Chapter 55: In the Midst of Heartbreak

During the days she waited for Xian Yu’s return, the God’s Attendant also engaged in self-reflection.

To him, the matter of love was as elusive and confounding as a labyrinth—impossible to grasp, absurd even in recollection. Even the mere act of recalling certain moments felt utterly ridiculous. Yet, after living for centuries, he managed to distill some reasons upon careful contemplation.

The foremost cause, he realized, was that the vessel he had chosen was far too striking in appearance.

He had initially picked a demon beast as a host for its solitary nature—unencumbered by attachments, so that even amnesia would not hinder his mission to escort Shen Xiao to Spirit Mountain. However, he overlooked another trait: after taking human form, such beasts were exceptionally attractive. And an appealing male inevitably drew the attention of young women. Coupled with the fact that their goals aligned and they spent every day together, how could sparks not fly?

Next time, he reasoned, he would simply choose an unattractive vessel—one that would not catch Xian Yu’s eye. That way, romance would naturally be out of the question.

As for why he secretly sent a fragment of his divine consciousness with Xian Yu, the reason was something she could not be allowed to know just yet. For now, he would keep it hidden…

…

A week later, Xian Yu appeared before the God’s Attendant.

This time, her physical examination had finally revealed something: the doctor discovered a tumor inside her, about the size of a fingernail. Although it had not yet impacted her health, surgery was recommended as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration.

She had brought her old medical records in her bag, but did not show them to the doctor. Had the doctor seen them, he would have been astounded: how could a patient whose illness was once advancing rapidly now have a tumor that was shrinking?

Xian Yu knew her improvement was thanks to the spiritual energy of the Celestial Palace. Upon her return, she immediately grabbed her pillow and headed for the basement, resolving to spend as much time as possible recuperating there.

To stave off boredom, she brought several books with her.

The first item on her wish list: read a good book.

Just because she no longer faced imminent death didn’t mean she could ignore her list. Everything she wished to do ought to be accomplished while alive, not left for regret at the end.

As Xian Yu read, the God’s Attendant quietly observed her from the side.

Her complexion was still good, but she seemed listless and drained of energy. Though she clasped a book in her hands, she had not turned a page for a long while, as if her mind had drifted far away. She sat there in a daze.

—

The God’s Attendant thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, “If Your Grace still has concerns, you may return to that world and take a look. Since a statue of you stands there, traveling back should be quite convenient.”

Xian Yu did not respond, book in hand, lost in thought.

He wondered if she had heard him, so he rephrased his explanation with care: “In any world where there is a statue of you and incense is offered, I can use the faith gathered in the statue as a conduit to send you there. If there is no statue, it is still possible, but it will cost more effort. Wherever you travel in the future, you might keep this in mind—the more people who worship you, the greater the benefit to you.”

Still, Xian Yu showed no reaction, her gaze dazed upon the book as if not a word had gone in.

“…Your Grace?” The God’s Attendant frowned, pondering his words. “If you do not understand, I can explain again.”

“I understand…” Xian Yu replied slowly.

He continued, “Although a statue is but a lifeless stone, frequent offerings can gather faith. The more faith it holds, the stronger its spiritual power becomes. If you visit a statue with a particularly fervent following, you may even be more powerful there than in this world. Conversely, if you go to a world without any of your statues, you would be as powerless as any ordinary person…”

“…I understand.” Xian Yu nodded lazily, signaling she had heard enough.

But the God’s Attendant could not simply watch her languish in heartbreak. He pressed on, “Assisting Your Grace in rebuilding the Celestial Palace is my duty. If there is anything you do not understand, you need only ask, and I will answer all…”

At last, Xian Yu’s gaze shifted from the nameless book in her hands to his refined, handsome face.

“I said, I really do understand…” she said with some pain in her eyes. “It’s like playing a game—each time you open a new map, it costs a lot of energy, but if you’ve set up a teleport point or a save point, coming and going becomes easy, and you might even get a buff. Is that about right?”

The God’s Attendant was silent.

“I’m just not in the mood right now. Could you let me be alone for a while?” Xian Yu’s tone was weary.

He fell silent.

After a moment, he clasped his hands and said, “I take my leave.”

His figure, hovering in mid-air, began to fade and turn transparent. Just as he was about to disappear, Xian Yu suddenly sighed, put down her book, and said, “Never mind… I can’t focus anyway. Tell me more about the Celestial Palace.”

His form solidified once more.

Xian Yu asked, “How is the collection of spiritual energy going? How much more do we need to restore the Spirit Herb Garden?”

“There is enough spiritual energy,” the God’s Attendant answered quietly, head lowered. “But the garden requires a large area, and the current space is insufficient. We must wait until we relocate before it can be restored.”

Xian Yu eyed him suspiciously. “How can there not be enough room?”

—

He explained, “I’m sure Your Grace has noticed that the Celestial Palace is surrounded by nothing but dim mist. That is because it has always been hidden within a mustard seed space—a realm meant for storage. It is already a stretch to fit the bedchamber and the wishing pool; there is simply no more room for the Spirit Herb Garden.”

“But… there’s nowhere else that’s suitable,” Xian Yu said, troubled. “The bedchamber and the wishing pool are so big—where could we move them? If we put them in the yard, they’d attract a crowd. Even if we hid them deep in the mountains, tourists or adventurers would discover them soon enough!”

In this world, there was scarcely a place untouched by humans.

The God’s Attendant offered a suggestion: “Why not settle the Celestial Palace in another world?”

“Another world?” Xian Yu was momentarily startled, then inspiration struck her. “I could place the Celestial Palace in Greenhill City.”

Then she could be neighbors with Shen Xiao! Maybe she’d even see Lin Yuan again!

But the God’s Attendant shook his head. “That would not be wise.”

“Why not?!” Xian Yu’s eyes widened, her budding excitement dashed.

He said solemnly, “Right now, the Celestial Palace is like a newborn, without the means to protect itself. Greenhill City’s world is rife with monsters and demons. Should a powerful one seize the palace and steal your spiritual energy, the consequences would be dire.”

Xian Yu let out a dispirited sigh. “Then where do you suggest we go?”

“In my view, it would be best to select a mountain range near the Dragon God’s statue in that other world. That world is plagued by natural disasters, but little strife among people. There are no demons or wars—an ideal place for the Celestial Palace to take root,” the God’s Attendant sincerely advised.

“Oh…” she nodded, listless.

She understood well enough—he meant a place suited for quiet, cautious growth.

“Let’s move as you suggest,” she said.

Since she couldn’t be Shen Xiao’s neighbor or see Lin Yuan, it made no difference to her where they went…

…