Chapter 21: A Soul’s Journey Through Time

As Wang Xiaole departed the imperial palace, Isabella reiterated her words:

“From this day forward, you are free to come and go as you please within the imperial palace. Do not feel constrained; consider this your home.”

Even now, Wang Xiaole’s sentiments remained largely unchanged from before.

However, this time the Empress would not allow her refusal, specifically by…

“Your Majesty…”

“I have a premonition that tomorrow’s weather will be splendid. May your day be a pleasant one.”

“I…”

“Should you encounter any difficulties, you are welcome to come to the palace, and I will do my utmost to assist you.”

The most effective way to prevent someone from refusing you was, quite simply, to interrupt them promptly!

While Isabella typically refrained from such tactics, this instance proved to be a notable exception.

Having failed in her refusal, Wang Xiaole and Cai boarded the six-horse carriage;

The same individual as before was tasked with escorting them back.

“Are you not considering accepting the Empress’s invitation?”

As they sat within the carriage, the serene silence that had enveloped them was abruptly shattered by Cai’s sudden remark.

“Work for the Empress? Why on earth would I accept such an invitation?”

“Becoming a member of the Royal Guard would surely be a step up from your current position as a chef.”

“You’re absolutely right… So, when exactly do I get promoted to head chef?”

This jest, however, failed to elicit a smile from Cai, whose expression remained steadfastly serious.

‘It seems I ought to be more serious!’

The two women sat facing each other; Cai maintained an impeccably upright posture, while Wang Xiaole, leaning forward, rested her upper body on her knees, her hands clasped there.

“If one were to compare the positions, a member of the Royal Guard is undeniably far superior to a chef. However, the employer in question is not.”

“And why is that?”

“Because while my impression of the Empress isn’t unfavorable, it is *you* I genuinely adore!”

At these words, the Sacred Maiden froze, transforming into a veritable statue; she neither blinked nor, for a moment, even seemed to breathe.

“It’s not a romantic affection… Hmm, in any case! My regard for you is simply higher than it is for the Empress.”

She had offered an explanation, yet it clarified little.

Nevertheless, there was meaning, and Cai felt she understood Wang Xiaole’s sentiments.

“Thank you!”

The Sacred Maiden expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

Soon after, the carriage returned to Oland Cathedral, bringing the two women back to the comforting sanctuary they called their own.

“Though the hour is late, I sincerely hope you will rest well tonight.”

“Indeed, you as well.”

With that, they each retired to their own rooms.

Many events had transpired in the preceding days.

The shifts brought about by external factors had invigorated Cai’s mind.

Consequently, she, who had not dreamt for many years, found herself, quite unexpectedly, revisiting long-past events in a dream this very day, after such a long hiatus.

Even amidst the illusory landscape of her dream, Cai was acutely aware of a particular truth:

‘This head of mine has almost forgotten the sensation of being pounded…’

****

Meanwhile, upon entering her room, Wang Xiaole was greeted by a familiar voice:

“Good evening, Big Sister!”

A small girl, whose cuteness was perhaps her sole remarkable feature, sat perched on the edge of the bed, seemingly awaiting her arrival.

Wang Xiaole had certainly not forgotten Mi Yin.

‘Indeed, one might say:’

Considering the actions Mi Yin had taken against her, forgetting would be an impossibility, even if she wished to.

“Hush!”

Having made a shushing gesture, signaling the little girl to remain silent, Wang Xiaole swiftly pivoted.

She cautiously poked her head out of the room, her gaze sweeping the surroundings. Only after confirming that no one was passing by did she exhale a breath of relief.

“Thank goodness! Should anyone have overheard your voice, they might have mistakenly assumed I was secretly abducting children…”

“In that case, we’d simply lie and claim to be mother and daughter.”

Mi Yin uttered these words as if in jest.

Yet, judging by her current expression, she appeared to be genuinely advising Wang Xiaole to do just that.

