Yun Qingxue felt an unbearable tightness in her chest. She closed her eyes, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill, and when she opened them again, her gaze was tinged with red.
“Go!” she shouted at Liuying with what seemed like every ounce of her strength.
Liuying turned back, silently flapping her wings to increase her speed.
The fierce wind relentlessly battered Yun Qingxue’s body, tousling her jet-black hair. She closed her eyes once more, refusing to look back.
She had no idea how long they had been flying when she opened her eyes again. The surroundings were pitch-black, filled only with trees and tangled undergrowth—no sign of human habitation. The howling wind made the night feel eerie and menacing.
“Liuying, where is this?” Yun Qingxue asked hoarsely, gazing at the dark scenery below.
“I don’t know,” Liuying replied quickly upon hearing her question.
“Then where are you taking me?” Yun Qingxue pressed.
“Well…” Liuying hesitated before answering, “Qingxue, how about I take you to the Feather Clan?”
“The Feather Clan?” Yun Qingxue repeated the name, shaking her head. She looked up at Liuying’s belly and said, “No.”
“Why not?” Liuying asked as she flew. “Our Feather King is a kind person. If you talk to him, he’ll surely take you in!”
“Liuying, I’m truly grateful for your bravery tonight, but… I don’t want to drag you into this. If I go to the Feather Clan, Tongyun will surely follow, and that would bring immense trouble to you and your people!”
“Hmph! What’s there to fear?” Liuying said proudly. “Do you think our Feather Clan would be afraid of just one Tongyun? Just come with me as a guest!”
“I appreciate your kindness,” Yun Qingxue said with a forced smile. “Put me down and go back on your own.”
“Qingxue, we’re friends. I won’t abandon you,” Liuying insisted stubbornly.
Yun Qingxue sighed and closed her eyes.
After a while, she opened them again and asked, “How much longer until we reach the Feather Clan?”
Seeming to take this as Yun Qingxue agreeing to go with her, Liuying’s voice brightened slightly.
“We should arrive by noon tomorrow.”
“What? That long?” Yun Qingxue muttered in frustration.
Liuying chuckled playfully. “Given my cultivation level, carrying you and arriving by noon is already fast!”
“But I’m exhausted and hungry right now, so the time feels even harder to bear,” Yun Qingxue said despondently.
“Well…” Liuying hesitated before suggesting, “Since that woman Tongyun won’t catch up anytime soon, why don’t we take a break?”
“Alright!” Yun Qingxue nodded eagerly. “Let’s rest and find something to eat.”
Liuying fluttered her wings and descended slowly, placing Yun Qingxue on the ground before transforming from a giant lark into a delicate young girl in the blink of an eye. She sat under the nearest tree, rubbing her shoulders.
“Wait here for a bit. I’ll go find some food,” Yun Qingxue said, scanning the dark surroundings.
“No, I’ll go!” Liuying stood up quickly but hesitated. “But I don’t feel safe leaving you alone here. Maybe… maybe we should go together?”
“I won’t go,” Yun Qingxue shook her head. “I’ll only slow you down. We need to rest, and you still have to carry me later. Don’t waste your energy. Go quickly and come back. I’ll wait here—nothing dangerous should happen.”
Liuying hesitated but finally nodded. “Alright, don’t go anywhere. Stay right here, understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Yun Qingxue sat on the ground while Liuying transformed back into a small, adorable lark and flew off into the night.
As soon as Liuying was gone, Yun Qingxue swiftly stood up.
Liuying had been flying south with her, while the Floran Clan they had just escaped from lay to the east.
After a brief thought, Yun Qingxue turned and ran north.
*”Before you gain the ability to protect yourself, remember: trust others three parts, guard against them seven!”*
The wind howled past Yun Qingxue’s ears as Qiandai’s final warning before parting echoed in her mind, along with what might have been an illusionary voice: *”Little Mistress, you must live… live!”*
Yun Qingxue sprinted northward, the bushes and thorns in the forest tearing her dress and leaving bloody scratches on her delicate skin. The plants that accidentally touched her blood grew at a terrifying speed, but Yun Qingxue never looked back, oblivious to the changes behind her.
Gasping for breath, she ran until exhaustion forced her to collapse.
Towering trees and dense vegetation surrounded her. The wind had died down, and the distant sound of a babbling stream reached her ears.
After catching her breath, Yun Qingxue stood up, turned to face the east, and knelt solemnly.
“Qiandai, I, Yun Qingxue, swear to you that I will survive! If I am fortunate enough to master immortal arts, the day I succeed, I will return and make them pay!”
In the cold, lonely night, she rose alone, her eyes misty but without a single tear falling.
Her racing heart gradually calmed. Yun Qingxue gazed into the darkness ahead and continued walking.
Before long, a small stream blocked her path. It wasn’t wide, and the water was shallow.
After a night of fleeing, the sight of water made her realize how parched her throat was, burning with thirst.
She rushed to the stream, cupped the water in her hands, and drank greedily.
The cool water soothed her dry, aching throat as it flowed down.
Yun Qingxue exhaled deeply.
“Did you enjoy my bathwater?”
A clear, displeased voice suddenly cut through the pitch-black night.
Yun Qingxue froze, her beautiful eyes scanning the darkness.
In the inky night, her vision was far worse than in daylight. But within her line of sight, the area was empty—no one was there.
Then where had the voice come from?
Even in a world teeming with immortals, spirits, and monsters, who in their right mind would come to bathe in a desolate wilderness in the dead of night?
*The dead of night!*
Even if it were just nine or ten at night, Yun Qingxue could understand someone bathing in a wild stream. But now? It was the middle of the night—equivalent to two or three in the morning in modern times!
Wasn’t this the most active time for… ghosts?
The thought sent a chill down Yun Qingxue’s spine, making her scalp tingle.
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