Chapter 27 The Thousand-Year-Old Pearl Unseen 3 It's like it's turned evil...

As the last rays of sunset faded, Mingying's veil fluttered in the wind, startling crows into flight from the woods. She tilted her head and said, "Is it funny that I twisted my ankle? Can you help me up?"

Xiao Jingze put one hand on her waist and threw a chair out of his storage ring with the other: "Sit down, I'll help you."

Mingying gave an "oh," and obediently sat down, holding onto his arm. Xiao Jingze half-squatted down and reached out to grasp her ankle. Mingying watched his movements nervously: "Be gentle."

Xiao Jingze chuckled, took off her shoes, and then quickly removed her socks. Her fair ankles were already red and swollen. He raised his eyebrows: "Truly worthy of being called Qianxunzhu, I could even imagine this."

Mingying opened her mouth to say something, but Xiao Jingze held her foot and decisively twisted it back.

Mingying was caught off guard: "Be gentle...be gentle—ah!"

Xiao Jingze held her foot for a while, then let go and stood up, looking down at her. Mingying sniffed, her eyes red, and glared at him: "Why didn't you remind me—hey, why can't I move?"

Xiao Jingze explained without much emotion, "Naturally, it's because there's something wrong with the chair you're sitting in."

Mingying looked at him in disbelief: "Are you out of your mind?"

Xiao Jingze moved closer and reached out to lift her chin: "You're not reacting?"

What are you saying?

Xiao Jingze frowned: "You are an illusion created by Qianxunzhu."

Mingying said earnestly, "I'm not an illusion, I'm real. Let me go first, aren't we still looking for Atu?"

Xiao Jingze's eyes were extremely cold, and he didn't answer her question at all. Mingying, tied to the chair, helplessly stared at him: "If you don't believe me... why don't you ask me a question?"

Xiao Jingze's eyes darkened: "When was the first time I met you?"

"Just ten years ago, on the Lantern Festival—"

Xiao Jingze pinched her face, his thumb and forefinger wedged between her teeth, Mingying couldn't close her mouth, drool dripped down, Xiao Jingze only felt his palm getting wet, his lips curled up, his eyes were cold: "Only in my memory will you look down at me - but obviously, the real you can't remember me."

Mingying remained silent, seemingly stunned.

Xiao Jingze withdrew his hand, his palm glistening with water. He took out a handkerchief and wiped it, his expression softening as he looked at her flushed face: "I know you're fake. I won't pity a false illusion."

Mingying turned her head away, looked to the side, pursed her lips and remained silent, looking a little angry.

Seeing her expression that suggested she didn't want to talk to him, Xiao Jingze turned her face away unhappily and narrowed his eyes: "What are you unhappy about?"

Mingying's tears fell in a steady stream, landing on the back of his hand. Xiao Jingze released his hand as if burned, his brows furrowing even more: "Why are you crying again?"

The ring emitted a faint light, and his gaze swept over it without lingering before landing on Mingying, who looked aggrieved. He felt extremely irritated.

——

The bluebird had already been released by her. Mingying squatted on the ground and looked at the water mirror. The water mirror only reflected her own face. She waited quietly for a while and concluded: "Xiao Jingze has probably encountered Qianxunzhu."

Mingyan crossed her arms and stared at her movements: "What is this now?"

"The water mirror that Xiao Jingze gave me allows me to contact him directly."

Mingyan pouted: "It seems this mirror is useless. You've been staring at it for so long and there's still no reaction."

Mingying stood up and looked at her with a smile: "Xiao Jingze left suddenly after seeing A Tu, so the Thousand-Seeking Pearl should be on A Tu."

Feng Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Then what should we do? Should we split up and search as quickly as possible? But wouldn't it be more dangerous if we split up?"

Mingyan pointed at him and said, "Then we'll split into two groups. Mingying has no cultivation, so she and Elder Lü will go one group, and you'll go the other with me."

Feng Yi responded and turned to look at the other two. Lü Qianhe also looked at Ming Ying. Seeing that all three were staring at her, Ming Ying nodded and said, "I can do it."

Feng Yi then asked, "What if we run into them?"

Mingyan habitually turned to look at Mingying, but then swallowed her words, realizing that this was only Mingying's second time going out. She had taken on quite a few tasks, so why should she ask for the opinion of a mere mortal?

Mingying smiled at the group and said, "Everyone, be careful on the road. Elder Lü can dispel illusions. If you see Xiao Jingze or Atu, why don't you hold back for now, and set off some fireworks as a signal?"

——

Xiao Jingze leaned against the tree, the gold ring on his hand no longer turning, his gaze fixed on Mingying, who was bound to the spot. Mingying sat with her head down, her eyes red, and she did not speak to him.

The two faced off for a moment. He rubbed his brow and slowly walked over. Mingying slightly raised her face to look at him. Xiao Jingze was very close, and the emotion in his eyes was unclear: "You're unhappy? Just because I tied you up? Do you know why I said you were a fake? Because—"

Xiao Jingze suddenly stopped, frowning. Why?

Seeing that he remained silent, Mingying sniffed and said, "You can't even explain why yourself, so why did you tie me up for no reason..."

Xiao Jingze interrupted her: "When was the first time we met?"

"I already said it, it's on the Lantern Festival..."

Xiao Jingze sneered: "Fake."

Mingying's tears were on the verge of falling, but seeing that he still hadn't untied her, they streamed down her face. Xiao Jingze took out a handkerchief and wiped them away while wondering why she had so many tears. She was usually a smiling person, so why was she so aggrieved now? Had he gone too far?

