Xilin’s persistence

In the narrow passage, the sounds of Isabella’s furious shrieks and her followers’ rummaging were muffled by the heavy bookshelves and shadows, slowly becoming distant and unreal.

Xia Ya pressed himself against the cold wall, feeling the small body in his arms transition from an initial rigid trembling to a gradual relaxation, and now… a strange quietness.

He lowered his head slightly, and by the faint light filtering through the gaps, he met Xilin’s eyes.

The lingering terror in them had not completely faded, but it was replaced by something else… confusion? Curiosity? Even… a barely perceptible hint of… reliance?

For a moment, she reminded Xia Ya of the first time he had seen Beilixiya in the slums.

This realization made Xia Ya’s heart skip a beat for some reason.

He deliberately maintained the “fierce” expression on his face, lowered his voice, and spoke with a threatening tone: “Listen up, little mute. We have to get out of here before that madwoman tears this place apart.”

He released the hand covering Xilin’s mouth, but his arm still remained protectively around her side.

“Stay close, don’t make a sound, and don’t fall behind. If you’re found, I’ll throw you back to feed that golden turkey!”

Xilin nodded vigorously at once. Far from being frightened, she felt an inexplicable sense of security from Xia Ya’s deliberately “fierce” tone.

And his description of Isabella—”golden turkey”? So fitting! It made her want to laugh, but she quickly suppressed it.

Xia Ya had no time to spare for the little girl’s thoughts; he was listening intently to the commotion outside. When the sounds of the search began to move toward another set of shelves, he decisively took Xilin’s small, cold hand.

“Let’s go.”

His movements were swift and silent as he led Xilin through the maze-like old book section. The route he chose was extremely tricky, one that even Xilin had never taken.

Xilin was pulled along, her steps a bit unsteady, but she did her best to keep up.

When Xia Ya led Xilin out of the library through a nearly forgotten side door, cluttered with discarded tables and chairs, and they breathed in the fresh, grassy air once more, Xilin realized with a jolt that she had actually escaped!

The two stood in a secluded back alley, gasping for the air of freedom. A mixture of post-escape joy and lingering fear made Xilin’s legs still feel a bit weak.

She looked up, staring intently at the stranger who had saved her.

Xia Ya let go of her hand and rubbed his throbbing temples, muttering, “Tsk, what a disaster… Alright, little mute, you’re safe. Hurry up and…”

He had intended to tell her to go home and stop loitering.

“My name is Xilin!”

A clear voice interrupted him, carrying a note of undeniable firmness.

“Xilin Emerald-Shadow! Not some little mute!”

Xia Ya paused, looking down at her.

The girl’s pale face was now flushed with a healthy blush in the sunset, her emerald horns seemed to glow with life, and her vertical emerald pupils were filled with undisguised curiosity, gratitude, and a light of… almost adoration.

“Oh, Xilin.”

Xia Ya shrugged nonchalantly and turned to leave.

“Alright, got it. Go home now, and next time, don’t…”

“What about you?”

Xilin asked eagerly, following him like a little shadow. “What’s your name? Was that spatial magic you used just now? It was amazing! I just switched places in a flash! It’s even more magical than what’s written in the books! Are you a teacher at the academy? Or a powerful adventurer?”

A barrage of questions came at him like a machine gun, making Xia Ya’s head ache. He stopped and looked helplessly at the suddenly talkative dragon-kin girl.

“So many questions. My name is Xia Ya, Xia Ya von Wolfgang. Not a teacher, barely an adventurer, I guess. As for the magic… hmm, just practiced a bit.” He tried to downplay it.

“Xia Ya von Wolfgang…”

Xilin repeated the name under her breath, her eyes instantly shining with astonishing brightness! She remembered! Her sister, Tikona, had mentioned this name through gritted teeth! That “annoying young master”!

But…

But her sister had clearly said he was mean, petty, and cunning… yet this person had just saved her. Although his tone was gruff, his actions were so gentle (meaning he hadn’t hurt her), and his magic was so powerful!

And… he was… really handsome! A million times more handsome than the dirty men in Rustwater Lane and the pretentious young masters at the academy! And much more handsome than her sister’s description!

The small flame of admiration in Xilin’s heart instantly roared into a blazing fire!

“Mr. Xia Ya!”

Xilin suddenly stood up straight, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. She looked up at him and, with all her strength, said in an incredibly serious and loud voice: “Please take me as your disciple! Teach me magic! Teach me the amazing spatial magic you use!”

“Huh?!”

Xia Ya nearly choked on his own saliva. “Take you as a disciple? Teach you magic? Little girl, are you alright?”

He pointed to the faded, patched old dress Xilin was wearing. “Do you know how many resources it takes to systematically learn magic, especially spatial magic? How much theoretical foundation is needed? And…”

He thought of Tikona’s irascible face with a headache. “Your sister and I… well, our relationship is a bit complicated. Teach you? I’m afraid she’ll come after me with a knife if she finds out.”

“I’m not afraid of my sister!”

Xilin argued eagerly, her face turning redder with excitement. “My sister… she’s actually a very good person! She’s just… just a bit fierce to people she doesn’t know! And, I don’t need a lot of resources!”

Her eyes shone with determination. “I’m very smart! I… I learned everything by reading books myself! I can understand them! I even take notes! Look!”

She fumbled in her clothes and pulled out a small booklet bound with rough parchment and a small piece of charcoal, densely filled with crooked runes and annotations.

Xia Ya’s gaze swept over the simple notebook, and his heart stirred slightly.

To be able to secretly learn magic to this extent in the slums… this girl was indeed exceptionally talented.

But he quickly suppressed this admiration.

No! Absolutely not!

Getting involved with Tikona’s sister meant getting involved with the trouble of the “Scorched Scales,” and being deeply tied to the core characters of the original protagonist party. This went against his strategic goal of avoiding the main plot and protecting Beilixiya!

“Nope.”

Xia Ya refused flatly, his tone becoming distant again. “I have no time and no interest in taking a disciple. Spatial magic is not a game, it’s very dangerous. Go home to your sister.” He turned to leave, his attitude resolute.

“Mr. Xia Ya!”

Xilin watched his retreating back, tears welling up in her eyes.

But she didn’t cry. Instead, she sniffled hard and, at Xia Ya’s back, shouted in a tear-filled yet incredibly determined voice:

“I won’t give up!”

“I will definitely make you see my determination!”

“I will definitely make you willing to teach me!”

“You just wait and see!”

After shouting, as if she had used up all her courage, she turned abruptly and ran off, her emerald tail tracing a stubborn arc in the sunset, quickly disappearing around the corner of the alley.

Xia Ya stood there, looking at the empty alley, the girl’s tearful yet resounding declaration still seeming to echo in his ears.

He pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling his temples throb.

“…What kind of mess is this?”

He sighed deeply, feeling more mentally exhausted than after a fight with a furious Beilixiya.

He hadn’t even completely gotten rid of one Tikona, and now her sister was added to the mix? A “sticky candy” he couldn’t get rid of?

“The future… is so bright.”