Chapter Thirteen: Shifting Stars and Turning Skies (Part Two)
Tao Ming put the stones into her pocket and took out the slip of paper. On it was written: “Mingming, these are the sealing stones left behind by your father and me. Inside are part of our cultivation methods and power. For details on how to use them, you can ask Banxia.”
“You just left them lying around like this? What if someone else picked up Dazzling Stars—wouldn’t it end up in someone else’s pocket?” Tao Ming started grumbling again.
Just then, a flash of light swept across the wall in front of her, and a line of words appeared: If the person does not carry Tao Sisi’s genes, this box will not appear to them.
Tao Ming muttered resentfully, “Always showing text like this—how outdated! Earth already has artificial intelligence now, you need to keep up with the times. At the very least, you could develop a voice system!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a speaker appeared on the wall, and a simulated voice came from it: “Certainly.”
“I—I—” Tao Ming was at a loss for words.
“Is there anything the master wishes to request?” the voice asked.
“Can you change to a more pleasant male voice? Something deep and rich, maybe?” she suggested.
The wall flashed again, and the speaker produced the voice of Su Nanxing: “Certainly.”
Tao Ming was floored, gritting her teeth as she asked, “What trick is this?”
“Searching the master’s memory. This is the male voice the master likes best.”
Still gritting her teeth, Tao Ming muttered, “Then switch to a soft voice instead.”
“Certainly.”
“I have a question. Since you’re so powerful, why didn’t my parents use you to retake Weishui and overthrow the royal family?”
The soft voice replied, “Master, your mother’s upbringing did not foster such rebellious thoughts. After she gained control of me, she only used me to escape danger and never really studied me.”
This gentle tone lifted Tao Ming’s mood a little.
“All right, then what exactly are you? So advanced—surely you were created by some higher civilization?”
“I cannot say.”
“I’ll hazard a guess. Are these myriad worlds actually games created by higher civilizations, and we—living within them—are just NPCs?” Tao Ming let her imagination run wild.
“No. These are all real worlds.”
“What were the previous masters like?” Tao Ming was deeply curious.
“I cannot say.”
“Do all those worlds have intelligent beings?” she pressed.
“When your strength is sufficient, you’ll naturally find out.”
Oh dear, the weak have no rights at all!
“All right, I’m heading out now. I want you to give me an inventory of everything in the warehouse—otherwise I’d die of exhaustion checking each one by hand.”
“Certainly.”
With that, Tao Ming exited Dazzling Stars.
She took the two stones from her pocket and handed them to Tao Banxia. “My mother said you’d show me how to use these.”
Tao Banxia didn’t take them. “The process of receiving the inheritance is rather dramatic. We’ll need a safe place.”
Tao Ming nodded and put the stones away again. “Okay, let’s deal with Nuonuo and Ruansoft’s contract first.”
“Wait. You look a bit different now—don’t go out yet. I need to cast a little spell on the old man so he doesn’t get suspicious.” Tao Banxia waved at the door and went out.
Tao Ming sat on the bed, her heart as unsettled as a row of buckets hanging on hooks, rising and falling, worried that Ruansoft might be frightened when she saw her.
Nuonuo circled Tao Ming, saying as she went, “You know, you look a little like your grandmother now!”
Tao Ming had no energy to respond, her eyes fixed anxiously on the bedroom door, both eager and fearful.
She heard Tao Banxia’s voice from the living room: “Ruansoft, Mama is waiting for you in the bedroom. Go on in.”
“Okay,” came Ruansoft’s reply, followed by the sound of running footsteps.
The door swung open, and Ruansoft ran in. She stopped short at the sight of Tao Ming, then leapt onto her lap, wrapping her arms around Tao Ming’s neck and peering left and right. “Mama, you seem a little odd to me.”
“How so?” Tao Ming held her securely, afraid she would fall.
“I don’t know… I just feel you’re a little strange.” Ruansoft kept glancing around.
“Do you like me the way I am now?” Tao Ming asked, still nervous.
“I do! You’re my mama—I like you best!”
Tao Ming breathed a sigh of relief and planted a kiss on Ruansoft’s cheek.
