Hu Tao pointed at the softly glowing shapes. "Seelies. They're scattered all over the place, and if you're lucky enough to find one, they sometimes bring a bit of good fortune."
"But these two are acting weird," she added, her expression turning thoughtful. "They won't leave this spot. I tried shooing them off, but they just come right back."
"Let me try something."
She snapped her fingers, and a small cloud of crimson butterflies fluttered into existence around her. They danced in a lazy circle before drifting toward the Seelies. The little lights dodged the butterflies nervously but stubbornly held their ground.
"Just as I thought." Hu Tao tapped her chin. "Xiao An, these Seelies feel... attached. Like they're holding onto something. That kind of lingering bond usually only happens when someone's passed on. What do you make of that?"
Ji'an felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes drifted to the two stone markers at the cliff's edge.
Could it be...?
Almost without thinking, he reached out toward the Seelies.
Something strange happened. They'd been avoiding Hu Tao's butterflies, but as his hand approached, they paused, then drifted closer instead, floating right up to his fingertips.
At that exact moment, the System's voice chimed in his mind.
[Ding. Ordinary Simulation Fragment detected: 'The Seelies' Attachment.' Load fragment to initiate a Secondary Simulation.]
[Rewards from Secondary Simulation are expected to be minimal or nonexistent. System assessment: low value. Host is advised against proceeding.]
Ji'an considered for a moment. "System, is this simulation connected to Xiao Jiang?"
[Affirmative.]
"Could it actually help him somehow?"
[The possibility exists.]
"Then let's do it."
Decision made, he told Hu Tao he needed a minute alone and stepped aside.
Seven days had passed since his last full simulation, so the option was available again. His Special Terrain Scan was also ready, but this time it hadn't turned up anything useful. Might as well use the chance for something that mattered—if it could help Xiao Jiang, or whatever remained of his parents in those Seelies, it was worth it.
[Initiating Secondary Simulation. This is not a standard simulation mode.]
[Simulation Subject: 'Xiao Jiang.' Warning: This simulation may affect reality.]
The subject is Xiao Jiang himself? Interesting.
[Simulation commencing. Base attributes allocated. Please assign additional points.]
"First time I get to do this," Ji'an murmured, examining the stat sheet:
[Appearance]: 3
[Physique]: 5
[Intelligence]: 1
[Family Background]: 3
Additional Points: 5
The choice was obvious. He tapped the plus sign next to Intelligence.
A warning popped up immediately.
[Subject's Intelligence is inherently constrained. Applying points will incur a penalty reduction. Increased Intelligence will not take effect immediately.]
Of course it wouldn't be that simple. But if low intelligence was the main thing holding Xiao Jiang back, this was the only path forward.
He added all five points. Only three actually registered, showing up in ominous red text.
"Penalty of 0.6, and delayed activation..."
The talents list showed just one: [Forest Breeze].
Ji'an pressed the start button.
[Age 0: A boy is born. They name him Xiao Jiang.]
[Age 1: Xiao Jiang grows up among the mountains.]
[Age 2: Xiao Jiang hasn't started speaking yet. First-time parents, his mother and father worry. A doctor in the city tells them it's normal, and they breathe a sigh of relief.]
...
[Age 5: Years go by. Xiao Jiang's parents come to accept that their son will always have the mind of a child. They love him no less for it.]
...
[Age 10: Xiao Jiang's father hears about a famous doctor at Bubu Pharmacy—a man named Baizhu. He decides to seek him out, hoping for a miracle.]
...
[Age 13: Dr. Baizhu takes a personal interest in the case, but even his skills have limits. After years of trying with no progress, he reluctantly admits defeat.]
[Age 14: Xiao Jiang's body has grown tall and strong, though his mind remains young. His father can't bear to see his family living in fear any longer.]
[He leaves a letter: "After this last job, I'm resigning from the Millelith. Then we'll move, you and Jiang. "I've given most of my years to the force. Now I want some peace. The Ministry won't begrudge me that. "But for now, I'm still a soldier. I have to finish my duty. Wait for me at home. I'll be back."]
[Age 15: Xiao Jiang's father does not return from that final mission.]
[Age 16: Strangers come up the mountain with violence in their hearts. Xiao Jiang's mother tells him to play hide-and-seek—to hide and not come out no matter what. She leads the attackers away. Xiao Jiang hides, and waits. His mother never comes to find him.]
[Age 17: Xiao Jiang lives alone in the mountains. People visit sometimes, bringing supplies and kind words. But he waits most for visitors who will never come again.]
[Age 18: Today is different. Along with the familiar uncles, new faces have come—a big brother, a big sister, and a kind grandfather. Xiao Jiang is happy.]
[...]
[Something shifts in Xiao Jiang's mind. Memories surface through the fog. (Intelligence +3 takes effect.)]
[Secondary Simulation complete. No overall evaluation provided.]
[Host has obtained the following rewards:]
[Millelith Favorability Increased]
[Bubu Pharmacy Favorability Increased]
[Yuheng Keqing's Favorability Increased]
Huh? The Millelith favor made sense. Bubu Pharmacy, too, he could understand. But why was Keqing's favorability going up?
As he puzzled over this, Xiangling's voice cut through the mountain air from further up the slope.
"Xiao Jiang! Wait! Where are you running off to?"
Ji'an turned to see Xiao Jiang standing breathless before the two tombstones. A complicated feeling—part relief, part sorrow—settled in Ji'an's chest.
The Millelith soldier cleaning the markers looked up, startled. "Xiao Jiang, you...?"
Xiao Jiang stared at the carved stones for what felt like a long time. Then, very quietly, he asked, "Uncle Liu... are Mom and Dad... gone?"
"Wha—who told you that?!" The soldier's shock quickly turned to protective anger, then immediate regret for his reaction. "I mean... who's been lying to you?"
"Nobody lied." Xiao Jiang's voice was thick. Tears welled in his eyes, and he wiped them clumsily with his sleeve. "I remembered. Dad... he went on that mission and never came back, right? He died a hero."
"And Mom... she told me to hide that day. She went to lead the bad people away. To save me."
"Xiao Jiang, you..." The soldier stared. The familiar, simple-minded expression was gone from the young man's face. His words came slowly, carefully, but they made sense.
The others gathered around—the rest of the Millelith and Master Lu ban.
"Uncle Liu, Uncle Li, Uncle Zhang, Grandfather, Big Brother, Big Sister, and Little Panda..."
Guoba offered a cheerful, "♫~"
Xiao Jiang bowed deeply. "These past two years... thank you. For everything. I remember now. I know they're gone."
A heavy quiet fell over the group.
Master Lu ban broke it with a soft sigh. "Why the long faces? This is a good day! For Xiao Jiang to find clarity like this—it's a blessing!"
"He's right! No need for sad faces!"
"Shaoyuan and Duanya always worried about him. If they're watching, they must be at peace now."
The soldiers quickly rallied, their voices warm with forced cheer.
Master Luban placed a hand on Xiao Jiang's shoulder. "What will you do now, son? It's lonely up here all by yourself. You could come with us to Liyue Harbor."
"Thank you, Grandfather." Xiao Jiang managed a small, earnest smile. "But... I want to stay here with them for a while first. A year, maybe. I didn't get enough time before."
He drew a steadying breath, his new resolve firming his voice. "After that... I want to join the Millelith. Like Dad did. I want to protect Liyue, too."
"That's the spirit!"
"We'll put in a word for you when you're ready!"
"Just gotta work on that belly first, kiddo!" one soldier added with a rough, affectionate laugh. "They won't let you in the ranks with that!
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