“The Star Luo imperial family has a rule.”
Zhu Zhuqing gathered her thoughts, her pale face carrying a trace of complicated emotion.
“The princes who awaken the Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul automatically gain the qualification to compete for the throne.
When the time is ripe, a final duel will be held, and the winner will inherit the throne of the Star Luo Empire.”
“The loser will be executed or imprisoned, and their fiancée will also be dealt with according to the result.”
“Him and I lagged far behind because we were still young.”
“And then…”
Zhu Zhuqing’s tone suddenly turned icy, and there was even an undisguised trace of disgust in her eyes.
“He ran away.
He abandoned me all alone and fled to the Heaven Dou Empire by himself.”
“Once he ran away, I became an abandoned pawn.”
Zhu Zhuqing’s voice was very cold, but the fingertips clutching the bedsheet had already turned white from the force she was unconsciously exerting.
“Dai Weisi and my sister, Zhu Zhuyun, joined forces to put pressure on me.
Inside the Nether Duke’s Mansion, I couldn’t breathe at all.
Every day, I was reminded that if Dai Mubai lost the struggle, I would also lose everything.”
“But I refuse to accept my fate and escaped!”
Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyes to look directly at Long Aoyu, her amber pupils filled with stubbornness and an unyielding determination that was completely inconsistent with her delicate appearance.
“I went to the Heaven Dou Empire to look for him, for no other reason.”
“I just wanted to ask him to his face why he didn’t even leave a single word for me when he left.
I am his fiancée, yet I heard the news of his departure from other people’s mouths.”
Long Aoyu listened quietly, feeling even more contempt for Dai Mubai in his heart.
“That coward is not worth you being like this.”
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, her eye sockets turning slightly red, but the corners of her mouth twitched faintly.
“I know.
I’ve long since been disappointed in him.”
“But I still want to ask him in person, just to give myself some closure.”
Long Aoyu looked into her eyes.
“And what about after you ask?”
“I don’t know.”
Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment before turning her head back to look at Long Aoyu.
This time, her gaze lingered for a long while.
In those amber pupils, besides the moisture that had not yet completely faded, there was also a nameless and indescribable sentiment.
She had spent so much time running for her life that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to have someone stand beside her without demanding anything in return.
Long Aoyu met her gaze for a moment, then reached out and picked up the medicine bowl.
“Drink the medicine first.”
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, and the corners of her lips curved slightly.
She took the medicine bowl, lowered her head, and drank it all.
Afterward, she softly said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Long Aoyu took the empty bowl and placed it aside.
“Rest assured and heal your injuries.
It’s very safe here.”
Zhu Zhuqing lay back down, nodded, and slowly closed her eyes.
“Zhu Zhuqing.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you like him?”
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head decisively.
“I don’t like him.”
Long Aoyu nodded, and his tone shifted naturally.
“Then what about me?”
“Ah?”
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned.
In an instant, she recalled the moment before she lost consciousness, the unfamiliar surroundings, the feeling of being carried safely through the air, and Long Aoyu’s sturdy embrace that had kept her from falling.
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt her face burning hot.
She turned her head away, her earlobes completely red, and her heartbeat became so fast that she could hardly suppress it.
She had faced pursuit from Spirit Masters of the Zhu family without crying, had endured serious injuries without crying, and had even endured Dai Mubai’s abandonment without shedding tears in front of anyone.
Yet a single question from Long Aoyu had caused her composure to collapse.
Seeing her reaction, Long Aoyu already had his answer in mind.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as your default.”
Zhu Zhuqing’s earlobes turned even redder.
After remaining silent for two breaths, she gently nodded with a tiny movement, then immediately turned onto her side and pulled the blanket slightly higher, refusing to look at him again.
Long Aoyu leaned against the back of the chair, looking at the young girl on the bed as the corners of his mouth slowly turned upward.
This was a good beginning.
…
The dispensary was quiet for a while.
“Since you are recovering your injuries here, you should at least know what kind of place this is and what my identity is.”
