The Virtuous Dark Witch

Chapter 4

Since she was going to Anastas City, she should bring money, right? But money… just thinking about it hurt.

Elara lifted the shallow top layer of her Treasure Chest.

When she asked her father to make it, she had planned everything: the top layer for small items, not too much space; the bottom layer for money, with plenty of room. Her father had followed her instructions perfectly.

Elara squatted beside the chest, frowning at the nine lonely copper coins scattered at the bottom.

"Truly penniless." She looked at each coin, but could not bear to take any. She placed the top layer back.

"I'd better focus on cultivating."

Cultivating Witch Power was something mysterious to her. But no matter how strange it was, Elara accepted it calmly. After all, she had already been reborn with all her memories. What else could she not accept?

Pushing the treasure chest back under the bed, Elara sat at her desk beneath the skylight, crossed her legs, and waved her right hand upward. The closed skylight was pushed open by an invisible force. Sunlight poured down on her.

Witches not only had special meridians but also the ability to communicate with nature. The key to their cultivation was not just storing power in their meridians, but their affinity with nature. The higher the affinity, the greater the talent.

But the present was not like the past. Once, top Witches could fight Andros progenitors. Now, according to her mother, except for a few ancestral witches in seclusion, the Witch Clan was declining.

Even so, the infighting between Light Witches and Dark Witches never stopped—it only grew more intense.

Originally, the names "Light Witches" and "Dark Witches" only referred to the type of power they cultivated. But somewhere along the way, the meaning changed. Light Witches came to represent justice and virtue, while Dark Witches were labeled evil and shadowy.

Ridiculously, the Light Witches believed this wholeheartedly. How could the Dark Witches tolerate that?

After years of conflict, Light Witches had maintained the upper hand with their holy image empowered by Sunlight Power. Some unstable Dark Witches simply embraced the label of evil, acting recklessly. Many had been killed by Light Witches in recent years.

Elara could understand the Light Witches' behavior. There was an old saying in China: "Those who are not our kind are bound to have different hearts." Though Light Witches and Dark Witches were both Witches, they followed different paths. That was the "difference."

Eliminating dissent and seeking supremacy.

Elara thought the Light Witches were too arrogant. After all, the world was truly controlled by the Andros. Who gave the Light Witches the courage to claim supremacy?

Probably the sun.

A faint smile played on her lips. She closed her eyes and began communicating with nature.

She remembered the moment she was born. Her grandmother, Kelly, who had delivered her, had cried. Her mother, Merlyn, had spoken in a rush as soon as she emerged. At the time, Elara had been confused and unable to understand. Later, she learned the truth.

Her mother had asked: Is she a Moon Goddess Child?

Moon Goddess Child was what Dark Witches called a newborn baby who could store Moonlight Power.

After her mother spoke, the room fell silent. No need to doubt—she had not cried at all, still dazed from birth. About a minute later, her grandmother moved, lifting her slowly.

Elara had panicked.

She could not be blamed. Having been abandoned once in her past life, she thought she had been reborn into a family that favored sons over daughters, about to be dropped to her death. It was common in ancient China.

She had wailed loudly, trying to stir their blood ties. But it turned out she had just overthought things.

Immediately after a Witch child was born, a wisp of Witch Power was injected into their meridians. If the power did not dissipate, the child could cultivate. Elara had been confirmed capable—and born exactly at midnight, when Moonlight Power was at its strongest.

Her grandmother had lifted her high only to let her receive the Moon God's blessing—a Witch tradition.

Before age three, every time her mother gathered Moonlight Power, she placed Elara on her lap, letting the overflowing Moonlight Power cleanse her body, making it easier for her to communicate with nature.

Perhaps she was truly gifted. At age three, still innocent and ignorant, she had already felt a faint connection to nature. Everything—wind, rain, thunder, lightning—seemed alive. Most surprisingly, she could control certain dark creatures: black crows, bats, and more.

She still did not know why. Naturally, she had not told her family. She felt a little nervous about it.

Her breath grew lighter. Elara's consciousness sank into a world of flowers and birds. During the day, she could not gather Moonlight Power, but she could communicate with nature. The more she did so during the day, the faster she absorbed Moonlight Power at night. She had realized this two years ago.

At noon, Mond prepared lunch for his two sons, David and Townsend. He filled a bowl of ox bone soup he had specially made for his daughter, took a piece of bread, and went up to the attic.

He knocked softly. When there was no answer, he planned to leave the plate outside. But as he bent down, the door opened. A pair of deerskin boots came into view. Mond smiled involuntarily.

"Father." Elara took the plate. "Come in." She had just finished her daily practice and was about to go down for lunch. She had not expected her father to bring it up.

"You must have known I was hungry."

Mond followed his lovely daughter to the desk. Elara set down the plate, then quickly fetched a chair. “Sit. Let's eat together." Her father knew her best. He knew she disliked raw food and had made soup for her.

"You eat. I'll eat with your mother later." Mond sat down.

Elara did not insist. She picked up a spoon and took a sip of soup. It had been simmered for a long time, so the fishy odor was faint. It tasted not bad. She just missed Sesame Seed Cakes. She tore off a small piece of bread and ate it. For now, this would have to do.

"Your mother is preparing your clothes for tomorrow's trip." Mond was relieved to see her eating. "They're very beautiful, from what I saw."

He had not left the West Sea Forest since being brought there. But he had no Desseyre for the outside world.

"Are you coming with us?" Elara looked up at her handsome father. He had been taken from the Light Witch Poppy by her mother. What she really wanted to ask was: did he ever resent her?

Mond shook his head. “No. I'll stay here and wait for you to return." He loved the West Sea Forest. Life here was simple and peaceful. If possible, he would never leave.