“Mother.”  Ayla said one day, four months since the last time she saw Evren.  “3rd Disciple Dilek will be leaving soon to explore the world and as I too will be turning 16 years old in another month, I had hoped to leave with 3rd Disciple Dilek and travel with her as a traveling companion.”  

“That is a good idea.”  Ece said as she smiled gently at Ayla.  “Let us ask if she agrees to this idea.”  

Dilek was soon called to High Master Monk Ece’s study and once she was inside, the idea of Ayla traveling with Dilek was shared to Dilek.  However there was a hesitant and disgusted look on her face before she hid it.

Ece was able to catch Dilek’s reaction before she could hide her feelings, and Ece sighed softly.  Her 2nd disciple and 3rd disciple were stubborn and nearsighted. They will have great trouble with advancing their skills and ascending to the heavens.  They held on to too many grudges and did not know how to be benevolent. They were lotus seeds still stuck in the mud, unknowing how to bloom beautifully into a flower and breach the surface.   

Dilek kept silent with her head bowed down, unable to look at High Master Monk Ece’s eyes.  

“Very well.  Master knows what is in Disciple’s heart.  Go well and explore the world. Master will not show you out, you know the way already.”  Ece sighed. “You’re excused to go prepare yourself for your journey.”

Dilek bowed and thanked High Master Monk Ece before leaving the study.  Once the door closed Ayla came out from her hiding place and sat next to Ece.  

“It’s okay, Mother.”  Ayla said as she massaged Ece’s arms. Her eyes stared at Ece with worry. “Ayla has always known that Ayla could not be accepted wholeheartedly by some people here in Asuman Temple.  As long as Ayla is not disrespected, Ayla can still bare with their unwanted looks and judgements.”

“My darling girl.”  Ece sighed loudly. “How can I ascend to the heavens knowing that even in Mother’s sanctuary, even Mother’s daughter is not safe.”  

“Do not worry so much about this daughter.”  Ayla said as she laid her head on Ece’s arm. “Isn’t there still 1st Disciple and 4th Disciple who still looks after this daughter?  Besides, Ayla is no longer that wounded girl you found in the woods. Ayla is stronger thanks to Mother.”

“You are right.”  Ece agreed, feeling as if a heavy weight has lifted from her shoulders.  “1st Disciple and 4th Disciple treats you very well. Mother can be reassured that you will be taken care of when Mother ascends to the heavens and becomes Immortal.”

“Once Mother becomes an Immortal, Mother can look down upon us and still guide us towards enlightenment.”  Ayla reminded her.

Although Immortals could not physically interfere with the lives of mortals, they could still give signs to help guide mortals on the correct path.  

“Mother’s Ayla is very smart!”  Ece said with a smile. Ece turned to the side and kissed Ayla’s head.  “Mother’s heart is settled knowing how steady Ayla has become.”

“It’s all because of Mother.”  Ayla said as she raised her head to smile sweetly at Ece.  “Ayla will leave Mother alone so Mother can cultivate peacefully to reach enlightenment.”  

“Good child, always thinking about Mother.  Go rest before you train again.” Ece told her with a smile.  

Ayla bent down to kiss Ece’s cheek and left the study.  The moment she left the study, Ayla’s sweet smile disappeared.  

Raine’s cold and frozen look quickly appeared.  The words she said to Ece almost made Raine throw up in her mouth.  Raine had chosen to play the role of the innocent, sweet, and thoughtful girl.  However she was really just a Green Tea Bitch. Pure in appearance, but a total two face in the inside.  

A few days later Dilek left Asuman Temple quietly.  Before she left, Ayla gave Dilek Nermin’s location, telling Dilek that Nermin wrote a letter to High Master Monk Ece and Piek Town was where she sent the letter from.  With information in hand Dilek left with a hidden smile and hurried footsteps. Ayla looked on with a serene smile.

Nermin had found herself a soldier at Piek Town to occupy her time there.  Dilek should be able to travel to Piek Town in three weeks, if she travels nonstop by horse or carriage.  And two weeks if she decides to travel by a river boat.

Ayla turned back to Asuman Temple and walked through the temple with a steady and carefree way.  It was as if she was enjoying her last days at Asuman Temple before she left. She greeted several servants, students and elders on her walk.  She was not too warm or too cold to any of them, making them wary of her.

When it came time for Ayla to leave, High Master Monk Ece walked her down the mountain and said her goodbyes at the base of the mountain.  With a hug and a promise to come back in a year, Ayla left without looking back.

The first thing Raine did was go back to the village who abused Ayla.  She stayed in the woods and sent Scam System to the village. With its findings,  Raine found out that all the old people and the young people died from starvation.  After the drought was a flood. The flood brought many illnesses to the village and only half of the villagers survived.  

As to Ayla’s “loving” adopted parents, their luck was really good and they survived the drought and the flood.  In the two years that Ayla was gone, the loving couple picked up another child and had forced the child to work like a mule.  

Ayla waited for two weeks before she made her move.  First because she wanted to ensure that she knew every detail of the villager’s life after Ayla was dragged into the woods.  Second because if there is an investigation on the villager’s death, then no one would be able to point to Ayla and place her under suspicion for killing the villagers, since she would have "long been gone" from the region already.  

Raine only took one night to kill the villagers who harmed Ayla.  Not only did she block the villager’s exit from their home with the ground she raised up into a wall, but she also set their homes on fire.  Out of the 14 homes that were still occupied, 12 of the homes burned down with their owners at the same time.

The two homes that she left alive, one was, a new family who never hurted Ayla, but just recently moved into the village.  And the other was her adoptive parents. With the loud screams coming from their neighbors and the sky lighting up orange and red in the night sky,  Livda and Collan could only come out of their home and watch in horror as their neighbors scream out in pain as the fire burned them alive.

Slowly the screams stopped, but the fire burned on until the sun came up and there was only ash on the ground.