Chapter 86 I ran away from you, never to see you again...
Ji Fuguang walked along the continuous eaves and corridors of the palace. He walked slowly, even deliberately slowing his pace to accommodate Sheng Zhiyi's frail body.
They walked in silence. When the guards who were standing by saw the two, they all knelt down silently, not daring to raise their heads.
Ji Fuguang was already used to this kind of reaction, and even indifferent to it.
Such is the nature of the demon race, where strength is revered. Or rather, it's not just the demon race; the human world, the cultivation world… everywhere follows this principle: only the strong can control their own destiny, while others can only bow down and submit.
Sheng Zhiyi followed behind him, her brows furrowing imperceptibly.
Yaoyue Lake was indeed not far away. After passing through a purple bamboo forest shrouded in a thin magical aura, the view suddenly opened up before us.
The lake is vast, filled with lotus flowers standing tall and graceful, their petals exquisitely rounded. Their elegant fragrance dispels the surrounding evil spirits, bringing an unusual tranquility and peace.
"How is it?" Ji Fuguang turned around and asked softly.
“This scenery is truly beautiful,” Sheng Zhiyi said with a smile, bending down to the lakeside to try and pluck a lotus flower that was reaching out to her. “The lotus flowers here are growing so lushly that they’re almost reaching the shore.”
She plucked a lotus stem, then, as if remembering something, turned and asked with some confusion, "I remember... isn't Yaoyue Lake still some distance away?"
She initially wanted to escape from the ancient well, but she thoroughly explored the terrain of the Demon Palace and even created her own map.
Although I only learned about many places indirectly from other people, Yaoyue Lake is clearly on the edge of the Demon Palace, and this place was just a villa at the time. How could it have changed so much in just a few days?
Ji Fuguang walked closer and reached out to fiddle with the petals of the lotus flower in Sheng Zhiyi's hand, his expression nonchalant. "The original place was too far away, so I ordered people to raze the villa to the ground and move Yaoyue Lake here."
"This..." Sheng Zhiyi was stunned by this completely unexpected answer and looked at Ji Fuguang, "Senior brother...you..."
No wonder she was just thinking that the lotus flowers in the lake were arranged in a pleasingly sparse manner, with one cluster even close to the shore, looking very suitable for picking. It turns out that this ten-mile lotus pond was actually created by Ji Fuguang's orders to relocate the lotus flowers; moving the lotus flowers was just a matter of his word.
Ji Fuguang looked down at her and said slowly, "It's nothing, just a small formation. It's a pity that these servants are stupid. It took some time and effort to punish a few of them before they learned how to manage the lotus flowers, which is why it took ten days."
He glossed over it, but Sheng Zhiyi froze.
Is such a minor punishment really just for a few lotus flowers?
She had little pity for the demons, especially since they had committed numerous evils and deserved their fate.
But given Ji Fuguang's nature... who knows if today's servant won't be her in the future?
Sheng Zhiyi smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother. The scenery of this lake is beautiful. Coming out for a walk makes me feel more open-minded."
Having already seen the vastness of the outside world, how could she endure being confined to this demon palace that did not belong to her? She was determined not to waste any more time here.
After speaking hastily, Sheng Zhiyi caught a glimpse of an exquisite painted boat quietly moored by the white jade dock. She looked up and said, "Senior brother, why don't we board the boat and sit for a while?"
This cruise ship was naturally arranged by Ji Fuguang. He stepped onto the ship first, then turned around very naturally and reached out his hand to Sheng Zhiyi.
This time, Sheng Zhiyi did not dodge.
She gently placed her slightly cool fingers into his palm.
Ji Fuguang's palms were as cold as ever, but they seemed to warm up slightly when they touched her fingertips.
He used a little force to help her onto the gunwale. Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the boat rocked. Sheng Zhiyi was already nervous, and her foot slipped, causing her to fall to the side. The scabbard of the Jinghong Feather sword at her waist hit the deck.
Suddenly, a large hand reached out and firmly embraced Sheng Zhiyi's waist, supporting her.
