Chapter 50 Red Moon Grass
"Alright, get up now. I'm really heartbroken seeing you." She winked at Zifang, who immediately stepped forward with a jade box. "The Red Moon Grass will mature tonight. Inside is a map of the Meteoric Crater. The Red Moon Grass is next to the jade at the bottom of the crater. Go get it yourselves."
Han Zhi took the jade box, his fingertips white from the strain. He leaned against Chi Changyuan's chest, his voice weak but firm, "Thank you, Princess... for the gift of grass."
The princess watched him clutch the jade box tightly, her lips curled up, but she didn't say any more jokes. She just waved her hand and said, "Don't waste time here. The nights in the Meteoric Crater are not peaceful. If you encounter it... you'd better be careful. Don't get the Red Moon Grass, or you won't come out alive."
Chi Changyuan immediately lifted Han Zhi up horizontally, his movements as gentle as if he were holding fragile glass, afraid to hurt his back. Even as Han Zhi was held in his arms, he didn't forget to hold the jade box tightly against his chest. His red eyes half-lidded, he whispered, "Don't worry... I'm fine."
After he was injured, he became much more docile than usual.
"Don't talk yet. Save your strength." Chi Changyuan lowered his head, his voice so soft that water could drip out. His fingertips gently brushed away the cold sweat on his temples. "I'll heal you right away."
"No need." Han Zhi shook his head. Such an injury was nothing to him. "Let's go."
Just as the two were about to step out of the palace, the princess' voice suddenly came from behind them: "Wait." She raised her hand and threw a small silver bottle, which landed in Chi Changyuan's palm. "This contains 'Skin-Coagulating Dew', which can temporarily stop the bleeding. Once he enters the Meteoric Crater, don't let his injuries get worse."
She looked at Chi Changyuan and said uncomfortably, "Don't curse me in your heart. My name is Shengyue. Just treat it as making friends with him."
Chi Changyuan held the silver bottle, his fingertips paused slightly, and looked back at Shengyue. He saw that she had turned around and sat back beside the table. She didn't look at them again, and walked quickly into the fog outside the hall with Han Zhi in her arms.
Zifang watched the two men disappear into the mist and couldn't help asking, "Princess, you clearly intended to give them the Red Moon Grass, so why did you let him suffer so much?"
Shengyue played with the silver-bone fan and chuckled, "Without going through a little hardship, how can you know the feelings of those around you? This Red Moon Grass can save your life, but the weight of a person's heart must be seen by him for himself."
Chi Changyuan, holding Han Zhi, stepped into the mist. His fingertips immediately unscrewed the silver bottle Shengyue had given him, carefully pouring the muscle-tonifying lotion into his palm and gently rubbing it onto Han Zhi's hips. As the clear medicinal fragrance dissipated, Han Zhi's tense body noticeably relaxed. She nudged his head against his shoulder and whispered faintly, "Chi Changyuan, map..."
"I'm watching." Chi Changyuan lowered his head, opening the jade box with his free hand and examining the map in the dim light of the mist. The Meteoric Crater was on the westernmost side of Yaotai, requiring passage through three fog barriers, each harbouring a hostile aura that tempted one's imagination. He memorized the map, closed the jade box, and tucked it away, quickening his pace. "Hold on a little longer, we'll be there soon."
After walking for about half an incense stick of time, the fog in front suddenly became thicker, with a light gray-black color, which was the first fog barrier.
As soon as he stepped into the fog, Han Zhi's breathing suddenly became rapid. A trace of confusion flashed in his red eyes, and he murmured: "Chi Changyuan... why are you ignoring me?"
Chi Changyuan's heart tightened. It was an illusion in the fog. He immediately tapped Han Zhi's eyebrows with his fingertips and said in a deep and firm voice, "Han Zhi, look at me! This is an illusion. Don't be fooled by it!"
Han Zhi was awakened by the chill between his eyebrows. He shook his head, and the confusion in his eyes faded a little, but he was still a little weak: "Just now... I seemed to see you leaving with someone else."
"No." Chi Changyuan held his hand tightly, and the warmth of his palm passed through his fingertips. "I will never leave you." As he said that, he hugged Han Zhi tighter, and a layer of light blue water curtain condensed around his body, isolating the fog outside, and he walked through the fog barrier step by step.
After passing through three fog barriers, a bottomless pit finally appeared in front of us. The walls of the pit were embedded with glowing jade, and a hint of red could be vaguely seen at the bottom of the pit - it was the Red Moon Grass.
Chi Changyuan carefully placed Han Zhi on a flat moonstone at the edge of the pit and said, "Wait here. I'll go pick some grass and be back soon."
Han Zhi grabbed his sleeve, his red eyes full of worry: "Wait a minute, I think something is wrong..."
"Don't worry." Chi Changyuan ruffled his hair, turned, and jumped into the pit. The bottom of the pit was filled with turbulent black water, but he had firmly blocked it with the water curtain. He quickly walked to the red moon grass and carefully pulled it up by the roots. Just as he was about to turn around, the pit wall suddenly shook. Several rocks rolled down, hitting the water curtain with a loud noise.
"Chi Changyuan!" Han Zhi shouted urgently at the edge of the pit.
"I'm fine!" Chi Changyuan quickly jumped out of the pit and handed the Red Moon Grass to Han Zhi. "Look, I got it."
Han Zhi looked at the crimson blade of grass, his tense nerves finally relaxing. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he frowned in pain because of the pain from the wound. Chi Changyuan immediately supported him and said distressedly, "Don't laugh, we'll go back now."
Just as the two were about to leave, a low rumble erupted from the depths of Meteoric Crater, and mist from the crater's bottom surged toward them. Chi Changyuan's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately picked up Han Zhi and ran back. As they emerged from the mist, the air around them suddenly turned cold. Not the refreshing coolness Han Zhi was used to, but a chilly, fishy chill. Even the mist froze into tiny shards of ice.
"It's a nightmare!"
Han Zhi leaned against Chi Changyuan's chest, a faint flame flickering from his fingertips: "Master's power is unstable because of this thing."
As soon as he finished speaking, a pitch-black hand suddenly emerged from the mist, its nails tinged with bluish-grey, and it reached for the jade box in Chi Changyuan's arms. Chi Changyuan dodged to the side, and the water ripples instantly transformed into ice blades, slashing towards the black shadow. With a single "whoosh," the ice blade passed through the shadow without causing any damage.
"Good cooperation." The voice said, "But your divine power has been absorbed by me. Do you think you can be my opponent?"
"absorb?"
Han Zhi understood: "Are you maintaining the restriction of the jade brick?"
"Smart." Nightmare laughed: "After a hundred years, someone finally came to my door."
A cold light flashed in Han Zhi's eyes, as if he had quickly grabbed something and then swept it away: "You can only absorb divine power? Will it cause the divine power to be contaminated?"
Nightmare was puzzled: "I will eat divine power, so what do you mean by pollution?"
Han Zhi suddenly felt like he was in an ice cellar.
"Chi Changyuan..." He stood up despite the severe pain, "We've been deceived."
These words were like thunder in Chi Changyuan's ears, and he looked at Han Zhi suddenly.
"The laws of heaven and earth of the Jin Kingdom are completely fine!"
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