Thus, Li Mohan found a suitable opportunity to "awaken." He was no longer the helpless child he once was, whose father was manipulated and who stood completely alone. His wings were now fully grown, and he possessed the strength to vie for the position of Palace Master against the Grand Elder's faction. Naturally, he would not bear to see Mu Zhizhi suffer any grievances.
Heaven knew how panicked and terrified he was when he received the news from Biyun Mountain that Mu Zhizhi had gone missing.
Fortunately, a trace of his spiritual energy remained on Mu Zhizhi, allowing him to track her down so quickly.
Mu Zhizhi looked around in fear. She had seen dead bodies before, but she had never witnessed such a horrifying and bloody massacre. "Mohan, it's... it's so scary here. I want to go back."
Li Mohan said, "Don't be afraid. I'll take you back."
Li Mohan picked Mu Zhizhi up in his arms and walked out of the blood-stained doors.
As the stench of blood spread, many cultivators in the city gathered around. They were all deeply shocked, wondering which demon possessed such cruel methods.
Upon seeing Li Mohan emerge carrying Mu Zhizhi, the crowd broke into fervent discussion.
"Isn't that the Young Master of the Heaven's Desire Palace?"
"I heard about it. His wife went missing. Could she have been abducted by the Evergreen Sect?"
"The Evergreen Sect has committed many atrocities, but they sure have some nerve targeting the Young Madam of the Heaven's Desire Palace."
"I heard the Young Master and Young Madam are deeply in love. This must be a case of the Young Master flying into a rage for the sake of his beloved!"
"Heavens, the Young Master treats the Young Madam so well. If only I could find a Dao companion willing to unleash such fury for me."
Listening to the crowd's chatter and looking at Li Mohan's handsome face, Mu Zhizhi felt a sweet and joyful warmth in her heart.
So he had killed all these people just for her.
Suddenly, the bloody scene didn't seem so terrifying anymore. "Mohan, you're so good to me."
Li Mohan also heard the crowd's remarks. However, looking at the person in his arms, his thoughts shifted. For some reason, he chose not to clarify the misunderstanding. Instead, he said affectionately:
"Zhizhi, if anyone makes you shed a single tear, I will slaughter an entire city."
Late at night, all was silent.
Cangshu Bai restored his original appearance and changed into the green robes she was so familiar with. He sat quietly by the edge of the bed, watching the sleeping figure. The tenderness in his eyes slowly melted away.
After an unknown amount of time, Mu Ran's brows furrowed tightly in her deep sleep. Her breathing grew rapid as she clutched the quilt tightly. Then, her eyes snapped open.
"Jinzhi!"
In that very instant, she was pulled into a familiar and warm embrace. Warm breath brushed the top of her head, and a deep, incredibly gentle voice comforted her over and over again.
"I'm here, Ranran. I'm here."
She raised her hands to grip his lapels desperately, her knuckles turning white as if she were clinging to the only piece of driftwood in the world. The fear and despair from her nightmare still lingered in her heart. Her eyes grew hot, and tears rolled down without warning, dampening the fabric on his chest.
"Jinzhi... I dreamed..." Her voice trembled, so choked with sobs that she couldn't finish her sentence. She just kept shrinking into his embrace. "I was so scared... so scared I couldn't find you..."
Cangshu Bai tightened his arms, holding her securely against him. With one hand, he gently stroked her back, and with the other, he smoothed her sweat-dampened hair. His movements were slow and reassuring.
"Don't be afraid. It was just a dream." He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "I won't leave, and I certainly won't leave you all alone."
Leaning against his chest, Mu Ran's sobs gradually subsided, though she still felt a bit dazed.
She tried hard to recall what had happened today. She only remembered hearing the news that Cangshu Bai had entered the Evergreen Sect. She had been extremely anxious, and then, as if she had blacked out from drunkenness, the next thing she knew, she had opened her eyes and was back here.
As if sensing her confusion, Cangshu Bai said softly, "I heard from the old lady at the end of the alley that you fainted from anxiety after learning I had entered the Evergreen Sect. She was the one who carried you back."
Mu Ran looked up in confusion. "Is that so?"
Cangshu Bai replied, "If you don't believe me, we can go ask her when it gets light."
Mu Ran shook her head and lowered it again, burying her face in his chest. "I believe whatever you tell me."
Cangshu Bai rested his chin on the top of her head and stroked her dark hair. He lowered his eyes, his lips pressed slightly together, a hint of unnaturalness flickering across his expression.
Mu Ran asked with a muffled voice, "Did you really go to the Evergreen Sect?"
"I heard the Evergreen Sect had a medicine that could cure all ailments. As a healer, I wanted to see it. However, they felt my natural aptitude was poor. After tricking me out of my jade pendant, they refused to actually let me see the divine medicine. Since that was the case, I didn't stay long. I left before even entering their gates."
Mu Ran said, "You were right to leave. What proper sect recruits disciples so indiscriminately? There is definitely something wrong with them. They might even be demonic cultivators. If you had really gone in, I'm afraid you wouldn't have come back."
"You're right. It's a good thing I didn't go in."
Mu Ran propped herself up again, lifting her tear-misted eyes. "Jinzhi, you've never been in those large sects. You don't know that while those people may look glamorous on the outside, they engage in countless shady deeds behind the scenes to increase their cultivation. It's entirely possible... possible that someone who smiled warmly at you yesterday would scheme against you today, leaving not even your bones behind."
Cangshu Bai said, "How terrifying."
"Exactly, it's that terrifying!" Mu Ran grabbed his hand, her face filled with urgency. "You are an honest person. Boss Hu makes you run around doing all the work, and you don't even know how to slack off or take small advantages. You can't outsmart those people. If something happened to you... if something happened to you..."
She widened her eyes, trying to look fierce. "I absolutely wouldn't care about you!"
She wanted to scare him, but her tear-filled eyes were too soft, lacking any deterrence and instead appearing somewhat comical.
Cangshu Bai's fingertips gently touched the corner of her eye. The redness from her earlier resolve to perish together with her "husband's murderer" still lingered there.
His dark eyes were like a calm abyss, yet they hid an increasingly thick paranoia and possessiveness.
With a soft chuckle, he said, "Mhm, I know. If something happens to me, you absolutely won't care."
Mu Ran tugged at his lapels. "So you must, must, must cherish your life. Do you understand?"
Cangshu Bai nodded obediently. "I understand."
Only then did Mu Ran relax and lean back into his embrace, bumping against his chest. The candlelight in the room was bright. As her gaze swept over him, she suddenly noticed a faint bloodstain blossoming on his clothes over his chest.
She quickly sat up straight and pulled open his clothes, revealing a split wound on his chest. "What happened? You're hurt!"
Cangshu Bai said, "On my way back, I accidentally fell and was cut by a sharp stone."
The wound had originally stopped bleeding, but because Mu Ran had been leaning against him and occasionally rubbing against it, the cut had split open again, seeping blood.
Mu Ran was both angry and anxious. "Your wound split open! Don't you feel any pain?"
Cangshu Bai leaned down, his dark hair cascading around him. With lowered eyes, he gazed at her with a submissive yet intense focus. His eyes brimmed with an unfathomable affection, as if he were perfectly content to be nothing more than a puppet, obediently leaving himself entirely at her mercy.
The young man's voice was soft, laced with a slightly morbid, husky undertone. "Dote on me a little more, and the pain will go away, alright?"
For some inexplicable reason, Mu Ran felt a sudden shiver run down her spine.
