Chapter 32 The Meaning of Ming Jin
Little Fox, played with like this all night long.
In the end, her tail was “played broken,” lying limp against her butt, with no strength left to lift it.
And that black-hearted girl arrogantly said, “Hmph, a silly little fox wanting to turn into a master? What a pipe dream!”
“Wuwu…”
“Just behave yourself and be a little pet!”
…
…
So, when she woke up the next morning, Lonis’s tail was still limp.
This made her embarrassed to be seen… Because once her tail drooped, it would drag on the ground like a broom, not only unsightly but also making her feel itchy.
“Elus… No, please don’t play with me anymore…”
Pitiful Lonis could only beg for mercy.
And it seemed Elus was in a good mood, as she said, “Hmph, you can’t even last long? And you call yourself a Hero’s descendant.”
“Anyone would be exhausted after 100 repetitions, it has nothing to do with being a hero.”
“Forget it, hurry up and climb up, I’ll give you a massage.”
“Eh, you still want to massage?!”
Lonis covered her tail, with a look of great fear.
“This time is different, hurry up and come up.”
“Wuwu…”
…
…
Although very scared, Lonis soon realized… Elus had completely changed her method.
When she was pulling her tail last night, although the movements weren’t rough, Lonis always felt weak.
But today, Elus was just lightly touching, her nails gently kneading her fluff… This massage method made Lonis feel a tingly sensation all over, as if her whole body was healed.
“How is it? Feeling better?”
“Wuwu…”
Under the girl’s kneading, Lonis’s tail regained its vigor and perked up again.
Her fur also seemed to have been meticulously groomed, becoming large and fluffy.
“Mhm, that should be enough.”
“M-Master, what are we going to do next?”
“First, we’ll have breakfast, and then Princess Cécile will lead us to the Mingjin Temple?”
…
…
Living in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Ming, all the toiletries and facilities were top-notch.
So Lonis had quite a relaxed and pleasant morning.
And in the dining hall, everyone met Princess Cécile… This silver-haired girl looked in good spirits, her demeanor and temperament seeming to have returned to the elegance and beauty of their first meeting.
“Good morning, Classmate Elus, Miss Lonis Fox.”
“Good morning, Princess Cécile, how is Ling Li’s condition?”
“Mhm, thanks to all of you, she’s out of the danger zone. I can now lead you all to the Mingjin Temple without any worries.”
“Hooray!”
It would be impossible not to be excited.
In fact, Lonis had already obtained 3 Hong Yuan Weapons… If she added the one from the Mingjin Temple, that would be 4.
The journey to collect 7 items was now past the halfway point, and her and Elus’s dream had taken another step forward.
“Hmph, look at your eagerness.”
However, compared to Lonis, Elus appeared much more composed. Her crimson eyes did not reveal any joy, not even the excitement she had when touching Lonis’s tail last night.
“Well then, thank you for leading the way, Princess Cécile… But I heard the Mingjin Temple is not an easy place to enter?”
“Mhm… That’s true. The real Mingjin Temple is located on the underground continent, a place filled with miasma and corrosive power. But beneath our royal capital, there is a teleportation gate leading to the temple.”
“Even with a teleportation gate, we still have to pass through the underground continent, right?”
“We will have to walk for a while, but as royalty of Kolotia, I have an innate resistance to erosion. I will deploy a protective force field for you all then, ensuring everyone’s safety.”
The matter was thus decided.
Although Princess Cécile did not limit the number of participants, Dean Emerald and Senior Yan had to take care of the patients and could not leave for now.
And Senior Mi Xue Zhou seemed to have received an invitation from a certain aristocrat and stayed in the royal palace.
So this trip, only accompanied by Isumi, as well as Su Ling Zhou – this seemingly fearless girl.
“Hooray, it’s the Mingjin Temple, I want to see it too~”
“Su Ling, but Elus said… the temple is very dangerous.”
Just like in the Boundless Land, Lonis wished for Su Ling to stay in a safe place… But this pink-haired girl seemed very enthusiastic.
“I’m not afraid of danger, and besides… don’t you realize, Lonis, that I’ve grown every time?”
“Eh?”
“Like the first time, Su Ling was so scared of the Headhunter Bat that she was trembling. But later, at the Tree of Origin Collapse, she wasn’t afraid anymore. Now she’s eager, wishing she could meet monsters~”
Su Ling clenched her fists with confidence, but before Lonis could say anything, a little loli with golden hair walked over.
“Hmph, you look so confident? But do you know what the Mingjin Temple represents?”
This little loli wasn’t very tall, perhaps a few centimeters shorter than the even younger Elus. But despite her petite stature, she wore a gorgeous red dress, making her quite conspicuous.
Lonis recognized this little loli. Her name was Nalonate, and it was she who had suddenly entered the exhibition hall yesterday to inform Princess Cécile of Ling Li’s critical condition.
“Miss Nalonate, meaning…?”
“That’s right, the Mingjin Temple doesn’t signify light. It represents both light and shadow, the opposition and harmony of this world. This means that if you don’t possess duality, you won’t be able to receive blessings even if you enter.”
“Duality… what does that mean?”
“A common saying – destruction and hope are one, slaughter and salvation are no different.”
“Eh?!”
“I am warning you about the dangers of the Mingjin Temple. If you insist on going, I can’t do anything about it.”
After speaking, this golden-haired little loli turned and left directly, leaving Su Ling standing there blankly, looking at Lonis in a loss.
“L-Lonis! W-what does that mean… I don’t understand.”
“Mhm…”
Compared to Su Ling’s bewildered expression, Lonis, however, recalled something.
It was something that happened when she was a Hero.
During her journey, she encountered an old man on the verge of death.
The old man was dusty, and seemed to have been wandering in the wilderness for a long time… As a Hero, Lonis instinctively wanted to help him, to escort the old man back to town to rest.
But Lonis never expected…
The old man shook his head and refused her offer.
“Adventurer, let this old man die here.”
“How can that be? Don’t worry, I know many people… We will definitely help you.”
“No need, this old man knows his illness is completely incurable… Living in this world only prolongs the suffering.”
“Ah?!”
The Hero was stunned and looked at the old man in horror.
But the other party squinted his eyes, and his pupils seemed to have seen through the vast mountain ranges, recalling many things:
“Actually, when I was young, I was also an adventurer like you. So for me, the happiest thing is to die on an adventure.”
“Uh…”
“But I no longer have the strength to cross the mountains, nor can I go to the demon realm alone. So, adventurer, could you do me a favor?”
“What… favor?”
“I want to die filled with hope and courage, so, can you take me to find a monster and let me duel it to the death?”
