The zoo fell silent.
The battle was over.
Yet no one celebrated.
The moon hung high above the old apple tree, casting silver light across the panda enclosure.
Lin Tianyu looked at the glowing System screen once more.
Estimated organizations investigating the Sanctuary: 12
Nearest arrival: Less than 72 hours.
“…Three days.”
He let out a slow breath.
“That’s not much time.”
Hei Bao nodded.
“…Enough.”
Sun Xiaohou shrugged.
“…Maybe.”
“…You’re not helping.”
“…Never did.”
A soft cough interrupted them.
The mysterious young woman was still standing beneath the apple tree.
Her face had grown pale after the memories returned.
Tianyu hurried over.
“How are you feeling?”
“…Better.”
“You scared us.”
She looked around the zoo with confused eyes.
“…This place…”
“…It feels like home.”
“But I don’t know why.”
Tianyu hesitated.
“Do you remember your name?”
She opened her mouth…
Then froze.
“I…”
Silence.
Her fingers slowly clenched.
“…I don’t.”
She searched desperately through her memories.
Nothing.
Not a single name.
Not where she lived.
Not who her parents were.
Only scattered fragments.
A bamboo forest.
A warm laugh.
A giant panda carrying a little girl on its shoulders.
Then…
Darkness.
Tears welled in her eyes.
“I…”
“I can’t remember.”
Chen Xiaoyu.
No.
That wasn’t right.
Tianyu almost laughed at himself.
He had been thinking about the zoo’s veterinarian.
The girl in front of him wasn’t Chen Xiaoyu.
She was someone else entirely.
Someone who had forgotten even the most basic thing about herself.
“It’s alright.”
He offered her a bottle of water.
“You don’t have to force it.”
She accepted it quietly.
“…Thank you.”
Zhao Ming cautiously emerged from behind the ticket booth.
The broom was still clutched in his hands.
He looked around nervously.
“…Are…”
“…Are the scary people gone?”
“They’re gone.”
“…Good.”
He immediately collapsed onto the ground.
“I almost resigned.”
“You say that every month.”
“This time I meant it.”
His eyes landed on the mysterious girl.
“…Boss.”
“Hm?”
“Who’s she?”
Tianyu blinked.
“…Good question.”
The girl smiled awkwardly.
“I wish I knew.”
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Finally, Zhao Ming scratched his head.
“So…”
“We don’t know her name.”
“No.”
“We can’t keep calling her ‘the mysterious girl.'”
Sun Xiaohou suddenly raised one tiny hand.
“…Moon.”
Everyone turned toward him.
“The moon?”
The monkey pointed upward.
Then toward the girl.
“…Silver.”
“…Quiet.”
“…Moon.”
The girl looked up at the full moon.
Its pale light reflected in her golden eyes.
For some reason…
The word felt familiar.
“…Yue…”
She whispered.
“My heart…”
“…likes that word.”
Tianyu smiled.
“Yue?”
She nodded slowly.
“I don’t know if it’s my real name…”
“…But…”
“…Can I borrow it?”
He smiled warmly.
“I think it suits you.”
The System chimed.
Temporary Identity Registered
Name:
Yue
Status:
Memory-Sealed Individual
Relationship:
Guest of the Sanctuary
“…Even the System agrees.”
Yue laughed softly.
It was the first genuine smile she’d shown all night.
A low rumble suddenly came from Tianyu’s stomach.
“…Oops.”
Zhao Ming stared.
“You haven’t eaten?”
“I kind of got interrupted by a fight.”
“…Fair enough.”
An hour later…
The four humans and two legendary beasts gathered inside the small staff cafeteria.
The room wasn’t much to look at.
A few old tables.
Plastic chairs.
A humming refrigerator older than Tianyu.
Still…
It felt warm.
Comfortable.
Tianyu prepared simple bowls of tomato egg noodles.
“I should apologize.”
Yue blinked.
“For what?”
“This is all I’ve got.”
She looked at the steaming bowl.
Then smiled.
“It looks delicious.”
She wasn’t lying.
After taking the first bite…
Her eyes widened.
“…It’s good.”
Tianyu scratched his cheek.
“My grandfather taught me.”
Across the table…
Hei Bao was happily devouring an entire basket of Jade Heart Apples.
Sun Xiaohou had somehow stolen Zhao Ming’s chopsticks.
Again.
“HEY!”
“…Borrow.”
“That’s not borrowing!”
“…Temporary ownership.”
Yue laughed.
A clear, gentle laugh.
For a brief moment…
Everything felt…
Normal.
Almost like a family dinner.
Then the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The System appeared.
Notice
Sanctuary Energy Stabilizing.
New Function Available:
Keeper Archive
“I forgot about that.”
He mentally selected the option.
A golden projection unfolded before him.
Rows upon rows of names appeared.
Most were faded.
Some had disappeared entirely.
At the very top…
Only three names remained clear.
First Keeper
Status:
Deceased
Twenty-Seventh Keeper
Lin Guowei
Status:
Deceased
Twenty-Eighth Keeper
Lin Tianyu
Status:
Active
“…Twenty-eight?”
Tianyu frowned.
“There were twenty-eight Keepers?”
Hei Bao nodded.
“…Many.”
“So the Sanctuary has existed for…”
“…Very long.”
He continued scrolling.
One section caught his eye.
Guardian Registry
Black Yin Bear Emperor
Status:
Awake
Contracted
Monkey King Descendant
Status:
Awake
Uncontracted
White Tiger Guardian
Status:
Sleeping
Azure Dragon
Status:
Unhatched
Nine-Tailed Fox
Status:
Missing
Black Tortoise
Status:
Sleeping
Vermilion Phoenix
Status:
Dormant
Qilin
Status:
Unknown
Ninth Guardian
Status:
████████
Tianyu stopped.
“The Ninth Guardian’s record…”
“It won’t even display.”
The System responded.
Insufficient Keeper Authority.
Before Tianyu could ask another question…
Yue suddenly reached toward the projection.
The moment her fingers touched the floating screen…
Everything froze.
The Keeper Archive trembled violently.
A hidden page unlocked by itself.
The words burned into existence.
Confidential Record
Accessed by Secondary Authority.
Identifying…
Identifying…
Welcome back…
Guardian Candidate.
The room went deathly silent.
Yue slowly pulled her hand away.
“I…”
“I didn’t do anything.”
The System wasn’t listening.
It had already entered emergency mode.
Critical Discovery
A lost Guardian Candidate…
…has returned to the Sanctuary.
[End of Chapter 14]