58 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 58 He Yi Man saw the opponent's insistence and couldn't be bothered to persuade any further, simply leaving it with a "do as you wish" before returning to her room. Bai Fan watched her leave, her face remaining flushed for quite some time. She lowered her head and muttered, "What did I just say? Oh my god, how shameless of me, where's my dignity?" She didn't go anywhere but sat on the rooftop pounding her chest in self-reproach for a long while. He Yi Man returned to bed, and though she could still hear the footsteps from the rooftop, she somehow slept exceptionally well this time. The next morning, as soon as He Yi Man opened her eyes, she saw a figure by the door. Bai Fan had not slept all night, continuously reflecting on her actions over the past few days. Senior Sister Shan Mei had even teased her about being lovesick. Initially, Bai Fan didn't think she could have any feelings for He Yi Man, but after being teased, it felt like a seed had been planted, leaving her increasingly troubled. He Yi Man pushed open the door. Bai Fan, deep in thought, turned around quickly when she heard the footsteps. Embarrassed, she stammered, "Already awake, quite early." "Yes." "Did you sleep well?" "Very well." "Good to hear." After the exchange, an awkward silence filled the air. Besides discussing the wilderness, it seemed they had nothing else to talk about. Finally, He Yi Man said, "I'll be leaving today. Bai Gu Niang, are you prepared?" "Leaving today?" He Yi Man gave Bai Fan a calm look, her eyes filled with unreadable emotions, prompting Bai Fan to hastily reply, "I'm ready, anytime you are." Bai Fan followed He Yi Man out, accompanied by two young maids from the mansion. Outside, the snow was still falling. "Miss, remember to dress warmly," one of the maids reminded. He Yi Man nodded and left with Bai Fan. In Bai Fan's eyes, He Yi Man's disposition seemed somewhat cold and distant. Nervous and uncertain about her own decisions, Bai Fan followed He Yi Man through the snow-laden landscape. Noting He Yi Man’s stable breathing despite shivering from the cold, Bai Fan finally couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up, "He Gu Niang, if the cold is too much, we can rest for a while." "No need." He Yi Man didn't even turn around, so Bai Fan kept silent and continued to follow. She typically saw He Yi Man in disheveled states, but now the roles seemed reversed. Bai Fan didn't know where He Yi Man was headed. Curiosity got the better of her, so she asked, "He Gu Niang, where are we going?" "Fu You Palace." "What? You're going there? You said that people are hunting you; going back there is like walking into a trap!" Bai Fan's voice unavoidably rose several decibels. "I told you before, we're different. If you're concerned about the danger, you don't need to follow me." Bai Fan frowned, realizing just now how stubborn He Yi Man was. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Why are you going to Fu You Palace? There's nothing left there." He Yi Man continued walking, explaining as she went. "My junior sister loved to play and had a spirited nature, much like you. She also had a temper. If Fu You Palace was destroyed, she would be the one seeking vengeance, not me. Everyone loved her the most, but the vast Southern Continent is too large to search. Going back to Fu You Palace might be my only hope of finding her." Bai Fan remembered her senior sister mentioning that Fu You Palace was thoroughly ransacked, even the floor tiles were taken. She couldn't understand where He Yi Man's little junior sister could be hiding. Pausing, Bai Fan watched He Yi Man walk farther away, sighing in resignation, "Maybe I owe her from past lives." She opened her beast bag, letting out the big gray goose. With vigor, it shook its wings in the snowy wind, as it had slept inside for a long time. "Let's go, catch up to that person." The big gray goose rubbed its head against Bai Fan's hand before bowing for her to mount, then taking off against the wind and snow. Hearing no footsteps behind her, He Yi Man knew Bai Fan hadn't followed. She felt a peculiar sense of something she couldn't quite place — perhaps it was the realization that cultivators' lives were far more valuable than hers. If roles were reversed, she wouldn't have followed either. Struggling up a slope, He Yi Man suddenly heard a bird's cry and looked up to see Bai Fan riding the big gray goose