Chapter 38: Thirty-eight Spirits, does your brother have someone he likes?

Not long after Ning started living with Ranfu, she discovered a defining trait about him: he never made promises lightly, but once he did, he would put his all into fulfilling them.

His promises carried weight.

Because he was cautious, they were precious.

He wouldn’t soften and make promises to orphans that he couldn’t keep, nor would he casually promise things under uncertain circumstances.

He never gave people false hope.

He was truly a man of principles, unlike some who liked to flatter little girls with empty lies.

Ning Li knew she was being a little greedy.

Ranfu had already promised to protect her, but she felt it wasn’t enough — far from enough.

She wanted more promises, enough promises stacked up to give her a genuine sense of security.

She was his sister.

Whether or not he was like her, as long as he accepted his new identity, she naturally had the advantage of blood ties.

“Brother, from now on, let’s watch the sunset together in District 73, then go see the aurora in District 132, watch the stars in District 199, and finally spend a spring filled with falling flowers in District 251.”

She repeated every place he had mentioned earlier.

Just hearing his descriptions sparked an urge in her to visit those districts.

Ranfu still didn’t speak.

Ning Li didn’t mind; she just rested on his back and mumbled, “Don’t you want to come with me, brother?”

“Why not?”

“Is it because you like someone else?”

“Do you want to go there with that person in the future? So you want to abandon me, your sister, right, brother?”

“What kind of person do you like, brother? Do I know them?”

“Before Mom and Dad left, you promised them you would take good care of me.”

“But now you’re not even willing to go watch the sunset in District 73 with me?”

“Brother…”

“Brother.”

This string of questions was probably something Ranfu had never experienced before.

Maybe it was the mention of their parents that touched him, or maybe something else.

After a long silence, he finally said, “Alright.”

Another promise was added.

“Why do you say so little, brother? Do you hate it when I talk too much?”

Ranfu silently adjusted her so she wouldn’t slide off his back.

“No.”

He seemed very unaccustomed to this kind of scene — being completely relied upon by a family member who trusted him and needed him.

As if he were irreplaceable.

But the world would continue regardless of who was or wasn’t there.

“So, brother, do you like anyone?”

The topic shifted again.

Perhaps already used to her relentless probing and to avoid her endless questions, Ranfu calmly answered, “No.”

“Not even one?”

gulp

“I don’t believe you.”

Ranfu’s steps were always so steady, his shoulders so reliable.

“I’m too busy.”

People came and went around him.

He spent most of his time at the frontlines and in restricted zones, always alone.

Although his adjutant and the Captain of the Guards accompanied him in real time, they each had their own lives outside of work.

No one’s life perfectly overlaps with another’s; occasional overlaps were already lucky.

“Will you neglect me in the future because you’re too busy?”

The atmosphere fell silent again.

It seemed the answer was yes.

Honesty could be terrifying.

Ning Li recalled Ranfu’s memories.

“Brother, since I was born, we’ve always been together. We’ve never been apart for more than a week.”

“I know people have to grow up, and even family might part ways. Separation seems to be the norm in this world. Some people just disappear along the way. But I don’t want to be apart from you — at least not before you find someone you like.”

“Though that’s a bit selfish to think, I really want you to always be with me. It’d be even better if you never liked anyone else. Living together as brother and sister is good too, isn’t it? After all, ever since they left, we’ve always lived like this.”

“If I didn’t have you, I’d probably be miserable. I’ve been sickly since I was little, and it might not get better. So, can you pity me a little?”

This silence lasted even longer.

Ranfu hesitated for a long time.

Ning Li thought he might never speak again, until he said, “If it’s about the God-given gifts, you don’t have to worry. I will do my best to get them for you.”

“Even without me, you can have a better life.”

Ning Li was momentarily stunned, sadness flashing in her eyes.

“No, it won’t be better. Without you, my life would be miserable, really miserable.”

“Without you, I would be all alone.”

That was how she had been in her past life.

Always like this.

Ranfu didn’t say anything more, and Ning Li remained silent as well.

The siblings quietly made their way toward District 63.

***

Ranfu hadn’t always been busy.

