Chapter 77 The Search "She must be found within a month, otherwise..."
Mu Meng left the desolate tomb alone, suppressing all her feelings of heartache for Zhe Qing and anger at wanting to beat him up, and returned to the Celestial Clan to let her sister know she was safe.
She ran away alone on her birthday night and hasn't returned for so many days. Although her sister trusts her, she must have been extremely worried.
When she got home and saw Mu Luo, she explained what had happened to her in a serious manner, and then sweetly and affectionately pleaded with her for a while, finally getting rid of the scolding.
"Okay, sister, don't worry anymore. I was wrong. Next time, I will definitely overcome all difficulties and let you know I'm safe as soon as possible." Since she was already back safely, she could make up whatever she wanted. Mu Meng coaxed Mu Luo with a smile for a long time before finally seeing her give her a helpless smile.
Mu Luo extended a finger and lightly tapped her younger sister's forehead. "How could I not worry about you? There must never be a next time. I was so scared these past two days. I didn't dare tell Father, so I could only secretly send people out to look for you. We couldn't find you anywhere. Who knew you would be in that long-abandoned, barren land. Thank goodness you weren't hurt."
Seeing that her sister was truly frightened, Mu Meng felt a little guilty and repeatedly promised that she would be more careful in the future.
After coaxing him for a while, she looked outside and asked in a low voice, "Sister, how has Father been feeling lately? You said last time that he caught a cold and was sick. Has he been feeling any better these days?"
Mu Luo shook her head, a hint of worry in her eyes: "I'm not better yet. It looks like I won't be fully recovered anytime soon."
Anyway, the two of them had already talked things out last time, so there was no need to hold back in their words this time. "You know, Father has always missed Mu Qingheng very much. Now that he is getting older, he has more worries than before, and he is becoming more and more taciturn."
Mu Luo shook her head, completely baffled. "His reminiscence is tinged with guilt, but if that's the case, why did he personally destroy Mu Qingheng's family, then genuinely cherish him, only to cruelly execute him in the end, and now he's so full of longing... It's truly perplexing."
As she spoke, she suddenly realized something and asked in a low voice, "Mengmeng, are you going to mention this to Daddy later?"
Mu Meng held Mu Luo's hand, thought for a while, and sighed, "This matter is not so urgent. Mu Qingheng... has been dead for so long. If his remaining spirit is aware, let's wait a little longer. This matter is an old ailment, and we should wait until Father's health improves before bringing it up again."
After the two women reached a consensus, Mu Meng went to the Heavenly Emperor's bedchamber to visit him.
Before even entering the door, she heard a low cough. Mu Meng's heart clenched slightly. She rubbed her cheeks and forced a smile as she went inside.
When the Heavenly Emperor saw that it was his youngest daughter who had entered, he immediately beckoned, and several deep smile lines appeared at the corners of his eyes: "Mengmeng, come and sit down. Father thought you would come after your birthday. Why have you been delayed for several days?"
Mu Meng smiled and sat down next to the Heavenly Emperor, pulling the blanket up a bit for him. "We encountered the monster that had been harassing Yunze before. That thing was quite troublesome; it took us several days to finally take it down."
"I see... So you're not hurt, are you?"
Mu Meng said softly, "Of course not, I'm fine. But Father, why do you always forget to take care of yourself? You never used to get sick."
The Heavenly Emperor didn't care much, waving his hand and saying self-deprecatingly, "Father is old now, his body is not as strong as before, getting sick is nothing serious, it's just a common thing."
He patted Mu Meng's hand, his eyes filled with a loving smile, and changed the subject away from her illness. "Mengmeng, every time I see your father, I can't help but ask, after wandering around for so long, have you made any good friends?"
His question was veiled, but Mu Meng understood what he meant. For a moment, Zhai Qing's face appeared before her eyes... But soon, she pursed her lips: "I don't have many friends. Most of them are just passersby who come and go in a hurry."
"oh……"
However, mentioning this reminded Mu Meng of something else. "By the way, Father, you are very knowledgeable. I have another question I would like to ask you. Have you ever heard of the Seventh Realm?"
