Fu Juan wanted to heal her injuries more than anyone. Since the heights of Kunlun Mountain were unreachable, North of the Red River became the best alternative. But did she intend to traverse the Mountains and Seas alone? Not seeking Xuanzhen Dao Court, nor wanting to journey together with her?
Bai Ze had no leisure to care about matters between Jiang Yiguang and Fu Juan. After satisfying her urge to talk, she reverted to her true form and directly occupied Bo Qi’s bed to rest. Bo Qi stared at Bai Ze, his furry face showing a hint of grievance. But daring only to be angry and not speak, after glancing at Jiang Yiguang a few times without receiving a response, he had to slowly find a new spot to curl up.
“You—” At this moment, Jiang Yiguang’s mind was entirely occupied by Fu Juan, her eyes reflecting only her silhouette. She opened her mouth, but after uttering a single word, she abruptly caught herself. Clearly, such “distance” aligned with her expectation of gradually drifting away from Fu Juan. Yet… Fu Juan had helped her a lot. This injury was a “historical leftover,” and simultaneously her mother’s wish. Couldn’t her plan only proceed after this matter was “settled”? By then, debts would be clear, and she wouldn’t constantly think of Fu Juan, wouldn’t need to worry or feel guilt.
Having found an excuse for herself, Jiang Yiguang’s brows immediately smoothed out. She clasped her hands under her chin and continued, “You want to go alone? The Mountains and Seas is fraught with danger; I’m afraid it’s unsuitable.”
“Do you want to come with me?” Fu Juan gazed at Jiang Yiguang, her dark eyes deep and somber. “It’s too dangerous. And this is my own affair.”
Jiang Yiguang wasn’t convinced by Fu Juan. She countered, “Then why did you invite me when you went to Azure Hill before? Wasn’t entering Azure Hill dangerous?”
“This is different.” Fu Juan said coolly. “The Tushan Clan are our allies. But Heavenly Maiden Ba… although she originated from Western Kunlun, her attitude toward the Mortal Realm remains unclear. And…”
Fu Juan’s words suddenly trailed off.
Jiang Yiguang looked at Fu Juan and asked, feigning nonchalance, “And what?”
A trace of confusion flickered in Fu Juan’s eyes. She stared at Jiang Yiguang for a long moment before saying, “I thought you wouldn’t want to go. Weren’t you trying to keep your distance from me?”
Her words were direct enough. Jiang Yiguang, caught off guard, froze on the spot. A storm raged in her mind. Before she could formulate a reply, Fu Juan’s voice sounded again.
“You don’t actually need to force yourself. The Jiang family has been good enough to me. You don’t owe me anything. What I need to do is be grateful, not continue to ask things of you. In the past, I misunderstood your kindness. I apologize to you now. I’m sorry.” Fu Juan’s tone was very calm, yet exceptionally earnest. Over this period, she had reflected on past events countless times. As the past “annoying” Jiang Yiguang overlapped with the current one, she began to feel that the old Jiang Yiguang hadn’t actually been so excessive after all. It was just the pressure was too intense, “concern” like a mountain weighing on her shoulders, becoming an unnecessary burden.
Jiang Yiguang: “…” She didn’t know how Fu Juan had reached that conclusion. Upon hearing the apology, the first thing that surfaced deep within her was a sense of absurdity. She wanted to shake Fu Juan’s shoulders and pull her out of this inexplicable filter, to tell her that it wasn’t a misunderstanding at all. Under the control of fate, she had been gloomy, stubborn, and detestable. But the words reached her lips, and she swallowed them back. She simply said, “You don’t need to apologize to me.” As for the topic of “keeping distance,” admitting it wasn’t right, denying it also wasn’t right. Jiang Yiguang could only gloss over it hastily.
“My mom’s whereabouts are still unknown right now. I’ll definitely need your help when the time comes. If you can recover, it’ll also benefit me.” Jiang Yiguang thought for a moment and decided to skip further debate, directly concluding, “In short, I absolutely must go on this trip.”
“You—”
The vibration of a phone conveniently interrupted Fu Juan’s words. Jiang Yiguang, at this moment, also didn’t want to hear Fu Juan’s dissuasion. She made a “shush” gesture and answered the call. Zhao Sujie’s cheerful voice came clearly through the receiver.
“Yiguang, Jiang Yiguang, there’s a small mission. Are you in? I know your injury isn’t fully healed yet, but this one’s relatively easy, no fighting or killing required.”
Jiang Yiguang asked, “Hm? What is it?”
Zhao Sujie let out an “Mm” and smiled, “It’s a bit related to the Mountains and Seas Rift. A stream of baleful energy leaked out from there, causing the local cats and dogs to become somewhat agitated, especially those with half-opened intelligence. If they don’t get proper guidance during such times, they might walk down the wrong path of consuming blood and flesh.”
Jiang Yiguang asked again, “When?”