down beside her. Bai Fan extended a slender white hand and said, "He Gu Niang, come up. Traveling like this will waste too much time." "You?" He Yi Man was stunned, Bai Fan smiled warmly, "He Gu Niang helped me several times on the road; this is just karma." Opening her mouth, He Yi Man found herself speechless. She had only happened to help her in passing, but Bai Fan’s mention of karma left her without words. Noticing how different Bai Fan looked compared to before, He Yi Man unconsciously grasped her outstretched hand. With surprising strength, Bai Fan lifted her into her arms, the coldness of He Yi Man's hands making Bai Fan gasp. No wonder she was found sick on the road before. Feeling a sudden weightlessness, He Yi Man realized she was now cradled in Bai Fan's arms. The girl who once barely reached her shoulder was now equally tall. The big gray goose took flight, scattering snowflakes below. In mid-air, a cold wind swept by, making He Yi Man shiver even more. Bai Fan, bundled in her magical clothes and strong, only felt slightly cool. Seeing He Yi Man trembling, Bai Fan remembered she was just a mortal and apologized, "He Gu Niang, are you too cold?" Barely hearing Bai Fan over the wind, He Yi Man turned her stiff neck to look at her. Bai Fan was startled by her pale, frostbitten face. "Why didn't you say you were freezing?" Searching her bag for clothing, Bai Fan realized she didn't have anything warm. She had packed a variety of oddities, but no warm clothes. He Yi Man, hugging herself, inadvertently shielded Bai Fan from the wind. Realizing her mistake, Bai Fan turned her around and embraced her to block the cold. "Sorry, I didn't pack warm clothes. We'll have to make do for now." Normally shunning physical contact, He Yi Man found herself baffled as she was hugged tightly by Bai Fan. Her struggles were halted by Bai Fan’s stern warning against moving in mid-air. Bai Fan, flat-chested from suppressing her growth, found herself pressing her chest against He Yi Man’s back. Feeling the solid warmth, He Yi Man noticed an unfamiliar scent of cleanliness and a hint of steamed buns. This unexpected closeness and shared warmth, coupled with the rough journey they were embarking on, added a new layer to their relationship that He Yi Man hadn’t anticipated. Because He Yi Man was held tightly in Bai Fan’s embrace, she had no opportunity to move and could only remain quietly nestled in her arms, listening to the powerful heartbeat and even the rush of blood. Bai Fan was a demon, a half-transformed dragon serpent. Her cold blood had changed from red to orange and intense, allowing her to resist the winter chill without succumbing to hibernation. Feeling uncomfortable after a while, He Yi Man couldn’t help but reach out, wrapping her arms around Bai Fan's slender waist. The sudden embrace nearly caused Bai Fan to drop her. The waist, a particularly sensitive area for a serpent, sent shivers through Bai Fan, from her feet to her scalp. "Don't hold my waist," Bai Fan's voice was dark and trembling, her eyes as deep as dark waters. "Hmm?" He Yi Man, now considerably warmer, couldn't understand and looked puzzled. Taking a deep breath, Bai Fan forced herself to endure, "It's nothing." Inwardly, she couldn't help but grumble. How had she been a serpent for decades without discovering that serpents have sensitive spots? Should she really explain to He Yi Man that she had hit a sensitive spot? The journey, initially uncomfortable for He Yi Man, had now become just as burdensome for Bai Fan. This was Bai Fan's first time going to Fu You Palace. Fortunately, with He Yi Man providing directions, they didn't lose much time. As they approached, Bai Fan spotted a trumpet vine tree in full bloom. "What kind of flowers are those?" she asked. He Yi Man, turning her head from Bai Fan's embrace, replied, "Those are trumpet vine flowers." Admiring the torch-like blossoms, Bai Fan thought for the first time that this place was beautiful. The big gray goose descended in front of the trumpet vines and turned to Bai Fan, seeking praise. Bai Fan rewarded it with a spiritual elixir which it devoured before happily returning to the beast bag. On the ground, the two women kept a respectful distance from each other. He Yi Man gazed at the collapsed palace, lost in memories, while Bai Fan observed the ancient vine tree. From her time in Xuan Ming, she knew this vine tree had lived for thousands of years. Without spiritual