Published at 1st of July 2020 10:43 am

Volume 3, Chapter 5: Saiximili

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translated by lucathia (proofread by elisa)

“Xiao Bai, can you be any more ridiculous? You fell in the ocean and got snatched by a dragon; you had your hand cut by a letter opener and got involved with the end of the world; you picked up an egg by the roadside and got a princess in return?! You’re basically a magnet for trouble. You are not allowed to randomly pick things up, touch them, or even look at them!”

Shooting Star was carrying Yaya as he glared at Bai Saya. The latter could only smile wryly. He was quite unwilling himself, but how was he to know that trouble would keep finding him?

Yaya strongly wished to tug on Shooting Star’s furry ears, causing Shooting Star to really want to pinch her cheeks into an apple red. But no matter how daring he was, Shooting Star would not dare to bully a princess in front of her own bodyguards.

In fact, he could not even toss the little angel at Bai Saya like he usually did whenever he got tired of playing with her. Avian Agid was stubbornly unwilling to allow their princess to be held by a “despicable human” and a “heartless demon.”

“I am so sorry. Dan is just a heartless half demon, while I am a full one!” Shooting Star could not help but mutter under his breath. Then, he took the chance to pinch Yaya’s little butt, warning her to stop wiggling around.

“Wah… Bzz bzz!” Yaya’s butt smarted in pain, and her mouth turned downward; however, instead of crying, she used “bzz bzz” to threaten Shooting Star.

“Ugh!”

Hearing the “sounds” of lightning, Shooting Star’s complexion immediately changed. Alan should be back soon, right? He really did not want Alan’s welcome gift to be a streak of lightning right when Alan returned. He could only unwillingly let Yaya touch his ears. To vent his annoyance, Shooting Star deliberately stomped on the stone pavement as he moved forward.

Shooting Star rudely asked, “Hey, Avian Agid, just how far away is the palace hall still?!”

For the nth time, Markham corrected, “Our Captain of the Guard is not called Agid. His name is Barna.”

Barna himself took no offense to this little cat calling him the wrong name. He straightforwardly said, “We are almost there. My king will be able to determine right away if this one is royalty or not; however, pink eyes have always been a trait of royalty. This one must be a princess of ours!”

Hearing him say that, Markham looked at Yaya uneasily. He had not actually noticed immediately. Although he did not often see the king, and he was unfamiliar with pink eyes, this was still a failure to adhere to his duty. His straight back slumped at this.

“A princess, huh…” Shooting Star tightened his hold, his heart uneasy. Anabelle was a princess, so no matter how much he had liked that cute heart-shaped face of hers, he had had no choice but to give up on her. Now, his little angel had also turned into a princess. Don’t tell me she’s gonna get snatched away too?

“We’re here.”

Since they were here to see the king, Barna was of course even more cautious than earlier. He ordered Markham to bring a pair of chains over and wrapped them around the despicable human several times over, to the point that the human could barely walk. Only then did Barna feel satisfied.

As for the heartless demon, Barna had him swear countless oaths in the name of the Demon King, promising not to touch a single hair on the king. Only then was Barna willing to take them to see the noble king.

Because this was the first time in his life that Bai Saya was meeting someone with as lofty a position as a king, he was extremely excited. However, with his body wrapped in more metal than what full body armor could provide, he really didn’t know if he was lucky or unlucky that he would meet the king with such an appearance.

Barna nodded at the guards to each side of the door, indicating for them to open it. He turned and warned Shooting Star and company, “Do not ever…”

“Harm the king, not even a single feather!” Shooting Star cut him off and even finished what he was saying. He also rolled his eyes exaggeratedly at him. He didn’t know how many times he had heard him say this on the way here. His ears were about to fall off.

Barna nodded. Then, he turned back around to face the slowly-opening door.

“Geez, who would want to harm an old, balding… king…”

In the end, Shooting Star was unable to utter a single word more. He stared stupidly at the sight beyond the entrance.

The hall was actually not all that large, and it was not all that magnificent either. Compared to the palace halls found on the other continents, this was simple to the point of a joke.

On their way here, Shooting Star had long since realized that the humongous stone gate and the streets of the city within were not comparable at all. The stone gate was utterly majestic, but the streets after entering the city were only around the size as those found in the small city of Stella where Shooting Star and Bai Saya had met. Even the population seemed to number around the same as a small city’s worth.