Zhao Sujie: “The day after tomorrow, morning. I’ll send you the location later. If we finish early, we can even go out for a meal, that private restaurant I mentioned before. Their food really is good. Originally, you’d need a reservation, but I helped the boss resolve some issues before, so I’m a high-tier VIP now.” Zhao Sujie chattered on, rambling about everything under the sun. Jiang Yiguang sat on the sofa, legs crossed. Her other free hand was curled, tapping rhythmically on her thigh. She listened absent-mindedly, occasionally chiming in with a word or two. When the call ended, she looked up, but Fu Juan’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“She went back?” Jiang Yiguang sighed softly. It was true; having already gotten the information from Bai Ze, there was no need for her to stay here. Leaving was only natural. But not even a single greeting… Thinking of this, Jiang Yiguang felt a touch of inexplicable melancholy.
Tossing her phone aside, Jiang Yiguang stretched. Glancing at the clock on the wall, fatigue and hunger surged like a tide, almost overwhelming her completely. Jiang Yiguang had no mind to order takeout. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and prepared to head into the kitchen to find something to eat, but as soon as she turned, she bumped into Fu Juan coming out with a plate.
Fu Juan’s cooking skills were excellent. Actually, it wasn’t just cooking; in many areas, she possessed a stubborn refusal to fall behind others.
“Bai Ze will probably stay at the Jiang household. However, we need to inform the Dao Court about this, especially the backflow of the Return to the Void Abyss.” During the meal, Fu Juan initiated the conversation. The mortal cultivators skilled in divination had only predicted the Revival of the Mountains and Seas, that Shenzhou would face an opportunity and crisis. But it wasn’t until Bai Ze mentioned the “Return to the Void Abyss” that she suddenly realized the greatest danger actually lay ahead. There were no omens yet, but since Bai Ze brought it up, it meant the possibility of future changes in the “Return to the Void” existed, and not a small one at that.
Jiang Yiguang nodded, sighing with feeling: “An era of many troubles.” Shenzhou, Dongying, and the Mountains and Seas—none of it was reassuring.
“Difficulties abound.” A sigh followed closely after Jiang Yiguang’s.
Jiang Yiguang looked toward the source of the voice and saw Bai Ze, who had woken up, looking lazy and slightly dispirited. She didn’t act like a guest at all, spontaneously finding bowls and chopsticks and sitting down at the dining table. Her cheeks puffed as she chewed, squinting. A golden divine halo flowed in her eyes. After a long moment, she praised, “Much better than the food from the High Antiquity Era, which was only salty or even tasted of blood. The Mortal Realm has indeed developed well these years! It seems my sneaking out of the Mountains and Seas was an extremely wise act.” Pausing, she continued, “Although it’s very dangerous, I still advise you to enter the Mountains and Seas to train. Staying constantly in a greenhouse prevents growth.”
“But Azure Hill… might disagree? After all, that Ruler is as stubborn as King Yu, cut from the same cloth. Ah, but under the circumstances back then, King Yu suppressing the Mountains and Seas was only right. Humanity was truly too fragile. Gonggong merely stirred up a furious surge, and it could swallow countless people.
“If you truly wish to go to the Mountains and Seas, I can provide a method to cross through a Mountains and Seas Rift. It’s just somewhat dangerous, perhaps a one-way trip with no return.”
Jiang Yiguang: “…No need.”
Fu Juan also said coolly, “We can pass through Azure Hill.”
“Hm?” Bai Ze’s chopstick-holding hand tightened abruptly. After a moment, she raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Ah, you carry the scent of those fox cubs from Azure Hill. In that case, you could also hire warriors from Azure Hill to guide you across the Mountains and Seas. But I wouldn’t recommend it. After all, the Four Evils have always coveted the ‘Corpse of Chiyou.’ The seal is about to give way. Not a single warrior of Azure Hill can be spared from their duties.”
Jiang Yiguang: “Is Azure Hill in such dire straits? The reason they’re not allowing disciples from the Dao Court to enter the Mountains and Seas for training yet—is it because they’re overwhelmed?”
Bai Ze said dejectedly, “It is indeed quite bad. Barring accidents, they can only hold out for a few hundred more years.”
Jiang Yiguang raised an eyebrow: “Only?”
Bai Ze stared at Jiang Yiguang, pondering for a moment: “I forgot, humans and long-lived species have different concepts of time. Azure Hill counts as the faction in the Mountains and Seas closest to humanity. Given how harshly Azure Hill trains its disciples, to say they’re ‘worried’ is impossible. It’s eighty percent likely you did something to anger Azure Hill.”
Jiang Yiguang was speechless.
The Azure Hill envoy had been imprisoned in the Mortal Realm for a thousand years, her Golden Core gouged out and her tail severed. The perpetrators of this were precisely the Noble Clans representing Shenzhou’s transcendent power… It was only right for Azure Hill to be angered by this. If the Dao Court couldn’t give Azure Hill hope, Azure Hill might very well choose to abandon them. After all, as Tushan Yi said, the Tushan Clan of Azure Hill was ultimately not human. The affection and grace left by King Yu were far less important than Azure Hill’s own survival.
Jiang Yiguang’s mind stirred, but the matter of going to Azure Hill wouldn’t be rushed.
Her injuries hadn’t healed, so she didn’t continue sword practice. Instead, she focused on breathing exercises and meditation to nurture her essence, energy, and spirit.
When the appointed day arrived, she set out with her Ritual Sword slung across her back, heading to the meeting spot with Zhao Sujie.
