At this moment, Qing (Qīng，青) clearly could no longer hold firm to her inner resolve. Too many emotions surged uncontrollably, and in a burst of impulse she interrupted her master again — but the elder (Zhǎngzhě，长者) only smiled faintly, nodded in affirmation, and looked at her disciple. Waiting until Qing calmed down, she continued, “—Mm! Only in this way could he hope to break the seal early and make a comeback. But there is one more condition — subversion. And so, this child has become a thorn in his eye…”

  “—But… why would that man go to such trouble? Isn’t he just making things harder for himself?”

  —Ah, not bad! From an ordinary person’s perspective, there could be many choices for such a spell’s target; wouldn’t picking someone weaker be easier?

  Qing pondered the intricacies for a moment, then suddenly understood — this was a plan to kill two birds with one stone. In this way, the Reformer (Biàngé Zhě，变革者) could not only help himself return to the battlefield, but also weaken, even eliminate, his future nemesis — the legendary child before her…

  —How could that man be so cruel, to strike at an infant… Ah! In that light, this little one does seem rather pitiful after all.

  “Mm… Originally, this child could have lived with his parents, carefree. Though in the future he would still face many challenges, at least he could have had a normal childhood! Cough…”

  The elder glanced at Qing again, speaking while regulating her breath. But perhaps she had said too much at once; she seemed a little fatigued and could not stop coughing a few times.

  Qing, however, remained silent, her gaze slightly dazed — as if she had grasped part of the truth. Her expression gradually softened. She couldn’t help but look at the child again, her eyes far gentler than before.

  “—Then we could take this child to the Sacred Healer Clan (Shèngyī Zú，圣医族). There, he could receive more comprehensive help… Why must you use such a bodydamaging technique to extend his life?” she asked after a quiet moment’s thought.

  The Sacred Healer Clan, as Qing mentioned, was as renowned as the Zhuge clan (Zhūgě yīzú，诸葛一族) — one of the oldest families on the continent, dwelling for generations in Azure Dragon County (Qīnglóng Jùn，青龙郡), famed for unparalleled medical skill. In theory, no physical ailment could stump them.

  “True, that makes sense. But you don’t know — when I used this method, the clan leader of the Sacred Healers was standing right beside me!”

  The elder had already anticipated her disciple’s question, and her next words struck directly at the heart of it. She shook her head helplessly, still regulating her breath. “—Even this method can only temporarily suppress the external force within the child… You saw it just now — without Lord White Tiger’s (Báihǔ Dàrén，白虎大人) help, the child’s condition would not be as stable as it is now…”

  “—Then… is there truly no other way?”

  Qing knew her master well — unless absolutely necessary, the elder would never take such a reckless risk, much less gamble with her life. Unless it was because…

  “—Mm… Correct. This is the only method your grandmaster (tài shīfu，太师父) could think of!”

  “You mean… that… that old man!”

  At this, Qing’s anger flared again. Her previously softened tone suddenly hardened once more. “—Hmph, I knew it. It’s his rotten idea again…”

  “—Do not be rude!”

  The elder’s expression suddenly turned stern. She opened her eyes and chided softly, then paused before speaking earnestly: “—My master has spent years strategizing to protect this world, never once miscalculating. If there were even the slightest other possibility, he would never allow his own disciple to use this technique…”

  “—I… but that old man… no, your master… he can’t possibly know everything. There might be things he doesn’t know!”

  Qing lowered her head, saying nothing, but couldn’t help letting her grievance show — she dared not anger the elder further, so she only muttered softly.

  “You must understand — my master is a onceinacentury genius of the Suoluo Continent (Suǒluó Dàlù，桫罗大陆). His contributions to the Alliance (Liánméng，联盟) are in no way inferior to the Three Sects of ancient times!”

  Fortunately, the elder did not seem to hold her disciple’s words against her, speaking gently instead.

  “—Moreover, your grandmaster is also a witness to that legend… He understands this child’s importance even better than we do, including everything we can do for him. As the youngest grandmaster in Suoluo history, the current NineStar Pavilion Master of the Dark Moon (Jiǔxīng Yōuyuè Gé Gézhǔ，九星幽月阁阁主) and Divine Executor of Baihu County (Báihǔ Jùn Shénzhí，白虎郡神执), he would never — and will never — make a mistake in something this important…”

  “—But… what if this child isn’t the one? What if we’ve got the wrong person?”

  “Ah! All signs already show that this child is the only candidate — and can only be him!”

  “But…”

  Gradually, the more Qing listened, the more her confidence faltered. Her voice grew smaller — all her doubts had been answered one by one by her master. Now she was left speechless. Reason told her it was all true… yet even if facts spoke louder than words, she still felt a trace of unwillingness in her heart.

  After all, she too had been raised by the elder — master as both parent and teacher, the one who had nurtured her into who she was. So apart from the elder, Qing trusted no one.

  Of course, the elder likewise deeply respected and trusted her own master — perhaps such things were inherited?

