They're Here.

The arm suddenly began to twitch and wriggle!

On the surface of the skin, bulges that looked like blue veins began to tremble.

It seems... it's coming back to life?!

This made everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

But even faster, the Old Celestial Master's expression remained unchanged. He transformed his palm into a claw and struck with lightning speed, directly grabbing the restless arm!

"Boom--!"

Golden lightning flashed instantly, piercing right through it!

The arm stopped trembling and emitted a strange, burnt smell.

"I understand... I'll follow this lead and investigate further..."

The Old Celestial Master withdrew his hand without changing his expression and answered in as calm a tone as possible.

But anyone could sense that the Old Celestial Master was not in a good mood at this moment.

She understood what Maria meant.

After hesitating for a few moments, Zuo Le nodded and prepared to leave.

But the Old Celestial Master suddenly spoke.

"Why don't you return this to her as well?"

As she spoke, she raised the blade.

This caused Zuo Le's face to suddenly turn ashen.

And... do I have to carry it back?

I don't think I've offended the Old Celestial Master, have I?!

Fortunately, Shu spoke up at that moment.

"This weapon was forged by Nian; it's too much to ask him to carry it back..."

"Hmm... so what do you think...?"

The Old Celestial Master nodded slightly upon hearing Shu's words, acknowledging that what the other person said made sense.

But the problem is, this weapon can't just stay here forever, can it?

The general will definitely still need this weapon...

"Let Xi deliver it."

"Huh?"

Xi, who had been paying no attention to what was happening, looked up in surprise, wondering why her older sister had suddenly brought her up.

But Shu just looked at the girl, smiling silently.

Her last conversation with Maria made her suddenly realize some common problems faced by the Sui Family.

Everyone else in the family is doing well, but Xi is the only one who is unable to shake off the lingering, obscure memories left by Sui.

Perhaps...

The best way to solve this problem is to let Xi confront Maria directly.

Shu smiled, picked up the long knife, and silently stuffed it into the arms of the unwilling Xi.

Go ahead.

She spoke gently.

386

Chapter 386 They've arrived.

When exactly did human self-awareness emerge?

The moment of birth? The moment of understanding language? The moment when one can live independently, without relying on anyone?

For most people, by the time they can understand this problem, they have already forgotten how long ago it was when they first became aware of the concept of 'self'.

But for Xi, the memories of that time remain vivid.

She still remembers the way she and her brothers and sisters stood beside their 'mother's' body, looking at each other in confusion.

At that time, everyone already had a sense of self... but clearly, they were more like manufactured beings, their understanding of self-awareness limited to some common sense.

Who are they? What are they going to do next? What are their goals?

No one answered their question; in fact, many people from the Great Yan were watching them with hostility.

This gave them a less than favorable first impression of the world.

Xi didn't know how the other family members viewed all of this, but... for Xi, she clearly knew how she felt at that time.

Confusion, anger, frustration, and the unease and fear of wanting to destroy everything—her volatile heart was like a raging fire. Even after everyone calmed down a bit, this feeling never disappeared from her body.

She experiences these emotions even when facing her closest family members.

But the feeling of connection between them made her unable to bring herself to do it.

She was filled with curiosity about the world, yet also with fear and unease.

Extreme internal conflict led her to make a choice.

She chose to shut herself off, hiding in the false world she created for herself, and peacefully passing her time.

Her indifference was not merely a matter of her nature, but more so a result of long-term repression and self-imposed constraints.

She couldn't get the sense of security she needed from her family.

She was filled with a wild, animalistic resistance, wariness, and hostility towards everything.

Later on, even when she was alone, she found it difficult to suppress her restlessness.

She had no choice but to completely cut off contact with the outside world, immersing herself in solitude.

She even began to worry that one day she would completely descend into madness.

But... just then, Maria appeared.

Xi still remembers that moment when the black figure broke into her territory, and she felt that long-lost thrill.

At first glance, she clearly realized that this woman possessed a sense of security that could soothe the turmoil within her.

As long as she's by her side, Xi can clear her mind, stop thinking about anything, and sleep peacefully.

But... after Maria appeared, she didn't dare to fight for her.

The long-term repression caused her serious psychological problems. She longed for Maria, yet dared not let Maria see her appearance.

So she chose to hide in a corner and, in a childish manner, tried to push Maria out of her territory...

Of course, in the end, she was caught.

But it must be admitted that such emotions have indeed been deeply etched into Xi's heart.

But she herself didn't dare to get close.

And at that moment... millet appeared.

Thanks to the somewhat delicate camaraderie between Shu and Maria, Xi was able to get close to Maria.

In a sense, Xi hopes her sister and Maria have a deeper relationship because only then will she feel she has the courage and a suitable reason to face Maria...

Everything, in reality, was for her own sake...

Own...

It's really ugly...

Xi sighed and silently raised her head.

Right in front of her, the small, not-so-tall house stood quietly, surrounded by a white, fluffy mist, and under the thin moonlight, the delicate flowerbeds stubbornly bloomed.

Xi stepped forward and saw the slender figure standing at the doorway.

"Welcome, Miss Xi."

The Doll bowed slightly as a sign of politeness.

Xi also took a close look at the woman who looked almost exactly like Maria, but after only a moment, she sighed again.

No the same...

Xi didn't know exactly what the problem was, but... no matter how similar she was to Maria, she couldn't get that same sense of security from her.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

Xi shook her head, then drew her weapon.

Where is she?

Xi asked a question, while also stating her purpose for coming.

The Doll maintained its composure and slowly began to speak.

"The Hunter is on the second floor... If you're here to see the Hunter, you can wait a moment."

"Second floor..."

Xi raised her head slightly, glanced at it, hesitated for a few moments, and then silently shook her head.

"Never mind, I have things to do. I'll just give her the things and leave."

As she spoke, she inquired about the location of the Doll before slowly leaving.

The Doll silently watched the other person's back and shook its head slightly.

The Doll was far more perceptive than Maria... How could she not see the complex emotional entanglement in Xi?

However, she didn't say it directly. Instead, she gracefully took a step back and silently watched the other person leave.

A moment later, he muttered something again.

"Poor Hunter..."

It didn't take long for Xi to reach the second floor of the Hunter's Cabin.

But as soon as Xi opened the door to the second floor, she froze.

Is the second floor really that big?!

The fog outside was already very thick, but by comparison, the entire second floor seemed even more dreamlike.

Warm yellow light streamed from the ceiling, reflecting off the surrounding, gleaming, and cold walls made of gold and gray-black.

The warm air was many degrees warmer than the outside temperature, and the cool environment instantly relaxed Xi's muscles.

Its area is astonishingly large!

So much so that at first glance, Xi was somewhat surprised at how so many things could be crammed into what appeared to be a small second floor from the outside.

Somewhat surprised, Xi cautiously took a step forward.

The floor, which looks like a water surface, actually provides support!

This surprised Xi.

Of course, she also forgot her purpose.

"Maria?"

She called out cautiously.

A response came from not far away.

"Um?"

It sounds... a little different from Maria's normal voice?

Xi hesitated for a moment, but didn't think much of it, and simply took another step forward.

But...