Su’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly stepped forward, turning the figure’s face to see which unlucky Divine Son he had encountered. Unexpectedly, he was met with a familiar, delicate face.
Compared to his childhood appearance, his features had changed little, and Su recognized him at a glance.
He simply hadn’t expected that, after a thousand years, they would meet again under such circumstances.
“Zhaozhao?!”
He hastily retrieved the antidote, trembling as he administered it to Zhaozhao before carefully removing the silver needles covering his body. Staring blankly at the pale, exquisite face on the ground, his heart was filled with regret.
The person he had longed for over a millennium was right before him, yet Su couldn’t bring himself to smile. His handsome face was etched with lingering fear.
Thankfully, thankfully, the poison he had used wasn’t Mansha. Su’s heart raced as he reached out, wanting to wipe away the grime staining Zhaozhao’s face. But remembering what he had done with these hands, he suddenly dared not act.
Su’s antidote worked quickly. Fearing that Zhaozhao would see him upon waking, he hid himself.
A moment later, Su, who had retreated to a distance, sensed another person approaching, heading straight for Zhaozhao’s location. Su stared intently, his deep crimson eyes filled with ferocity.
As the figure drew closer, Su recognized his face. A smirk curled his lips—another old acquaintance.
Shi Qinian.
Su couldn’t recall how many years ago it was. Back then, Chu Yi’s methods of disciplining him were still strict, and unwilling to be bound by rules, Su had seized an opportunity to slip out of the Peach Grove.
He had originally intended to use the chance to visit Zhaozhao, only to have his plans disrupted by this fellow who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
With old grudges and new grievances combined, Su drew his Bone Fan, ready to act, when he sensed that Zhaozhao had already awakened.
Reluctantly, he put away his weapon and retreated further into hiding.
Meanwhile, Shi Qinian had just detected a surge of killing intent, but in the next instant, it vanished as if it had been an illusion.
Taking a few more steps forward, he noticed someone seated ahead. At the same time, that person seemed to have sensed him and was slowly sitting up.
Due to the thick mist in the forest, neither could discern whether the other was friend or foe, so neither launched an attack.
Shi Qinian slowed his pace, advancing cautiously.
“Stop!”
Suddenly, the other person coldly ordered him to halt.
Shi Qinian paused, stopping in his tracks.
“Who are you?!”
Zhaozhao mustered his strength, his voice icy as he questioned.
The Mist Forest was fraught with danger, and due to lax oversight, members of the Demon Clan often lurked within.
Both were wary that the other might be a formidable demon.
However, Shi Qinian noticed that the other person seemed injured.
Assessing their respective strengths, Shi Qinian spoke softly, “I am Shi Qinian. And you are?”
Shi Qinian?
Zhaozhao frowned, surprised to encounter the Task Executor he hadn’t seen in a thousand years here.
Seeing that Zhaozhao remained silent, Shi Qinian slowly moved forward.
Zhaozhao no longer regarded him with such wariness, leaning against a tree trunk and closing his eyes to rest briefly.
Only when Shi Qinian drew near did he get a clear view of the person before him.
The youth’s delicate face was devoid of color, and his moon-white robe was stained with blood.
Noticing that the robe was adorned with silver-embroidered Lotus Patterns, Shi Qinian could almost confirm his identity.
After all, in the Divine Realm, only the two Divine Sons born from the Divine Fruit wore Lotus Pattern attire. Divine Son Zhao Zhao always wore white robes, while Divine Son Su wore black.
“So it’s Divine Son Zhao Zhao. My apologies.”
“You know me?” Zhaozhao asked warily.
Shi Qinian, with an amiable demeanor and a handsome face adorned with a smile, said, “I merely noticed the lotus pattern on Divine Son Zhao Zhao’s robe, which led me to deduce his identity.”
“Oh.”
Seeing that Zhao Zhao had no intention of engaging further with him, Shi Qinian found a spot to sit down on his own.
He bent one leg, propping his chin as he discreetly observed him.
Upon hearing his weak voice earlier, Shi Qinian had speculated that he was either injured or poisoned—and indeed, his guess had been correct.
However, it was said that the Divine Emperor was extremely protective of this Divine Son, forbidding him from stepping even a foot outside. So how was it that they had now encountered each other in the Mist Forest?
Zhao Zhao paid no mind to Shi Qinian’s scrutinizing gaze; he had something more important to confirm in his heart.
He asked the system, “The person I fought with earlier—was it Su?”
[Yes.]
“And afterward, he administered the antidote for me, correct?”
Although his body remained weak, there was a noticeable trend of improvement.
[Yes.]
Having received the answers, Zhao Zhao intended to close his eyes and rest for a while.
However, the system spoke up again to remind him, [Host, the mist here is unusual. It would be best to leave as soon as possible.]
Zhao Zhao nodded; he had always heeded the system’s advice most diligently.
“Shi Qinian, come here.”
Seeing Zhao Zhao open his golden eyes to look at him, Shi Qinian approached with a cheerful smile.
“What is it, Divine Son Zhao Zhao?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Qinian’s smile froze, because Zhao Zhao placed his arm on his shoulder and leaned his entire body against him.
Never having been this intimate with anyone before, Shi Qinian instantly felt somewhat uneasy and softly asked, “Divine Son Zhao Zhao, what does this mean?”
“I have no strength left. I must trouble you to help me out.”
Since Zhao Zhao was leaning so close, the warmth of his breath brushed against Shi Qinian’s neck as he spoke.
The innocent Shi Qinian immediately flushed from his neck to his face, stammering, “S-sure… but, c-could you… move a little farther away?”
“Alright.”
Seeing him in such a weakened state, Shi Qinian couldn’t help but ask another question, “Divine Son Zhao Zhao, were you poisoned? Have you taken the antidote?”
“It’s no longer a concern.”
Hearing this, Shi Qinian understood that the poison had already been neutralized.
Supporting him, Shi Qinian lowered his voice and asked again, “Are you returning to the Divine Realm?”
“No, to the Demon Realm.”
Shi Qinian understood, “To rescue the Nayuè Divine Maiden?”
“Mhm.”
“Then we happen to be heading the same way.”
“Mhm.”
Shi Qinian: …