A strange feeling washed over Bai Shi as the Horned Crone truly recognized him as one of their champions. He kept his expression taut, afraid he might burst out laughing at any moment. It was, he had to admit, a remarkably strange experience. To prove his identity to the Horned Crone, Bai Shi summoned gentle gusts of wind to swirl around him. The wind moved with painstaking slowness, yet it carried an immense, crushing weight. Sensing the pure power of the storm, the Horned Crone became even more convinced of the champion's identity. Bai Shi cleared his throat and spoke. “...Yes, I have returned.” “The villains who troubled us have been eliminated.” “This old crone is willing to offer a song for your dance.” Overcome with emotion, the Horned Crone began to hum a little-known tune of her people. Only after a moment did she pull herself from her private reverie. Bai Shi watched the old woman before him, not daring to interrupt. It seemed she had been alone for far too long; her mind drifted in and out of clarity. After singing through the tune once, she reached out to Bai Shi, her voice trembling with emotion. “Champion! Take up our fury, and perform your brilliant dance.” “That son of Marika who betrayed us, who set the fires—” “Messmer... and all his wretched followers...” “I beg you, deliver retribution upon them!” Continuing his performance, Bai Shi took the Horned Crone's withered hands in his own and declared solemnly: “Rest assured. I will drive every last one of them out.” “Not a single one will remain. I will drive them all out.” The Horned Crone's lips trembled as she seemed to come to a decision. Finally, she spoke to Bai Shi. “...Champion. Divine Beast.” “Please, take my son with you.” Bai Shi froze, completely baffled. He had no idea what the Horned Crone was talking about. Then, a pale yellow, gaseous orb of spirit energy, containing a single skull, materialized beside the old woman. The Horned Crone guided the spectral skull, letting it drift slowly toward Bai Shi. Bai Shi watched the orb of spirit energy float from the old woman's hand and blinked. This was the son she had just mentioned? But... this thing was in a worse state than the murmuring white phantoms outside. It contained no consciousness whatsoever. What use could he possibly have for her son? Bai Shi called out to Ashmi in his mind. ‘Ashmi, if that spirit makes any strange moves later, destroy it.’ Ashmi’s reply came quickly from within Bai Shi’s body. ‘Got it. Don’t worry, Host.’ ‘A thing like that? I could take care of it in an instant.’ Bai Shi gave a silent nod. Only then did he extend his hand, allowing the spirit to float over to him. As a unique life form, Ashmi could fight spirits even in a place like the Spirit World. This minor soul would be no trouble at all. The spiritual orb moved along Bai Shi's body until it floated just above his head. The Horned Crone explained: “Champion, my son died long ago in the great slaughter...” “But when he rose to fight back, his soul was elevated, and he became a guardian spirit.” “I am so proud of him. I hope he can stay by your side and protect you.” Bai Shi couldn't sense any thoughts or emotions from the spirit, and he had no idea what a "guardian spirit" was. After a moment's thought, Bai Shi proactively reached out with his own spirit, trying to get more information. The guardian spirit, however, didn't react to his probing at all. After a deeper examination, Bai Shi finally understood what this guardian spirit was. Though it was indeed a soul, it no longer had any connection to its former self. It was now nothing more than an automated turret that locked onto enemies and summoned vengeful spirits to attack. Bai Shi considered this for a moment and decided he would refine it with the power of a Great Rune after he left. Ultimately, this thing was not a part of his own soul, and he couldn't afford to leave any potential risks unattended. Even if it was harmless, it still felt strange to have it around. Besides, this was a power that Bai Shi happened to need. He now had a method for spiritual attacks. The next time he had to go to the Spirit World and face spiritual enemies, he would have a way to deal with them. Letting the guardian spirit hover above him, Bai Shi looked back at the Horned Crone. If she had nothing else to say, he was ready to leave. As if in answer to his hopes, the Horned Crone took out a carved stone talisman from her robes. She wiped its surface with the corner of her sleeve before placing it in Bai Shi’s hands. “Please, take this talisman with you as well.” “This old crone believes it will bring you good fortune.” The talisman was carved in the shape of the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, roaring and thrashing in fury, its maw gaping wide. As Bai Shi held the talisman, he immediately felt the power it contained. The talisman's power was from the same source as the divine beast's head, capable of enhancing the strength of the storm. A flash of delight went through Bai Shi, and he began calculating how to free up a talisman pouch slot for this new addition. If wearing just the Divine Beast Dancing Lion's head to boost his storm power had given him a moment's hesitation... ...then adding this talisman to the mix left no room for doubt. Any hesitation at all would be a betrayal of the numbers. While aesthetics were important, stats were a priority that could not be ignored. With this, he wouldn't even mind wearing the lion head every day. Bai Shi accepted it with glee. Unlike the guardian spirit, whose purpose was unclear and use limited, this talisman was incredibly valuable to him. He found himself looking at the Horned Crone much more fondly now. He could even forgive her for yelling at him when he first arrived. Then, as if remembering something, the Horned Crone spoke again. “Champion... do you have a suitable weapon?” “Without a partner to coordinate with, it must be difficult to dance freely, no?” Bai Shi’s spirits lifted at her words. That question sounded just like an elder asking, "Do you have enough money to spend?" Usually, a question like that meant a gift was on the way. It seemed there was more to come, and this time, it was a weapon. Though he knew almost nothing about the champions or the divine beasts, he had just torn one apart with his bare hands. Through that battle, Bai Shi had learned a few things. The Divine Beast Dancing Lions, or rather, their champions, had a unique fighting style. They worked in pairs, dancing together to move the Divine Beast Dancing Lion. Only through seamless coordination, becoming like a single being, could they invoke the descent of the divine beast. Bai Shi, naturally, was playing the part alone. No matter how he tried, he