"Carvings and real people naturally couldn't be exactly alike. Besides, this stone statue had gone through... No, that wasn't important. Since we've arrived at Mount Tai Xu, let's head up first."
Fu Hua shook her head and did not continue. Instead, she grabbed the bag containing the Xuanyuan Sword and the Herrscher Core with one hand, vaulted out of the carriage, and waited where she stood for Kaino.
"Sure. We'll leave the carriage here for now. It probably wouldn't matter if it got stolen; we likely won't need it later anyway."
Kaino climbed out of the carriage and stood behind Fu Hua, following her into Mount Tai Xu.
It had to be said, the path up Mount Tai Xu was truly long. Moss-covered stone paths, long stone bridges, steep suspension bridges, stone steps... After traversing countless roads, Kaino and Fu Hua finally reached the summit.
Fortunately, neither of them was an ordinary person. Otherwise, climbing the mountain alone would probably have taken most of the day.
Unlike the repaired and scenic foothills, the summit was a charred ruin. It seemed those villagers had not specifically climbed all the way up to restore Fu Hua's former residence.
"So, Fu Hua, why did you build your house in such a high place? Anyone who hadn't been tempered by Honkai energy would be exhausted half to death just climbing up here, wouldn't they?"
Kaino swept his gaze across the summit before pointing at the ruins.
"The reason we originally chose this place was precisely because it was difficult to connect with the outside world. Keeping many confidential materials here prevented others from destroying them. After my friends died, I also wished to avoid becoming too close to others, so they would not be saddened again after a hundred years."
Looking at the ruins before her, Fu Hua sank into memories, unable to suppress a trace of sorrow.
"As for why I still stayed here after taking disciples, it was because I had grown accustomed to living here and did not wish to move. Besides, having them climb up and down was good exercise."
Kaino's expression stiffened slightly. This was the bad thing about speaking with someone who had lived so long—any random topic could touch upon their pain.
Would it be better to change the subject now?
"Speaking of confidential materials... Fu Hua, are you sure the documents about the battery are still here? They weren't burned to ashes in the fire, were they?"
"Some materials should have been completely destroyed, while others were stored elsewhere. As for the battery information..."
Fu Hua looked around, seemingly comparing her surroundings with her memories, then slowly walked toward a poplar tree.
When she reached the tree, Fu Hua took the Xuanyuan Sword from the bag and began digging into the soil with it as a shovel.
"I think I can hear your sword crying... Here, use this. It'll work better."
After reproducing a shovel for Fu Hua, Kaino stood beside her rather than helping. With him added, they would indeed be faster, but if he failed to control his strength and destroyed what Fu Hua was digging for, that would be a disaster.
"Thank you."
After thanking him, Fu Hua took the shovel and began digging with muffled thuds. Under Kaino's gaze, she soon excavated a deep hole two or three meters down, then jumped inside and took out a large black box.
"You buried this way too deep. And why does this thing look like a coffin?"
Kaino knocked on the large black box and could not help commenting.
"It would not be wrong to call it a coffin. Without any accidents, that was what it was meant to be."
Fu Hua nodded, then gripped both sides of the top of the black box and lifted a lid.
The lid fit the box perfectly. One could not tell with the naked eye that the box could even be opened.
Then Fu Hua took out a little girl from inside the box. She had brown hair, black-and-white clothes, a scroll on her back, and a barcode on her chest...
"Why does she have a barcode on her body?"
Kaino could not help asking.
"And is she related to Li Sushang somehow?"
"It is only their hair color. They have no relation whatsoever. As for the barcode... perhaps it was an identification number made by Xuanxuan and Danzhu?"
Fu Hua held the little girl in her arms, her expression somewhat uncertain.
"Made?"
Kaino froze, then frowned, his voice growing low.
"She's an artificial human?"
Fu Hua's words reminded Kaino of his nominal little sister and her countless sisters who had never been granted life.
"In a sense, that is not wrong. But she is probably not what you are imagining."
Noticing Kaino's expression, Fu Hua shook her head and took out another stack of documents from the box.
