Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 55

[Vol. 6] Chapter 55: The Survivor

“……”  

After exchanging a brief glance with Miss Ling Feng, Violet circled the overturned luxurious carriage several times, carefully examining the surrounding traces. Ling Feng seized the moment to voice one of her lingering doubts.  

“Other than Her Holiness the Spirit Maiden, did all the other related personnel perish?”  

“No, there was indeed one survivor.”  

“Oh?”  

The black-haired girl paused in her steps, raising an eyebrow slightly. Ji Xun, understanding her intent, gestured to his subordinates. Soon, a Spirit Guard brought forward a young maid dressed in servant’s attire.  

“She is one of Her Holiness’s personal attendants. She was in the carriage at the time, but we found her unconscious in a nearby bush. She had suffered a head injury but managed to survive.”  

Ji Xun’s authoritative gaze swept over the young girl. Violet didn’t need to be told to guess that he harbored suspicions about her.  

It was natural, after all. Given the Spirit Maiden’s disappearance and the deaths of everyone else, her survival seemed less like luck and more like something that could be explained by conspiracy theories. Ji Xun had already mentioned the possibility of an infiltrator within their ranks.  

“Explain to these esteemed individuals what you know. Do not lie. Understood?”  

“Y-Yes…”  

The young maid looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with the standard light-gray short hair of the Western Kingdom. While her appearance wasn’t stunning, it was delicately pretty. However, her demeanor seemed listless, her expression marked by anxiety, and she appeared deeply frightened.  

Turning her gaze from the overturned carriage to the maid, Violet scrutinized her with a sharp eye, raising her brow slightly.  

“What are you afraid of?”  

“N-No… I’m not afraid, I’m just worried about Her Holiness’s safety…”

Listening to the girl’s obviously insincere and timid response, the priestess said nothing, her expression unreadable. She leaned closer to Ling Feng beside her, whispering softly into her ear.  

“Hey, if something happens to the Spirit Maiden, would her servants be implicated too?”  

“…According to protocol, yes. Especially for a personal maid like this one. If the Spirit Maiden were to meet with misfortune while in her care and the maid survived, the consequences could be severe. In the worst-case scenario, she might even be required to follow her mistress in death.”  

“And Violet, you’re standing way too close…”  

“Wuwuwu… we’re both girls, no need to be so mean. You’re hurting your sister’s feelings!”  

“It’s not that I dislike it… It just…”

Violet merely chuckled, achieving her goal of lightening the mood before refocusing on the questioning.  

Ling Feng’s response aligned with Violet’s expectations. Such rules might sound harsh and unreasonable, but in the societal structure of the Ancient Spirit Realm, they made a certain kind of sense. 

A maid’s role wasn’t merely to serve and care for important figures. Given the Spirit Maiden’s significance to the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom, her attendants were essentially her final line of defense in times of crisis.  

Furthermore, this “all or nothing” protocol effectively discouraged attendants and guards from succumbing to temptations or betraying their masters, indirectly safeguarding the Spirit Maiden’s security.  

Violet glanced again at the anxious girl in front of her, visibly restless and filled with unease.  

“You don’t need to worry too much. There are still many suspicious points about this incident. Most likely, the Spirit Maiden is safe for now. As long as you cooperate with us, we’ll be able to find her.”  

“Let me ask you this, when the Spirit Maiden’s carriage crossed the bridge and was cut off, what exactly happened after that? Were you attacked by enemies?”

Although the reassurance was somewhat perfunctory, the black-haired girl’s promise seemed to have put the young maid at ease, as she was now able to give a relatively clear response.  

“Report, my lord… I don’t really know much. I was inside the carriage with the Spirit Maiden at the time. I just felt the carriage moving quickly, and I didn’t know what was happening outside. Then suddenly, I heard a loud noise from behind, and the Spirit Guard riders around us were shouting something about the bridge being broken, pulling the reins tightly…”  

“Then, suddenly there was a low growl and a loud crash from outside, and the moving carriage was overturned to the side. Everything spun around, and I couldn’t control my body. I hit the side of the carriage and lost consciousness. When I woke up… I was already in the Spirit Guard camp.”  

“A low growl… What kind of growl was it?”  