Ji Fuguang looked down at her, a smile playing on his lips, "Junior Sister is still the same, not very steady on or off the boat."
Sheng Zhiyi had just regained her footing when she glared at him, half-annoyed and half-annoyed, and pushed his arm away, asking, "Was that wind just now something you did on purpose?"
"Junior Sister is too good at making things up." Ji Fuguang laughed instead of getting angry, and unfolded the Night Snow and shook it twice.
He had an elegant demeanor, yet there was a hint of deliberate intent in his manner.
So what if it is?
Seeing this, Sheng Zhiyi became angry, stood at the bow of the boat leaning on the railing, and refused to look at him again.
The painted boat moved automatically without wind, slowly heading towards the center of the lake, pushing aside layers of blue waves. Towering lotus flowers and leaves surrounded the hull, and you could touch them if you squatted down.
Sheng Zhiyi watched quietly as Ji Fuguang walked over and stood beside her.
The two stood side by side admiring the lotus blossoms, neither speaking, the fragrance of the lotus blossoms filling the air and refreshing their hearts.
Sheng Zhiyi glanced sideways, her gaze landing on Ji Fuguang's cold, hard profile. He was staring at the boundless lotus pond, his eyes seemingly vacant, yet also seemingly filled with a myriad of thoughts.
The painted boat had already sailed away from the shore. This place had long been cleared out by Ji Fuguang, and there were no servants or palace maids left. In the vast Yaoyue Lake, there were only the two of them.
Indeed, given Ji Fuguang's cultivation level, what is there for him to fear even in today's cultivation world?
Her fingertips curled slightly inside the wide sleeves.
Now!
The atmosphere was just right, and he seemed to relax a little.
The heavy collar around her neck seemed to be urging her on silently.
Should she take action? She had brought along the Flying Feather.
No, that won't do. In his eyes, drawing the sword would be too slow, and the intention too obvious. Besides, what she needs is heart's blood "filled with positive emotions," and forcibly taking it would probably be ineffective.
So... what should we do...?
The artificially transplanted lotus flowers were so abundant that their petals even reached above the splint and brushed against her feet.
Sheng Zhiyi handed the lotus bud in her hand to Ji Fuguang, looking down at the lake. "Senior brother, the lotus flowers here are in full bloom. Let me pick a few more stems."
Ji Fuguang reached out and took it.
She squatted down, pinched the flower and twisted it, but her foot seemed to trip on the boat plank, and she suddenly lost her balance. With a low cry, she fell towards the outside of the boat.
"Junior Sister!"
Ji Fuguang reacted extremely quickly, his expression changing drastically. In the blink of an eye, he threw away the flower branch that was in the way, and almost instinctively stretched out his long arm to grab her waist and pull her firmly back into his arms.
Due to inertia, the two of them stumbled and crashed into the railing of the boat.
Ji Fuguang's back slammed heavily against the railing with a dull thud, but he was completely unaware of it, only anxiously looking down at the person in his arms, "How are you? Are you hurt?"
His arms were wrapped tightly, with an undeniable strength.
Sheng Zhiyi lay on his cold chest, panting as if still in shock, her face pale, one hand unconsciously clutching the front of his shirt.
Hearing this, she turned her head, her lips brushing against Ji Fuguang's chin, "Don't worry, senior brother, I'm fine."
Now!
She didn't use her spiritual power, but instead, with a hint of embarrassment, pushed away Ji Fuguang's chest, took a step back, and smiled, "Really, don't worry, Senior Brother, I'm the same as before."
The Flying Feather was suddenly drawn, carrying a resolute intent, and pierced towards Ji Fuguang's heart.
It wasn't meant to pierce his heart, but rather to hope that in the instant he dodged, his spiritual energy would sag around his heart meridian, forcing out a drop of blood from his heart.
However, the sword tip pierced straight into the soft flesh without any resistance.
Ji Fuguang's body stiffened abruptly.
He clearly felt a very subtle yet sharp pain in his chest, and at the same time, a strong and unfamiliar emotion—the joy of regaining what was lost, a subtle flutter of emotion, and a faint sense of happiness—filled his heart.
