Chapter 111: The Whereabouts of the Heavenly Woman Ba
Hearing Luo Ling’s reply, Yao Ji’s expression shifted slightly. She looked directly at Luo Ling and said, “Would you mind telling me… what kind of relationship?”
She hesitated slightly, then continued, “No matter how private, I wish to know, because… she was my younger sister.”
…….
Luo Ling didn’t say anything, but her eyes widened slightly, staring blankly at Yao Ji.
Yao Ji was… Jingwei’s older sister?
So that meant…
“Yes, to be precise, my title should be ‘Goddess of Mount Wu,’ using Yao Ji as an alias,” Yao Ji said. “Just like Nüwa, I am also the daughter of the Emperor ‘Yan.’… However, to be more accurate, we were adopted.”
Luo Ling raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed she had just heard something extraordinary.
“Miss Fairy, you seem to lack… common knowledge about this world.” Yao Ji, seeing the slight surprise on Luo Ling’s face, shook her head and continued, “Forget it, it’s not important. As long as you’re willing to tell me about Nüwa’s current situation, I’ll answer your questions to the best of my ability.”
Luo Ling pondered for a moment and said, “However, the current Nüwa… should be considered dead, right?”
“The Nüwa I knew indeed died in the ‘ghost god’ war,” Yao Ji said calmly. “She was defeated in the Battle of the East Sea, completely submerged in the encroaching nothingness. We ventured to search for her body, but found nothing.
I can confirm that the Nüwa of the past never knew you, let alone had any close relationship with you.”
“…It… wasn’t that close.”
Luo Ling’s mouth twitched. Why did it sound like she had some indescribable affair with Jingwei after Yao Ji said this?
If Miss Iris knew, she would be heartbroken.
However, hearing Luo Ling’s words, Yao Ji’s expression turned strange.
She carefully examined Luo Ling, then hesitantly asked, “Could it be that you are… the kind of… scumbag that ‘Young Girl’ often talks about?”
“No!” Luo Ling immediately retorted. “That’s slander!”
“But you carry Nüwa’s aura. If nothing happened, I find it hard to believe…”
As Yao Ji spoke, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face, showing that this older sister’s mind was quite open, even Luo Ling felt slightly embarrassed.
“Stop, stop, Sister Yao Ji, don’t overthink it. I’ll just tell you directly.”
Luo Ling quickly waved her hands, stopping Yao Ji’s thoughts from running wild. Any more imagination, and she would get goosebumps.
“Tell me.” Yao Ji composed herself, her expression turning serious. “I’m also curious, what happened to Nüwa after her death.”
Luo Ling pondered for a moment and asked, “First, have you heard of the ‘Jingwei bird’?”
Yao Ji shook her head.
“Haven’t you heard the story of ‘Jingwei Reclaiming the Sea’ either?” Luo Ling asked again.
Yao Ji shook her head again.
It seemed that in this place called “Legend,” these stories from the “Present” weren’t circulated.
“Okay,” Luo Ling said, “After she died, she turned into a bird, constantly carrying twigs and pebbles, dropping them into the East Sea that buried her, attempting to fill it… Sister Yao Ji, don’t look at me like that, I’m telling the truth.”
“…Unbelievable, pure fantasy.”
Yao Ji dismissed her “are you kidding me” expression and shook her head.
“That’s the version circulated in the world,” Luo Ling thought for a moment and continued, “The truth should be… after Nüwa’s death, her obsession manifested as a strange bird called ‘Jingwei,’ constantly using the Transcendence protection of a certain territory, dropping it into the sea of nothingness, trying to resist its erosion.”
“………”
Yao Ji was silent for a moment, then said, “That does sound, like something that silly girl would do.”
She took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, “Let me tell you the story of the Nüwa I knew. But before that, we need to clarify something first. The relationship between me, ‘Young Girl,’ ‘Chi Di Nü,’ and Nüwa.”
“Young Girl,” “Chi Di Nü,” “Yao Ji,” and “Nüwa” were four half-sisters, all adopted daughters of the Emperor “Yan.”
The reason they were adopted by “Yan” was because they all possessed a special trait: the ability to sense the heavens.
Hearing this, Luo Ling vaguely understood that the “heavens” here, if nothing unexpected happened, should be her Mom Transcendence.
And these four were all God’s Favored noticed by Mom Transcendence.
After “Yan” adopted them, he carefully nurtured them, hoping they could fight against the ghost gods that constantly eroded the prehistoric land.
Regarding these ghost gods, as the saying went, “Wherever they go, nothing remains, living beings suffer, and terror spreads.” Needless to say, it was undoubtedly Doomsday.
Currently, the eldest sister, “Young Girl,” was missing, the second, “Chi Di Nü,” was currently on the front lines, the third, “Yao Ji,” had temporarily lost her abilities and retreated to the rear for recuperation, and the fourth, “Nüwa,” died in the Battle of the East Sea.
As for the other daughters of “Yan,” the eldest didn’t have a name, perhaps like Chi Nü, or for other reasons, she always called herself “Young Girl.” If there was a need to specifically refer to her, she would be called “Nameless Young Girl.”
