Chapter 42 042 The Heartbroken Puppy
Although he appeared to be stumbling and in excruciating pain, he surprisingly moved with incredible speed!
If it weren't still daytime, Song Chi might not have been able to catch up.
Fortunately, her master had given her several magical artifacts that could increase her speed, and she had also bought quite a few speed-enhancing talismans herself. She had also diligently practiced the Instantaneous Movement Technique without a moment's delay.
Therefore, even without using any special magical artifacts, she still managed to track Wen Xiujin's movements.
Although this kid is already pitiful enough for being heartbroken, the person who is heartbroken is the most important person in the world, and she still wants to steal the spiritual fruit that improves his aptitude.
Honestly, he's a complete scoundrel!
But... Song Chi didn't stop her pursuit. Of course, if she encountered any spiritual fruits or opportunities along the way, she would stop chasing Wen Xiujin. She wasn't that kind of devil who would deliberately go against Wen Xiujin.
However, she chased Wen Xiujin for a whole day and night. Along the way, there wasn't a single spiritual fruit or opportunity, not even a fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Then they chased after them for another whole day.
As night fell, Wen Xiujin slowed down. Song Chi was already consuming Qi-restoring pills to replenish her Qi; her cultivation was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, while Wen Xiujin was at the late-stage Perfection of Foundation Establishment. She was a small realm behind, making it very difficult for her to catch up.
In the past two days, in order to recover her spiritual power, she has consumed a lot of Qi-restoring pills. Eating too many of these pills will cause her meridians to ache terribly.
Therefore, as night fell, every time she used her spiritual power to teleport, it felt like dancing on a knife's edge. She had truly suffered enough.
Fortunately, as dusk fell, Wen Xiujin finally arrived at a dark swamp. He estimated that his spiritual energy was exhausted.
He staggered and fell to the edge of the swamp. But he ignored the stench of the mud, facing the sky with one arm covering his face.
His exposed lips and nose held a cold, aloof expression, and he remained silent for a long time. A heavy, viscous emotion had completely enveloped him.
He must be in great pain right now.
To be honest, Song Chi was actually a little envious of this intense emotional rollercoaster. She knew how painful heartbreak was. In her past life, she had witnessed many classmates and friends suffer terribly after a breakup, becoming incredibly thin in a month, constantly crying, losing all hope in life, and feeling utterly hopeless.
She felt at the time that it was fine if she didn't have any feelings. At least she wouldn't have to suffer the pain of love.
Now that I think about it, it's not that she was unwilling to endure this hardship. If she could love so fiercely, even if she were abandoned, it wouldn't matter. At least she could continue smoothly on the path of music cultivation.
As for Wen Xiujin's feelings at this moment, she could not fully comprehend them.
The novel has all three key plot elements: a stinking swamp, nighttime, and a heartbroken Wen Xiujin.
The spirit fruit would probably really take root and sprout in the middle of the night, bloom at dawn, and bear scarlet fruit when the first glimmer of light appears.
So she'd have to go against her conscience, launch a sneak attack, or fight back—anything to get what she wanted.
She had been preparing for this for twelve years!
Although Song Yun wasn't there, he couldn't actually give him this fruit. This was because the spiritual fruit would rot and turn into water if not consumed within a quarter of an hour.
Therefore, I'll just consider it as grabbing one for myself. Wen Xiujin's aptitude is already so good anyway; it's her type who desperately needs spiritual fruits to improve their quality.
To seize it, one naturally needs to recover spiritual energy. So Song Chi decided to go all in, activated a defensive formation, and immediately sat down to meditate in the woods by the swamp.
Once she activated her defenses, Wen Xiujin should have sensed it. In fact, Wen Xiujin should have known someone was chasing him all along. After all, so much time had passed, and the kid had been running so recklessly. She simply couldn't track his movements while remaining completely concealed.
But Wen Xiujin ignored her, perhaps because he was too grief-stricken to pay attention to her.
Song Chi didn't care whether Bao was exposed or not. After she meditated to recover her spiritual power, an hour or two had passed. The mist that had previously filled the forest and swamp gradually dissipated, revealing a sky full of stars.
The night sky was deep and beautiful, and even though the swamp was rather smelly, it gained a touch of desolate beauty under the starlight.
Song Chi heard a very clear sound as seeds were being peeled away from the ground.
Even Wen Xiujin couldn't help but slightly move the back of his hand away from his eyes and glance at the sound.
Then, just as the script said, a pure white sprout really did grow out from beside him. The sprout grew extremely fast, quickly spreading its branches and growing to about a foot tall. Its leaves were large and glowed with fluorescence, looking like it was highly poisonous and not to be trifled with.
When a normal person sees this poisonous plant sprouting, they will get up and avoid it to observe it for a while.