A small city having a simple palace such as this one was not strange. What drew Shooting Star and company’s unwavering gaze, to the point of speechlessness, was not the palace hall, but the person sitting on the king’s throne.

He possessed a pair of pure, snow-white wings; dazzling, star-bright, golden hair; soft, smooth skin; and a faint smile framed by an ethereally beautiful face. His pink eyes made him appear as gentle as lapping waves. He sat easily, yet not ungracefully on the king’s throne, gazing at Shooting Star and company.

This avian, even if he were to sit amongst a simple hall, no, even if he sat amongst a pile of weeds, would make people feel that the pile of weeds was as precious as exotic flowers.

“Angel, the angel of my dreams!”

Shooting Star suddenly shouted and ran toward his dream.

“What are you trying to do to the king?!”

Barna immediately raised his spear, using his body that was as sturdy as a mountain to block Shooting Star’s path, with every intention to protect the king with his life. Meanwhile, Markham hesitated for a moment before he stepped forward to block Shooting Star. He really did not feel that this little cat would harm the king.

“Ahh, move out of the way. I can’t see my angel like this!” Shooting Star stuck his head out from behind the mountain of muscles in displeasure, fiery, golden eyes unwilling to leave the sight of his dream angel even upon death.

“Hehehe, it is fine. Let him come over. I wish to see the little avian he brought.”

Barna’s mouth tightened at that, and he unwillingly turned his body to the side, allowing Shooting Star to pass; however, his eyes stayed glued on Shooting Star. If he dared to take a single action that was harmful to the king, a long spear would immediately pierce through his body.

Shooting Star bounded across the hall in three steps that seemed like two yet still could not stop. He even set foot upon the steps that led to the throne…

“Shooting Star, you can’t be so rude!”

Bai Saya wanted to put a stop to Shooting Star’s fooling around, but his entire body was firmly wrapped up by steel chains, and the guard captain was even warier of him than Shooting Star. He did not dare to approach the king, or a fight might actually break out on the spot.

Shooting Star bounded up to the throne. Even though he was already so close, the king did not appear nervous. He merely smiled and looked at him gently. He even waved his hand to stop Barna and Markham from rushing forward to stop Shooting Star.

Only, Shooting Star was as fast as lightning. In an instant, he had finished climbing the few steps and arrived before the king. Then, as everyone’s faces lost all color due to horror, Shooting Star brashly pounced on the king’s… wings.

“Shooting Star, you are really being too rude!” Bai Saya was about to faint. Before, Shooting Star had understood that they couldn’t take Anabelle with them, yet now he actually dared to touch a king! Alan, please hurry back, I beg you. You can return home later, but the problem of Shooting Star’s discipline can’t wait a single moment!

The king evidently felt a little helpless and said, “Little lion, do you know that touching an avian’s wings is a confession? It can even be a marriage proposal.”

As Shooting Star touched the snow-white wings, he exclaimed, “Who cares! What a pretty pair of white wings! I wonder how long it will take for Yaya’s wings to grow as big as these ones?”

He was so captivated by the wings that he wasn’t even able to pay attention to Yaya, who had been in his arms. She fell with a “plonk,” right onto the king’s knees.

Even though she had fallen onto a stranger’s legs, this little girl who treated lightning as a toy was clearly not the least bit scared of a small matter such as this. She just gave an, “ah ah.” Seeing Shooting Star touch the wings, she struggled to grab the king’s long golden hair so she could stand up. Then, she extended her chubby little hands, wanting to touch those large wings, too.

All of a sudden, Shooting Star stopped. Did the king just say that I’m…

“You know I’m a lion?” Shooting Star asked excitedly. He just knew he was a fierce lion, not some little cat!

At this time, the king lowered his head to look at Yaya’s face. Most of his attention was focused on that pair of pink eyes, and he did not seem to hear Shooting Star at all. He seemed to be gazing faraway, and his voice was indistinct as he mumbled, “In the end, it was inevitable that only this child and myself are left.”

Barna cried out in shock, “Your Majesty, what do you mean? Has His Royal Highness met unexpected misfortune?”

With this shout, the king slowly came back to himself and smiled bitterly. “If he and the princess have not both perished, then how could they allow themselves to give their own child to someone else?”

“How do you know if Yaya’s mom and dad are alive or dead? Maybe they just didn’t want to look after a kid, so they had us bring the child over to you, a readily available dad!”

