"And perhaps, it was fate."
After a brief silence.
The Green Qilin continued, "In the three days before Mr. Qi left, he had someone place a Zi Luo Ling on a nearby mountain."
A purple flower.
When it swayed, it made a pleasant sound like wind chimes.
"That was a unique way for Qilins to communicate."
"He was severely injured, but if a Qilin intervened, there was still hope."
Xu Nan thought of the Fire Qilin.
"Did it come?"
The Green Qilin shook its head, "On that day, the Fire Qilin came to find Mr. Qi because the Qilins were about to leave this place."
Migration.
Like migratory birds flying south, or salmon returning to their rivers.
Qilins also yearned for places with better fortune.
Undertaking a great migration.
In places abundant with spiritual energy, it was more beneficial for a Qilin's cultivation.
Clearly, this chaotic world was not their ideal abode.
The only Qilin willing to stay and end this chaotic era…
Was also close to death.
"So, all he left behind in the end was regret."
"So Qilins migrate too…"
Xu Nan silently took out his little notebook and jotted it down.
He also asked a couple of questions: "Where did they migrate to later? How many Qilins still exist in the world?"
Looking at the ghost child in front of him, who seemed to be attending a lecture, the Green Qilin paused. "...I am merely a wisp of residual consciousness."
Please don't ask it so many questions.
Xu Nan put away his notebook and said sincerely, "Sorry, it's a habit."
*Knock knock.*
Jiang Lin tapped the table, drawing the attention of the ghost and the residual consciousness back.
"What happened next? Did Mr. Qi just turn into a [Spirit]?"
Xu Nan didn't know, but Jiang Lin had witnessed it firsthand:
—After the [Spirit] named Happiness disappeared, this Qilin horn appeared.
If this Mr. Qi was the manifestation of the Green Qilin's true form…
Then the one who eventually became a [Spirit] must have been that Mr. Qi.
Based on the information Jiang Lin had gathered so far, only those recognized by the World Spirit could become [Spirits].
So…
Had that Mr. Qi met the World Spirit?
"Mr. Qi eventually became a [Spirit]?"
Xu Nan looked at Captain Jiang in surprise, then at the Green Qilin.
Not long ago,
Captain Jiang had suddenly started his leave because of a [Spirit] called 'Happiness'.
Regarding the existence and information of [Spirits], Xu Nan had memorized it by heart.
As soon as Jiang Lin mentioned it, it immediately thought of the same question.
—Had this Qilin residual consciousness also seen the World Spirit?
Thinking of this, it felt an urge to take out its little notebook.
That was an existence even the White Dragon Ao Bai had only heard of!
"...?"
The Green Qilin didn't understand why Xu Nan's emotions had suddenly become so agitated.
It raised its front hoof.
And rewound the scene of the chaotic world.
"The existence of Qilins is quite special. Generally speaking, even if their physical bodies die, their soul consciousness can be reborn in another vessel and survive under certain circumstances."
"At that time, they were not under the jurisdiction of the Underworld."
"And Mr. Qi's state at that time was not entirely a Qilin, nor entirely human…"
…
After Mr. Qi's death, his soul consciousness never left.
And it continued to observe this chaotic world.
Could it end?
When would it end?
How many people would successfully hold on until that time…?
He saw Xiao Huzizi interacting with foreign enemies.
He saw Xiangshui Village being occupied.
Because Xiangshui Village had no natural disasters for ten years, it attracted the contention of major forces.
He saw Jiang Xiaoyue die, Sun Youfu die, and the guards die…
Battlefields everywhere, corpses everywhere.
During this process, Mr. Qi did see people who possessed great fortune.
People who possessed great fortune had a layer of golden light floating around them.
In times of peace, these people could live and work in peace and gain some fame.
But in this chaotic world of declining fortune, this bit of fortune seemed too weak.
Not enough.
Before long, those who possessed great fortune died one after another.
Some died in battle, some died of starvation.
Others died from schemes and infighting.
"…"
Mr. Qi watched all of this.
Wanting to do something, but feeling powerless.
He watched helplessly as the chaotic world continued for nearly a century.
After a century—
The number of people alive in this land had greatly reduced.
Perhaps because those who fought for dominance finally realized that continuing like this was unsustainable.
Or perhaps because this land had finally recovered a bit of its fortune.
The chaotic world, which had lasted for nearly a hundred years, finally slowed down.
It hit the pause button.
Various factions rested and recuperated, starting to think about how to solve the current predicament.
To avoid the heavy losses caused by natural disasters.
Gradually, a semblance of peace seemed to emerge across the land.
Seeing this,
Mr. Qi couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.
It was good that the war had stopped.
As long as it stopped, everyone could work together and find solutions.
As the fortune of this land gradually recovered, natural disasters would also decrease.
Then, everything would get better.
But unfortunately, not everyone had such patience.
Due to the scarcity of resources, war broke out again.
Even the temporary ceasefires were preparations for a better war.
Some begged the heavens, some went mad.
Some committed suicide in despair, some endured.
Everyone made a choice.
Or perhaps… they had no choice at all.
…
Year after year…
Time passed, it was unclear how long.
So long that there was no war on the ground, no major factions.
Nor were there any crops.
Looking out, only ruins were visible everywhere.
There were almost no signs of human habitation.
Mr. Qi's soul consciousness descended upon Xiangshui Village.
It was now just a wasteland.
The scenes of the past seemed like a long time ago, yet also as if they were yesterday.
Jiang Xiaoyue, Sun Youfu, Aunt Li… the chief, second chief, and third chief of the bandit stronghold…
'Mr. Qi, I've gathered the herbs you wanted.'
'Mr. Qi, do you want to eat? This old man is so dizzy from hunger, hahaha…'
'Mr. Qi, I, Scarface, am not very educated… Tell us where to fight, and we'll fight there!'
'Mr. Qi, you must take care of yourself, we all depend on you.'
Voices echoed in his mind.
Young, old, small.
Joyful, worried, excited…
"Is it that difficult to obtain happiness…?"
He looked at the desolate land before him, his eyes filled with extreme sorrow.
What they wanted was so simple.
Why,
Even if it's just pity,
Can this world not look properly at this land?
This land… it is also a part of your myriad things!
…
【Your obsession, I have received it.】
Suddenly, a voice sounded in Mr. Qi's mind.
Clear and distinct.
He froze on the spot.
After that, the voice seemed to say something, but also seemed to say nothing.
He didn't have time to think carefully, his entire soul was hazy, as if separated from the world by a layer.
When he regained consciousness again.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
From then on,
The world lost a Mr. Qi.
And gained a… [Spirit] named 'Happiness'.
…