He clenched the damp handkerchief, his pupils turning a brilliant gold again. His gaze swept downwards, and he saw fine gold threads wrapped around Mingying, binding her wrists and making them appear slightly red. One of her feet was not wearing a silk stocking, and the gold threads tightly wrapped around it, rendering her unable to move.

He said calmly, "Since you twisted your ankle, don't move around. I can untie a little of the gold thread on your body—and you're not allowed to cry anymore."

Mingying nodded blankly. Xiao Jingze's fingertips brushed across the golden thread, which scattered into points of light upon his touch.

He withdrew his hand and glanced down at her again: "As long as you sit here obediently, I will naturally let you go."

The bluebird circled Xiao Jingze twice, and seeing that no one paid attention to it, it flapped its wings and flew back into the sky, landing on Mingying's hand.

Mingying stood on the back of the zither, looking down at Mount Yi. She put the zither away with one hand and gripped Lü Qianhe's clothes tightly with the other: "Elder Lü, Xiao Jingze should be there."

Lu Qianhe remained silent, raising one hand in a gesture. The seven-stringed zither resembled a rapidly falling kite, causing Mingying's hair to stand on end. She stretched out an arm to shield her face, closed one eye, and looked down, feeling as if she had rolled around in a sandstorm.

When she jumped off the back of the zither, feeling dizzy and unsteady, she looked left and right but still walked forward. She saw Xiao Jingze talking to himself in front of a chair, his expression unpredictable, and he didn't even notice her coming.

The scene was truly bizarre. Mingying, recalling the various tragedies caused by the Thousand-Seeking Pearl, no longer felt dizzy. Standing behind the tree, she didn't approach him directly, but instead waved and called out, "Elder Lü, Elder Lü!"

Xiao Jingze looked over sharply, and in the blink of an eye, he flashed in front of Mingying, grabbed her wrist forcefully... and grabbed a handful of dirt.

He paused, then brushed the dust off her sleeve: "...You really are."

Mingying circled around him to observe him. Xiao Jingze looked perfectly fine, without any injuries or missing limbs. She breathed a sigh of relief and tilted her head: "Hmm? Of course I'm real."

Xiao Jingze pulled her along and walked back: "I'll take the Thousand-Search Pearl..."

Mingying followed his gaze and saw that it was just an empty chair, the one she had sat on before. Could it be that she was exhausted and Qianxun Pearl turned into a chair to confuse her?

Xiao Jingze stopped in his tracks, narrowed his eyes, and found that "Mingying," who had been sitting on the chair, had vanished without a trace.

Mingying curiously shook their clasped hands: "You're awake now. What did you see? Where was it?"

Xiao Jingze didn't speak, but turned and stared at her for a while. He was no longer as nonchalant as before, which made Mingying feel uneasy. She cleared her throat and waved her other hand in front of his face: "Xiao Jingze, are you alright? Do you know what number this is?"

Xiao Jingze quickly grabbed her other hand. Lu Qianhe, carrying her zither, came over and saw this scene. Her face remained expressionless: "You two are having a love affair here?"

Now both of Mingying's wrists were in Xiao Jingze's hands, held very tightly. She didn't struggle, turned her head and said seriously, "Elder Lü, I think Xiao Jingze seems to be broken. Why don't you take a look at him?"

At that moment, Xiao Jingze released his grip, a slight smile playing on his lips, though no real smile could be seen on his face: "The Thousand-Seeking Pearl was just here, in A Tu's hands. His speed is extraordinary, which must be partly due to the Thousand-Seeking Pearl."

Seeing that he seemed to have returned to normal, Mingying tugged at his sleeve and asked, "What did you see?"

Xiao Jingze glanced at her: "I saw... something deceptive."

Mingying felt that his words were meaningless, but Xiao Jingze's expression was strange, so she didn't press him for details and quickly changed the subject: "Then you should quickly check where A Tu is now. We still need to continue looking for him. Qianxun Pearl is still too dangerous."

She added with a serious expression, "You know what? You were like you'd turned into a villain just now."

Their eyes have even changed color.

Xiao Jingze gave her a meaningful look, then grasped the Thousand Machine Manual and turned to look north: "It's not far, let's go."

——

As night was about to fall, Mingyan flew on her sword. Looking around, she saw a light-colored figure in the dust and sand, and without hesitation, she landed in her direction.

Feng Yi lit the tracking talisman, but seeing that no one had been here before, he put his hands in his pockets and looked up, wanting to tell Ming Yan to take him to another place—where was everyone?

He scratched his head, then decisively set off a firework. Why were these two so impulsive! That was the Thousand-Search Pearl!

Ming Yan landed, sheathed the Azure Sky Sword, and walked towards her, her tone harsh: "What are you doing sitting here alone? Where is Elder Lü?"

Mingying's eyes were red and her expression was very pitiful: "I'm lost... I don't know where they went."

Mingyan rolled her eyes: "Are you an idiot?"

Mingying looked on with admiration: "Sister, you are so smart. Can you help me? You will be the most intelligent, brave, and powerful head of the Ming family in history. No one can compare to you."

Mingyan snorted and held out her hand: "Get up, I'll take you to find them."

Mingying obediently took her hand and slowly stood up. Mingyan turned and walked forward, and Mingying followed behind like a little shadow: "Sister, wait for me."

Mingyan stopped and waited for her, staring at her as she said, "I saved you, so you have to listen to me from now on."

Mingying nodded vigorously, "Mhm."

Mingyan raised her chin in satisfaction, took her hand, and walked deeper into the mountain.

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Author's Note: Thousand Pearls = Dream Maker. (Dangerous Version)

Xi: Goddess, please watch the private and precious collector's edition video of Qianxunzhu.

Mingying: So, they all think I'm an idiot?

Xi: Uh... I don't think that's the case...