Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 135: Chapter 82: Qian Lou Exhausted Like Sails

It's raining.

Hexia watched the simulated true sky on the dome of "Dream of Glazed Glass" where dark clouds drifted by and the sound of pouring rain followed, causing droplets to fall into containers in some corners of the hall, splashing a few water droplets.

To avoid the falseness brought by the repeated clear weather, the simulated true sky within "Dream of Glazed Glass" was synchronized with the weather aboveground. In Payin City, they even simulated the night sky on the entire dome so that the people living underground wouldn't feel too oppressed and depressed.

After finishing a day's work, Hexia came to Andusia's wisteria flower room, where the elf maid was playing with a golden gradient kitty.

Scratching gently under the kitty's chin, the light gold cat leaned comfortably into Andusia's embrace, occasionally lifting its paws to stretch.

"Dantalion, are you done for the day?" Andusia looked up and greeted.

"Yes, Sister Andusia," Hexia came over to her, half squatting down to gaze at the lazy little cat.

"It's named 'Ran Ran', about four months old; a friend gave it to me," Andusia introduced the affectionate little kitty in her arms.

"It's very cute, and so fluffy," the girl said carefully petting it, while a little snake poked out from her other sleeve. It slithered out, its body levitating, eyeing the little cat in front of it.

Just a month ago it was Sequence 2, and now it had progressed to Sequence 3. Although it had not become very powerful, it had acquired the transcendent ability of Levitation.

Species: Subspecies of Tree Viper

Status: Healthy (No abnormalities)

Profession: Dragon Sequence 3 – Levitating Cold Snake (Rating: Rare Dark Silver Level)

Talent:

[Path of the Serpent Dragon](Rare): A life pursuing the way of becoming a dragon. Practicing professions within the Dragon Sequence receives a small boost.

[Tree Viper Poison](Superior): With a fairly mild toxicity, it doesn't kill immediately but causes numbness at the wound and makes it difficult to stop bleeding.

Ability:

[Concealment](Standard): Reduces one's own aura and fluctuations, lowering the chances of being detected.

[Feigned Death](Superior): Allows oneself to enter a deep hibernation state, stopping activities, reducing consumption, almost as if dead.

[Levitation](Rare): Grants limited levitation and flying capabilities, freeing oneself from the influence of gravity.

[Cold Avoidance](Superior): Capable of living and moving unfazed in environments as low as -80°.

Skills: [Poison Fang Lv.3][Stealth Lv.3][Hibernation Lv.5][Rapid Movement Lv.2][Cold Venom Lv.2]

Having progressed from the Primordial Sequence to the Dragon Sequence, it also gained some additional abilities. Since most of the branding patterns in its Transcendent Core were used to form the abilities for Levitation and Cold Avoidance, the space left for combat improvements was not large, it only gained the ability of Cold Venom.

After the progression was complete, Hexia was not surprised by its acquisition of the ability to Levitate because this was the model she assisted in selecting and mentoring during its progression. However, she was a bit curious about the subsequent Cold Avoidance ability.

How afraid of cold and death are you, to have chosen abilities that lean towards preserving life? The girl couldn't help but hold her forehead and shake her head.

During Sequence 2 it had acquired abilities like Feigned Death and Hibernation to preserve life in extreme conditions. Later, it obtained Cold Avoidance, effectively removing the weakness snakes have in moving inconveniently at low body temperatures.

Thinking back to the Indigo Snake she had encountered at Yuanting Academy, that one was much more sunny and cheerful in temperament, and it also had a formidable attack power. After concentrating magic power in the gem on its forehead, it could easily cut through steel plates with a high-temperature beam.

Because it liked following Hexia around so much, the little snake gradually became recognized by the maids at the store. However, when there were customers, Hexia still hid it to avoid scaring anyone.

Watching the inquisitive little white snake, Andusia fetched some cat food from the drawer and gave it a bit to eat. This creature was not picky at all; anything meat-related was pretty much fair game.

"By the way, how's that big spider in the 'Botis' jungle? I heard last month that its injuries were slowly healing," Andusia asked Hexia, soothing the kitty that was on guard and huffing at the little snake.

"That one, I gradually nursed it back to health recently, and it's gotten happy again, but also more disobedient. Every time I go there, I have to be careful it doesn't suddenly drop from somewhere and land on my head," Hexia spoke with a slight hint of annoyance. Ever since that big spider recovered, it had taken to perching on her head when she wasn't paying attention.

"Hehehe, it seems like it's very fond of you," Andusia chuckled behind her hand.

"Thinking about it, Dantalion truly possesses a talent for a breeder. Even before attending the academy, she was able to do a lot that most people find difficult to achieve."

"Sister Andusia, do you know much about the related affairs of 'courtyards'?"

"I know a bit. In the Twin Trees Star Domain where I was born, there were quite a few 'courtyards'. Some even raised Fairy Dragons, those rare creatures…" She drifted into memory.

"Some transcendent creatures live even longer than humans, so breeders also let long-lived elves take on that role."

"Fairy dragon scales, Firebrow parrot feathers, Care Moth scales—these are all famous special products from there. Some are used to make Supernatural Spiritual Medicines, others for secret medicines to treat diseases. The transcendent properties they contain are difficult to mass-produce mechanically, which is why the prices have always been high."

"A songstress's abilities can effect not only humans but also have a great calming effect on transcendent creatures. Dantalion pursuing this path indeed would make things much easier for her," she elaborated slowly.

"I see," Hexia said, understanding why Lady Isabelle had suggested she attend Yuanting Academy. This would not only allow her to develop her talent as a songstress early on, but also greatly ease her work if she chose a breeder as a secondary profession, saving a lot of effort.

