“Your… magic…?”
In his memory, Anuo had never mentioned anything about using magic.
Upon hearing this, Anuo glanced at the blood-eyed man beside him.
“First of all, you must be the Hero newly summoned by the kingdom! That tall one is my newly formed partner, named Xu.”
‘So they knew each other…’
“And then, I am Anuo. But why do you look as if you know me so well? Are you a hunter here to catch a wanted criminal?”
Hearing this, Yao Xing quickly shook her head.
“By the way, Anuo, I’ve actually been looking for you!”
Anuo scratched his head and looked at Xu in confusion, but Xu was also completely unaware of the details.
“Huh?”
“If I want to escape from Lin Qi, is there any other way besides going through the main gate?”
Anuo was silent for a moment before continuing, “My sister was also a Hero in the past, but she was banished by this King of Lin Qi to the Demon King’s Army and brutally murdered…”
“And I happened to meet the tall one. He also hates the King of Lin Qi, so we cooperated, determined to overthrow his throne.”
“Therefore, if you want me to rescue you from this absurd place, I am very willing.”
‘This time, Anuo actually accepted the news of his sister’s death so simply and straightforwardly?’
‘And he even has such ambition… but there’s nothing wrong with that. This King of Lin Qi deserves to be overthrown!’
“Thank you. I agree to support your decision. I too have suffered the torment of this King of Lin Qi for a long time!”
Anuo nodded in understanding, then said with a hint of resentment, “Exactly, exactly! Summoning you from your beautiful original world, only to imprison you—this King of Lin Qi truly does nothing human!”
As if they had finally met a kindred spirit, the atmosphere instantly became lively.
Without revealing any information about the reincarnation, Yao Xing could still freely vent her grievances against the King of Lin Qi.
The two complained for a long time before finally getting back to the main topic.
“By the way, you mentioned your magic. What is it?”
After hearing this, Anuo extended his hand, and where his fingertip pointed, a hole actually opened up.
“That is my magic. I used to think it was just a convenient ability for making holes.”
“Until recently, I discovered that the earthen holes I create, with a little deliberate change, can have the ability to traverse a certain distance through space.”
‘A door to anywhere?’
“I see… How does one learn magic? Through spellbooks?”
As this question fell, Xu, who had been silent all along, couldn’t help but look at Yao Xing with a puzzled expression.
Anuo explained, “Magic is something we are born with. However, the proportion of magic holders among the population is ridiculously low.”
‘Born with it?’
“Doesn’t that mean each magic holder can only use one type of magic?”
“For humans, that is indeed the case.”
Yao Xing scratched her head.
“Then I can’t learn magic?”
“Right. But as a Hero, your body already has physical abilities far exceeding ordinary people, and you also possess a law ability called ‘乄.’ You actually don’t need to rely on magic.”
Hearing this, Yao Xing gave an awkward smile.
Her ‘乄’ was nothing but that [Favorability System].
If the rewind ability was also ‘乄,’ then she happened to have two…
However…
‘Besides the rewind, what is the actual use of that Favorability System for my ‘乄’?’
Yao Xing stopped dwelling on it and just gave a wry smile, then turned curiously to look at the silent Xu.
“Then what is Xu’s magic?”
Xu replied flatly, “I don’t have magic.”
Anuo added for Xu, “Do you know about Dragon Blood? It’s a very venomous blood. Once infused into a human body, it causes mutations.”
“Actually, when Xu was a child, the King of Lin Qi forcefully injected Dragon Blood into him under the pretext of an experiment, driving him insane… In the end…”
Xu spoke himself, “In the end, I lost control and devoured my own father…”
‘!!!’
Hearing Xu say these words with a sorrowful expression but without changing his expression, it was clear how much he must loathe himself and hate the King of Lin Qi.
‘The King of Lin Qi… truly a demon…’
‘But thanks to talking with them, I have some clues to break the deadlock.’
‘First, if possible, I hope to save Huan and at the same time overthrow the throne of the King of Lin Qi.’
‘Not for personal vengeance, but to give people like Xu, who should have been happy, a sense of closure.’
….
Inside the palace.
The eldest princess, Xing Cai Huan, was currently sitting on the bed inside her room.
Ever since she heard the news of the Hero’s disappearance, she had been somewhat gloomy and had been continuously thinking behind closed doors.
Yao Xing’s resolute words, “Two days is too long,” kept circling in her mind, making her dizzy and unable to focus on anything else.
