Chapter 296: Conspiracy? Accident?
Chapter 296: Conspiracy? Accident?
“Miss Su, what’s wrong?” Xiao Fan asked proactively when he saw the girl motionless. The concern in his words was evident.
Chichi Su came to her senses and gave an embarrassed yet polite smile. “It’s nothing, I just feel like this place seems a bit familiar.”
Xiao Fan didn’t understand, but he still smiled, “These outposts are all similar. Perhaps Miss Su has seen them somewhere else before.”
Chichi Su shook her head and didn’t say more. Her emotions were clearly low. She just walked silently through the ruins, occasionally stopping to gaze around.
In the evening, the group returned to the town and rested in the pre-arranged mansion.
At midnight, Chichi Su left the mansion alone and returned to the outpost. The moon and stars were bright, the mountain wind blew, carrying a mournful sound, like ghosts crying. This added to the eeriness of the already strange environment.
She didn’t wait long before a shadow quickly attacked. The other party stopped before the girl, completely hidden beneath black clothing, its movements very mysterious.
Chichi Su looked at this thing of unknown gender, person, or ghost, and said coldly, “If you can’t produce the so-called evidence, don’t blame me for being ruthless and taking your dog life.”
“The Image Stone can’t be faked!” it said fiercely. The voice was a hiss, sounding like an animal imitating human speech. “I accidentally dropped the Image Stone in Su Family Village back then, and who knew it would record such a horrifying scene.”
Chichi Su fell silent after hearing this. An Image Stone could not be faked; it was a treasure belonging to the laws of heaven. How could a cultivator alter it? Her Master had also said that an Image Stone was like the Spirit Platform that cultivators must build to cultivate – it existed naturally, how could it be faked?
“If you don’t believe it, how could you have come tonight!”
“You believe it, but you don’t want to believe it. How long will you continue to deceive yourself!” The voice suddenly became urgent.
Chichi Su lowered her head and suddenly said, “Give me the Image Stone. I want to see it myself again.”
“Wake up! The Image Stone has been in your hands for three years. How many more times do you need to confirm it!” With these last urgent words, the figure disappeared from the ruins. Only a face, flickering in the moonlight, remained. In her hand, dangling beside her, she tightly gripped a palm-sized raw stone. The stone was emitting a faint, weak light. It was a sign that the Image Stone was activated.
…
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As Qingli Chu narrated, Chen An gradually got a general understanding of her story with the fox demon. Back in Luoyang, the fox demon hadn’t harmed Qingli Chu. It had only used some “insignificant” minor means as punishment, but it had never truly hurt her. Because of this, Qingli Chu’s inherent impression of demons had changed slightly. She began to inquire and ask around locally, and most of the evaluations she received were positive. Thus, she felt a sense of guilt towards the fox demon. This guilt turned into an impulse when Qingli Chu learned that the fox demon had been captured by Kunlun disciples one day. On impulse, she traveled a thousand miles to rescue it. But how could the disciples of a prestigious sect like Kunlun be ordinary opponents? Although Qingli Chu’s cultivation was considered excellent among the younger generation, they were not pushovers either. Especially when they were numerous, Qingli Chu fighting against many relied entirely on her rich combat experience and her resilient body, repeatedly battered by Chen An, to be able to hold on, rescue the fox demon, and then travel a thousand miles with it to find Chen An for a cure. Chen An couldn’t help but sigh. If Qingli Chu’s gender were swapped, wouldn’t this be a classic script for a fantasy male protagonist? Perhaps even a story of undying love between human and demon would unfold.
“So, when you set out back then, did you never consider not returning?” Faced with Chen An’s question, Qingli Chu appeared very hesitant. After much fidgeting, she stammered, “I, I might have considered it…” Her eyes flickered, and she looked at Chen An with anticipation, hoping he would continue to ask. But to her surprise, Chen An just nodded and asked no further questions, as if he lacked any normal human curiosity. Qingli Chu gritted her teeth silently. The promise of marrying her if she returned alive remained unspoken.
Not long after, Chen An returned to the room. This room had previously been used by Chichi Su. Now that Chichi Su was gone, he arranged for the woman and the demon to stay there temporarily as a resting place. He said to the woman lying on the bed, “Come, I’ll help you sort out the spiritual energy in your body. Otherwise, before long, you’ll end up with your cultivation ruined.”
Upon hearing this, Qingli Chu blushed for some unknown reason. This was undoubtedly extremely rare. Chen An had only seen her face flush like this when he had made her blood surge with injuries, in simpler terms, when she was on the verge of vomiting blood from being beaten. So Chen An frowned and walked quickly to the bedside.
“What’s wrong?” He placed his hand on the woman’s chest, and extremely pure spiritual energy flowed within. After a moment, Chen An relaxed his brow. He then looked at Qingli Chu with some confusion, “Your condition hasn’t worsened.”
She remained silent, only blushing and pushing his hand away. Then she whispered softly, “Let me do it myself.”
Chen An was a bit bewildered. “Do what?” Qingli Chu answered him with action. She placed the white fox on the inner side of the bed. The fox demon was seriously injured and was still sleeping. This was the demon race’s self-protection mechanism. Chen An could forcibly wake it, but he felt there was no need. Since it was here with him, it could sleep peacefully. Then Qingli Chu sat up, extended a slightly trembling hand, and gently pulled at the ribbon at her waist. The sky-blue fabric suddenly became dazzlingly white.
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The small town below the mountain was called Yunji Town. After three years of tempering in the mortal world, Chichi Su finally chose to face her heart and embarked on her journey home. She traveled day and night, once again ascending the familiar mountain. As for the path to the valley, there was no need to mention it. Even the flowers and grasses along the way were vividly remembered. Everything. It seemed like nothing had changed, yet it also seemed like something was different. The girl had been speeding along, but as she got closer to the valley, her heart became increasingly uneasy. She landed, and only the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet made Chichi Su feel even a sliver of reality. She passed through the forest where she often annoyed the tiger spirit as a child. She walked past the lake she had personally named “The Great Lake.” No matter how slowly she walked, she finally arrived nearby. Chichi Su made up her mind. She would go find her Master now and ask for a clear explanation. Were these many years of upbringing and companionship truly just an accident? Or, to describe it with the word “conspiracy,” would it be more fitting?
(End of this chapter)
