Northbound (four)
The man who spoke was not tall and strong, but he was as tall and straight as a pine tree in the snow, and he had an unquestionable aura of oppression.
He wore a simple, black armor, which shone coldly in the clear moonlight. A long, thin scar ran diagonally from the peak of his brow to the corner of his eye, adding a touch of fierceness and menace to his already solemn expression.
Holding a mirror in one hand and a whip in the other, his face was as calm as water, and his eyes were a bottomless dark color.
He Shu had not yet fully recovered from this sudden obstruction, let alone using his spiritual power to resist.
The long whip in the man's hand came through the air like black lightning and attacked his side, but at the moment when the tip of the whip was about to touch the corner of his clothes, it suddenly stopped and stopped in mid-air.
Apparently aware of the unconscious mortal he was holding tightly in his arms.
"Hostage and harm to a mortal is an even greater crime!"
As this chilling warning sounded, the white light emitted from the precious mirror suddenly became blazing and dazzling, completely enveloping He Shu in an instant.
He Shu only felt that the immortal power flowing around his body was like a frozen river, quickly stagnating and solidifying, and even showing signs of disintegrating.
He was horrified that this mirror could actually directly restrain the essence of immortals!
"My Lord, I am not a bad person!"
He quickly lowered his head to avoid the strange mirror light that could shake one's immortal power, and hurriedly began to explain, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"I am the Immortal Envoy of Luzhu Mountain. The person in my arms is my best friend. He is unconscious due to an acute illness. I am extremely worried and have no choice but to use my magic. This is only to find the mountain god Xuantongzi to save him as soon as possible. I have never abused my magic, and I have no intention of harming anyone! I hope you will understand!"
He recognized the identity of the visitor and knew that he must be the patrol officer who was in charge of this area and inspected the laws of heaven.
It must have been because he was in a hurry just now and ignored the ban to use large-scale tracking magic. The fluctuation of immortal power was too obvious, which attracted this evil god.
"The Immortal Envoy of Luzhu Mountain?"
The patrolling guard's eyes were as fast as lightning as he swept over He Shu's body.
“Where is the identity token?”
"Yes! The token is hanging on my waist..."
Before He Shu could finish his words, he felt a strong wind blowing, and his waist suddenly felt empty. The token representing his identity was easily swept away by the opponent's soul-binding whip and fell into his palm.
The patrol officer lowered his eyes and glanced at the token, brushing his fingertips across it. The surface of the token flashed slightly, as if verifying its authenticity.
"He Wuming..."
He pronounced the name in a deep voice, with no emotion to be heard.
"It's me!"
He Shu hurriedly agreed and tried to move his imprisoned body, but found that he could not mobilize any immortal power at all. He was extremely anxious.
"Now that I've verified my identity, could you please show some mercy? My friend is in urgent need and I can't afford to delay..."
"nature."
The patrolman's tone slowed down slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, his long whip deftly returned the token to He Shu's waist. He immediately retrieved the terrifying magic-breaking mirror.
As the mirror light faded, He Shu suddenly felt his whole body lighten, and the immortal power that had been suppressed began to slowly recover and flow like thawing spring water.
However, just as he was about to flap his wings and leave, the patrol officer spoke again, blocking his way, his voice still carrying the cold and hard tone of official business:
"Even if there are extenuating circumstances, you cannot openly perform such magic in a town crowded with mortals. This is an ironclad law of nature and cannot be violated. Considering this is your first offense and there are reasons for it, I will not pursue this matter further and will not repeat it."
His eyes swept over the still unconscious mortal in He Shu's arms, and his tone was calm:
"Since you have searched here for a long time and still haven't found the person you are looking for, there is no need to waste your energy any further. Leave quickly. As for the mortal in your arms..."
He paused and gave the most appropriate advice:
"Since you have an acute illness and need immediate treatment, you should seek medical help from the mortal world. Immortal powers shouldn't interfere excessively in mortal matters, so don't miss the best opportunity. Besides..."
"This mortal seems to bear the mark of divine punishment. Even if we find that mountain god, it will be of no use."
Divine punishment?
Could this be the reason why Qingshan's soul was separated... But why would a mortal bear the punishment of heaven?
He Shu pursed his lips tightly and remained silent. At this moment, a very light and weak moan sounded from his arms.
"nameless……"
It’s the voice of Qingshan!
He Shu's heart suddenly tightened, and he immediately looked down, only to see Qingshan's eyelashes trembling, as if he was struggling to wake up from the endless darkness.
He didn't care about anything else and said goodbye to the border patrol envoy in a hurry:
"Thank you for your reminder, sir. I'll take my leave now!"
Before he finished speaking, he quickly retracted the wings behind him, hugged the person in his arms tighter, turned around, and fell eagerly towards the vast earth below.
