Big Fool was flying along leisurely, chirping a happy tune: “Croak, croak, croak…”
Just moments ago, that dreadful star had finally removed the restrictive spell from him.
“Croak, croak, croak… (Heh, trying to fool me into thinking there was never a spell. Someone as shrewd as me could never fall for that!)” Big Fool chattered happily to himself. “Croak… (Good thing I’m so clever.)”
As he flew, he suddenly spotted a young man walking through the woods who looked rather familiar. “Croak? (Isn’t that the dreadful star’s friend? What’s he doing here?)”
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He chuckled, “Croak, croak, croak… (You bully me, I’ll bully your friend. Hehehe…)”
Big Fool was a bird of his word. Once he decided to do something, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second. He dove straight into the forest.
Half a minute later.
“Croak, croak, croak!!! (My feathers!!!)”
…
“Talk! Where are my friends?” Ye Qingyi sat astride Big Fool’s back, demanding fiercely.
“Croak. (Even if I tell you, you won’t understand.)” Big Fool shot Ye Qingyi a sidelong glance.
“Oh ho, still daring to glare at me?” Ye Qingyi plucked a few more feathers. What was once a “Mediterranean” bald spot now looked more like a “Pacific Ocean.” She said angrily, “Just you speak. I can understand you.”
Big Fool felt like crying but had no tears. He thought to himself, how can there be someone who understands bird talk?
“Croak, croak, croak. (That dreadful star—I mean, no, no—your friend is just ahead, not far from here. I just came from there.)”
“Dreadful star?” Ye Qingyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Are all these feathers his doing?”
Big Fool hung his head dejectedly. “Croak, croak, croak. (He can even pluck out my claws; a few feathers are nothing. I’m used to it by now.)”
Hearing this, Ye Qingyi was one hundred percent sure the “dreadful star” Big Fool referred to was Su Mo. Besides him, who else could do something so wicked?
Suddenly, she looked at the handful of feathers in her hand and felt instantly awkward.
I’ve been corrupted by him…
Ye Qingyi pouted.
“Take me to him.”
“Croak, croak, croak… (But I just got away from him…)”
Ye Qingyi raised an eyebrow. “What did you say?”
“Croak, croak, croak. (I said, no problem.)” Big Fool wore a bitter expression.
Ye Qingyi swung herself onto his back. “Let’s go.”
Led by Big Fool, Ye Qingyi quickly found Su Mo. She had originally thought to surprise him, but seeing him covered in wounds, her heart immediately ached.
“Su Mo…” Ye Qingyi leaped down and rushed to his side, her lips pressed tightly together.
Su Mo turned sharply, his face lighting up with joy. “Qingyi, how did you—”
Before he could finish, he saw Big Fool’s figure rapidly retreating into the distance. He shook his head helplessly, wondering to himself, Aren’t I quite kind? Why does Big Fool avoid me like I’m the plague?
Ye Qingyi closed the distance in a few quick steps and began lifting Su Mo’s clothes to examine his wounds.
“Hey, hey, hey—men and women shouldn’t be so familiar—”
Ye Qingyi glared at him fiercely, pointing a finger at his nose in warning. “Be good and stay still!”
Though her tone was like scolding a child, Su Mo found it oddly pleasing. So, he obediently complied, letting her check him over.
Su Mo’s outer robe was pushed aside by Ye Qingyi, revealing several alarming wounds. The sword wound on the back of his neck was the most shocking. Even though Su Mo had the medicinal pills Chu Yuan had given him, the bleeding hadn’t completely stopped; it still seeped out from time to time.
Ye Qingyi’s brows furrowed deeply. “Who did this?”
Su Mo suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion and leaned his head on Ye Qingyi’s shoulder. “Shen Nanshu. She teamed up with a B-rank to kill me.”
Ye Qingyi’s mind raced, quickly guessing the reason. She gritted her teeth in anger. “How detestable is this woman? Is she dead already?”
Su Mo grinned. “Just a small fry. Long dead. The B-rank expert with her was killed by me too.”
Su Mo wore an expression that practically begged, “Praise me!”
Ye Qingyi said exasperatedly, “How old are you? Still can’t take care of yourself. You always end up covered in wounds. This time I happened to be here, but what if I’m not next time?”
Su Mo blinked, lowered his head, and immediately adopted a posture of admitting his mistake.
Ye Qingyi originally couldn’t bear to scold him, but she felt some things needed saying. So she continued, “I don’t care what path you cultivate. I just want you to live well. If you get yourself into this state again, I… I’ll spank your bottom.”
Su Mo didn’t respond.
Ye Qingyi looked down. He had fallen asleep.
When Su Mo was alone, he believed he could still take on at least five more Shen Nanshus. The moment Ye Qingyi arrived, he immediately felt like even an ant could easily crush him.
Who let me be a delicate maiden, after all…
Ye Qingyi carefully applied medicine and bandaged Su Mo’s wounds, then helped him put his clothes back on.
“Why is your face so pale?” She worried that Su Mo might be drowsy from excessive blood loss.
Just as she was thinking this, Yang Jie suddenly appeared not far behind them. After secretly observing for a while, he chose to leave.
As he left, he muttered to himself, “Ye Qingyi using the White Jade Ring has nothing to do with Lin Qianye. Lin Qianye didn’t break any rules…”
Not long after Yang Jie left, Su Mo, who was already weakened from blood loss, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. A dark aura also began seeping from his body.
Ye Qingyi was greatly alarmed. She suddenly remembered that last time, Yang Jie had transferred spiritual energy into Su Mo, which had helped him recover. So she prepared to do the same.
“Qingyi, don’t…” Su Mo suddenly spoke up. Though his voice was weak, his mind seemed clear. “It’s useless. It will only harm your foundation.”
“Then what should I do?” Ye Qingyi watched the Yin Fire flowing from Su Mo’s body, momentarily at a loss. “It’s all my fault for being too weak. You’re like this, and I’m utterly helpless.”
“Don’t say that. It’s not your fault.” Su Mo forced a faint smile. “I wasn’t sure before, but now I can confirm it. I don’t know when it started, but this Yin Fire has become somewhat disobedient. Every time my consciousness fades, it leaves my body, as if out of control.”
Last time it was because he was drunk; this time, it was because he fell asleep.
Now that he was awake, the Yin Fire automatically returned to his body as if nothing had happened, and his body showed no damage.
This was truly puzzling.
What was the reason?
This had never happened before.
If he couldn’t find a solution, Su Mo wouldn’t be able to sleep in the future. He would have to maintain clear consciousness at all times, or it could easily lead to a major disaster.
Suddenly, Su Mo felt a pang of worry. “Qingyi, are you alright? You touched the Yin Fire seeping from my body just now. Normally, it should have injured you.”
Only when he mentioned it did Ye Qingyi remember. She looked at the spot where the Yin Fire had touched her and found it completely unharmed.
“Could it be that, after being trained by you, the Yin Fire recognizes me now and won’t harm me?” Ye Qingyi voiced her guess.
Su Mo shook his head. “Impossible…”
As he spoke, he fell into a deep sleep again, and the dark currents began seeping from his body once more.
To test her theory, Ye Qingyi carefully reached out and touched it, finding that nothing happened.
Sure enough, the Yin Fire recognizes me!