Chapter 136.2: The Missing Zhao Ling’er

"I promised Grandma and Aunt that I would protect Ling'er, but in the blink of an eye, something this serious has happened..."

"Along the way, I hardly took care of Ling'er. Instead, she kept accommodating me and even let me follow you guys to exterminate demons..."

Li Xiaoyao stared blankly at the vast sky full of stars, lost in thought.

Chu Yang and Xu Changqing exchanged glances, both sighing inwardly. It was true—people only matured after experiencing hardship.

Xu Changqing consoled him, "You're still young, and youth is filled with mistakes and challenges. You pay the price for them, and only then can you grow."

Li Xiaoyao forced a bitter smile. "This price is too steep. I can't afford it."

Meanwhile...

Zhao Ling'er, now in her half-human, half-serpent form, was first misunderstood and driven away by villagers. Later, she encountered a kind old mountain god who explained her lineage to her.

Upon learning that she was a descendant of Nuwa, Zhao Ling'er finally accepted her own uniqueness and was eager to reunite with Li Xiaoyao.

On her way back to Suzhou City, A'nu, who had been using the Thread of Fate technique, suddenly sensed Zhao Ling'er's presence and appeared before her.

Reuniting with her childhood friend brought Zhao Ling'er great joy.

The two talked for a long time, deep into the night. When Zhao Ling'er mentioned her intent to find Li Xiaoyao, A'nu suggested that she return to Nanzhao Kingdom instead.

Zhao Ling'er pleaded desperately.

This led to a small argument between them.

And at that moment—

Lin Yueru and Liu Jinyuan, who had been out searching for Zhao Ling'er, stumbled upon them.

Lin Yueru had long harbored guilt toward Zhao Ling'er. Seeing this scene, she assumed A'nu was bullying her and immediately drew her sword to attack.

Liu Jinyuan shouted in alarm, "Cousin! Calm down! Calm down!"

But if Lin Yueru were someone who could easily calm down, she wouldn't be herself. She much preferred using her sword over thinking things through.

A'nu had a temper, too. Though she usually smiled and laughed, she could be just as fierce when angry.

Seeing this woman attack without reason, A'nu immediately prepared a spell, faint glows forming between her hands.

Lin Yueru forced A'nu back with a single strike and was about to explain herself to Zhao Ling'er when she realized—she couldn't move!

"You witch! What kind of evil spell did you cast on me?!" Lin Yueru cried out in shock and anger.

"You're the witch! A'nu is Saintess Gu's disciple, the future priestess of Nanzhao Kingdom!"

Fuming, A'nu stomped her foot, preparing to teach this foul-mouthed woman a lesson!

Zhao Ling'er was startled by the sudden conflict!

It was already deep into the night, the moon high and the surroundings dark—she had only recognized Lin Yueru by her voice.

"A'nu, stop! She's not a bad person!"

"Not a bad person? Didn't you see her attack us with her sword?"

Hearing the exchange, Lin Yueru was taken aback. "You two... know each other?"

A'nu crossed her arms and huffed, "What do you think?"

Liu Jinyuan quickly stepped forward, apologizing profusely to A'nu and Zhao Ling'er. Then, he turned to Lin Yueru and scolded, "Cousin, I told you to calm down! Why won't you ever listen?"

Lin Yueru pouted in frustration. "How was I supposed to know they knew each other? I thought she was bullying Ling'er."

Seeing the stark change in their attitudes, Zhao Ling'er hesitated. "Brother Jinyuan, Sister Yueru... aren't you afraid of me?"

Lin Yueru's face flushed red with embarrassment. She didn't know what to say and could only mutter, "I'm sorry..."

Liu Jinyuan bowed deeply. "Miss Ling'er, my cousin acted rashly. She didn't know you were a descendant of Nuwa and mistakenly thought you were a monster. I sincerely apologize on her behalf and ask for your forgiveness."

Hearing the word "monster," A'nu was immediately displeased. "She is our Nanzhao Kingdom's princess! Who are you calling a monster?!"

Liu Jinyuan quickly apologized again. "Yes, yes, it was our mistake. Please forgive us, Miss A'nu."

"A'nu, let it go. They're not bad people," Zhao Ling'er said, stopping A'nu from further scolding. Then, she asked curiously, "How did you know I was a descendant of Nuwa?"

Liu Jinyuan smiled upon seeing her relaxed attitude and explained what Chu Yang had said earlier.

"I see..." Zhao Ling'er sighed. "If Daoist Chu had been there, I probably wouldn't have been so panicked..."

A'nu was intrigued. "That Daoist Chu seems really capable. He even knows about the Nuwa Clan. Saintess Gu taught me these things—where did he learn them?"

Thinking of the seemingly all-knowing Daoist Chu, Zhao Ling'er felt a strange sense of security. "Daoist Chu is well-versed in ancient knowledge. It's not surprising that he knows."

Liu Jinyuan suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Young Master Li and Daoist Chu left Suzhou City this morning to look for you, Miss Ling'er. You didn't run into them?"

