Senpou Temple, outside the Main Hall.
Because the infested monks in the Main Hall had been incinerated before Xia Yu entered the Phantom Corridor, the two who emerged from the Inner Sanctum faced no resistance.
The straw-cloaked ninjas hired by the monks couldn't cause any trouble either; they were merely slightly stronger mortals.
Carrying the exhausted Rice Maiden, Xia Yu reached the cliff outside Senpou Temple in a few leaps.
From this cliff, one could see all the temples and halls of Senpou Temple, including the monks who hadn't been killed yet and the hidden Rats.
Looking down at the monks who hadn't noticed them at all, although the girl already knew Xia Yu was no ordinary person, she was still secretly alarmed at this moment.
The leaps just now were the same; even the most agile ninja couldn't traverse a steep cliff as if it were level ground while carrying someone.
Who exactly was he? She realized she hadn't even asked for his name.
Thinking of this, as the girl felt the sturdy chest again, her face couldn't help but flush slightly; she had been held for so long, yet she still didn't know his name.
"Um..." The girl tugged at the clothes on Xia Yu's chest and spoke softly, "I am sorry, I still do not know your name. It is truly rude of me."
Hearing this, Xia Yu glanced at the Rice Maiden in his arms. Come to think of it, he didn't seem to know her name either.
"It's fine, I don't know your name yet either." Xia Yu smiled slightly. "My name is Xia Yu, and my current status is the second young master of Ashina Country. What about you?"
"Me?" The girl's eyes dimmed at the sudden question, a hint of sadness in her gaze. "I have no name. My memories before being brought to Senpou Temple are blurred, and after that, those monks only called me the Child of Corruption."
"After I became the only surviving Child of Corruption, they called me a noble person but never gave me a name. So, I don't know what I should be called..."
Feeling the sudden wave of sadness from the beauty in his arms, Xia Yu was a bit at a loss; how did he suddenly step on a landmine?
However, he wasn't a total dense guy; he at least knew he had to say something at a time like this.
"It's okay, the past is the past. Isn't you being here now proof? A new name represents a new beginning. Let everything start from zero."
"Of course, no one but yourself can decide on this name that represents your rebirth, and I am no exception."
"A name is very important. It's proof of a person's identity, a unique proof of a person's existence. Just like my surname is Xia and my name is Yu, I've never thought about changing my name because I am Xia Yu. This is a part of who I am. Only with a name can one be a complete person."
This was also why he didn't want to change his name after transmigrating. As for those transmigrators who directly discarded their original names and took on new ones, he didn't know how they could so easily abandon a part of what once made them who they were.
Of course, everyone has their own thoughts, and he had no right to criticize their actions. Perhaps in the eyes of others, someone like him who insisted on his own name was the strange one.
Listening to Xia Yu talk eloquently, the girl stared blankly at his refined profile until a slight shrug of his shoulder brought her back to her senses.
"I... I understand." The girl lowered her head, not daring to let him see her current expression. "But, I haven't thought of a new name yet. I am very sorry."
"What's there to be sorry about? You haven't done anything wrong. A name is important, so you must be careful. You're doing the right thing. Deciding on a name that will accompany you for life on a whim—now that would be irresponsible."
Hearing this, the corners of the girl's mouth curled up slightly. This was the first time in her life she had felt so happy.
"Alright." Xia Yu shrugged his shoulder again, causing the Rice Maiden to look up in confusion. "The den of vice you loathed, along with the evil monks within, has already been purified by fire."
Reminded of this, the girl realized that the temples and halls below the cliff had caught fire at some point.
The monks still inside the temples had turned into wailing human torches. Everything was burning in the flames, turning into indistinguishable ash.
Watching those monks, who had gone mad in their pursuit of immortality, die miserably in the flames—even the undying centipedes that prolonged their lives turning to charcoal—a sense of satisfaction welled up in the girl's heart.
But after watching for a while, she turned away, burying her head in Xia Yu's chest and saying muffledly.
"Let's go. Although I will never forgive those people, I don't want to watch them die so miserably."
"Mm." Xia Yu gave a soft grunt. Just as he was about to open a portal, the clothes on his chest tightened.
"The Phantom Corridor... and my friends, will they be alright?" the girl asked.
"Don't worry. The Phantom Corridor exists between life and death; it's a different space from reality. Even if the Main Hall completely disappears, it won't affect the Phantom Corridor."
He had discovered this while analyzing the Phantom Corridor. Although the appearance of the Phantom Corridor was closely related to the Main Hall of Senpou Temple, the destruction of either side would not affect the other.
That's why he burned down all the temples and halls as soon as he came out, knowing it wouldn't affect the Phantom Corridor or the Inner Sanctum.
Reassured by Xia Yu, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, and her hand gripping his clothes relaxed.
After one last glance at the burning Senpou Temple, Xia Yu opened a portal to Ashina's Inner Castle and stepped through.
"We're here."
"Ah?"
Hearing Xia Yu's words, the girl looked up blankly. After her bright eyes scanned the surroundings, she realized they had arrived on a bustling street.
People were coming and going on the street, and occasionally someone would look at them and point.
"Um... could you put me down first?" The girl was a bit shy.
"Do you have your strength back?"
"I do..."
Seeing the Rice Maiden say so, Xia Yu didn't insist on holding her and instead bent down to gently place her on the ground.
The girl stood cautiously on the ground. Although her waist was still a bit weak, she could now stand steadily.
At the thought of the culprit who caused her weakness, the girl glared at Xia Yu in dissatisfaction. "You can't be so rough next time. If you still want rice, I will condense it for you."
"Hehehe." Xia Yu rubbed the Rice Maiden's head sheepishly. "Sorry, it won't happen again."
"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time." The girl hummed softly, losing the composure and rationality she had when they first met. Perhaps that was her self-protection, and only now in front of Xia Yu did she show her girlish side.
"Yes, yes. My thanks to the noble Divine Child for forgiving this overstepping person."
Next, Xia Yu introduced the current Ashina Castle to the Rice Maiden while leading her toward his residence. Not only did he need to arrange a place for her to stay, but he also needed to introduce her to the others.
In any case, since he brought her back, he had to take responsibility.