consciousness, it couldn't transform but became a spiritual tree that gathered energy for Fu You Palace. Remembering a drop of spiritual liquid she received from a young master of the Sun family and how it significantly affected the growth of spiritual herbs, Bai Fan grew more curious about this ancient tree. She speculated it might produce spiritual liquid over time. As she examined the tree, Bai Fan sensed its immense spiritual energy. Inhaling the flower fragrance was like sipping fine wine, invigorating her body with rapid spiritual energy circulation. "I wonder where the spiritual liquid might come from," she mused, observing the tree’s structure. Noticing He Yi Man heading elsewhere, Bai Fan hurried to catch up, glancing back at the trumpet vine tree several times. Entering the grand hall of Fu You Palace, He Yi Man was met with a scene of complete ruin. Once-imposing pillars lay toppled, everything had been ransacked as if by robbers. Even ornamental handles on doors were pried off. Bai Fan, seeing the desolation, was similarly taken aback. She silently cursed the destructive nature of those involved. The weakest often faced exploitation and were both the victims and the most aggressive in desperate situations. Bai Fan once believed her grafting skills might save these people, but now she realized it was hopeless. Turning weak individuals into powerful ones just created new oppressors. The cultivation world was a survival game marked by mutual plundering and oppression. Loose cultivators were nothing more than pawns for demon cultivators. He Yi Man began searching through the ruins, while Bai Fan doubted they would find anything left among the stones. After scouring the main hall, they moved to other areas, but everything that could be taken had been taken. Some locked areas had doors violently kicked in. Reaching the disciples' living quarters, they found it just as ravaged. Bai Fan could hardly recognize the past grandeur of this once-renowned sect, one of the five great factions of the Southern Continent. She couldn’t understand why no sect had offered aid during Fu You Palace’s fall. Following He Yi Man to a desolate section, the place seemed neglected for a long time, as evidenced by the high climbing vines. He Yi Man felt around the stone wall, finding a spot to press that revealed a hidden door. Dust billowed out as they entered. Bai Fan waved a sleeve to clear the dust and followed He Yi Man inside, where He Yi Man produced a luminous pearl, illuminating the dark space. "What are we doing here? Aren’t you searching for your junior sister? This place is pitch black," Bai Fan questioned. He Yi Man turned abruptly, her indifferent face looking ghostly under the cold light, frightening Bai Fan. "You can wait outside if you prefer," He Yi Man offered. "No, no, let's keep going," Bai Fan replied hastily. After scrutinizing Bai Fan’s face for a moment, He Yi Man continued on. Bai Fan, trailing behind and occasionally feeling the stone walls, noted the unusual dryness of the cave. Unlike other cavities that might have water accumulation, this one didn't. Her beastly instinct suggested this wasn’t a regular hidden chamber but rather a tomb, given the excellent drainage conducive to preservation. As they delved deeper, the echoes of their steps grew louder. The originally uncomfortable journey for He Yi Man had now become a strain on Bai Fan. Suddenly, He Yi Man halted, causing Bai Fan to nearly collide with her. "What’s wrong?" "Kneel down." "What?" Before Bai Fan could react, He Yi Man pulled her down just as a barrage of icy arrows flew by. Bai Fan felt a chill above her head, a few strands of hair sliced away by arrows imbued with spiritual energy—something a beast like her should have sensed sooner. "What's going on?" "The defense mechanisms of the underground palace," He Yi Man replied. "What? An underground palace?" Once the arrows embedded in the walls, Now Bai Fan saw them encrusted in ice, and even the ground began to freeze around them. "This is where our ancestor entered eternal seclusion." With no more arrows, they stood up and continued inside. Bai Fan pondered why the founder chose such an underground palace with defensive mechanisms—it seemed more like a tomb. "Why set up defenses?" "The cultivation world was even more chaotic back then," He Yi Man explained. The passage seemed endless. Several times, they encountered similar arrow traps. Initially, Bai Fan couldn’t sense them, but