Garden of Shadows

by Tinalynge

  “Then you did a good deed,” he continued. “Also, she smells like the most delicious meal. Do you think I can eat her soul?”

  “No.” Xue Wei answered immediately, and it was clear from the sternness in his words that there was no place for negotiation.

  Sensing this, Bai Tianyi just shrugged his shoulders. It was just a question; after all, he had not harbored much hope of success.

  “Big Brother, who is that brat?” the girl asked as she looked at Bai Tianyi with a condescending gaze.

  “Brat?!” Bai Tianyi was insulted and instantly lost all composure. “You call me brat once more; and I’ll beat you so badly that not even your mother will recognize you!”

  “Brat, you can’t beat me,” the girl giggled as she continued to taunt Bai Tianyi. Her timid image of a shy, apprehensive young girl was completely forgotten; instead, she was mischievous and cocky, and it was definitely enough to infuriate anyone who listened to her venomous tongue.

  “Kids should behave,” Lin Xiao finally said to the two of them as he strode into the front yard of the courtyard, knowing full well that neither of them were truly kids.

  “Both of you are going to be family from now on, you will both be friendly and should not argue,” he continued with a smile as he tried to placate the two old monsters who appeared to be children.

  Xue Wei felt a headache coming his way. The two oldest in the entire group were Bai Tianyi and this small girl. Both of them were monsters who had lived for thousands of years, but at the same time, they were also the most childish amongst them—and not just in appearance, it seemed. Seeing them behaving even more immaturely than the relative babies they were, at a tiny fraction of their age, caused Xue Wei to feel rather amused.

  “Enough,” he said with the hint of a smile on his face, “it is time for us to get some rest. We have to find some more information tomorrow,” he said and headed into the courtyard.

  He made Mo Er prepare a room for the girl, and after settling her inside, Xue Wei returned to his own room to contemplate the new development that had occurred this night.

  He had a nagging feeling that things were about to get serious, and that something big had happened, now that they had taken the girl out of the forbidden area, but as to what exactly would happen, he would have to wait and see.

  The girl was clearly a very old entity, so she could not be a normal cultivator. She had somehow reverted to a child, and it was likely that she had sustained serious injuries, which had caused her body to revert into a child’s shape and her mind into the consciousness of a child.

  This reminded him of Bai Tianyi. “He has a body created from spiritual energy and soul power.” Xue Wei mused to himself, “when he gains too much injury, he will slowly become younger and younger. The younger the body, the less energy is needed to sustain it. As a result, he now looks like a kid.

  “Could it be that this girl is the same? A body made from spiritual energy and soul power? A body that was slowly becoming much more childlike as it gets wounded?

  “If she was really a five-year-old child, then she would not have been able to live for thousands of years. Neither would she have been able to sustain herself within the forbidden area without food and water for so long.

  “So what I need to figure out is why and how she got injured I guess.” Xue Wei was contemplating what to do, and what leads he had.

  The sky was slowly brightening while he was busy contemplating, but suddenly he heard a lot of noise from the outside. It was clear that something major had happened at the academy, loud bells were ringing, telling all students to gather at the central square of the academy.

  Xue Wei was not dumb. Last night he had taken the small girl with him from the forbidden area, and now bells were calling all to gather. It was obvious that something had happened because of it.

  Had they noticed that she had gone away, or had their interference caused something to happen at another part of the academy when they removed her from the forbidden area?

  There was no way to know without going to the square, but Xue Wei was unsure if he should bring the girl with him.

  After taking a moment to think it through, he decided to bring her. No one had visited her for so many years in the forbidden area, so knowing what she looked like should be impossible.

  It was not only Xue Wei who had heard the ringing of the bells; everyone within the courtyard had washed their faces and freshened up before they exited their rooms and gathered in the front yard.

  Some of them looked rather nervous, but Xue Wei was as carefree and casual as always, his entire being radiating a calm and collected aura that made the others calm down instantly as well.