Zhao Ling'er shook her head and recounted her encounters with the mountain god and A'nu.

Liu Jinyuan sighed regretfully. "With the mountain god protecting you, perhaps you just missed each other."

As they continued chatting, an exasperated voice cut in.

"I don't mind you all talking, but can I at least move? I've been standing here for ages." Lin Yueru sounded pitiful.

Zhao Ling'er gasped and quickly asked A'nu to release the spell.

A'nu shot Lin Yueru a glare before reluctantly lifting the spell.

Learning that Li Xiaoyao wasn't in Suzhou, Zhao Ling'er no longer had a reason to enter the city. She prepared to leave with A'nu.

Lin Yueru and Liu Jinyuan immediately followed.

A'nu eyed Lin Yueru warily. "What do you want?"

Lin Yueru huffed, "I'm going to escort Ling'er safely to Li Xiaoyao. I won't go back otherwise!"

Zhao Ling'er softly said, "Sister Yueru, you don't have to..."

Lin Yueru lowered her head, silent yet resolute.

Liu Jinyuan sighed. "Miss Ling'er, please let us come along. My cousin feels guilty over what happened. She even had a big fight with our uncle over this. If she can't do something to make up for it, she won't be at ease."

Zhao Ling'er, understanding her situation, smiled. "In that case, I must trouble you two."

Lin Yueru's face lit up with joy.

A'nu whispered, "Princess, if we're not going to Suzhou City, where are we heading next?"

Zhao Ling'er was also troubled. Right now, she was looking for Li Xiaoyao, and Li Xiaoyao was searching for her as well.

Liu Jinyuan, being a top scholar, was quick-witted and immediately came up with an idea. "Let's just follow the route you originally planned. Maybe we'll run into Daoist Chu and the others along the way."

Lin Yueru reacted swiftly, pulling out a map from her bundle and laying it out in front of everyone.

Zhao Ling'er studied it for a moment before placing her hand on a small village.

Baihe Village!

…

The next day.

Chu Yang and his companions had searched all night but still couldn't find Zhao Ling'er. They never would have imagined that she had actually gone in the direction of Suzhou City.

Since they had been searching in the completely opposite direction, they had naturally come up empty-handed.

Although they hadn't found Zhao Ling'er, they did encounter some unexpected people.

Deep in the wilderness, a group of travelers suddenly appeared, marching in perfect unison. Leading them was a burly man with a broad chest and a full beard, his rugged face giving the impression of an elderly man in his sixties.

Despite his age, he walked with the commanding presence of a seasoned warrior. Even before he got close, Chu Yang could already sense the aura of someone who had fought countless battles.

Chu Yang murmured, "Such a heavy killing intent… He must be a retired general."

As the two groups passed each other, the young men surrounding the elder subtly reached for their weapons, their vigilance unmistakable.

Seeing how cautious they were, Chu Yang grew intrigued by their identities.

Just then, the elder suddenly halted and whispered to the young man nearest to him, "Tang Yu, go ask for directions."

The young man bowed and replied, "Yes, godfather!"

Their hushed conversation didn't escape Chu Yang's ears, and his expression shifted slightly.

Tang Yu?

Godfather?

Chu Yang had a rough idea of who these people were.

The elder leading them was likely Shi Gonghu, a founding elder of Nanzhao—none other than the adoptive father of Lunar Sect Cult's leader, Shi Jieren.

He was the one who had raised the man who nearly destroyed the world.

In a way, one could even say he had nurtured the first scientist in the world of Xianxia…

Aside from Shi Gonghu, there were also several subordinates of the Nanzhao generals accompanying him to the Central Plains.

The young man, Tang Yu, was another of his adopted sons. Having learned from the disastrous consequences of Shi Jieren's upbringing, Shi Gonghu was far stricter in raising Tang Yu.

Tang Yu's rigid and dogmatic nature even surpassed that of Liu Jinyuan, who was a scholar.

Seeing Tang Yu walking toward him, Chu Yang's mind turned with new ideas.

Right now, Zhao Ling'er's whereabouts were unknown, and having an extra helping hand would be beneficial. With this in mind, Chu Yang took the initiative to speak.

"Are you all heading to Immortal Spirit Island to find someone?"

Tang Yu abruptly halted, his face showing shock.

At the front of the group, Shi Gonghu also turned around and stared at Chu Yang.

In an instant, the entire group turned to face them, exuding an oppressive aura.

Xu Changqing sensed that something was off. Recalling their previous encounters with Lunar Sect Cult followers, he mistakenly assumed that these people were also members of the cult.

A cold glint flashed as he drew his sword!

Xu Changqing said icily, "You lot really are like lingering ghosts, never going away!"

Shi Gonghu's subordinates all unsheathed their weapons in unison. They wielded curved blades identical to those used by Lunar Sect Cult followers.

At this sight, even Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but draw his sword, readying himself for battle.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Chu Yang looked at Xu Changqing in confusion. "Do you guys have a grudge or something?"

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