soon her sensitivity to spiritual energy improved. Admiration for He Yi Man grew within her. For a mortal, He Yi Man displayed extraordinary sensitivity to spiritual energy—who knew what she could achieve if she weren't just a mortal? Reaching a designated spot, He Yi Man placed the luminous pearl into a holder, fitting perfectly. "Could you please infuse it with spiritual energy?" He Yi Man asked. Surprised to be of help, Bai Fan placed her hand on it, channeling energy into the holder. The pearl lit up, sending a beam of white light upward, activating an array that suddenly illuminated the entire underground palace. What was once dark now shone brightly, causing Bai Fan’s beastly eyes to adjust quickly to human vision. "This is..." "Let’s move," He Yi Man urged, swiftly navigating through the passage into a stone chamber, sparsely furnished with only a stone bed. Blood stains scattered around indicated someone had been injured here recently. "There’s still a lingering scent of spiritual elixirs. Someone was here not long ago," Bai Fan noted, deeply inhaling the remaining scent. He Yi Man’s brow furrowed tighter at Bai Fan’s observation and she quickly headed down another corridor, deeper into the stone chamber’s labyrinthine depths. This chamber connected to three passages: the one they entered through, another to the left, and one to the right. He Yi Man took off down the left corridor. Bai Fan hesitated for a moment, glancing at the right corridor, but ultimately followed He Yi Man to the left. Once Bai Fan's silhouette disappeared into the left passage, a figure briefly emerged from the right, revealing only white shoes and the edge of a garment before retracting. Catching up to He Yi Man, Bai Fan couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure we can find your junior sister here? If she’s the injured one, why would she hide?" After circling the subterranean palace to no avail, He Yi Man decided to check the right passage. The right corridor was noticeably more intricate, with many more chambers than the left side, creating a labyrinth of identical corners and rooms, easily confusing anyone within. Finally, after searching every corner, He Yi Man furrowed her brows even tighter. "Let's leave." Bai Fan followed without much concern over their location, but suddenly, distant hurried footsteps caught her attention. Certain they weren’t echoes, she stopped He Yi Man. "Wait." Darting into another chamber, Bai Fan quickly headed toward the source of the sound. Noticing droplets of blood, she confirmed someone else was in the palace—and they had been watching them. "Who's there? Come out!" Bai Fan's voice echoed through the stone chambers, but there was no response, only the return of her echo. "You’re injured; I can find you," Bai Fan warned, marking the scent of the blood and tracking it. Each time she approached, she caught a glimpse of a retreating figure. He Yi Man, still at the same spot, massaged her forehead. She was certain the injured person was her junior sister, but couldn’t understand why she was hiding. Skilled in the game of cat and mouse, Bai Fan accelerated, forcing the shadow to remain in her sight longer. As she drew closer, she summoned a thundercloud, releasing a bolt to block the figure's path. "Stop running, I’ve found you," Bai Fan declared. Hearing this, the figure halted, stepping from the shadows. She wore a lake green dress, her face pale and her chest stained with dried blood. Bai Fan recognized the face from their encounter in the volcano. Once round and childish, now beautifully matured, her wounded state evoked empathy. "Who are you?" the figure demanded. "It’s not me who’s looking for you, it’s He Yi Man. Why did you run upon seeing us? Are you afraid of her?" The figure, Bai Zhi, emerged completely from the shadows as He Yi Man approached. "She’s a traitor," Bai Zhi declared. --- Thank you for your support with nutrition fluids. There have been so many comments recently that I haven’t been able to reply, but I still love you all. Poor He Yi Man has been mistaken for a traitor. Thank you to all the little angels who voted or provided nutrition fluids! Thanks to the following angels for contributing [nutrition fluids]: - 41 bottles from . - 6 bottles from Shoushou. - 4 bottles from Wind Blown Place, Luyuan. - 1 bottle from Duanzhilianmeng. Thank you all for your support! I will continue to work hard! Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter