Chapter Ninety-Two: The Sister Who Cannot Be Forgiven

"Hakurie—Night?" Link was momentarily stunned, his thoughts racing. The surname Night was rare in the Kingdom of Stars, almost unique to Link's family. The woman had previously used Night as her surname—could she be a relative? Or perhaps another adopted daughter of Barrett?

As he pondered, buried memories began to surface, faint and indistinct. In his recollection, eight years ago, aside from Elia Night and their father Barrett Night, Neil Night had a very close older sister. Yet the details—her smile, her presence—had faded. Neil Night remembered her with longing, but also with deep resentment and anger, for she had suddenly left with someone one day, abandoning them.

Beyond this, Link could recall nothing more. The memory was a haze, as if Neil Night himself wished to forget. With these thoughts, Link glanced at Lin Xi, whose original name was Hakurie Night, and offered a gentle but distant smile, saying, "Oh, I remember now—you must be Sister Hakurie, right? Haha, it's been a long time. Looks like you've been doing quite well."

His words, influenced by Neil Night's memories, ended on a note of subtle sarcasm.

Lin Xi's face paled slightly as she listened, then she forced a bitter smile. "It seems you really are just as Father wrote in his letters—you've never forgiven me. But, Neil, I don't regret my decision. I hope you understand, because I have my own mission." Her expression hardened with resolve as she finished speaking.

Link raised his eyebrows, picking up from her words that Barrett had kept in touch with Lin Xi, though never mentioning it to Neil or Elia. Lin Xi's so-called mission piqued Link's curiosity; he responded coldly, "Oh? What mission? Would you care to tell me?"

Lin Xi met Link's gaze steadily and replied in an even tone, "My mentor told me I possess an extraordinary talent for martial arts. Our lineage carries the duty of serving the divine. However, she never revealed which god I was meant to serve—only, before her death, she urged me to seek the answer for myself. So, for three years, I have traveled far and wide in search of the god I am destined to serve. Yet, in every religion, I have seen evil committed in the name of gods, and never witnessed a genuine divine miracle. The long journey has left me weary. Recently, I heard you founded a new church, and so my companions and I returned to see for ourselves."

Her explanation was more a tale, briefly recounting her experiences. Link felt a stir in his heart, suppressing an instinctive irritation and offering a charismatic smile. "Father above, it seems Lady Lin has been through much. So, what do you think of the church I founded?"

The unfamiliar address made Lin Xi's eyes dim, but she bit her lip and replied, "I believe your church is the one I've been seeking, because I have witnessed a true divine miracle and seen your selfless healing of the people." She paused, then knelt on one knee, lowering her head. "Archbishop Neil, I ask you to accept me, so that I may serve the noble Father. I believe the noble Father is the purpose of my mission."

Her words now followed the full formality of rank, showing that Lin Xi no longer hoped for Link's forgiveness—only for the chance to fulfill her mission.

Seeing this, Link felt both pity and annoyance. The emotions and memories from this body were affecting him more than ever. Normally, discovering such a powerful female warrior was an adopted sister would be a perfect opportunity to play the emotional card and win her loyalty, but Neil's memories made him want her gone, even though he had prepared lines that now came out twisted.

To avoid saying anything that might provoke her, Link turned his back and said, "Understood. If you wish to stay, then stay. From now on, you'll be Elia's personal guard. She is the church's candidate for Saint; when she turns sixteen, I plan to make her our first official Saint."

Lin Xi was momentarily taken aback, then murmured, "Elia... So, that child is like you..." She nodded. "Very well, Archbishop. I understand. I will do my utmost as her guardian, and will not let Elia come to harm. If there are no further matters, I will take my leave." With that, she rose and departed.

After Lin Xi left, Link turned around with a wry smile. The body's resentment toward Lin Xi was so deep it influenced even his own emotions—Neil Night truly loved and hated her intensely.

To be fair, Link's immediate appointment of a newcomer as Elia's guard was somewhat rash, even if she was connected to the Night family. Yet the body's instinctive influence was overwhelming. Moreover, Lin Xi was now one of his intermediate followers; after witnessing a 'miracle' that night, she, like many others, had become a new believer.

