Chapter 71 The War Between Immortals and Demons (Part Two) That night...

That night, it rained. The rain condensed into black mist, making the ground incredibly dirty, but when it sprinkled on the peach trees, they looked as if they were newly born, fresh and beautiful. Perhaps the rain took away the black mist, allowing Peach Blossom Valley to see the moon, which hadn't been seen for decades.

The moon remains unchanged, still hanging high on the branches, looking down on humanity and the sins of humankind.

Zhao Hua sat on the treetop for a long time, looking up as the moon was gradually obscured by the black mist once again.

Shi Wenzhe wished he could rush out and use all his strength to try to keep Yue Liang, so that at least Zhao Hua could have a smile.

He said he regretted it.

He said he shouldn't have been so harsh on him, shouldn't have been so headstrong, and shouldn't have disobeyed him.

He said he wasn't a good older brother; he hadn't protected Linglong, and he couldn't even protect Peach Blossom Valley...

Zhao Hua said a lot, each word hitting Shi Wenzhe's heart like a hole, bleeding profusely.

She didn't know what had happened between Linglong and Zhaohua, but something must have happened that caused them both pain and regret.

The children in the tribe sensed the adults' unusual emotions and obediently quieted down.

Fengxue and Nanwu are now capable of standing on their own, following behind Suiyuan, killing enemies and saving their people. Their eyes grow brighter day by day, and the flames of revenge they have ignited are growing larger and larger, gradually threatening to set the peaceful tribe ablaze and drag it into the vortex of storms.

Nine days later, Linglong returned to Peach Blossom Valley covered in wounds. He collapsed outside the barrier of the Nine-Layered Purple Lotus and was brought back by Liu Mian, who was out treating her clansmen.

Zhao Hua touched his blood-soaked face with trembling hands. Linglong looked as if he had just been pulled out of the blood, his face completely pale, so white that it was terrifying.

The situation was originally sad and heavy, but a majestic and awe-inspiring humming sound emanated from Linglong and echoed in the valley, like ripples on the surface of water when a drop of water falls on the surface.

Linglong suddenly opened her eyes, looking at Zhaohua with a smile, seemingly content, and said with difficulty, "Don't...worry. Zhaohua. I can protect you..."

He spoke very softly, so weak that he could barely form complete sentences, but the light in his eyes was so bright. Then a silver light flashed from his hand, and a long and sharp silver spear stood in front of Zhaohua, as if fulfilling Linglong's promise of unwavering protection. The aura it emitted was so quiet that it was almost secretive, silently rotating beside Zhaohua.

When Ani Qiang Jiangxue entered the world, she often heard Zhe's tears fall like rain.

Linglong's retrieval of Jiangxue was like a divine intervention in this great battle. The cubs were also growing up and were able to protect their home and family members. In particular, Nanwu and Fengxue were brave, skilled in battle, calm, and decisive. Even Danfeng couldn't help but think that perhaps this war would really take a turn for the better.

Zhaohua has become much more cheerful and can even find some sweetness in the turbulent Peach Blossom Valley, smiling gently.

The peach tree still stood, but it had shrunk considerably. However, the peach blossoms were still as beautiful as ever. Linglong, the kingfisher, was sleeping in the tree as before.

To Shi Wenzhe's surprise, Qingzhu's entire demeanor became more profound, like Mother Earth, but the sorrow between her brows grew heavier, and she spent her days gazing at the village at the foot of the mountain, lost in thought. Liu Mian followed her to learn medicine, and on the battlefield, they found many demons with missing limbs but still clinging to life, bringing them back to their tribe. The tribe began to feel like home, and life within it became more vibrant, as if everything was getting better.

But accidents always happen before expectations.

That was the fiftieth winter of the war between immortals and demons. Peach Blossom Valley had never seen snow before, but on the winter solstice of that year, a heavy snow suddenly fell. The human world was bustling with life, so happy that it brought tears to one's eyes, but Peach Blossom Valley was cold and desolate. The heavy snow seemed to be the mercy of the heavens for the demon race, covering up the many wounds of Peach Blossom Valley, covering up the black mist and bloodstains, as well as the withered flowers, grass and trees.

A heavy snowfall buried all the evils. Linglong flew down from the peach tree, and in a flash of white light, she appeared as a dashing and elegant gentleman, so dignified and handsome. His emerald green clothes stood out against the white snow, as if the world was an ice field, and he was the only green on the ice field, the only life, the only hope.

The peach tree shook its leaves, rustling all over the mountain. Peach blossoms fell, flying over the empty valley and the broken stream, reaching a village a hundred miles away, a colorful display of fallen petals.

This snowfall was exceptionally beautiful, even more so than the one that fell with Qin Wenxue. It was a similar snowfall when she used her purifying power to cleanse the malevolent energy in the valley. The frost that formed on Qin Wenxue's brows became a secret she dared not utter.

Shi Wenzhe sighed, her heart filled with anxiety. A feeling of helplessness and despair spread through her, making her feel suffocated.

The longer this storyline about Linglong and Zhaohua's lives goes, the tighter it will become, and the closer it will get to their originally regrettable ending. But everything has just started to get better, and there is just hope. Can Linglong withstand any unexpected events involving Zhaohua?

