Since she had decided to go to the Temple of Nuwa alone to seek the answers she longed for, she still had to make arrangements for the other three. But sometimes, all it takes is a little firmness and resolve to settle such matters.
Under her unyielding stance, neither Inori nor Chu Chu, nor even the gentle Li Xiu'er, could change her decision. After a brief silence, they all agreed.
The result was that Chu Lian would go alone to the Temple of Nuwa, while the other three would head up to the summit first to meet with the teachers. At that time, they would simply explain that she had some business and would arrive later.
Under Chu Chu's reluctant gaze, turning back every few steps, Chu Lian lifted her oil-paper umbrella and walked alone toward the distant Temple of Nuwa. She had no idea what Mount Li looked like in this world—nor even in her past life had she ever had the chance to come here. Much was unfamiliar to her.
The only exception was the Temple of Nuwa itself, which had been emanating a faint aura that drew her attention. Though less than a hundred meters from the summit, it was situated on a different peak, separated by over a kilometer of path. Otherwise, she would not have let the girls go back first.
Amidst lush forests and splashing streams, the strange stones and scenic wonders of Mount Li rushed past her like fleeting glimpses from a carriage window. Pressed for time, she never lingered at any spot for more than ten seconds. Even if she missed countless sights, there was no time for regret.
"If you can truly answer my questions, then wait for me. I will see you." From afar, she could already make out the Temple of Nuwa, built upon a man-made platform.
Unlike the grand, imposing architecture of Buddhist or Daoist temples, the Temple of Nuwa appeared modest and small. If not for Chu Lian's extraordinary sight—clearly perceiving how the spiritual energy of all Mount Li converged here, lingering as if ready to bless those who prayed sincerely—she would never have believed that this simple brick structure, less than three hundred square meters, was truly where the goddess Nuwa was enshrined.
Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the temple was unusually desolate today. Chu Lian hadn't seen a single soul on the main path, let alone inside the temple.
She reached the entrance, closed her umbrella, and placed it gently on the stand just inside. After tidying her clothes, rumpled from passing through the forest, she lifted her head and silently whispered in her heart: "I'm here. Are you?"
"Since you've come, then enter." The woman's voice rang out again, sounding to Chu Lian like heavenly music.
"Forgive me for intruding." Upon hearing the reply, Chu Lian softened her steps and slowly approached the statue of Nuwa within the temple. She bowed deeply. "Chu Lian greets the goddess Nuwa. I have come today with questions, and I beg your forgiveness for disturbing you."
Only after speaking did she straighten and look upon the statue.
Whether due to the sculptor's great skill or the goddess's spirit suffusing it, the statue appeared lifelike. Though its features had blurred somewhat with age, Chu Lian could still discern the unparalleled beauty of Nuwa.
"The goddess will not take offense at such trivial matters. You worry too much." The ethereal voice chuckled lightly, teasing her.
Chu Lian acted as if she hadn't noticed, speaking again with solemnity: "The goddess Nuwa is the ancestor of we children of Yan and Huang, the divine being we have always revered. Even if I offered the grandest of rituals, it would still be only right."
"You—so amusing before others, yet so dull before me." The voice of the woman held a trace of helplessness. Then, almost as if to herself, she murmured: "I am not one who grants answers."
"But I have many questions. I think you must know at least some of them." Chu Lian raised her head to look at the statue. After a pause, the girl spoke again.
"How many?" She seemed more interested in the girl's doubts than in what she wanted to ask, choosing instead to ask how many questions she had.
"You can see the confusion in my heart?" Chu Lian, startled by the question, suddenly asked.
"Yes. That's why I said I cannot answer them. These questions are ones you must find the answers to yourself."
"Then why did I come here?" If she had no intention of answering, then what was the point of her coming?
That question made the other fall silent for a moment, before softly replying: "It was to see you."
"Is it one of you who wanted to see me?" If that was the case, then it was simple enough.
"Yes. And now, I've seen you."
"So I should leave now, shouldn't I?" Wanting answers but finding none, Chu Lian didn't know what else to say.
"You will have the chance to come again in the future." Whether it was a reminder or a prophecy, she didn't explain, and Chu Lian didn't ask. Instead, Chu Lian bowed once more to the statue, and in the next instant, her figure vanished from the hall.
