Chapter 130: Far from the Turmoil of the Mortal World

Seeing her wake up, I finally felt a slight weight lift from my heart. As I prepared to leave, I asked Pinky if he would like to come with me, but he shook his head with a troubled expression.

"Why?" I asked. I was curious about his relationship with Fengshi Liuying, and also about that effeminate Third Senior Brother. It must have been the latter who instructed Pinky to come to Green Phoenix Palace and fetch me for help. Back at Clear Water Pavilion and the Infinite Palace, Pinky had twice clashed with Landuo'er while trying to shield me. Every time, he had kept his lashes lowered and worn a plastered-on smile, enduring even the most vicious insults from Landuo'er with that same submissive, smiling posture.

Pinky shook his head at me, explaining that before he had even left, that effeminate senior had ordered him not to say a word to me, no matter how much that meddlesome little martial aunt tried to pressure him.

A wave of fury and frustration surged within me, but I let it go. After all, what was I to do—hang Pinky up and beat the truth out of him?

Upon returning to Green Phoenix Palace, I hurried toward Jade Cloud Pavilion. My mind raced, thinking back to how I had ignored Zilian’s advice a few days earlier and run off to Luofu Palace alone. Then, to rescue Fengshi Liuying from the clutches of Fairy Landuo'er, I had even gone so far as to quarrel with her outside the palace gates.

Zilian had never liked me getting close to Fengshi Liuying. This time, not only had I defied his wishes to rescue her, but I had also stayed at Luofu Palace for three whole days. How was I supposed to face him when I saw him?

"Little Fish."

As I was walking toward Jade Cloud Pavilion, Zilian’s voice drifted from behind me. I turned to see his white-clad figure standing in the center of the crescent-shaped jade bridge.

I stopped in my tracks and watched as he slowly began to walk toward me. Beside us, the lotus pond shimmered; the leaves swayed and the blossoms bobbed gently. Clad in white, he appeared even more dazzling and captivating against the backdrop of green.

I stared at him, unable to tear my gaze away, until he reached me and looked down with a puzzled expression. Only then did I realize how bold my stare had been. I gave a light cough, blinked a few times, and feigned ignorance. "Master, you’re back!"

This was the opening line I had spent three days in Luofu agonizing over. Once I said it, I didn't dare look up at his face—whether out of reluctance or fear, I couldn't say.

A breeze blew, carrying the scent of lotus, and his moon-white robes fluttered, occasionally brushing against the tip of my nose. After a long silence, just as my eyes grew misty and I thought he would ignore me, a soft sigh reached my ears.

"That is a question I should be asking you."

"Little Fish was wrong." I bowed my head, whispering, "Master, Little Fish was wrong."

"If you know you were wrong, can you promise me you will never do it again?" He lowered his head to ask.

Promise never to do it again? What did he mean by that? Was he telling me to stop meddling in the affairs between Fengshi Liuying and Fengqiao Yexue?

But how could I possibly do that? In those three days at Luofu Palace, the story of Fengqiao Yexue and Fengshi Liuying had taken root in my heart. That cold, ink-wash-painting-like woman—her resilience, her devotion, her undying love—all of it moved and inspired me. How could I just turn my back on her?

I had to find a way to help her locate Fengqiao Yexue, bring him back to Spirit Cloud Mountain, reunite him with her, and let him take her far away from this place and its worldly strife.

"You can't?" His voice carried a hint of displeasure.

"Yes!" After a long hesitation, I slowly nodded.

He said nothing more. Ignoring me, he brushed past and continued toward Jade Cloud Pavilion.

I couldn't fathom why Zilian was so averse to the matters of Fengqiao Yexue and Fengshi Liuying—though "averse" didn't quite capture it. Ever since I first mentioned Fengshi Liuying to him, he would often look displeased, yet he had never truly stopped me.

"Master, wait for me! Please, wait!"

Seeing that white silhouette beginning to fade, as if he were a wisp of smoke I could no longer grasp, I rushed forward, scrambling to catch up to his pace.