The evening air was cool. In the low, dilapidated south-facing house, the inner room never saw sunlight all year round. It was dim and damp, its plaster long since peeled away, leaving the walls uneven.
Just then, a groan suddenly broke the deathly silence.
Yan Gaoyuan looked up in astonishment as the pale girl lying on the bed actually gave a faint flutter of her eyelids.
"Uh, she isn't waking up, is she?"
Startled, Yan Gaoyuan froze for a moment.
Before he had done anything, the girl had woken up.
Did this mean that this girl was meant to be taken away by him?
At that thought, Yan Gaoyuan stepped forward and took a test tube he kept close to his body out of his military uniform.
It was a Spiritual Energy Potion reserved exclusively for Transcendents.
Through painstaking research, the elders at the Research Institute had managed to extract the spiritual energy from the air.
It could replenish a Transcendent's spiritual energy in a short time and also help awaken a person's talent.
However, this useful Spiritual Energy Potion was deadly poison to ordinary people.
Only because Yan Gaoyuan had accurately determined that the girl before him was awakening did he dare take out this Spiritual Energy Potion.
Meanwhile, deep in the Canyon, the branches of a tall willow swayed as thick fog roared like a primordial beast seeking someone to devour, displaying its full might.
"How is it going now?"
Yu Ziyu's voice carried a trace of gravity as he asked softly.
"Master, it worked."
With her eyes tightly shut, a woman in a white dress, around 1.67 meters tall, leaned against the willow's trunk, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
Then she added, "I've taken over her body. I'm just not quite used to it yet. It feels very stiff."
"That's all right."
After offering that reassurance, Yu Ziyu said with some satisfaction:
"Get used to her body for now. If nothing unexpected happens, this group of humans will spend the night in that little village. That should give you enough time to ask around."
"Mm-hmm."
Nodding slightly, the girl repeated the instructions Yu Ziyu had given her earlier:
"Three questions. First, why they came. Second, how they learned about this place. Third, the current situation..."
"That's right."
Yu Ziyu glanced at the girl in satisfaction and reminded her, "Remember, don't make your questions too deliberate. It's best to ask casually. I believe that shouldn't be difficult for you."
"Hehe..."
The girl smiled playfully but said little else.
Compared to before, now that she had reached the Fifth Rank, Fifth Level, her strength had not undergone a qualitative leap, but she had gained a little more spiritual awareness.
Presumably, absorbing her younger sister's soul had made up for her own deficiencies to some extent.
The night was deep. Several people sat around a fire pit in the village chief's house, while others chatted in scattered groups of two or three nearby.
The village chief's family and some villagers were preparing a late-night meal in the kitchen. Worn out from their journey, these soldiers who had come from afar had yet to eat a single mouthful of hot food.
Although the soldiers wanted to decline, they could not withstand the villagers' enthusiasm.
Besides, their officer seemed to have inadvertently awakened the village chief's youngest granddaughter.
The villagers were so grateful that they even brought out the cured meat they had been saving for the New Year.
By the fire sat a girl with her long black hair tied back and a very pretty, delicate face.
Her eyes were clear, pure without the slightest impurity... like two pools of autumn water.
Her name was He Ling'er, the village chief's second granddaughter.
She was also the girl who had remained asleep, never waking.
But just now, for some unknown reasons, she had awakened.
What astonished everyone, however, was that she seemed to have lost her memory and did not even recognize the village chief.
Still, that did not diminish the joy of the village chief and the others.
"All that matters is that you're awake. All that matters is that you're awake."
Wiping the corners of his eyes, the village chief gazed dotingly at his youngest granddaughter, who sat a short distance away.
She was his last remaining source of solace.
Her awakening was already a blessing from heaven.
As for her memory loss, that did not matter.
The village chief did not dare ask for anything more now.
Meanwhile, Yan Gaoyuan, sitting beside the fire, looked at the girl nearby, his gaze flickering incessantly.
Especially when he saw the little spark that occasionally flashed inadvertently in the depths of her eyes, Yan Gaoyuan let out a long breath.
This was a sign of an elemental talent awakening.
In other words, this young girl really had awakened a rare fire-element talent.
He did not know whether it came from the girl's own talent or that snake gallbladder.
But one thing was beyond doubt: Yan Gaoyuan had already taken an interest in this little girl. He was even prepared to recommend her to that place.
At that thought, Yan Gaoyuan looked at the village chief and spoke again:
"Village chief, have you given any thought to the matter I mentioned earlier?"
At Yan Gaoyuan's words, the pipe in the village chief's hand paused briefly. Then he sighed and said:
"Although I'd like to refuse, it might be better for Ling'er to go with you."
Hearing this, Yan Gaoyuan brightened and assured him excitedly:
"Village chief, don't worry. I already think of Ling'er as my younger sister. I'll make sure she stays safe."
Then Yan Gaoyuan added:
"Also, I promise I'll get the best doctor to cure little sister Ling'er's memory loss."
"Mm."
The village chief nodded, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.
He did not care about much else, but the commitment this young man had made mattered greatly to him.
He had to admit that this young man was truly outstanding.
He was polite, gracious, and conducted himself appropriately.
Even here in the depths of the mountains, he had shown no disdain.
That alone made this young man worthy of his trust.
Just then, a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Um, why did you come here?"
The girl sitting nearby suddenly asked, her eyes wide and innocent.
"What else could it be? Mutated beasts are running rampant, so we came here to investigate."
The stubble-faced regimental commander waved a hand casually and replied with a smile.
He was also quite fond of this girl named Ling'er.
Since the little girl had asked a question for once, he naturally answered readily.
"Oh..."
Drawing out the sound, the girl seemed lost in thought.
A moment later, as though something had occurred to her, she took the initiative to ask again:
"By mutated beasts, do you mean those monsters? Oh, right, how did you know there were mutated beasts here?"
"Well..."
The regimental commander opened his mouth, seemingly about to say something.
But a moment later, he glanced around and firmly shut his mouth again.
Although this was not classified information, it did not seem like something these villagers should know.
"Is it hard to talk about?"
The girl lowered her head slightly, her voice growing quieter.
"Uh..."
His expression froze, but before the regimental commander could say anything, Yan Gaoyuan shook his head helplessly. He cast a doting glance at the girl, whom she already regarded as a younger sister, and answered with a smile:
"There's nothing we can't tell you."
As he spoke, he pointed at the sky:
"The Spiritual Energy Monitoring Satellite detected unusual spiritual energy fluctuations here, so my superior sent us to take a look."
At this point, Yan Gaoyuan turned his gaze back to the village chief and reminded him:
"By the way, village chief, you should move out of the mountains as soon as possible too. The mountains are no longer suitable for people to live in."
Ahem, this is awkward. Why do readers keep saying I only post one or two updates a day?
Crimson posts at least four updates every day, sometimes even five.
It's just that Crimson writes and uploads them in the early hours...
┭┮﹏┭┮...
(Event period: June 12 to June 14)
Before you continue