"Some truths would only torment you if you knew them. Better unsaid than spoken…" The murmured words seemed to carry hidden meaning.
When she opened her eyes again, the statue that had seemed almost alive was once more a dull stone carving. Everything she had heard, spoken, and thought felt like both a real and false dream, leaving her uncertain of what was true.
"I will find the answers myself…" With her eyes closed, the memory of it all still vivid before her, the girl no longer clung to doubts. She knew she was not yet ready to face such questions.
"You will find them." The voice still seemed to echo within her heart.
It had been a strange journey. She had thought that coming here would give her all the answers. Yet everything she gained was ambiguous—some parts seemed true, others false—leaving her unsure of what to believe.
Even the woman's identity was only a matter of speculation to her, without any definite conclusion. She didn't want her guess to be true, yet at the same time longed for it to be.
"Eh, perhaps I've just overthought it all." Turning back to the unchanged Temple of Nuwa, she muttered with her head lowered. She had come here seeking answers, only to receive these vague replies. To say she wasn't disappointed would have been a lie.
But she also understood—the other likely had her reasons, bound by necessity, unable to reveal the truth. She didn't blame her for it. After all, these were her own questions. Burdening another was already asking too much; what right did she have to fault her?
Not long after she left, space within the temple suddenly twisted. Where once there had been no one, the halls filled with tourists and worshipers come to pay homage to Nuwa. Everything that had happened with Chu Lian left no trace behind—only her memory bore witness to it.
"I had much I wished to tell you. But the mysteries around you are too many, too deep for even me to see through. Some causes and effects cannot be spoken lightly. To reveal them would harm you. Yet I believe—you will become the one I wish to see. Because you are the only woman in a thousand years to possess the Sacred Heart." A misty voice lingered among the clouds, watching Chu Lian's distant figure with a sigh.
"Fortunately, you didn't answer her. Otherwise… eh…" A gentle female voice suddenly sounded from behind. The first speaker seemed unsurprised, as if expecting her, and sighed in response.
"Then why let her come? What was the point?"
"Only to see her once, truly and clearly. Now that I know she is safe, that is enough."
"But the one who suffers is her, not you."
"I know. But if I had not seen her this time, I could not know if I would ever see her again."
"Ah… truly, a fated entanglement."
"Well then, it's nothing too serious. At worst, I'll just give her a hand and let her 'Loli' name resound throughout the world. Hehe~" The woman seemed quite enthusiastic about the matter, laughing as she spoke.
"Aren't you afraid she'll come after you once she finds out?"
"Don't worry. That day will come eventually—I'm only bringing it forward a little. Right now her strength and influence are far too weak. I must help her. Direct aid is impossible; only by doing this can I both protect her foundation and still assist her."
"I wonder when your temperament will ever change. Still, perhaps it's just as well. It's time to warn a few people. She is not a pawn, nor anyone's puppet to be controlled. Those who scheme in the shadows have gone too far. It seems the time has come to kill some of the most troublesome ones as a warning."
"Oh? Then it looks like for some time ahead, the Outer Heavens will run red with blood. But I like that. Once I finish my business, I'll take a look myself. I want to know who dares to recklessly tamper with the spatial rifts' energy calibration, letting beings who shouldn't yet emerge come out early."
"Seal a few rifts, wipe out a few races, and let that be the end of it. Just don't let the slaughter go too far."
"I know my limits. It's getting late—I'll go on ahead. If anything comes up, remember to contact me."
"Go, then~" After the gentle-voiced woman departed, the ethereal woman sighed once more: "Why do some people never recognize their own limits, always trying to challenge forces they cannot possibly oppose?"
"As for those three little clowns, I'll leave them to you. By now, you should be able to deal with them. As for the rest, we'll handle it. We'll make sure these troubles won't happen again. You just focus on your growth. To soar across the nine heavens may take a long time—or perhaps only a short while. We are waiting for you."
The dejected Chu Lian, of course, had no idea that after she left, so much would occur. Events that would indirectly alter the course of several worlds, while also buying her a long stretch of peaceful growth.
If she knew the price might be her "Loli" reputation spreading to every corner of the world, she wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Still, in the end, isn't it a good thing?
"If no one can answer my questions, then I will seek the truest answers myself." Turning back, Chu Lian gazed at the once again lively Temple of Nuwa, her lips curving into a faint, complex smile.