Wen Xiujin was no ordinary person; he was unmoved by this and even coldly looked away.
Song Chi roughly understood what he was thinking at that moment.
"Since she has no feelings for me, it wouldn't matter if I died right now."
"Hmph, if this poisonous herb is truly potent, it would be best to take me away silently."
The book was still in her mind, and it clearly recorded Wen Xiujin's inner thoughts at this moment, which were too incomprehensible to Song Chi.
Seeing the spirit fruit tree grow, Song Chi simply showed himself openly.
He walked out of the woods to the edge of the swamp, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Senior Brother Wen!"
Wen Xiujin glanced at her coldly, then covered his eyes with the back of his hand again, ignoring her.
That's normal; this guy is still determined to die. Song Chi truly doesn't understand what's so great about dying. If he and Yu Yanran had a beautiful, unwavering love, that would be one thing, but he's just infatuated. Unrequited love leads him to want to die… No wonder he's a love-obsessed character in the book; his inner world is truly extraordinary.
She didn't pay any attention.
He took out his zither and began to play slowly. Logically, Wen Xiujin should have been heartbroken and his emotions should have been extremely intense at this moment.
Wood elemental magic is the easiest way to deal with this kind of person.
Song Chi initially played a few tunes casually, then channeled his wood elemental power into Wen Xiujin's body in an attempt to stir his emotions. However, he found that he couldn't move him at all!
At that moment, his mind seemed completely isolated from the outside world.
Perhaps it was because he was now single-mindedly seeking death, and his inner world consisted only of himself; nothing else could attract his attention.
Therefore, the atria are like an impregnable fortress.
Song Chi was speechless. She then changed to various tunes, some mournful, some beautiful and tender, some desolate and gloomy, some fiery and intense, and even some filled with murderous intent.
To no avail. The boy remained unmoved by her music, as if he were dead.
Music can express all the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but it has already expressed all the anger and sorrow. Only joyful music remains. When someone is heartbroken and devastated, she plays a cheerful and sweet tune. No matter how you look at it, it feels a bit like dancing on someone else's grave, courting death.
But Song Chi gritted her teeth and decided to give it a try. She refused to believe that no piece of music could open this boy's heart.
Then she plucked the strings, playing a sweet little tune. The melody was like moonlight streaming down, a gentle stroll among the flowers and trees at night, a soft longing for someone seen during the day—a hazy, beautiful, and exceptionally sweet feeling. It was a little secret belonging only to one person, one that even the beloved might not know.
As the music began, Wen Xiujin's heart finally stirred slightly.
Although Song Chi couldn't understand why someone would like to listen to sweet tunes when they're sad, he still satisfied Wen Xiujin and played two more sweet little tunes.
I could tell that Wen Xiujin was indeed listening, but his emotions were not very intense.
On the contrary, Song Chi had nothing left to play, and the piece "Hehuan" came out of her fingertips! She had long ago decided that she would never play this piece in her life unless necessary.
Who knew that as soon as this music started playing, Wen Xiujin's eyes dimmed slightly, and he fell into a complex emotion filled with reminiscence and sorrow mixed with beauty.
The intensity of this emotion instantly pierced Song Chi's heart.
As the music became more and more mesmerizing, Wen Xiujin's expression also became bewildered. Then, his eyelids gradually closed. This guy was quite interesting; he was under the spell of the Wood Spirit Root Illusion, yet he simply fell asleep peacefully.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to completely hypnotize Wen Xiujin, a mysterious aura emanated from his body.
They easily broke her illusion. That must be some kind of secret treasure!
Song Chi was speechless. She knew it couldn't be that simple. She wasn't destined for that.
But since it was still early, she persisted in arguing with Wen Xiujin, playing the "Hehuan" melody over and over again.
Then, they were repeatedly countered by the secret treasure...
As Wen Xiujin listened to the music under the tranquil night sky, he was initially quite resistant.
At this moment, all he wanted was to be alone. He didn't care if he died in this swamp. No one should disturb him!
Who knew that the person not only didn't understand his feelings at that moment, but also kept changing different songs in an attempt to comfort him?
But it's completely unnecessary!
At this moment, he has no feelings for her; all his efforts are in vain.
He had heard of Song Chi before because of her music. But he truly got to know her because of the undisguised, repeated stares she gave him by the lake.
His expression was bright and sparkling, as if he had been touched by the most joyful thing in his heart.
Every time her gaze left him, she couldn't help but purse her lips. A look of...deterred confidence lingered on her face!
Perhaps Song Chi's first impression of him was extremely positive. Just like when he first met Senior Sister Yanran, her slender figure in green instantly became deeply ingrained in his heart.
