Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

Using a small branch as a bridge, the two walked hand in hand toward the fire, their reflections intertwined, making it seem as if they were truly holding hands.

Suddenly, Xiaoxia stopped, and the withered branch slipped from her hand, as if life was flowing through her fingertips.

Chapter 401 Sister Xia Die's hands... are so warm.

The little girl stood there, looking helplessly at the withered branch on the ground.

Back in Xia Die's room, in the scene she holds a withered branch in each hand, one end connected to her reflection in the mirror, the other to her shadow. She dances back and forth, a smile lingering on her face.

With their shadows reflected, three people become one...

Xiaoxiadie smiled radiantly; at this moment, she could let go of all her burdens and be her true self again.

Unfortunately, good times are always short-lived. A heavy snowfall has blanketed Edelweiss in white, and who knows how many people will die this year.

On the boundless snow, a line of footprints gradually became clear. Little Butterfly stumbled forward, the mist from her panting breath brushing against her cheeks, and drops of crystal tears fell.

She still fell on the snow, her fair little hands turning red from the cold.

People always say her hands are cold, but how can cold hands be so red? They are clearly warm hands.

Time passed, and once again, Xia Die donned the black robe. She was no longer the girl she once was, but had truly become the Death Saintess of Aidiria. She bowed to the elder before her, then turned and left.

She walks the battlefield because she is the Holy Maiden who oversees the war.

She traveled through countless cities, seeking the traces of death.

Finally, she returned to the original icy plains, gazing towards the city-state of Aidiria where she had lived since childhood. The fierce winds of Aidiria washed away the dust of her journey, seemingly welcoming the saint's return.

Xia Die's fingertips traced across rows of tombstones, all of which were made by touching the deceased, including former elders, and this trip was solely for the purpose of paying respects.

"Is that... Sister Xia Die?" An elderly woman leaned on her cane and rose from in front of the tombstone. Judging from the bouquet of flowers, she had also come to pay her respects.

Xia Die was slightly taken aback. She recognized the old woman... as the little girl who had once handed her the branch.

They continued on, gripping the branches once more, as the old woman recounted, "Everyone... is gone. They answered the call of death and went to its realm."

The old woman's hair had long since turned white, and her once bright eyes had become cloudy.

She looked up at Xia Die gently, "It's time for me too..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Die sighed softly and closed her eyes. Even though she had grown accustomed to it, she still couldn't bear to let life slip through her fingers.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and the old woman smiled and said, "I'm not afraid... it's just... a little regrettable..."

“You must be very lonely watching people die all the time.”

The old woman slowly turned around to face Xia Die directly, "You must also want to embrace others fully when you part ways."

The twig fell from my palm and made a crisp sound on the ground.

Xia Die's pupils contracted sharply. She took two steps back from the old woman, hiding her hands under her black robe. "No..."

Her voice trembled, "These hands...are so cold..."

The old woman seemed to have expected this. She looked at her gently, put down her cane, and without hesitation, took Xia Die's right hand and covered it with her own palm.

With each contact, the old woman's body was gradually stripped of its life, and it drifted away with the wind.

"Sister Xia Die's hands... are so warm."

"Embrace freely, just like everyone else."

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings glistening with dew, and tears rolled down her cheeks without warning, leaving a silvery trail. She could no longer control her emotions; sobs and tears flowed together.

Xia Die squatted down, wrapped her arms tightly around the old woman, and cried uncontrollably on her shoulder.

The old woman's body was dissipating faster and faster, but she felt no pain, only the warmth and comfort emanating from Xia Die herself.

"Sister Xia Die..."

At that moment, the voice seemed to overlap with that of the girl from her childhood.

In a world where only black and white existed, Xiaoxiadie tentatively stretched out a withered branch, but the girl in front of her didn't care at all. She grabbed Xiaoxiadie's wrist and led her into that colorful world.

One, two, three... They ran hand in hand, carefree, without having to think too much. At her age, she shouldn't have to face death.

She held hands with her peers in the sunlight.

No one cared about her death, because it was part of her life... a vibrant and colorful one.

Good times are always fleeting; it's time to wake up from the dream.

Back in the cemetery, Xia Die picked a flower and placed it in front of the old woman's tombstone. She then took off the black cloak that had accompanied her through Onphalus and gently draped it over the tombstone.