This time, General Ji Xun took over the conversation. It was clear he had already heard this exact account before.  

“From what my subordinates and I deduced, it should have been a rat demon, the one with deep cultivation. Miss, take a look here.”  

He crouched down and used the scabbard at his waist to point to the soil on the side of the carriage. There was a large area where the earth had been dug up from the bottom, though it had been refilled, the discoloration from the disturbed soil remained visible.  

“As is well-known, rodents are good at burrowing, and rat demons are even more exceptional in this regard…”  

“Based on the way the carriage overturned and the condition of the area when we found it, my subordinates and some experts from the Yin-Yang Division, who are skilled in dealing with demons, all believe that there was likely a rat demon hiding underground at that location. When the carriage passed over it, the demon suddenly attacked from below, flipping the carriage over.”  

“But the Spirit Maiden’s carriage was specially reinforced by the Yu Heng Division, making it extremely stable and resistant to shocks. Under normal circumstances, it would never overturn. To flip it from below would require at least a high-rank Yokai.”

“A high-rank Yokai…”  

If we go by their description, the Yokai would be one from the [Seeker of Immortality](legendary-level), which is rare and powerful.  

In other words, it would be easy to identify the target.  

The priestess nodded in understanding.

“Overall, this is a reasonable hypothesis. Perhaps we can start our tracking from this angle.”

“Violet, what do you mean…?”

“Well, Yokai tend to avoid danger and seek advantage. I don’t believe a strong Yokai would recklessly attack the Spirit Maiden, as that would make it an enemy of the entire Western Origin Spirit Kingdom. But if it’s being coerced or controlled by someone, that changes things.”

Ling Feng furrowed her brows slightly.

“…Is it the [Yokai Controlling Sect] again?”

“Let’s just say, the possibility is quite high.”

Unfortunately, due to the rushed departure earlier, they hadn’t had the chance to interrogate the captured members of the [Yokai Controlling Sect]. Otherwise, they might have gathered some valuable information.

Just as they were about to conclude their investigation here and set off to officially begin their search, a soft but somewhat deep voice suddenly sounded in the air.

“Everyone, please wait.”

“?”

The group looked in the direction of the voice and discovered it was a white-clad man who had somehow followed them all the way here. He had been described by Miss Ling Feng as someone with questionable background, but he didn’t seem to have a strong presence.

“Mr. Murong? Do you have something to say?”

With a slight nod in response, Murong Yun simply stared at the maid who was about to leave with the Spirit Guards and, after a brief silence, finally spoke.

“This young lady, do you have something you wish to say?”

“……”

Seeing that the girl remained silent, Murong Yun shook his head and began asking about small details that Violet had previously overlooked.

“What is your name? Where are you from?”

This time, the girl did not remain silent.

“Reporting to you, my name is He Zhu, and my family is from… Xinghu Village, Yiyuan County.”

“Hmm?”

Upon hearing this, Ling Feng seemed to have realized something and raised her eyebrows again. Only Violet, who still couldn’t quite grasp the situation, tilted her head in confusion.

“Uh, is there something wrong with her name or home address?”

Even Bai’er seemed to understand what this meant. To spare Violet any embarrassment, she quickly leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“Idiot, Xinghu Village in Yiyuan County… that’s the birthplace of the current Western Origin Spirit Maiden. This maid and the Spirit Maiden are from the same village.”

“Same village? So what… Wait, come to think of it…”

Violet suddenly realized something important. 

From the beginning, she had focused solely on the connection between the Western Origin Spirit Maiden and Hen, as well as the missing person case. She hadn’t considered what the position of the Spirit Maiden actually represented in the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom and how it came about.

Moreover, with Murong Yun’s reminder, Violet finally noticed the subtle oddity in the little maid’s expression. 

It was… an impulse to speak, but then hesitate, mixed with an almost imperceptible reluctance.

She was afraid. She had been afraid from the very beginning.

Violet had initially thought that He Zhu was worried about the Spirit Maiden’s incident and how it might implicate her. But now, it seemed that it wasn’t entirely the case.

“You… Are you familiar with the name ‘Hen’? What exactly is the identity of the Western Origin Spirit Maiden used for?”