In the herb shed, the demon flames crackled, while Bai Shuo stared at Fan Yue lying on the floor, on the verge of tears.
Oh dear, she should never have tried to be sneaky! If this demon lord learned that she had secretly made it an equal soul contract and accidentally summoned him mid-refinement of the Bodhi heart… well, he’d probably crush her the moment he woke up!
What to do… what to do… Bai Shuo paced the room like a headless fly, her mind racing until she sensed a surge of energy coming from the main hall.
A-Zhao?
Usually, with her limited spiritual strength, Bai Shuo couldn’t sense incoming immortal energy. But ever since she and Fan Yue had signed the soul contract, her spiritual senses had become keenly sensitive. She immediately sensed Chong Zhao’s aura as it approached.
In a flash, Bai Shuo lifted Fan Yue from the floor and tossed him onto her small wooden bed, hastily pulling an invisibility talisman from her pouch and sticking it onto him. She barely had time to catch her breath when Chong Zhao’s voice sounded at the door.
“A-Shuo.”
Tonight had been filled with misfortunes for Miao Miao, and Chong Zhao, after bringing Er Yun back to report everything to Song Feng, had not wasted a moment once he’d ensured the island’s safety before coming to find Bai Shuo.
Afraid he’d sense Fan Yue’s presence, Bai Shuo hurried to meet him and pulled him outside the herb shed. “You’re hurt! Why aren’t you resting? Quickly, quickly, go back and enter meditation to heal…”
Chong Zhao, unaware of the hidden figure on the wooden bed in the corner, allowed himself to be led outside. He glanced back at the Bodhi branch burning in the herb cauldron, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. “A-Shuo, from now on, just focus on being a half-immortal. Don’t get involved in anything else…”
If it hadn’t been for Bai Shuo’s attempt to make a first-grade elixir for him, she would never have been lured to Fire and Ice Island by Xie Bodhi. If it weren’t for that demigod from the demon realm, her limited immortal power would have already led to her doom.
Seeing the anger in Chong Zhao’s eyes, Bai Shuo felt a pang of guilt. Her usual quick wit failed her, and she couldn’t find the words to respond.
Watching her lower her head in silence, Chong Zhao sighed, the words he’d planned to say fading away. “A-Shuo, you’ve seen it yourself—being an immortal isn’t a pleasant life. In these three realms, peace is harder to come by than in the mortal world. Now that I’ve reached the rank of Immortal Lord, you don’t have to worry about me anymore… Go back to the mortal world.”
The path of immortality was perilous, and Bai Shuo, who had no natural connection to the immortals, would find it difficult to achieve a great path. And yet, her blood held rare spiritual power. If that secret ever became known in the three realms… he wouldn’t be able to protect her. He’d wait until he avenged his family, and then go to the mortal realm to find her.
“No.” Bai Shuo blurted out, “I haven’t found him yet. I’m not going back.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Sure enough, Chong Zhao’s face shifted.
Years ago, Bai Shuo had left her home and broken an engagement to search for an immortal benefactor. Chong Zhao, for her sake, had led the family’s soldiers into the Mu Xiao Mountains, causing a massive commotion that led to the massacre of his entire clan. Bai Shuo had later saved him, and they had journeyed together, seeking immortality and depending on each other, never mentioning that past incident.
Over the years, Chong Zhao had thought she’d let go of it, but he realized now that she was still obsessed with finding the one she’d set her heart on, someone she neither knew by name nor appearance.
“You don’t even know if he’s a god, an immortal, a demon, or a spirit. How will you find him? And even if you do—what then?”
Anger surged in Chong Zhao’s heart. Without another word, he transformed into a stream of light and flew off toward the back mountain.
“A-Zhao!”
Bai Shuo called out in vain. Watching him leave in anger, she stomped her foot and smacked her forehead. “Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? Oh no! The demon lord!”
Suddenly remembering Fan Yue hidden inside the shed, she ran back inside and found him huddled in the corner, his face deathly pale and his body convulsing as though in the throes of a severe spiritual backlash. Panicked and unsure of what to do, her gaze landed on the freshly prepared Bodhi elixir in the cauldron.
In the moonlight, Bai Shuo tore off a portion of the Bodhi elixir, pouring out a bowl of her own blood. She was about to mix the elixir with it but paused, hesitating.
“Wait, what if I save this demon and he wakes up, only to crush me with one slap…?” She cherished her life, and even in this moment, couldn’t help considering her safety.
Just then, Fan Yue let out a groan, his face growing even paler.
“Oh, forget it! If he’s going to slap me, so be it.” With determination, Bai Shuo pried his mouth open to pour the elixir in, but despite her efforts, the lord’s lips stayed firmly shut like a locked gourd.
Breaking out in a sweat, Bai Shuo saw the Bodhi heart in his chest struggling to escape the young man’s body. Without further hesitation, she drank a mouthful of the elixir and pressed her lips to his, feeding it to him.
Her warm, resolute lips finally pried open the demigod’s mouth, allowing the elixir, infused with Bodhi spirit blood, to flow into his body. As it entered him, the Bodhi heart flame finally dissolved into tiny starlights scattered across his chest. The look of pain vanished from his face, and Bai Shuo’s eyes lit up with relief. Just as she was about to pull away, the world spun, and she was thrown heavily onto the bed.
The loud creak of the wooden boards echoed sharply as she lay dazed, only to meet a pair of cold, piercing eyes.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, offering a sheepish grin. “Heh, Lord… we meet again. Looks like we really are destined to cross paths, huh?”
0 Comments