For several days, Nian Wanzhou remained unconscious, during which time she heard countless people calling out to her, urging her to come out and not stay cooped up.
But she refused.
She hugged Nan Yu and transformed back into the body of a small black snake, pitch black and still quite small. Lying in the herb field, her clean, pure black body showed no signs of injury and even shimmered in the sunlight.
She had already used her spiritual power to envelop it in a sphere, a materialized, amber-like sphere.
She wanted to use this method to keep the southern fish, at least...
It was as if he had always been there, never leaving.
Nian Wanzhou also wove a dream for herself, a very happy dream with her three senior brothers and Nan Yu.
In the Qinghu Secret Realm, within the sect.
They would sneak food together in the sect, play pranks on their second senior brother, and compete to see who was better at farming.
Or he could huddle together with his third senior brother, who couldn't refine pills, to tinker with pill formulas, and then use the new pills to fool the fourth elder, tricking him into taking pills that would cause diarrhea.
If there was nothing else to do, he would have his third senior brother take the food down the mountain to sell, and then buy back candy, pastries, and roast duck for Nian Wanzhou to eat.
Those cherished memories converge into dreams, blossoming with joy and enriching Nian Wanzhou's heart.
It felt both dreamlike and real.
It wasn't until Wei Wenru called out to him for three days and three days in a row, for a full twelve days, that Nian Wanzhou finally woke up from his dream and stood up weakly.
She couldn't cry anymore.
But she had to protect Nan Yu; no one could take Nan Yu away from her, not even her senior sister.
Nian Wanzhou painfully opened a wound in the heart-protecting scale, and a blinding white light flashed. She hardened her heart and dug out a piece of flesh, then placed the southern fish in her most vulnerable yet strongest and most precious position.
It is also the location closest to the heart.
Her southern fish has been by her side since the day she came into this world; they are rarely separated and have a close relationship.
However, because of the mission she carried, she did not have a good end.
She thought to herself, "Little Heavenly Dao, I know it's you. I'll remember this grudge. We'll settle this in the future."
As for what will be revealed, it can only be done after she helps her senior sister ascend to immortality, even if it means destroying herself, she has to do it.
Or, to replace him...
Wei Wenru and the other two sat in meditation in the alchemy room without eating or drinking.
Finally, all the restrictions and spiritual energy in the alchemy room dissipated, and the door creaked open.
With her face deathly pale, Nian Wanzhou transformed back into a fifteen-year-old girl, taking several steps without crying or making a fuss.
"Wanwan, you..." Wei Wenru went up and hugged her, all her unspoken words condensed into a single embrace.
Because she was too weak, Nian Wanzhou could only smile faintly and say, "Senior sister, I'm fine. I want to eat something. I'm very hungry."
Le Xi wanted to hug her, but Wei Wenru beat her to it. Unable to hug her, Le Xi could only watch Nian Wanzhou with concern from behind. She was also anxious to snatch Nian Wanzhou away and hug her.
Suddenly, he smelled a bloody odor, the heart-protecting scales...
"Nian Wanzhou, what foolish thing are you doing? The Heart-Protecting Scales are not something you can just pry open. What, what did you do?!" Le Xi stepped forward and separated the two who were embracing. She wanted to check but found it inappropriate, so she could only wait for Nian Wanzhou to explain himself.
Nian Wanzhou's smile deepened: "I didn't do anything special, just put important people in important positions."
Wei Wenru then noticed the bloodstain on Nian Wanzhou's chest, a shocking sight. She immediately helped Nian Wanzhou sit down, saying, "How could you do this? Don't you know how to take care of yourself? Don't you know how dangerous this is?"
Nian Wanzhou's lowered eyebrows concealed the darkness in her eyes.
She whispered, "There's no danger. I feel more at ease now that I've finished. Senior sister, you don't know, this makes me feel that Nan Yu is still here, always here."
Unlike my third senior brother, whom I can never see and can only remember through a memory stone and my own memories, I don't want to remember Nan Yu this way. You don't understand, do you?
The voice was so soft and ethereal, as if it might disappear at any moment.
“Nian Wanzhou, can you please wake up? Do you have to do things in a way that hurts yourself? Don’t you know how much it hurts us? Can you stop acting like a child and being so impulsive?” Le Xi wished she could shake her awake.
He growled, "Nan Yu is already dead. He was already dead before I even got there. It's no use putting him anywhere!"
Nian Wanzhou sneered: "Second Senior Brother is still as heartless as ever. He still hasn't forgotten to hurt me. Should I say that you've kept your true nature intact, or that you were always meant to target me?"
I'm perfectly clear-headed. Hurt myself? What's a little blood? Can it compare to the pain of losing my two dearest brothers? They've been family for over twenty years. Even if I died now, what would it matter!
"Since you care about me, then don't interfere with what I'm doing. It's none of your business to meddle."
Le Xi paused, unsure how to respond. He now regretted even more the things he had done to her out of jealousy.
After Nian Wanzhou finished speaking, she turned around and walked out, pushing away Wei Wenru, who also wanted to persuade her in the same way.
Wei Wenru quickly chased after her.
Nian Wanzhou stopped and turned to look at Lexi.
"Second Senior Brother, I'm your junior sister. I know you don't like me, but I beg you, could you please stop doing strange things? I don't expect you to understand how important Nan Yu is to me, but please, don't say those things you just said."
On the eve of the New Year, Zhou Sheng burst into tears, tears of pain, sorrow, and disappointment.
“I don’t want to hear you say that Nan Yu’s death is unimportant. He may be insignificant, but he is the most important person in my heart. Third Senior Brother is loved by everyone, but Nan Yu is loved only by me. I can smile when Third Senior Brother leaves, but I cannot smile when Nan Yu leaves me.”
After saying that, he quickly left without looking back.
She didn't want to see people she was close to, and she was so hungry she wanted to have a big meal, which might make her feel less sad.
But everything at the Heavenly Mystery Sect was reminding her…
This beloved sect, the sanctuary that Nan Yu brought her to, was because she had become like this.
Touch evoked feelings of emotion, self-blame, and heartache.
The pressure was suffocating Nian Wanzhou; she wanted to escape.
"Lexi, don't say those things to Wanwan anymore." Wei Wenru said calmly. She had seen Lexi's changes, but it didn't seem enough.
"What happens if the heart-protecting scales are damaged?"
Le Xi was so angry she didn't want to talk. Why was everyone blaming him? Did he even have anyone who loved him?
"You all complain that I'm cold and heartless, but you don't know how long it took me to integrate into your group and into this sect. I've been enthusiastic and selfless. Even when I was treated like a bastard and hurt, wasn't I just being a little cold to please you?"
"What did I do wrong again, senior sister?" For the first time, Lexi's eyes reddened in front of her.
"Lexi, you don't need to be like this. It's not your fault that we haven't paid attention to you all these years." Song Yan patted his shoulder, not wanting him to be too sad.
Indeed, he and Wei Wenru had been cultivating and training for many years, neglecting their junior brother, which led to him being frequently bullied within the sect.
No matter how good or united a sect is, the ten years following Nian Wanzhou's arrival were still chaotic.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