Shooting Star retorted in disapproval. Even though the truth was exactly like what the king had surmised, it was his own brother’s life and death he was talking about. Shouldn’t he make sure?!

The avian king rubbed Yaya’s head lovingly and sighed. “My little brother and his wife had always loved children. If they have not left this world, they would never be able to bring themselves to abandon their own child.”

“So, Yaya’s dad was your little bro?” Shooting Star asked doubtfully, “Your bro kicked the bucket. Why don’t you seem very sad?”

The avian king stopped rubbing Yaya’s head. His gaze found Shooting Star, and with a thread of sorrow in his voice, he said, “Since long ago, I had already warned him many times that if he continued to adventure outside, death would be just around the corner. However, this little brother of mine had always been an anomaly among avians. He did not appreciate settling down. Rather, he yearned for adventure and even took a wife who similarly loved traveling. In the end, I was unable to stop him and could only let him go. He left White Feather. At the very least, during these years, he was able to live life the way he wished.”

Shooting Star and company were taken aback by these strange words. It sounded like he had known from the start that his brother would die.

The king smiled and introduced himself properly.

“My name is Saiximili. I am the king of White Feather Nation. At the same time, I am a ‘starseer,’ a person who observes the stars to predict the future.

“I welcome you all, you who will decide the future.”

Those words made everyone blanch. Dan’s heart dropped. He thought of the Stone of Fury that Bai Saya possessed, and thought even more of the doomsday mentioned in the elven poem. Now, with these words from the self-proclaimed seer, he practically did not dare to imagine the kind of matters that would await his checkmate in the future.

Shooting Star turned around and used a grave tone to call out, “Barna…”

Barna was frozen for a moment before he was able to react. Markham was even more surprised. Wasn’t he calling him Agid, Agid, all this time? How is it suddenly Barna now?

“There is a very serious problem right now.”

Dan and Bai Saya both nodded to themselves. It was indeed a serious problem.

“What is the problem?” Barna asked in confusion.

Shooting Star seriously said, “Your king seems to be off his rocker, and it’s a very serious case!”

“…”

Barna growled, “You’re the one who is off his rocker!”

Seeing his own guard captain burst in anger, the king Saiximili did not know whether to laugh or cry. He quickly put a stop to it. “Calm down, Barna, they are our guests. Do not take offense with the little cat. You know that this race loves to fool around the most.”

With these words out in the open, it was now Shooting Star’s turn to burst in anger. “You just said I’m a lion. Who’s a little cat?!”

“Little cat, you cannot be so rude to the king!” Barna glared at Shooting Star.

“Cat, my ass!” Shooting Star glared back.

The king coughed and said with a smile, “Little lion, are you hungry?”

“I’m full from my anger—I’m super hungry!” Shooting Star instantly transformed into a little kitten. He fell before the king, and his furry ears even drooped, making him appear pitiful and hungry.

King Saiximili looked at Markham and said with a smile, “Undo the chains on that guest first. Then, arrange for the best rooms and delicacies. These people have safely brought our little princess back to us. We must treat them with the best hospitality.”

With the king’s gaze on him, Markham was flustered and quickly responded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The king gently asked, “Little lion, what do you like to eat?”

“First is meat, second is more meat, and third is delicious meat!” Shooting Star turned into a real lion on the spot.

The king chuckled and said, “Barna, go and have dinner readied. Braised whole lamb and roasted pig must be on the menu. We must welcome our little lion well.”

“Understood!”

Seeing how Shooting Star was grinning like an imp who had prevailed, Barna was very reluctant to do so, even though the king’s words were law. Still, he could only clench his teeth and accept the command. He took the group to a room so that they could rest, and then he had the kitchen prepare a bountiful dinner.

“Tch tch, dinner was way too good!”

Right? Dan glanced at Shooting Star’s stomach that was clearly sticking out. He had no clue where Shooting Star was putting it all. Even though demons indeed ate more during puberty, wasn’t this too ridiculous?

Bai Saya was carrying Yaya. The little girl had fallen asleep after eating her fill. Afraid that he might wake her, he quietly agreed, “It was indeed delicious. Although it was mostly roasted, it was all very delicious.”

“Especially the roasted lamb!” Even though Shooting Star was so full that he was about to burst, thinking of the tenderly roasted lamb made him about to salivate.

“I had hoped to ask the king some questions during dinnertime, but he never showed up.” Dan had not cared much about the contents of their dinner. He was so worried about what the king had said that he was barely able to stomach the food.