The second completely inherited “Yan’s” legacy, taking over command of the allied forces. At the same time, she had almost completely assimilated with the heavens, gradually losing her human emotions, only a trace of will remaining.
Luo Ling wasn’t unfamiliar with this situation. It was what Philosopher faced during his final ascension ritual.
Replacing a Sequence’s position, yet being assimilated by its will, becoming a part of the Sequence.
Yao Ji only briefly mentioned her own situation, saying that she couldn’t currently use her wind and rain spells, then continued with Nüwa’s story.
Nüwa wasn’t a military commander. She was in charge of logistics and supplies on Mount Haku, or more accurately, a farmer.
And she almost never interacted with others. Only Yao Ji, the Goddess of Mount Wu, was relatively familiar with Nüwa.
In this aspect, Iris truly inherited Nüwa’s characteristics…
A shut-in farming maniac.
During the past Battle of the East Sea, the ghost gods spread, completely destroying the beautiful landscape of Mount Haku that Nüwa had painstakingly cultivated.
Nüwa was heartbroken and, after briefly informing Yao Ji, went to the East Sea alone, attempting to save her Mount Haku.
Unfortunately, facing the overwhelming ghost gods, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. She died tragically, her life lamp extinguished, the only one among the four Yan Emperor sisters with a confirmed death.
After receiving the news, Yao Ji immediately rushed to Mount Haku, trying to stop Nüwa, but she was too late.
For many years, Yao Ji blamed herself. If she had arrived sooner, perhaps she could have saved her little sister.
However, even so, Yao Ji knew that Nüwa was dead, her life lamp extinguished, with no chance of revival.
Therefore, when she sensed Nüwa’s aura on Luo Ling, Yao Ji’s first reaction wasn’t joy, but vigilance.
She couldn’t imagine what Nüwa had become after death.
In the ghost god war, there were countless examples of beings whose personalities changed drastically after being tainted by ghost gods, and Yao Ji couldn’t bear to see her little sister become like that.
Only after hearing Luo Ling’s answer did she finally relax.
However, regarding the Jingwei bird Luo Ling mentioned…
“I think I… understand,” Yao Ji smiled wryly. “Although I hope my little sister is still alive, but… Jingwei is Jingwei, and Nüwa is Nüwa. She isn’t my little sister.”
Luo Ling understood Yao Ji’s meaning. Just like Auspicious Location and Delusion, they were different beings.
Delusion was born from an obsession attached to Auspicious Location, and Jingwei was born from Nüwa’s resentment towards the sea of nothingness. Although their personalities were different, their essence was the same.
However…
“It’s still a form of continuation, isn’t it?” Luo Ling said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, Yao Ji was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“Indeed.”
A look of relief appeared on her face.
“However, there’s one more thing.” Luo Ling hesitated slightly and said, “Regarding Nüwa’s… remains…”
“Hmm?”
Yao Ji immediately became agitated. Before Luo Ling could finish, she interrupted, “You found them? Oh, no, you must have found them, otherwise, why would you carry such a strong aura of Nüwa? Wait, could it be that you…”
“Sister Yao Ji!”
Luo Ling said through gritted teeth, one word at a time.
“Please… stop… overthinking!”
“So-sorry…”
Being scolded by Luo Ling, Yao Ji shrank her head, slightly embarrassed.
Luo Ling had a headache dealing with this older sister, whose imagination ran wild. She rubbed her forehead and said, “A new consciousness was born from her remains and took over her body. Her name is ‘Iris.’ Actually, Miss Iris and I are the ones who are friends.”
“I see,” Yao Ji patted her chest, relieved, but still couldn’t help but say, “But Little Sister is… quite fertile, isn’t she?”
“She didn’t give birth. It’s the obsession from her remains and the newly born consciousness…”
Luo Ling corrected seriously, then paused slightly and continued, “Perhaps… this happened because of her actions before her death…”
Nüwa’s act of self-sacrifice carried the will of Transcendence. Perhaps because of this, she received more favor from the Transcendence path, just like the Alyssa sisters.
Moreover, Nüwa’s qualification as a God’s Favored truly came from Transcendence, not from the then half-baked Luo Ling.
“I see…”
Yao Ji sighed, as if recalling something, then chuckled self-deprecatingly.
She composed herself and said seriously to Luo Ling, “Miss Fairy, thank you for telling me about Nüwa. Do you have any questions?”
Yao Ji didn’t ask Luo Ling about Nüwa’s spiritual successor, nor about Jingwei and Iris’s current whereabouts, because she knew she wouldn’t get an answer.
Just like this girl who called herself Fairy, coming from an unseen world.
This wasn’t strange. There had been many rumors about another world, calling it the “Underworld” or “Heaven.”
Regarding her little sister Nüwa, Yao Ji just wanted to know the truth, to understand her current situation.
Moreover…
The situation, according to Miss Fairy, seemed quite good.
