After eating lunch the next day and playing a game with Hainowei, Zhang Ye stood up and said, “I'm heading out for a bit. I'll be back before sunset.”
“Isn't the altar finished? What else do you need to do?” Hainowei asked curiously.
Zhang Ye turned around and smiled. “Making some preparations.”
“What preparations?” Hainowei asked, puzzled.
“You'll find out later.” Zhang Ye waved his hand and flew toward the forest.
Hainowei pouted. “So mysterious...”
With Bursting Flame spewing blue fire from behind him, Zhang Ye was traversing Claude Canyon at extreme speed.
Along the way, he looked around and suddenly spotted a river.
The river was wide and its water cool, likely flowing down from the snow-capped mountains on the other side of the canyon.
Zhang Ye landed by the river, glanced around, and finally shuddered as he looked at the icy water before plunging headfirst into the river.
There were many magical beasts in the river, but they were not of a high tier. As soon as Zhang Ye released a wave of mana, the low-tier magical beasts didn't dare to approach.
He dived down a dozen meters or so and finally reached the riverbed.
Zhang Ye converted his mana to the space attribute, and countless mana threads shot out from his body as he began to inscribe a magic circle on the riverbed.
This magic circle didn't require any other materials; specific mana, runes, and magic lines were enough.
After inscribing for over three hours, Zhang Ye stopped. He felt his body growing slightly numb from the cold; the pervasive chill was something even his protective mana couldn't completely block.
The icy river water was probably only two or three degrees, or even lower, with white frost forming along the riverbanks.
The chill in the river water was likely caused by the environment and laws of the snow-capped mountains.
Circulating his mana to warm up his body, Zhang Ye continued.
Finally, as dusk fell, he finished inscribing the magic circle.
Looking at the magic circle fading from view at the bottom of the river, Zhang Ye nodded in satisfaction.
“Next is setting up the teleportation connection points and spatial hub...” With that, Zhang Ye flew back, returning to the Water Spirit Lake before sunset.
After dinner, Hainowei immediately looked forward to what was next, as Zhang Ye had promised to teach her how to play Ludo.
However, Zhang Ye had already thrown himself into perfecting the altar magic circle.
Hainowei was somewhat puzzled and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Perfecting the magic circle,” Zhang Ye said without turning his head. He was currently setting up the teleportation orientation connection points and the spatial hub.
“Didn't you say you were going to teach me Ludo?” Hainowei said with some disappointment.
Zhang Ye turned around and smiled. “Give me a few more hours... Um, look at the moon. When the moon rises to that spot right in the middle of the sky, I'll play with you.”
“We can play until tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Okay!” Hearing this, Hainowei smiled once more.
But then, she was drawn in by Zhang Ye's movements again and asked curiously, “What magic circle is this?”
“A spatial teleportation magic circle,” Zhang Ye said as he inscribed the circle.
“Does the altar magic circle need a spatial teleportation magic circle too?” Hainowei was puzzled.
“No,” Zhang Ye shook his head, “but you do.”
“Why would I need a spatial magic circle?” Hainowei asked.
“You'll find out later.” Zhang Ye smiled mysteriously, playing hard to get.
Hainowei puffed out her rosy cheeks and said, “It's always 'later.' Is there something you can't tell me right now?”
“It wouldn't be any fun if I told you now,” Zhang Ye chuckled.
Hearing this, Hainowei didn't press further. She thought for a moment and then asked, “Will you harm me?”
Zhang Ye's hands paused for a moment before he resumed, his deep voice slowly carrying over.
“Sometimes, I feel like you don't act like a water spirit who has lived for thousands of years.”
“I have lived for 1,111,110 years,” Hainowei said.
Zhang Ye nodded. “Right, you've lived for so long, yet you're still as innocent as a little girl.”
“I...” Hainowei was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Am I really that innocent?”
“Yes.” Zhang Ye nodded without looking back, but Hainowei knew he was smiling.
“You're so innocent that you'd even ask a question like that.”
“Let me tell you something.”
“When you ask this question, no matter who the other person is—whether they are good or bad, kind or evil—they will almost always answer 'no'.”
“You ask me if I will harm you?”
“My answer is the same: I won't.”
“So, you can't distinguish a person's goodness or evil through this method, because it's not realistic or practical.”
“Then how should I ask?” Hainowei asked.
“Don't ask anything.” Zhang Ye finally turned his head. Illuminated by the moonlight reflecting off the lake, his profile was cast in a dreamlike beauty.
“Don't ask. Watch, look with your heart, and feel.”
“Someone who is truly good to you will think of your well-being.”
“Even if they plan meticulously or lie, it will be for your own good. You'll feel it sooner or later.”
“But someone with malicious intent toward you might do three or five good things for you, but they won't be able to keep doing good things for you forever.”
“A person's actions are controlled by their thoughts.”
“A person's thoughts are controlled by their heart.”
“And the heart can only be felt if you use your own heart in return.”
“Trust your intuition. Trust time. Time will give you the answer.”
“Don't easily trust others, and don't easily trust me either.”
“Before you feel my sincerity and goodwill, absolutely do not lay yourself bare to me.”
“Just listen to what I'm saying. You don't need to give me an answer.”
Hearing Zhang Ye's words, Hainowei opened her mouth several times to speak but made no sound.
She remained silent, merely watching Zhang Ye quietly as he inscribed the magic circle.
A focused Zhang Ye, with his eyes lowered and his head slightly bowed, had the shimmering light of the water reflecting onto his cheeks, making him look so moving and gentle.
It made one involuntarily want to draw closer.
Hainowei was drawing closer.
Unknowingly, she had already come up behind Zhang Ye.
She stood very close, but Zhang Ye, who had entered a state of deep concentration, paid her no mind and continued to draw the magic circle on his own.
Hainowei's vast and beautiful ocean-like eyes did not look at the glowing magic circle; instead, she stared intently at Zhang Ye's profile.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Zhang Ye turned his head, and their eyes met.
At this moment, Zhang Ye saw Hainowei smiling.
Her smile was as soft as water, as if gathering all the tenderness in the world, appearing so ethereal against the backdrop of the night.
Zhang Ye was dazed for a moment but quickly snapped out of it and asked, “What are you smiling at?”
Hainowei shook her head gently. “I don't understand what you said. Perhaps it's because I am just a clone and don't possess the vast intellect of the main body.”
“But I can feel your goodwill.”
“You are different from those people.”
Zhang Ye shook his head. “Don't jump to conclusions so quickly...”
Before he could finish, Hainowei interrupted him.
“You said to trust intuition, and right now, I trust mine.”
“I also believe that time will prove you are a good person.”
Caught completely off guard, another Good Person card was slapped onto Zhang Ye's face.
Zhang Ye was somewhat amused and helpless.
But then he nodded. “I won't let you down.”
Unknowingly, the moon climbed to the exact center of the sky.
“Finished?”
“Finished.”
“Ludo?”
“Let's begin.”
...
...
Rate on N.U.