Thinking logically, if the king wished to entertain them, he should have made an appearance, but he had not throughout the entire dinner.

Could this be a scam?

Shooting Star only needed a glance to figure out what Dan was thinking. He scoffed. “It’s not like he can avoid us forever. We’ll get our chance to question him. Besides, we have to stay and wait for Yaya to learn how to fly and for Alan’s return. Even ten days or up to half a month would still be a short stay.”

Hearing that, Dan frowned and said with unease, “We should try our best to leave earlier.”

Shooting Star snapped, “To go where? Did you forget that Xiao Bai said that the holders of the stones can sense each other’s positions? Rather than staying in the dark and waiting for them to strike at us, we should take our time to figure out what the heck these Stones of Sin are!”

Dan could not help but admit that Shooting Star was right. He sighed. Haste makes waste. I was too hasty with my decisions and focused too much on taking Bai Saya as far away as I could. They had already escaped from the Western Continent to the Southern Continent, yet they had gotten involved even more deeply. What escape is there?

“As expected of the Guide. You see so clearly.”

Everyone jumped in shock. Dan stepped forward with his sword, earth magic on standby. He was ready to erect an earth wall for protection at any moment. Only then did he look ahead and saw a person standing in the shadows before them. The person wore a full-length cloak. Even the person’s face was obscured by the hood.

“Who is it?” Dan demanded.

Once he lowered his hood, King Saiximili’s brilliant golden hair brightened even the shadowy corner.

“Please follow me.”

After the king issued the invitation, he turned and left.

Bai Saya didn’t think anything of it and briskly began to follow; however, Dan stuck his hand out to stop him, yet Shooting Star brushed him aside. Dan glared at him, feeling that they really weren’t cautious enough.

Shooting Star rolled his eyes at him and said, “Why are you glaring? We’re already in White Feather. You think the king can’t trap us here?”

Dan stilled. Only then did he realize that his actions were indeed meaningless.

“Hurry up and follow. The king has already walked far ahead!” Shooting Star chided, “You’ve been checkmated so hard by your checkmate that your brain has stopped functioning.”

Dan fumbled for a moment before he retaliated with, “You’re a full-blooded demon. When you meet your checkmate, I’m sure your brain will stop functioning even more than mine.”

Shooting Star gleefully said, “It’s rare beyond rare that a demon will meet their checkmate. Who would be like you, you who can even run into a checkmate when he clearly obediently stayed in human territory?”

Bai Saya asked curiously, “Don’t all demons meet their checkmates?”

“Normal demons rarely meet theirs. It’s usually only the demons who live for a long time that have a chance…” Shooting Star abruptly stopped and slowly asked, “Xiao Bai, since when have you known about checkmates?”

Dan abruptly grew nervous.

“Alan told me.”

Shooting Star gave an “oh.” Then, seeing that Bai Saya’s expression was no different from usual, he figured that Bai Saya didn’t think much of this matter, which wasn’t unexpected. Humans had a difficult time understanding the kind of existence a checkmate was for a demon. Besides, Dan had always treated Bai Saya well. Even though there was now an extra name of checkmate to his care for Bai Saya, Xiao Bai most likely didn’t think it was any different.

“It’s not a bad thing for you to know. Now, you can order Dan around. You can even work him like a horse or cow!”

Bai Saya’s face darkened and he quickly told Dan, “I won’t work you like a horse or cow. Don’t listen to Shooting Star’s nonsense.”

Dan smiled faintly. Even though Bai Saya attracted great trouble, Dan felt very fortunate that his checkmate was Bai Saya and not some corrupt checkmate.

“Everyone, please come this way.”

At the end of the corridor stood the king by himself. They hurried to catch up with him.

Once they had caught up, they actually stepped foot outside of the palace. They were on a small hill outside.

This seemed to be the king’s destination. He took off his cloak and turned to face everyone.

As night had fallen, they could not see the emerald green of the grass, but this was not a pity. Under the embrace of the night sky full of stars, dots of silver starlight reflected across the grass. The starry sky stretched above and below them, beautiful beyond words.

Between the two starry skies, a pair of wings as white as snow gently fluttered, while the person who possessed those wings did not at all pale in comparison to the wings. His golden hair trailed behind him in the wind, his beautiful face carrying a gentle, heart-rending smile. His long, slender, and fair fingers slowly counted the stars in the sky. This kind of avian, this kind of beauty, even if one were to claim him to be an angel, no one would counter that claim.

