After knocking out the last Fatui member with a swift chop, Qiu Bai walked toward Hu Tao.
Zhongli and Azhdaha also slowly approached.
Azhdaha was still holding the bruised and battered Anemoboxer.
"Qiu Bai, you're amazing!"
Hu Tao exclaimed in astonishment.
"You're even stronger than those with Visions despite not having one yourself!"
"I practiced swordsmanship in my earlier years, it's nothing special."
Qiu Bai explained with a smile.
"I can just about handle these Fatui members."
"Speak!"
Azhdaha tapped the Anemoboxer head and asked cordially,
"What are you doing at the Sacred Wuwang Hill?"
"I-I don't know either."
The bruised Anemoboxer explained tearfully.
"We were following an Executive's orders to find something."
"By universal reasoning."
Zhongli stroked his chin
"the only thing that could be related to a spiritual sanctuary like Wuwang Hill might be—"
Before he could finish, the sound of a young girl ethereal singing echoed through the forest.
"It's me."
A light, pleasant girlish voice reached them.
A girl with deep ginger-red highlights in her black hair approached.
She wore a grid-like veil over her face and a six-winged headpiece at the back of her head.
Dressed in white clothes adorned with black feathers, she walked toward the group with closed eyes and a gentle smile.
"The Maiden."
Zhongli said, looking at the approaching girl.
"My subordinates were helping me search for something."
She said with her eyes still closed, addressing everyone apologetically.
"I didn't mean to harm this young lady. I'm sorry."
"Lady Maiden, I apologize,"
The Anemoboxer said regretfully.
"Your servant was incompetent and couldn't find what you mentioned."
"It's alright, it's alright,"
Hu Tao waved dismissively and quickly asked the girl.
"Are you the Executive they mentioned?"
Seeing the delicate and lovely girl before her, Hu Tao couldn't stay angry. Besides, her hat had been fixed, so her anger had subsided. Seeing this, Azhdaha released the Anemoboxer.
"Yes, I'm the Executive they mentioned."
The girl answered with closed eyes, lifting her head toward Hu Tao with a smile.
"My name is Columbina. I'm the Third of the Fatui Harbingers, the Damselette."
"I'm Hu Tao."
she replied with a smile.
"This is Qiu Bai and that Azhdaha, Zhongli, and Qiu Yue."
"Wuwang Hill is a sacred place protected by the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor through generations."
Zhongli said, stroking his chin curiously.
"What are you looking for here?"
"System, scan the girl in front of me."
Qiu Bai said to the system in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Name: Columbina]
[Identity: Third Seat of the Fatui Harbingers, The Damselette, First Generation Elf Clan]
[Strength: Lower-tier God]
[Background: Her singing, especially at its crescendo, can guide human souls to return to ley lines from afar, like an angel with a pure heart. As a cursed member of the Elf Clan, if she falls in love with a human, she will lose her wisdom after one month, her body will shatter, and she will become an empty shell. A naive and emotionally numb young girl.]
Hearing this description, Qiu Bai couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
"Why does she sound like such an innocent sweetheart?" he thought.
"And her body shatters if she falls in love with humans?"
Qiu Bai sighed. He never expected that besides Tartaglia, the Fatui would have such a pure-hearted Harbinger. The body shattering probably meant becoming a floating elf-like being.
"I came here looking for an item."
she raised her head with closed eyes and explained to Zhongli.
"This item was bestowed by that Adeptus of Liyue."
"Adeptus?"
Azhdaha shifted his gaze toward Qiu Bai.
Qiu Bai twitched at the girl's words. The drama had reached his doorstep—what item had he bestowed on Wuwang Hill that he didn't know about?
"There is an ancient book."
she continued.
"It records that the Adeptus descended upon this land three thousand years ago. He held a yin-yang jade stone and guided the souls of this land back to the ley lines."
"After that, this place became the sacred Wuwang Hill. The jade stone shattered afterward, with pieces falling across this land."
The girl somewhat vacantly shared everything with the group without reservation.
"Three thousand years ago? But didn't the great Adeptus only become a divine being of Liyue a thousand years ago?"
Azhdaha furrowed his brow, giving Qiu Bai a subtle glance.
"I was confused too, so I consulted the Doctor about this ancient book." the girl said puzzlingly.
"According to him, this book definitely dates back three thousand years."
She questioned how someone who appeared a thousand years ago could be revered as the great Adeptus three thousand years ago. Yet she had indeed found that fragment.
"Hmm..." Zhongli closed his eyes, seemingly recalling something.
"Columbina, take a look at this book."
Qiu Bai said, noticing that the book in the girl's hand looked very similar to the one given to him by Liu Yun. He took out his book and handed it to her.
"This... this is..."
the girl took the book from Qiu Bai and, despite her closed eyes, seemed to examine it carefully.
"This is indeed written by the same person."
"Just as I thought..."
Qiu Bai murmured, stroking his chin.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, may I ask where you obtained this book?"
The girl asked curiously with her eyes still closed.
"Hehe, a friend gave it to me."
Qiu Bai replied with a smile, arms crossed.
"But I am surprised that these two books were written by the same person."
"I see. These are the jade fragments."
the girl produced a fragment that emitted a faint glow, completely white in color.
"May I take a look?"
Qiu Bai asked with a smile.
"Of course."
The girl chuckled lightly and handed the fragment to Qiu Bai without hesitation.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched—she truly was a defenseless, emotionless maiden.
As he took the fragment, his heart pounded violently.
"This... this is..." His pupils dilated as he stared at the jade in astonishment.
This fragment had originated from him. He could feel that this jade was personally created by him.
How was this possible?
He had been formed from the convergence of yin and yang energies just a thousand years ago.
How could he have appeared three thousand years ago?
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)