Li Wan Heng Jin

The girl, hiding behind the tree trunk, leaned slightly to the side, cautiously revealing half her body. Her rabbit ears stood erect, and where the base of her ears met her hair, each was pinned with a whole pure white camellia.

Her skin was so white that under the sunlight, her body seemed to be wrapped in a layer of soft white light, making her pupils and lips look particularly red.

"The word 'Hua Fang' can be found on every paper lantern."

Seeing that she was still confused after searching for a long time, Huanfeng walked out from behind the tree, picked up the nearest lantern at her feet, pointed at a cluster of camellias in the painting and said, "Here."

Li Wan looked where she pointed and indeed saw the words "Huan Feng" hidden there. She then looked at the paper lantern in her hand and found the words "Huan Feng" hidden in the painting as well.

"Are you a rabbit demon?"

Huan Feng put her hands on her hips, speechlessly glancing at Heng Jin. "Why are you pretending? Doesn't your good brother know I'm a blackmailer? He's already stalked me once. What's going on? Are you two determined to eat me?"

"Miss Huanfeng, you've misunderstood. My brother and I are from the bird tribe, we eat fruit and not meat. What we did just now was indeed to force you to show yourself and confirm whether it was the person we were looking for. We had no other malicious intentions. My brother and I apologize to you."

As she spoke, Li Wan bowed slightly, performing the bird tribe's standard salute. No one had taught her, but the ancient books she had read weren't in vain.

"I'm here because I'm writing a book about exotic beasts, and I need to understand the habits and preferences of your beasts. Could you please help me with that? If you want any reward, just let me know. I'll do my best to satisfy you, as long as I can."

Huanfeng pondered for a moment, then pointed at the cloud whale she had drawn on the paper lantern and said, "The reward I want is to help me find who he is."

"I'll do my best. Any clues or where did you see him?"

"I don't know. I seem to have forgotten a lot of things. I can only recall fragments of playing and laughing with him from time to time. But I remember that I liked him, but I even forgot his name."

She cast a spell to make all the lanterns float in mid-air, all at a uniform height so they could easily see the patterns on them.

"The lanterns depict fragments of my past memories. But even these, I've gradually begun to forget. A true forgetfulness, a forgetfulness that no spell to recreate them can avail."

Huanhuang blamed herself and felt lost, her words filled with helplessness and unwillingness.

"Besides the past with him, will you forget anything else?"

"Won't."

As she spoke, Huanhuang used a spell to recall memories, and reproduced for them the memory scene of herself, who had not yet fully transformed into a human form and was still in her original form as a monster, jumping and chasing with several other monsters on the grass.

"This is a memory of me playing with my childhood friends when I was three hundred years old. You see, memories that have nothing to do with him keep reappearing."

"Would it be convenient for me to let my brother check if there is any problem with your memory?"

After asking, she quickly added a kind word to reassure her, "Don't worry, my brother is a very good and upright gentleman. He will never look through your memories. He will only check to see if there are any problems."

"He is your...brother?"

"No, cousin."

"He's just my cousin, how well do you know him? You know he must be a very good gentleman? What kind of gentleman would secretly follow a woman like me? And pick up my fallen hair. He must have some weird habit. You, you, do you know?"

"My brother was picking up fur and visiting the girl because I was writing a book on exotic beasts. He wanted to bring back memories and show them to me, but he was afraid of disturbing the girl, so he followed her secretly. Although he had his reasons, our methods were inappropriate. I apologize to the girl on my brother's behalf."

Heng Jin, who was standing by, followed her words and apologized, "I was reckless and disturbed and offended the young lady. I hope the young lady will forgive me."

Huanfeng responded, "For your sister's sake, I won't bother with you."

"Thank you for your forgiveness, and thank you for your kind reminder. Don't worry, my brother and I have been childhood sweethearts. We've been inseparable since we were young, and I know him like no other. Our two families have already set a wedding date for the eighth day of the first lunar month of next year. If you're free, please come and enjoy the banquet."

As they were talking, when the wedding date was mentioned, Li Wan pretended to be shy and couldn't hide her joy. She glanced at him quickly, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

As for how Feihong was so genuine, it couldn't be done by casting a spell, as it was too easy to see through. It was all thanks to her deliberately recalling the scene when Hengjin accidentally kissed her forehead.

She made a solemn oath, swearing, "I swear on my late sister's spirit in heaven that Brother Jin will never look through your memories. He will only investigate to see if there are any problems."

"No, it's you who swore, not him. How can I be sure he will be honest?"

Heng Jin said, "She is the one I have loved deeply for many years. I regard her as a treasure. I will never disobey her words. Moreover, she swore an oath in the name of her deceased sister to guarantee me."

Huanfeng thought for a long time before agreeing to let him check if there was anything wrong with her memory. However, she herself did not expect that the conclusion drawn from the investigation was that there was indeed something wrong with her memory.

