Chapter 183 The moonlight struggles to rush towards you.

It felt like I was back in my teenage years.

I mixed them up, or I forgot.

It wasn't that her mother didn't care about her; on the contrary, she cared too much. Memories overlapping with her past life began to surface, and the coldness around her vanished the moment her shaky vision went out. Her consciousness met with the surge of fear rising within her body.

In middle school, I gained the freedom to go to and from school alone. Before that, although I knew the route by heart, I had never walked it alone. Thinking about it, my mother's name is so similar to Luo Yang's, "Huan Zhi," which also means a deep, vast ocean.

In her childhood, it was mostly women who held her hand. Unlike other elders, Qiao Yan Shen remembered that Qiao Huan Zhi always held her hand very tightly, not as if gently leading her back, but as if binding her with a chain. This chain pierced through her skin, binding her and her mother together with the same blood and flesh, and every moment of struggle would be accompanied by excruciating pain.

Looking back, it was actually her mother who held her hand too tightly—as if she were completely unskilled at holding a child's hand, she simply followed her instincts and kept Qiao Yanshen firmly by her side.

So while other children could fly kites and run around outside, she could only quietly find something to do within Qiao Huanzhi's sight.

Anything is fine, as long as I don't leave her sight.

Unfortunately, such situations are prone to accidents. After all, he was just a child then, and being too strict would have the opposite effect. He couldn't remember why he sneaked out, and when he returned, he naturally had to be punished. But before the punishment, he saw his mother's face, paler and sadder than ever before. Her usually somber brows seemed to have been ripped open, and the fear in her eyes was mixed with the joy of regaining what she had lost, forming a well that young Qiao Yanshen could not understand.

She probably doesn't understand what the complexities are in there.

Then she was grounded—so many times that it now felt strangely familiar, as if her mother were still there. She got up, walked down the hallway, and saw her in the living room, typing away on the keyboard.

But all around was just a cramped, deep blue, and occasionally a cold wind would blow through the window, bringing a desolate atmosphere into the place.

Qiao Yanshen raised his head and sighed.

She is currently on the top floor of the tower prison on Xuanxu Peak.

The higher you climb, the colder it gets; it is indeed very cold here. Her mother, when she confined her, couldn't bear to see her suffer, but now it's not confinement, it's imprisonment. If her story tomorrow isn't plausible, the best outcome will likely be the destruction of her meridians, rendering her unable to cultivate ever again.

Worst...

She leaned against the wall, trying to stand up, but hearing the rattling of the chains on her hands, she slowly sat back down. The chains restricted all her spiritual power, which was why she felt cold and dizzy.

I recalled the boy's bright golden eyes during the day.

Thoughts mingled, and her heart grew increasingly turbulent. Qiao Yanshen raised her hand, her fingertips pressing against her brow, but she couldn't suppress the rising bitterness. She was always like this… Yes, she had broken her promise to Shen Lixia again, even though she knew the young man would forgive her. But what was the point of receiving this forgiveness if she never saw her junior sister again after today?

But if I could go back to that time, I would still make the same choice. The person who set the trap was clever; they knew she was meticulous and didn't give her a chance to weigh the pros and cons. Even if she had the time to weigh the pros and cons, she would find that there was only one path to take.

As the black mist surged into her palm, Qiao Yanshen finally remembered what she had forgotten. However, she was now in a situation where she couldn't defend herself and was unable to tell the truth.

Fortunately, her master still believed in her. But if Yan Xueya truly wanted to protect her, she would certainly face condemnation and even threats from others. Such overwhelming hatred cannot be extinguished by anyone alone.

With each breath, a chill flows, and wisps of white mist dissipate.

Actually, if we stay here like this, the days will pass quickly, and we'll know the final verdict soon.

With the clanging of chains, Qiao Yanshen stood up.

But she didn't want to wait.

She wanted to see Shen Lixia.

Moreover, if I take all the blame upon myself, my master will not be implicated.

Qiao Yan closed her eyes and slowly sank into her sea of ​​consciousness, probing towards the coldness lurking within her body. Sensing her call, the thick, water-like black mist flowed joyfully, seemingly delighted at the prospect of engulfing the crystal-clear spiritual vein.

She wants to complete this process thoroughly.

Although she didn't know what the outcome would be, and perhaps she would lose all her emotions and become a wandering soul on the verge of death, as long as she clung to her last breath and could see her junior sister one more time, that would be enough.

The remaining outcome isn't that important. Could things be worse than they are now?

Anyway, it's almost a dead end ahead.

The black mist gradually coiled around, eroding the spiritual veins. Surprisingly, there was no tearing pain, only a cool, slightly itchy sensation. It didn't feel like being devoured; it felt more like…

A hug.

The demonic energy from Luochuan was gradually and softly clinging to her along her meridians, embracing her.

Before Qiao Yan could ponder this strangeness, she heard a rustling sound from outside. The sound was very peculiar, more powerful than the flapping of ordinary birds' wings, striking heavily as if each flap was sweeping across and tearing at her heartstrings.

The tower is located higher than the others.

Xuanxu Peak is a suitable place to view the moon among the mountains. Perhaps out of concern for prisoners who are already in a cage and face life and death, the moonlight was allowed to accompany them.

Therefore, this place can receive the brightest moonlight at night.

Who exactly was the newcomer? Countless possibilities raced through Qiao Yanshen's mind, his tension as high as an arrow on a bowstring, about to burst forth as a sharp sword aura.

