The words echoed through the valley.
“…Not twelve.”
“…Thirty-six.”
The cheerful atmosphere vanished instantly.
Even the Spirit Butterflies stopped dancing.
The glowing flowers slowly folded their petals.
It was as if the entire valley had sensed the approaching danger.
The System projected a crimson notification.
Emergency Update
Hostile Spiritual Signatures Confirmed.
Organizations Mobilizing:
36
Estimated Combined Strength:
Unknown
Recommendation:
Increase Sanctuary Authority immediately.
Lin Tianyu rubbed his temples.
“…Yesterday I was worried about paying the electricity bill.”
“…Today thirty-six cultivation organizations want to steal my zoo.”
Shen Yuan blinked.
“…What’s electricity?”
“…Never mind.”
The old gardener walked toward a nearby peach tree.
He gently picked a ripe fruit and handed it to Tianyu.
“Eat.”
“…Now?”
“You’re hungry.”
“I had noodles.”
“That wasn’t enough.”
The peach radiated a gentle golden glow.
The System immediately identified it.
Heavenly Spirit Peach
Grade:
High Spirit Fruit
Effects:
• Permanently increases Spirit Qi.
• Strengthens Keeper Physique.
• Removes spiritual impurities.
Warning:
Recommended for Keeper use only.
Tianyu looked at the fruit.
“…This costs how much?”
Shen Yuan laughed.
“Everything here belongs to the Sanctuary.”
“So…”
“It belongs to you.”
“…I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing that.”
He took a cautious bite.
Sweet juice filled his mouth.
Then…
Warmth exploded through his body.
His bones crackled.
His muscles tightened.
The Spirit Qi within him surged like a river after heavy rain.
Golden light briefly surrounded him.
Congratulations!
Keeper Cultivation Increased.
Current Realm:
Peak Qi Gathering
Next Realm:
Foundation Establishment
Spirit Qi Capacity:
+300%
“…That…”
“…was one peach.”
Shen Yuan nodded.
“…The First Keeper planted it.”
Meanwhile…
Yue wandered toward a crystal-clear stream.
She knelt beside the water.
For just an instant…
Her reflection wasn’t hers.
A young woman dressed in silver robes smiled back instead.
Behind her stood a magnificent white fox with nine flowing tails.
Yue gasped.
The image disappeared.
“What…”
She touched the water.
Ripples spread across the surface.
The stream began glowing.
Granny Mu’s expression changed.
“…The Memory Spring.”
Yue turned.
“The what?”
“That spring reflects forgotten memories.”
“It only responds…”
“…to members of the Mu Clan.”
Yue looked back into the water.
Another memory surfaced.
A little girl chased glowing butterflies.
A young Lin Guowei laughed while pretending to lose a race.
Hei Bao carried both of them on his shoulders.
Sun Xiaohou hung upside down from a tree, throwing peaches at everyone.
The laughter felt…
Real.
Warm.
Like home.
Then…
Everything caught fire.
Black-robed figures descended from the sky.
Someone shouted,
“Protect the Guardian Child!”
The memory shattered again.
Yue stumbled backward.
“…I know that voice…”
“It was…”
She couldn’t remember.
On the other side of the valley…
Shen Yuan led Tianyu toward the cottage.
The inside looked surprisingly ordinary.
Wooden furniture.
Bookshelves.
A tea set.
Gardening tools.
It could have belonged to any elderly farmer.
Except…
One wall was completely covered with maps.
Ancient maps.
Modern maps.
Satellite photographs.
Blueprints of the zoo.
Even newspaper clippings.
Tianyu stared.
“…You’ve been watching the outside world?”
Shen Yuan poured two cups of tea.
“Of course.”
“The Keeper can’t protect the Sanctuary if he knows nothing about the world.”
He pointed to one photograph.
It showed Lin Guowei standing beside the zoo’s entrance.
“…Your grandfather visited every month.”
Tianyu smiled faintly.
“He never mentioned you.”
“He wasn’t allowed to.”
Shen Yuan reached beneath the table and produced a thick leather-bound journal.
Unlike Lin Guowei’s diary…
This one looked ancient.
The cover read:
The Book of Keepers
He placed it before Tianyu.
“Now…”
“…it’s your turn.”
Tianyu carefully opened the first page.
The handwriting changed every few pages.
Some entries were thousands of years old.
Some only decades.
One passage caught his attention.
A Keeper’s greatest strength is never cultivation.
It is trust.
The stronger the bond between Keeper and Guardian, the stronger the Sanctuary becomes.
Another read:
Do not seek to rule the beasts.
Walk beside them.
Tianyu smiled.
“…Grandpa would’ve liked that.”
Shen Yuan chuckled.
“He wrote it.”
Outside…
Hei Bao suddenly lifted his head.
His ears twitched.
“…Someone.”
Sun Xiaohou was already standing.
“…Fast.”
The giant panda looked toward the valley entrance.
“…Very fast.”
The System immediately reacted.
Warning
Unauthorized Entry Detected.
Sanctuary Vault Boundary Breached.
Intruder Count:
1
Threat Assessment:
Extreme
Tianyu hurried outside.
“How is someone already here?”
“I thought the Sanctuary was hidden!”
Shen Yuan’s calm expression became solemn.
“It is.”
“Unless…”
He looked toward Yue.
“…they weren’t looking for the Sanctuary.”
“They were looking…”
“…for her.”
A silver arrow suddenly shot across the valley.
WHOOSH!
It narrowly missed Yue’s shoulder.
Instead…
It struck one of the glowing butterflies.
The tiny creature burst into silver light before fading away.
The entire valley fell silent.
Thousands of butterflies froze in midair.
Then…
As one…
They turned toward the valley entrance.
Standing there was a lone woman dressed in black.
She wore a silver mask that concealed the upper half of her face.
A long bow rested casually in her hands.
Another glowing arrow had already formed on the string.
She smiled.
“There you are…”
“…Princess.”
Yue’s face went pale.
“…Princess?”
The masked woman tilted her head.
“You don’t remember me?”
“…How unfortunate.”
She drew the bowstring tighter.
“Allow me…”
“…to help you remember.”
[End of Chapter 18]