Saiximili saw the three of them stare blankly at him. By now, Yaya had also awoken. Seeing the wings glow in the starlight, her eyes also shone, and she gave a cry of “ah ah,” waking everyone up from their stupor.

Saiximili said with a gentle smile, “As a starseer, I often come to this hill behind the palace to observe the stars. Isn’t it a beautiful sight?”

The three of them nodded one by one.

“Ah ah!” Yaya copied them and nodded as well.

Saiximili was smiling as he looked at Yaya, yet his gaze carried a trace of sorrow and regret. “Yaya is my little brother’s child. She is in the line of succession for the throne, especially since I am yet to be wed and do not have offspring. And I do not plan… to marry.”

Hearing that, Shooting Star immediately snatched Yaya from Bai Saya’s arms and hugged her tightly.

Even the big angel isn’t allowed to steal my little angel!

Seeing that, Saiximili chuckled. “Do not worry. I won’t steal her from you. Her destiny is already deeply entangled with yours. Even I would not dare to rip apart the bonds of destiny.”

He paused momentarily, the king’s gentle smile dropping from his face for the first time. “Forcefully interfering leads to little success and could even cause the path to lead to a darker one.”

“Then, I can leave Yaya with me?” Shooting Star cheered.

“You want to leave Yaya?” Bai Saya worried.

“What do you mean by the bonds of destiny?” Dan looked for answers.

Saiximili turned around. He lifted his head to gaze at the night sky full of stars. He lifted his hand and pointed at the sky. “That large, red star is you, Shooting Star.”

“I’m a large, red star?” Shooting Star lifted his head excitedly, wanting to see which star he was.

Red star, red star… There are so many stars! The entire sky is full of stars! Shooting Star was about to burst a blood vessel.

“Guide of Doom, that is the name of the star.”

Hearing the word “doom,” Dan’s face fell. He even lost his urge to ask more questions.

“Doom?” Bai Saya’s face grew serious and he quickly turned and said, “Shooting Star, Shooting Star, pay attention. It seems very serious!”

“Is it because of the word doom again… Hey! You actually nodded! Stupid Xiao Bai!” Shooting Star rolled his eyes at his pet in annoyance. Then, he turned and asked, “Big angel, make it clearer! What do you mean by Guide of Doom? Don’t tell me that I’m some guy who will attempt to destroy the world! I haven’t played enough! I don’t want to destroy the world!”

Besides, isn’t Xiao Bai the person who has a Stone of Sin? What does that have to do with me? Shooting Star frowned but didn’t plan to say this out loud. Since you claimed to be a seer, let’s see how much you actually know!

The king smiled helplessly. “My name is Saiximili. I am not an angel, just an avian.”

“Fine, ‘Saimi,’ tell me what a Guide of Doom is!” Shooting Star was not at all deferential to the king.

“Oh, Saimi is easy to pronounce and remember.” Bai Saya nodded to the side and kept the name “Saimi” in mind.

“…”

Saiximili decided to generously overlook these two people’s impolite terms of address. He gazed far away into the sky.

“I do not know the exact meaning of the Guide of Doom, only that when I look at that red star, the name of that star naturally comes to mind. This is one of the powers of a starseer.

“Next to the red star is a brilliant, white star. That is you, Bai Saya. Your name is Wrath.”

Shooting Star and Dan exchanged glances. This clearly pointed to the fact that Bai Saya possessed the Stone of Fury, Wrath. Saiximili really was a starseer like he had claimed—or this could be a huge hoax. He could have known from the start that Bai Saya was the holder of the Stone of Fury!

But other than themselves, the only person who knew should be Braids. If the king and Braids were in cahoots, then they were in deep trouble.

As Shooting Star and Dan exchanged glances, Shooting Star suddenly had a bad feeling. Don’t tell me that stupid Xiao Bai will…

Bai Saya honestly admitted, “Your words are so accurate. I indeed possess a stone, the Stone of Fury. His name is Roth.”

… reveal that he has the Stone of Fury. Shooting Star suddenly had the urge to burst his pet’s head open, while Dan sighed helplessly beside him.

Saiximili merely smiled and moved his finger to the side. “That blue star is currently approaching your two stars.”

“See!” Shooting Star pounded Bai Saya on the back and gleefully said, “I knew Alan would definitely return!”

