Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi followed the guidance of the Yinyue South and arrived at the boundary between the Ice Bamboo Forest and the Flatland.
"Master, this... How is it possible? How could Mi Xingzhe end up in the Flatland?" Yun Qingyi was also surprised.
"Mi'er must not have known how to enter the Flatland. It seems there's something fishy going on here. Look at these tracks on the ground." Li Luoning squatted down to examine the traces left by the carriage.
"Master, are you suggesting that someone took Mi'er away?" Yun Qingyi asked.
The Liao Yin Immortal Realm had strict rules, and without The Empty Flower Token, no one was allowed to enter the Flatland privately. Standing helplessly in front of the boundary, Yun Qingyi could only pace back and forth anxiously.
"If he was indeed abducted, it must have been premeditated. But since they didn't harm him, they must have another agenda. Mi'er is protected by the Guardian Boundary of the Zhi Beast Gold Silk Jade Pendant. No one can harm him. If anyone tries to forcibly break the protective boundary on the jade pendant, the rebounding magic will immediately alert me to his location." It turned out that the jade pendant given to Mi Xingzhe earlier had Li Luoning's seal on it. If anyone tried to harm Mi Xingzhe, the pendant would instinctively create a protective boundary around him. Unless someone's cultivation was comparable to Li Luoning's, ordinary spells couldn't break the boundary he had set up.
"Master, what should we do now? We don't even know who took Mi'er. We can't just wait like this, can we?" Yun Qingyi said anxiously.
"Qingyi, you go back with me to consult the Immortal Venerable. Once we obtain the token permit, we'll set off immediately for the Flatland." Li Luoning looked back at the boundary of the Flatland.
"But, Master..." Yun Qingyi wanted to say something more.
"Given the late hour, the Flatland is at its most dangerous when the miasma is at its heaviest. You know how dangerous the Flatland's Yao Forest is, don't you?"
"I know the danger of the Yao Forest, so I want to..."
"Qingyi! Mi'er is protected by the boundary I set for him. If someone tries to harm him, the seal can temporarily keep him safe. Besides, those who took him clearly intended to use him for other purposes." Although Li Luoning was also worried, it was evident that the people who took Mi Xingzhe had no intention of harming him for now, so Mi Xingzhe was not in immediate danger.
"But, Master, Mi'er..." Yun Qingyi still refused to give up.
"Go back with me. Once we have the permit token, we'll leave immediately." Li Luoning turned around and started to walk back.
"Master!"
"Go back!" Li Luoning's voice was stern.
Bound by the master's command, Yun Qingyi could only reluctantly glance at the boundary and follow Li Luoning back to the Mirror Cloud Residence.
Now it was unclear who the group was that dared to intrude into the Ice Bamboo Forest and abduct Mi Xingzhe at the foot of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm. These people must have come prepared, so Li Luoning didn't plan to act rashly. Moreover, the Flatland's evil spirits had always lusted after the cultivation of immortal families. If they directly entered the boundary, Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi's presence would be too conspicuous.
Just as Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi turned around to leave, in the woods near the boundary of the Flatland, the pale figure appeared again. "Mi Xingzhe... interesting." The deep voice murmured softly, followed by a light smile on the thin lips. Then, he opened his palm, and several purple petals were gently blown away.
Meanwhile, at the Fanli Valley,
Hua Ruoying had already brought back the Ice Bamboo Token and poured it into the Stone Well. After a golden light flashed, everything returned to calm.
After settling the injured people in the Fanli Valley, Hua Ruoying prepared some ointments for external application and distributed them to the injured.
After handling the matters in the Fanli Valley, Hua Ruoying returned to the cave in the Flatland, where Qingping and the still unconscious Mi Xingzhe were.
Mi Xingzhe slowly woke up with a splitting headache. He could vaguely see some light in front of him, but he couldn't see anything clearly. Feeling extremely thirsty, he groped around trying to sit up and find some water.
Guarding on the side, Qingping woke up from a doze, startled to see Mi Xingzhe gradually sitting up, his brows furrowed and his eyes squinting, which frightened Qingping, causing her to panic and dart around the cave in confusion. With his bloodline of shadow demons, Mi Xingzhe could occasionally use a bit of shadow teleportation when in distress, but without proper training, it often resulted in uncontrollable collisions with himself.
"Ruoying... Sister Ruoying, he's... awake..." Qingping, in a fluster, kept teleporting around, her voice filled with anxiety as she called out to Hua Ruoying.
Mi Xingzhe felt only shadows drifting back and forth before his eyes. Still in the process of recovering his senses, the fall had affected his vision. Despite his efforts, he couldn't make out what was in front of him, and the blurry shadows left him feeling dizzy.
"Sister Ruoying, he's... awake now, that... that person~ ah~" Qingping, like a startled kitten, scrambled around the cave in a panic. In an accidental flash, she collided with Hua Ruoying, who was entering with a bowl of medicine.
"Ah, Qingping! You nearly killed me." The medicine in Hua Ruoying's bowl almost spilled as she was bumped, causing her hand to get burned. She couldn't help but curse.