"She is an armed doll made by Xuanxuan and Danzhu using Doctor Mobius's research. Her name is Book of Cang Xuan, and she is an intelligent lifeform. However, she shut down because her power had run out and there was no remaining power source... These are the documents for her matching batteries. Can they help you make one?"
Kaino took the documents Fu Hua handed him, glanced through them, and nodded.
Since he had never received professional education and had no actual object to analyze, Kaino had not understood any of it at all. But it was enough to know what kind of battery was needed. The invincible authority of the Herrscher of Reason would handle everything else.
He put the battery documents into Imaginary Space, reproduced a battery, and tossed it to Fu Hua. When he saw her preparing to remove Book of Cang Xuan's clothes, Kaino froze.
"She's a girl, after all... Do I need to step aside?"
Fu Hua's movements immediately stiffened.
"That would be appreciated."
Kaino turned around.
The Awakening of Book of Cang Xuan
"All done."
After a series of rustling sounds, Fu Hua's voice rang out behind him.
"That was quick. Also, would you mind telling me where her power source is located?"
Kaino turned around and asked Fu Hua, who was feeling around Book of Cang Xuan's body.
He did not mean anything by it. He was simply curious why installing a battery required removing her clothes. To be honest, those clothes did not cover much anyway.
"On her back. Strange, why hasn't Book of Cang Xuan awakened yet? Where did Xuanxuan and Danzhu put her switch?"
Fu Hua frowned, a trace of anxiety evident in her voice.
The chance to awaken a friend she had not seen for centuries was right before her, causing Fu Hua to lose her composure somewhat.
Kaino thought for a moment, then placed his hand on Book of Cang Xuan's head and analyzed her completely, inside and out.
"She does not seem to have a switch at all. The reason she hasn't awakened seems to be that some of her circuits have deteriorated. I'll repair them."
As he spoke, blue light flashed over Kaino's hand.
"One spot in her head, one in her left hand, one in her stomach... Huh, she has a stomach too?"
"When Book of Cang Xuan was originally designed, she was given an eating function. She also likes eating very much. However, the energy gained from eating is not enough to sustain her daily operation."
Fu Hua watched Kaino repair Book of Cang Xuan with a tense expression, but she did not urge him.
She understood that this was a delicate operation and could not be interrupted.
"It should be fixed. Unless something goes wrong, she'll wake up soon."
Kaino withdrew his right hand and stepped back slightly, leaving the space to Fu Hua.
Fu Hua hurriedly crouched in front of Book of Cang Xuan.
"Mm, I feel like I slept for a long time..."
Perhaps Book of Cang Xuan had some sort of Fu Hua sensor installed in her. The moment Fu Hua approached, she mumbled and began rubbing her eyes with both hands.
Fu Hua took a soft breath and cautiously spoke. "Book of Cang Xuan, can you hear me?"
"I can hear you, I can hear you. Stop calling me already, Immortal... Huh, Immortal?"
When she mumbled the word "Immortal," Book of Cang Xuan seemed to be stimulated by something. She abruptly opened her eyes and met Fu Hua's gaze as Fu Hua leaned close to her face.
Book of Cang Xuan seemed not fully awake yet. She first rubbed her own eyes again, then rubbed Fu Hua's face. Once she confirmed that she was not dreaming and Fu Hua before her was not an illusion, she suddenly threw herself at Fu Hua, crying and making a fuss.
"Immortal?! It really is you, Immortal! You succeeded in waking me up?"
"Yes, it's me. I woke you up."
Fu Hua also embraced Book of Cang Xuan, continuously stroking her head with her left hand.
Book of Cang Xuan broke free from Fu Hua's embrace, wiped away her tears, and then threw herself at her again.
"Waaah, I thought I would never see you again, Immortal. Has human technology safely developed to this extent already? Then did Doctor Mobius's plan succeed... Huh, Kevin?"
While crying, Book of Cang Xuan saw Kaino standing behind and to the side of Fu Hua. She immediately stopped crying, her tears vanished, and she froze completely.
