Chapter 40 I'm going to kill you! Night is falling in Peach Blossom Valley...

Night was falling in Peach Blossom Valley. The sun, not very bright, was hazy and set silently. The wind blew against Shi Wen's bare legs and lifted her tattered clothes, bringing a gradual chill.

The pond stretched as far as the eye could see. The three of them stood at the very edge, gazing at the other edge. Shi Wenzhe held a lotus flower instead of a lotus flower, which Ming Shu had picked for her after she had failed several times in her spell practice.

He seemed to have given up on Shi Wenzhe, looking at her with disappointment the whole way, sighing and complaining. Shi Wenzhe kept her mouth shut and dared not speak, only keeping her head down and following behind Qin Wenxue, looking at the tips of her shoes.

Ming Shu couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he picked a withered lotus seedpod. Shi Wenzhe stretched his head out from about two miles away and got very close to the lotus seedpod, as if he wanted to copy Ming Shu's finger technique exactly. The lotus seedpod was rough and mottled, and it would almost crumble into dust if you squeezed it, but it was lush and green under Ming Shu's fingertips, blooming with layers of light pink petals, and a sweet fragrance wafted over.

"Here you go." Ming Shu casually tossed it to her, kindly advising her, "Don't be too hasty. Practice makes perfect, you know? Just practice more, and..." He teased Shi Wenzhe by pointing at the lotus petals, looking at her with tender eyes, and smiled, "You're just a little white flower, you need to practice your demonic power more too."

Shi Wenzhe blushed instantly, feeling that Ming Shu was truly dissolute, actually seducing others in broad daylight, ugh, in the dead of night, it was really... unbearable to watch.

Actually, Shi Wenzhe had secretly taken a few glances at it, and sure enough, people tend to raise dogs that resemble their kind of owners; even their appearance and temperament were somewhat similar.

She twirled the lotus flower in her hand, growing more and more delighted. The flower was so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful. It was as if Shi Wenzhe could see the entire lotus pond that Linglong had mentioned through this single flower.

Shi Wenzhe thought to himself, "So this magic can not only bring withered trees back to life, but also make all things grow."

My heart was trembling, and my emotions were stirring.

In that moment of distraction, Qin Wenxue's fingertips twitched slightly, touching a withered lotus seedpod. A flash of white light appeared, transforming into countless silver butterflies. The butterflies danced in the darkness, fluttering from his fingertips, shimmering with light, and then hovering in mid-air above the entire pond. In an instant, the hundred-mile-long withered lotus pond burst into bloom as if a spring breeze had arrived overnight.

The fragrance of flowers filled the entire pond, drifting upwards and reaching all the way to the distant ninth heaven.

The vibrant colors were frozen in her eyes. Shi Wenzhe was lost in thought, her mind filled with images of Qin Wenxue's ethereal figure amidst the lotus blossoms on the crisscrossing paths.

Silver butterflies fluttered their wings in mid-air, the rustling sound even more distinct than the fluttering of lotus leaves, each flutter striking her heart. They danced and lingered around Qin Wenxue, half-dreaming, half-real.

Shi Wen murmured, her lips twitching, and said rather pathetically, "So beautiful." It was unclear whether she was praising the scenery or the person's beauty.

Ming Shu was utterly shocked. This was the first time Qin Wenxue had acted on her own whim. The moonlight was not alluring, but the scene inexplicably made one want to burst into tears.

He opened his mouth and said something silently. Shi Wenzhe only heard a soft whisper in his ear, very light and shallow, with a wistful tone but a somewhat happy expression.

"Will I be able to bloom a little flower in the future?" she asked softly, pursing her lips.

Ming Shu didn't answer the question, but suddenly asked, "Can you bear the consequences?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking at Ming Shu's absent-minded eyes, thinking that he had remembered some sad past events and suddenly sighed, so she didn't say anything more.

Qin Wenxue never looked back, walking alone in front of him. The large lotus leaves almost swallowed his figure. She and Ming Shu followed closely behind, peeling away the layers of lotus leaves. It was like seeing the sun after the clouds had parted, and their mood suddenly became happy. They also found it interesting.

This is a dream that can make one lose sleep, a dream whose scenes make one want to cherish it for a lifetime, but in the blink of an eye, it shatters like a bubble, leaving one to watch it vanish in vain, without even a trace.

Shi Wenzhe sat down on the big rock, still lost in thought, savoring the moment.

Qin Wenxue was already sitting under a withered tree, tidying his clothes. Ming Shu also sat down quietly, as he always had, keeping him company without making a fuss, and looked up at the lonely moonlight.

The night wind was a bit chilly, and the sandstorm had picked up again. But Qingming dutifully shone, enveloping the area in a protective barrier. Shi Wenzhe wasn't cold inside the barrier, but the vast desert and the endless darkness made her feel somewhat bored.

Even when the beauty was grooming herself, every gesture she made exuded boundless allure, and she would often be seen staring at him like a lovesick fool, her chin resting on her hand.

Ming Shu's sharp gaze was practically piercing her into a skeleton, yet she remained completely oblivious.

The sweet taste of lotus seeds lingered in her mouth. All the way here, she had been staring intently at Qin Wenxue's back, so she had unknowingly peeled a lot of lotus seeds and not wasted a single one; they all ended up in her stomach.

The campfire crackled and popped, the night was deep, and the Qingming barrier was warm and peaceful. Shi Wenzhe, having eaten and drunk his fill, just wanted to sleep.

She huddled beside the rock, her eyes wide open and staring unblinkingly at Qin Wenxue, but her pupils were hazy and tears were glistening.

Qin Wenxue suddenly looked back, silent and still, as if asking a question in silence.