Finally, she gently ran her hand over the tombstone. "Is this hand... really warm?"

Shortly after she left, sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell on the cemetery. A young fawn wandered into this lifeless place, turned its head, and seemed to be looking at the people in front of the screen.

[Wendy: Um...is nobody commenting? Maybe my video is lagging?]

[Star: Waaah, my butterfly... Waaah, I'm crying so hard I don't even want to talk anymore. Little Xiadie was ostracized because of her death, and that cute little girl too, it's just torture for me.]

[Kazina: Miss Xia Die is so pitiful, she doesn't even have a single friend to keep her company.]

[Ling: Did you guys notice that little deer? At the beginning of the video, the first object of Xia Die's use of death was an old deer. Doesn't this suggest that death can bring about new life?]

[Fufu: Your association seems valid. But I remember one aspect of the Destiny of Destruction is that destruction is also rebirth.]

[Aglaia: Your hands are a blessing from Death, but is it truly a blessing? Butterfly, are you alright?]

[Nicole: I can't take it anymore. Xia Die was just a child back then. Death is something even we adults fear, yet a girl had to experience it so early. I can't even imagine how she got through it.]

[Gui Naifen: Waaah... That's right, that's right. To avoid hurting others, she even wore heavy gloves, but it still didn't stop her from touching even Xiaohua.]

[Kagemoto: Accepting death... Alas, even we find it difficult to accept.]

[Silver Wolf: @PastFuture, dude, how did you film this? It made my Kaffa so sad. That damn theory of lifespan, the most simplistic yet most heart-wrenching fatalism.]

[Bai E: Xia Die... are you alright? I've always known you've been hiding your past, but now that I've truly seen it, I can't tell you... don't be sad, because it's your real experience, and I have no right to judge.]

[Xia Die: Lady Aglaia, Lord Bai'e... You don't need to worry about me. On the contrary, I feel inexplicably relaxed right now. Everyone is so friendly. I originally thought they would call me an executioner, a monster...]

[Star: Who dares to say that? I, the Galaxy Baseball Hero, am saying this today: Xia Die, you're under my protection, understand?]

Katniss: Hmph, childish.

[The Dwelling Narrowness Princess: In my past life, I wish you could find the meaning of death.]

[Qingque: I burst into tears during that part where Xiaodie dances with the mirror and her shadow. How could she be so pitiful? If I were in Onphalus, I would definitely be your friend and teach you how to play the Jade Cards.]

Fu Xuan: Qingque… never mind, I'm too lazy to talk to you today.

[Ying: Miss Xia Die's hands are so warm... Everyone move aside, I want to touch them.]

Paimon: I'm almost embarrassed to call you out, traveler!

[Dreaming of Yue Ruixi: Miss Xia Die, if you are feeling down, feel free to talk to me. I will do my best to help you adjust your mood and dispel the clouds.]

[Feng Jin: Don't worry, Onpharos has me as its healer. I can lend you Little Ika, Butterfly.]

[Little Ika: Beep beep~ Beep~]

[Tian: Little Butterfly, here's the gift we've completed. Tian can take you to the secret base in Ohma; the scenery there is the best!]

[Xia Die: Thank you, thank you everyone.]

[Star: Sister Xia Die...]

Clara: Sister Xia Die, keep it up!

[Klee: Hehe, Klee's the best at comforting people. I can teach Butterfly how to fry fish, then we'll have delicious grilled fish to eat!]

[Xia Die: ...Your Excellency, what should I do? I don't know what to say. (Shyly)]

Chapter 402 Gift

"On the day the Oronis Trial was completed, Lord Xing must have been quite perplexed, right?"

"Because I am too: I don't understand why you, as someone from beyond the heavens, would be so cruelly drawn into the fate of Onpharos so early..."

“I want to do something, but even if I try my best to act more naturally, I can’t interact with the living as naturally as an ordinary person.”

“Even in the tree garden, we had unintentional contact. Nothing happened then…”

"When a hope, almost a luxury, finally welled up in my heart... when I thought that my touch might no longer bring sorrow..."

"But fate tells me that it's not that the curse of death can finally be cured... but that your soul no longer belongs to the mortal world... My hands have already taken nothing more, is that all?"

She lowered her head and asked herself, "Yes, will things change this time? It's not that I don't understand, it's just that I'm unwilling to accept reality."

