Deer sleeping in stillness

The newcomer, dressed in a bright yellow robe, rushed down towards him, panting heavily.

This style of dress looks surprisingly familiar.

There was actually one Phoenix Clan member who escaped the net.

"I've finally found you!" Yun Xinglan swooped down towards him and landed on the other side of the reef.

Although the Deer Maiden forbade him to come to see Shen Qiexing, he still came.

This time, however, he wasn't there to fight him. He knew he was no match for him, and rushing in would only lead to his death. He came to ask him to rescue Lu Yixin.

"You slipped through the net, and I didn't kill you, but you came looking for me."

The person in front of him finally looked at him directly. His face was exquisite and handsome, but at this moment he had a dangerous smile on his face, and a murderous glint flashed in his sea-blue eyes.

Yun Xinglan didn't know how much effort he had to suppress the surging resentment in his heart. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not here to seek revenge on you."

"Lu Yixin is in trouble."

Upon hearing this name, Shen Qiexing's heart skipped a beat. In an instant, he appeared before Yun Xinglan, gripping his neck tightly. "Who are you?"

Yun Xinglan felt like he was about to suffocate. He forced out a few words through his teeth: "How can I tell you something like this...?"

Shen Qiexing finally released his grip, his hands trembling uncontrollably, veins bulging on his forearms. He cursed under his breath, staring at Yun Xinglan with a sinister look: "Where is she?"

He could indeed sense the aura of the Little Deer Immortal on this Phoenix Clan member, but the aura was very weak and seemed to dissipate in the next second.

He wasn't lying to himself; Little Deer Fairy really was in trouble!

"She fell into the hands of the Phoenix Maiden. Do you know how much the Phoenix Maiden hates you!"

Yun Xinglan's eyes were bloodshot as she roared at him, "Yes, my Phoenix Clan once slaughtered you all, but didn't you retaliate? Why drag Miss Lu into this too!"

“She was tortured by the Phoenix Maiden day and night. I could hear her crying out all the time. Do you know, when she was thrown into the Heavenly Prison covered in wounds, the first thing she said to me was not to worry! She was such a good girl, why did you abandon her!”

He didn't abandon her... His body swayed violently, and he almost fell onto the jagged rocks.

"Shen Qiexing, only you can save her," Yun Xinglan said in a trembling voice, bowing his head to Shen Qiexing. "Please go and save her..."

At this moment, Shen Qiexing no longer cared about why this Phoenix Clan member knew Little Deer Fairy. He took a deep look at Yun Xinglan, then soared into the air and flew towards the direction of the Wutong Tree.

He likes the Little Deer Fairy; Shen Qiexing can tell.

It's perfectly normal for people to like Little Deer Fairy because she's such a wonderful person.

But this lovely little deer fairy is currently suffering torture at the hands of the Phoenix Maiden, her fate unknown.

His heart suddenly ached terribly, so much so that he froze in mid-air, bending over to clutch his chest.

My heart... feels like it's bleeding.

His fawn, he couldn't protect her.

It seems that she has been hurt ever since the two met.

Shouldn't he stay away from her...?

For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed his mind: Is it worth sacrificing a little deer fairy for revenge?

It's worth it, of course it's worth it. How could one person possibly be worth the lives of hundreds of thousands of his entire clan?

But this person is Lu Yixin.

Just thinking that she was Lu Yixin made Shen Qiexing unable to watch her die. That was no one else but Lu Yixin.

He wondered, if the Phoenix Maiden offered to exchange his life for the Little Deer Fairy's, would he agree?

They probably agreed.

Little Deer Fairy can't die; he hasn't even told her the word "I like you" yet.

He still doesn't know if the little deer fairy likes him.

Little deer...

—

"What did you say!"

The Phoenix Maiden gripped the armrest of her throne tightly, glaring angrily at Ling Qian Shuang: "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her?! How could she die at this time!"

Ling Qian Shuang knelt on the ground, her face deathly pale, not daring to utter a sound.

She was keeping watch outside, and she heard Lu Yixin's gradually weakening moans. She intentionally ignored her, only wanting to teach her a lesson, but she never expected that Lu Yixin would actually die.

"Please, Your Majesty, punish me!"

Ling Qian Shuang gritted her teeth, "I know I have failed in my duties and made a mistake. Please punish me, Divine Lord!"

"Look at you! I was only gone for two days, and you've already caused such a huge mess!"

The Phoenix Maiden pointed at her with a look of disappointment, but she did not actually punish Ling Qian Shuang. In her heart, it didn't matter much whether Lu Yi Xin lived or died; at most, it would just mean losing a tool that could make Shen Qie Xing unhappy.

Everyone in the Luan Palace kept their mouths shut about her capturing Lu Yixin; apart from a few of them, no one else knew about it.

"Where is her body?" Phoenix asked.

Ling Qianshuang replied, "She's still in the Heavenly Prison... Without the God's order, no one dares to touch her."

The weather is getting hotter every day. If the corpse is left there undisturbed, it will probably breed insects.

"Alright, take a few people down and throw her away," the Phoenix Girl said, covering her mouth and nose in disgust. "It'll save us from getting annoyed by her being here."

Ling Qian Shuang stood up and was about to agree when a deafening roar suddenly came from outside the palace. The entire Luan Palace shook violently. Ling Qian Shuang lost her balance and fell to the ground, while Huang Nu opened her phoenix eyes slightly and muttered something under her breath.

