Both Yu Nu and Hongdou were mature spiritual beasts with comparable strength. During their pursuit, they fought several times, realizing that neither could gain the upper hand.
Yu Nu, worried that Su Luowei might come out looking for her and get caught by Meng Shuying, decided to take the fight more seriously. Her attacks became fiercer, and in one moment of carelessness, Hongdou lost a few feathers, prompting her to yell in frustration, "You stupid dragon! I was holding back out of respect, and you didn't show any mercy!"
After reaching maturity, Hongdou had awakened to the inherited memories in her bloodline, revealing that she was a descendant of the Luan Feng from the Ten Directions Paradise. The ancestors of the Azure Dragon had been close friends with Luan Feng, and they had fought together for countless years, sharing a deep bond. Together, they followed their master to every corner of the mortal realm, determined to eradicate all injustices. When their master fell, only the two of them remained, supporting each other through endless years. Eventually, Luan Feng escaped from the Ten Directions Paradise, leaving the Azure Dragon alone.
This shared history, along with the fact that she and Meng Shuying had taken Yu Nu's heart's blood when she was still immature, left Hongdou with some lingering guilt. So, she had always held back when facing Yu Nu, as long as Yu Nu didn't push too far.
But Yu Nu, rather than showing gratitude, responded with anger, "Hmph! You broke your promise first and betrayed your master, and now you expect mercy from me? No way!"
Confused by Yu Nu's words, Hongdou tried to grab her tail and demanded, "What are you talking about? When did I betray anyone?"
Even if their ancestors had some history, that didn't mean Yu Nu could accuse her of betrayal just because their current loyalties differed.
Yu Nu dodged Hongdou's attack and sneered, "If you don't remember, then fine. I won't bring up the past. But I'm warning you—don't meddle in matters between me and Meng Shuying!"
"That's ridiculous! I'm the one who took your heart's blood, so how is this just between you and my master?"
Yu Nu glared at Hongdou, her gaze seemingly piercing through her to Meng Shuying, filled with bitterness. "I'm not here because of that! I admit I was defeated back then. But I can't understand why you would defend someone as treacherous and ungrateful as Meng Shuying."
Hongdou frowned at this, displeased. "You're being ridiculous. Accusing me of betrayal is one thing, but calling my master ungrateful? What are you talking about?"
Exasperated by the endless pursuit, Yu Nu decided to lay everything out in the open. "You betrayed your promise by not waiting for your master's return and instead pledging loyalty to another. As for Meng Shuying..."
Yu Nu's sneer deepened. "As her spiritual beast, don't tell me you don't know about the horrible things she's done!"
Hongdou sifted through her memories.
After Su Luowei's death, Meng Shuying indeed caused some trouble, seizing resources from other sects and injuring people. These actions had tarnished her reputation. But Hongdou was sure Meng Shuying had never been ungrateful.
Seeing Hongdou's confused expression, Yu Nu recounted the supposed history between Meng Shuying and Su Luowei, her voice growing louder as she ended with, "It's shameful to serve such a despicable person. I'm warning you one last time—stay out of my way."
Hongdou, however, burst out laughing, looking at Yu Nu like she was an idiot. "You really are dumb, believing such absurd stories."
During their years searching for a way to bring Su Luowei back, Hongdou had heard all kinds of tales, including many fictionalized versions of Meng Shuying and Su Luowei's story. She even had a stash of books at home, covering every possible genre—sweet romances, heart-wrenching tragedies, and everything in between. Her favorite pastime was reading these stories while munching on snacks.
But Yu Nu, insulted by the accusation of being dumb, retaliated with a blast of icy breath, trying to freeze the phoenix. Hongdou responded with a blast of fire, turning the battlefield into a misty cloud.
As the two spiritual beasts clashed, Hongdou darted around the dragon, pecking at her scales and pulling at her whiskers, all the while cursing, "You must have gone stupid from being locked up in that place for so long! Master and Senior Sister were clearly in love. Master waited nearly two hundred years to bring her back, and now you're here to steal something? You're driving me crazy!"
Hongdou was more experienced in battle, and when she finally went all out, Yu Nu could only dodge. The dragon twisted and turned in the mist, avoiding Hongdou's attacks while shouting back, "I don't believe it! If that were true, why didn't Su Luowei tell me?"