Bai Saya smiled wryly. The blue star doesn’t necessarily mean Alan, right?

Saiximili paused for a moment before he clarified, “However, its advance appears to have stagnated.”

“Why has it stopped?” Shooting Star and Bai Saya asked simultaneously.

However, the starseer did not stop to explain. Instead, he moved his finger and pointed at another star. He continued to say, “Here is a green star, whose path will soon cross with yours. Its name is Sloth.”

“What about Gluttony? Where is it?” Dan immediately asked. If they could find out where Braids, who had attacked them, was, then he could immediately send out his subordinates to assassinate him!

Saiximili did not respond right away. His gaze remained on the starry sky for a long while before he opened his mouth to say, “Gluttony’s whereabouts are unclear. In the short term, there is no chance that your paths and his will cross.”

“Who is Sloth?”

Dan once again had a serious expression on as he pressed for answers. By doing so, he had learned that their enemy from last time would not find them in the short term, yet now there was also another sin, Sloth. Saya’s situation really was precarious, yet he himself did not seem to be aware of the danger he was in, which endangered him even more.

Saiximili shook his head with a faint smile.

You don’t know? Dan frowned even harder.

Saiximili looked profoundly at this group of people and gestured in a certain expanse of the sky. “What you should pay the most attention to is that black star.”

Holy shit, you can even see a ‘black star’? Shooting Star rudely looked Saiximili up and down. I bet this king is no starseer but some crackhead, right?

At this time, Bai Saya said in great frustration, “Shooting Star, I still can’t find my white star. Were you able to find your star?”

You were silent for so long because you were searching for your star this whole time? Shooting Star snapped, “Idiot! You would need a hundred eyes to be able to find it!”

“That black star is called ‘Guide of Existence.’ Existence and Doom. That is right. You are two parties destined to oppose each other.”

Saiximili gazed far into the distance, as if he saw through everything through his divination.

Bai Saya did not at all believe Shooting Star and countered, “But Saimi only has two eyes. How was he able to see our stars?”

“However, Doom’s light far pales in comparison to Existence’s. That is because the starseer who belongs to the Guide of Existence has already met his destined companions long ago.”

Saiximili’s gaze was still distant, but his pale fingers were slowly curling into a fist.

Shooting Star propped his hands on his waist and shouted, “How do you know that he doesn’t have the other ninety eight eyes under his clothes?”

“Oh, so they’re actually hidden under his clothes?” After saying that, Bai Saya then felt that such a sight was a little scary. That can’t be true, right?

“Yes, you are correct in your assumptions! I am the Starseer of Doom…”

The avian king, who was as beautiful as an angel, had veins beginning to throb on his forehead.

Bai Saya abruptly felt that something was wrong. He exclaimed, “Shooting Star, Saimi seems to be talking about something really serious?”

Shooting Star’s face twisted, and he growled, “Don’t tell me that you feel it’s very serious because you heard the word ‘destined’!”

“Even though destiny dictates that I become the Starseer of Doom, I am given the opportunity to decide if I am to choose this path…”

His prophetic, distant gaze grew more and more human, and that human expression was usually dubbed, “enraged.”

Bai Saya honestly admitted, “Yeah, ‘destiny’ sounds very serious.”

“Idiot, it’s not like every time destiny is mentioned means it’s serious!” Shooting Star rolled his eyes.

Bai Saya wanted to continue arguing, but he suddenly paled, looking beyond Shooting Star in shock, not daring to utter a single word more.

“Hey, Xiao Bai? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost…”

Shooting Star asked in confusion, until a shadow fell upon his entire person. How strange, what is big enough here that I can be “shadowed” completely? He reflexively glanced down at the shadow on the ground.

A huge shadow spanned across the grass, and a humanoid shape with large wings could possibly be made out. If it was just the wings, that wouldn’t be scary, since this was a nation of avians after all, but other than the wings, the shadow had wildly dancing hair!

It was merely a shadow, and it was fully black, so nothing could be seen from it, yet Shooting Star swore that the location where the eyes should be on the shadow gleamed with a dangerous light that could make anyone pee their pants!

“Won’t. You. All. Listen. To. What. I. Have. To. Say?”

The words were polite, but the tone was extremely frightening. A deathly pale, white hand akin to a devil’s lightly rested next to Shooting Star’s neck, and a bone-chilling coldness seeped through his skin, spreading throughout his entire body.