Luo Ling pondered for a moment and asked Yao Ji all her accumulated questions.
Including the water shortage, the ghost god war, and the “Ten Suns in the Sky” disaster.
“Water shortage… this is indeed… a difficult problem.”
A hesitant look appeared on Yao Ji’s face, then she said, “In short, the water around here, including rainwater, is contaminated. The specific reason is a secret I can’t tell you for now. You’ll know when the time is right.”
Understood, the familiar riddle-master style again.
However, this riddle probably involved some of Yao Ji’s secrets, and Luo Ling had an agreement with her, not to pry into each other’s private matters.
“Unfortunately, I can’t use water spells for now either. This water was brought from elsewhere. Most of it is for the injured veterans in the camp, I only kept a small portion for daily use,” Yao Ji said.
Luo Ling, looking at the clean Yao Ji, then recalling the dust-covered Chi Nü, asked, “Sister Yao Ji, how often do you… bathe?”
“Why are you asking this?”
Yao Ji instinctively hugged herself and asked warily.
Luo Ling knew that this older sister’s imagination never stopped.
“I mean,” Luo Ling said helplessly, “Chi Nü…”
“Oh, I understand.” Yao Ji relaxed and continued, “About once a month. Usually, I just use some minor cleansing spells, a variation of my wind and rain spells. I can’t use large-scale spells for now, but these are still fine.
As for Chi Nü… she can’t learn my spells, so she can only wait a bit longer.”
“Life hacks?” Luo Ling blurted out.
Yao Ji looked puzzled. “What’s that?”
“Nothing…”
Luo Ling coughed lightly. She hadn’t expected that there were others who, like her, developed their abilities for everyday convenience.
Most ability users focused on how to kill enemies more effectively, including her sister with Puppet Ballad.
Only Luo Ling always researched some unorthodox uses, often with surprising results.
“Regarding the ghost god war…”
Yao Ji’s expression turned serious.
“These so-called ‘ghost gods,’ I don’t know what you call them, but you should have seen them. With our mortal power, we can’t resist their might. But… we can’t just do nothing when disaster arrives.
Our Emperor Alliance was established for this purpose.”
The Emperor Alliance, formed by the two Emperors, “Yan” and “Huang,” and their followers, continued to exist even after their deaths.
“Wait, the Emperors… are already dead?”
Luo Ling asked quickly, curious about the current timeline.
“You…”
Yao Ji opened her mouth, not knowing how to respond to Luo Ling, and could only continue, “They’ve been dead for a long time… I’m curious, where exactly are you from?”
“Let’s… continue with the ghost god war,” Luo Ling said vaguely.
“Fine.”
Yao Ji nodded and continued.
The first large-scale ghost god war in ancient times was the famous Battle of Zhuolu, where the Emperor Alliance completely defeated Chi You, the War God tainted by ghost gods.
The battle was incredibly brutal. Chi You’s forces, all powerful minions of ghost gods, unleashed powerful spells that almost reshaped heaven and earth.
The Emperor Alliance was almost defeated, but at the critical moment, the Heavenly Woman Ba intervened, suppressing Chi You’s forces…
“Wait, the Heavenly Woman Ba?”
Luo Ling blinked, a name she was all too familiar with.
“Where is the Heavenly Woman Ba now?”
“?”
Yao Ji had a “what nonsense are you talking about” expression, then after a while, she said, “She died even earlier than the two Emperors, and she was already tainted by ghost gods before her death. This is common knowledge… Forget it, you don’t even know about the two Emperors. Also, don’t interrupt my story, we’re just getting to the exciting part!”
“Uh, please continue.”
Luo Ling obediently sat back down.
The Heavenly Woman Ba of this time period was already dead, so… she came a bit too late?
Yao Ji continued her story. After the Heavenly Woman Ba intervened, the Emperor Alliance seized the opportunity to attack.
Then, Luo Ling finally understood why Yao Ji called it the most exciting part.
Next, the three Emperor’s daughters joined the battle, fighting against Chi You alongside the two Emperors. Yao Ji emphasized her own contributions, but no matter how Luo Ling listened, it seemed she was just an assistant…
Anyway, after the final battle, Chi You, the War God, was completely sealed, but the two Emperors showed signs of being tainted by ghost gods.
Before their final moments, the two Emperors chose their successors, arranged the Emperor Alliance, and set up defenses against the ghost god taint. After completing all this, they both entered the tainted lands.
In the following years, their life lamps gradually dimmed, until they completely vanished.
Luo Ling remembered hearing about the Emperor leading his forces in Great Xia Imperial City. It seemed that after entering the tainted lands, the two Emperors didn’t die immediately, but came to the present world.
“The connection between ‘Legend’ and ‘Present’?”
Luo Ling tapped the table thoughtfully. Jingwei also seemed to have come to the present world this way.
But what exactly was the connection…
Before Luo Ling and Yao Ji could finish their conversation, the tent flap opened, and a dirty little head peeked in.
“Big Sister Fairy, Sister Yao Ji, dinner’s ready, are you coming?”
