History lesson

MoQiu wondered whether he should answer her and take her to his parents, or he should take her together to hear the answer. Finally, he decided on taking her along with him, for he felt he needed to compensate her somehow for failing to rescue her.

"I think it's best we talk when we are all together. Where is the little boy, though?" MoQiu asked.

"He is sleeping." Jiushu answered.

"Where?" MoQiu asked.

After all, the little boy needed medical assistance urgently. He actually went to the tree hollow to retrieve the child, not Jiushu.

"Somewhere safe." Jiushu gave a noncommittal answer.

MoQiu looked at her chidingly, as if he is a teacher and she is a little child.

"It is really safe." Jiushu insisted.

"Unless you put him in your pocket, there's no safe place for him." MoQiu said sarcastically.

This guy… he has become far too cranky in the little time she has gone. When she first met him, even if he was a little uptight, he wasn't this bad.

"Then let's say I put him in my pocket." Jiushu snarked right back.

"Then I suggest you retrieve him from your pocket. That child needs medical assistance immediately." MoQiu said, getting impatient. He hasn't got the time to play word games with this girl.

This is a safe location, but following the great fire, there was a downpouring. All the area around the mountains is flooded. Flood victims will be reaching this area any time soon. They need to go to Gansu before refugees go that way.

"Fine." Jiushu snarked, before waving her hand.

Xiao xing appeared along with his straw bed and blankets, still sleeping soundly.

MoQiu stared slack jawed at the sight.

"You can store him in your space?" he asked excitedly, after he recovered from the surprise.

"He is the first I tried." Jiushu gave a noncommittal answer.

MoQiu moved to pick up the child.

"Wait" Jiushu moved hurriedly in front of the child.

"What's the guarantee you will come back for me?" she asked.

"What?.." MoQiu looked at her with a hurt expression.

Jiushu hardened her heart. Even if she believed he had no duty to rescue her, he did abandon her once. She can accept such things easily, but she could not let him place her little brother on third or fourth priority. So she needs insurance as long as it is about her little brother.

"You… give me that white jade pendant. I will return it to you once I and the child here are re-united." Jiushu told him.

MoQiu is hesitant.

"What if you run away with my jade?" MoQiu asked petulantly after some thought.

"I need a person to cart me around, so I need you. You know my secret on top of it. Last, but not the least, wherever I may run, you can get there faster. Can't you?" Jiushu asked.

MoQiu thought about it for some time, and agreed. Jiushu felt quite a bit relieved. She thought she might have to fight him tooth and nail to get him to agree.

He stopped for a moment, and then gave Jiushu his jade.

Jiushu is quite sure he did something to reduce the value of the jade, but she is not sure what.

MoQiu took Xiao Xing and left.

Jiushu looked at the message in front of her.

You have a hunter's space with you. Integrate? [ Yes ] [ No ].

Jiushu chose yes decisively.

You can now farm animals.

You can now store hunters' game.

Jiushu smiled. Well, she is not very good at it, but she is sure in a small amount, she can indeed raise chicken. Pigs are impossible, she is not very good at ducks. Probably she will keep a horse. She will not rely on MoQiu all the time.

MoQiu came back for her.

She waved his jade in front of him, and entered her space decisively. Jiushu knows she is probably farming bad feelings, but she decided, at this point, better safe than sorry. She would rather have a little bad blood than trust where she should not. However, this time around, she needn't fear. MoQiu took her to his bed room, from there, they both emerged to greet his parents.

"Little shu." MoQiu's mother hugged her as she exclaimed.

There were many inquiries about her health, what happened to her and such. Jiushu clammed up in response. MoQiu removed his mother from her before she could press for more.

"Mother, let her breathe." he separated his mother from her decisively.

They are currently staying in an inn, so Jiushu and Xiao xing followed MoQiu's parents there. In the night, they all met to have the long due discussion.

"Perhaps we should start with introductions." MoQiu's mother said. Then she started her story.

My name is Fa Bi Lan. My husband's name is Fa Jian feng, and you know our son, Fa Mo qiu. Before we came to Xiang mountains, we lived in the capital city. As you already know, in this world, Deities are tangible. The great land is divided into seven smaller parts, and an angel looks after each of these smaller lands. However, the land is too big, and needs of its people many.

Thus, angels began the tradition of blessings. Each year, twelve people are selected to receive blessings, eleven men and a taoist. Blessings are great powers, which makes man equal to god in a certain manner. A Taoist, on the other hand, has the ability to deal with intangible things. Some, can bind you to a task indefinitely. Some can bewitch your mind, yet others, store floods and forest fires. In addition to this, a Taoist possesses the greatest power of them all, the power to bind angels to a single rule.

It is said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It is exactly what happened to the tradition of blessings. The ones who received blessings helped people greatly. However, greed and corruption began to set seed among the men, with it, came demons. A mad Taoist of great power set a rule that any person will be allowed to steal another person's blessing. Thus, angels are bound. From then on, demons have become rampant.

Men began stealing each other's power, and the power of blessing degraded with each time it's touched with ill intention. In time, another Taoist established a rule: an angel must divide the power of blessings it gives into twelve hundred parts, twelve blessings for each year of human's lifespan. However, if an angel does not give out twelve blessings a year, it will forfeit it's life and power. The magical power, which is only attracted to the like, thus the next most powerful man around.

This all would have run like clockwork, if not for the Demon king. Demon king forced a taoist to bind the angel of the land to give out blessings only to his descendants. Then he started purging the city of the blessed. As you might have guessed, we ourselves possess minor blessings, I possess the blessing of observation and candor, well suited for a historian. Jian feng possesses the blessing of paladin, which makes him a far better warrior than rest.

At this point, it must be said. The Demon king is none other than emperor of this nation. The prince, who was blessed with long life, had the unique opportunity to retrieve all twelve hundred blessings. It is him who inspired the Taoist to bind angels to twelve hundred blessings, and it is also him who bound blessings to his descendants.

We historians kept a record of all the blessed in the land. Before he became Demon king, when he was but a prince, he was a great friend of our clan. He asked our ancestor for these records. Our ancestors complied. However, what he didn't know was much of that book is fake. It is to ensure that no one who has received the book will act unscrupulously. With the first culling, our ancestor realized what happened. He let me, the least important of his children leave with the most important of our possessions, the records of the blessed. Jian feng accompanied me on my journey as my protector.

Both our clans perished in the capital, for refusing to offer the emperor our blessings. The emperor lost the records of the blessed, but his power is still his own. Overtime, he developed a system which recognizes any stray blessed. We imagine he has a way to take the blessings of his own children. Your father and I might die at any time, A'Qiu. I hoped I had more time to prepare you, but we do not. I only wanted you to have more time to just be a child.