"I'm... I'm sorry." Seeing Hua Ruoying, Qingping instantly quieted down a lot, hiding behind her and pointing nervously at Mi Xingzhe.
Following Qingping's gesture, Hua Ruoying looked over and saw Mi Xingzhe already awake, sitting there with a confused expression, his eyes devoid of focus, his ears twitching to the sounds around him.
"You're awake," Hua Ruoying walked over.
Unable to see clearly, Mi Xingzhe felt a bit apprehensive as Hua Ruoying approached, instinctively shrinking back.
Seeing him recoil slightly, his eyes lost in the shadows, Hua Ruoying found it odd and reached out to test in front of him.
"Are you alright? Can you see?" Hua Ruoying asked as she waved her hand in front of Mi Xingzhe's face.
Hearing Hua Ruoying's voice, Mi Xingzhe recognized that it was a girl in front of him. He shook his head slowly, but didn't speak.
"Don't worry, it's just the fall affecting your vision after waking up. But it's alright, with a little care, you'll recover in a few days," Hua Ruoying said as she handed the bowl of medicine to Mi Xingzhe.
Startled by the touch, Mi Xingzhe hesitated before cautiously feeling the object passed to him.
The scent was all too familiar to him. The bowl of medicine was something he had often seen during his time at the Mirror Cloud Residence, more familiar to him than a rice bowl.
"Miss, did you save me?" Mi Xingzhe asked tentatively.
"Yes, we found you on the road, lying unconscious and bleeding, so we brought you here," Hua Ruoying didn't mention that she had gone to the Ice Bamboo Forest to steal the Ice Bamboo Talisman.
"Thank you." Mi Xingzhe nodded towards the direction of the voice.
"Do you have a name?" Hua Ruoying asked casually.
"I'm Mi Xingzhe, but most fellow immortals call me Yun Wan Nian." Mi Xingzhe thought he might be in the chambers of some scattered immortal in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm. Thinking that by telling his name, he would naturally be taken back to the Mirror Cloud Residence by Yun Qingyi.
[He's the person that Lord Mo wants to find! It's really effortless to find him.] Hua Ruoying silently recited in her heart.
"I wonder if I could trouble you to run a trip to the Mirror Cloud Residence and inform my senior brother Yun Qingyi to come and get me?" Mi Xingzhe chuckled. He remembered falling down at the entrance of the Ice Bamboo Forest, so his current location should be the territory of a scattered immortal in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm.
After all, with his master and senior brother being such prominent figures in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, all he needed to do was to mention his name, and naturally someone would inform them to take him back to the Mirror Cloud Residence.
"The young master will stay here to recuperate for now. I'll inform your senior brother to come later." Hua Ruoying falsely reassured Mi Xingzhe.
"Then I'll trouble you, miss." Mi Xingzhe didn't understand the meaning behind Hua Ruoying's words, but he thanked her.
"If I hand him over to Lady Demon Lord, perhaps I can exchange for my brother's antidote." Hua Ruoying turned away, plotting in her heart, then walked out of the cave, followed by Qingping.
"Sister Ruoying, what should we do now?" Qingping asked.
Instead of answering, Hua Ruoying lowered her gaze in thought, taking out a small bottle of medicine from her pocket.
"Qingping, go find some spring water and food." Hua Ruoying instructed.
Soon, Qingping returned to the cave with the items and handed them to Hua Ruoying, who was sitting on the side concocting medicine.
"Master Yun, here's some fresh spring water for you to moisten your throat." Hua Ruoying dripped the medicine from the bottle into the spring water in her hand and handed it to Mi Xingzhe.
"Thank you, miss." Mi Xingzhe took the water but didn't drink it.
His previous experiences of wandering and being sold multiple times made him especially cautious of things handed to him by strangers. He used to be good at reading people's intentions, so he could tell if someone had ill intentions with just a few actions. But now, unable to see clearly, he dared not let his guard down.
"Master Yun? Are you afraid I poisoned the water?" Seeing he didn't intend to drink, Hua Ruoying naturally knew what he was worried about.
"No, no, miss, I'm just not thirsty, not thirsty, heh heh." Mi Xingzhe explained awkwardly, feeling his throat as dry as a desert, but because he didn't know whether the other party was friend or foe, he resisted the urge to drink the water in his hand.
"Master Yun, you don't need to worry. If I really wanted to harm you, why would I bother bringing you back and treating you?" Hua Ruoying asked.
Mi Xingzhe thought about it and found her words reasonable. After all, he was unconscious when he was found. If she really had ill intentions, why wait for him to wake up? Thinking this, Mi Xingzhe slowly raised the water in his hand and drank it.
A hint of satisfaction flashed across Hua Ruoying's face as she took the empty cup from Mi Xingzhe.
"Rest here for now, Master Yun. I'll send someone to inform your senior brother." She turned and signaled to Qingping.
"Thank you." Mi Xingzhe thanked her and gently supported his forehead with his hand. For some reason, he felt a bit dizzy, and eventually, he fell asleep uncontrollably.
