182 Legacy of Moonlight II (1/2)
”What?”
”Wow!”
Jasmine didn't believe the voice but before she could ask any more questions, an excited Lin Qingcheng enveloped her in a hug, spinning her around.
”Ooooh, isn't this absolutely amazing?” Lin Qingcheng squealed, ”Jasmine, you found your mom!”
”Hey, get off me… get!” Jasmine growled and forcibly extracted herself from the gullible airhead and kept her at arm's length with her spiritual force.
Jasmine wasn't about to trust the words of a strange spirit. She decided to test it once more, focusing her divine power into a ray of deadly light and attacking the white gem still in her palm. There was a flash as the moonlight energy slammed into the gem and was perfectly absorbed just like before.
”Baby, don't be silly,” The voice said, ”The Tear of Chang Xi is able to absorb massive quantities of moonlight. You are still growing and your powers right now are weak and ineffective.”
Jasmine couldn't do anything to the spirit so she could only ask it more questions. ”These crazy worshippers also call it that. How do they know about it?”
”I placed that name in their heads and influenced their minds so they would worship me. I needed their devotion to keep powering the spiritual imprint in the gem. This is only a fragment of will that my original self left behind and it will eventually dissipate altogether. I only resorted to such measures to extend the time I have left. But baby, aren't you curious what mommy's name is?”
Jasmine sighed in annoyance, ”Fine… what's your name?”
”Hehe, that's more like it. My name is Zhiyue Lingdan, former member of the Purple Moon Clan of the Great Western Fox Sanctuary. And you my daughter, I named you Zhiyue Mengyu.”
”No thanks, my name is Jasmine.”
”Ohhh, that's a wonderful name! My baby is growing up so quickly… Yes, yes, Zhiyue Moli sounds so beautiful!”
Jasmine furrowed her brow, seriously confused by her supposed mother's weird personality. It seemed like a mix between melancholy, excitable playfulness, and overbearing annoyance. Perhaps it was due to it being a spiritual imprint and not the original self or perhaps she was like that to begin with. Jasmine found the whole thing curious and continued to patiently ask questions until the full story came together piece of by piece…
Zhiyue Lingdan had been an ordinary member of the Purple Moon Clan, a clan of Nine Tailed Moonlight Foxes. The Great Western Fox Sanctuary was a secret region in the far, far west. It was so far from Dragon Flower Province that Zhiyue Lingdan could not even describe in words the distance.
The sanctuary was the home for many Nine Tailed Fox clans and other lesser fox species for an untold number of years. They generally supported each other peacefully while fighting against other divine beasts. Beasts were naturally competitive and conflicts always rose up along the borders but they were all minor conflicts that did not affect the Purple Moon Clan.
The sanctuary was a safe haven until a mysterious incident occurred. Zhiyue Lingdan refused to say exactly what happened, only that her clan turned on her. She had to escape and carrying her unborn child away to safety. She went east, fleeing her pursuers constantly until she eventually had to give birth.
She created a secret underground temple in a desolate wilderness to protect the newly born Jasmine. She also enslaved some random beasts with her divine strength to serve as guardians as Jasmine grew up.
”I left the Tear of Chang Xi in the temple along with a spiritual imprint to guide you. I knew I didn't have long and that those bastards would find me sooner or later. I only wanted you to escape and have a free life.” Zhiyue Lingdan said.