The flute remained silent. Unable to suppress his worry, Chong Zhao disappeared from the corner in a flash.
The moment he left, Er Yun had stepped out from the hall, raising an eyebrow in suspicion before following quietly.
Arriving at the windswept medicinal garden, Chong Zhao saw the devastation left by the storm.
The medicinal garden was silent, devoid even of the old turtle’s usual chatter. Chong Zhao rushed into the hut, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight before him.
Inside, the room was a mess, with medicine boxes scattered everywhere. Bai Shuo was nowhere to be found, and the old turtle lay sprawled on the floor, emitting a faint celestial glow from its shell. In front of it hovered a water mirror, and in the mirror floated a few small, broken pieces of turtle shell.
“Master Turtle!” Chong Zhao hurried forward, sending a pulse of celestial energy into the turtle’s shell. Slowly, the turtle regained consciousness, its eyes clouded with confusion.
“Where’s A-Shuo?!” Chong Zhao asked anxiously. With all that was happening on Miao Miao Island, Bai Shuo should have hidden herself in the medicinal garden as she always would. The silence of the bamboo flute told him something was wrong.
The turtle’s eyes cleared, and it looked at Chong Zhao, alarmed. “A-Zhao! Something terrible has happened to Xiao Bai!”
“What exactly happened?” Chong Zhao demanded.
“It’s all my fault!” The turtle sighed, visibly distraught. “Xiao Bai found out you were hurt and wanted to brew a Grade-One elixir for you. But where on this island could she possibly find the right treasures for such a potion? I feared she’d cause trouble, so I tricked her into heading toward the Coral Seas. Little did I know that crafty girl managed to slip me some potent medicine to knock me out. When I sensed the island’s disturbances, I worried and tried to summon her back, only to discover she wasn’t even near the Coral Seas! Using divination, I traced her to the southeastern seas, but as soon as I pinpointed her location, an evil presence appeared in the water mirror, blocking my vision and injuring me!”
“A-Shuo is in the southeastern sea?!” Chong Zhao's voice trembled, remembering Song Feng’s words just moments ago.
Tonight, someone had breached the seal that Master Song He had left on Fire-Ice Island. That person was A-Shuo!
Chong Zhao’s face grew pale as he clutched the bamboo flute tightly. Outside the hut, Er Yun observed from the window, her expression shifting with uncertainty.
"I know it was she who broke into my father’s seal,” Er Yun said, extending her hand with a stern expression. “If Bai Shuo has already fallen into that demon’s hands and is used to threaten you, I won’t allow you to hesitate. The Eastern Sea is on the brink of disaster, and I won’t let personal feelings ruin everything. No matter what happens, I’ll be the one to seal the spring.”
Chong Zhao gripped the jade slip, visibly hesitant.
Er Yun’s anger flared. “What are you waiting for?! It was that girl who awakened this evil! It’s because of her that Uncle was injured, and now the entire Miao Miao Island is in jeopardy! Junior Brother, would you really betray our sect for her?”
His hand, hidden within his sleeve, clenched tightly. His face hardened, and he replied steadily, “Senior Sister, the sect means the world to me. The Master and Uncle have bestowed upon me their deepest grace, and no matter how many lives it takes, I can never repay them. Now, with the demon stirring, it threatens the entire Eastern Sea. If the sea is destroyed, saving a single person would be meaningless. I know what is at stake, and if you don’t trust me, I’ll let you take the jade slip.”
With a steady hand, Chong Zhao offered her the jade slip. Er Yun felt the weight of the slip in her palm and, seeing Chong Zhao’s resolute expression, hesitated before turning to leave. Pausing, she stopped him. “Wait!”
He looked back, meeting her gaze intently.
Her expression was complicated as she took a long breath before asking, “If Bai Shuo were in danger, what would you do?”
Caught off guard, Chong Zhao’s eyes softened. “A-Shuo has stood by me and supported me all this time. If she were in danger, I would risk everything to protect her.”
Er Yun studied him, her tension easing. “Junior Brother, I may dislike that answer, but right now, I’m satisfied. At the very least, I can choose to trust you.”
Handing the jade slip back to Chong Zhao, she added, “This jade slip is our only hope. If you were a demon in disguise, you wouldn’t hand it over so easily.”
Chong Zhao paused, surprised. “A demon in disguise? Senior Sister, what are you talking about?”
Her expression grew grave. “Uncle told me that even in our weakened state, the Heavenly Guard Array is as old as our founding ancestors. It draws upon the island’s entire essence, so even if it’s destroyed, it shouldn’t vanish silently… unless…”
Chong Zhao’s face tightened. “Unless what…?”
“Unless it was destroyed by someone within the island.” Er Yun’s voice was low. “The only people who know how to activate the Heavenly Guard Array are Uncle, you, me, and the ten second-generation disciples of the Flowing Cloud sect.” She glanced toward the ten beams of celestial light emanating from outside the island. “Uncle warned me not to trust anyone—not even you.”
Chong Zhao’s face shifted slightly as he turned to meet Er Yun’s eyes.
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