Mother…
Master…
Slowly, gradually, Claire's long lashes started to quiver.
"Claire!" Feng Yixuan emotionally squeezed Claire's hand.
In his heart, Leng Lingyun let out a breath.
Claire finally opened her eyes.
Her gaze was not bewildered, not despairing…
But resolute!
"Claire," Feng Yixuan worriedly called out.
Claire turned to face Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun, then said one word quietly:
"Yes…"
Feng Yixuan smiled brightly, his heart finally relaxing.
"You finally awakened," Leng Lingyun said quietly.
"Yes, I have awakened." Claire slowly stood up. Feng Yixuan hastily stood up to support her.
"Sorry for worrying you all." Claire leaned her head against the bedside.
"As long as you are alright." Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun both nodded.
"Tell me our current circumstances." Claire's black eyes glinted profoundly.
Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun shared a glance.
Should they tell?
Should they tell her she had been framed as the murderer of her loved ones?
Feng Yixuan licked his dry lips, hesitating. Leng Lingyun was also silent.
"Do you both think I will do something foolish?" Claire's expression was serene, her tone calm.
Feng Yixuan started to say, "I know you won't, but…" but he did not want to tell Claire such a cruel reality. It was rubbing salt in her wounds. But even if he did not tell her, Claire would find out. She would feel even more pain then.
"Just like you both said, I still have many matters left unfinished. The Temple will definitely pay for Mother and Masters' deaths." Claire's voice was extremely calm, yet exceptionally icy.
Feng Yixuan watched Claire, biting his lip.
Claire did not continue, quietly waiting for Feng Yixuan to continue speaking.
Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun shared another glance. In the end, Feng Yixuan quietly told her the news Amparkland and the Temple had jointly spread. Feng Yixuan's voice was soft, extremely soft. He paid close attention to Claire's expression, but Claire remained calm the entire time.
After he finished speaking, he worriedly watched Claire's calm face, thousands of feelings welling up in his heart.
Claire turned to face the two. As her lips started to move, the two tensed up. Claire quietly said to Leng Lingyun, "Leng Lingyun, what about Xuanxuan?"
Leng Lingyun froze. Feng Yixuan also froze.
"How could the Temple of Light let you go if you saved me? Did you not think about Xuanxuan?" When she saw the slight change in Leng Lingyun's expression, her heart tightened.
Leng Lingyun remained silent, but the deep sorrow in his eyes did not escape Claire.
Feng Yixuan did not know what to say either.
Claire instantly understood. The pure, innocent girl was most likely…
"Sorry…" Claire apologized faintly, her gaze ladened with grief and self blame.
"No, it was not because of you." Leng Lingyun sighed, then started to smile gently. "It was Xuanxuan's with. Her last wish was for me to leave the Temple of Light to live my own life. I will fulfill her wish."
Claire and Feng Yixuan watched Leng Lingyun's faint smile with complex thoughts. They had never seen him smile like this before, a smile filled with desire to live.
"Where am I?" Claire looked around her surroundings. The room was windowless. There was only a stone door and slight ventilation coming from the ceiling. The furniture inside was plain with three silver candle holders on the table.
"It is my family's secret room," Feng Yixuan said quietly. "The Temple of Light wields great influence in Lagark, so…"
"Although the Temple of Light and Amparkland have declared you a criminal, they cannot wantonly pursue Claire, because Claire's eyes and hair have already turned black. The Temple cannot send too many people to chase Claire, or else their hypocritical artifice will be exposed, so only the inner circle of the Temple will pursue her," Leng Lingyun analyzed.
Feng Yixuan and Claire recalled when the Temple had secretly chased and killed girls with black hair and black eyes. Claire's gaze grew downcast. She did not expect her to be the cause of their sorry deaths.
"You two should first leave. I will rest for a bit," Claire said quietly. She closed her eyes.
Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun shared a glance, both seeing concern in each other's eyes. They then looked at Claire. Seeing her calm expression, the two finally withdrew.
After the door was shut closed, Claire tiredly leaned against the bedside, slowly opening her eyes.
Her gaze was ice cold, so chilly it could freeze one's soul!
Temple of Light! Gordan Hill!
I will return!
I will definitely return!
Claire concentrated on sensing her body's current condition and was startled by what she saw. The Lotus power had continuously coursed through her body. The majority of her wounds had already healed.
