The Great Guardian fled in a near-tumble. He had expected to sweep through this place with a small contingent, only to have them annihilated upon first encounter!
"You let them go, aren't you afraid of endless trouble?"
"Whether it's humans or animals, they all seek to avoid harm and pursue benefit," Xiao Man landed on the ground. The Fire Phoenix transformed into human form. Ever since entering the wilderness, they had been trapped in the Illusory Beast Space and couldn't get out. It wasn't until Xiao Man completely absorbed the inheritance that they could finally emerge.
"Greetings, Divine Maiden."
"Elder Shi, tell everyone to return to their villages," Xiao Man said softly. "They cannot enter here anymore."
"Yes, Divine Maiden." Elder Shi turned and looked at the other priests. "Take your tribesmen and return to your respective homes. We are safe."
However, none of the twelve priests moved. Their gazes were fixed on Xiao Man, "Your Highness the Divine Maiden, the living environment of the twelve villages..."
"Do not worry, everyone. The Ruo Shui River will soon return to normal," Xiao Man interjected. "Once the Ruo Shui River is restored, the spiritual energy here will also recover."
"We don't have to leave here anymore?"
Xiao Man shook her head. "You can continue to live here with peace of mind. This small world is safer than the outside. After I leave, I will completely sever the connection between this small world and the outside to prevent calamities."
"You are leaving?" The hearts that had just settled rose again. They thought that with the Divine Maiden's return, they could finally live a life superior to others, only to discover that Xiao Man was leaving again.
"Are you going to abandon us again?" Huo Lei stepped forward and asked loudly.
Xiao Man glanced at Huo Lei. "Cang Xuan is in chaos. The laws of heaven and earth have many loopholes, and the person behind it is unable to repair them. If I stay here, people from the outside will likely find every possible way to break the seal and enter the wilderness for refuge. At that time, you will not be their match."
Elder Bai pulled Huo Lei. "We understand."
"Great Priest, but..."
Elder Bai shook his head. Whether it was Xuan Xin of the past or Xiao Man of the present, she never belonged here. They could not keep her. Moreover, in their current state, they could not offer Xiao Man any help; instead, they would only become a burden. It was enough for them to guard this world for her.
The villagers from other villages, who had rushed to Sun Village for refuge, now hurried back to their own villages. However, their feelings were vastly different from when they had arrived. The gloom that had shrouded their hearts had dispersed.
Seeing everyone disperse, Taotie clutched his chest. "Xiao Man, I... I'm injured. I'll need at least ten roasted sheep to recover."
Xiao Man beamed and directly handed him a bottle of pills. "I can't give you roasted sheep for now. Have a bottle of Spirit Replenishing Pills to fill your stomach first."
Taotie reached out, snatched it, poured out a pill, and popped it into his mouth. "Second-grade Spirit Replenishing Pill, good quality. Where did you get it?"
"I refined it," Xiao Man said as she walked out.
"You can refine pills too!" Taotie was quite surprised. He thought Xiao Man, apart from cooking well, only knew how to cause trouble. He never expected her to be able to refine medicine!
"Your Highness the Divine Maiden, where are you going?"
"The Fusang Divine Tree has withered, causing the Ruo Shui River to lose its source of spiritual energy. I am going to heal the Fusang Divine Tree," Xiao Man said gently. "For the remaining matters, Elder Shi will make arrangements himself."
"To heal the Divine Tree, can I follow and watch?" Little Shi ran up and asked. His large eyes were full of curiosity. He had always found the Fusang Divine Tree magical. It was clearly dead, yet it wouldn't decay. He never imagined it could be revived!
"You can."
The Fire Phoenix transformed into its original form. Xiao Man took Little Shi onto its back and disappeared from everyone's sight. Taotie glanced at Jun Ruo, grew wings on his back, and followed. Jun Ruo quickly grabbed Taotie's leg, and was carried away by Taotie as he flew.
Elder Shi turned to look at Elder Bai. Elder Bai chuckled. "Huo Lei, take the people of White Wolf Village back."
"Great Priest, I want to..."
"Don't think about anything, just do your job." Elder Bai interrupted him. "As for the Divine Maiden's affairs, no one else needs to worry."
"Great Priest, I..."
"As a warrior of White Wolf Village, your responsibility is to protect every person in White Wolf Village," Elder Bai's tone remained gentle. "Go, escort the villagers back to the village."
Huo Lei was silent for a moment, then immediately went to escort the villagers back. The villagers from other villages gradually moved out of Sun Village. Elder Shi stood at the entrance, watching them leave.
"Elder Bai, what do you think about Her Highness the Divine Maiden's decision to leave?" Elder Shi asked in a low voice.
"From the moment she appeared here, I knew she would leave," Elder Bai said with a smile. "Divine Maiden Xuan Xin is Divine Maiden Xuan Xin, and she is she. Even though she inherited Xuan Xin's legacy, they are not the same person."
Elder Shi looked at Elder Bai in surprise. "Only a reincarnation of the Divine Maiden can receive her inheritance. They are naturally the same person."
"Elder Shi, after tens of thousands of years, she has experienced much. She has no shared experiences of hardship with us, nor the experience of being born and raised here. How can she be like Divine Maiden Xuan Xin?" Elder Bai said calmly. "She is Xiao Man, she comes from the outside world, and she belongs to no one."
"Elder Bai, you mean..."
"For us, it is merely out of a love for the weak. If we cross the line, the consequences are beyond what you and I can bear." Elder Bai understood Xiao Man's temperament quite well. From the very beginning, when she dared to kill the people of Yan Hu Village, he knew Xiao Man was not to be trifled with. She was different from Xuan Xin!
"She is our hope."
"Hope is created by oneself, not given by others," Elder Bai said, quoting Xiao Man. "She always said that in this vast world, parents will not be our support, because they will grow old before us. Children will not be our support, because they will grow up and leave. Friends will not be our support, because they have their own responsibilities. Lovers will not be our support, because everyone is an independent individual. Only we ourselves are our own support."
"If everyone is self-centered, then the village will become a pile of loose sand!"
"Everyone has their own responsibilities, their own desires, and their own needs. The priest's responsibility is to guide the direction, the warrior's responsibility is to protect, and the child's responsibility is to learn. Different people, because of common responsibilities and desires, come together and become a village, not a village because of relying on someone."
"I still think Her Highness the Divine Maiden should stay."
"She has her own responsibilities, but we are not her responsibility." Elder Bai looked up at the sky. "What she has done for us is already more than enough. We cannot ask for more. Elder Shi, you are the head of the twelve villages' Great Priest. You understand the principle of insatiable greed better than I do. Are the lessons from tens of thousands of years ago not bloody enough?"