  Strangely, though, Qing harbored a strong dislike for her master’s master — her own grandmaster. Whether it was a generational gap or youthful rebellion, she didn’t know. She always called him “old man” behind his back, thinking he was full of bluster, spouting chivalry and grand principles, always posing before them as allknowing and in control… and most infuriating of all, he had indeed never once been wrong!

  —But so what if he was that capable? You want to be a hero, to save the world — what does that have to do with us? And now my master has ended up like this because of you… I’m not convinced!

  “Enough — this… was my own decision as well!”

  Just as Qing stood there, head down, stomping her foot in silent struggle and frustration, the elder squinted her eyes, smiled at her, and offered a gentle reassurance. Then she looked down at the infant in her arms — now awake, as if he had been listening to the conversation for some time, babbling and giggling to break the tension.

  The elder reached out a large hand to tease the tiny, waving one, then murmured again, “—Don’t forget, we are all caught within this fate — whether it’s my master, or you and I, or this innocent child. And the title ‘Child of Destiny’ may sound grand, but who knows how much hardship and suffering is hidden within that socalled mandate of heaven!”

  “But… you can’t take the fall for him — your body’s already like this…”

  Beside her, Qing’s heart was a swirl of mixed feelings, unsure how to express them. Her words sounded as if she were blaming the little one before her — but in truth, what she most wanted to say was: What does that old man have to do with us? Why doesn’t he do it himself, instead of making my master exhaust herself like this?

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “No matter! In the face of the greater good, the fate of all Guardians (Shǒuhùzhě，守护者) is bound together… we are one whole!”

  The elder (Zhǎngzhě，长者) kept her smile, looking at her disciple to reassure her. “—Rest easy… this technique may look dangerous, but I only opened the third layer. Though it has caused some damage to my body, with proper recuperation there’s no danger to my life — unlike… unlike my master, cough!”

  “—The old man… oh, no… he used it too…? Ah, Master, are you alright?”

  Cough, cough…

  Before the elder had even finished speaking, Qing (Qīng，青) could hardly believe her ears. She blurted out in surprise while also fussing over her master’s condition.

  But the elder merely adjusted herself, not answering directly. Slowly, she raised one hand toward Qing in a small gesture… Her expression still seemed calm, but anyone observant could see the subtle change.

  In that moment, Qing knew very well — in the past, no matter what happened, her master’s expression had never been like this. Now, she could tell the situation was truly serious. So she didn’t press further; she didn’t want to sadden her master. Her emotional side was gradually settling, and she began to adjust her own mood.

  “You must understand — we Guardians have, for generations, maintained the balance of this world. Since ancient times, we’ve stood at the front lines to protect people from outside forces. Even now, hidden here, moving from the open to the secret… all because we possess gifts ordinary people do not. These gifts are to us as wings are to a bird — their importance goes without saying. As the saying goes, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ In the face of the greater good, we must set aside the small family for the sake of the greater one. This is the awareness every Guardian should have!”

  When she finished, the elder looked at Qing again and spoke patiently: “—In every battle, you’ve been at the very front of the team. You know this well; otherwise, you wouldn’t have risked your life to save the strategist (cānmóu，参谋) back then…”

  Listening to her master’s earnest teaching, Qing asked no more. She was already regretting her earlier impulsiveness — when suddenly, a tiny hand appeared in both their lines of sight, waving toward her as if beckoning.

  Without thinking, Qing extended a finger… and now she began to feel she didn’t dislike this child so much after all. In fact, there was even a faint, soursweet feeling in her heart.

  Suddenly, the child’s small hand closed around Qing’s finger. On that pitiful little face appeared a smile — not bright, but gentle — and two small eyes blinked up at her, as if sending some kind of power. In that instant, Qing felt a sweetness in her heart, and a sense of freedom.

  “—If not for this child’s extraordinary gift, I fear all we’ve done might have been in vain!” The elder glanced at the two “children” and smiled in quiet reflection.

  “This… but wasn’t it already stabilized?”

  “—Indeed, but this can only hold for a time. That technique’s dominance is not something an ordinary Guardian can withstand. If this child hadn’t been born with an unusually strong gift, I might not have had time to use my art at all. By the time we arrived, his gift had been almost completely depleted — of the three elemental attributes he originally possessed, only one remained, like a fledgling with broken wings. Fortunately, this sole remaining element is of the same lineage as ours, allowing my power to be applied to him smoothly. And, remarkably, this remaining gift element can harmonize with Lord White Tiger’s (Báihǔ Dàrén，白虎大人) strength — as you saw just now, that’s why his condition is now temporarily stable!”

  A “gift” (tiānfù，天赋) was a mysterious power Guardians were born with, sourced from the planet’s energy, Sacred Qi (Shèngqì，圣炁), located in the lower dantian. It could be understood as a special energy source, like the power system of a nuclear reactor, called “Língxī” (灵犀). Its overall structure resembled particles in quantum physics: the energy units in the gift were like quarks in a particle, forming the particle’s core. Surrounding the core were elemental electrons with inherent attributes, varying in number and corresponding to the types of energy quarks within.

  Elemental electron attributes came in many kinds, broadly defined by the Five Elements, with each of the Five Counties having its own characteristics. Special cases existed, but were rare.

