In the secret chamber, the scene remained unchanged. On the “Black Tranquility,” lay an exquisitely beautiful woman. Her once lively eyes now looked so empty, no, if you looked closely, it was the calm before the storm. Now devoid of her powers, she could muster no strength. Perhaps Ai Xiaotu would have felt despair before, but after so many experiences, she would no longer be so weak. People grow up, don’t they? She was waiting, waiting for someone to save her. With her current abilities, escape was impossible, even leaving this iron window was out of the question. She could only wait, wait for someone to rescue her. She hadn’t returned to Silver Mist Mountain; everyone must be worried and suspicious, especially with Elder Fire Fox there. They were her last hope, along with Liu Qing. She had been pondering one question these past few days: why was he always entangled with her? She had pieced together the past, and to her surprise, she realized that this man actually had feelings for her. If there were no feelings, why didn’t he retaliate when she injured him at his Willow Leaf Manor? If there were no feelings, why did he want to possess her at the brothel? If there were no feelings, why did he come to Silver Mist Mountain? Everything was unclear to her, perhaps it was not love, just an interest in her, but as long as he was interested, he wouldn’t ignore her, right? So, she was also gambling, gambling on whether Liu Qing would come to save her. Clad in a sheer red robe made from the finest snow silk, she lay on the black wrought iron bed, waiting… not knowing whether footsteps of death or light would come. Gazing at the dim ceiling, her thoughts were tumultuous when suddenly, urgent footsteps reached her ears, sounding like the sweetest music. How long had it been since she heard any sound other than Wang Xie’s voice? Now, footsteps echoed in this secret chamber, how could she not be excited? A light came into her golden eyes, and as she smelled the scent of green bamboo, she smiled, her smile so enchantingly wicked… It was him, Liu Qing, you’ve indeed come.
Upon seeing the scene before him, Liu Qing was stunned; he had never imagined this was where Wang Xie imprisoned Xiaotu. The walls were like the most secure prison, with nothing inside, yet an eerie atmosphere prevailed. What shocked him most was the “Black Tranquility.” The dark green figure paused, looking at the person on the bed, so frail, her white hair scattered all over, wrapping around the one he pitied, her chest rising and falling slightly as if struggling to breathe. “Rabbit,” a low, trembling voice filled with endless regret and pain. Xiaotu turned her head to see Liu Qing, a flash of surprise in her eyes. His chiseled jaw was covered with stubble, his spirit worn out, his eyes bloodshot, his sockets sunken. In just a few days, he had become so haggard. Looking at her still beautiful face, but lacking its former spirit, so pale without a hint of color, those golden eyes looking at him without any emotion, his heart clenched painfully, so painful he could hardly breathe. He reached out to touch her face, cold to the touch, his large hand brushing over her delicate brows, her cute nose, her red lips… how he cherished her. Ai Xiaotu, what am I to do with you? I want to torment you, yet I can’t bear to hurt you at all. I want to love you, yet I cannot let go of my pride; I want to leave you, yet I cannot forget you… Those black eyes are so profound, inadvertently revealing deep affection, deep love, deep indulgence. For a moment, I was intoxicated, looking into those eyes, Xiaotu felt a hint of reluctance…
“Xiaotu, let me take you back…” he stepped forward, swinging his sharp sword with force, chopping at the iron shackles on either side of Xiaotu, which tightly bound her delicate hands. “Bang, bang…” Each strike of the sword against the shackles echoed through the sealed chamber, and Liu Qing’s eyes were filled with determination…
Why does he show such tenderness? Why is he so persistent? Looking into his determined gaze, Xiaotu couldn’t help but wonder. In Yinwu Mountain, Xiaotu hadn’t returned for days. She remembered when she left with Liu Qing, she promised everyone she would return soon, but days had passed without her return. Xiaotu was not one to break her word unless she encountered trouble, a fact well-known to all.
Back at the gazebo, Shui Shui paced anxiously before the crowd, her brows furrowed with worry. “It’s all your fault! I said we should follow to protect Xiaotu, but you wouldn’t let me, saying Xiaotu has her own business to handle. Now, she’s gone, and you owe me Xiaotu!” Qianyu Lian finally could not contain her anger, yelling at Gutong.
“Don’t worry, Xiaotu will be fine. You haven’t eaten for two days, go eat something!” How could he have known Xiaotu would be in danger? If they had known, they would have all gone together. Seeing her distressed, his heart ached; Xiaotu was missing, and Lianlian hadn’t eaten for two days, her delicate face now looking haggard, which pained him to see. Although he scolded her, his words were filled with care and concern, but Lianlian, being somewhat obtuse, didn’t notice anything amiss. How would this romantic entanglement unfold? He was the prince of the demon clan, she was the Lotus Fairy… What kind of connection would they have in this lifetime…?
“Gutong, I’m telling you! I won’t eat until Xiaotu comes back!” Qianyu Lian stood up abruptly, hands on hips, her tone fierce and serious.
“You, you…” Speechless with frustration, Gutong could only muster a wry smile. Perhaps they were destined to be star-crossed lovers…
“Lianlian sister, where is the fairy sister? Li’er misses her, why hasn’t she come back yet?” A sweet, husky voice sounded, tinged with the hoarseness of just waking up. Ying Li ran into the gazebo, looking up at Qianyu Lian with her big, innocent eyes.
“Li’er, be good, your fairy sister is out on business, she’ll be back soon. Why don’t you go play by yourself?” Shui Shui bent down, speaking softly to the face that resembled Xiaotu, and handed her some juice to drink. The little one seemed to sense the odd atmosphere, obediently drank the juice, and her sticky voice rang out again: “Lianlian sister, let’s go eat some snacks, Li’er is hungry.” She tugged at Qianyu Lian’s sleeve with a hint of coyness, knowing that Gutong must have argued with Lianlian again because she saw a strange expression on Gutong’s face.
Silly child, how could you understand? It’s bitterness, helplessness, fatigue, and heartache…
Seeing the adorable little one, Lianlian’s anger dissipated significantly. She took Ying Li’s hand and said with a smile, “Alright, let’s go pick strawberries, lots and lots of strawberries, and when your fairy sister comes back, we’ll eat them together.”
“Yay, let’s go pick strawberries together! Li’er wants to pick lots and lots because sister loves strawberries the most…” Her excited voice brought a sense of relief, easing the tension in everyone’s hearts. Just as they were about to leave, a large roc appeared in the sky, soaring high with its resounding call, startling numerous birds. The roc slowly descended, landing not far from the gazebo, and from its back descended the Elder Huohu. Seeing that the elder had returned, everyone rushed forward to inquire about the situation.
Dressed in fiery red, Elder Huohu wore a meaningful smile. Seeing the anxious faces of the crowd, he sat down on a stone bench, took a sip of flower tea to moisten his throat, and said, “Don’t worry, the goddess has someone to help her; she will be fine.”
Upon hearing this, Shui Shui’s heart, which had been hanging, finally eased a bit, and she quickly asked, “Elder, do you know what happened? You said Xiaotu has someone helping her, who could that be?”