Setting other topics aside for the moment, what Wang Xiaole truly wished to inquire about was this:

“The reason you’ve specifically appeared isn’t merely to torment me, is it?”

As for how Mi Yin had gained entry, there was simply no need to inquire.

For a loli capable of traversing between two worlds, surely gaining entry to another’s room would be but a trifle?

“I have come to conduct a transaction with Big Sister.”

Upon hearing her words, Wang Xiaole understood precisely how to proceed.

Driven by a sense of caution, she retrieved a stool and positioned herself at a measured distance from Mi Yin.

Even if the other party were to produce a knife from thin air in the next instant, Wang Xiaole remained confident in her ability to react swiftly.

Mi Yin was aware of the wariness directed towards her, but it mattered little; some endeavors required no close proximity.

‘Such as piquing one’s curiosity!’

“The nun must take excellent care of you, wouldn’t you agree?”

That initial sentence alone was enough to ensnare someone.

“The nun? To whom are you referring?”

“Big Sister’s appellation is ‘Cai,’ while I am accustomed to calling her ‘the nun,’ yet we speak of the same individual.”

“You know Cai?”

“Naturally. I have known her since long ago.”

“You… what is your objective in speaking thus?”

While topics concerning Cai certainly piqued Wang Xiaole’s interest, she remained vigilant towards Mi Yin.

“If there were no objective, why would I have come here? I do not, after all, establish barriers without cause.”

Wang Xiaole had previously observed:

Before Mi Yin uttered the word “nun” for the first time, she had quietly completed a short incantation.

Wang Xiaole surmised that the barrier she had erected served to isolate sound and aura; otherwise, their conversation might well draw Cai’s attention.

Indeed, the reality aligned precisely with Wang Xiaole’s conjecture.

Knowing she needn’t offer a specific explanation, Mi Yin proceeded directly to the crux of the matter:

“The nun has harbored affection for someone since long, long ago, you know. Would you care to know who it is?”

“No, I do not wish to know.”

Despite Wang Xiaole’s denial, Mi Yin, discerning her expression, already understood:

“Big Sister clearly yearns to know! And I can tell you.”

“…”

A profound silence was Mi Yin’s subsequent reply.

“Concerned about the cost? Fear not, it has already been settled, offset by my unauthorized intrusion into your chambers.”

Mi Yin, ever one for fairness, would thus reveal to Wang Xiaole the truth regarding Cai’s beloved, and would, moreover, utter not a single falsehood:

“The one the nun has cherished all this time… is none other than you, Big Sister!”

“How utterly amusing, hmph hmph.”

After forcing a few strained laughs, Wang Xiaole deliberately averted her gaze from Mi Yin.

“Lying? I would never do such a thing!”

“How long have I been transmigrated to this place? If I had truly encountered Cai before, how could I possibly not know?”

“Of course you wouldn’t know; I am referring to ‘Big Sister from your past life’!”

“Ah, so we are delving into the realm of souls now?”

Based on the knowledge Wang Xiaole currently possessed, she was aware that souls were indeed a tangible reality, and that the concept of “reincarnation” held sway in this world.

Yet, she still found the notion utterly preposterous.

“I myself am a transmigrator. Even accounting for the existence of souls, any reincarnation would occur within my original world.”

“If you genuinely disbelieve, would you permit me to demonstrate it to Big Sister?”

“What do you intend to do?”

Mi Yin hopped down from the bed, gently raising a small hand, her expression and tone exuding an air of utmost ease:

“It is nothing perilous; I merely intend to temporarily draw Big Sister’s soul forth from your physical form…”

Perceiving that her words had caused the other party to adopt a defensive, almost combative stance, Mi Yin then considered how to persuade Wang Xiaole to cooperate voluntarily:

“Should Big Sister be willing to cooperate, I shall impart a crucial piece of information to you.”

“I refuse to listen!”

