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墨書 Inktalez
The carriage continued on its journey, spending one night in a small village along the way.
At first, I found it strange because it didn't take long to travel from North City to East City. It was only after leaving the Four Cities that I realized the distances between each city were quite vast.
Lianchi explained that it was due to the use of spiritual energy for acceleration on the road, but once we left the Four Cities and approached Underworld City, using spiritual energy was prohibited; it was a rule, which slowed our pace.
I pouted, saying nothing more. On the first night, I stayed up late waiting for Jun Chong, but he never arrived, leaving me feeling uneasy. The next day, we continued our journey, and because of our slow pace, we rested in a mountain valley on the second night.
“Just over the next hill is Underworld City. Be careful when we get there,” Lianchi said as he handed me some food. He looked at the mountains shrouded in darkness and patted my shoulder with a smile. “But you can always ask your brother for help; he will protect you.”
I shot him a glance and replied, “Can you really protect me from the King of the Underworld?”
“Hehe.” Lianchi immediately rubbed his nose and chuckled, “That’s another story. I can at least plead for you.”
“Then thank you, brother.”
I lowered my head to eat, thinking that Jun Jun must have said something to him; otherwise, would Lianchi really help me? Besides, I still couldn't figure him out. As he said, good and bad aren’t determined by people but by whom they serve.
So are we enemies? Yet he has helped me and even comforted me.
This relationship felt somewhat ambiguous. I didn’t want to think too much about it; for now, taking things one step at a time was better than nothing. There was still no news from Qin Ling, and there was no word from Jun Chong either. Biting into my food only deepened my worries.
As the moonlight grew darker, I climbed into the carriage to sleep. During the night, Lianchi and those reapers stood guard outside since I bore the title of Queen of the Underworld; no reaper dared to mistreat me.
Wrapped in my blanket inside the carriage, I tossed and turned restlessly. Today was my last chance; if Jun Chong didn’t show up soon, tomorrow we would enter Underworld City. If I missed this opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to hand over the Soulstone to him.
I actually think that Jun Jun could have handed it over himself, but he still dragged me along, perhaps wanting us to meet one more time!
"I wonder how your injury is? Have you been resting well?"
"You should ask me if I've missed you."
A familiar voice whispered in my ear, and I turned around abruptly, only to be enveloped in a warm embrace. The pale pink Cherry Blossom Tree seemed to bloom year-round; every time I saw it, it was as beautiful as ever, illuminating the person beneath its branches and making me long for them even more.
My nose tinged with bitterness, tears swirled in my eyes as I collapsed into his arms, holding him tightly until my hands ached. I didn't want to let go. "Jun Chong, Jun Chong."
"I'm here."
When I missed him to the extreme, I often just called his name without saying anything else because I felt that simply calling him and still receiving his response was a profoundly happy thing. No matter how many times I called, he would patiently answer me.
"Anxin, you've lost weight." Jun Chong held me tightly. "You've had a tough time these days."
"No, everything is willingly accepted on my part." I lifted my head and noticed my vision blurred from tears. I wiped my eyes on his shirt and then asked with concern, "How's your injury?" Although Su Yi had treated him, I still felt uneasy. I rolled up my sleeves and reached for the Qilin Hairpin in my hair, but Jun Chong caught my hand. "What are you trying to do?"
"Giving you blood!" I blinked innocently at him. "You said my blood is a healing elixir for you. Who knows what we might encounter next? You should drink more."
"…"
"Don't be reluctant; it's fine if I lose a little blood."
"Anxin, I know you're doing this for my sake. But now you need to enter Underworld City, where the yin energy is heavy. It will affect both you and the baby. Your blood plays a protective role, so you mustn't let yourself lose too much vitality. My injury is already healed; I'm fine."
"If it weren't for my lack of ability, I could protect the Emerald Feather Box for you." I pouted with guilt and suddenly looked up, grabbing his collar urgently. "Su Yi told me that your body is hidden in the Emerald Feather Box. What will we do now that it's been taken by the King of Hell?"
"What did you say?" Jun Chong's brows furrowed as he repeated my words, "You said my body is hidden in the Emerald Feather Box?"
I nodded. "You really don't know? This is no joke. Besides, the Emerald Feather Box is your Seventh Seal."
Jun Chong lowered his gaze, his deep pupils appearing somewhat cold and indifferent under the dim light. The reflected light glinted sharply, revealing his displeasure.
"If you see the Emerald Feather Box in the Underworld Palace, don't go near it. Jun Rui took it back to prevent me from easily obtaining my body. There are still five seals left to break before I can approach it. If you rashly attempt to seize the Emerald Feather Box, my body could very well vanish into thin air."
"So this time they actually helped us?"
Jun Chong neither nodded nor shook his head, as if tacitly agreeing. I brushed through his scattered long hair, pondering what I knew with a sense of melancholy. "Jun Chong, the King of Hell still cares for your brotherly bond, doesn't he?"
