Chapter 3

My sister knelt amidst the ruins and debris, her appearance utterly disheveled.

Her clothes were tattered from the force of the fire.

The spirit serpent had long vanished without a trace.

Amidst the ruins and debris, her face was filled with despair. She supported herself with her hands on the ground, muttering to herself, "Impossible, why? If she can, why can't I?"

I kindly reminded her, "The spirit serpent shouldn't be far. You can still catch up if you hurry."

She seemed to find an outlet for her anger, her eyes turning bloodshot, as if she wished to tear me apart. "How dare you come to laugh at me!"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. "There's no way the spirit serpent would refuse my magical bond. You must have interfered!"

"You're insane, proposing a magical bond upon first meeting."

A spiritual companion isn't a subordinate, nor something she could manipulate at will.

Without a foundation of trust, how could it possibly open its mind to you?

"It's all your fault!" My sister grew more frenzied, lunging at me to strangle my neck.

I silently erected an icy barrier, watching her rush forward with cold detachment.

Being a whole level above her, if she touched my barrier, sharp ice spikes would pierce her, leaving her bleeding.

In the next moment, my sister was sent flying by a collision with the powerful beast's sturdy body.

Even as a young creature, its physical strength was remarkable.

Crack-

I distinctly heard the sound of her bones breaking, and she lay on the ground, coughing up blood continuously.

The powerful beast stood triumphantly on her stomach. "I can't stand vile creatures like you. Only I can bully my servant!"

"Dad!" Father hurried over, looking at my fallen sister with deep concern. Not daring to offend the powerful beast, he swung a slap at me.

"How could you let your spiritual companion attack your sister?"

I didn't have time to explain.

His slap hit my barrier with a thud, and it dissipated into smoke.

"Ah!" Dad cried out, his hand bleeding profusely, the chilling cold seeping into his veins.

"She started it, " I explained slowly, unsurprised by his biased judgment.

"Lies!" He was both anxious and angry. "Disrespectful to your sister, unfilial to your father. Is this how I raised you?"

Dad used his blood to draw a magic circle in the air. From its center, a majestic three-headed dog emerged, its body entwined with hellfire.

The three-headed dog was a grown beast, about the height of a person, elegant and noble, with each strand of fur ablaze with blue-purple flames, heating the air instantly.

"I'll say it again, show respect and apologize to your sister!"

The powerful beast hastily retreated, its small body shielding me from the towering three-headed dog, growling in defense. "Awoo, awoo!"

Looking at the small figure standing before me, I suddenly felt at peace.

In my previous life, I spent my entire life chasing my father's affection, unable to swallow the bitterness or understand why he could be so partial when we were both his children.

Now I understood that love and hate cannot be forced; it's all about fate. Affection needs no reason, nor does aversion.

There's no point in wasting effort on those who aren't worth it.

I just need to cherish the small kindness others show me.

The knot that had troubled me for a lifetime untangled, my state of mind gradually clearing, and my dormant abilities began to show signs of loosening.

The three-headed dog glanced at the small powerful beast in front of it, reluctant to make a move. It lazily yawned and lay down, resting its three heads on its paws, speaking in turn.

"The child is still young and playful."

"But we came all this way."

"Shouldn't we at least do something?"

"You go?"

"No, you should."

"I can't bring myself to hurt such a small child."

...

The three heads debated for a while.

The middle head reluctantly opened its mouth, emitting a token flame.

The small, weak blue flame crawled slowly and dissipated into smoke long before reaching the powerful beast.

The three-headed dog yawned, considering it a lesson given.

Dad's face darkened, yet he was powerless. The mounts were strong now, no longer under human command.

"Dad..." Renee curled up, groaning in pain.

Dad, as if awakened by a bell, immediately went to half-support Renee, feeding her a pill.

I stepped forward and picked up the powerful beast.

The powerful beast suddenly found itself airborne, panicking for a moment, its paws flailing in the air. "What are you doing! Let me go!"