Origins

Nine Nether had her reasons for disliking Mujiu. She knew about its little schemes. As long as they did not harm Wen Li's interests, she would say nothing. But if Mujiu lost sight of that boundary and tried to go further, Nine Nether would destroy it without hesitation, even though they had fought together.

To Nine Nether, Sen Lijiu always came before anyone else—even herself.

Take loyalty as a simple example. Nine Nether was absolutely, one hundred percent loyal, while Mujiu's loyalty was only eighty percent. Sen Lijiu mattered a great deal to Mujiu too, but compared with him, it favored its creator.

That was another reason Nine Nether disliked Mujiu.

Nine Nether was a source tier weapon, one of only a handful in the world. Mujiu was different. It had started out as nothing more than a moon tier weapon. Had Wen You not upgraded Mujiu into a Growth-Type Weapon, it probably could never have reached its current level. Upgrading a low-level weapon consumed an enormous amount of materials. If Wen Li had not insisted, even getting injured in the process and nearly damaging his tail—the most important part of a Nine-Tailed Fox—Mujiu would never have become what it was today. Yet it still refused to behave.

There was no hatred without a reason, only stories too tangled to explain...

Nine Nether nodded to Wen Li in greeting and swayed the tassel on the jade pendant. A lovely voice filled the room, clear and gentle, approachable yet carrying a sense of distance:

"Wen Li, what's wrong? Don't panic. I'm here."

Wen Li was Sen Lijiu's name. Nine Nether had given him the name Sen Lijiu, and it held a profound meaning. In Sen Lijiu, "Li Jiu" meant leaving Nine Nether, while "Sen" conveyed strictness and prohibition.

It meant not to leave Nine Nether. This was for Sen Lijiu's safety, and it was Nine Nether's wish as well. The name also held another meaning: never abandon Wen Li, and never betray Jiujiu.

"Nine Nether, I can't go home..." Loneliness filled Sen Lijiu's voice. Before Nine Nether, all his strength and composure fell away, exposing the helplessness beneath. He never needed to pretend in front of her. Nine Nether was his companion and his family. Though she was a weapon, from the moment she chose Wen Li without hesitation, she had become his family.

The source tier weapons belonging to Sen Lijiu and his brothers had all been made by Wen You. In their eyes, Nine Nether and the other eight were more than weapons. They were companions, family.

Nine Nether's voice easily soothed Wen Li's unease. "Wen Li, what's wrong? Wen Li, I'm here. I'm right here."

Someone wrapped her arms around Wen Li. She kept repeating those words, as though making a promise. "Wen Li, I'm here. I'm right here."

Once she had calmed Sen Lijiu, she spoke again. "Wen Li, don't be afraid. I only went dormant because I was too badly damaged. The spacetime turbulence struck suddenly, exhausting my power and shattering my physical form. I had no choice but to go dormant. Don't worry. Our family is safe. They told me, 'All is well. We're waiting for you to come home.' Wen Li, keep going. They're all waiting for you, waiting to be reunited."

Her voice paused, then continued. "Wen Li, I'm here. I'm right here. I'll always protect you and stay by your side. Take good care of yourself. If something happens, don't try to bear it alone, understand? I'm an origin soul now, and I can't stay long. My physical form can't leave the Origin Realm. It hasn't been fully repaired yet. You must be careful..."

Her voice cut off there, and the jade pendant vanished before his eyes...

Nine Nether called Sen Lijiu Wen Li because they knew each other. She liked calling him by his true name. She had protected Wen Li for countless years, and he was the one person she would never allow anyone to harm.