“It pertains to your sister, you see! Should you refuse to listen now, do not fault me if you come to regret it in the future.”

Mi Yin knew precisely how to phrase her words to render the other party incapable of refusing her terms.

As she had correctly surmised, Wang Xiaole’s sister was indeed her undeniable Achilles’ heel.

A mere mention of her would undoubtedly compel Big Sister to agree to the transaction.

“…”

After a moment of silence, Wang Xiaole ultimately nodded.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Rest assured, I shall not harm you!”

As her target offered no resistance, Mi Yin’s actions proceeded with remarkable smoothness.

She placed her right hand upon Wang Xiaole’s chest, and in a fleeting instant, a transparent, nebulous form drifted forth from within her body.

The body, now devoid of its soul, began to topple, but Mi Yin swiftly caught it.

After carefully placing the empty vessel onto the bed, the loli shifted her gaze elsewhere.

At this moment, Wang Xiaole’s soul, having ascended to a certain height, floated gently in mid-air.

With precise control, Mi Yin successfully captured the soul, then unleashed a protective spell upon the physical body.

Having accomplished these two tasks, she began to expend a significant portion of her own power.

Time magic combined with space magic yielded spatiotemporal magic.

This was no mere combination of words; mastering the former to its zenith allowed one to traverse between past and present.

Mastering the latter to its utmost extent enabled one to journey to any corner of the world.

When these two forms of magic were combined, returning oneself to any point in the past ceased to be an issue for the practitioner.

Successfully executing a viable journey through time always necessitated addressing more than just temporal concerns.

Only by ensuring one remained unaffected by the spatial conditions of the past could the theories penned by mages cease to be mere speculation.

And what if, building upon these two, one also mastered magic pertaining to the soul?

Then, one could achieve what Mi Yin was about to do.

The incantation concluded, and the spacious room vanished, the surrounding environment having utterly transformed.

Rivers flowed in the sky, and this boundless ocean was a manifestation of time itself.

The currents of the seawater symbolized the flow of time; following this direction meant moving from the present into the future.\n

However, even one as powerful as Mi Yin had no intention of simply drifting along with this ocean’s currents.

In other words:

Even she was unwilling to reach the future!

The future contained more than one possibility; to understand this through the flow of seawater meant an inability to determine its destination.

Merely with one’s eyes, an accurate answer regarding the flow of the Sea of Time could not be discerned.

If one did not wish to be swept into an unknown era, unwilling to be lost in an irretrievable future, then dangerous attempts must be avoided.

The past, however, was different!

In this realm, reverse inference was always considerably easier.

To this day, Mi Yin had returned to the past numerous times.

Even if there were minor errors during her first attempts, they were, at most, spatial deviations; temporal oversights had never occurred.

Leveraging her accumulated experience, Mi Yin could now fully guarantee:

Regardless of which past era she journeyed to, she would absolutely make no mistakes.

Trusting in her own abilities, she swam backward in the next instant, with a speed so astonishing that even an arrow loosed from a bowstring could not hope to keep pace.

There was no doubt; she had no intention of stopping midway, reaching her destination in a single, continuous surge.

Upon arriving in a particular era of the past, Mi Yin released her grip, and Wang Xiaole’s soul plummeted downwards with a ‘whoosh.’

Thereafter, a single body would house two souls.

Specifically, Wang Xiaole’s soul entered the body of her past self, experiencing all subsequent events in a semi-dormant state.

Memories could be shared not only by brains; souls residing within the same vessel shared this ability as well.

And because they belonged to the same individual, the two souls would not impede each other.

It was precisely for this reason that neither the host body nor the events of the past would suffer any adverse effects.

‘Will this invaluable experience lead you to fall in love with the same person? I eagerly await your answer…’

These words drifted away on the wind, and with them, Mi Yin’s figure vanished.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Scream for Me

BLLove–Hate RelationshipModern

Read Now →
Not interested