The orphan of the dragon clan has returned!

Was it for Lu Yixin?

No, how did he know Lu Yixin was here!

She quickly hid the unconscious Huang Sheng in a specially built secret room beneath the clouds, and drove Ling Qian Shuang inside. Then, filled with anger, she slowly walked out.

Shen Qiexing twisted the head off a guard and stared grimly at Huang Nu, who was walking towards him step by step. "Where is Lu Yixin?"

A string of tiny beads of blood splattered on his cheek, like bizarre and beautiful totems. "Give Lu Yixin back to me."

A bright smile suddenly bloomed on the Phoenix Maiden's lips. With each step she took closer, the curve of her lips widened. She parted her lips slightly and said, "What are you saying? I don't understand."

The blue light surrounding Shen Qiexing immediately intensified. He unleashed a blade of light, shaving off a strand of hair from Huang Nu's temple, and said in a deep voice, "Believe it or not, the next time I'll shave off your left eye."

Despite his threat, the Phoenix Maiden remained unmoved. Standing on the highest step, she looked down at him disdainfully: "Believe it or not, I can make sure you never find her again."

Shen Qiexing chuckled lightly, but his eyes were as cold as ice in the dead of winter: "Then you'll know once you try."

He lunged forward and swiftly engaged the Phoenix Maiden in combat. When the two stood still again, Shen Qiexing took a barely perceptible step back, while the Phoenix Maiden let out a muffled groan as one of her arms was severed from her shoulder and fell into the clouds, causing a shower of blood.

"I'm asking you one last time, where is she?"

"You think you're so capable? Go investigate yourself!" The Phoenix Maiden clutched the pieces of flesh from her wound, her face contorted with rage. "You want to know? I'm not telling you!"

Shen Qiexing's face darkened completely. He swiftly raised his knife and cut off her only remaining arm in the blink of an eye.

The Phoenix Maiden was not afraid at all, and laughed loudly, "You can tear me to pieces and shred me to pieces, but your little deer fairy will not be so lucky!"

"Where is she?!" Shen Qiexing roared.

Perhaps she had had enough fun, Phoenix Maiden finally suppressed her smile, tilted her head slightly, and whispered in Shen Qiexing's ear: "She is in the Heavenly Prison in the far northwest of Luan Palace. You can go find her directly. I won't stop you."

She looked at him with pity: "I only hope that after you have seen her, you can still maintain this very arrogant appearance."

Shen Qiexing met her gaze and was enraged by the contempt in her eyes. He grabbed Huang Nu by the neck, lifted her up with one hand, and then slammed her heavily against an ancient and sturdy sycamore tree in the courtyard, breaking the trunk.

He no longer cared about the Phoenix Maiden and flew in the direction she pointed.

The only sounds in the prison were the gurgling of sewage mixed with blood flowing across the ground and the footsteps of a god about to fall.

He dared not go forward.

It was so quiet here that it terrified him.

Why didn't the fawn call for help?

"Xin Xin?" He hesitated, then whispered the name he hadn't used in a long time.

“Xin Xin, can you hear me? It’s Brother Qie Xing.”

"Heart!"

He searched cell by cell, but found no trace of Lu Yixin. The stench of blood grew stronger and stronger, making him feel nauseous.

When only one cell remained unchecked in the corner, he stopped and refused to go any further.

Because... there was just too much blood.

His once snow-white shoes were now soaked in sticky blood, much of it dried on the ground, solidifying his feet and preventing him from moving forward even an inch.

There wasn't a sound.

The pale sunlight, cut through the window frame, shone harshly on his face, leaving it devoid of any color.

On the withered grass in the corner of the room, the girl's stiff body was curled up. Her limbs had been completely crushed, with bone fragments and flesh mixed together, turning purplish-brown from the long time that had passed. Her face was a bloody mess, but from the slightly upturned corners of her lips, one could tell that she was still happy in her final moments.

"Xin Xin?"

God knelt before her, reaching out incredulously to touch her face, but for some inexplicable reason, he froze in mid-air, too afraid to move forward.

How did she become like this?

She wasn't like this when she was in Mi Tianze.

Unaware of her surroundings, Shen Qiexing let her tears flow freely, crying out, "My dearest..."

He trembled as he picked up the dead girl, pressed her face against his body, and finally could not hold back any longer. He let out a beast-like roar, and tears streamed down his face like the Yellow River bursting its banks, washing away the blood and filth on the girl's face.

"Brother Qiexing, when I go on my travels, you have to be my guide."

"Brother Qiexing, don't be angry with me anymore..."

"Brother Qiexing, let's go release lanterns together. You'll surely get what you want."

"Brother Qiexing..."

Shen Qiexing had seen many faces of hers: some were all smiles and clinging to him; some were all bluster and bravado but were actually quite guilty; some were all tears streaming down their faces but pretending to be strong. But the little deer he was seeing now was someone he had never seen before.

"Xin Xin, open your eyes and look at me again, Xin Xin..."

He held the girl, who was tortured beyond recognition, and wept bitterly.

Her curled-up body was covered with countless penetrating wounds, and her internal organs spilled onto the ground.

Shen Qiexing brushed aside her bangs, gently kissed her forehead, and murmured repeatedly, "Xinxin, I've come to find you, Xinxin..."

The fallen leaves of the sycamore trees drifted into the prison cell on the warm breeze, swirling and undulating on the ground, as if carrying away someone's soul.