Devilish Disciple [Transmigration] 84

Chapter 84: “I’ll Come Back When You’ve Grown Up.”

The path was long, seemingly endless, just like the journey here.

Suppressing the Demon Bone within the little wolf had almost depleted the power Qing Nü gave her.

And the return journey was far more difficult than she had imagined.

She could feel her dwindling strength, the path ahead still unclear, only a faint golden light and the blurred starlight of countless years guiding her.

The little wolf remained nestled in her arms.

As the pain in its body and soul subsided, it noticed the changes within itself, confusion and fear filling its dark red eyes.

It seemed to be afraid of the scattered stars, the fleeting images of the past they held.

Perhaps it couldn’t distinguish between the stars that had destroyed the North Sea and these remnants of time.

It was simply afraid, afraid of the sudden separation, afraid of the unknown.

The person holding it was its only source of comfort now.

It wanted to ask her, where Qing Nü was, why the moon had disappeared, why the resentment had come…

What had happened in the North Sea, and where this path led?

It also wanted to ask why it had changed.

Could they return to the North Sea after the resentment dissipated?

Xuanzhu was still there; it seemed to have glimpsed him awakening through a star…

But it couldn’t speak, and she couldn’t understand its whimpers.

Every soft question was met with a gentle reassurance: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be with you.”

As if confirming that everything it knew was gone.

Only she remained.

The little wolf closed its eyes, snuggling closer to Li Yu, trying to suppress the emptiness in its heart, willing itself to sleep.

As if sleep could make this all a dream.

That upon waking, it would still be in the North Sea, playing in the snow under the moonlight, visiting Qing Nü with Li Yu, learning new characters.

Even though it knew, deep down, that this was no longer possible.

It finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the merging of the Demon Bone.

When it woke up, it was blinded by a bright light.

Just the human realm’s daylight and the vast expanse of snow, nothing particularly dazzling.

But its eyes, accustomed to the darkness of the North Sea, couldn’t handle the brightness.

It instinctively buried its head in Li Yu’s arms, hiding from the light.

“This is the human realm,” Li Yu said softly. “It’s different from the North Sea. The North Sea only has night, but the human realm has day.”

“Day and night alternate here, and besides the moon and stars, there’s also the sun…”

“It’s a good place, you’ll gradually adapt, you’ll even…like it here…”

Li Yu’s voice lacked conviction.

Did Mu Tao truly like the human realm? She wasn’t sure.

She only knew that she had lost all her spiritual energy.

Even staying in this time period wasn’t her choice anymore.

Her remaining strength had only been enough to bring her this far, to this point in time, over two hundred years before the beginning of the story.

She was exhausted, all she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep, even if it meant being buried in the snow, she didn’t have the strength to continue.

So, she found a place to lean against and sat down in the snow.

Without her protective spiritual energy, the cold was biting, and only the warmth of the little wolf in her arms reminded her that she was still alive.

She shivered uncontrollably, curling up instinctively.

The little wolf, sensing this, abandoned its initial intention of writing something in the snow and snuggled closer, letting Li Yu use it for warmth.

The human realm wasn’t as cold as the North Sea, yet Li Yu seemed unable to withstand it.

The little wolf didn’t understand, just a vague sense that Li Yu had sacrificed a lot to save it.

Her eyes closed, her body trembling, her hand, petting its fur, gradually stilled.

Asleep or unconscious.

Snow fell on her, slowly burying her as dusk approached.

The familiar darkness brought no comfort to the little wolf, only fear that the person in its arms would never wake up.

It frantically licked the frost forming on her eyelashes, trying to awaken her.

The warm, wet touch on her face roused Li Yu from her slumber.

The brief rest had replenished a small amount of her spiritual energy, and she raised a stiff hand, reactivating her protective aura.

Although still unable to dispel the lingering chill, she instinctively held the little wolf tighter.

“Did I scare you?” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

The little wolf licked her face and whimpered softly. She didn’t understand its words, but she could sense its concern.

Li Yu smiled and rubbed its neck, her nose touching its cold, wet nose. “It’s fine, I’ve endured much worse, a little snow is nothing.”

She looked into its worried eyes, as if understanding its unspoken question, and said softly, “The North Sea…we can’t go back.”

“Awooo…” The little wolf whimpered, its ears drooping, tears welling up in its dark red eyes.

“Mu Tao, stay with me, I’ll take you to the South Sea, to a place called Mount Chao Yao.”

“You’ll grow up there, you’ll meet many people, experience many things…”

“There are many rules in the human realm, you might not be as free as you were in the North Sea, but don’t be afraid, I’ll be with you.”

A tear, a single tear, rolled down her cheek as she spoke, a silent promise to the little wolf, and to herself. “Everything will be alright.”

The little wolf stared at the pearl on her robe, snuggling closer, silently seeking comfort.

In the following days, it followed Li Yu, their destination unknown.

The human realm was far vaster than the small island of the North Sea; the long, snow-covered path seemed endless, yet its heart gradually calmed amidst the vast expanse of white.

The Demon Bone within the little wolf wasn’t completely sealed, so Li Yu didn’t dare enter human settlements, afraid of encountering cultivators who might sense it.