“Okay… I’ll listen obediently to what you’re saying!” Shooting Star nodded as if his life depended on it, almost wanting to cry. Sob, sob, sob, the big angel has turned into a devil!

After nodding, the person behind him did not take any more action. Shooting Star gulped. He really did not dare to turn directly to face the devil, so he could only sneak a glance at Xiao Bai’s expression. Eh?! Xiao Bai’s fright has already settled? Does this mean Saimi has turned back into an angel?

Shooting Star glanced out of the corner of his eyes, only to see that Saiximili’s golden hair was gently being caressed by the wind, and the smile on his face was kind. His wings weren’t devilish at all, shining white as usual, completely an angel. He did not at all look like a devil.

By now, Saiximili seemed to have completely forgotten his devil-mode from earlier. He returned to being a distant seer. With a sorrowful gaze, his eyes bore into Shooting Star and company, and he softly murmured, “Even though I do not wish to bring up conditions with you, as a starseer’s power should not be bargained for…”

To hell with that! By saying this, you clearly plan on bringing up conditions! Shooting Star rolled his eyes and came to a conclusion. Saimi is just as longwinded as Alan!

“However, destiny dictates that I cannot omit the condition.” Saiximili shook his head sorrowfully, as if he was very unwilling to speak further. “The condition is…”

“Wait a moment!” Shooting Star abruptly cut Saimi off loudly. “Why do I need a starseer? Let me tell you, I have no interest at all in horoscopes!”

Saiximili lowered his head, half of his face shadowed. The golden hair framing his face slowly began to drift up, and his voice changed from distant to hollow, like a cry echoing from the depths of hell.

“A starseer has nothing to do with horoscopes! I’m sorry, I don’t seem to have heard you right. Did you just say you don’t need a starseer?”

Bai Saya tugged on Shooting Star’s sleeve with horror, afraid that the latter would let slip even more shocking words. It had been frightening enough seeing a devil appear earlier. He did not want to see with his own eyes the complete process of an angel morphing into a devil!

“No. Way!” Shooting Star’s eyes began to shine. Earlier, he had been afraid of the devil to the point of shivering, yet now, he appeared completely fearless.

Such a resolute refusal shocked Saiximili still. He had considered many first encounters between him and the Guide of Doom, but never before had he thought that the other would not want his own starseer so resolutely.

Shooting Star’s shining eyes make me feel… Bai Saya suddenly had a familiar bad feeling!

“I don’t want a starseer, but if you want to be my pet, I’ll consider taking you in!”

Like I thought! Bai Saya did not know whether to laugh or cry. That shining just now was indeed Shooting Star’s pet collecting sparkle!

Pet? Saiximili’s mouth twitched. He wondered if he had heard wrong.

Bai Saya sighed and helplessly said, “Shooting Star, what did you fall in love with this time? His wings?”

“No way!” Shooting Star retorted, “I already have Yaya’s wings, and Yaya’s tiny wings are so cute. When she grows up, her wings will definitely be even prettier than Saimi’s wings!”

“Not the wings?” Bai Saya asked curiously, “Then, which part makes you want Saimi to be your pet?”

Shooting Star passionately shouted, “Does it even need to be said? His hands, of course!”

Shooting Star hungrily stared at Saimi’s fair fingers. Since earlier when Saiximili had been pointing at this star and that star, he had noticed those hands! Where else would he find such breathtaking, beautiful hands?

Ahhh, I want those hands!

As if struck by lightning, Saiximili pulled his hands back. Then, he turned to look at Dan, as if asking him with his gaze, Are these two really involved with the end of the world?

“… Don’t pay them any mind. Continue on. What is the condition? As a starseer, what benefits can you provide?” Dan said rather helplessly. Clearly, he was the only one who had seriously listened to Saiximili speak.

“In the end, which path this world takes will be decided upon by the Guides. What I can do is to help illuminate the Guide’s path, allowing him to more clearly see the path before him, so that he can make his choice.”

Saiximili explained in all seriousness while looking at Dan. He inwardly lamented why his Guide wasn’t this one but the one next to him.

Shooting Star childishly said, “Hey! I said I don’t want a starseer. Be my pet. At most, I’ll let you hold a torch. You can still illuminate my path that way!”

You’re actually comparing my power as a starseer with a torch! Saiximili felt like rational thought was leaking out of his brain.

