Chapter 142: Lotus Seed Gets Injured

Several rivers flow through the dense forests of Shengyu, eventually converging into the main river channel and giving rise to the local shipping industry.

Deep within the forest, amidst the fallen leaves, Lianzi walked and stopped intermittently while leading Fengnuan by the hand.

Every time they passed a place, Fengnuan would snap a tree branch, as if leaving a mark of some sort. Lianzi took note of all this without voicing her thoughts; she knew Fengnuan was leaving a trail for Fengxing. But would he actually come?

Lianzi knew the kind of person Fengxing was, and she deeply admired every one of his righteous choices.

Mountains were distant and rivers were long, and this forest was profound. Lianzi had been traveling with Fengnuan for quite a while now.

Along the way, they occasionally roasted fish or picked wild fruits, the only simple sustenance Lianzi could provide for Fengnuan.

"Fengnuan, are you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry!"

"Don't lie to your elder sister! You haven't eaten anything for half a day!"

"You can go days without eating or drinking, Sister, so what is this compared to that?"

"I am different from you; I can live without eating or drinking. Come on, let's go find some wild fruit to eat!"

The two climbed to the top of a mountain, looked around, and finally spotted a grove of persimmon trees.

"Sister, I see lots of yellow fruits!"

Lianzi looked over toward the grove, a sense of doubt stirring in her heart. "Why would there be a whole patch of persimmon trees out here?"

"Fengnuan, those persimmons don't look ripe yet. Let's look for something else to eat instead!"

"But there doesn't seem to be anything else around, and I don't want Sister to run all over the place on my account. Let's just go pick a few persimmons. They keep for a long time, and we can eat them on the road. That way, we can reach our destination all the quicker!"

"However, those look like they were deliberately planted by someone, which might be a bit dangerous. We shouldn't take risks. There's a river down the mountain, how about we go catch some fish there?"

"Sister, let's not catch fish; I know you dislike the smell of fish!" Fengnuan pulled Lianzi by the hand and headed straight down the mountain. "Let's just go take a look, picking a few shouldn't hurt!"

The persimmon grove was quite large, covering roughly an acre or so. There were no other trees mixed in, only a profusion of small grasses growing beneath them. Lianzi walked and watched, feeling exceedingly suspicious, yet she could not resist Fengnuan's tugging.

"Fengnuan, be careful, this place is very strange!"

"Alright, don't be afraid, Sister, I have plenty of potions! When it counts, you mustn't use your magic—it will leave you terribly weakened! If big brother found out, my transgression would be unforgivable!"

"What about your brother again? Haven't you always been fearless around him?"

"No, I am afraid. The last time you two went to Mount Tian, Big Brother said a lot of things to me!"

Surprised and delighted, Lianzi smiled and asked, "What did he say? Could you share a bit of it with your sister?"

"No, that would mean I've broken the rules again! As long as you understand that Big Brother cares very much about you too, that's enough!" Fengnuan smiled and pointed ahead. "So many persimmons! Let's go pick a few!"

In the deep green forest, the persimmons were a tender yellow; some had already softened, carrying a rich fragrance.

Lianzi had never eaten a persimmon before, yet she knew they shouldn't possess such a heavy scent, let alone cast their aroma far and wide.

"Fengnuan!" Lianzi grabbed Fengnuan to stop her from going further, only to find the child standing dazed and speechless. "Fengnuan, what is wrong with you?"

"Fengnuan?"

"Fengnuan!"

No matter how Lianzi called out, Fengnuan remained in that exact state—unblinking, motionless, with a vacant gaze as if fast asleep.

Lianzi held onto Fengnuan, not daring to let go, and only after channeling her magic did she notice a thick haze of strange yellow mist drifting through the woods.

"What sort of demonic entity is acting out here?"

No one answered Lianzi, leaving her with no choice but to scoop up Fengnuan and attempt to carry her out. Crouching down to lift the child, she found Fengnuan as firmly anchored as black iron; try as she might, she could not budge her.

Before long, Lianzi's arms grew limp and powerless, causing her to retract her hands in sudden panic.