Shaking his head, Link sighed, "I need to find a way to curb these emotions, or else Lin Xi might become dissatisfied. If memory serves, she didn't practice martial arts before thirteen, so she's only twenty-one now. Even if she began training right after leaving Qinke Town, that's only eight years—eight years to reach the peak of the fifth rank without any golden support, that's extraordinary. She's a once-in-a-millennium talent; there isn't a martial artist in the Kingdom of Stars with greater innate ability. Such a master, willing to stay in the Church of the Father, cannot be allowed to slip away."

Having made up his mind, Link began devising ways to win Lin Xi's loyalty, as the night quietly passed.

The next morning, the manager of the granary came running again to report the food shortage. After breakfast, only enough grain remained for one more meal; by evening, everyone would go hungry.

Everyone's thoughts turned to solving the food crisis, but none could agree on a solution. Every option had drawbacks—some would antagonize other factions, others would cost followers, or require swallowing losses. None were acceptable.

While all were vexed by the food issue, Elia suddenly sent for Link, saying she had found a solution. Link hurried over to find Elia and Lin Xi together in a room. Upon seeing Lin Xi, Link felt an instinctive irritation, his expression turning cold.

Lin Xi's face darkened at his reaction. Elia glanced at the two, then stepped forward. "Brother Neil, Sister Xi says she has a way to solve the food shortage."

"Sister Xi?" Link raised an eyebrow.

Elia nodded. "She no longer uses her old name. Since she's now Lin Xi, calling her Sister Xi makes sense, doesn't it?" She paused, seeing Link's displeasure, then changed the subject. "Let's set that aside. Since Sister Xi has a solution, let her explain."

Link stepped forward, took a deep breath, and put on a charismatic smile. "Father above, Lady Lin, what is your solution?"

Lin Xi looked at him with a complex gaze. "If the Archbishop doesn't mind, just call me Lin Xi." She continued, "Strictly speaking, it's not me who can solve the food crisis, but my companion. He's a very special chef, able to use a small amount of ingredients to cook food that can feed many people. If you let him prepare the remaining grain, it should last everyone four or five days."

Link was astonished. "Use so little grain to feed everyone for four or five days? Are you joking? Right now, there are over nine thousand followers and townspeople. Does he somehow magic the food into existence?"

His tone was clearly mocking, but Lin Xi nodded seriously. "More or less. He is the inheritor of ancient culinary arts, able to incorporate the natural elements into his dishes, thus making a small amount of ingredients yield more delicious and plentiful food. I've even seen him cook enough for three hundred people from what should feed only ten."

Link and Elia gaped in amazement. Link's expression soon turned odd—ten portions turned into three hundred? How much was added? Incorporating natural elements... Was this man another transmigrator from the Celestial Empire, putting the entire periodic table into his dishes? With so much non-food added, is it even edible? Wouldn't it be deadly?

As a transmigrator himself, Link regarded Lin Xi's friend with deep suspicion. Scientifically, this made no sense—but, after all, this was a world of magic and martial arts; applying science here was a fool's errand.

So, after consideration, Link nodded. "Very well, Lady Lin—Lin Xi, bring your friend here. What is his name?"

"Antioch Letoque."

After Lin Xi left excitedly to fetch him, Elia sighed. "Brother Neil, you really are too harsh with Sister Hakurie. Though she left without warning, Father gave her his blessing, and Sister Hakurie has always been different. Father told us she had her own mission, and couldn't stay with us forever. Now she's returned and helped us greatly; why must you keep treating her so coldly?"

Once Lin Xi departed, Link's instinctive irritation faded. He smiled wryly at Elia's words. "I don't want to, but whenever I face her, I can't help feeling angry. Ah..." He sighed helplessly.

Elia saw he wasn't brushing her off, and she smiled bitterly. A frozen heart is not thawed in a day; change is never easy. Even though she had reconciled with Lin Xi outwardly, her heart was still uneasy. For Elia and Neil Night, Lin Xi was both mother and sister. For someone so close to suddenly leave without a word—how could they accept it? Children are innocent, but also easily wounded; a pain inflicted in childhood can linger for a lifetime, impossible to let go even in old age.