dark witch

Chapter4

If she was going to Anastar City, then should she bring some money? But money... Mentioning it, Haiyin felt somewhat hurt, pinching the first shallow layer of the checkerboard-patterned treasure chest.

When she had her father make this treasure chest, she had already decided: the chest would be divided into an upper and lower layer, the top layer for miscellaneous small items, not requiring much space; the bottom layer for money, which could be a bit larger. Her father had made it exactly according to her specifications.

Crouching next to the treasure chest, Haiyin frowned at the nine copper coins scattered at the bottom: "Truly impoverished," she looked from one coin to another but ultimately couldn't bring herself to take any, and put the first layer back into the treasure chest, "I should just focus on my cultivation."

For her, practicing sorcery was something quite mystical, but no matter how mystical, Haiyin calmly accepted it. After all, being reborn with memories had caught up with her; what was there that she couldn't accept?

Pushing the treasure chest back under the bed, Haiyin then sat down at the desk placed beneath the skylight, crossed her legs, and with a flick of her right hand upwards, the previously shut skylight was pushed open from the inside out, instantly allowing sunlight to stream down on Haiyin.

The Witchkin not only had meridians different from ordinary people but also possessed the ability to communicate with nature. The reason the Witchkin could practice sorcery, besides the fact that their meridians could store power, was key to their affinity with nature. Their affinity with nature determined their talent for practicing sorcery; the higher the affinity, the stronger the talent.

However, the present was not like the past. Once, the strong among the Witchkin could battle with the ancestor Androsi, but not anymore. According to her mother, apart from a few reclusive witch ancestors who no longer interfered in worldly affairs, the Witchkin were becoming less and less significant.

Even so, the internal strife between the Light Witchkin and the Dark Witchkin never ceased and was becoming increasingly intense.

Originally, the titles "Light Witchkin" and "Dark Witchkin" merely represented the different attributes of power they concentrated on, but somehow the meaning behind these titles changed over time. The "Light Witchkin" became embodiments of righteousness and light, while the "Dark Witchkin" became associated with evil and darkness.

What was more ridiculous was that the Light Witchkin took pride in this, which the Dark Witchkin could not tolerate.

After years of conflict, the Light Witchkin, leveraging the holy image bestowed by their light sorcery, consistently had the upper hand. This led some unstable Dark Witchkin to despair, openly assuming the mantle of evil and darkness, acting recklessly, with many of them dying at the hands of the Light Witchkin in recent years.

Indeed, Haiyin could understand the actions of the Light Witchkin. Isn't there an old saying in China? "Those not of our race must have different hearts." Although the Light Witchkin and the Dark Witchkin both belong to the Witchkin, their paths of cultivation differ, which could be considered as "having differences."

To eliminate the different and promote only oneself. Haiyin felt that the Light Witchkin were too self-centered. Frankly, given the current situation, the world was truly in the hands of Androsi, so where did the Light Witchkin get the audacity to think themselves supreme? Probably from the sun.

Haiyin's lips slightly curved upward as she closed her eyes and began to commune with nature. She remembered when she was just born in this life, the grandmother who delivered her cried, and her mother, immediately after she was born, asked a question in haste. At the time, she was both confused and couldn't understand, but later it became clear.

Her mother had asked, "Is it a Moon Goddess Child?" "Moon Goddess Child" is what the Dark Witchkin call a newly born girl who can store the power of moonlight.

After her mother asked that question, the room was silent. No doubt, just born and bewildered, she did not cry. It probably took a full minute before her grandmother moved, slowly lifting her, startling her.

Don't blame her; after all, she had been abandoned once in a previous life. She thought she had reincarnated into another unfortunate situation, into a family that valued sons over daughters and wanted to kill her, a common occurrence in ancient China.

She immediately cried out, trying to evoke familial affection from the people in the room, but it turned out having too much imagination isn't always a good thing, leading to some far-fetched assumptions.

In the Witchkin, atthe moment of a child's birth, a strand of sorcery power is infused into the infant's meridians. If this strand of power does not dissipate, it signifies that the child can cultivate sorcery. And indeed, it was confirmed that she could practice sorcery, having been born at midnight when the moonlight was strongest.

Her grandmother lifted her high, not to harm, but to allow her to receive the Moon Goddess's blessing, a tradition among the Witchkin. Before she turned three, whenever her mother gathered moonlight, she would sit her on her lap, letting the overflowing moonlight cleanse her body, making it easier for her to communicate with nature.

Perhaps she truly had an extraordinary talent. Even at the age of three, still in her innocent years, she began to sense nature. This sensation was marvelous; it felt as though all elements of nature, including wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, had life. What amazed her most was her ability to control some dark creatures, like black crows and bats.

To this day, she still hadn't figured out why, and of course, she hadn't mentioned it to her family, feeling somewhat uneasy about it.

Her breathing became lighter, and Haiyin's consciousness sank into a world filled with birdsong and floral scents. During the day, she couldn't gather moonlight, but she could communicate with nature. As long as she communicated well with nature during the day, her speed of gathering moonlight at night would increase. This was a realization she came to two years ago.

At noon, Mond brought up lunch for her, including a special beef bone soup he had prepared for his daughter, along with a piece of bread, to the attic.

He knocked gently on the door and waited. Receiving no response, he was about to leave the meal by the door when it opened from inside. A pair of deer-skin boots entered his view, and Mond couldn't help but smile.

"Father," Haiyin took the meal tray, "come in." She had just finished her daily practice and was about to go down for lunch, not expecting her father to bring it up, "You must have known I was hungry."

Following his beloved daughter to the desk, Haiyin placed the meal tray on it and quickly ran to bring a chair from the bed: "Sit, let's eat together." Her father knew her well, understanding she disliked raw food and had prepared soup for her.

"You eat; I'll join your mother later," Mond took a seat.

Haiyin, not insisting further, began with the soup. It had been simmered long enough to reduce the gamey taste, making it quite palatable. Now, all that was missing was a large, roasted pancake. She broke off a small piece of bread, settling for it in the meantime.

"Your mother is preparing the clothes you'll need for tomorrow's journey," Mond mentioned, relieved to see her eating, "I've seen them; they're beautiful." Since entering the Western Forest Sea, he hadn't left, nor did he long for the outside world.

"Will you come with us?" Haiyin looked up at her handsome father. He was, after all, the man her mother had snatched from the Light Witch Poey. What she really wanted to ask was whether he ever resented her mother for it.

Mond shook his head: "No, I won't go," he had already discussed this with Merlin, "I'll wait for you at home." He loved the simplicity and peace of the Western Forest Sea and would never leave if he could help it.