Too weak to deal with such encounters, she could only travel along remote paths, occasionally finding shelter in small villages.

The system’s guidance continued, the faint golden light pointing the way.

She didn’t know how much longer they would have to travel like this, only a growing sense of unease, a feeling that her body was weakening.

It wasn’t just the depletion of her spiritual energy but something else, something she couldn’t explain.

She felt lighter, her senses fading, as if she could disappear at any moment, scattered by the wind and snow.

Perhaps the spiritual energy maintaining the Jinxu Gui was dissipating; she couldn’t stay in this time period much longer.

But she hadn’t taken the little wolf to its destination yet; she couldn’t give up now.

Everything seemed to echo that winter day in her memories.

She had also traveled through the snow with Mu Tao,

Then, it was escaping Mount Chao Yao, now, it was returning.

Li Yu didn’t know how long they had been traveling, the journey blurring her senses.

Until one day, guided by the system, she entered a small town, carrying the little wolf, her appearance drawing curious stares, and found a small theater, where she saw, from afar, a familiar figure in green.

The wandering immortal, watching a play on stage.

The Spirit Severing Hairpin, hidden in her dark hair, concealed her aura.

Seeing that familiar figure, Li Yu felt a wave of relief.

As if, as long as she could see Si Qinglan, everything would be alright.

And her gaze caught Si Qinglan’s attention.

As their eyes met, Li Yu saw shock and confusion in those misty green eyes.

Si Qinglan clearly couldn’t understand why Li Yu, looking so weak, was here, holding a small wolf demon that exuded a faint demonic aura.

After a moment of surprise, Si Qinglan stood up and quickly approached her.

Without a word, Li Yu turned and walked away.

Si Qinglan followed, and they walked in silence, leaving the town, until they reached a deserted area.

Li Yu finally stopped and turned to face her.

“What happened to you?!” Si Qinglan asked immediately.

“Si Qinglan, I need your help.” Li Yu looked down at the confused little wolf in her arms. “Take it back to Mount Chao Yao for me.”

Si Qinglan was silent for a moment, then reached out and touched the little wolf, a sliver of spiritual light flickering at her fingertips.

After a few seconds, she withdrew her hand, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Li Yu, are you crazy? There’s…something inside it…”

Li Yu: “The Heavenly Demon’s Demon Bone.”

Si Qinglan: “You…”

Li Yu: “I know what I’m doing.”

Si Qinglan: “…”

Li Yu: “I can’t explain everything, but I can assure you, although it carries the Demon Bone, it will never harm the human realm.”

Si Qinglan: “…”

Li Yu looked at Si Qinglan.

The little wolf, sensing the suspicion in Si Qinglan’s gaze, whimpered and snuggled closer.

Suddenly, a full moon appeared in the bright daylight,

Then vanished just as quickly.

Si Qinglan’s eyes widened, looking at Li Yu with shock and disbelief.

“I know, you’ve been looking for her.” Li Yu held the Heavenly Mirror, her gaze unwavering. “If you help me, when we meet again, I will tell you…where it came from.”

“You, you…”

“Its name is Mu Tao.” Li Yu crouched down and smiled faintly at the little wolf. “Mu Tao, write your name for this elder sister, okay?”

The little wolf hesitated, then jumped down from her arms, its tail between its legs, and clumsily wrote “Mu Tao” in the snow.

Then it returned to Li Yu’s side, leaning against her leg.

Si Qinglan stared at the little wolf, her mouth slightly open, speechless.

Li Yu: “Take her.”

Si Qinglan: “What about you?”

Li Yu: “I’m…also leaving…”

Si Qinglan: “…”

The little wolf looked up at Li Yu, startled, barking twice, then, realizing she couldn’t understand, turned to write something in the snow.

But Si Qinglan picked it up.

It struggled, a demonic aura flickering around it.

A flash of spiritual light restrained it, and it froze, its dark red eyes staring at Li Yu, a question in their depths.

It suddenly noticed that Li Yu seemed…fainter, translucent, like a wisp of smoke, as if a gentle breeze could make her disappear.

But she had promised to always be with it…

“Mu Tao, I’m just…” Li Yu gently stroked the little wolf’s ear. “…going away for a bit, to rest… I’ll come back for you.”

“I promise, when you’ve grown up, I’ll definitely come back.”

“And then…I’ll continue to…care for you…”

Her voice weakened, almost drowned out by the little wolf’s whimpers.

Si Qinglan: “It won’t leave your side.”

Li Yu: “Then…let it forget.”

Si Qinglan: “…”

Li Yu took two steps back.

She felt a pull, a force drawing her away from this time, this place.

She looked at Si Qinglan and whispered, “Please…seal its memories and its Demon Bone. One day…I’ll give you the answers you seek.”

As she spoke, she could no longer feel her body.

Her senses faded, her consciousness blurring.

She seemed to see a flower seed, falling from the green light, landing in the snow-covered human realm.

It would take root, bloom into a spiritual flower, guiding humans, two hundred years later, to a hidden immortal mountain overseas.

Everything, it seemed, was predetermined.

It was time to go back, to answer the questions she owed.

This time, she would finally be able to do something.