My Fated Alpha Wolf King

Verified Gold

Moonlight, pure and bright, spilled down, draping Saintlight Village in a layer of soft, gentle gauze.In the moonlit night, the Saintlight Divine Tree emitted a faint green fluorescence. Its colossal branches and vines sprawled across the surrounding cliff walls, as if cradling Saintlight Village within the shelter of its arms.Ming Yue walked to the base of the Saintlight Tree and looked up at the night sky. A full moon hung in the sky, surrounded by only a few dim stars.Ming Yue pressed her palms together and whispered, "Mother, tonight I cannot see you. Can you see me?"The moon was bright, the stars were few, and silence reigned all around.A single leaf drifted down from the Saintlight Tree and landed softly upon Ming Yue's cheek. In that instant, Ming Yue felt as though her mother was stroking her face."Mother." Ming Yue picked up the fallen leaf. It shimmered with a soft green light, a luster as pleasing to the eye as the green stone ring her mother used to wear.In that breath of a moment, Ming Yue felt as if she heard her mother's voice drifting down from the sky: "Yue'er, Yue'er.""Mother, are you watching over me?" Ming Yue raised her head."My child, I have always been watching you from the heavens.""Mother, I miss you terribly." Ming Yue's tears spilled forth."I miss you too, my child.""In the days since you left, I have experienced so much.""My child, though you were born the natural heir of the Clear Spring, only through trials and hardship can you become a true Princess of the Clear Spring.""Mother, I don't want to become a princess. I only wanted to grow up sheltered in your embrace.""Yue'er, you possess a precious gift bestowed by the heavens. You must shoulder the heavy responsibility of vanquishing evil. This is the duty and honor of every generation of Clear Spring princesses. It is also your destiny. If you cannot bear this burden, you are unworthy of being my child.""Mother...""Remember your destiny..."Ming Yue came back to herself. The leaf in her hand was gradually losing its glow, growing dull and withered."I will shoulder my destiny, Mother. I will not let you down." Ming Yue closed the leaf in her palm, her tone resolute.Ming Yue closed her eyes, focused her mind, steadied her breath, extended her right hand, and chanted a spell under her breath. In a short while, a white orb of light materialized from her right hand. The Saintlight leaf floated at the center of the orb and regained its original luster.Just then, near the Saintlight Tree, a shadowy figure darted past. The figure saw Ming Yue standing beneath the tree, radiating white light, and couldn't help but cry out strangely, "What in the devil is this?"Ming Yue's mind stirred, and she hurled the orb of light. The figure couldn't dodge in time and was struck squarely by the orb, letting out a loud "Ouch!" and falling seated onto the ground. The orb of light that had struck him shifted from white to gold, covering his entire body, and only gradually faded after a good while. The leaf landed on the man's ever-present spear, still shimmering with golden light.Ming Yue opened her eyes and said, "Gold water."Ba Diyou, now sitting on the ground, patted himself down. Finding no pain, his fear gradually subsided. He leaped to his feet, pointed at Ming Yue, and demanded, "You... what kind of demon are you? What do you want?"Ming Yue walked towards Ba Diyou. Ba Diyou raised his hunting spear and aimed it at her, shouting, "Don't come any closer, or I'll blast you!"Ming Yue said, "I am a seer. I verified you are a good person."Ba Diyou said angrily, "Nonsense! This spear of mine has protected this village for how many years? Who has ever doubted me, that I need you to verify me! What exactly are you?"Ming Yue took a few more steps closer to Ba Diyou: "I am the guest who came to the village today."Ba Diyou recognized Ming Yue's face clearly now. Warily, he said, "You're that little girl everyone suspected of being a wolf-kin today? What are you doing sneaking around here, planning to stab someone?" As he spoke, Ba Diyou placed his hand on the trigger of his hunting spear.Ming Yue said, "I am not a wolf-kin. They suspected me without any reason. I was only here practicing