"My hands?" Lianzi looked around in terror, thinking to herself: *It's over, another tree demon! My arms have lost all their strength, how am I supposed to carry Fengnuan away?*

Just as she was deep in thought, Lianzi saw countless persimmons flying through the air toward her and Fengnuan, about to strike them down.

At this, Lianzi immediately threw herself in front of Fengnuan, blocking all the incoming persimmons. One after another, the impacts struck her body with sharp pain.

"This demon's cultivation is quite formidable!"

Just as Lianzi was about to cast a spell, the pain on her body suddenly vanished. Turning around, she saw a man wielding a saber, slashing at those strange persimmons.

The blade gleamed like fire, its edge unstoppable. The moment a falling persimmon was split open by the blade, it turned instantly into a drop of blood. As the blood pooled on the ground, the very earth seemed unable to absorb it, while muffled wails echoed from the depths of the forest.

"Watch out!" Lianzi cried out, casting a spell to deflect a web of green leaves.

"Let's go!" The man spun around, scooping up Fengnuan with one arm while grabbing Lianzi with the other.

Only then could Lianzi clearly see his face—it was that familiar, handsome, resolute countenance, weathered by time yet carrying a trace of lingering agitation.

"Fengxing!" Lianzi froze.

Fengxing looked at Lianzi and could not help lowering his head, not daring to meet her gaze directly.

At this moment, Lianzi stood before him dressed in simple garments; her pale, powerless hands and her look of stunned emotion made Fengxing feel utterly ashamed.

A noble disciple of Mount Tian had been reduced to such a plight, unable to subdue these minor demons or even protect the one she loved.

Fengxing felt that all of this was his fault, and that he had failed Lianzi completely.

Just as the two stood there in a daze, the persimmon grove suddenly vanished, churning up the mountain soil and sweeping the river currents into a violent tremor that threatened to swallow all three of them.

"You offended my eldest sister, we will certainly make you pay!"

Startled, Lianzi watched as dust and rushing water surged toward them, filling her with terror.

"I have no choice but to gamble!"

Lianzi drew Fengxing's saber, plunging it into the ground, and poured her entire mind into casting a Mount Tian incantation. "My master and senior brothers showed me leniency, and since the Mount Tian contract was never officially dissolved, I should still be able to use Mount Tian magic, right?!"

Sure enough, the technique of flying on a sword remained available, though it drained Lianzi's spiritual energy and vitality with every passing second.

"Let's go!" Lianzi grabbed Fengxing, glanced at Fengnuan in his arms, hardened her resolve, clenched her teeth, gathered her remaining strength, and soared up into the air with a spell.

Once clear of the mountain forest, Lianzi withdrew her magic, and the three of them dropped back to the ground.

Bathed in cold sweat and overcome by distress, Lianzi collapsed weakly toward the earth. With quick reflexes, Fengxing caught her in his arms.

"Lianzi, what is wrong?" Fengxing laid Fengnuan to one side and turned his full, desperate attention to Lianzi. "Lianzi, wake up!"

Coughing softly twice, Lianzi forced her eyes open. "Fengxing!"

"I'm right here!" Fengxing grasped Lianzi's hand. "You are so weak, you mustn't use magic ever again!"

Lianzi smiled faintly, her eyes half-closed as she stared at Fengxing. "You... you must take good care of yourself and strive to fulfill your ambitions. As for Fengnuan, I will look after her well until the end of my days..."

"Don't talk like this, you need to get better soon!" Fengxing watched Lianzi anxiously, terrified that something might happen to her.

Feeling this warmth, Lianzi could not help smiling; her entire body relaxed as she drifted back into a deep, heavy sleep.

Fengnuan slowly regained consciousness, and seeing Fengxing holding Lianzi while weeping, she grew nervous and terrified. "Big Brother, what happened to Sister Lianzi?"

"She... to save us, she gave up too much! Fengnuan, you cannot be willful anymore, do you understand?"

Tearfully, Fengnuan nodded. "I understand!"

"We must leave here at once. Can you walk on your own?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Big Brother, hold Sister Lianzi, I'll carry these things!"

Fengxing nodded, handed Lianzi's bundle to Fengnuan, and then picked up Lianzi, carrying her across mountain ranges and winding streams.