Ruansoft imitated her and kissed Tao Ming in return.
“Mama, why did you call me in? I was just playing blocks with grandpa!” In truth, she’d been eating cotton candy, and grandpa had been covering for her; but that was not something Mama could know.
Tao Ming composed herself and said, “Ruansoft, I have something very important to ask you. Would you like to be Nuonuo’s very best friend in the whole world?”
Ruansoft looked puzzled. “Didn’t you say Nuonuo is my little sister?”
“She’s not just your sister. Mama hopes that you two will become the best of friends.” After all, watching too many palace dramas had taught her that even sisters could scheme against each other!
“Even better than I am with Mama?” Ruansoft pouted.
“Yes, even better than with Mama.” Tao Ming nodded earnestly.
“All right, I’ll listen to Mama.” Ruansoft sounded a little down.
Tao Ming continued gently, “Now, Nuonuo has been cursed by a bad person and turned into a kitten. Only you can help her become a little girl again. Will you help?”
“I will! Teacher says we must be helpful to others!” Ruansoft declared eagerly.
“In the future, you’ll have to fight bad people together with Nuonuo. It’ll be dangerous—are you willing?”
“Mama, will you go with me?”
“Of course Mama will go with you!”
“As long as you’re with me, I’m not afraid!” Ruansoft’s eyes sparkled like stars.
“Now, I need you to give a little blood. Is that okay?”
“Will it hurt?” she asked.
Nuonuo thought, The power of their bloodline is truly strong—both of them are afraid of pain.
“It won’t hurt, just a tiny bit.”
“All right, how do I do it?”
Tao Ming looked at Nuonuo. “Go ahead.”
Nuonuo produced the contract stone from her belly, pricked her own paw, and let a drop of bright red blood fall onto it.
Ruansoft looked a little scared. “Mama, can I close my eyes and not look?”
Tao Ming thought, She really is my daughter!
She cradled Ruansoft’s head to her chest, guided her small hand outward, and Nuonuo quickly gave her a small cut, pressing the contract stone to the wound.
The contract stone absorbed the blood, and two visible beams of light shot out, connecting Ruansoft and Nuonuo together. When the light faded, Nuonuo had disappeared, and in her place stood a little naked girl, eyes tightly shut, looking almost exactly like Ruansoft, except for a small “king” character on her forehead.
Tao Ming patted Ruansoft’s back. “Ruansoft, look—you have a little sister now.”
Ruansoft didn’t respond. Tao Ming lifted her and found that her eyes were tightly closed, her eyeballs moving rapidly beneath her eyelids. Her body temperature was soaring, almost too hot to touch.
Panicked, Tao Ming shouted, “Mom! Mom!”
Tao Banxia rushed in at the sound.
“Mom, after Ruansoft and Nuonuo formed the contract, she’s like this now!”
Tao Banxia checked Ruansoft’s eyelids and forehead. “After the contract, both parties will gain power, but the spiritual energy here on Earth is too thin to support their advancement. Quickly, bring them into the Chaos Blood Silk.”
Tao Ming, flustered, asked, “How do I do that?”
“Just focus on what you want to take in.” Tao Banxia scooped up Nuonuo.
Following her instructions, Tao Ming concentrated, and in the blink of an eye, she was inside the Chaos Blood Silk.
Seeing the clumps of knee-high wild grass, Tao Ming knew she’d made it.
Tao Banxia said, “The spiritual energy here is dense—should be enough for them to recover.”
A breeze seemed to rise around them, and Tao Ming noticed a tiny vortex forming above Ruansoft and Nuonuo’s heads. Suddenly, the two girls floated up and lay suspended in the air, surrounded by swirling currents.
After a few minutes the wind died down, and Tao Ming and Tao Banxia hurried to catch the girls as they drifted gently to the ground.
Ruansoft opened her eyes, looking up at Tao Ming. “Mama, I’m so tired.”
Tao Ming hugged her tightly. “Then sleep for a while, Mama’s here.”
Nuonuo also opened her eyes, turned her head to look around, and then glanced down at her own body in surprise. “How did I become human? I’m not even old enough yet!”