Bi Lan wanted to retort and tell Ren Qingyue to clear her head, but mindful of the other’s identity, she held back and remained silent.
After thinking for a moment, she switched to a gentler tone: “But Junior Sister Yan is in danger. As her fellow disciple, I shouldn’t abandon her now. If I only care about myself, how am I any different from those cold-hearted cultivators we saw today?”
Ren Qingyue looked up and met Bi Lan’s eyes. Bi Lan gazed back calmly.
After a moment, Ren Qingyue’s long lashes lowered, concealing the emotions in her eyes. “Suit yourself.”
With that, she stood, glanced at Bi Lan, and left without another word.
Bi Lan: ?
The scene of Ren Qingyue rescuing Yan Zhao and settling her with Bi Lan appeared before Nangong Yin’s eyes.
She casually tossed the half-dead Ling Jiancheng, his bones shattered and body covered in blood, to Lei Shuang. “An eye for an eye. You know what to do.”
Lei Shuang caught Ling Jiancheng, her hand brushing against the sharp ends of broken bones. She drew a sharp breath inwardly: So ruthless.
She felt no pity for Ling Jiancheng’s plight. The Fuyun Sect had set a trap to kill Nangong Yin, so they must have anticipated the fate of their pawns. Anger Nangong Yin, and you must pay the price.
So she replied, “Understood.”
Jiang Ying and Feng Jin were also present. Nangong Yin gazed into the distance for a long time without looking back. Jiang Ying stepped forward and asked, “Devil Lord, that child…”
Nangong Yin raised a hand, cutting off Jiang Ying, and spoke to the one standing beside her. “Are you the Tianqing Arrow Devil now, or Feng Jin?”
Feng Jin had already prepared her answer, so she lowered her eyes. “Your Eminence needs only say what you wish this subordinate to be, and I shall be that.”
Hearing this, Nangong Yin turned around. “Good. Now answer This Seat: do you know Yan Zhao? Are you familiar with her?”
Feng Jin answered after a pause, “I know her, but Miss Yan is rather solitary and dislikes interacting with others. I don’t know her well.”
Nangong Yin nodded. “I need you to do something for This Seat.”
“Whatever Your Eminence commands.”
Nangong Yin said, “Follow her and protect her in secret. Unless it’s necessary, do not appear or disturb her.”
Feng Jin had already seen the difference in Nangong Yin’s attitude toward Yan Zhao, but she hadn’t expected it to be this significant.
This realization made her break out in a cold sweat. If Nangong Yin ever learned of her past actions, her fate would likely be no better than Ling Jiancheng’s.
Feng Jin took a deep breath, secretly deciding to atone for her mistakes through merit.
So she replied respectfully, “This subordinate understands.”
Nangong Yin looked one last time, thinking: Now is not the time for a reunion.
She withdrew her gaze, stood, and left.
Jiang Ying looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she held her tongue.
Lin Chao hurriedly left the Immortal Abode, moving through the forest.
Soon, he heard an extremely faint cry for help.
The voice sounded familiar. He followed it and found a blood-soaked figure under a tree.
At first glance, he was badly startled, but after a closer look, the figure seemed familiar.
Drawing nearer, he recognized him—it was Luo Qi!
“Senior Brother Luo?!” Lin Chao was greatly shocked. He hurried over to Luo Qi, crouched down, and asked, “How did you end up like this?”
Luo Qi was breathing, but only barely, and in too much pain to speak.
Remembering Bi Lan’s ferociousness, he couldn’t stop trembling.
The trials outside the sect were too dangerous; just two experiences had left him severely traumatized.
“Junior Brother,” he didn’t dare speak ill of Bi Lan for fear of future retaliation, so he grabbed Lin Chao’s hand and begged, “Let’s go back to the sect.”
Face and pride no longer mattered.
Less than half a month since they descended, he had already lost half his life. If he stayed any longer, he might die a violent death out here.
The Immortal Sect Disciple Assembly? He could do without it.
Lin Chao didn’t fully understand, but recalling the dangers of this Immortal Abode trip, he too was scared and wanted to retreat.
So when Luo Qi suggested it, he agreed. “Alright.”
Bai Jin and Tushan Yu were walking through the forest.
Tushan Yu walked quickly, his strides urgent, as if trying to distance himself from trouble.
Bai Jin followed behind, struggling to keep up, her irritation with this annoying man piling up like a mountain.
“Slow down!” Bai Jin complained. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
Tushan Yu said, “The fox.”
Bai Jin didn’t understand. “What fox?”
Tushan Yu rarely bothered to explain. “The little fox that was with Miss Yan. It should be in this forest now.”
Bai Jin still thought Tushan Yu was being weird. “What’s so special about that spirit fox?”
“It’s likely a little fox from our Tushan Clan.” Tushan Yu formed hand seals to calculate the direction while searching. “It looks young. I want to confirm whether it’s the one I’m looking for.”
“Someone you’re looking for?” Bai Jin mulled over his words, and after a moment, caught on. “You mean…”
Before she could finish, Tushan Yu suddenly exclaimed, “There!”
A white figure darted through the nearby bushes. Tushan Yu moved instantly, blocking the fox’s path.
The little fox was on its way back to Yan Zhao when someone suddenly appeared, blocking its way.
