Jialesi Is Too Small

Yaxiu had always been an outlier among sorcerers. Most sorcerers were aloof by nature—or rather, they rarely cared much about interpersonal relationships in the real world. Sorcerers were not inherently cold, of course, but the long years of study and cultivation, along with their solitary ventures into the Void Realm, were enough to temper every one of them into an independent, self-reliant individual. Man's essence might be the sum of all social relations, but in the Void Realm, sorcerers could not form new social connections at all. At home there was family, at school there were classmates, at work there were colleagues, but in the Void Realm, you had only the Slash Fish Dragon. Your troubles and frustrations were hard to voice to others; you could find no common ground to discuss with anyone, and over time, you simply grew used to being alone. When you stubbed your pinky toe as a child, you would cry out and collapse onto the floor, wailing for ages because you knew someone would care. But when a sorcerer was gravely injured or died in the Void Realm, they would only let out a sigh—like the first drop of rain falling onto a scorching iron manhole cover. Afterward, a familiar loneliness poured down like a torrential storm, drowning out the pain in an instant. A sorcerer might have a family, a career, and friends, but in the end, they could only ever rely on themselves. Yaxiu, however, was strange. Even after becoming a legendary sorcerer, the moment anything happened, he couldn't keep from sharing it, nor could he resist fussing over other people's lives. Not only could he not bear solitude himself, but he couldn't stand seeing others lonely either. Back in the Distant Sky Realm, for instance, Weise had usually trailed behind in silence, never speaking, but he had never let her drift away from the group. Whenever any of them made progress or achieved something, Yaxiu didn't boast about it, but the joy in his eyes and across his face was impossible to hide. Sometimes Diya even felt that Yaxiu had truly ruined them. If they had developed as normal sorcerers did, even if they fell for someone, their affection would at most be like a gentle trickle—nice to have, but inconsequential if absent. It wouldn't be like this raging tempest, where they were soaked to the bone yet still had to seek him out just to share an umbrella. Had they never met, they ought to have grown accustomed to loneliness. Tying themselves to the Four Pillar Cult had already caused Yaxiu enough grief. If he knew that Sonia was throwing away her career, her relationships, and the entire first half of her life for his sake, Diya could not fathom how heartbroken he would be. "You're willing to entrust Yaxiu to me?" Sonia raised an eyebrow. "If your plan succeeds, I'll be the very first person he sees when he wakes up." "If that bargaining chip is enough to make you stay, then yes," Diya said, stretching lazily. "I can't bear to see Yaxiu sad." "Besides," the Witch paused, "I'd be sad too." Sonia blinked and reached out to ruffle her hair, but the Witch raised a hand to block her. "No petting me." "I'm gonna! I'm gonna!" Sonia giggled, wrapping Diya in a tight hug and rubbing all over her as Diya squirmed and cried out, "Felix, save me!" In the driver's seat, Felix rolled down the window and signaled to Daidalos to wait a moment, holding up the convoy's departure. The moment the Paw-Stretching Sword Saint released her grip, Her Majesty the Empress shrank into the corner of the seat, hugging her legs tightly, terrified of another ambush by the red-haired beast. "It wouldn't be bad to have a daughter like you in the future." "No problem at all. Yaxiu and I will have one, and you can raise her when the time comes," Diya said. "Given how close we are, I'll even let my daughter call you Mama." "I don't want to raise a kid," Sonia said, crossing her legs with a laugh. "I actually hate kids. Especially when they cry—it drives me crazy. And seeing how hard my mother worked to raise me just made me feel I'm not cut out for it. "So if I ever do have a child, I'll leave the raising to Yaxiu. Dump all the troublesome parts on him, and I'll just be in charge of enjoying the happy moments." The corners of Diya's mouth twitched. "I thought you'd simply refuse to have one at all." "I really didn't want one in the past," Sonia said with a smile. "But now, I wouldn't mind having one either." After a brief silence, the Sword Princess said, "Getting out of the car or staying in doesn't matter anymore anyway. I've interacted with you all so frequently; once the Four Pillar Cult punches through the sky curtain, how could the Throne Room fail to catch me? It's not like they lack prophecy sorcerers. Sooner or later, I'm bound to be exposed. "From the day I became the 'Queen'..." Sonia glanced at the command seal on the back of her hand. "...I was destined to turn against the Starry Kingdom." Diya's expression grew complicated. "But..." "Besides, do you really think I'm sacrificing myself purely for Yaxiu?" Sonia smiled. "Even though the main reason is indeed for him, once I made up my mind to turn my back on the Starry Kingdom, I actually felt a wave of relief. "When I was little, Daidalos was my idol. Ever since I was young, I strove toward becoming the greatest shadow maiden under the starry sky. I wanted to be dazzling, I wanted to stand above the rest, I wanted to bask in the admiring gazes of countless people. "Yet once I became a Sanctuary sorcerer, the contemporary Sword Flower, and the strongest among Jialesi's younger generation..." Sonia looked at her hand. "...I found that it was just that and nothing more. "I used to admire Daidalos because she enacted countless brilliant lives in her shadow plays. I yearned for a brilliant life, but I thought I could never achieve one, so the best I could hope for was to become a shadow maiden who portrayed them. "And now," Sonia winked at Diya, "my life is already so breathtakingly magnificent that even Daidalos's shadow plays wouldn't dare script it this way. "I have never regretted joining this operation. This is the tumultuous, romantic life I've always wanted. Yaxiu is the sole reason, yet he happens to be what my heart truly yearns for as well." Diya asked, "But you're giving up everything you have in the Starry Kingdom." Sonia shook her head. "The bonds of friendship have certainly added color to my life, but I move too fast; our paths would part sooner or later anyway. My mother's home was indeed the warmest shelter I had, but I am utterly unwilling to go back. I don't need shelter. "As for my title, my businesses, my career..." She chuckled softly. "My dream back then was simply to settle down in Jialesi. But now I've attained legendary rank, my opponents have become God Lords, and I'm taking part in world-shattering epic events. Suddenly, I feel... Jialesi is too small. "I've grown tired of it. "Back then, it was because I felt my hometown was too small that I fought so hard to get into university in Jialesi. When Jialesi gives me that same feeling, I won't linger here—just as I never lingered over my hometown. "So, Diya, you don't need to feel sad for me." Sonia tapped the hilt of her sword lightly with her finger. "I've thought this through carefully. I haven't lost anything. With my strength, slipping back to the Starry Kingdom once in a while won't even be difficult. "I'm rescuing Yaxiu not because of petty things like romance, but because of my insatiable greed. I never know when a new whim might strike me. "Yet I know that no matter where I go, he will always be by my side, walking shoulder to shoulder with me." Sonia tilted her head. "A magnificent life would simply be too boring if you couldn't share it. "To know clearly what you want and truly grasp it—that is the real wisdom of a sorcerer."