After exchanging with Andusia, Hexia played with the round and cute kitty once more before finishing work and leaving.

Half an hour later, Hexia stopped in front of her home, holding a paper bag in her hand, because there were two familiar figures ahead.

"You two?" she asked with a hint of curiosity, as the clean-up of the Underground World in Payin City was already complete and most people from there had been detained.

"Yes, it's us." Blu stepped forward as Ha Ke next to him began to explain.

"Our boss couldn't get away at the time, so he entrusted us to help the young miss search for the whereabouts of your father," he explained the events of that day along with Qiao Long's instructions.

"So that's how it is, no wonder you never came back to me to retrieve that medicine," Hexia mused thoughtfully.

"Since you've come to me, do you have a lead?"

"Regarding your father's whereabouts, we haven't found anything so far, maybe it's because we have limited access to information. Maybe the young miss will have to find another way in the future."

"However, we do have some clues about your parents' origins and some past events. Would the young miss be interested?"

"Hmm. Go ahead," the girl said as she walked over to unlock her door and let the two men into the living room to sit for a while.

"Alright," Ha Ke said, hurrying to follow her and giving Blu a pat on the back.

Once seated, Hexia poured them some tea and then sat down opposite to listen carefully.

"It's like this..." Ha Ke started, describing his recent escape from the underworld and how he had come to mingle with a subset of the Night Wanderer community within Payin City.

Night Wanderers are generally those who come out to roam the streets at night. Most of them feel empty inside and seek thrills, frequenting nightclubs, street dances, rock, brawling, racing, and the like. These people often dress in strange fashions and usually give the police headaches in the city. While they may not be breaking the law, they often skirt the very edges of it.

"After blending in, I asked about an acquaintance from the neighborhood where the young miss used to live, and then, through him, I found a retired old man, an employee from the residential area where your parents lived back then..." Listening to Ha Ke's story, the girl couldn't help but admire the social and innate abilities of such people.

"Gradually, I got the old man to warm up to me, and finally, over drinks, I managed to get some recollections and information about the past."

"Hmm," the girl nodded slightly.

"Did your parents ever mention 'Jielou City' in the Northern Second District to you before?"

"Jielou City?" The girl shook her head in confusion, never having heard the name before.

"It may be unknown to most, as that area is not well connected to the network, err, let's just say it's quite traditional and not much news comes out of there," Ha Ke had only recently learned about 'Jielou City' through the star network.

Discover stories with M V L

"Jielou means 'exhausting a thousand buildings like sails'. It is said that hundreds of years ago, before the Northern Second District fell into decline, its high-rises were numerous. The buildings were styled in an ancient Eastern fashion, with one overlapping the next, standing tall like a thousand sails crossing the sea. This is why it was named 'Jielou City'."

Today's human civilization originates from Earth. Whether Elves, humans, Beastmen, or the exceedingly rare Merfolk, all these species developed different cultures. On ancient Earth, divided by the oceans, different cultures emerged on the eastern and western continents.

However, in the protracted wars of the Fifth Epoch, the Eastern factions suffered severely. Later, they scattered across the Milky Way. Although there are people from the East within the Rose Federation, they do not make up a large proportion, hovering around 5%-7%.

Listening to Ha Ke describe that city, now full of ruins and antiquity, Hexia slowly recalled scenes from her childhood. Indeed, her mother was different from those around her; for example, she would make types of snacks that were hard to find on the star network, and the family often enjoyed Eastern-style cuisine. Occasionally, one could see one or two books with archaic writing.

Eastern-style items are not rare within the Federation, like her personal terminal, which is a product of the 'Ink Harmony Workshop' known for its Eastern-style design. But like her mother, who could write Eastern characters, read ancient books, play musical instruments, and prepare Eastern cuisine, were indeed rare.

These were habits and hobbies typically nurtured in a richly traditional environment. Although Hexia had been taught those upright Eastern characters in her childhood and could speak them, they were seldom used in day-to-day life, not as fluently as her mother.

However, it seemed her mother had no intention of having her and her sister continue these practices. If the two girls expressed interest and asked, she would teach them some. Even in naming, she leaned toward the mainstream of the Federation, not like her own, and even wanted Hexia to have a name without a surname.

Hexia was her commonly used name, while Tilan was more like a pen name or a symbol of her aspirations. She didn't directly tell others her name was Tilan. When introducing herself, the girl often used Hexia, and only those close to her would call her Tilan.

Jielou City... The girl slowly repeated the name to herself.

"This is all the information we have on your mother. After that, we might need to investigate 'Jielou City' in detail to take the next steps," Ha Ke said.

"Alright, I understand," the girl nodded lightly.

"But life isn't easy for you guys right now either, so the investigation can wait," she said. After all, nearly 20 years had passed, so a year or two more wouldn't make much difference.

"Thank you for your consideration and understanding, young miss," Ha Ke said, nodding earnestly, as the girl seemed quite amicable.

After seeing the two men off, Hexia returned to her bedroom to continue rummaging through her parents' belongings, but alas, she didn't find much. After all, having lived there for over ten years, it was unlikely that there were any hidden items she didn't know about.

"I can only look for information about 'Jielou City' online," the girl mused as she closed the drawer full of assorted items and then switched on the projector of her personal terminal to begin searching.

Soon after entering the keywords, images and text emerged.

"The Vanished City of Jielou — Do you know of the glorious legends of four hundred years ago?"

"'Painted in vivid colors, wielding cold steel, waving flags and dancing' — The Nightwatch pretending to be Godly Generals in the ancient city."

"Ignorance or tradition? Those who spend their lives trapped in the ruins of a forgotten city..."

In the images, a series of abandoned, decrepit high-rises stood enshrouded in mists, desolate and lonely, yet still faintly revealing their former glory and splendor.