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

The kitten's eyes sparkled, its heart feeling as if it had been struck by cotton, warm and reassuring.

Feigning arrogance, she said, "Hmph, you rich people just love to meddle in other people's business! Well, I'm taking it now, and it'll be too late for you to back out!"

Saifeier picked up the golden boots with anticipation, sat down on the spot, and prepared to try them on.

"what happened to you?"

She raised her youthful face: "Um... do you have a size smaller? These are too big for me..."

Aglaia chuckled softly, "Heh... then wait until you're a bit older before you wear it."

[Pella: So satisfying. I really hope that Saifei and Aglaia can always be this cute, gentle, and sweet. Wouldn't it be better if they just stayed this way? Why do they have to make us suffer?]

[Sai Fei: Ugh, I don't want people to see things from my childhood!]

[Star: Isn't this cute? Why are you resisting it?]

[Bartleus: Hehehe. Boss, these are all your embarrassing moments. Save them, you absolutely must save them.]

[Aglaia: Sefaria, I'm so glad you can still wear those golden boots. They're truly the most precious thing I've left you.]

[Sai Fei: No, no, no, the most precious one is of course you.]

[Aglaia: You've changed a lot lately. You would never have said something like this before. What are you trying to do?]

[Sai Fei'er: Hmph. Who told you to say you adopted me? Now I'm going to adopt you, raise you to be plump and healthy, and let you enjoy your old age, you seamstress.]

[A Bao: I'm actually shipping myself and Sai Fei'er; this world has truly gone mad.]

The scene flashed, and under the moonlight of Stikosia, Bartrus bounced in the air like a slime, shouting, "Fake! Fake!"

"Do you have to interrupt me in the middle of my story? It's fake, what's fake?"

Bartrus pointed to Saifei's feet, "Your boots don't have Zagres's divine power at all!"

"Even Onfaros, the most cunning woman, was fooled by that Agrea, hehehe!"

Sai Fei'er smiled like a cat and scolded, "You cheeky fellow, be careful I throw you into the River Styx to feed the fish!" She had worn the boots for hundreds of years, so how could she not know whether they had divine power or not?

"Weren't you curious about how I got involved with that seamstress? Now you know. Are you satisfied?"

Bartluth pulled at his bouncy cheek in utter disappointment. "Heh heh... I didn't expect such a simple story. What a disappointment."

“However… Boss, there’s also a possibility that Aglaia didn’t mean to lie to you…”

"Huh?" Sai Fei'er asked in surprise, "You...were just speaking up for her?"

"Uh...no, no! I just felt that this story was so touching, it shouldn't be ruined by a lie—if I had human tear ducts, I'd probably be crying my eyes out by now!"

Sai Fei'er shook her head helplessly, "Heh! It's a good thing you have the skill of being glib, otherwise you would have been captured and made a house spirit to guard the gate long ago."

Now, she has decided to explore this dilapidated city-state.

[Sai Fei'er: How could I not know that the Golden Boots don't have divine powers? I've fooled the seamstress so many times, what's wrong with letting her refute me this time?]

[Hanabi: Oh? So you don't care about Aglaia's lies to you.]

[Bell: After wearing golden boots for hundreds of years, when it comes to the most smelly feet, Saifeier, you're absolutely unrivaled!]

[Sai Fei: ...]

[Star: This is a rather smelly conversation. I'm just asking, who dares to smell it?]

[Ying: I... I dare not.]

[Bai Er: Haha, let's skip this topic. I wonder what treasures Saifei will find in Stikosia; even I'm a little tempted.]

[Tian: Little White, why are you so bad at history but so good at appraising antiques?]

[Tinin: I'm... curious too.]

[Bai E: This is a secret (Mimi). Mimi and secret sound similar in Chinese, did you guys figure that out? I suddenly realized that Saino's lame jokes are actually quite funny.]

[Walter: So your "cold" refers to corny jokes.]

"Meow~~~~~!"

Saifei felt the air had become sweeter, containing the scent of treasure. Therefore, she decided to go all out with Bartrus, splitting the profits 80/20.

Unfortunately, the only downside is that there is still some water left in the River Styx.

Cats are afraid of water, which makes perfect sense, right?

Saifei watched Bartrus leave in search of the treasure and snorted softly, "His scheme was full of flaws."

I'll play along with your plan for a while, Bartluth.

"By the way... what methods do you use to find treasure when I'm not around, boss lady!"

"Hmph, trying to trick me into telling me anything? No way."

"Hehehe, you're really alert..."

Saifeier was curious about Bartluth's newly acquired technique for manipulating the Miracle of Time. Such proficiency made it hard not to be suspicious...

Following the scent, Sai Fei'er found the treasure trove.

Before long, a magnificent treasure chest appeared before them.

"Oh my, look at how clear this purple crystal is... it's a perfect match for my skin tone! Sister Saifei, you truly are the most aesthetically discerning thief in all of Onfalos!"

"Hehehe, let me try it on... huh?"

With a flick of her finger, Sai Fei'er transformed the treasure chest in front of her into a vase.

"Huh?! This...this is...where's my baby?!"

"Hahahaha—" Sai Fei'er laughed, "We've known each other for so long, how could I possibly fall for this kind of trick!"

Bartlus was at a loss. "Uh... this, this is... oh dear, how could I forget this?"

"When everyone believes it to be true, a lie becomes the truth—what a convenient power!"

Saifeier spoke up: "This is the divine gift of the Demigod of Trickery, much more practical than things like golden threads or magical portals, right?"

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Here, take the real thing—keep leading the way."

Although Saifeier had earned countless riches, she still decided not to spend a single penny, as that foolish prophecy constantly hung in her mind.

[Fou: What do you mean? It seems like Saifei has been testing Bartlus. Could it be a fake?]

