Beside the silver moon, the stars were dim, barely visible. Long Yi thought to himself that it had been many years since the sky had been full of stars.
“So… what about Bai Shuo?”
Bai Shuo’s head snapped up.
Yes, what about her?
Fan Yue, what am I to you?
Never in her life had Bai Shuo felt such anxiety. Not when fleeing with Chong Zhao, not even when facing death under the claws of the evil dragon. Perhaps not even when Mumu disappeared before her eyes.
But no answer came. Just moments ago, Fan Yue had spoken of “becoming a god for this reason,” yet now he remained silent, as if he hadn’t even heard Long Yi’s question, or as if he found the thought of answering it bothersome.
When Fan Yue descended the pavilion steps, he only saw Hua Hong standing there with a frown. Bai Shuo was long gone from where she had stood.
“Hall Master, sometimes I can’t figure you out,” Hua Hong said with a lazy stretch, her tone cool. “If you don’t care, why go through all this?”
Fan Yue walked past her without a word, not breaking his stride.
“Well, aren’t you impressive,” Hua Hong scoffed, reaching out to grab Long Yi Pig by the wing and squinting at him. “Pig, what’s your plan? Jing You Mountain isn’t a place you can just waltz into. Besides Phoenix Island, the only ones carrying ancient power are the fox clan. Do you think Chang Mei, the semi-divine, is a pushover?”
“Don’t slander me! I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen. If you’re so good, go talk sense into him!” Long Yi rolled his eyes, trying to escape Hua Hong’s grip as he had last time. But this time, she didn’t let him. With her Flaming Staff, she struck directly at him, aiming to smash him to the ground.
With the strength of an Upper Lord at her peak, fire erupted, capable of shattering half the hall alongside Long Yi.
Just then, a faint aura of spiritual light appeared around Long Yi, stopping the staff mere inches from his body. Hua Hong’s casual demeanor turned serious. Within the light, a slender hand caught her Flaming Staff, and Long Yi transformed into a young man, casually flicking the staff back, making her palms tingle from the force.
What was this pig really? Hua Hong’s heart trembled, though she didn’t show it.
When she first met Fan Yue, this pig had already been by his side. She had never asked about Fan Yue’s origins because, to her, it didn’t matter. But Long Yi’s existence felt peculiar. Though he seemed loyal, Hua Hong had never seen him lift a finger in Fan Yue’s defense, except once, on Mount Muxiao when he had stopped Fu Ling. The fox clan possessed the Demon Gathering Banner, and he hadn’t needed to mention it. By saying so, wasn’t he practically encouraging Fan Yue to go?
“I wouldn’t harm him,” Long Yi yawned, seemingly sensing Hua Hong’s thoughts as he walked past her slowly.
“Oh, and I forgot to mention, they ran into Chong Zhao in Abyssal Swamp yesterday.”
So that’s what this was about. Hua Hong could guess what had happened.
How important Chong Zhao was to Bai Shuo wasn’t something anyone needed to question. Everyone had witnessed her broken arm and her willingness to protect him at Phoenix Hall, even at the cost of her life.
Her Hall Master’s personality hadn’t allowed him to ask directly, so he’d been stewing in silence for a year. This encounter in Abyssal Swamp had likely stirred up all the frustration he’d kept bottled up.
“Oh dear, he’s so loyal that I’ll probably lose my place when he returns to the Primordial Hall,” Long Yi muttered to himself in the distance, his voice a low grumble.
Hua Hong couldn’t quite catch his words, but she hoisted her Flaming Staff onto her shoulder and made her way swiftly to Bai Shuo’s hall.
The little half-immortal was resilient, clever, and endlessly resourceful, yet dangerously close to cunning. There was one flaw, though—she feared getting hurt and being abandoned. She had finally come to terms with her own feelings, used all her courage to come here, and didn’t even get an answer. Not just Hao Yue Hall, but even the highest heavens couldn’t keep her now.
Elsewhere, Bai Shuo returned to her own quarters, enjoyed a comfortable bath, and promptly climbed into bed, falling into a deep, blissful sleep. Hua Hong, who had kept watch outside her room half the night, almost thought she’d misread Bai Shuo’s temperament entirely—she seemed so utterly carefree.
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