Wandering Swordsman |

"I've searched almost the entire Holy See," Odin's voice was filled with deep weariness, "but no matter how I searched, those bandits vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed."

"Later," Odin's voice suddenly turned cold, "the Papacy intervened, claiming that all the bandits had been captured. They said that the bandits were enemies of the Papacy and had all been executed."

"Then I received even worse news," Odin's voice was almost inaudible, "that Alice had fallen off a cliff during her escape and been swept away by the waves, never to be found again."

Shen Mo's heart clenched. He could imagine Odin's feelings at that moment—that despair, that excruciating pain.

"I searched for three whole years," Odin's voice was hoarse, "I went to every coastline, asked every fisherman, but Alice seemed to have been swallowed by the sea, and there was no news of her ever again."

He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, as if to suppress all the pain in his heart: "At that moment, I understood that some things, once lost, can never be found again."

"I've gone mad," Odin's voice suddenly hardened. "I've become dissatisfied with being the head of the Seven Stars, and I've come to pursue the ultimate in martial arts, to become stronger, and to prevent this from ever happening again. So I began to covet Hua Shenyong's Heavenly Demon Qi, wanting to break through my own limits through the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art' he so desperately sought."

"I've begun building a private army, intending to overturn the balance of power among the six kingdoms and establish an absolutely just nation," Odin said, his voice tinged with an almost fanatical obsession. "I believe that only in this way can we prevent tragedy from repeating itself."

Shen Mo fell silent. He thought of Hua Tianyou, the young man who embarked on a long journey for revenge. He understood that Odin's madness stemmed entirely from his deep longing for Alice.

"But now," Odin's voice suddenly softened as he gently took Alice's hand, "Alice has returned to me."

Tears welled up in Alice's eyes as she gripped Odin's hand tightly, as if to confirm its real existence.

"And I am no longer the leader of the Seven Stars," Odin said with a sense of relief. "Those absurd plans can stop now."

Looking at the father and daughter, Shen Mo felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He recalled his experiences on Demon Refining Mountain, and those who had lost themselves in the pursuit of their goals. Odin had finally found inner peace, something more precious than any martial arts achievement.

Odin's gaze fell tenderly on Alice, his eyes filled with love and concern.

He gently took his daughter's hand, his voice as soft as a spring breeze: "By the way, Alice, all these years... where have you been? What have you been doing?"

Alice felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she looked into her father's concerned eyes.

She took a deep breath and began to recount that long-buried story.

"After I was kidnapped by the bandits that day," Alice's voice trembled slightly, as if the memory were still vivid, "I was locked in a dilapidated carriage, my hands tightly bound with rough hemp rope. The bandits cursed rudely and would occasionally lift the curtain to check on me."

She paused, as if recalling the terror of that moment: "That night, the moon was dim, with only a few stars twinkling in the sky. I heard snoring outside, knowing the robbers were asleep. I used my teeth to slowly grind the ropes on my wrists, though the rough ropes quickly chafed my lips, each bite excruciatingly painful, but I couldn't give up."

Odin frowned, his fingers unconsciously clenching. He could imagine how dangerous his daughter's situation must have been.

"Finally, the rope broke," Alice continued. "I carefully lifted the curtain and crept out. The night wind was cold, but I didn't care; I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible."

"But I had only run a few steps," Alice's voice suddenly became urgent, "when a roar came from behind: 'Stop!' I turned around and saw several bandits had caught up with me, holding torches, like demons in the darkness."

Odin's heart clenched; he could feel his daughter's despair.

"I ran for my life," Alice said, a flicker of fear in her eyes, "but the bandits on horseback quickly caught up with me. I was cornered at the edge of a cliff, below which lay the turbulent sea, its jagged rocks gleaming coldly in the moonlight."

She paused, her fingers unconsciously tracing the shocking scar on her face: "I knew that if they caught me and took me back, a fate worse than death awaited me. So, gazing at the dark sea, I steeled my heart and jumped in."

Odin's pupils contracted sharply; he could picture his daughter jumping from that high cliff. At that moment, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart.

"During the fall," Alice's voice grew low, "my face struck a sharp rock. The pain still sends shivers down my spine when I think about it. Upon hitting the ground, the immense impact to my head knocked me unconscious instantly."

As she spoke, her fingers gently traced the scar on her face, a scar that resembled a winding river, recording that painful memory.

Odin looked at the scars on his daughter's face, a deep pity flashing in his eyes.

His gaze shifted from the scar to Alice's eyes, which had once been filled with innocence but now bore a hint of weariness.

He reached out, wanting to touch the scar, but hesitated and withdrew his hand.

"Alice," Odin's voice was hoarse, "you have suffered."

Alice shook her head, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Father, none of that matters anymore. What matters is that I'm back now."

However, her tone suddenly shifted: "Later, when I opened my eyes again, I was already in the Papacy. Strangely, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything from before. I spent the next year in the Papacy, and because of my outstanding martial arts talent, I became one of the Papacy's Inquisitors."

Odin frowned even more deeply, never expecting that the daughter he had been searching for so desperately was actually in the Holy See.

"Now that I think about it," Alice's voice turned serious, "it's all too much of a coincidence. Why did those bandits vanish without a trace? Why was I rescued by the Church? Why did I lose my memory? I feel there must be more to this."

She raised her head, her gaze resolute as she looked at her father: "Therefore, after sending you back to the Tsarist Empire, I plan to return to the Papacy once more as the Faceless One to investigate what happened back then."

"No!" Odin blurted out, his voice filled with unwavering resolve. "It's too dangerous! Even if there are some hidden reasons, nothing is more important than our reunion as father and daughter. I will make it up to you for what we've missed all these years."

His eyes were filled with worry and heartache: "Child, do you know? When I thought you had... had..." He couldn't finish his sentence, a tear glistening in his eye, "I never want to experience that kind of pain again."

Seeing her father's anxious expression, Alice felt both moved and determined: "Father, it is precisely because I have experienced the pain of separation that I am even more determined to find out the truth. If someone was indeed manipulating things back then, then they might target others as well."

Odin fell silent. He knew his daughter was right, but he simply couldn't bear the risk of losing her again.

"And," Alice's voice softened, "I'm not that helpless little girl anymore. I'm capable enough to protect myself."

She grasped her father's hand, her eyes shining with unwavering determination: "Father, let me go. This is not only for myself, but also for all those who might suffer the same fate."

Looking into his daughter's determined eyes, Odin recalled the innocent and carefree little girl he once knew. Now, she had grown into a strong and independent woman. He knew he could no longer treat her like a child who needed protection.