"The Seventh Realm?"
The Heavenly Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then murmured the three words repeatedly. Suddenly, he sat up straighter on the bed, leaning slightly forward. "Mengmeng, how do you know about the Seventh Realm? Did you see someone?"
It seems that Father really knows something, and I asked the right person. Mu Meng had been curious for a long time. "Yes, I met a mysterious and strange person. He claimed to be from the Seventh Realm. Perhaps I am still too ignorant, because I know nothing about this place."
“No…this place is indeed rarely known. There are only…very few people here,” the Heavenly Emperor stammered slowly, then pursed his lips and pressed on, “Mengmeng, what did the person you saw…look like? How old was he? Did he say anything to you?”
What does he look like? Mu Meng looked up slightly to recall Zha Qing's face—ignoring his scars, he could be considered handsome, and his eyes were quite beautiful, but his temper was really infuriating.
He's older than her, probably around the same age as Brother Sheng.
As for what he said... Mu Meng felt annoyed just thinking about those damned things he said, and didn't even answer the previous question in detail: "He's my peer, a bit older than me, and he always wears a mask to cover his face. Who knows what he looks like? We just met by chance, exchanged a few words, and that's all. There's nothing else between us."
She spoke with a hint of petulance, but the Heavenly Emperor seemed lost in thought and didn't notice.
The Heavenly Emperor's hands, resting on the thin blanket, clenched unconsciously. He thought for a moment, then slowly nodded and murmured repeatedly, "His face was covered... He didn't say anything... Yes... That's right..."
The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became, as if hope was being ignited bit by bit, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Seeing his father lost in thought with such a strange expression, Mu Meng couldn't help but scrutinize him and ask, "What's wrong, Father? Do you know this person?"
"No, I... I don't know him, uh..." The Heavenly Emperor immediately denied it, then hesitated for a moment, and asked hesitantly, "I'm just curious, Mengmeng, that person—that person looked to be in good health? How did you see him?"
Mu Meng was puzzled, but she held back for the time being and answered her father's question first: "His spiritual power is outstanding. He has old injuries and some damage on his body, but he does not have the air of being sick or weak. He can only be considered healthy. He travels around and has no fixed abode. We only met him by chance before."
Seeing the Heavenly Emperor nod thoughtfully, Mu Meng leaned forward, staring at him with wide eyes. "Father, do you really not know this person? But it sounds like you know something about the Seventh Realm and are quite concerned about this person. I'm a little curious, could you tell me?"
The Heavenly Emperor paused for a moment before reacting, then gave a dry laugh. "Oh, this... um... Father does indeed have some connection with someone in the Seventh Realm, which is why I asked a few more questions. That person is Father's younger brother. You should call him Third Uncle."
Third Uncle?
Mu Meng remained outwardly calm, but her mind raced—she had seen that painting at the Lou family's house in Tiancang Realm that day. The painting depicted two people: her father and Mu Qingheng's father. However, the person who painted the painting was quite intriguing.
The inscription reads: "Written by my third brother on his return journey."
Mu Meng knew nothing about the affairs between her father and his brothers; she had never heard him mention them since birth. After thinking for a moment, she smiled casually and asked, "Third Uncle? Is your name Guicheng?"
The Heavenly Emperor's eyes brightened, and his smile deepened: "Yes, Mengmeng, you actually know? Was it the person you met who told you?"
Mu Meng touched his nose, feeling a little guilty since he was making up a lie for his father. "Um...yes, I mentioned it a couple of times. That's his master. But Father, why isn't Third Uncle with us in the Celestial Realm? Why is he in this Seventh Realm?"
"This... I'll tell you about this later," the Heavenly Emperor said with a smile, avoiding the question. He nodded repeatedly, his eyes slightly moist, his voice barely audible, "Good child, truly a good child..."
"By the way, Mengmeng, your father wants to ask you a favor." Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor rubbed his hands together, looking at Mu Meng with a somewhat troubled expression.
Mu Meng smiled, "Father, why are you asking me for something? What is it? I will do my best."