At that very moment when emotions reached their peak.
drop--
A very soft sound.
A drop of blood, crimson with a strange golden hue, slowly flowed down the clear, gleaming blade of the Jinghongyu sword, landing precisely on Sheng Zhiyi's sword-wielding hand.
Before she could think about why things had gone so smoothly, Sheng Zhiyi immediately used the palm of her other hand to catch the rolling droplets of blood.
The blood droplets were warm, even scalding, a stark contrast to the icy coldness of his body that she felt.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Sheng Zhiyi felt that the collar around her neck seemed to sense something and started to operate on its own. With a slight "click", the restriction on the collar was released.
Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest, and she impatiently grabbed the collar and ripped it off her neck.
It worked?!
"Junior Sister," a strangely gentle voice sounded, "How are you? The collar is off now, are you happy?"
Ji Fuguang still had a blood-stained sword tip stuck in his chest, but a smile appeared on his face.
Sheng Zhiyi suddenly realized something, looked over in disbelief, and her whole body trembled slightly.
"You...you knew all along?"
"I couldn't guess too much, but... it's enough." Ji Fuguang chuckled softly. "Junior Sister's sudden desire to reconcile with me, though supposedly to send Huanlu away, was still a bit too hasty. Do you remember how I commented on your swordsmanship?"
He paused, then slowly said:
"The move was too hasty and lacked follow-up."
Sheng Zhiyi gripped the hilt of the Jinghongyu sword with both hands to suppress the intense emotions within her; her voice was tinged with despair.
"So, what are you going to do with me? Put me in the water dungeon again? Ji Fuguang, you really love acting, don't you? It wasn't enough that you acted for so long in the Tianyan Sect, now you want to keep acting with me!"
"Acting?" Ji Fuguang sneered, causing the sword tip piercing his heart to tremble, staining it with even more blood. "Isn't Junior Sister the same? What, have you had your fill of acting these past few days?"
A hint of mockery suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Junior Sister, what can you do no matter how much you struggle? Even if you remove the collar, the Demon Palace has a barrier, and you're always by my side. Can you really escape?"
As if intentionally destroying Sheng Zhiyi's confidence, Ji Fuguang continued, "Spells to break spatial barriers are extremely rare in the cultivation world. Could it be that Junior Sister has some expertise in this area? Why don't you continue to play along with me? I might be able to soften my heart a little more towards you..."
Sheng Zhiyi suddenly pulled out the Jinghong Feather, blood splattering everywhere. Ji Fuguang, however, seemed oblivious. Through the blood-stained curtain, his gaze was fixed on Sheng Zhiyi, like a beast locking onto its prey.
Her face held a chilling expression. "Senior brother, things have come to this point. I might as well tell you, if you want me to continue to feign compliance and put on a show of harmony with you, it would be better to throw me into the water dungeon. At least that would give me a quick death!"
Ji Fuguang was about to sneer.
Suddenly, a burst of intense pink light erupted from Sheng Zhiyi's chest, and her entire figure became ethereal.
Spatial magic?! How is that possible?
Taking out the jade petal from her bosom, Sheng Zhiyi silently thanked the little flower fairy in the illusion.
At that time, they were imprisoned in the cage of the Phoenix Feather Clan. The little flower fairy gave her the jade petals so that they could escape from the Phoenix Feather Clan's barrier. Although they were unable to escape as the little flower fairy had hoped, the jade petals remained in Sheng Zhiyi's storage bag until Ji Fuguang returned the storage bag to her after she recovered from her illness.
"Senior brother, now you finally understand why the collar was removed."
Amidst the ethereal light and shadow, Ji Fuguang reached out in vain, only to see Sheng Zhiyi's image growing fainter and fainter.
She wore a radiant smile I'd never seen before.
"Because I'm running away from you, never to see you again."
In those unfathomable phoenix eyes, a trace of bewilderment first flashed, followed by immense shock, and finally... settled into a deep, bone-deep pain, as if betrayed by the entire world...
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