As Bai Shuo splashed in the hot spring, she wiped her face and exhaled with satisfaction. After their descent from the mountain, Wu Zhao had led them directly to the Strange King’s palace. There were no guards, and the maids were busy preparing the evening banquet.
After a long night of fighting, they were all covered in dust. Wu Zhao, thoughtfully, had arranged for the maids to lead them to rest and freshen up. These were all pampered heirs—Bai Shuo herself had been used to a good life on earth—so they gladly followed the maids.
Bai Shuo initially wanted to pull A-Zhao aside to discuss meeting Hu’er’s mother later; after all, immortals and demons were generally unwelcome among the strangers. Only A-Zhao, who had saved a young stranger child, had a bit of rapport. But before Bai Shuo could open her mouth, A-Zhao, looking distant, had already followed a maid away, leaving her in the cold. So, she went off to enjoy herself, with Fan Yue sticking close by her side, keeping his eyes on her every move—even joining her in the hot spring.
Seeing her young apprentice’s serious expression, Bai Shuo sighed.
This Strange City is full of mysteries; I need to make sure Mumu is in a good mood. She swam to the edge of the spring and poked his cheek.
“Don’t worry, Mumu. Your master is tough and won’t die so easily,” she reassured him.
The youth lowered his gaze and replied bluntly, “Master, that’s a lie. They’re all stronger than you, and any one of them could slap you to death.”
That was probably the longest sentence Mumu had ever said, and it almost choked Bai Shuo.
“We can’t be discouraged!” Bai Shuo coaxed, doing her best to make her case. “Of everyone here, I’m the most scared of dying, so I’ll definitely take care of myself.”
Although she’d meant it as lighthearted persuasion, a hint of genuine seriousness slipped into her tone. Puzzled, the young man asked, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you so afraid of dying?”
Bai Shuo was taken aback. She met his clear gaze, and for a moment, she hesitated. Her eyes drifted upward. Maybe it was because they were in the wilderness, but the sky over Strange City seemed especially blue.
Bai Shuo lifted her hand, reaching for the sky, as distant as ever. She looked up at it quietly and began, “Because there’s someone I need to find. Until I find them, I can’t die.”
“Who?” Mumu tilted his head, suddenly noticing a change in her expression.
He’d never seen that look in her eyes before, not even when she was thinking of the master she admired so much. Though he didn’t fully understand, he sensed an unyielding resolve in her gaze.
“I don’t know.” Bai Shuo turned back to the hot spring with a smile, breaking the silence.
“You don’t?”
“Yeah. I can’t remember his face, just his back.” She sank into the water, her voice muffled.
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you looking for someone you love?” he asked quietly.
“Of course not,” Bai Shuo replied without thinking, and his eyes brightened.
She flicked his forehead. “I’m looking for my savior, not a lover.”
“A savior?” Fan Yue was surprised, watching as Bai Shuo yawned.
“I grew up in the mortal world. When I was young, a monster tried to eat me. He saved me. I promised him that I’d find him someday, even if it took a thousand or ten thousand years.”
“Then why don’t you remember what he looked like?” Fan Yue asked, curious.
“He sealed my memories of him,” she said, resting her chin on her hand with a shrug. “But for some reason, his seal didn’t fully work. I can’t recall his face or name, but I remember my promise to him. I began cultivating as an immortal so I could live long enough to repay his kindness. So, Mumu, relax. I won’t die before I find my benefactor.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and a weight seemed to lift from Fan Yue’s heart as her lighthearted spirit seemed to illuminate him as well.
“I’ll go with you,” he said firmly.
“What?”
“I’ll go with you to find him.”
At the hot spring’s edge, he said it with such conviction that his words felt as solid as stone.
Bai Shuo turned to look at him, smiling just as she was about to praise him, when there was a sudden splash nearby—a figure fell from a tree, landing in a messy heap.
Dust flew as Hua Hong, laughing awkwardly, sat up. “Oops! Slipped. Go on, don’t mind me…” She casually plopped herself at the edge of the spring, not even bothering to hide.
Bai Shuo stared at the Stranger Princess, her face darkening.
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