Bai Saya hurriedly tried to put a stop to this. “Shooting Star, Saimi is a king. He can’t be your pet.”

Shooting Star boldly said, “He’s the one who said he wanted to be my pet!”

Bai Saya corrected him, “He wants to be your ‘starseer.’ Don’t twist his words. That isn’t a good habit.”

“Then, you tell me, what’s the difference between a starseer and a pet?” Shooting Star harrumphed. Then, he said without a care, “After all, both stay by my side, only that he likes to watch the stars at night. Perfect. In that case, he can take the night watch!”

Bai Saya could not help but nod his head in agreement. “You are right. This way, Alan and my responsibilities will lessen.”

“I told you!” Shooting Star nodded as if it were a matter of fact.

“… In any case, as long as you agree to my condition, I don’t care if you want me to be a starseer or a pet with a torch!”

Hearing the conversation between these two, Saiximili finally gave up on his deep and profound image, and he also gave up on the dignity of a king, directly breaking down and providing the condition.

In a discussion about the end of the world with the two of them, one believed that disciplining a child was more important, while the other felt pets and his next meal were worthier of his time. Saiximili’s profound image of a seer was like a famous painting placed among museums—a lot less practical than a platter of stir-fry beef on the dinner table.

“What’s the condition? Go ahead and say it!”

When it came to a problem as serious as the end of the world, Shooting Star could still goof off to the side with Xiao Bai, but when it came to capturing a pet, he immediately became so serious that he could not become any more serious.

“I have already seen that my nation will suffer a great calamity…” Saiximili turned, gazing faraway into the starry sky, sorrow sweeping across his face.

“A great calamity! Shoot, Xiao Bai, I wonder if it will be difficult to resolve?” Shooting Star’s brows scrunched deeply together. I hate trouble!

Bai Saya heatedly said, “Shooting Star, helping others solve their problems is the duty of a swordsman!”

“It’s not like I’m some swordsman. At most, I’m a ‘whipman’…”

If I don’t get straight to the point, they won’t hear a single word I say. This realization suddenly came to Saiximili.

He quickly said without any expression, “I have prophesized that White Feather will suffer a great calamity soon. According to what I have seen in the stars, this calamity should be a large battle. If you are willing to help White Feather win this battle, then I will be a torch-bearing pet!”

“A battle?” Shooting Star did not look well as he said, “But winning a battle is super hard. If it’s just for the sake of one single pet, it doesn’t seem to be worth it.”

Saiximili clenched his fists, a vein throbbing on his forehead, yet he flatly said, “I am a starseer. When there is a fork in the road, I can help divine which path leads to good fortune and which leads to calamity. This is a good deal. Why don’t you consider it for a bit?”

Bai Saya and Shooting Star immediately came to a realization and finally understood what a starseer was. Shooting Star even had an expression that implied, “So that’s how it is. You should have said so from the start.”

Yes! They finally understand the worth of a starseer! The king practically had the urge to cry.

Bai Say raised both hands in approval. “Awesome! Shooting Star, now that we have Saimi, we won’t ever end up lost again!”

… lost? Saiximili’s emotional response was popped like a bubble.

“Really? But I feel like Saimi doesn’t look like he’s good with directions?” Shooting Star looked doubtfully at Saimi. For some reason, he felt that the chances of a king getting lost were much higher than a king being good at directions.

That is completely not what I mean by guiding your path! Saiximili looked at these two people before him in worry. For these two fellows to be in charge of determining the future of the world, does this mean GOD has already forsaken this world?

Perhaps, directly giving up on the right to determine the future of the world, leaving it for the enemy side, “the Guide of Existence” to decide, would be better for this world?

Shooting Star tilted his head and thought about it. “Okay, for the sake of pet Saimi who can find our way for us, I have decided to fight this battle!”

“Have you fought a war before?” Dan coldly asked.

“Yup!” Shooting Star answered confidently.

However, Dan glanced at him in great suspicion.

“You don’t believe me?” Shooting Star glared at Dan in great dissatisfaction. Then, he lifted his chin up and proudly said, “When I was a kid, I often led a bunch of kids to fight a bunch of other kids!”

“…”

Saiximili’s composure finally completely collapsed.

Before the adventure had even begun, he already wanted to give up on life. Why am I not the starseer of the Guide of Existence instead of the Guide of Doom?

I really want to jump ship…

I wonder if the Guide of Existence will be willing to accept a second starseer?

Share