But the moment the other party revealed themselves, the sword energy shattered silently. Was it really just a coincidence, a truly miraculous coincidence—or perhaps heaven truly heard her heart's desire and brought about this chilling, extravagant, yet tender coincidence?

Shen Lixia leaped lightly and landed steadily in front of Qiao Yanshen. The moonlight outlined her shadow, bright like a slanting silver curtain of water, and a few water droplets flowed into her golden eyes, becoming the tears that filled them.

It was as if millions of stars had fallen at that moment.

This makes the color even more dazzling.

Before, even the most absurd dream Qiao Yanshen had ever had couldn't compare to the suddenness of what was happening before her eyes. She quietly gazed at Shen Lixia Shaoshi, unsure of what to do about the tears welling up in her eyes.

The next moment, she was tightly embraced by a pair of hands. Wings then closed in, driving away all the chill.

Before she could say anything, Shen Lixia spoke first:

"Senior sister."

Qiao Yanshen responded softly.

She stubbornly called out again, "Qiao Yanshen..."

The shout startled everyone. Qiao Yanshen's breath hitched for a moment, and he asked softly, "Are you angry?"

Shen Lixia was silent for a moment—just a moment—before sighing, her voice becoming muffled and indistinct, as if soaked in water. Qiao Yan felt a damp warmth on his shoulder and knew she was crying again.

She gently patted Shen Lixia's back, "I'm sorry."

The resolve I had just made vanished in an instant, disappearing without a trace the moment I saw her. Fear belatedly crept into my heart, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to lose my feelings, nor did I just want to see her once.

Not just a glance, but many fleeting moments, forming the endless years to come. She was greedy; she didn't want to see him just once.

A warm aura, accompanied by the scent of feathers, enveloped Qiao Yanshen.

The boy hugged her tightly and said in a muffled voice, "I'm angry... but I can't be angry now."

At this point, she seemed to find it amusing, and even felt somewhat helpless about herself. In retaliation, she wiped all her tears on her senior sister's shoulder and childishly raised the corners of her lips.

"Actually, I was just thinking that if I saw my senior sister, I would definitely say something—maybe something really hurtful, but I wanted to make sure she couldn't forget it, and that she would feel the same sadness as me. I'm definitely not a kind person, otherwise how could I have such a bad thought? But at that time, I couldn't help but think... Qiao Yanshen is really the worst, the worst person in the world."

She spoke softly, her voice as soft and husky as if it contained fine grains of salt.

"But... I can't explain it. Just the moment I saw my senior sister, even though only a little over a minute had passed, my heart was pounding, all the blood in my body was rushing to you, urging me to feel you were safe and sound, that you were still there, that I could touch you, instead of that you had disappeared..."

"I want to see you, I really want to see you."

At this point, her voice choked with emotion, and tears streamed down her face, glistening in the moonlight. Shen Lixia bit her lip, released Qiao Yanshen, and instead took her hand, guiding it to her chest.

A rapid heartbeat and burning heat traveled through her palms, almost scalding Qiao Yanshen. At that moment, she saw Shen Lixia's face again, her cheeks wet with tears that reflected in her eyes, her wet eyelashes trembling. There was no complaint, only endless love.

"I don't want to say anything hurtful to you. Even if it hurts, I'm still hurt that Senior Sister doesn't care about me. So, all I want to say is, it's so good to be able to see Senior Sister again..."

Qiao Yanshen lowered his eyes and squeezed her hand back.

"I want to see you too."

She couldn't think of anything more to say. Although she had just felt a bone-chilling cold and felt utterly terrible, she now felt that it was a beautiful moonlit night, and the moonlight tonight was so beautiful that it made one's heart tremble.

Her junior sister was a very understanding person, so in that instant their eyes met, she saw all the tenderness in her and understood that all the grudges had vanished, leaving only the desire to see her. She longed to see her. These words didn't need to be spoken; they were already written in her eyes, yet Shen Lixia still earnestly expressed them.

After a long silence, Shen Lixia spoke again, her voice serious: "I'm here to break you out of prison. So, Senior Sister, would you like to come with me?"

Qiao Yanshen smiled. "What if I refuse?"

“Then I’ll stay here with you. Do whatever they want with me.” Shen Lixia frowned.

"Then let's go." Qiao Yanshen took her hand. "I don't want to see the little bird's wings being locked up too."

Just then, a burst of spiritual energy-ignited fireworks illuminated the night sky not far away.

It was Lin Yuxian's signal—time was running out.

They left through the window, embracing tightly as they had in the ancient kingdom. The room was filled with a chilling, serene atmosphere, like layers of frost rising and surging, forming a boundless deep sea, only to recede the moment the young man spread his wings.

Thus, she no longer had to drown.

The wind howled, and Qiao Yan closed her eyes tightly, silently embracing Shen Lixia. The warmth of her tears still lingered on her shoulder, a testament to her cherished sincerity.

Only when it was close to the ground did Shen Lixia spread its wings and fly to the other side of the cliff.

Qiao Yan glanced at the tower cell and ultimately gave up on the idea of ​​retrieving Yu Feng. Her spiritual power was currently sealed, making it impossible for her to find Yu Feng and summon it back from such a distance. Perhaps she could only wait for another opportunity to search for it later.

There is something even more important to do right now.

“Luo You is a spy from the Demon Clan.” Qiao Yanshen lowered his voice. “I can sense that she is still in the sect… Perhaps we can track her down.”

This way, I can clear up any doubts and won't have to leave the sect.