Secrets of the Library
Mi-An returned to the sect, her mind a storm of confusion and grief. She headed straight to the library, the only place that had ever given her solace. The rows of ancient tomes and scrolls seemed silent, but her intuition told her that something important awaited.
As she wandered, a greenish figure appeared before her, radiating a calm yet overwhelming aura. Mi-An froze. Her heart skipped a beat as recognition stirred in her mind.
"Mi-An," the figure called softly.
Mi-An looked up, trembling. "Who… who are you?"
"I've been waiting for this moment," the figure said. "What are you doing here while you are supposed to be fighting?"
"What do you mean?" Mi-An asked, confused.
"Don't you know yet… who you are?"
Her eyes widened as understanding dawned. "You… you are Saint Xianzhou—the greatest Saint of the eleven… the one killed by the Ansha?"
The figure laughed softly. "Hahaha, I wasn't killed by the Ansha. The Ansha isn't your enemy."
Mi-An staggered back. "What!?"
"The real enemy… is Nem. He is the devil god," Saint Xianzhou revealed.
The confession made Mi-An collapse into tears. "Devil god? How can that be?"
"The one who cursed you, who entered your room, the one Di'or… he is the devil god Tie Nem."
Mi-An shook her head, unable to comprehend. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"1000 years ago," Saint Xianzhou explained, "the demons hated the Ansha. They could not defeat him no matter how they combined their forces. So the devil god Nem and the evil god conspired to kill him. The battle was fierce. Saints and immortals rushed to the Celestial Realm to help, but we all fell. Only the Ansha survived, badly injured. He pushed Xiao Yan to rebuild the realm, but Xiao Yan lost his memories."
"Why is Nem working with Xiao Yan now?" Mi-An asked.
"He wants Xiao Yan to bear responsibility for the Ansha's death. When his memories return, grief will consume him, and he might even end his own life."
Mi-An trembled. "That snake… but why are you telling me this?"
"Because you are my daughter. The Ansha brought you back to survive."
Mi-An's tears fell freely. "Father!" she whispered.
"Does LuQi know?" she asked, wiping her face.
"No, only Gil U. He is Nem's accomplice. And the Ansha cannot tell Xiao Yan—he wouldn't believe it, even when Nem impersonated him."
Mi-An broke down entirely. "Father… my husband… what must I do?"
"The bell," Saint Xianzhou said before fading. "It is capable of killing him."
"Father!" Mi-An cried, rushing outside, her heart racing. She ran into Di'or.
"Have they gone yet? They need to be stopped!" she demanded.
"What!? They are already on the cliff!" Di'or said, alarmed.
Mi-An didn't wait. She ran, her mind set—Xiao Yan and Nem were alone, and the Ansha awaited them.