"If there's an opportunity, could you please invite the person you just mentioned to the Celestial Clan so that Father can meet him? Since he was trained by your third uncle, I'd love to catch up with him."
Should Mu Meng invite Zhe Qing to visit the Celestial Clan? Mu Meng thought for a moment. They had just had a falling out… Oh well, that's alright, it was only one side of the argument. It's just that Zhe Qing doesn't like to show himself in public. If she invited him, would he accept?
Anyway... if he agrees, she will definitely take care of everything and make sure he doesn't feel uncomfortable.
Thinking this, Mu Meng nodded: "Father, then I will try to find him, and once I find him, I will ask him to come and meet you. However, he is somewhat insecure and withdrawn, so if he doesn't come..."
“If he doesn’t come, I can go see him myself,” the Heavenly Emperor quickly interjected, then suddenly blinked, “Inferiority complex and aloofness?”
Seeing Mu Meng nod, the Heavenly Emperor remained silent for a while, looking somewhat tired. "Father understands. You should ask him first and try to treat him well, okay?"
Of course, why would Father specifically remind him? Mu Meng didn't think too much about it and nodded in response, "Yes, I know."
After making the appointment with his father, Mu Meng chatted with him for a while before returning to Kunlun Realm.
She was still pondering when they reached the border. Her father's reaction this time was very strange. When she mentioned Zhe Qing, he didn't say much, but he seemed excited and overjoyed. However, he said he didn't know Zhe Qing.
Not only that, but when he heard that Zhe Qing had a chronic illness and was insecure, his expression clearly showed his heartache, and he later specifically instructed himself to take care of him.
Was it because he felt comforted to see his younger brother cultivate a beloved disciple who travels the world doing chivalrous deeds that he was so happy? Even though they had never met, he was moved by his brother's disciple because of his love for him?
Why isn't Third Uncle in the Celestial Realm? They seem to have a very good relationship, but I've never heard him mention Third Uncle in all these years. Could this be some kind of unspeakable secret?
Lost in thought, she was suddenly greeted by someone bowing respectfully in front of her: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Mu Meng looked up and recognized the two officials from the Celestial Clan. "No need for formalities. You were sent by my sister to protect Young Master Feng Xixue, right? Why are you standing here?"
One of them replied, "Your Highness, that is indeed the case. However, Young Master Feng Xixue's magic array has ended, and he came out this morning. We two were just about to return to the Celestial Clan to report back."
The magic array ended early this morning, so why are you only reporting back now? Mu Meng thought for a moment, then his expression darkened slightly: "Was Feng Xixue injured?"
The two officials exchanged a glance, one of them looking ashamed: "Yes. We didn't know what kind of brutal formation Young Master Feng had activated. He was practically half-dead after coming out of the stone chamber, and he could barely walk. We wanted to heal him, but he refused. We were a little worried, so we stayed a little longer. After seeing that he had improved slightly after meditating on his own, we left."
Mu Meng's face didn't show much emotion. He nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you for your hard work. Go back now. I'm going to see him."
In fact, she had already prepared herself for the worst. Feng Xixue could not possibly have come out of that formation unscathed. Although it sounded like his heart-wrenching pain was quite severe, thankfully he hadn't lost his life.
Moreover, since he was able to regulate his breathing and showed some concern for his health, the result of activating the magic array must be good, and he must already know about Miss Yu Sheng's clan.
Mu Meng casually flicked out a beam of spiritual light, sending a message to Lu Zhaoxin to come over, and then hurriedly went inside to see Feng Xixue.
It had only been a little over a month since Mu Meng last saw Feng Xixue, and he almost didn't recognize her at first sight—Feng Xixue had become much thinner, her face was as pale as a ghost, her bone structure was more sharp, she had lost some of her elegance, but gained a bit more coldness.
Mu Meng was stunned for a full half-incense stick's time: "Feng Xixue, are you alright?"
Feng Xixue nodded.
He was, after all, a man capable of handling great things. Since he had hope of finding Yu Sheng, he had rarely been in a daze or out of his mind.
Mu Meng was somewhat at ease with him. Since he could hold on, she went straight to the point and asked, "Which clan does Miss Yu Sheng come from?"
