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Chapter 168: Lulu and Tiyelu

Looking at the embarrassing way a certain Holy Ancestor was scratching their head in distress, it was eventually Vilyric who spoke up, temporarily alleviating the situation.

“Alright, Xiao Lan, you don’t need to be too sad. If I’m not mistaken, Lulu genuinely wants to be friends with you; she hasn’t lied to you.”

Miss Slime, lost in sadness, was momentarily confused by the Priestess’s words.

“Eh? What do you mean Lulu hasn’t lied to me? Isn’t Lulu Tiyelu? How could such a big shot genuinely want to…”

“No, no, no, you might be misunderstanding something. Lulu is Tiyelu, but Tiyelu isn’t necessarily just Lulu…”

“?”

Tilting her head as she exchanged glances with the awkward Holy Ancestor, Vilyric’s face showed a hint of mischief.

“How about this, do you want to explain it yourself, or should I help you out?”

“Why do you feel like you know everything… geez, fine, I’ll just explain it.”

Miss Spirit Butterfly sighed, looking quite deflated.

“I’ll start from the beginning. As you all know, after that incident with the Source of Magic, I personally got involved in the investigation and rescue efforts because it was a serious matter, and Lulu is the vessel I created using some methods to infiltrate the human kingdom and gather intelligence.”

“The excuse I mentioned earlier was indeed a lie; I intentionally let Lulu get captured by that ghost thieves group to sneak into their ranks. As for our relationship…”

“Just like Vilyric said, Lulu is Tiyelu, but I am not Lulu. Lulu’s personality is a replica created by splitting my own soul, to put it simply, she has no memories or powers, just like how I was when I first came into being, and most of the time, she acts on her own will.”

“Only in situations where it’s truly necessary do I temporarily instill memories and some power into this body to ‘remember’ my true identity, like right now.”

“Ah… so…”

Vilyric smiled and patted Xiao Lan on the shoulder.

“Exactly! So the Lulu you interact with normally has no disguise or false feelings; she genuinely considers you a good friend! It’s just that, for the most part, she doesn’t realize she’s actually Tiyelu’s avatar.”

On the other side, Tiyelu immediately interjected, slightly irritated.

“Hey, I’ve said this isn’t an avatar! Lulu is a new life and start for me without past experiences or memories. This is how the Spirit Butterfly Clan passes on its lineage, but right now, I still need her help, which is why I occasionally borrow this kid’s body.”

“Is… is that so? Well, that’s good. I was worried…”

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Xiao Lan finally showed a slight smile, clearly valuing and caring for this friend she once shared hardships with; otherwise, she wouldn’t have found it so hard to accept before.

“Hehe, so Tiyelu, since Lulu was once you, it seems you weren’t that smart to begin with! What have you been through to become such a cunning and sly character now?”

“Pfft! Who are you calling cunning and sly!? If you can’t speak, then just stay silent! I see you’re the real old fox here, so calculating it’s terrifying! If you figured it out, why didn’t you say it earlier? You made Tiyelu look like a fool pretending! Do you know how hard it was for us!?”

“Mhm ~ because it was fun! Now, come on, little one, shout ‘Vilyric-dono’ again and let’s hear it?”

“Get lost!”

After uncovering Lulu’s true identity, another round of noisy banter ensued before these two similar personalities finally halted their pointless jabs at each other.

Now that the truth was out, Tiyelu naturally didn’t need to keep pretending anymore. She waved her hand to disperse the mist around them; clearly, she could directly control the magic array through Lulu’s body, so Vilyric’s assertion that this lady was holding back wasn’t mere speculation.

Once the obstructions to sight were removed, Vilyric also retracted the barrier of Radiant Protection. Although further away, at the mountain peak and foot, clouds and mists still swirled, Vilyric could easily discern that this place was… nearby the area they first encountered when entering the Sacred Place, confirming all their speculations.

“So Tiyelu, what is the relationship between Spirit Butterfly Peak and your Sacred Place anyway?”

Having just lost half a round in their mental duel, Miss Spirit Butterfly looked quite displeased, giving Vilyric a fierce glare.

“Are you not clever? You can’t even guess such a simple answer? Beg me, and I’ll tell you.”

“Oh, oh, oh, why are you throwing a little tantrum? Now who is begging who? You went through all that trouble to get me here, it’s not just to share this magnificent view, right? I’m going home!”

“Ugh… you’re too despicable!”

The Priestess stood proudly with her hands on her hips, seemingly enjoying the sight of the other looking vexed but unable to do anything about it.

“Tch, that’s called making good use of your advantages, understand? You nasty butterfly, why didn’t you think it was despicable when you set me up before?”

While the threat was cliché, it clearly worked. Under the pressure of Vilyric’s overwhelming presence, the little butterfly who was at a disadvantage could only yield begrudgingly and respond obediently.

“Actually, it doesn’t have a direct relationship… Didn’t I tell you before? The Sacred Place is a corner of the God Realm of the Magic God; it doesn’t have a physical form. I just remodeled it to look like the Spirit Butterfly Peak for aesthetics and convenience…”

“Pfft!”

“Why are you laughing! The suitability of one’s living environment is important for mental health! You wouldn’t want to dawdle in an empty world with nothing for hundreds or thousands of years!”

“Yes, yes, you’re right ~”

It turned out to be such a surprisingly simple and plain reason; originally, Vilyric thought there would be some deeper factor, but it turned out Tiyelu had simply made it more comfortable for her own sake.

So, in essence, Spirit Butterfly Peak and the Sacred Place had no direct connection; merely one entrance of the latter happened to be set atop the mountain peak of the Spirit Butterfly Clan’s headquarters.

Sometimes this little butterfly seemed inscrutable and deeply contemplative, yet at other times, she appeared particularly innocent, or rather, simple and willful.

Perhaps just as she said, she initially was a carefree butterfly like Lulu, but after experiencing various challenges, heavy realities, and a sense of responsibility forced her to become sly.

Sigh, who isn’t like that?

Now, back to the main topic.

“So Tiyelu, what’s the deal with all the effort you went through to bring me here? Are you planning to have me help your little butterfly descendants deal with enemies, or go after some backstage mastermind trying to stir up trouble? Just so you know, I don’t work for free.”

“We haven’t even started talking, and you’re already discussing terms…”

With a face full of black lines, the Holy Ancestor in Lulu’s appearance looked completely exasperated, but regarding serious matters, she no longer seemed so carefree. After a moment’s thought, she spoke seriously.

“The Spirit Butterfly Clan doesn’t need your help. With the magic array supporting them, they can hold their ground securely. Sylvester must have considered this as well; that’s why he didn’t waste time tangling with them but chose to break through the second node and force his way out.”

“Mhm… huh?”

While pondering, Vilyric suddenly raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Wait, I don’t think I mentioned Sylvester’s name before. Where did you hear that from?”

 

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