It was true that Su Luowei hadn't had a chance to explain. Yu Nu had snatched her away from Kunlun without giving her time to say a word. Even when Su Luowei had tried to speak on the journey, she was met with a mouthful of cold wind. And once they reached the Qingxu Sect, Yu Nu had dashed off without a trace, leaving no opportunity for clarification.
Hongdou suddenly stopped her attacks, suspicious. "You've seen her? You know where she is?"
Yu Nu hesitated, then answered defiantly, "Of course I've seen her! I was the one who brought her here!"
"Senior Sister is here?" Hongdou's eyes widened in surprise. She immediately transformed back into her human form and flew toward Yanmo Peak without a second glance at Yu Nu.
Yu Nu hesitated for a moment before following her.
Yanmo Peak was quiet.
To prevent disturbances, Meng Shuying had set up a barrier around her room before going to sleep.
Seeing the barrier, Hongdou knew exactly who had set it up. She quickly stopped Yu Nu from entering. "Master is asleep. Whatever you want to discuss can wait until morning."
Yu Nu, however, was unconvinced. After circling around where Su Luowei had been hiding and finding no trace of her, she decided to storm inside.
Hongdou calmly held her back. "What are you doing?"
Yu Nu, her face full of distress, cried out, "Su Luowei is missing! Meng Shuying must have caught her!"
Hongdou glanced at the darkened room, a knowing smile playing on her lips. She dragged Yu Nu toward her own room, saying, "You may be an adult now, but there's a lot you still don't understand about the mortal world. Let me explain."
She led Yu Nu inside and pulled out a stash of storybooks from under her bed, thrusting them into Yu Nu's arms. These were her treasured volumes, well-written and beautifully illustrated, guaranteed to open the eyes of a young dragon who had spent three hundred years in seclusion.
The next morning, when Su Luowei and Meng Shuying emerged from the room holding hands, they were greeted by Yu Nu, her eyes red and puffy.
Su Luowei blushed in embarrassment, caught off guard. Meng Shuying, on the other hand, remained composed and asked Hongdou, "What's she doing here?"
Hongdou glanced between Su Luowei and their intertwined hands, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint it. She echoed, "Yes, what's she doing here?"
Before Su Luowei could respond, Yu Nu rushed forward, tears streaming down her face. "You two... have been through so much..."
Hongdou's eyes widened.
No way! The Kunlun disciple was actually Master's Senior Sister! And all those things Master did in the Cold Palace... Senior Sister must have known everything!
Master is in danger!
Seeing Yu Nu about to throw herself at Su Luowei, Hongdou wasn't about to be outdone. She darted forward, arms wide open, and shouted, "Mommy~"
The scene was so chaotic that Su Luowei couldn't help but take a step back.
Meng Shuying glanced at her and then stepped forward, shielding her from the overly enthusiastic pair.
Her cold gaze alone was enough to douse their excitement.
"What's going on? Hongdou, explain."
Hongdou bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. When Meng Shuying looked at her, she instantly understood and, with a rare hint of embarrassment, signaled for her not to bring up the incident.
Last night, she had acted pitiful to smooth things over with Senior Sister and didn't want Hongdou's loose lips ruining it.
Hongdou cleared her throat, feigning seriousness. "She was also looking for Senior Sister, so I brought her back. And Master, didn't you have something you needed to ask her?"
Meng Shuying turned to Yu Nu, who seemed to have something on her mind.
Feeling a sense of unease, Meng Shuying asked Hongdou, "What did you show her last night..."
Hongdou blinked innocently. "Just a few books. The last one was Qianqiu Sui. She cried all night—it was so noisy."
Su Luowei peeked out from behind Meng Shuying. "What's Qianqiu Sui?"
"It's a novel based on your story with Meng Shuying, but it's fictionalized," Yu Nu explained, tearing up again at the thought of the tragic ending.
Su Luowei, having never read such things since her rebirth, was intrigued. She turned to Hongdou. "Can I borrow it?"
Hongdou was about to agree when Meng Shuying shot her a warning look. She quickly changed her tune, mumbling, "It's just a story made up by mortals—nothing worth reading..."
Su Luowei wasn't convinced.
If it could make Yu Nu cry all night, it had to be a well-written story.
Noticing Su Luowei's skeptical look, Hongdou felt nervous and quickly changed the subject. "Since we've found Senior Sister's soul, shouldn't we start preparing for the ritual?"