He even once refused to join the 53rd Legion just to stay with her.

But the Ranfu of now carried too much in his heart.

She didn’t know exactly what he was carrying, but she could vaguely feel it was unbearably heavy.

She was no longer the most important.

She felt powerless, yet unwilling to accept it.

What was she unwilling to accept?

Perhaps it was because the new Ranfu was too good — so good that it made people feel at ease.

He never made promises lightly, but within his abilities, he always kept them.

With him around, there was no need to fear betrayal.

Because he simply wouldn’t do that.

He was gentle toward this world but held firm principles.

Even just his silhouette brought peace.

Why did a person like him exist in this world?

Was it an innate charisma?

The Ranfu she once knew was straightforward in front of her, but the Ranfu now was an enigma, making her want to delve deeper.

Ranfu never really stopped to rest properly.

Aside from occasional breaks, he was always moving with Ning Li on the road.

Yet the second wave of pursuers arrived quickly.

They must have had special tracking methods.

Or perhaps they were just playing a cat-and-mouse game, delighting in watching Ranfu rush about, slowly wear down, and finally bow his proud head before them.

They probably thought, “Ranfu, aren’t you so powerful? Aren’t you the ‘Storm Lord,’ ranked in the top ten spiritual entities? But can you alone match an entire 53rd Legion?”

So giving up struggling quickly was the wisest choice.

However, this second wave was very different from the first.

The first wave wanted to cleanly capture Ranfu and take him back.

The second wave aimed to sow discord between Ranfu and Ning Li, playing psychological games.

One sentinel, almost two meters tall, crossed his arms, standing on his spiritual body — the Azure Eagle — looking down on Ranfu on the ground.

He sneered, “You don’t know, Ranfu, but your sister is jealous of you.”

Ranfu showed no reaction, but Ning Li’s eyes widened slightly.

Her heart pounded wildly.

She hadn’t expected such a secret to be so easily revealed.

As an outsider who had inherited all of Ranwu’s memories, she understood every bit of youthful heartache — the sensitive, sharp, and painful feelings.

Though they were the closest siblings, one was strong, awakened with a superior spiritual body, with a bright future ahead; the other was weak, unable to awaken a spiritual body, a burden, a waste, with a future shrouded in darkness and no hope for tomorrow.

How could she bridge the chasm between them, created by such profound differences?

The girl fell into an ultimate contradiction, drowning in daily jealousy.

She hated Ranfu.

Hated him for shining too brightly, making her look dull in comparison.

Yet she needed him — needed him to fight for the God-given gifts on her behalf.

She both hated and was jealous, yet still bound by unbreakable familial love.

He was her only remaining family in this world.

So even her hate felt so hollow.

Perhaps, she hated herself more.

Hated her weak body that dragged Ranfu down, hated that she couldn’t be as radiant as him.

For years, the girl lived in pain.

Maybe death would be the best ending, but the words telling Ranfu not to look for the God-given gifts for her could never be spoken.

So she lived in torment, clinging to hope for the future, day after day.

The sentinel glanced at the Diary, reading the words carefully, “If only my brother didn’t exist in this world, maybe I’d be much happier.”

He looked at Ranfu with amusement, unwilling to miss the slightest flicker of expression on his face.

“Your sister doesn’t want you to exist. Why do you keep risking your life to find the God-given gifts? Even if you find them, she won’t thank you. She’ll just think it’s what you should do.”

Ning Li knew that was Ranwu’s Diary.

Somehow it had fallen into the hands of the 53rd Legion’s sentinel, and now it was being publicly read aloud.

One of the listeners was Ranfu himself.

She couldn’t argue.

Because those were truly Ranwu’s honest thoughts.

She couldn’t deny them, nor did she want to, because that would be to deny Ranwu herself.

But the matters of the heart were complicated.

What did a simple sentence really represent?

The sentinel, seeing no expression on Ranfu’s face that he wanted, grew impatient.

“Ranfu, don’t you have anything to say about this?”

In response, a sudden aura rose from Ranfu.

His spiritual body, the Storm Lord, with sea-blue short curls, burst forth in fury.