Long Aoyu’s tone was very ordinary, as if he were simply making casual conversation with her.
“This is the Body Sect, within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire.
I am the Young Sect Master of the Body Sect.”
Zhu Zhuqing turned her face over to look at him.
“My parents died early.
I have an older brother named Long Aotian, who is three years older than me.
When I was three years old, my brother and I were brought back to the Sect by our master.”
Body Sect…
Is it a secluded Sect?
Zhu Zhuqing had never heard much about the Body Sect before.
After all, the Body Sect was not a force that frequently appeared in the public eye of the continent, and its headquarters was hidden within its own territory.
Even among Spirit Masters, information about the Sect was limited.
When Zhu Zhuqing heard the words “parents died early”, her gaze shifted slightly.
“My parents are still alive.”
Zhu Zhuqing’s voice was very calm, as if she were talking about someone else’s affairs.
“But there is no family affection in the Nether Duke’s Mansion.”
“Growing up, I couldn’t feel that they were my parents.”
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and looked at her fingers.
“In the Duke’s Mansion, everyone only looks at your value.
Whether your Martial Soul is strong enough, what you can exchange for the family, whether you can help the family gain an advantage, and whether you are a burden.”
“No one asks if you are happy, if you are tired, or what you want.”
“So I have no attachment to that place.
I escaped also because that place made me unable to breathe.”
Long Aoyu listened quietly.
“Then you can treat this place as your home in the future.”
Zhu Zhuqing’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“There are relatively few people in our Body Sect, and we don’t have many complicated rules, let alone anyone treating you like a piece of cargo whose value is determined by the family.
Besides, you don’t want to go back to Star Luo anyway.”
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, the light of the oil lamp flickering in the depths of her amber eyes.
The emotion in her heart was beyond words.
She had been running for so long that she had already become accustomed to being alone.
She had thought that even if she reached the Heaven Dou Empire, she would still have to rely on herself.
She had never imagined that after being severely injured, the first people to extend a hand to her would not be people she knew, but a young man and an entire Sect she had never even heard of.
After quite a while, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke.
“Long Aoyu.”
“Hmm?”
“When my injuries heal, can you accompany me to Suotuo City?”
Zhu Zhuqing’s voice was very soft, carrying a trace of hesitation.
“Sure.”
Long Aoyu nodded and agreed without hesitation.
“I will accompany you once you’re healed.
Since you want to ask him in person, I will stay with you.”
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment.
“Thank you.”
She hesitated before adding another sentence, her voice becoming even smaller.
“…Am I very silly?”
“Why do you say that?”
Long Aoyu leaned against the back of the chair and supported his head with both hands.
“Everyone has things they must resolve.
You have endured everything alone for so long, so wanting to see him one last time and hear an explanation from his own mouth is very normal.
Whether the answer satisfies you or not, at least you will not have to keep wondering about it.”
Zhu Zhuqing’s eyebrows and eyes curved slightly.
“Alright, the medicine has been drunk.”
Long Aoyu stood up.
“Rest well.
I’ll go cultivate in the next room.
Call me if anything happens.”
“Okay.”
Zhu Zhuqing answered, then suddenly remembered something and blurted out, “You should rest for a bit too.
Don’t just keep cultivating.”
Long Aoyu looked back at her and smiled.
“Got it.”
Before leaving, he looked back once at Zhu Zhuqing, then gently closed the door.
…
The next day.
When the sky was fully bright, the sound of the old physician walking around came from the neighboring dispensary, probably because he was going to inspect Zhu Zhuqing’s condition and check whether her injuries had recovered any further.
Long Aoyu perceived for a moment and confirmed that Zhu Zhuqing’s breathing was steady and that there was no abnormal fluctuation in her condition.
Only then did he continue to sink his mind into cultivation.
His fifth Spirit Ring had already been absorbed, and his natal bead had also been initially fused.
Although his spirit power had risen to level 53, the various abilities he had obtained from the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger still required time to be properly adapted to and refined.
In less than half an hour, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor, followed by the door being pushed open.