"Despite traversing such a long journey, I still cannot find the answer to life and death, and I am forever helpless..."

"If I wanted to leave something behind, I could only let death take it away from my fingers. But after that, I didn't even have the courage to check again... until Oronis laid bare the cruel truth and brought it to you and me."

This time, Xia Die's gaze did not waver, but instead was incredibly firm. "But now... perhaps we have one last chance."

“A long time ago, Teacher Tinning interpreted a prophecy for me. She said: At the end of the sea of ​​flowers, the souls of the living will warm your fingertips; after the embrace, there will be an eternal farewell.”

“I am not surprised by this, because what she said did not seem like a prophecy, but rather a complete reflection of my past.”

"Embraces in this world are meant to be for meeting, but my hands can only say goodbye. At that time, I also had reason to believe that this destiny would eventually run through my entire life..."

“But now things have taken a turn for the better: now that I can finally meet with Cenatos, I still have the chance to write another interpretation of that destined prophecy.”

"I have no reason not to give it my all... for you, and for myself."

Xing was very pleased with Xia Die's honesty, but given her personality, she was surprised that Xia Die had said so much. "Uh... should I just pretend I didn't hear any of this?"

"Ah, I..." Xia Die's cheeks flushed slightly. "I'm sorry, I've said too much... I hope I haven't bothered you."

[Silver Wolf: Star, sometimes I really doubt your emotional intelligence. This young girl poured her heart out to you, and you're saying you should pretend you didn't hear her? What exactly does Firefly see in you?]

[Xia Die: It's alright, Your Excellency. It's my fault for not considering Lord Xing's wishes.]

Walter: This child, gentleness is etched into his very bones.

[Gui Naifen: It hurts, it hurts so much! Miss Xiadie, how can you be so strong? Nearly a thousand years of loneliness, who could bear it?]

[Fou: Ahem, although I really want to hug you, it's a pity we're not in the same world. How about I give you some local specialties from Fontainebleau?]

[Paimon: Fontainebleau's specialty...Fontainebleau?]

[Star: Little Butterfly, hug.]

[Xia Die: Your Excellency, your soul is currently intact and will be affected by my own death. For your safety, please do not approach me.]

[Star: Then let's go find Cenatos. We'll reclaim the power of death and completely remove your negative effects.]

The two continued on their way, and Xia Die and Xing talked about the gifts she had given to the other Golden Descendants. Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of Xing's gift.

Xia Die turned to look at her and smiled, "The thing I wanted you to come with me to get is a small gift I prepared for you. It's handmade, just like the jewelry I gave to Lord Tian before... I wanted to leave a token of my appreciation for everyone."

"To meet the Titan of Death, the future of this journey is probably uncertain... I think it would be best to seize every moment before departure and leave no regrets."

Xing's eyes lit up, and she scratched her head sheepishly, "Is it my big head brooch?"

"No, you'll see when you see it." Seeing her eager anticipation, Xia Die couldn't help but smile, reaching for the gift on the table. "Look, it's this..."

Xing followed the gaze and saw... a blank table? She gave me a table?

Not only was she bewildered, but Xia Die also stared at the empty table, a question forming in her mind: "...Huh?" Where's my gift? She blinked twice, somewhat at a loss, "The gift...is gone?!"

"How...how could this be..."

"What mysterious group of thieves have you gotten involved with?" Xing thought for a moment and guessed.

"I...I'm not some corrupt adult, am I..." Xia Die checked again and found a golden cat coin in the corner of the table, as well as a message board with a cat printed on it.

"It is indeed her."

Xing: "Who?"

"Your Excellency, Lord Aglaia mentioned earlier that Zagres is a demigod of [Trickery], a thief who has left behind mythical legends throughout Onpharos..."

Xia Die said somewhat angrily, "Long time no see, her entrance is still as... awful as ever."

"Your Excellency, let's find Lady Saifeier as instructed on the stone tablet."

[Sai Fei'er: My dear princess, that's not right of you. I was just keeping them safe for you. What if the gifts you gave me or the gifts for the other Golden Clan members got stolen?]

[Xia Die: Senior Sai Fei'er, this is clearly your problem.]

[Bartluth: We're the infamous thieves of Onpharos, how could we possibly covet something belonging to a little girl like you? The boss is right, it's safekeeping... yes, safekeeping.]