Kaino, on the other hand, felt a little awkward upon hearing that familiar name.
Everyone kept mistaking him for someone else. Just how much did that Kevin resemble him?
"You came back too? Then we must have succeeded, right? Our actions, our civilization..."
After recovering from her shock, Book of Cang Xuan, having mistaken Kaino for Kevin, became extremely excited and clung to Fu Hua as though she were about to cry again.
"Book of Cang Xuan, he is not Kevin. You have mistaken him for someone else."
Fu Hua looked somewhat reluctant, but she ultimately spoke and told Book of Cang Xuan the truth.
"I have forgotten the specific contents of the Doctor's plan, but I can be certain that the plan did not succeed."
"Huh?"
Book of Cang Xuan froze again, but she quickly regained her senses.
"It still hasn't succeeded? Well, that makes sense... No, Chi Yuan, how could you have forgotten the Doctor's plan? Did something happen? You couldn't possibly have stored that portion of your memories in Feather of the Underworld, could you?"
Halfway through speaking, Book of Cang Xuan suddenly noticed the issue in Fu Hua's words and hurriedly asked with concern.
"I... suffered a severe injury to my head years ago and lost some memories. Mount Tai Xu was also damaged because of it."
Fu Hua's eyes flickered at those words, but she did not elaborate.
After all, the matter had already been resolved. Explaining it in detail would only cause Book of Cang Xuan unnecessary worry and lingering fear.
Only then did Book of Cang Xuan notice the buildings behind Fu Hua, which had become ruins.
"Chi Yuan, did someone bully you? Come on, I'll help you get revenge!"
Book of Cang Xuan angrily declared.
She knew Fu Hua's body extremely well. An injury severe enough to make Fu Hua lose her memories must have nearly killed her.
"It is not necessary. It is fine; I have already dealt with that matter."
Fu Hua smiled and continued stroking Book of Cang Xuan's head to comfort her.
"And it could even be considered a good thing. Not only did the side effects of Divine Voice disappear from my body, but I also found someone who could carry out that plan and asked him to repair you."
"The side effects are gone? That's wonderful! Wait... Chi Yuan, did you say you found someone who can carry out the plan?"
Book of Cang Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Though she had only accompanied Fu Hua for several thousand years, she knew how demanding the requirements for the plan's executor were. Otherwise, Fu Hua and the others would not have spent nearly fifty thousand years searching Earth without finding anyone suitable.
After suffering a near-fatal injury, the side effects on her body had disappeared, and she had completed a task left unfinished for tens of thousands of years. Book of Cang Xuan did not know whether Fu Hua's luck was good or bad.
"Yes, I found one. It is him, Kaino Kaslana. By the way, he also helped me quite a lot after I was injured."
As Fu Hua spoke, she turned around and lifted Book of Cang Xuan up before Kaino.
"Uh, hello?"
Kaino blinked and tentatively greeted Book of Cang Xuan.
He had no experience communicating with a tiny creature less than half a meter tall. He felt as though he were talking to a little stuffed doll.
"You're Kevin's descendant? Thank you for helping Chi Yuan. And I never expected you to have an even greater Honkai energy reserve than Kevin."
Book of Cang Xuan examined Kaino, her eyes gleaming as though she were looking at some treasure, occasionally nodding.
"No, I think my Honkai energy reserve is not particularly large. At least, it cannot meet your requirements..."
The corners of Kaino's mouth twitched.
After all, his Honkai energy reserve could be considered one of his weaknesses.
"Not large? Then..."
Book of Cang Xuan did not understand. Scratching her head, she turned to look at Fu Hua, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Kaino meets the second condition. In other words, he can connect to Imaginary Space and draw Honkai energy from it."
Fu Hua explained the situation to Book of Cang Xuan.
"Also, whether Kaino is Kevin's descendant remains uncertain. He is not from this world; he came here amid chaos. I also promised to help him find a way home."
"Someone can really fulfill that nearly impossible condition?"
Book of Cang Xuan's eyes widened.
Before you continue