  “Let us go join the fun,” Xue Wei said with a snicker, his words catching them all by surprise.

  “All of us?” Hei Gou could not help but ask as he looked at the young girl they had picked up last night. The moment she had stepped out of the house and saw Xue Wei, she had run to his side and held his hand intimately like a scared child would with their family.

  “Of course,” Xue Wei smiled as he reached down and picked her up. This child was so adorable that he really felt as if he was doting on a smaller sibling.

  “No one has seen her for so many years, do you really think she will be recognized?” Xue Wei asked curiously, and after hearing the question, the others felt much more at ease.

  It was correct, no one knew exactly what she looked like and had probably even forgotten anyone was living there at all, so they should be safe. As such, they headed towards the academy’s central square to find out what the commotion was.

  Xue Wei was walking at the front with the small girl on his arm. “I am so happy that I have a family now,” the girl said with a great smile on her face, she looked adorable with two small dimples as she laughed, and Xue Wei could not help but ruffle her hair in a doting manner. It was a good feeling to look after this cute little child.

  “Give me a name,” she suddenly requested as she looked at Xue Wei with her big eyes glistening with anticipation. “I forgot my name so long ago, I want a new one now,” she demanded.

  Chapter 24 - Xue Luoluo

  “A name, huh?” Xue Wei contemplated for some time while rubbing the child’s head. He felt tender affection towards this kid as if he was looking at his own younger self, someone who was being looked down upon and isolated from the crowd. Had it not been for Shen Mu and Xiao Lei, then he too would have been all alone.

  The small girl looked at Xue Wei with a great expectation in her eyes. It was clear that she really wanted a name, and Xue Wei could not help but smile in agreement.

  “Then we will give you a name.” Xue Wei could not help but feel his heart soften, and he did not want to disappoint her. Unfortunately, he was rather bad at coming up with names.

  “How about ‘Xiaoxiao?’ She is so tiny after all,” Lin Xiao said, his eyes looking at the child with curiosity, but when she heard the name, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

  “I think we should name her ‘The Other Brat’,” Hei Gou said while looking at Bai Tianyi, indicating that the first brat was indeed him.

  Fortunately, Bai Tianyi had not noticed the glance, and instead, he stared at the child, deep in thought.

  “I want Big Brother to give me a name!” The girl exclaimed after a bit of time, not patient enough to listen to more suggestions.

  “Then what about Luoluo?” Xue Wei asked gently. “You can have my last name. I am your big brother after all,” he continued, and smiled at the child who then nodded her head adorably. She was pleased with the name that her big brother had specially chosen for her.

  Xue Wei looked at the kid and put her down on the ground before he took her hand into his and led her back into their house, having ultimately decided against going to the central square where the rest of the academy was meeting.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her gently. The girl nodded her head at first before she then changed her mind and shook it. “I am
not hungry as such,” she explained, “but I have not eaten anything in many many many years. I want to eat something delicious!”

  Xue Wei could not help but chuckle when seeing this ancient-turned-child show off her childish side, and he quickly ordered Mo Er to go fetch some food at the restaurant for them.

  It was already early morning, and the sun was starting to rise in the sky. Usually, those who went to the restaurant at this time would be ordering breakfast, but Mo Er was told to order a wide range of dishes that he then brought back with him.

  Points had previously been an issue for them, however after working with the Gu and Yuan families, points were no longer a rarity for them, and thus they could easily exchange their points for some amazing food to feed their new comrade.

  Mo Er rushed back to the courtyard, where he found that the small girl had taken a bath and changed her clothes. She now looked like a small doll; her features were adorable, with a set of dimples on her cheeks and her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Her hair had been messy and dirty before, but now it was black and smooth like silk, her eyes reminded him of a doe, so adorable but also filled with life.

