Wang Xuan was taken aback to learn there were natives on New Star, something he had never heard of back on the Old Soil. Was this information intentionally concealed? He sighed softly, pondering the stories surrounding the development of New Star and whether the hands of outsiders were stained with blood. He hoped the tragedies of the Old World, like those in the Americas, would not repeat themselves here.
Yet, it was too late for regrets—over a hundred years had passed, and what was meant to happen had already unfolded. "Regardless of the past, the strength of the Eastern powers should prevent any cold-blooded actions like those of the past. At least I hope so," he thought, feeling a wave of sympathy in his heart as he looked at the little girl. He wondered how many natives still remained.
"Are you really okay?" Wang Xuan asked, concerned, as sweat beaded on the girl's pale forehead. She held back tears, neither crying nor shouting. He reached for his phone to call for help, doubting the child's reassurances; it would be a tragedy if something happened.
"Uncle, I'm fine! I just need to rest," she replied, her delicate features revealing a determined spirit that belied her four years.
The tiny white cat, sensing something was wrong, flapped its fuzzy wings and walked anxiously around the girl.
"Lele!" A beautiful woman, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight with fair skin and shoulder-length purple-tinged hair, rushed over. She scooped up the girl with tender care, murmuring soothing words and gently patting her back, her face a mixture of worry and maternal warmth.
Seeing her daughter in pain brought tears to the woman's eyes, and she wished she could take the suffering away. Nearby, people whispered about a terminal illness.
With his heightened perception, Wang Xuan caught snippets of conversation: the girl's condition was tragic, likely limiting her to a mere five years of life. He felt a pang of shock and pity for the little one.
As others approached, offering to take her to the hospital, the young woman shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
"Mommy, don't cry! I'll be okay soon," the girl reassured her, showcasing an understanding far beyond her age. She reached out to wipe her mother's tears, a bittersweet display of resilience.
Wang Xuan was deeply moved by the scene, feeling an ache in his heart. Drawing upon his training, he attempted to channel mysterious energies within himself to help the girl. Although invisible to others, his mental domain detected the delicate snowflake-like substance he carefully directed into her body.
To his astonishment, he found an exceptionally stubborn material lodged within her organs, rendering his healing efforts ineffective. This was his first encounter with such a barrier. He had healed minor injuries before, but this was different—could the so-called "Heavenly Five Decline Disease" be more complex than he had imagined?
He infused more energy, and while it eased her pain somewhat, the effect was minimal. Gradually, the girl began to recover, lying still in her mother's embrace.
Finally, she whispered, "Mommy, can you give me a little brother? If I'm not here, he can keep you company, okay?"
Hearing those words, the young woman broke down, tears flowing freely as she hurried home, tightly holding her daughter.
"Meow!" The little white cat followed closely, flapping its wings as it trailed after them.
Onlookers sighed, clearly familiar with the girl's plight. Despite the advanced technology on New Star, her illness remained untreatable, leaving them with sympathy.
"That's a hereditary condition. The girl's father passed away two months ago; she still thinks he's on a business trip," someone whispered.
"It's likely genetic. Both parents were exceptionally intelligent, working at top research institutions. Even though she's only four, she learns faster than many children her age. Yet, her fate is so cruel…"
Wang Xuan returned to his apartment on the twenty-fifth floor of a thirty-story building, enjoying ample sunlight. He began searching for information about the natives on his communicator.
Each time he recalled the fragile girl, his heart ached with a profound sense of sympathy, making it hard to ignore her plight. He wished he could help her.
He found some old articles, but they were all marked "404," inaccessible or deleted. Eventually, he stumbled upon some information that hadn't been completely erased, hinting at the presence of several thousand natives when New Star was first explored. Though there were initial conflicts, they had managed to coexist harmoniously.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
In the comments section, someone mentioned a hereditary illness affecting the natives. Another response was shocking: it wasn't merely a genetic disorder but had mythological significance—it was the "Heavenly Five Decline Disease." However, the conversation faded into silence after that.
After a lengthy search, Wang Xuan finally uncovered a well-documented article that hadn't been taken down. It confirmed the existence of natives discovered during early explorations, noting their low birth rate as the primary reason for their dwindling population.
If this trend continued, the natives would eventually vanish. Most of them had purple hair and eyes, their overall appearance striking, with exceptional learning abilities. When outsiders first encountered the natives living in wooden houses among the mountains, they were astounded, believing these people had remarkable genes that should be absorbed and integrated swiftly. The natives claimed to be descendants of true immortals, sparking much speculation among the newcomers.