couldn't perform the complete dance. So, Bai Shi replied to the Horned Crone: “You are right. The dance is incomplete, and the divine beast's power cannot fully descend.” “In this state, it is difficult to be effective with just my bare hands.” The Horned Crone raised a finger and pointed at the guardian spirit hovering over Bai Shi’s head. The spirit then began to drift in a specific direction. After doing this, the Horned Crone spoke to Bai Shi. “Champion, when the Tower Settlement was invaded and destroyed, the tower’s secret treasure was saved.” “They used the tree’s shadow to seal the upper levels of the tower—the great Enir-Ilim.” “But the true location of the treasure is hidden within the tower town, in a secret place they never reached.” “Champion! Go and take that treasure, wield it in your dance, and avenge us!” “With that weapon, even one person can perform a magnificent dance!” Bai Shi was starting to feel a little embarrassed. First the guardian spirit, then the talisman, and now she was pointing him toward the secret treasure of the tower town. Ever since this Horned Crone had mistaken him for a champion, she had basically handed over everything she owned. Bai Shi nodded and said to her: “Then I will go retrieve that weapon.” “Wait for my good news.” With that, Bai Shi turned and left the building. The Horned Crone quietly sensed Bai Shi's departure, an irrepressible smile spreading across her face. Finally, finally, she saw a glimmer of hope for revenge! She had been waiting for this day for she knew not how long. Perhaps it was old age, but she found herself spacing out more often. Sometimes, she couldn't tell what was real and what was a dream. Her mind was weak, she would fall into a deep sleep from time to time, and she didn't know if she would ever wake up from one of them. “While I’m still lucid, I should make some scorpion soup.” “The Champion must not have tasted it in a long time. The soup we used to drink at family gatherings.” The Horned Crone hopped down from the table and began fumbling through the storeroom for ingredients. Scorpion soup was the most fitting gift to welcome the return of the champion and the divine beast. Bai Shi walked through the tower town in peace. After putting on the head of the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, the shadow figures of the horned people on the road were all reverent toward him, no longer making any aggressive moves. It seemed the status of a champion in the tower town was even greater than he had imagined. Bai Shi looked up at the guardian spirit hovering over his head, constantly pointing him in the right direction. The guardian spirit was like a GPS, always tilted slightly to show Bai Shi the way. As he followed the spirit, Bai Shi began to think about the horned people. He had originally wanted to ask the Horned Crone about the past wars. But... it seemed like that was common knowledge among the horned people. If he, as a champion, didn't even know that, it would be too strange. If he asked, his cover would probably be blown. Not that being exposed would be any great loss to Bai Shi. But the Horned Crone would surely be devastated... The thought of the old woman’s heartbroken expression made Bai Shi regret his impersonation. The Horned Crone had suffered enough. If she learned that the champion in whom she had placed all her hopes for revenge was an impostor from the people of the Golden Tree, she would surely go mad. Crushing someone's hope with his own hands was too cruel a thing for Bai Shi to do. Because of this, Bai Shi ultimately didn't ask any questions that would have ruined his persona. Fortunately, it wasn't as if there were no other ways to get information. Ansbach had studied in the tower town for a while, so he probably knew something. And now that the enemies in the town had been cleared out, there was no longer any danger. Later, he could try asking him for help with the investigation. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Bai Shi followed the direction indicated by the guardian spirit, but his expression suddenly changed. There was no more road ahead, yet the guardian spirit continued to press forward. An ominous feeling rose in Bai Shi’s heart as he looked ahead. As expected, a vast poison swamp appeared before him. It was the same poison swamp that he and Freya had found in the sewers. Bai Shi’s mouth twitched, and he covered his face with his hand. He should have known. That old trickster Miyazaki wouldn't put a cesspool here for no reason. No wonder a secret treasure could remain in the tower town after Messmer's army had sifted through it. So that was it. The treasure was hidden in a place . How... unexpected. Then again, it was perfectly logical. This was Miyazaki's world, after all. Bai Shi sighed and levitated into the air. At the same time, he summoned a storm to drive away the putrid stench around him. Following the guardian spirit's guidance, Bai Shi traveled deeper into the poison swamp. Only while flying over this swamp did Bai Shi discover that it was teeming with humanoid flies. The blurry figures he had seen flying around earlier were all humanoid flies. These humanoid flies were all different, but almost all of them were kneeling in prayer. Seeing their sheer numbers, Bai Shi’s scalp tingled. There were so many of them, likely even more than the shadow figures in the tower town. Some of the humanoid flies were closer to the sky, and upon seeing Bai Shi, they actually flew up to chase him. But Bai Shi was too fast, and they all gave up after a short pursuit. Soon, Bai Shi arrived at the location the guardian spirit was pointing to. The place where the tower’s secret treasure was kept was a spiral tower. In front of it, a Horned Warrior stood guard in the poison swamp. Unlike the sightless Horned Crone, the Horned Warrior would not be fooled by Bai Shi's crude disguise. He immediately raised his curved sword and charged at Bai Shi. Bai Shi extended his arm and swung it sharply through the air. Following his motion, a tornado of unprecedented scale formed in an instant, engulfing the Horned Warrior with a roar. When the tornado dissipated, the Horned Warrior had vanished from his spot, leaving behind only shattered fragments of his weapon. Bai Shi felt the power of the storm, now doubly enhanced, and was very satisfied. This latest boost had clearly taken his storm powers to the next level. After dealing with the Horned Warrior, Bai Shi flew into the tower. Before him was a peculiar twinblade. I heard a rumor online that if you try to use the guardian spirit to attack the Horned Crone, it will turn around and attack the player instead. Not sure if it's true, but feel free to give it a try if you're curious.