  She was clothed in a small red dress that made her seem as if she was a noble-born daughter and someone who was favoured by the gods. The dress had been provided by Lin Xiao. The guy had everything hidden in his storage treasure, including children’s clothes, women’s clothes, masks that allowed one to become female and so on. Anything for escaping and masking oneself seemed to be hidden within his storage ring.

  The soul was ancient, but her mind and body were still only that of a five-year-old child. She was so proud when she walked out of the bathroom, having bathed herself and dressed, and when she saw the satisfied expression on Xue Wei’s face, she became even more proud.

  This was the feeling of having a family. There were no impure or uncomfortable thoughts; this was the purest kind of family love she could remember, a kind of love that Luoluo had lacked for a crushingly large number of years. Now that she finally had it, she delighted in greedily absorbing all the care that Xue Wei was pouring on her and making the most of it.

  “Let us go and eat,” Xue Wei said, but Luoluo was not willing to walk. She stood in front of Xue Wei and spread her arms out to him, gesturing for him to pick her up.

  Powerless against her adorable but needy behavior, Xue Wei chuckled and bent over, picked her up, and carried her to the dining room where the others were waiting for them.

  When Mo Er arrived with the dishes, everyone was eagerly waiting for him. He had purchased so much food that there was no way that they could ever finish it, but no one told him off for it; instead, they praised him.

  After not eating for so many years, they all wanted to spoil Luoluo by allowing her to eat exactly what she fancied. Having bought such a huge variety of different dishes, it truly allowed her to savor whatever she pleased.

  Her big eyes widened even further when she saw the food. She flared her nostrils when she caught the intoxicating scent, so she could smell more of the delicious food, and her mouth gaped slightly, drool starting to form at the corner of her lips, threatening to fall.

  Her eyes were focused on the wide array of dishes, from spring rolls filled with fresh and colorful local herbs to a huge bowl of magnificently bronzed sweet-and-sour Scorch Boar, and even some valuable Spirit Fruits as they had the points to indulge now; it was a truly overwhelming sight that caused her eyes to cloud with a mixture of emotions. In one way, she wished to devour it all until her stomach threatened to explode, but at the same time, she was worried and scared. What if this kindness and warmth she was feeling now suddenly vanished? What was she going to do then?

  Xue Wei seemed to sense what was going on in her mind so looked towards her with a gentle expression on his face, and disarmingly told the worried kid, “We are family,” opening his arms out and gesturing towards his trusted companions as well. “We will not abandon you even if we have to do something dangerous. But you have to listen to Big Brother when Big Brother says things,” Xue Wei continued, before placing a fragrant plate of fat Wontons between them. She quickly nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice and swiped the first Wonton off the plate, greedily sinking her teeth into it and having the subtle yet calming flavor of the Ice Lotus Shrimp filling flood her hungry mouth with serenity and happiness.

  Having her fears calmed, Luoluo did not waste any more time as she dug into the next of many dishes; the Mapo Tofu, unluckily, being the closest within devouring range but making her yelp in surprise at the sudden spiciness that invaded her mouth. The others also merrily began to dig into the feast too, enjoying the local flavors and their spiritual-energy-enhancing capabilities, as well as giggling whenever Luoluo made comments about how delicious or strange something she tried was.

  Before long, Xue Luoluo has sampled everything and devoured plenty, taking particular delight in the most delicious dishes such as the Riluo roasted duck and the chow mein, while the others enjoyed the more power-imbuing foods such as the Spiritual Fruits more. It wasn’t long before every scrap of the food on every plate had been devoured, despite them initially thinking it was too much. All of it was now digesting in their bloated stomachs, and even small Luoluo was rubbing her stomach contentedly, delighted about trying so much delicious food after so long.

  As they finished eating, Xue Wei was planning on returning to his room to cultivate and rest to help process all the new energy, when Yuan Bailong appeared at the door.

  His face was slightly pale, and his eyes shone with panicked disbelief. Seeing him like this, Xue Wei frowned and instantly invited him inside.