A fierce wind swept by, obscuring the Storm Lord’s expression as it closed its eyes, letting the storm compose a dirge for the three sentinels.

The three pursuers:

???

“Ranfu, are you courting death? Forcing your spiritual body to this extent?”

“Ranfu, is it worth it for a sister who wishes you’d die?”

“Ranfu!!!”

Amid the fierce battle, Ranfu’s calm, emotionless voice echoed.

“Tell High Yan, I will not join the 53rd Legion. If he interferes again, Lin Zha will learn what really happened in District 99.”

“Mutual non-interference will be the best state for both sides.”

“If he tries to do anything unnecessary, Lin Zha will know what he ought to know before he succeeds.”

Under the storm’s fury, two sentinels died and one was severely wounded.

The injured one fought to send a message back before collapsing heavily to the ground, fate unknown.

After dealing with the three sentinels, Ranfu slumped onto the mud-stained ground, kicking up fallen leaves and dirty water, leaning against a withered tree, closing his eyes and breathing heavily.

He was exhausted, pale, with trembling eyelashes.

Ning Li stayed quietly by his side.

She wanted to ask if he was okay, but it was obvious to the naked eye he wasn’t well.

He had been running with her for so long without proper rest.

“Every single member of the 53rd Legion—”

Ranfu hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully to give the most accurate explanation.

“They are all deeply sinful.”

“So, none can be spared.”

Ning Li suddenly understood.

He was explaining why he was so merciless to those sentinels.

Maybe he feared she would think he was too ruthless.

But even without explanation, she understood.

Whether it was the first or second wave of pursuers, their intentions were clear and malicious.

The second wave was even worse than the first!

Ning Li sat beside Ranfu, hugging her knees, tilting her head to look at him, voice a little nasal, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

His breathing eased, and his body seemed to be recovering.

Ning Li clasped her hands tightly, resting her chin on her knees.

“Does it bother you?”

About the Diary.

Those unspeakable, overflowing emotions were real.

All those nights filled with anger and resentment were real.

All the disgust and hatred toward Ranfu were real.

Ranfu opened his eyes, still carrying traces of fatigue, but his tone was gentle, “It doesn’t bother me.”

Ning Li widened her eyes, “Why doesn’t it bother you? Actually, it’s okay if it does. I can explain.”

Ranfu reached out to stroke her head, soothing her.

“Because I know you’re hurting too.”

Closest siblings — simply saying hatred or jealousy was too simple.

These emotions were mixed with far more complicated feelings, and those tears shed in sleepless nights were hidden deep inside one’s heart.

Hate?

She certainly had hated.

But besides that, there was self-loathing, inner struggle, the difficulty of letting go of familial love, admiration, and dependence on her brother.

After all, he was Ranfu — so brilliant and outstanding.

Ranwu had been proud countless times to have such a brother.

Ranfu half-closed his eyes but didn’t say the words, “You look like you’re about to cry.”

Still, the profound sadness in her eyes affected him.

Why was she so upset?

Because he had affected and hurt her.

He had never really cared.

No matter love or hate, all emotions exist for a reason.

Others’ gazes and words may have caused wounds in unknown corners, wounds that had scabbed but still existed, constantly revealing their presence.

Ning Li didn’t want him to misunderstand, so she explained, “Actually, after that passage he read, there’s another part.”

Ranfu listened quietly.

“But if Ranfu wasn’t here, would I really be happier? Though sometimes painful, I’m still grateful to have such an outstanding brother like Ranfu.”

That was truly written in Ranwu’s Diary.

Ning Li leaned toward Ranfu, tears she had held back for so long finally falling silently, transparent droplets rolling down.

“Brother, I hope you live well.”

So please, don’t overexert yourself by forcing the Storm Lord’s power again.

You will really shorten your life by many years.

If only you rested well, you wouldn’t have to do this.

But those pursuers never gave him a moment’s respite.

They forced him into a corner, despicably wanting to see him bow his proud head.

Ranfu gazed at her.

The mist of tears in her eyes soaked with genuine sorrow.

After a long hesitation, he reached out to brush away her tears and finally asked, “Why are you so sad?”