“Xiaoyu!”
Long Aotian stood at the door, followed by Wei Na.
Both of their faces carried obvious excitement, as though they had just received extremely important news.
Long Aoyu opened his eyes.
Seeing this expression on his brother and sister-in-law, he subconsciously asked, “What’s wrong?”
“The Elders are back!”
Wei Na’s eyes flashed with light.
“Elder Wei and Elder Zhao from the group that went to the Sunset Forest have found a special place.”
“After discussing it together, the Elders unanimously agreed that the place is very likely the location of the Immortal Herbs!”
Long Aoyu’s heart jumped fiercely, and he immediately stood up.
Immortal Herbs?
Sunset Forest?
Then that’s right!
“Where are they?”
“The council hall.
The Sect Master has already called everyone over.”
Long Aotian turned around and pulled his younger brother outward.
“Let’s go quickly.
We’ll talk on the way.”
“Elder Wei and Elder Zhao brought back a rough topographic map.
They said that the place is located beneath a hidden cliff deep within the Sunset Forest.
The terrain is extremely strange, and the surrounding area is covered by a powerful poisonous array.”
As soon as Long Aoyu heard about the poisonous array, he knew that the location was almost certainly correct.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was right within the valley.
And the poisonous array was undoubtedly connected to Dugu Bo.
According to the future Long Aoyu remembered, Dugu Bo had discovered and occupied that special valley, relying on the terrifying poison surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to protect the Immortal Herbs growing there.
The valley was filled with poisonous miasma, and ordinary Spirit Masters would have difficulty approaching it safely.
At this point in time, Dugu Bo had not yet reached his later rank as a Titled Douluo, but his attainments in poison were already extraordinary enough to make the area extremely dangerous.
More importantly, the location and terrain matched the records Long Aoyu remembered.
“The Immortal Herbs!”
Long Aoyu’s breathing became slightly faster.
“If I intercept the Immortal Herbs, Tang San and the others will lose a massive opportunity!”
Long Aoyu was somewhat excited because he knew far too well the effects of those Immortal Herbs.
The Immortal Herbs were not ordinary medicinal plants.
Every one of them possessed astonishing medicinal effects, and the right herb could greatly improve a Spirit Master’s Martial Soul, physique, spirit power, or innate potential.
The most important thing was that the Immortal Herbs recorded in the original history had played a tremendous role in the growth of the Shrek Seven Devils.
Tang San’s own foundation was already extraordinary.
He possessed the Blue Silver Emperor and Clear Sky Hammer, twin Martial Souls, immense spiritual strength, and ultimately received the inheritance of the Sea God and Asura God.
Therefore, it would be wrong to say that his future path to godhood depended entirely on the Immortal Herbs.
However, the Immortal Herbs had still provided an enormous advantage to Tang San and the others, helping them improve their physiques, strengthen their Martial Souls, and lay a much better foundation for their later cultivation and divine inheritances.
The same was true for the other members of the Shrek Seven Devils.
Without those opportunities, their growth would undoubtedly have been much more difficult, and some of the advantages they possessed in the original history might never appear.
And now, that opportunity was about to fall into the hands of the Body Sect.
“If the Immortal Herbs are truly inside that valley, then the future will definitely change.”
Long Aoyu’s eyes flashed with anticipation.
He had already obtained the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger’s 60,000-year Spirit Ring, the Dark Demon Twin Wings external Spirit Bone, and the natal bead.
Now, the Immortal Herbs were appearing before him as well.
The advantage brought by his knowledge of the future was finally beginning to reveal its terrifying value.
“Brother, hurry up!”
Long Aotian pulled him forward.
“Everyone is waiting in the council hall.”
“Alright.”
Long Aoyu suppressed the excitement in his heart and accelerated his steps.
The Body Sect had searched for the Immortal Herbs across the forests of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires for so long, and now they had finally found a clue that matched the most important location in Long Aoyu’s memories.
As long as they reached the valley and confirmed the existence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Body Sect would have obtained another opportunity capable of changing the future of the entire continent.