Although Song Chi was pure, beautiful, and talented, she was a very likable woman. Ye Qingyu and the others made almost no attempt to hide their feelings for her.
But Wen Xiujin felt apologetic in his heart. He had no interest in her; besides Senior Sister Yanran, there was no one else in his heart.
He was actually quite unhappy that Song Chi had been following him all this way.
He had originally decided that if the music started playing again, he would mercilessly slap her away. He just wanted to be alone.
But who could have imagined that a single note of "Hehuan" would tear his heart apart in an instant? It was Senior Sister Yanran's favorite piece. Over the years, Senior Sister Yanran would always hide in a quiet place and play this piece on beautiful moonlit nights. The sweet and gentle expression on her face when she played it had deeply captivated his heart every moonlit night.
"I wonder if that person knows my heart!" Every time she finished playing this piece, Senior Sister Yanran would sigh softly.
"Of course I know." Wen Xiujin always answered this in his heart, but he never dared to reveal himself.
Wen Xiujin now understood that timid feeling. It wasn't that he was too afraid to act on his feelings, but rather that he had long been keenly aware that Senior Sister Yanran didn't have him in her heart.
He had already made up his mind to go on this journey, even if it meant his own destruction, to find the spiritual fruit that would cleanse Senior Sister Yanran's aptitude. He wanted her to achieve Nascent Soul cultivation, so that the two of them could be together forever, like the stars and the moon, unconcerned with the passing of time.
It's obvious, however, that the one who can truly do this is my senior brother.
He was an outsider from beginning to end.
And Song Chi, who played the Hehuan Melody for him again and again, seemed to be an outsider in yet another story of love at first sight...
No matter how moving her music was, she would never be in his heart.
However, Song Chi was certainly not a sentimental person like him. After playing the Hehuan Melody for the tenth time, he had torn out his heart ten times.
Her violin playing suddenly veered sharply. Was she angry?
Hmph! After all, she was the center of attention, and she received no response from him. No matter how devoted she was to chasing him for two days and one night, she would probably only feel resentment by now.
He should be leaving soon. That's fine, let him have this peaceful night all to himself.
Who knows?
Song Chi suddenly walked over step by step, taking a deep breath in the middle.
Wen Xiujin: "..." What is she planning to do?
Did she intend to have a long talk with him to win him over? Wen Xiujin was extremely resistant to this idea.
He was determined that the moment she opened her mouth, he would coldly and mockingly reject her. He didn't want to give her any illusions.
However, after waiting for a while, Song Chi still didn't say anything.
He couldn't help but glance up at her. Song Chi also glanced at him; she was squatting to his left, in front of the poisonous weed.
After exchanging a glance with him, her eyes turned to the poisonous plant as she studied it.
Wen Xiujin looked at the poisonous plant and was slightly taken aback. It was because next to the poisonous plant that had previously glowed, another plant had now grown out like twin stems, but it still glowed with a strong green light, looking very ominous.
Song Chi, however, seemed quite pleased. She quietly activated a magical artifact that concealed the secrets of heaven, enveloping the small space.
Then he took out a small stool and sat down in front of the poisonous weeds.
If he looked over, her downcast gaze would glance at him slightly. It seemed... rather indifferent.
Wen Xiujin: "..." He even put on an act.
She probably wanted to appear indifferent to him, that she was only interested in that poisonous herb. But how could she treat such an ominous poisonous herb as a treasure? Even if it were a respectable medicinal herb, her guarding it like this would be understandable.
This poisonous plant…
Wen Xiujin was speechless at the time. He felt that even if he asked the man to leave, he probably wouldn't.
This guy is very brave and shameless. But he's really annoying. On a night like this, if she had any sense, she should have left him alone.
Wen Xiujin had made up his mind. He would never reciprocate her feelings in this lifetime!
The two sat in silence for another hour. During this time, Song Chi even meditated briefly to recover his spiritual energy, then rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the deep starry sky with a very dashing posture.
That serene demeanor... it was as if she had absolutely no interest in him!
Wen Xiujin: "..." He was so speechless that he didn't want to say anything more.
Fortunately, Song Chi was quiet, so it was fine.
Then, the darkest hour before dawn arrived quickly. Thick fog gradually rose, the starry sky dimmed, and the swamp turned a deep black. Only the precious tree, which glowed like a poisonous weed, seemed to be a lamp in the darkness.
In the stillness, a small, scarlet flower bloomed among the green leaves. In less than fifteen minutes, it blossomed into a scarlet fruit that resembled a man-eating flower, emitting a foul stench. Anyone who saw this poisonous flower would turn and run away without a second thought.
Wen Xiujin merely glanced at him sideways, remaining silent.
