had expected.
Who knew whether being trapped in this little valley for centuries had changed her like this?
In any case, the truth of the past could no longer be traced.
Faced with a woman who always wanted to measure his length, Lin Xian consistently kept a respectful distance.
Unless necessary, he tried not to come here.
Shamhat seemed somewhat bored as she turned and sat on a boulder.
She took a gem-studded comb from the purple yew jewelry box below and aimlessly combed her long ghostly hair. Her bare, fair feet swayed lightly in midair.
Come to think of it, the purple yew jewelry box and this jeweled comb were both spoils he had won, yet after Shamhat spotted them, she had simply seized them as a gift for accepting him as her student.
Looking back, he had suffered a huge loss.
Still, based on Lin Xian's experience with Shamhat, her current body language and the atmosphere around her indicated that she was in a fairly good mood.
He had better make the most of it and get to class. He still had plenty to do.
As the breeze stirred, Lin Xian hesitantly approached the boulder and had to admit something.
When she was quiet, this teacher really did have the air of a natural elf. She looked quite ladylike.
Too bad she could move and talk.
"Teacher..."
"Forgot again?"
"Little sister..."
"Add my name!"
"Little sister Shamhat..."
Lin Xian's mouth twitched. Even his iron stomach, capable of digesting dirt and magic crystals, was beginning to ache faintly.
The ancient serpent hesitated for a moment. Only after steadying himself with difficulty did he toss down several rune gems and set up a barrier before cautiously leaning close to Shamhat's ear to whisper.
"I know that place, but you're actually planning this?"
The sacred courtesan who had been combing her hair paused, then turned toward the big cat beneath the boulder. The laziness vanished from her face, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Aren't you afraid I'll inform on you?"
The ancient serpent remained calm and composed, baring his teeth in a faint grin.
"I can take you with me..."
"Tsk, I still underestimated your nerve."
"Do you know what the consequences are? If He finds out, you won't even get to remain a snake."
Shamhat continued combing her hair nonchalantly, though an almost imperceptible complexity flickered across her face.
Good. As long as she was wavering...
"Think about him. He could not be free in life, nor rest in peace after death. He could only serve as a tool his entire life. Don't you want to help him?"
"Even if it is only to grant him release."
Lin Xian stood and walked to the edge of the enormous pit in the center of the valley. He paced around it, sighing and shaking his head from time to time.
There had once been a flat stone platform here, along with the coffin preserving Enkidu's body.
Shamhat fell silent, a shadow clouding her eyes.
"Little fellow, don't try to defy fate, otherwise..."
"Otherwise, I'll end up like you?"
Lin Xian bared his teeth in a sneer and completed the latter half of his teacher's sentence.
Shamhat was suddenly startled. Her expression froze, and sharp edges abruptly cut across her gentle features.
"How did you know?!"
"Is it that hard to guess?"
Lin Xian looked up at the pitch-black dome overhead, then lowered his head and murmured.
"A weapon only needs to remember its target."
"Once he develops feelings, he will no longer be sharp. He will hesitate when striking, and may even dare to defy his master."
"You should not have given him feelings. You should not have given him humanity."
The Green-Haired Beauty, Shamhat, stood stunned for a moment before covering her lips and revealing a radiant smile. Her gaze held a trace of sentiment and nostalgia.
"I should indeed have thought that way, but I could not do it."
"Back then, the divine oracle I received was to guide the Chains of Heaven and bring back the Wedge of Heaven."
"But you do not know that from the moment I entered Fir Forest and first saw that child, I had fallen."
"There was nothing in this world cleaner than those eyes, and no breeze gentler than that soul."
"He cared for the wild beasts in the forest so tenderly. He would surely have treated humans the same way."
"Our king needed a companion like him to guide him, not a chain to bind himself."
"Besides, people like us are fated never to have children. You would never understand the joy of guiding an innocent, adorable child into becoming a sage."
Then the woman glanced down at the big cat lying beneath the boulder and listening to her story. Her tone shifted, and her expression turned somewhat disdainful.
"Clearly, our two encounters were so similar."
"But why are you black from head to toe, full of bad intentions and venom, without the slightest bit of cuteness?"
Hey, hey, just talk. No need to make personal attacks, all right?
Lin Xian, having released the magical support of Self-Modification and shrunk back into his ancient serpent form, wore a thoroughly gloomy expression.
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