"Chirp chirp!" White Emperor called from next to Claire's pillow.
"Peep peep!" Black Feather called out even more loudly,
not to be outdone.
Claire looked down at the two furballs, smiling faintly. She scooped the two into her embrace and said quietly, "Thank you both for saving me."
"Heh!" Black Feather flapped his wings, as if pleased with himself.
"But who exactly are you two? Why would the goddess of Light and god of Darkness be able to recognize you two?" Claire suspiciously eyed the two furballs.
The two little furballs remained silent.
Claire laid back down. Staring at the ceiling overhead, she gradually closed her eyes.
A new arc begins.
New arc, new rules.
The history of the continent of Ceylon turns to a new page.
Three days later, an ordinary looking carriage slowly tottered out the gates of the capital of Lagark.
The azure blue sky was devoid of clouds. Alongside the road was verdant forest, small birds tweeting atop branches.
The plain road was sparsely traveled.
Inside the ordinary looking carriage, Claire quietly leaned back. Feng Yixuan and Leng Lingyun were also inside.
"I cannot continue staying here. Firstly, I do not want to burden the Feng clan. Secondly, I must take revenge." Two days prior, Claire had declined An Lisha's urge to stay. An Lisha did not argue, only giving Claire a hug and a smile. Currently, Lagark had no way of contending with Amparkland, let alone Amparkland allied with the Temple. Naturally, Clairew as fully aware. She even didn't let the Li clan know she was staying with the Feng clan. She could not implicate the Feng clan and Li clan. Before she became strong, she could not face Amparkland and the Temple of Light head on. Claire had already made a decision in her heart.
This time when Feng Yixuan followed Claire, Claire did not refuse nor make plans to make Feng Yixuan leave.
Claire's original destination had not changed.
Youwusali. The place the Temple of Light wielded least influence. Also Ceylon continent's most destitute nation.
The country was mostly desert with few oases. The Temple had little interest in the poor geography and impoverished people. There was only one temple at the capital.
Wind howled in the desert, picking up the yellow sand until it was nearly impossible see, intense rays overhead scorching the land.
Amidst the vast desert, three people atop camels slowly advanced. Apart from giant cacti, there were no living beings. Wind blew, picking up more yellow sand. Occasionally, it would lift up sand to reveal eerie bones. It was a dangerous place.
Suddenly, a cloud of yellow dust came from the distance, coming closer and closer. It was a squadron of horses, each valiant rider with curved blades, leather saddles and boots. Bandits!
"Boss, look, it's those three. The one in the middle is definitely a girl. Although I can't see her face, I can tell from her figure that she is definitely a woman," a vulgar man near the front of the bandits said certainly to a refined looking man. The three did not look like cash cows, but if the girl was a beauty, they would make a profit.
No one would have expected it by his appearance, but the refined, elegant looking man was actually the overlord of the desert, a true and blue bandit boss.
Long Sasi nodded. He never doubted the vulgar man's words. Although the man was vulgar, his eyes were exceptionally sharp. He had never misjudged anything.
The bandits jeered in a strange manner, brandishing their curved blades while galloping towards the three people.
"Leave the girl in the middle. The other two, get lost." Long Sasi humphed coldly.
"You…" a charming voice said. The bandits hearts all trembled. How does someone with such a voice look like?
"Are you the Desert Whirlwind, Long Sasi?" the same sweet voice said.
Long Sasi paused, then burst out laughing. "What, does this beauty already know my name? Why don't you just obediently come with me?"
"You dunce, you were framed, and now you've been reduced to a bandit, losing your homeland. You have the guts to be aggressive?" Her voice was sweet, but her words were venomous.
The expression of the bandits changed. Everyone knew this was their boss's sore spot that could not be touched. Whenever this topic was raised, their boss would go mad. The aftermath was too horrible to contemplate.
But contrary to their expectations, Long Sasi did not explode. Instead, he brandished his wave threateningly towards the person in the middle. His voice stern, he asked, "Who are you?"
"Someone who will help you," the sweet voice responded. The person in the middle slowly lifted her veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face, silky black hair and incomparably deep, dark eyes. At such a young age, the girl was already so beautiful. When she grew up, what a femme fatale she would be!