Song Chi stared intently at the twin poisonous plants that had sprouted from behind, watching as a scarlet flower bloomed. She unconsciously pursed her lips slightly.
She had originally planned to obtain the spiritual fruit no matter what, whether it was through a sneak attack or a desperate gamble.
Therefore, she used the melody of Albizia to fiercely fight against Wen Xiujin's secret treasure. Although she ultimately did not win, seeing another poisonous herb sprout out from beside the previous one, her music suddenly cracked.
At this moment, I saw this scarlet flower bloom, its appearance almost as perfect as the flower next to it.
Then came the green apricots, which grew after the two flowers withered. They gradually grew to the size of an egg and began to turn scarlet.
Song Chi's eyes narrowed with genuine joy. What incredible luck! He didn't even need to fight Wen Xiujin, nor did he need to launch a sneak attack.
She doesn't need any of those cheesy, confidante-like lines; she probably isn't good at that anyway.
In short, she can patiently wait for the fruit to ripen, and then pick one to eat.
She finished eating and ran away immediately. She had already sensed that Wen Xiujin hated her presence; every cell in her body seemed to be resisting it.
After all, she's heartbroken and needs some peace and quiet. She understands that.
If it weren't for this auspicious fruit, you'd see her paying any attention to Wen Xiujin and ignoring him completely.
As the melon ripened and fell from the vine, its scarlet flesh emitting a sweet and rich aroma, she knew the fruit was almost ready.
However, Wen Xiujin's pill was obviously a little faster, while hers was slightly slower.
As the fruit fell, Wen Xiujin swiftly opened his palm. The fruit landed in his hand, which he held up in front of him, glancing at it briefly. His eyes held a nonchalant coldness and indifference, as if he were considering the possibility of dying after eating the fruit.
His expression showed that he didn't care at all about whether he lived or died at that moment.
However, she didn't eat them yet. Instead, she watched as the ripe fruit and melons on Song Chi's side fell gently into her hands.
Song Chi glanced at him. To be honest, it was impossible for her not to be worried at all that this was a truly poisonous fruit. After all, the script had been slightly altered; originally, only one Ruyi Spirit Fruit would grow here, but now there were two.
It might really be a poisonous fruit.
She wanted to wait for Wen Xiujin to eat first. If he didn't die from it, then she would eat. Forgive her for being such a vicious person.
Wen Xiujin seemed to understand her thoughts somewhat, giving her a mocking look. Then he picked up the fruit and crunched it down.
Seeing him swallow quickly, he closed his eyes. But before he closed his eyes completely, he still gave her a cold glance.
There was still a hint of mockery in his voice, as if to say, "Do you dare to do it?"
Song Chi: "..." Seeing that he wasn't dead, she didn't actually have much time to wait. So after waiting a moment, she took a bite of the fruit.
At that moment, Wen Xiujin suddenly opened his eyes and watched her swallow the fruit. He was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
"Are you crazy?"
"You didn't know it was poisonous!"
He practically roared these words. He even seemed to have a shred of conscience. But he quickly fell silent, because the spiritual power within the spiritual fruit had been activated, and he should have sensed the mysterious and pure energy that had cleansed his aptitude.
So he took a deep breath, glared at Song Chi with annoyance, and then closed his eyes again.
He didn't even have the intention of sitting up and meditating.
Song Chi swallowed the fragrant and sweet fruit and immediately began meditating. The swamp here was foul-smelling and surrounded by thick fog. She felt quite safe; Wen Xiujin was, after all, a powerful figure, and this was naturally the best place to absorb the medicinal power.
It took an hour. After the sky had fully brightened, Song Chi had absorbed about 70-80% of the medicinal power.
After swallowing the spiritual fruit, he felt a familiar refreshing energy sweep over his limbs and bones, but the medicinal power was obviously much more amazing than last time.
Furthermore, she could sense that her previously stagnant cultivation was beginning to loosen. Her ability to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had also increased by more than double.
The spiritual root was indeed cleansed. Song Chi's joy was only half-hearted. After all, the main purpose of this trip was to find spiritual fruits to cleanse Song Yun's spiritual root. His cultivation level had to be raised to the Golden Core stage as soon as possible so that he could quickly refine the Hundred Flowers Cleansing Pill. Otherwise, his grandfather's lifespan was limited, and they couldn't afford to wait.
However, after her aptitude was cleansed, it should now be above ninety. As a disciple of the Venerable One, she won't feel guilty anymore.
As Song Chi finished his practice, the fog that had risen at dawn began to dissipate.
Wen Xiujin was still half-lying in the mud with his eyes closed. Judging from his appearance, he probably planned to lie there until he died.
"Senior Brother Wen, are you leaving or not?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Three-colored cat head][Three-colored cat head] is here!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