What exactly caused this? What was his fate? Why did Linglong become such a great demon? His inner demons... were so stubborn.

In the sixty-eighth year of the war between immortals and demons, Luo Yunsheng, having cultivated some evil path, also obtained a world-renowned divine sword that stirred up the winds and clouds, named Hongli. If that sword had fallen into the hands of a virtuous person, it would surely have been as pure as the bright moon and gentle breeze. However, Luo Yunsheng's heart was black, and the spirit born from Hongli was equally cruel and bloodthirsty, overturning the almost predetermined ending.

With Linglong captured, the people of Peach Blossom Valley were filled with panic, and the demons began to have a cowardly desire to flee.

Zhao Hua sat under the peach tree day after day, waiting. Shi Wenzhe could sense that he actually wanted to go find Linglong, but he didn't know when it started, Zhao Hua's soul couldn't even leave the peach tree more than ten meters away. Before, he could still roam the earth, even as a wisp of soul.

The peach tree, rooted in the earth, a peach tree carrying the hope of life, became, at this moment, a cage imprisoning his soul and freedom.

There is no way to have it all in this world.

Since killing Danfeng's disciple, Qingzhu has never seen him again, and she also unusually came down the mountain that time.

The words of request seemed particularly difficult to utter, but Qingzhu spoke from the bottom of her heart, almost as if she were laying her heart bare for Danfeng to see. However, Danfeng remained unmoved, and Qingzhu finally stopped speaking under his cold gaze.

Shi Wenzhe floated to the side, watching the silence and stalemate surrounding the two, and sighed with melancholy.

After her one-sided farewell to Qingzhu at Qianliwan, she never returned to Zhaohua's side.

This was a journey known only to her, undertaken with unwavering courage and a determination to bring Linglong back.

The snow fell for three days, drifting between heaven and earth in the quiet, as if she were all alone.

She finally had the time and space to properly observe Zhao Yao.

Linglong was imprisoned deep within the village. Forty years had passed since she first arrived. Back then, she had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the village as she hurried down the mountain, but at least she could make out the scattered houses and patches of greenery. Now, however, the village was a desolate wasteland. Most of the houses were dilapidated and on the verge of collapse. The ground was damp and filthy, and all was silent, with a thick black fog obscuring the sky.

Shi Wenzhe's heart sank. This place was like a hell that devoured people without spitting out their bones. When Linglong was captured, would she be afraid? She couldn't help but worry about Linglong. Her ethereal body began to dissipate, like a cloud of mist.

Shi Wen had been wandering around for a long time without seeing a single person. Even evil spirits and heretics are human, and it's impossible for them to be without traces of social life. However, the tire tracks on the ground were deep and complete, extending all the way to the end of the road, like an eternal mountain.

She murmured, "Why does it look like a ghost village? Linglong, linglong, linglong...where is it?"

Shi Wenzhe had a headache. The village wasn't big at all, but she had circled around and around without seeing a single person. "Where is everyone? Where is everyone?!"

She was so anxious that she spun around in mid-air, panicked and helpless. It seemed like she hadn't experienced this kind of anxiety for thousands of years.

In retrospect, Qin Wenxue's various adventures in Peach Blossom Valley felt like a false dream. She had been awake from the dream for so long that she could hardly remember those things anymore.

Suddenly, a surge of anxiety and nameless anger welled up inside her, burning her more and more intensely and making her increasingly distressed.

Suddenly, a chaotic chorus of bells rang out in the village, the sound drifting through the empty village like a jumble of marbles bouncing in a sealed glass jar.

It's very noisy.

Shi Wenzhe couldn't even tell where the bell sound was coming from. She suddenly felt dizzy, and her soul dissipated like mist in the void, stubbornly kneading and pulling, and finally condensing back into a ball, as if she had been beaten up. She felt very tired.

Shi Wen's eyes were lifeless, and his body floated stiffly until he arrived in front of an empty house.

The house was unusually intact and ancient, a house built of blue bricks, gloomy and spacious compared to the other dilapidated mud houses around it. Shi Wenzhe's eyes were unfocused, and his hands stretched out straight out, about to push the door open, but he came to his senses when he touched the copper ring on the door.

But the door creaked open automatically as she moved.

Shi Wenzhe smelled a rotten and disgusting odor, like chicken blood spread on every wall and floor tile, which, after drying, emitted a fishy and foul smell.

It was so disgusting that Shi Wenzhe almost threw up while leaning against the wall.

She leaned weakly against the wall to support herself, rolled up her eyelids, and her lower eyelids made her look somewhat fierce. She looked up at the main room, which faced the front door and was wide open. The room was gloomy and cold, and Shi Wenzhe could feel it even from a distance. There were two cups of steaming tea on the table, as if it were a trap to lure Shi Wenzhe in, knowing that he would come.

Shi Wenzhe felt a... no... many gazes, filled with malice, scrutiny, and curiosity, being cast upon her from all directions.

She suddenly shivered.

She was a ghost who came to Peach Blossom Valley a thousand years ago. No one should be able to see her, and no one should know about her. This sudden scrutiny gave her a bad feeling.