[Danheng: Bartlus spent the most time with Saifeier, so it's impossible for him to have forgotten her habits. Therefore, it can be concluded that it wasn't Bartlus himself.]

[Bartleus: Who's the daredevil who dares to mess with me? Watch out, I'll give you a good whack tonight.]

[Saifei: Then I'll show you the way. Go, Golden Son of Ohma, at the pinnacle of power and wealth, I look forward to seeing you smack him.]

[Aglaia: You figured it out after all.]

[Sai Fei'er: I've been hiding from you for hundreds of years. As the saying goes, the one who understands you best is always your enemy. Of course, we can't really be considered enemies.]

[Bartlus: Maru, my life is over!]

Chapter 440 Farewell

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Charge, charge, charge!"

"The two-legged thief is on the move!"

Sai Fei'er chuckled, "...What kind of nonsense are you singing? It's completely off-key!"

After defeating the enemy in front of her, she discovered a record.

That was the record of the Stikosians' escape; no one could reach the holy city of Ohm, and at least Dolores had one survivor left: Sephiroth.

"It's really unfair. Just because they were born in the wrong place, they have to suffer such a catastrophe... On the other hand, the Ohmans have been able to survive until now simply because they have the support of the Titans of the Necrotic World..."

“But, you’re right, this world is so unfair…” Bartlus said indignantly.

Turning to her head, she thought, "Big Sister Saifei, speaking of the Titans of the Necrotic World, didn't you mention to me before... that you were once an apprentice at the priesthood of Cephalos?"

"Huh?" the cat asked suspiciously.

"I...said it? To you?"

The thief, Bartrus, chuckled, "Yeah, yeah! You, you definitely told me, I remember it so clearly! Maybe too much time has passed, and your memory has become blurry, right? Hehehe..."

Saifei chuckled, "Yes, I remember now, I did tell you. It's nothing serious, I just ended up with a bunch of mystical priests, and I watched them puzzling over the glowing stones every day."

A thousand years have passed since he entered the Senate.

"I'm really curious, what did Sister Saifei find out back then?" Bartrus casually remarked.

"This is ridiculous. Let's go."

[Star: I'm so confused. What did Bartluth mean by that? Did Cypher steal some great treasure from the Senate?]

[Sai Fei'er: Don't talk nonsense. I have principles. That's not stealing... it's taking.]

[Bartleus: Hehehe, the boss is right. We are chivalrous thieves, we only take ill-gotten gains.]

[Qingque: No, how come the Onpharos people live longer than those on the Immortal Ship? We also have the troubles of the Demon Yin.]

[Walter: They shouldn't be considered true life yet. The Golden Ones won't be able to leave the cave until Onpharos can ascend to reality.]

[Fou: Even I could tell there was something wrong with Bartlus, but Saifei saw through it a long time ago.]

[Saifei: Haha, just playing along with her.]

Bartlus can manipulate the Hand of Zagres at will without the aid of any mechanism.

"A blazing fire is condensing in my chest! Condensing in my chest~ condensing!"

"...A Journey Beyond Time and Space to Chase Fire..."

Sai Fei'er couldn't help but show off her singing voice, although it wasn't very good.

Upon arriving at the treasure trove, this time the two unearthed... a golden scapegoat.

There is a myth associated with this goat's head: those who feared fire became goats, and those who did not become humans.

Caught off guard, Saifei pushed Bartrus away. The golden nymphs on the box shimmered with starlight and remained motionless.

"The seamstress—she was listening to everything."

She decided to confront Aglaia. "Oh, seamstress! Your methods are getting more and more despicable. Do you really think you can't notice the little ear you're hanging next to me?"

The nymph uttered Aglaia's faint voice, "As time went by... I also began to rely more and more on my own wishful thinking."

"With the power of such a tiny nymph, it really can't escape your sharp eyes... Sefaria."

Saifeier retorted, "Even if you can completely control Bartrus's consciousness, I can still see through your disguise—Aglaia."

"What are you up to by going to such lengths to eavesdrop on my every move? I've already said it before, you can succeed without me, so why are you being so persistent?"

"I already made an exception and helped Xia Die and Hui Zi that time. To ask for an exorbitant amount again would be a bit too much, wouldn't it?"

Nymph: "I...I'm sorry, Sephalia."

"I have schemed and plotted my whole life, but I never expected that our relationship would freeze to the point of no return."

Upon hearing this, Sai Feier's eyes dimmed slightly.

"To figure out what I did wrong... I've spent hundreds of years thinking and reflecting; but you've never been willing to give me a chance to be honest with you face to face."

Sai Fei'er turned her head away, "You... don't use that tone, you know I can't stand that."

The golden nymph sighed: "A thousand years ago, I, in my ignorance... lost the most melodious wave in my life because of my silence."

“Haiseyin…” Saifei’er’s gaze was low.

"So this time, even if it's in vain, I must get the message to your ears—I need you, Cephalia. The mission of the Golden Blood needs you."

"My long-delayed final act... is finally coming. No matter how much resentment you harbor towards me, it will vanish with my departure."

Saifei's sapphire-like pupils flickered, and she blinked twice quickly, her heart already filled with mixed feelings.

“Come back to Ohm, I beg you. Without you, they will not be able to win the fight.”

“…Tch.” Saifeier feigned ease, her voice slightly choked with emotion. “I’ll consider it, seamstress. Stop spying on me…unless you want to completely disappear from my sight.”

The nymph just watched quietly, "Don't worry. Even though I desperately want to hear your voice again, to see your face again..."

"...I'm afraid there won't be another chance. Goodbye, Sefaria."

An unspeakable grief welled up within her, yet Sai Fei'er could not express this anguish. Day after day, year after year, she seemed to be trapped in a room of lies, unable to escape.