No matter how reluctant he was, he still had to leave, because the sound of the Library beginning to collapse could already be heard from afar.
The high-ring Witches didn't need to pack their luggage themselves; with a wave of a hand, the luggage automatically sorted and packed, then was carried by the apprentice, Drago.
The Old God sat before the bonfire, and Xia De stood up to see them off.
The four arrived before the Library's massive door frame. Miss Samuel, though very disappointed and seemingly wanting to talk more with Xia De, still extended her hand. Xia De was momentarily stunned, then reached out and clasped it.
"Mr. Hamilton, this journey has been very interesting for me. I hope we'll have a chance to meet again."
The Witch, wearing glasses, tightly held Xia De's hand. After letting go, she looked at her palm and smiled happily:
"How interesting. When I'm old, I'll surely be glad to have had such an experience in my youth."
She was probably the only one genuinely happy at that moment.
Drago, seeing that her teacher hadn't spoken first, softly said to Xia De:
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Hamilton. I'm only Middle-Ring, so after leaving the valley, it might be difficult for me to remember this memory, but I truly thank you."
Unexpectedly, she kissed Xia De on the cheek, then retreated behind Olanorde, her crimson tail gently swaying behind her. Mia was curious about this and also turned to look at her own short tail.
Xia De looked at Olanorde. The two gazed at each other, and the pointy-eared Witch's face held a wistful expression:
"Sometimes it feels like time truly flies."
She reached out and embraced Xia De:
"I hope we'll have a chance to meet again. I hope next time, it won't be you helping me again, but me helping you, like my teacher Felianna."
"You will, you definitely will."
Xia De nodded.
Miss Samuel quietly nudged the pointy-eared Witch, who then lightly kissed Xia De's cheek:
"May the moon forever shine upon you, Xia De."
She took two steps back, then looked at her boots:
"Do you need me to take off my boots and give them to you as a farewell gift?"
Those ladies' lace-up canvas boots certainly suited her, but Xia De immediately shook his head, which made everyone laugh.
Blainey Oranode, the first librarian of Saint Byron's, took off her black cloak and placed it into Xia De's hand:
"See you next time, definitely, see you next time."
Then, she raised the wooden staff in her hand, pointing it forward. A golden spiritual light split the crimson snowy night, clearing a path for them:
"Farewell, Xia De."
Miss Samuel said softly, following her.
"I hope we can meet again."
Fiona, carrying an exaggeratedly large backpack, was last. She said softly, and as they brushed past each other, the tip of her tail once again brushed against Xia De's hand.
The group of Witches walked into the deep night of Dead Silence Valley, the red moon illuminating their figures.
"Goodbye!"
Xia De stood at the Library entrance, waving. This was the first time he had watched others depart in the past.
"Farewell and stories, no one can escape them."
The Old Sage in Grey Robes stood behind Xia De at some unknown point. He stepped forward and, together with Xia De, whose body was covered in golden cracks, looked at the retreating figures of the Witches.
"Excuse me... what do you wish to tell me?"
Xia De asked softly, glancing at Mia in his arms. The cat showed no discomfort from being in close proximity to a god, probably protected by the afterglow on Xia De's body.
"Just wanted to talk to you about my story."
They watched the Witches' figures grow increasingly blurry. There was indeed something rushing towards them in the darkness, but all three could fight, and they were safe for now.
"Please speak."
"Once, a mortal searched for forbidden Knowledge of the first epoch in the Library. Of course, he couldn't find it, so he prayed to me in the temple and questioned: 'You are the Guardian of the Library, can even you not protect us in understanding that lost Knowledge?'"
The Old God took a puff from his pipe, and Xia De asked:
"Then how did you answer him?"
"The Old God said: 'Mortals are ignorant, Knowledge is priceless. I am the Guardian of the Library, not the Guardian of all Knowledge.'"
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course there is. The Guardian of the Library's power comes from the Silver Moon Sage. As for knowledge and wisdom, that is the domain of the Old God, the Keeper of Secrets. Do you understand?"
The Old Sage in Grey Robes even winked playfully.
Xia De, however, closed his eyes, feeling liquid slide down his cheeks—blood tears. The Old God directly narrated the overlap of divine duties among the Old Gods. The weight of Knowledge and information almost made him lose consciousness for a moment.
Compared to those Old Gods who always hid half, or even ninety percent, of what they said, this Old Sage was simply too direct.
The Old Library contains the stories of the beginning and the present. The Grey-Robed Sage, who guards Knowledge, will not actively provide secrets, but he is happy to share those ancient collections with suitable mortals.
Crying and saying he betrayed painting Jian, you said it was in a dream.