Shi Wenzhe subconsciously rubbed against the stone wall he was leaning against, curled up into a comfortable position, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness and drifted off to sleep.

Ming Shu: "?"

"Asleep?" he exclaimed in shock. "How could she fall asleep like that?"

He rubbed his eyes and thought that Shi Wenzhe was truly a divine person, whose words and actions were so unexpected.

He chuckled, but his lips turned down, as if he were enduring some pain. Ever since he crossed the lotus pond, his body had been faintly heating up, and his demon core was spinning rapidly inside him, as if it were about to explode.

Deep underground in Peach Blossom Valley, something seemed to be silently attracting him, making him want to dig three feet into the ground to find it.

Ming Shu had a bad feeling. He bit his lip and pondered for a long time, and could only come to the conclusion that he had a deep connection with his hometown. He patted the dog's head, sighed and glanced at Qin Wenxue. Qin Wenxue's face was calm and her eyes were lowered, as if she had not noticed anything.

He suppressed his urge to confide in his superiors and enjoyed a moment of peace.

Just kidding, he's a very clean dog.

His primary task now is to transform into a puppy, curl up on Qin Wenxue's neck, and have a good sleep.

Shi Wenzhe had a dream in which a beautiful woman dressed in white and pink kept talking to her. The woman's face was blurry, and she couldn't really see what she looked like, but Shi Wenzhe had a feeling that she was a beauty, the kind of beauty that was peerless and unparalleled in the world.

He patted Shi Wenzhe's shoulder gently, as if afraid of hurting her. Shi Wenzhe smiled mischievously and told him not to be gentle with her, that it didn't matter if he hit her hard.

The other person simply shook their head and smiled, their hair trembling slightly as it fell down and landed on Shi Wenzhe's fingertips.

Shi Wenzhe took the opportunity to pinch it; it was icy cold. Her mind and eyes were filled with the beauty's moving lips, but Shi Wenzhe couldn't hear what he was saying. She was a little anxious and shouted a reminder, her voice echoing in the dark and empty space.

Seeing her anxious face but helpless, the beauty gradually stopped and just quietly watched her. For some reason, Shi Wenzhe suddenly saw the sadness and helplessness in the other's eyes. His eyes were red at the corners and were extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes, but there was pain in his eyes and tears were about to fall.

The air seemed to thin out, and Shi Wenzhe cried out in anguish, as if he could hardly breathe, watching the beauty gradually fade away.

"What did you say? I can't hear you! Please say it again, don't go, don't go!"

Shi Wenzhe cried and made a scene, irrationally throwing a tantrum at the air, but still couldn't stop the beauty from disappearing.

When I woke up again, I smelled the damp cold under my body and was holding a lump of mud that I had grabbed from somewhere.

She stared at the mud for a long time, unable to come to her senses. The anxiety and helplessness in her heart were about to engulf her. A tear fell, wetting the mud in her palm, and more and more water droplets fell.

Shi Wenzhe looked up and saw that a light drizzle was falling from the sky. The drizzle gradually grew heavier, and a strong wind blew, blowing away the bangs that were hanging down her forehead and revealing her beautiful and delicate eyebrows and eyes.

"It's raining." She thought. She had been in the Demon Realm for so long, and this was the first time she had ever seen rain. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be wet and continuous when it rained. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Water droplets dampened her face, and pearls clung to her eyelashes. A cool breeze dispelled the heat that had gathered on her body. All around was silent and pitch black. Only then did Shi Wenzhe realize that she had arrived in a place that was both strange and familiar.

It was that pond, where the lotus flowers were still blooming, exuding a rich fragrance. The lotus leaves fluttered in the wind, and the petals trembled slightly, almost bending over.

Shi Wenzhe's body stiffened; she didn't know how she had suddenly appeared in this place while sleeping soundly. "How did she get here? Was she sleepwalking? Where are Qin Wenxue and Ming Shu?"

The suffocating darkness was about to engulf her. She stood up, trembling, and was about to walk towards the center of the lotus pond.

The muddy water silently soaked her shoes and socks, then her ankles and dress.

The sound of her feet splashing through the water was amplified infinitely in the darkness, amplifying her fear as well.

A cool breeze blew behind her, but she dared not turn around, half of her body almost swallowed by the lotus pond.

"I want you dead—!" A strange and ruthless male voice rang out as he screamed and launched indiscriminate attacks on those around him.

Countless unfamiliar cries of panic rang out one after another, but most of them were the voices of children.

Shi Wenzhe looked at the broken flower petals being swept up in mid-air and hurriedly ran towards the source of the sound.

"Please don't kill him, I beg you, Anan! He can still be saved! He was just controlled by malevolent energy and accidentally hurt you. Please don't kill him, please don't kill him! Ah—!"

"Get out of the way, little rabbit! That wolf has gone mad! She's gone mad! She doesn't recognize you anymore!"

"No, Brother Willow Tree can save her!"

"It's hopeless! Don't you know that demons controlled by malevolent energy only meet death? Look into her eyes, she's lost all sense of reason!"

"Aaaaaaaahh ...

The mournful cries echoed in the darkness. Shi Wenzhe was frantic with worry. She fell several times in the lotus pond, turning into a mud doll. Water droplets streamed down her hair. Her lips were pale and colorless. Out of the corner of her eye, she could already see the child's back.

Shi Wenzhe stretched out his palm to stop it, but saw the sword pierce through the chest of the person in front of him. The sword light was fierce, and blood spurted out, spraying onto the child's face, leaving a face ashen.

She was indeed completely out of her mind; her pupils were unfocused, the whites of her eyes covered her entire eye sockets, blood vessels were everywhere, and her whole body was emanating a thick black mist.

The child's face was filled with astonishment, and his scream pierced the sky, followed by pitiful and resentful cries, each one almost bleeding.