Temple Girl
Chapter 7 A Mistake

In mid-autumn, the cold began to grow. The bones will not be able to stand when they touch the freezing autumn wind, the clumps of foliage begin to fill the forest foothills. Squeeze the ground with red and brown. The animals begin to hide to begin a long sleep, through a painful winter.

Chiharu opened the door of the temple which somehow felt gloomier and cold, dark and heartless. This is not easy when the only creature that is the source of the girl's life suddenly disappears, leaving behind a deep pain and loneliness. Chiharu's chest was filled with sadness again, until it felt tight and difficult to breathe.

'Why should I go back abandoned?' his mind asked scarredly, the ten-year-old was again crushed by a cruel fate. Force her into adulthood, no matter how the girl gets through her days.

When the door of the cold temple opened, Chiharu rounded her eyes of disbelief as someone stood there. Defying Chiharu, her clothes seemed to be made of the most quality silk until luxury emanated from her.

Noticing Chiharu's presence the figure turned around, the ebony-black eyeball was the first thing that attracted her attention. "So it was you who had eliminated the Earth God," his voice seemed calm yet Chiharu could hear a tone of arrogance in the man's tone of speech.

The bright red eyeball looked at him cynically, its huge body as if it was rebuking the helpless Chiharu. "I did not eliminate him." said Chiharu weakly, he really did not have more energy to serve this situation. Being abandoned by Mr. Qi was a huge blow to his life, even when he was dumped by his family. Losing Master Qi really made his life feel dark and hollow.

Chiharu continued to be at the top of that hill for three days, continuing to wait and wait. And just the disappointment he got because Mr. Qi didn't come back to him, he wanted to kill himself. Then every time Chiharu wanted to do so, Mr. Qi's face always flashed in his mind. Smiling gently viciously and taking her to memory when Mr. Qi gave her life, and heartlessly now left her alone.

"Your body is full of Earth God energy, how could I believe it? Never mind, let others judge you. Follow me!" chiharu's body floated up, he screeched in shock as his body was thrown from the temple. Flying so high followed the man's body, the man with eyes as bright as the sun and a mane as red as a burning fire.

***

The door connecting heaven and earth was closed, then Chiharu's small body was thrown uneventfully at that foreign place. Making the little girl confused, scared, and sad that still can not disappear. When Chiharu regains consciousness, Chiharu realizes that she is not alone.

"I think you should have taken the withering away of the Lord Earth God, why even bring this helpless little boy" said one of the Gods there, The deity who looked the most beautiful there stared mockingly at the bright red-eyed man who was carrying Chiharu.

The bright red-eyed God grieves dislikes, "just mess yourself up, God of doom." he said.

Then the commotion of the gods of the goddess was stopped when the wisest person there came, in his oversized clothes he began to comb the view and stopped when he saw the little boy there. Cowering in fear before the gods and goddesses there.

"Have it, have you not seen the little girl in fear." her voice was so wise and majestic, making no one else dare to speak. The great god walked up to Chiharu, he sat down trying to align his body.

"Your master doesn't have to do that." lamented one of the Gods, only that the God of wisdom ignored him. 

He smiled gently and extended his hand, "My name is Zhi, don't be afraid of good girls. I won't hurt you." said slowly, worried that it would make the little girl even more afraid.

Although the fear had not yet gone completely from Chiharu, he ventured to welcome the helping hand. "A-I'm Chiharu, Mr. Zhi." said the girl in fear, "Really, I didn't eliminate Mr. Qi. I-I was very sad when Mr. Qi left me just like that." Chiharu tried to explain with the remnants of the power he had.

Mr. Zhi nodded in understanding, he turned to look at the Gods still there. Everyone nodded in agreement when Mr. Zhi asked permission from the corner of his eyes to ask what had happened, the Earth God Qi Yuan suddenly disappeared and could not be found no matter how hard it looked for him, he said, it had been hundreds of years for them to be shocked by the huge outpouring of energy belonging to the Earth God.

***

"Actually what did you do before Mr Qi disappeared?" sahut Mr. Zhi slowly.

Then the creatures that Chiharu had never seen arrived with trays full of appetizing food, placed right in front of Chiharu to make the girl feel comfortable. He was a little stunned by the tiny animal that was not half his body, Mr. Zhi sat in front of him and smiled watching.

The girl was seen still trying to understand the situation she was in, "We are on the high mountain, Mr. Qi somehow looks so fragile, not as usual. Then the blue fireflies appeared so much. Enter my body, and Mr. Qi disappears Mr. Zhi. W-did master Qi disappear because of me?" sahut Chiharu was unable to hold back his emotions.

So devastated that he did not know what to do, "Master Qi vanished of course not because of you, he must have done it for his own reasons. But it cannot be denied that now your body is full of Earth God energy, such as empty containers and water filled too full and almost overflowing." Clearly Mr. Zhi was holding his face while thinking, wondering what was behind this tragedy.

When Gods were created, they were given the task of protecting and keeping the system of the universe running properly. Gods are immortal and timeless, gods neither age nor change. They remain the same from the creation, although the Gods were created more special than humans but their job to keep the system running properly is not easy.

"It seems you also know that Mr. Qi for hundreds of years has abandoned his duties as an Earth God." said Mr. Zhi feeling tired, he rubbed his face full of fatigue.

Chiharu shook her head slowly, "Master Qi did not leave his duty, he listened to the praying people who came to us. Give his blessing, then write it in the book of supplication." Chiharu explained carefully Mr. Qi's daily life.

Mr. Zhi again focused his eyesight on the girl, "Son, the task of a God is not that simple. And the duty of the God of Earth is to nourish the whole earth and help the earth. Keep it with his hands to be preserved, and Mr. Qi doesn't do it."

"Then it seems like an unwillingness, Mr. Qi handed over his duties to you." and the remark was able to make Chiharu return flabbergasted. 

Chiharu re-opened her eyes wide, sharpening her sense of hearing so as not to hear wrong. "How could Mr Zhi, I become a God? I'm just a human being." Fast agile.

The man with the long white beard nodded in understanding, "have you ever experienced death, young girl?" the question that Mr. Zhi asked was actually between the boundary of sure and unsure. 

But a second after seeing the expression of the little girl before him, Mr. Zhi was able to deduce that Chiharu had indeed experienced death. "Master Qi who saved me when I was on the verge of death." said the girl quietly, again feeling claustrophobic because of this talk.

Finally Mr. Zhi sighed, "Alright, stay here first. I'll call the God of Time, he'll try to read your memories to get this thing sorted out." the man drank his mililk green tea, sniffed it out before the liquid drenched his throat.

"And one thing son, that you must be ready to become a God. Successor Mr. Qi."

The To Be Continued...