Feng Xixue lowered her eyes and gently stroked the silver hairpin in her hand. "Sheng Sheng is a demon."
It turns out she was a demon.
Mu Meng immediately pondered. The demon race was a complex group with the most branches and clans in the Six Realms, so finding them might be troublesome. However, it wasn't all bad. "It might be hard to say if it were another race, but since Sheng Sheng is a demon, I'll ask Brother Yue to come and help."
Without wasting any time, Mu Meng sent a letter to Yue Liutian after finishing speaking. Half an hour later, he and Lu Zhaoxin arrived in Kunlun Realm together.
Mu Meng had already made it clear in his letter that after Yue Liutian greeted Mu Meng, he didn't ask any further questions and accepted the hairpin that Feng Xixue handed him with both hands—he had infused the hairpin with the residual aura he found in the magic array, which saved him a lot of trouble.
Yue Liutian gathered spiritual power at his fingertips and carefully studied the residual aura on the hairpin.
Mu Meng stared intently at Yue Liutian, her heart pounding with anxiety. She couldn't imagine the torment Feng Xixue must be going through.
After a long while, Yue Liutian slowly lowered his hand.
Feng Xixue, who had been frowning, immediately asked in a deep voice when he let go, "Crown Prince Yue, how is the situation?"
Yue Liutian considered his words carefully and said in a low voice, "It's not easy. I just carefully examined this residual aura and sensed that it is probably a small plant-based demon. Its aura is sweet and pure, so it is most likely a flower demon."
Upon hearing this, Mu Meng understood what he meant by "it's not easy to handle".
As is well known, the demon race is the most difficult clan to manage in the Six Realms, not only because its branches are too numerous and chaotic, but also because it does not have clearly defined territories to govern. Its members are scattered throughout the Six Realms, making it difficult to maintain the strict clan rules that the celestial or ghost races have.
If it's a powerful demon, that's fine. Some clans are only distributed in specific places. For example, Yue Liutian is a fire phoenix from Jingzhi Mountain, and their branch only grows on Jingzhi Mountain.
But the plant and tree demons are a different story. In all the vast world, this type of demon is the hardest to find.
Everyone here is a person of exceptional insight, so there's no need for Yue Liutian to offer further explanation. Mu Meng glanced at Feng Xixue, only to find that he wasn't discouraged at all; on the contrary, his expression was quite calm.
"Although I can't find her immediately, this is much better than before. Now that I have a clear goal, I will definitely find her within a year." A year, after all, the time limit for Si'an Flower is only one year.
His voice was filled with hope, but Yue Liutian looked up at him with a complicated expression.
Seeing his expression, Mu Meng's heart sank: "Brother Yue, is there some other difficulty?"
All eyes turned back to Yue Liutian, who nodded heavily. “There is something wrong. The difficulty I mentioned earlier is due to other reasons besides the wide distribution of flower fairies.”
His tone was so serious, it must not be good news. Yue Liutian himself knew this, so he smiled reassuringly first, "Although it is troublesome, I observe that this aura is pure and clear, sweet and without any bitterness. The location of such a flower fairy can probably be tentatively set in the Thirteen Provinces of Binzuo in the human realm. After all, she is my clansman, so I am still somewhat confident about the place where she might grow."
"No matter why she reincarnated in the human realm, she couldn't possibly cross the boundaries of her birthplace, which is the thirteen states of Binzuo. But if we want to find her, we must act quickly, because I can sense that her remaining aura is extremely weak. To be conservative, we must find her within a month, otherwise... she will probably perish."
Mu Meng's eyes widened, and he immediately said, "The area of the Thirteen Provinces of Binzuo is too large. I will dispatch the Celestial Clan right now..."
She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.
No, the Heavenly Realm and the Human Realm each have their own rules. If too many Heavenly Clan members flood into the Human Realm, it will be difficult to explain to Father and Sister, not to mention Lu Zhaoxin, as the Ghost King who governs both the Human and Ghost Realms, will also be in a difficult position.