Valley
You listened to the story of the Old God "Grey-Robed Sage." You learned one of the Miracles of the Old God "Grey-Robed Sage."
Outsider, you have obtained the spell, Library Retrieval.
There were still double images before his eyes. In the deep night, with crimson snow falling everywhere, the figures of the three Witches became even more distant.
"Why tell me this story?"
"One day, you will understand."
The Old God smiled, the wrinkles on his face making him look even more benevolent. And the time Xia De had left here had already come to its last minute.
"Since you didn't wish upon me to obtain the mysteries of time, then I will not tell you that information. However, I will pass this Knowledge on to my followers. If you still wish to pursue it, go search. Search in your own time, and perhaps you truly can find the Knowledge you seek."
In the sixth epoch, the Old God Grey-Robed Sage had already departed, and his cult had long since collapsed. But the part of the cult that helped establish Saint Byron's Library had integrated into the academy, as Mr. Edmund of the Guiding Light Hermitage had mentioned.
Xia De hesitated and nodded.
He still had some questions he wanted to ask, but at this moment, white mist had already surged up from around him; he had to leave.
So, he formally handed the stone tablet of the "book of nameless sacrifices" to the Old Sage before him, who nodded:
"Good luck, child. The road ahead may not be easy."
His figure vanished from Xia De's side.
Xia De held Mia with one hand, then used his coat to turn her into a toy and put her back in his pocket. He looked up, wanting one last glimpse of the Witches' retreating figures, but found that further in the valley, space was like shattered glass, with spiderweb-like cracks appearing.
Then, the cracks burst with a loud sound of breaking glass, a sound so piercing that even Xia De, standing at the Library entrance, found it jarring:
"Hmm? Who shattered space? Is there someone so powerful in the valley?"
A golden spiritual light emanated from behind the shattered spatial hole. Olanorde, Miss Samuel, and Drago surprisingly saw a figure behind the golden light, listening to the noisy sounds from behind the hole.
Red high heels stepped out from the shattered space, followed by a black skirt. A tall Witch held down her pointed hat, dressed in white and black, emerging from the hole, her golden hair fluttering in the wind with the crimson snow:
"Blainey, what are you and Fiona doing? Do you know that half a month has already passed outside..."
She first saw her troublesome student and was about to scold her, but then suddenly looked up into the distance and saw the blurry figure at the Library entrance.
The two looked at each other through the swirling red snowflakes, the snowflakes unable to obscure their connected gazes. Xia De's heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. He slightly opened his mouth, unable to believe that at the very end, he had still seen her.
"Xia De?!"
The Witch abandoned her student, transforming into a streak of light and rushing into the snowy night, but it was already too late.
"This is for..."
At the last moment, Xia De reached into his pocket, pulled out a somewhat withered rose, and extended it forward.
The flower fell in the snow because its holder had left. But the falling white rose was caught by another hand before it landed on the crimson snowy ground.
Mana Feilianna straightened up.
The Witch twirled the flower stem, gazing at the place where Xia De had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
In the white mist, a giant tree appeared before Xia De, as if this tree supported heaven and earth. He extended his right hand, ready to catch two swirling leaves falling from above.
The voice in his ear laughed:
"Outsider, you have one last flower left from the flower girl on the street. Who will you give it to?"
Xia De, feeling a sense of loss, did not answer and turned to leave the Time Corridor.
Outsider, you have returned to the present time.
Message from the Old God "Father of Infinite Trees":
Infinite Time blesses you.
When Xia De opened his eyes, he was back by the bonfire, surrounded by Priest Augustus, Sister Devlin, and Iluna, still maintaining the posture of sitting before the bonfire.
He slightly extended his palm forward, and two emerald green leaves lay in his hand, almost without sensation.
Everyone was looking at him. Iluna frowned slightly:
"Why do you have such a strong life aura on you?"
The Chosen of Balance is very sensitive to the perception of different forms of power.
"That's not important."
Having lost the crucial Miracle, Moonlight Illusion, and gained the Miracles of Red Dragon Power and Library Retrieval, as well as that old-era ladies' black cloak, it was hard to say what this journey truly meant. Xia De supported himself on the ground and stood up, breathing deeply. Though wistful, he knew what he needed to do now.
There would always be a chance to meet again; he firmly believed this.
He hung the Witch's necklace around his neck, his expression gradually becoming serious:
"I should depart."
Standing by the bonfire, he turned to look at Joey Barton on the dark, silent water. Three seconds unseen, he was still calling out to his beloved soul.
It was so quiet here, and Xia De's mood also calmed down due to the influence of death. Regardless, Joey Barton's story was to end today.