I felt Jun Chong tremble slightly but he remained silent. I forced a smile while playing with his hair and said, "He sealed your body but hid an Ancient Beast inside it. Each time a seal is broken, an Ancient Beast is captured. If he truly hated you, he wouldn't have sealed your body in such a manner. I don't know what happened between you brothers that led to this situation. I also understand that I cannot influence your decisions; all I ask for are two words—safety. No matter the outcome, I hope these two words can accompany us. Please don’t let me lose anyone again."
Thinking of the missing Qin Ling made my heart ache even more. I had no idea how Molin was faring in the Underworld Palace; everything was uncertain. Perhaps they were both dead or still struggling for survival, but one thing was certain—they were not doing well.
I wished for the safety of my friends around me, but that seemed incredibly difficult.
"Anxin." Jun Chong sighed softly and then cupped my face in his hands, gently wiping away my tears with his thumb before leaning down to kiss me. "If it can be preserved, I will never kill indiscriminately; this has always been my principle. I'm truly sorry for dragging you into this mess. I will resolve things here as quickly as possible. But remember this: before I reach the Underworld Palace, do not even think about seizing Jun Rui's heart's blood; wait for me to arrive."
I looked at him in astonishment. "You... you know that method?"
"Yes, I do. And I know you definitely don't want to make a wish on the Emerald Feather Box. You also know that if heart's blood could lead to your death or madness and harm others, you'd rather die yourself."
I fell silent; I had to admit that Jun Chong saw right through me, but my understanding of him only scratched the surface.
"If there’s no Miracle, I'd rather die."
"Just believe, and a miracle will surely appear." Jun Chong pinched my cheek with considerable force, causing me to wince in pain. Annoyed, I stepped hard on his foot. Although I knew it wouldn't hurt him, it was a lesson nonetheless. "You hurt me, you bad guy."
"I’m the big bad guy. If you don’t behave, I’ll take care of you, so smile."
"The big bad guy? I’m the one who will take care of you."
"With that little body of yours, you can never get up in time. How could you take care of me?"
My face flushed, and I shyly lowered my head. Jun Chong blinked slightly. "Are you thinking about that? I meant how you can’t get up after sleeping!"
Realizing he was teasing me, I swung my fist toward his handsome face but hesitated at the last moment; I couldn't bear to ruin it. Instead, I softly punched his chest. Jun Chong felt nothing and lifted my fist to his teeth and bit down lightly. "Anxin, knowing you is truly wonderful. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life, and I've never regretted it. Everything is willingly given."
Jun Chong held me close under the Cherry Blossom Tree as a gentle breeze blew, scattering petals all around us. The light pink cherry blossoms danced in the wind, harmonizing with the sound of the wind to create a beautiful melody.
I leaned against Jun Chong, greedily wanting to stay forever. Each parting only intensified my longing; that feeling of separation was truly painful.
"It's almost time; dawn is approaching over there. I'll take you back."
Jun Chong picked me up, and I nestled into his embrace without moving. Why did our time together always feel so fleeting?
"Jun Chong, you'll come find me soon, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh! Right! I almost forgot." Seeing my sudden excitement, Jun Chong smiled helplessly. "What is it?"
I pulled out a piece of dark Yin-Yang Jade from my pocket and placed it in Jun Chong's palm. "This is Soulstone; it can protect your soul from being detected by the King of Hell."
Jun Chong stared at the Soulstone. "Is this what Jun Jun gave you?"
I nodded, and Jun Chong's eyes turned cold as he tightened his grip on the Soulstone. "So that means the human who infiltrated the Underworld is her? What is she doing here?"
"Do you know she is Su Yi's daughter?" Jun Chong did not deny it. Seeing his reaction, I continued, "She said she doesn't want any more deaths of the Lord of the Ghost Fetus, so she came to help me."
"Hmph." Jun Chong scoffed. "You actually believe her?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Even if she intends to stop it, how many Lords of the Ghost Fetus have died? She has reincarnated ten times in the human realm; the Lord of the Ghost Fetus has appeared before. The reason she is helping you is to influence your future choices."
"What choices?" I hesitated. "But I have a feeling she won't lie to me."
"She hasn't lied to you. But this Soulstone belongs to the Su Family. Her tenth reincarnation was a return to the Su Family, taking her mother's place."
"So what?" I countered, placing the Soulstone on him and warning, "You must not throw it away; you need to carry it. Even if it's from the Su Family, it's still very important for you right now. You've always said that great achievers don't sweat the small stuff, so you can't get hung up on certain things, understand?"
I puffed out my cheeks and glared at him, giving him a look that said he had to accept it or I'd be angry. This amused Jun Chong; he pinched my cheek and placed a kiss on my lips. "Is it alright if I accept it? Remember to take good care of yourself."
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