Its heart sank. Could the Fuyun Sect’s shadow have come so quickly?
It landed in a defensive stance and looked closely—it was that young master from earlier.
Ren Qingyue had a neutral impression of this young master. Back at the Immortal Market, he had stepped in to help Yan Zhao and Bi Lan deal with some troublemaking cultivators, showing a bit of righteousness.
“Little fox,” Tushan Yu said, “there’s no need to be afraid. I am Tushan Yu of the Qingqiu Fox Clan. I have something I’d like to confirm with you.”
The little fox focused, frowned with remarkable intelligence, and scanned Tushan Yu from head to toe.
Qingqiu was the sacred land of the Demon Clan. To think this azure-robed young master was from the Qingqiu Tushan Clan.
It relaxed its guard slightly, but swished its tail twice with force.
Tushan Yu read the emotion in its tail swishes: Say what you have to say.
Though somewhat impatient, its stance had softened, and Tushan Yu secretly sighed in relief.
He asked, “I sense the aura of our kin from you. Where do you come from?”
The little fox squinted slightly and met Tushan Yu’s gaze for a long moment before saying in the Fox Clan’s language, “I have no origin. I only have a Master.”
With that, it ignored Tushan Yu and darted past him.
By the time Bai Jin caught up to Tushan Yu, all she saw was a white blur that vanished into the bushes in the blink of an eye.
“Didn’t catch it?” Bai Jin said, watching the direction the fox had gone. “So it was all for nothing?”
Tushan Yu snapped out of his daze, lowered his eyes, and looked dejected.
Sensing something was wrong, Bai Jin glanced at his expression and asked, “Are you okay?”
Tushan Yu composed himself, shook his head helplessly. “Forget it.”
Just as Bai Jin said, it was like drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain.
Ren Qingyue was gone, not to return.
Only Bi Lan and Yan Zhao remained by the pool.
Yan Zhao was covered in blood; Ling Jiancheng’s sword had pierced through her chest, looking gravely serious.
Bi Lan was a little worried, so she parted the torn fabric to give Yan Zhao a rough check.
But when she pushed aside the rags, the blood-covered skin beneath showed no wound.
How could this be?
Bi Lan was astonished, and she checked again carefully.
After a moment, Bi Lan confirmed that it wasn’t that Ling Jiancheng’s sword hadn’t hurt Yan Zhao; rather, Yan Zhao’s body had an astonishing recovery ability. Such a severe piercing wound had vanished without a trace in less than an hour.
Bi Lan withdrew her hand and looked at Yan Zhao’s sleeping face.
While asleep, Yan Zhao’s cheeks were rosy, her expression especially serene and gentle.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but ever since they left the Immortal Abode, Yan Zhao’s complexion had improved greatly, showing no sign of post-injury weakness.
“Everyone has secrets,” Bi Lan felt relieved and chuckled softly. “Junior Sister Yan, you seem to have more than most.”
Her words drifted away on the wind, while Yan Zhao just slept soundly.
Bi Lan sat down beside Yan Zhao.
They had come as just the two of them, and now the troublemakers had dispersed. The forest was quiet, with its own charm.
Before long, Bi Lan heard the sound of something moving in the forest.
She looked toward the sound and saw a white figure emerge from the bushes.
In an instant, a small head poked out from the undergrowth.
It was the spirit fox that Yan Zhao kept.
The little fox emerged from the grass and bounded quickly toward Yan Zhao.
Its fluffy big tail swayed from side to side as it ran.
When it arrived, it didn’t even glance at Bi Lan, going straight to Yan Zhao.
It nudged Yan Zhao’s head up with its little nose, burrowed under her neck, and settled in like a pillow.
“…”
Bi Lan looked at the little fox.
She looked again.
Her brows furrowed, deep in thought.
Yan Zhao opened her eyes to a clear blue sky.
Turning her head, she saw Bi Lan sitting cross-legged on a rock, meditating.
To her left, a waterfall cascaded down; the deep pool burbled with flowing water.
The first thought that crossed Yan Zhao’s mind was: I actually didn’t fall to my death.
Before she passed out, she vaguely remembered someone catching her, but she couldn’t recall who.
Not one to dwell on it, she immediately tossed the thought aside.
She felt something soft beneath her head, like she was pillowed on something.
She reached to touch it—fluffy, a fox tail.
“Snowball!” Yan Zhao shouted.
She woke both Bi Lan and the groggy fox.
Where would you find a snowball in this season? Ren Qingyue thought.
Unexpectedly, Yan Zhao sat up, scooped the fox into her arms, and ruffled its fur all over the place.
Then she held its head and asked, “I named you Snowball. Do you like it?”
The little fox blinked, then blinked again, stunned.
Are you serious?
Behind her, Bi Lan burst out laughing.
She saw the fox’s dumbfounded expression—clearly not pleased with the name.
This fox was incredibly intelligent, practically a spirit.
A bold guess surfaced in Bi Lan’s mind, but she couldn’t confirm it yet.
If her guess was true…
She glanced at the little fox again and still found it funny.
Yan Zhao met the little fox’s round, green eyes.
The fox’s eyes glittered.
“I knew you’d like it!” Yan Zhao hugged it tight, nuzzling it affectionately, her eyes curved in a smile.
The little fox: “…”
Just where did you get that idea?!
Poor Snowball