“Should I agree…”
“What the Hero said is also true. Staying would only mean being injected with Dragon Blood and becoming a heir without humanity or memory…”
“But if I don’t take it, then Lin Qi will…”
Knock knock knock…
A series of knocking sounds came from the door.
The second princess, Xing Cai Yue, opened the door and entered.
“Sister, are you still troubled? Since you have to consider it, why not just refuse outright?”
“Refuse…”
Huan held her head, tightly pressing her lips together.
“If I refuse… if I refuse… if…”
“Sister, isn’t your answer quite obvious?”
This sudden blunt conclusion struck Huan’s thoughts.
“Huh?”
“That’s right, sister.”
“You are reluctant to refuse, and still thinking about the consequences of refusal. That means you are actually afraid of refusing.”
A single phrase woke the dreamer.
Huan thoughtfully lowered her head again.
“Then should I agree? But if I agree, will Lin Qi be unable to withstand the Demon King’s Army’s attack… Will the people be harmed because of my selfishness… The people—”
Slap…
Yue heavily slapped both hands onto Huan’s hands.
“Sister, not to mention it, the kingdom is your father’s, not yours. You owe them nothing at all. Why bother?”
Huan felt the pain in her hands.
“You don’t understand… Life cannot be measured by interests…”
“Then what about your life?”
With those words, Huan was dazed for a while.
Seeing this, Yue continued, “Sister, although I was injected with Dragon Blood since childhood, which makes my understanding not as good as yours…”
“But comparing others’ lives with your own life—since both sides end up with the Demon King’s Army invasion anyway, why not choose to save yourself?”
In the bedchamber of the palace, the smoke curling from the incense burner crawled slowly across the marble floor, like icy venomous snakes.
Huan stared blankly at Yue’s face, which carried a hint of fierceness.
The waves of pain from her hands reminded her that this was not a dream.
“Save… myself?”
Huan murmured softly, a hint of desolation in her eyes.
“That’s right.”
Yue increased the pressure in her hands, staring straight into her sister’s blue eyes that were always filled with melancholy.
“Sister, that worthless Hero may look frail, but she said one thing very rightly—Father is a madman. If we delay making a decision any longer, not only will you die, but I and the Hero will also perish!”
A flash of deep red light passed through Yue’s eyes—a sign of the Dragon Blood stirring inside her.
“Sister, the so-called ‘protecting the people’ requires you to be a person with your own will first.”
“If you accept the Dragon Blood and become that kind of heir puppet who only obeys Father’s orders, without memory or emotion, then how will you protect Lin Qi?”
Huan’s breathing became rapid.
Yao Xing’s helpless expression like shattered porcelain on the bell tower intertwined with Yue’s almost roaring question at this moment.
Memory: “I don’t want you to be tainted by even a drop of Dragon Blood!”
Memory: “Rather than the fleeting brilliance of dying to prove your resolve, I would rather you be like a Hero, continuously illuminating the light for others.”
Those voices seemed to have planted seeds in her mind, and now they were wildly sprouting.
“But… Yue’er, once we leave, Father will surely pour all his anger on you. If you don’t come with me…”
“Ha! Why wouldn’t you take me… that’s why I said we should go together!”
Yue let go, rolled her eyes speechlessly, and spun the iron fan around her fingertips.
“Sister, don’t let your thoughts mess up your rhythm. You are wise! Instead, let’s take advantage of tonight before we’re discovered and go find that escaped Hero.”
“How to find her?”
“Since she can disappear without a trace under layers of surveillance, it means she definitely has support outside.”
Huan looked toward the window, at the bell tower standing silent under the moonlight.
She stood up and walked to the dressing table, looking at the noble but lifeless eldest princess in the mirror.
She reached up and removed the jeweled crown symbolizing her status, letting her hair cascade like a waterfall over her shoulders.
“You’re right, Yue’er. If I don’t become myself again, no matter how many people I save, it’s meaningless.”
Just then, hurried footsteps of iron boots came from outside the bedchamber.
“Your Highness, the Eldest Princess! His Majesty has decreed that you are to immediately proceed to the underground palace. The King wishes to discuss important matters.”
The two sisters exchanged a glance.
The King of Lin Qi’s actions were faster than they had anticipated.
“Damn it, that old man has already lost patience.”
Yue cursed under her breath, and the iron fan instantly shot out its blades.
She shielded Huan.
“Sister, charge out with me, or…”
“No.”
Huan, on the contrary, was calm now.
She retrieved a long-hidden short dagger from the drawer and tucked it into her belt.
“Don’t alert the enemy.”
“Alright, I’ll go with you too, sister.”