  “What has happened that has caused you to become so shocked?” Xue Wei asked tentatively, starting to worry whether or not he should have gone to the square after all.

  “There has been a disaster last night.” Yuan Bailong went straight to the problem. “Just before sunrise, the entire academy’s abundant soul power suddenly vanished. Not to mention that the Soul Tower has been without any soul power since. It does not matter how far you head up into the tower. There is no energy at all.”

  “No soul power?” Xue Wei frowned. Last night, he had been busy with saving Luoluo, but it seemed that something else had also happened to the academy, something big. Was this a coincidence or did it have something to do with each other?

  Xue Wei looked at Luoluo who was happily sitting on her chair and caressing her bloated stomach with happiness, a feeling of contentedness that they had never seen before all over her face.

  Xue Wei looked at Yuan Bailong, contemplating his next move. “Luoluo I am going out, do you want to come with me?” he called behind him, and the small girl rushed towards him with a happy face and spread her arms, gesturing for him to pick her up.

  Xue Wei chuckled and bent down to carry her. When she settled on his arm, she looked around with shining eyes, her sudden appearance stunning Yuan Bailong. He had not seen this child around them before, where had it come from?

  “This is my little sister, Xue Luoluo,” Xue Wei introduced, not worrying about any confusion it might bring. “She has been with us for some time but has been hidden; now there is no reason for her to hide anymore.”

  Yuan Bailong was surprised, but he still nodded his head in confusion and then started moving towards the Soul Tower. Although this sudden appearance of a small girl had taken him by surprise, the truth was that there were much more important issues at hand.

  Bai Tianyi, Lin Xiao, and Hei Gou were also surprised to find out that the Soul Tower had suddenly lost all power, though they were not inclined to accompany the trio.

  It was clear that there was something behind this—something major, but no one knew what exactly it could be. Surely all this couldn’t be because of a small child?

  “Has anything like this happened before?” Xue Wei tried asking Yuan Bailong as they walked, but the other man just shook his head.

  “If the Soul Tower was unable to work, then it woul
d be an issue all would know about,” he said dejectedly. “The Soul Tower is very important to the entire Yan Dalu. The entire continent is specialized in spiritual energy, and our rapid advancement is definitely because of the support from the Garden of Shadows and the Soul Tower.

  “If the Soul Tower has suddenly stopped working, then it is clear that the entire continent will be slowed down when it comes to the speed of cultivation. This will be a tremendous danger for the entire continent, and we might even be invaded by other continents if we are not careful enough.”

  Yuan Bailong was truly worried, but Xue Wei just looked around curiously. He had trained hard from beginning to end; although he understood the benefits of the Soul Tower, he also looked at it as a hindrance to the multi-eyed experts if Yuan Bailong’s words were true.

  They were so dependant on the tower to enhance their strength that they were not aware of how much they could achieve with their own hard work. They were so used to gaining so much every time they cultivated that they had neglected to work on their cultivation skills.

  In fact, Xue Wei could not help but feel that it was indeed important for them to learn how to rely on themselves. “You should be happy,” Xue Wei suddenly said with a shrug, causing Yuan Bailong to halt in surprise.

  “Happy?!” he asked, his face full of confusion.

  Without stopping to confront him, Xue Wei responded, “If the Soul Tower does not work, that means that every person has to rely on themselves in the future. Since they have to rely on themselves, it also means that Qi cultivation is as viable as spiritual energy, but this is a path only open to you and the Gu family.”

  Even thinking about it, Yuan Bailong was still dumbfounded. He had never thought about it like this, but he couldn’t help but be moved when he considered it. If their speed of spiritual energy cultivation had truly slowed down, wouldn’t that mean they were at a great advantage, compared to the rest of the cultivators now?

  With this newfound idea, the horrible feeling of dread about not knowing what was happening slowly subsided, and Yuan Bailong continued onwards. However, he no longer ran to the Soul Tower; instead, he walked casually, a faint smile growing on his lips. He was not the one with the most to lose.