She stopped, her eyes somewhat vacant.
"Sigh, this is so boring. What should I do next? Where should I go? I can't just keep wasting time like this."
The filth outside had been cleared away.
Then what about the inside...
Deep in the mountain forest, the crunch of dead leaves underfoot sounded especially clear.
Black Fu Hua stopped, her fingertips unconsciously brushing the rough bark beside her.
"I've hidden long enough."
She murmured to herself, her voice as faint as wind passing through an empty valley, "Putting it off won't solve anything. Being unsettled won't help either."
A translucent phantom floated before her, the glow of the Feather of Yu Duchen flickering in the shadows.
The corners of her mouth lifted into the faintest smile.
"There were only a dozen or so feathers scattered across this mountain, right?"
Her tone carried a hint of self-mocking humor. "Every one was a fragment of me. The power, the memories-they've all come back."
The more she recovered, the harder it became to maintain that indifference in her heart.
"My vacation time is running out."
She took a deep breath, her gaze suddenly sharpening. "Time to turn back into 'Fu Hua.'"
She opened her hand, palm upward, pointing straight at her true self opposite her.
"Ready to merge?"
True Fu Hua stood quietly, her gaze unruffled. "You want to reclaim the power that originally belonged to you."
Black Fu Hua frowned slightly, clearly loathing that cold definition.
"No."
She corrected her. "I mean, I want you to become part of my flesh and blood."
True Fu Hua gently shook her head, her movement slow but firm. "It can't be done."
A sigh escaped Black Fu Hua's lips.
"I know."
Her tone softened, even taking on a trace of dependence. "Sorry... Actually, I've always thought