Old Chen had told Wang Xuan that there was a terrifying hereditary disease among the natives, untreatable by any means. Some showed symptoms as children, while others only did so in adulthood, with a swift decline in health leading to death within a few years. This illness affected the internal organs, and even with advancements in artificial organ technology, the natives still succumbed, their deaths reminiscent of the mythological descriptions of the Heavenly Five Decline.
Wang Xuan sighed, feeling helpless in the face of such tragedy. He settled in, spending the next two days familiarizing himself with New Star and studying maps to prepare for his expedition into the Secret Realm. Old Chen had suggested that the Secret Realm was located in the Misty Plateau, the only area vast and uninhabited enough to conceal it.
Wang Xuan had chosen to live in Yuan City, conveniently situated near the plateau. The Eastern powers were strong here, with most people residing in the largest continent, Zhongzhou. The name itself revealed its Eastern roots, established by immigrants over a century ago. The western part of Zhongzhou led to the Misty Plateau, an area over two thousand meters high, featuring towering peaks capped with snow, shrouded in mist at mid-elevation, while the foothills flourished with greenery. The landscape was breathtaking, displaying all four seasons simultaneously.
Covering over nine million square kilometers, the Misty Plateau remained largely unexplored and perilous. Every time Old Chen visited New Star, he would venture into the plateau with a black sword, searching for ancient blessings and the elusive Secret Realm. According to Old Chen, besides the Secret Realm, several mysterious sites remained, and he was determined to find them.
He had marked a few suspicious areas on a map for Wang Xuan, assuring him that searching those locations would be sufficient. "Old Chen, can I trust your judgment? Don't lead me astray in this wilderness!" Wang Xuan decided to set out the next day.
In the meantime, he had seen the little girl, Lele, several times. She was beautiful and remarkably mature for her age, often seen with her white kitten, sweetly calling him "Uncle." Each sighting deepened Wang Xuan's sympathy for her; she was reportedly not expected to live beyond five years.
"Uncle, are you going to see the starry fish tonight?" Lele asked one day, tilting her head up at him.
"What are starry fish?" Wang Xuan inquired, smiling.
Having just arrived on New Star, he had focused primarily on practical matters and preparations for the Secret Realm, neglecting the local wonders that captivated a child.
"They're beautiful fish, also called lantern fish! It's their spawning season, and they swim upstream, reaching near the Misty Plateau. It's a spectacular sight! The riverside is lively with visitors!" Lele enthusiastically explained, her eyes sparkling.
She shared that her parents had taken her to see the starry fish every year since she was one, but this year her father was away on business. Unbeknownst to her, he had passed away two months prior.
Despite his connection with Lele, Wang Xuan had only met her mother, Jiang Xue, briefly and did not want to intrude. However, he decided to go out that evening, curious about the spectacle. Upon arriving, he was amazed to see throngs of people along the riverside.
The Zhou River was the fifth longest in Zhongzhou, and the stretch near Yuan City was particularly majestic. Wang Xuan was soon mesmerized; it was as if the sky was filled with stars. The fish leaped from the water, swelling and glowing, resembling beautiful lanterns hovering above the surface.
Some fish collided midair, soaring even higher, turning the night sky into a radiant display of lights. The sight of the river sparkling under the starlit sky was breathtaking.
"I've overlooked many beautiful things in life," Wang Xuan reflected, realizing that his fixation on the Secret Realm had clouded his appreciation for the world around him.
As he strolled along the riverbank, he suddenly spotted familiar faces—three women he had previously encountered, laughing and chatting together. They had each sought to recruit him for their respective exploration teams, and it was unexpected to see them here. Wanting to avoid them, he turned away.
Moments later, he noticed Lele and her mother, Jiang Xue.
"Mommy, why are you crying?" Lele asked, looking up at her mother, dressed beautifully in a purple dress, resembling a fairy. Her long, light purple hair danced in the breeze, and her bright eyes were filled with innocence.
Jiang Xue quickly wiped her tears, lifting Lele into her arms.
"Are you missing Daddy? I miss him too, but please don't cry," Lele said, displaying remarkable maturity for her age.
After a long silence, she softly added, "Mommy, are you worried I won't live long? It's okay. If I leave, I'll become a little star here and come to see you every year. You and Daddy should visit me too, and you can have a little brother to keep you company. He'll be so cute. Please bring him to meet me."
Jiang Xue hugged her tightly, trying to conceal her tears. Facing the river, her emotions spilled over.
Wang Xuan turned away, unable to watch any longer. He sighed, realizing that while he had been preoccupied with the scenery around him, his determination to achieve greatness had solidified. The beautiful world around him, the majestic Zhou River, and the boundless starlight veiled the tears of those who suffered.