my cultivation technique."Ba Diyou said, "I don't believe it. What kind of cultivation requires you to practice late at night?"Ming Yue said, "My family's technique, 'Clear Spring Heart's Truth', can only be cultivated at night."Ba Diyou asked, half-believing, half-doubtful, "What is this 'Clear Spring Heart's Truth'?"Ming Yue said, "My family's Clear Spring Heart's Truth technique is the bane of all demons, ghosts, and monsters. At its initial stage, it can discern the truth of a person's heart and see through disguises. If cultivated to an advanced stage, it can heal heart demons and resist dark magic. My mother once told me that the Clear Spring Heart's Truth technique is fully comparable to the most profound and esoteric magic of the Rose Academy, the sacred temple of magic."Ba Diyou said, "The Rose Academy, huh? From what I see, apart from having skill in 'doing that deed', they don't seem so impressive, heh heh heh..." Ming Yue stared blankly at Ba Diyou, not understanding what he was talking about. Ba Diyou continued, "That orb of light you just threw at me, was that your cultivation technique? How come I didn't feel a thing?"Ming Yue said, "This orb of light is only used to verify people; it causes no harm. You suddenly appeared within my verification range. I was startled and threw the orb out. You are a good person, so the orb turned gold when it struck you. Had you been a wolf-kin, the orb would have taken on a dark purple hue."Ba Diyou asked, "And what's the reasoning behind that?"Ming Yue said, "The blood flowing within a good person is red. Reflected upon the orb of light, it takes on the appearance of flowing golden water. The blood within a wolf-kin, however, is purple-black. Reflected upon the orb, it shows a dark purple color. The orb showed gold on you, therefore you are a good person."Ba Diyou listened. Ming Yue's words, though arcane, were spoken with a natural tone that didn't sound fabricated. He lowered his hunting spear and gave a cold snort: "I am the village hunter. I have no need for you to verify me. Though you say I'm a good person, I can't recognize you as one."Ming Yue gave a slight smile: "As long as Brother Fei believes in me, that's enough. Whether others believe me or not... it doesn't matter."Ba Diyou sneered: "You mean that shield-bearing gentleman? Hmph, do you think he alone can protect you? In Saintlight Village, decisions are made by everyone voting on who should undergo the Judgment of the Holy Light. If you can't get most people to side with you, there's no escaping this judgment tomorrow."Hearing this, Ming Yue couldn't help but shiver. She looked up at the Saintlight Divine Tree. Under the moonlit night, the towering tree instilled a strange, oppressive feeling in those who stood beneath it and gazed up. Ming Yue's voice trembled: "I am not a wolf-kin. I am not afraid of the Holy Light's judgment..."Ba Diyou said, "Suppose, as you say, you truly aren't a wolf-kin, but someone who always cultivates magic. Don't you know that the Holy Light's judgment has a destructive effect on a mage's cultivation? Although your life wouldn't be in danger, after receiving the judgment, all your past cultivation would be for nothing. After that, you'd be no different from an ordinary villager."Ming Yue trembled all over, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.Seeing Ming Yue's terrified state, Ba Diyou suddenly felt a flicker of pity and couldn't bear to strike her down further. He hoisted his spear onto his shoulder, turned, and walked towards the village. As he walked, he said, "Burying your head in the sand and relying solely on your guardian is useless. If you truly are a seer, you must earn everyone's trust!"Ming Yue lowered her head, pondering Ba Diyou's words. After a moment, she suddenly raised her head and called out loudly towards Ba Diyou's retreating figure: "Hunter Uncle, will you side with me tomorrow?"Ba Diyou didn't turn back. "Since you say I am gold water, I won't turn against my verification. But I won't side with you either. Tomorrow, I will probably choose to abstain."Watching Ba Diyou's stout, solid back disappear into the distance, a surge of courage to face the challenge ahead welled up in Ming Yue's heart.