Heng Jin secretly communicated with Li Wan and explained the real situation. The reason why Huan Feng's memory disappeared and was forgotten over the years was because she was cast under the unique spell of the Cloud Whale Clan.

However, he only told Huanfeng that the reason she had forgotten her memory was because she was hit by a spell. As for what kind of spell it was, he couldn't figure it out at the moment.

The rarity of cloud whales is just a statement made by the heavens to deal with the outside world, but in reality they are trapped here because of the cloud whale clan's unique spell that can make memories disappear and be forgotten.

This spell seems to be innate, and every member of the Cloud Whale Tribe knows it.

In the eyes of the Cloud Whale Clan, those who have been hit by this kind of spell seem to be covered with a layer of strange light. Even a Cloud Whale flying in the sky can easily see it by lowering its head and glancing at the grass.

But the origin of Huahua is still unknown.

According to their prior telepathic communication, Li Wan asked, "To find the Cloud Whale in this portrait, we must ask other Cloud Whales. You've lived in this Cloud Peak Immortal Mountain for many years. Do you have any Cloud Whale friends? Asking with friends will better protect your privacy."

Huanfeng shook her head. "No. There's only one ancient book that records us false beasts. It says that a false beast appeared in the southwest wilderness. It resembled a dove, had a human face, and could speak. It often deceived people, saying one thing when it was another, and saying evil when it was good. Because of this, people often think that we false beasts are all liars, and few creatures are willing to talk to us. I guess the cloud whales here are also unwilling to talk to us for this reason. The ancient book records it, so it's no wonder that others treat us coldly. But don't worry, I didn't lie to you."

"Well, I believe you. Can I take one lantern with me first? I'll use it to compare and find it. I'll return it in good condition after I'm done using it."

Huanfeng directly disassembled the lantern in her hand and tore off the part with the cloud whale painted on it and gave it to her.

"Those cloud whales can recognize my lantern. If you use this painting to search, perhaps it will be less cumbersome."

"Okay, whether I find him or not, I will come here again to let you know before I leave."

After bidding farewell to Huan Fang, Li Wan and Heng Jin walked a long way away before they started talking about the doubts surrounding the matter.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"I don't know. Although there are records that false animals often deceive people, saying one thing when it's another, saying evil when it's good. I don't know whether it's true or not, but I can't make a rash judgment based on this."

"All these clues are enough to prove that the entire Cloud Whale Clan is deliberately helping to conceal this. Finding him will probably be difficult. Are you sure you still want to help her?"

"I understand the difficulties, and there are many unspeakable secrets involved, but perhaps she is just a poor soul waiting in vain? Since we've agreed on a deal, I'll do my best."

Li Wan tilted her head to glance at his reaction, then continued, "I know the seriousness of the matter. If I'm lucky enough to find out, I'll decide whether to tell her based on the truth. I won't simply favor her for my own business interests."

"That's not what I meant. I know you wouldn't. I'm just afraid you'll be disappointed after working so hard for so long and coming back with nothing."

"No, Emperor..." Li Wan quickly corrected herself, "No, brother. I've been to this Cloud Peak Immortal Mountain, seen cloud whales, and seen the Devil Beast. I've already gained a lot. Even if I turn around and leave right now, I won't be disappointed. Don't be nervous. You've treated me well, and I understand. I'm not grateful in my heart, but I can't respond to you, and I can't respond to you. The only thing I can say to you is that I will always be a close friend who is willing to go through fire and water for you."

"That's enough. I'm good to you, and you don't need to repay me."

He smiled back at her, but inside he was a mixture of sadness and joy, making his mind restless. But he would not show these emotions, he hoped that she would be happy all day long when she came out with him today.

So, he changed the subject and said, "So, you really believe that I'm a gentleman? You even swore an oath in the name of your deceased sister."

Li Wan lowered her voice and said, "I've never had a sister."

He also lowered his voice and said, "No wonder my sister dared to swear so frankly. I was moved by her trust in me for so long in vain."

"I do believe in my brother's character, but I can't easily swear in the name of a deceased elder. Who told me to use, I swear in the name of deceased so-and-so... I swear to the spirit of deceased so-and-so in heaven... It sounds convincing, and I'm just afraid she won't believe me. It works, but I feel guilty about lying repeatedly."

"If my sister heard an oath similar to the one you just gave as an example, would she believe it?"

"Yes, but only if the deceased really exists. Those who hold grudges or vengeance don't count."

Hearing this, Heng Jin secretly took note of her words.

Elder Yunjing suddenly appeared on the top of a tree in the distance and waved to them to come over. The dense branches and leaves covered most of his body, just like when they first met the elder today.

Fortunately, Heng Jin, as a phoenix, has excellent eyesight, otherwise she would not have easily missed the elder who was "sneaky and thief-like".

When they reached the elder, not only did he not come out of the tree where he was hiding, he also kept looking behind them to make sure that there was no one else around before coming out and asking them to follow him quickly.

Like... hiding from something.