His body broke through the cold pre-dawn breeze, emitting a rapid roar. The boundless green sea below was now in full view, rushing towards him in a turbulent manner.
The reed marsh before dawn, the sky is still dark.
The blue-gray morning light silently spreads from the place where the water meets the sky, immersing the vast shallows in a quiet silence where nothing can be heard except the rustling of reed leaves in the wind.
Gradually reducing his diving momentum, He Shu landed lightly on a dry earthen ridge slightly above the water surface. The airflow he created picked up the surrounding grass and dust, which slowly drifted away.
The reeds around them were as tall as walls, quietly concealing their figures.
He slowly bent his knees and sat down, his white sleeves instantly stained with morning dew, leaving wet marks of varying depths.
"Qingshan, you're awake. How do you feel? Are you still feeling unwell?"
He carefully lifted the person in his arms and let him sit beside him, asking a series of questions with concern that was hard to conceal.
"Nothing..."
Qingshan used his strength to steady himself and replied softly.
He lowered his eyes, avoiding He Shu's gaze, and his face was an almost transparent paleness.
He Shu could tell at a glance that he was holding on, and without saying anything, he grabbed his cold wrist and slowly transferred gentle true energy from his palm to him.
"Qingshan... just hold on a little longer. I will definitely find Xuantongzi to save you..."
There was an uncontrollable tremor in his words.
At this moment, a cold palm gently covered the back of his hand where he was concentrating his true energy, stopping his movements.
"Take me back...Wuming..."
Qingshan's voice was still very soft, but very clear. The tone... was no longer slow and confused, but carried a long-lost sense of familiarity that seemed to have been hidden deep in memory.
He Shu paused and looked up suddenly.
The corners of the lips of the person in front of him raised slightly, and his pale, bloodless skin showed a hint of warmth.
His eyes were filled with mist, like the melting ice on a lake in spring, spreading soft ripples as he looked at himself quietly.
"Qingshan?"
He Shu's voice was so dry that he could hardly believe it.
"...You...you are Qingshan? Is it really you..."
After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. He raised his hand almost tremblingly and very slowly stroked Qingshan's cheek.
He felt a cool yet very real touch at his fingertips, but he felt as if burned by the temperature. He suddenly retracted his hand and turned his head away, trying to hide the uncontrollable tears that quietly filled his eyes.
The dense reeds stood tall and straight, and the tips of their dark green leaves were still covered with heavy night dew. When the wind trembled, the dew rolled down and merged into the dark and unpredictable water below.
The moist air is filled with the unique astringent scent of reeds, the faint fishy smell of algae in the water, and the damp fragrance emitted by the soil after being soaked in the morning air.
Qingshan's sudden "return" left Heshu feeling confused and unprepared, but now was definitely not a good time to reunite and reminisce about the past...
He took a deep breath of the cool air and forced himself to calm down his chaotic emotions.
In an instant, countless questions surged into my mind like boiling bubbles, vying to burst out.
He wanted to ask, have you been well in the years since I returned to Heaven? He wanted to ask, have you taken your medicine properly and recuperated well while I was away? He wanted to ask, have you ever resented or blamed me for not being able to return in time?
But after so many words rolled over and over between his lips and teeth, what finally came out was just a soft sigh that suppressed a myriad of emotions:
"Why……"
Why... did everything turn out like this? Why couldn't you return to your destiny?
"Don't you want to see me back, Wuming?"
The person who was originally just smiling gently, with his eyebrows still curved, suddenly leaned forward without warning and moved closer.
His movements were not swift, and even had a hint of his own unique calmness, but because there was no warning at all, He Shu's heart skipped a beat.
"Are you... still thinking about my memoryless soul?"
Qingshan's voice became low, with a hint of elusive meaning.
The warm breath instantly brushed against his cheek. He stopped at a very close distance, so close that he could see the miniature of his panic in his deep eyes, count his fine eyelashes trembling slightly because of his forbearance, and feel the disturbing heat from the lingering smile at the corner of his lips.
The air around seemed to suddenly stagnate and heat up.
Qingshan was still waiting for Heshu's answer. He didn't say anything else, but just stared at the other person intently with his smiling eyes, as if savoring every bit of astonishment and helplessness on his face.
The overly pale skin color became clearer at a close distance, and a warm and attractive, yet bitter ambiguity silently spread in the narrow gap between the two people's intertwined breaths.
“You…you…”
He Shu subconsciously wanted to lean back to avoid the distance, but soon the unwillingness to admit defeat in his heart was aroused again.
Instead of retreating, he steeled himself and leaned forward slightly, his forehead almost touching the tip of Qingshan's nose. He knitted his brows, pretending to be ferocious, and whispered viciously:
"Answer my question first! Don't give me that!"
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