Seeing Mi Xingzhe faint, Hua Ruoying's face immediately filled with triumph. She laid him down and gently lifted his nose bridge with her fingers.
"What a pity, he's quite handsome." Hua Ruoying sighed with regret.
"Sister Ruoying, what are you doing?" Qingping asked.
"It's none of your business, don't ask." Hua Ruoying said, taking out a sharp dagger from her sleeve.
"Since you'll end up dead in Lady Demon Lord's hands anyway, why not let me give you a quick and painless death?" Hua Ruoying thought to herself.
"Sister Ruoying, what is this?" Qingping was shocked to see the dagger Hua Ruoying drew.
"The blood of cultivators has purifying properties. After all, I saved him, so it's not excessive to take a bit of his blood as repayment." Hua Ruoying muttered to herself, then her eyes became somewhat murderous as she controlled the dagger with her fingers, flying towards Mi Xingzhe.
Just as the dagger was inches away from Mi Xingzhe's heart, it was blocked by a golden light and bounced off to the side, embedding itself in the cave wall.
Hua Ruoying was startled. She didn't expect this seemingly weak and powerless guy to have such high cultivation to protect himself with a golden light.
"Even if the duck is brought to your mouth, can you still fly away? I won't give up so easily."
Hua Ruoying carefully inspected Mi Xingzhe and noticed the shimmering jade pendant around his waist. It must be the problem with this pendant. With a wave of her hands and a surge of demonic energy, she struck towards the jade pendant at Mi Xingzhe's waist.
What Hua Ruoying didn't know was that the previous golden light protection actually came from Mi Xingzhe's inner pill, not the jade pendant. However, her attack on the pendant triggered the protective barrier set by Li Luoning on the pendant.
A powerful force instantly bounced Hua Ruoying and Qingping away, their bodies crashing into the cave wall and falling to the ground. Hua Ruoying, injured internally, coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Sister Ruoying, are you alright?" Qingping quickly got up and checked on Hua Ruoying.
Meanwhile, in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, Li Luoning was waiting outside the sleeping quarters of Situ Fanzhi. Upon hearing the report from the celestial messenger, Li Luoning's sudden visit likely meant there was urgent news to report.
"Coming to me at this hour, there must be something urgent, I presume. Speak, what is it?" Situ Fanzhi inquired upon hearing the report.
"Master, I urgently need to go to The Flatland. There's an incident involving Xingzhe, and I must investigate. I seek your permission to leave," Li Luoning reported.
"The Flatland?" Situ Fanzhi expressed surprise.
"Junior Xingzhe went to the Ice Bamboo Forest to gather herbs and was abducted. With the guidance of the South Law from the Bureau of Tranquility, it was discovered that he was taken to The Flatland. I request permission to investigate and rescue my junior brother, Xingzhe," Li Luoning explained with a lowered head.
"Such an incident? To dare abduct someone under the nose of our Liao Yin Immortal Realm. Go then, and also find out who is responsible," Situ Fanzhi initially expressed surprise but then waved his hand, imprinting a golden light on Li Luoning's Empty Flower Token.
"Thank you, Master!" Li Luoning bowed in gratitude before swiftly departing.
Watching Li Luoning's departing figure, Situ Fanzhi pondered silently, his fingers tapping lightly behind his back. Eventually, he moved his fingers slightly, and a butterfly silently flew out from his palm.
"Xingzhe," Situ Fanzhi muttered to himself, gently rubbing his fingertips together before flipping his palm, where a golden light hovered with the three characters "Xingzhe."
Li Luoning stood outside the sleeping quarters of Situ Fanzhi, waiting anxiously. When the celestial messenger arrived with urgent news, Li Luoning's sudden appearance hinted at important matters to discuss.
"Coming at this hour, there must be something urgent. Tell me, what is it?" Situ Fanzhi inquired upon hearing the report.
"Master, I need to go to The Flatland immediately. There's an incident involving Xingzhe, and I must investigate. I seek your permission to depart," Li Luoning reported.
"The Flatland?" Situ Fanzhi expressed surprise.
"Xingzhe went to the Ice Bamboo Forest to gather herbs and was abducted. With the guidance of the South Law from the Bureau of Tranquility, it was discovered that he was taken to The Flatland. I request permission to investigate and rescue my junior brother, Xingzhe," Li Luoning explained, bowing respectfully.
"Such an incident? To dare to abduct someone under the nose of our Liao Yin Immortal Realm. Go then, and also find out who is responsible," Situ Fanzhi initially expressed surprise but then waved his hand, imprinting a golden light on Li Luoning's Empty Flower Token.
"Thank you, Master!" Li Luoning bowed in gratitude before swiftly departing.
Watching Li Luoning's departing figure, Situ Fanzhi pondered silently, his fingers tapping lightly behind his back. Eventually, he moved his fingers slightly, and a butterfly silently flew out from his palm.
"Xingzhe," Situ Fanzhi muttered to himself, gently rubbing his fingertips together before flipping his palm, where a golden light hovered with the three characters "Xingzhe."