  Generally, a Guardian’s gift core contained at least one energyquark attribute, and the covenant allowed for — or could dissociate — basically only one type of elemental electron. For example, Qing’s sole elemental electron was of Baihu County’s (Báihǔ Jùn，白虎郡) Metal element in the Five Elements, with a lightningtype ability.

  But for our little protagonist to be born with multiple energyquark attributes and have them already dissociated was extremely rare in this era — though in the ancient Five Counties, such multiattribute cases were more common.

  “—Oh… I see. So just now… that was the completion of a Língxī Contract (Língxī Qìyuē，灵犀契约)?”

  “Correct!

  A Língxī Contract is a linked state formed when a Guardian with the qualification for trials passes the Sanctuary’s test and is recognized by a sacred beast.

  For most Guardians, this results in a comprehensive enhancement of their own attributes, and in some cases, the chance to gain a contract form known as ‘telepathy’ — a special power link granted by the sacred beast’s own will. In quantum terms, it’s like the energy particles of the Guardian and the sacred beast becoming entangled…”

  “Oh…”

  In fact, Qing had long wondered what exactly Lord White Tiger had done for this child. It seemed unusual, but she had never seen it before, so she found it strange. After all, a highlevel trial like the Língxī Contract was not something every Guardian could qualify to attempt. For Qing herself, it was a future step crucial to awakening the MindSpirit Realm — but in recent years, with so many missions, she’d had no time to participate, and besides, she hadn’t even earned the qualification. Her martial skills were toptier, but her theory scores were lacking — the opposite of Yi (Yì，毅) — so neither of them had the chance.

  Yet now, before her, this child had done nothing and so easily gained the fruits of such a trial…

  “From now on… he’s family to us!” The elder looked at the “siblings” before her and spoke with heartfelt earnestness.

  “Oh… ah, but — what about this child’s family? Why isn’t he living with his parents — could it be… they don’t want him?”

  “No, absolutely not!”

  At her master’s decision, Qing was unusually agitated. The elder waited, then began to calm her: “We discussed it with the child’s parents for a long time, and this… was the only way. Though his parents are by no means ordinary, and raising him to greatness would be easy for them, the situation this time is far too special — there can be no mistakes — so we had no choice but to take this last resort!”

  “—And his parents… they agreed? That’s…!” Qing could not calm down, cutting off her master’s explanation, clearly dissatisfied.

  “Silly girl… you don’t know. The power that man infused into the technique is formidable and strange, laced with his twisted personal will. It’s enough to influence, even overturn, this child’s body and mind. Worst of all, until the technique is reversed, if he were to meet his closest kin, this child…”

  “—What would happen…?”

  “Backlash! If that happened, all our efforts would be wasted, and the world would once again fall into crisis…” At this, the elder frowned, her expression growing grave.

  “Then…”

  Qing stared at the child in shock, listening to her master’s account — then suddenly turned to the elder, voicing her anger: “—Even so, they… they can’t just abandon him! They could move here, pretend to be friends, keep him company — anything! I just can’t understand how they could bear to treat their own child like this — to abandon him, then act as if nothing happened, and go on with their lives!”

  “Ah, foolish girl. Only when you are a parent yourself will you understand the immense pain and torment his parents endured to make this decision. For their child, they could give up everything… No parent would willingly be separated from their child, and no one has the right to force them apart — no one. But for the child’s future, they had no choice but to agree.

  To be safe, the Sacred Healer Clan’s (Shèngyī Zú，圣医族) clan leader went so far as to use a forbidden art to erase from the minds of the parents all memories of their child. So now, to them, he is merely a stranger…

  Perhaps, one day in the future, this family might meet again. Or perhaps, for their entire lives, the three will remain strangers. Even if the crisis is resolved and they could reunite, even if they were to meet, it might be only with a sense of emptiness. But no matter what the future holds, the only belief those parents have is to give their child a chance…

  By now, the elder’s voice was beginning to tremble with fatigue, but she did not stop her explanation: “—So from this moment on, we are this child’s family, and you are his eldest sister…”

  “What… no, Master — eldest sister? But I’m so much older than him, I could be his aunt…”

  As she listened, Qing’s thoughts began to shift and smooth out… yet she still felt something was a little off.

  “—Only this way will the child grow closer to you. In the future, his childhood will be filled with loneliness and despair. Though he will have family, they will not be his kin… So you must not only be his guardian, but also his friend…”

  Looking at the child, Qing’s feelings were complicated, but she could only nod in reluctant agreement. After a moment, she suddenly seemed to realize something and asked urgently, “—Wait, no, just us… what about you, Master?”

  “From today onward, I will need to spend much time in seclusion to maintain the effect of the technique, so I will not have much time to care for him. The responsibility of looking after this child will naturally fall on your shoulders.”

  “Don’t tell me it’s because…”

  Hearing a reasonable answer, Qing finally let out a long breath. She wanted to ask more, but stopped herself — she didn’t want to tire her master further with explanations. Instead, she changed the subject: “—But we… we’ve never raised a child before…”

  How Did the White Tiger Defeat the Giant Monster?