Meng Shuying had already thought about this the night before and explained to Su Luowei, "To transfer your soul back to your original body, we need a special potion."
The potion required phoenix wood, Nine-Turn Spirit Grass, Azure Dragon's blood, and Luan Feng feathers.
Su Luowei already had the wood and grass, and Meng Shuying had long since acquired the blood and feathers from the two spiritual beasts in front of her.
"The potion will take ten days to prepare. During that time, I'll stay on Yanmo Peak. If you have any unfinished business, Hongdou can help you take care of it."
Su Luowei hadn't been in this body long, and after some thought, realized there was only one person she wanted to say goodbye to—Yuchi Yun.
She wasn't about to ask Hongdou to deliver the message, so she asked, "How long will it take to prepare the potion? I'd like to return to Kunlun to say goodbye to a friend."
Meng Shuying thought for a moment before replying, "The potion will take ten days. Hongdou, accompany her and bring back her original body."
Then she turned to Yu Nu. "I have a favor to ask of you as well. Kunlun Mountain is covered in snow, and the Cold Palace lies deep in the valley. Ordinary cultivators can't reach it. I'd like you to dig a tunnel from the base of the mountain to the palace."
A tunnel through Kunlun Mountain? Did Meng Shuying think she was a mole?
And it didn't sound like an easy job either. Yu Nu raised an eyebrow and pointed at Hongdou. "I'm not doing it. Let her go."
Meng Shuying's gaze was steady, reminding Yu Nu of the second time they had met.
Back then, Meng Shuying had been covered in blood, her eyes swollen shut, but she had fought desperately, pinning Yu Nu to the ground. Even when her hands were sliced open by dragon scales, she hadn't let go.
Neither of them had been at their full strength back then, but it was the first time Yu Nu realized that Meng Shuying was truly insane.
The memory sent a shiver down Yu Nu's spine, and she reluctantly agreed, "Fine, I'll do it. But let's be clear—I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for her."
She pointed to Su Luowei.
Meng Shuying remained as cold as ever. "It doesn't matter who you're doing it for. You'll be well-rewarded when it's done."
And so, the plan was set. Meng Shuying would prepare the potion, and Hongdou would accompany Su Luowei back to Kunlun.
The snow on Kunlun Mountain was deep, and tunneling through it would be no easy task. Yu Nu, using the complex terrain as an excuse, roped Hongdou into helping.
Su Luowei, meanwhile, decided to use her remaining time in this body to privately confess everything to Yuchi Yun one evening.
Yuchi Yun had assumed Su Luowei had merely spent two days in a secluded cave after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. She never imagined that those two days had been so eventful.
So eventful that Yuchi Yun's first reaction after hearing the whole story was to check Su Luowei's forehead for a fever.
Su Luowei didn't get angry, just waited patiently.
The moonlight reflected off the snow, casting a soft glow into the room, allowing Yuchi Yun to faintly see Su Luowei's calm expression.
"So you really are Su Luowei? The Dao companion of the great Meng Shuying? And you're leaving for Yanmo Peak in a few days?"
Su Luowei nodded. "Yes."
Yuchi Yun took a long time to process this.
Just as Su Luowei thought she might burst into tears and beg her not to leave, Yuchi Yun's eyes suddenly lit up.
"A-Li... no, Su Sister," she said, moving closer and warmly grasping Su Luowei's hand. "I've always had a dream—to become a disciple of the great Meng Shuying. Since you're her Dao companion, could you do me a favor?"
Yuchi Yun's mind was racing. With her close friend as Meng Shuying's Dao companion, she could follow her to the Qingxu Sect. With Su Luowei's backing, Meng Shuying wouldn't dare treat her poorly. She might even receive a steady supply of pills and spirit stones, allowing her to live like a god.
"But what about your parents..." Yuchi Yun's parents lived in Yutian City, and if she joined the Qingxu Sect, the distance would make it difficult to visit.
"That's no problem at all!" Yuchi Yun waved her hand dismissively. "They'll be thrilled that I have the chance to apprentice under a Nascent Soul cultivator! And since I've chosen the path of cultivation, I'm already prepared to be apart from them. They knew that when they sent me to Kunlun."
Su Luowei thought about it and didn't see any issue, so she agreed.
If Hongdou were here, she'd probably cry tears of joy: Finally, someone else to take over! Now I can laze around all day, feasting on spirit stones and pills like a true celestial!