Clearly, Lu Zhaoxin had also thought of this. He didn't continue Mu Meng's conversation, and there was some guilt in his gaze as he looked at her.
Just as things were at a stalemate, Feng Xixue suddenly smiled slightly: "Actually, there's no need to trouble yourself. This is originally my own business. Whether there's a year or a month left, I will do my best, but if the result is still not satisfactory, it doesn't matter."
His words surprised Lu Zhaoxin and Yue Liutian, but Mu Meng's heart sank—others might not know the strength of Feng Xixue's will, but she knew why he said that and why he was so calm. Things had come to this point; he must have already come to terms with it.
He was naturally happy and grateful if Yu Sheng lived; if she died, he would die for love, and then he would no longer suffer.
“Let’s search. We’ll do our best for a month,” Mu Meng said, not wanting to waste words trying to persuade Feng Xixue. She knew he wouldn’t listen to anything she said, so she directly laid out a plan. “Brother Yue, could you please go back to the demon clan and check the clan register of the flower demons in the Thirteen Provinces of Binzuo to see if you can find any clues? Feng Xixue, could you separate some of Yu Sheng’s aura? You, Zhao Xin, and I will search separately, but her aura is too weak. Using spiritual power might backfire. Let’s search slowly.”
Mu Meng bit his tongue and nodded to Feng Xixue, as if to him, and also to himself, "We will definitely find it."
Feng Xixue's snow-white hair fluttered in the wind as she silently nodded.
...
Thirteen states on the left.
Danzhou City is a city-state belonging to the Binzuo region. It is a prosperous and bustling city located by the water. At this time of day, it is the most lively time, with bustling markets and archways filled with the atmosphere of daily life.
Mu Meng sat on the second floor of a teahouse. It was far from the main street and was located in a back alley, so it was quiet and not crowded.
She ordered a pot of tea, sat on the bench with a irritated expression, and leaned against the window to enjoy the breeze.
It's been a month. Strictly speaking, it's been a full month since today, after the hour of You (5-7 PM). The bottom line that Li Yue Liu Tian drew for Yu Sheng has been reached.
She hadn't slept for days. Although she didn't want to give up or admit it, the hope seemed slim. Mu Meng wasn't in the mood to drink slowly. She finished a bowl of tea and was about to leave when she suddenly sensed an extremely strong spiritual force. Turning around, she saw that Lu Zhaoxin had arrived.
Lu Zhaoxin's face lacked its usual radiance, indicating he hadn't rested much. He casually sat down opposite Mu Meng, leaned back, and began to groan, "This aura is far too weak. Let alone using spiritual power to stimulate it, I have to be careful to protect it, for fear of scattering it."
In fact, finding someone using their aura shouldn't be this difficult, but the clues they had were too fragile, and they dared not apply any spiritual power to them, so they could only protect them carefully while searching.
In this way, the range of the aura is extremely small, and you can't feel anything beyond eight steps.
After grumbling for a moment, Lu Zhaoxin looked up and thought for a moment, then suddenly sat up straight: "Mengmeng, why don't we be bold and combine the energy in our hands, then try to disperse it with our spiritual power?"
Mu Meng pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling that the suggestion was unreliable. "With this little bit of aura, unless we're extremely lucky and Sheng Sheng is right here with us, how far can it withstand being dispersed by spiritual energy? At most, only one or two miles. If we really can't find her in the end, we'll have to return this aura to Feng Xixue."
Her shoulders slumped slightly as she gazed out the window and sighed softly, "He's already so pitiful, all alone, with only this breath left. If in the end he wants to die for his country... to be with his beloved girl forever, we can't be so cruel as to tell him it's all over."
That's true, Lu Zhaoxin agreed with Mu Meng's statement, but for a moment he was at a loss. He scratched his head and looked worried. "What should we do? Mengmeng, I'm really at my wit's end. I've racked my brains but still don't know how to deal with this. Sigh, the people I know are at best on par with me, and I can't count on anyone to help... Hmm? I wonder where that Young Master Zheqing is now. He's knowledgeable and has so many clever ideas. If he were here, he might be able to resolve this crisis."
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