Chapter 170: Dealing with the Darkened Correctly
From Mu Xiaoxiao's perspective, the young girl's long eyelashes were half-drooping.
Her lips were not particularly soft, and her whole body emitted a misty scent mingled with blood, but Qiao Wan's arms holding her were strong and sturdy. Her damp, black hair fell in front of her eyes, with half a butterfly bow precariously clinging on, droplets of water sliding down its wings and onto their pressed lips.
Could it be... Qiao Wan?!!
Mu Xiaoxiao widened her eyes, utterly bewildered.
How... How could Qiao Wan have kissed her?
As soon as she opened her eyes, Mu Xiaoxiao was instantly confused, followed by a quick flush on her pretty face.
Her... She had never been kissed by a girl before.
As the main character of Immortal Ascending Road, Mu Xiaoxiao was used to being kissed by various men like Feng Wangyan. But being kissed by the same sex was definitely a new and strange experience.
"Qiao... Martial Sister Qiao?!!"
Mu Xiaoxiao blushed and stammered, "What... What are you doing?"
She woke up.
Qiao Wan remained calm and said, "Saving you."
Mu Xiaoxiao panicked and covered her mouth, "There... There's no reason to save someone like this."
Without even lifting an eyelid, Qiao Wan sarcastically remarked, "Should I kiss you instead?"
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes welled up with tears as her face turned red, "There... There's no reason for women to kiss each other."
Qiao Wan said, "In this vast world, anything is possible. You'll get used to it."
Mu Xiaoxiao was taken aback, suppressing her surprise and unease.
For now... she decided to believe that Qiao Wan was trying to save her. She just couldn't understand why Qiao Wan would want to help her.
At this moment, Qiao Wan finally noticed Pei Chunzheng kneeling in the corner.
Pei Chunzheng's face looked very unpleasant. His face was originally pale, crystal clear. Now, it was even paler and sickly-looking after being splashed with water.
Qiao Wan quickly lifted her skirt and ran over, gently squatting in front of Pei Chunzheng. "Brother Pei, what are you doing here?"
Pei Chunzheng's gaze quietly landed on Mu Xiaoxiao. After a while, he lowered his eyes and said softly, "Xiaoxiao, I'm fine."
Now was the time for the main characters to communicate. Qiao Wan turned her attention away and walked around the water dungeon, contemplating the possibilities of breaking the dungeon from the inside. This water dungeon had obviously been around for a long time, and the bars were already quite rusty. If she regained her spiritual power...
Qiao Wan silently estimated.
She figured she could break open two or three bars with her bare hands. Two or three would be enough for one person to pass through.
Pei Chunzheng's voice sounded from behind, low and emotionless. "What are you looking for?"
Qiao Wan, without turning her head, continued to carefully calculate the possibility of breaking open the iron railing with her bare hands. "I am looking for a way out."
What was even more embarrassing than just taking action was not caring.
Quietly watching Qiao Wan's back, Pei Chunzheng's face became even worse, and his blood churned in his chest.
Just then, there was suddenly some commotion outside the water prison.
Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng both looked up in the direction of the sound.
Standing in a line in front of the door were three or four men wearing black cloaks and phoenix masks.
The leader's gaze swept around the prison and finally landed on Qiao Wan and Mu Xiaoxiao.
Several members of the Water Phoenix Sect stood at the entrance, taking out a book and comparing the appearances of Mu Xiaoxiao and Qiao Wan for a while. Suddenly, all of them simultaneously dropped to their knees towards Mu Xiaoxiao.
"Holy Maiden!! Water Phoenix Sect welcomes the Holy Maiden!!"
The plot?
Qiao Wan finally reacted.
Was this the plot of the Water Phoenix Sect's Holy Maiden?
Immediately, a person came forward and opened the prison cell. Then, two people came from behind and held Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng. The remaining few surrounded Mu Xiaoxiao and respectfully escorted her out.
The person in charge stepped forward and bowed, "We did not recognize the holy lady and have committed a grave sin. Please forgive us, holy lady."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xiaoxiao and Pei Chunzheng were puzzled for a moment.
What holy lady?
They were referring to her as a holy lady?
"Holy lady?" Mu Xiaoxiao was bewildered and looked at the people in front of her. She panicked and instinctively turned to look at Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng. "You...you've misunderstood, I am not a holy lady."
However, her panicked denial was immediately drowned out by the respectful cries of "Welcome, holy lady."
"I...I truly am not the holy lady of any prestigious sect."
Mu Xiaoxiao's pleading gaze turned to Qiao Wan and Pei Chunzheng. Her eyes were slightly red and she felt lost. "Pei Junior Brother... Martial Sister Qiao Wan, please save me."
Pei Chunzheng's eyes narrowed, and he almost rushed forward. But just in time, a guard from the Water Phoenix Sect behind him shouted loudly and punched him in the stomach, saying, "What are you doing?!"
Already injured and soaked in water, Pei Chunzheng looked up and stared at Mu Xiaoxiao. He was sweating and breathing heavily.
Mu Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "Pei Junior Brother!"
"The Saintess," the leader of the guards stepped forward and said, "The High Priest is requesting your presence."
Mu Xiaoxiao stared blankly and said, "Wan'er...Martial Sister Qiao Wan."
Save her.
Save her.
Their eyes met.
Qiao Wan was taken aback.
The young girl looked at her with sorrow, like a helpless fledgling with messy black hair sticking to her face. Her eyes showed confusion and helplessness.
Mu Xiaoxiao knew that Qiao Wan could save her.
She... she didn't want to be treated like a piece of meat on a cutting board anymore. Since Qiao Wan was willing to save her before... she must be willing to help her now, too.
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes were filled with hope.
The girl in front of her, wearing a pink dress, did not disappoint her hopes. She took a step forward, as if sensing something.
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes brightened, and her eyes became slightly red. "Qiao...Martial Sister Qiao Wan."
But as Qiao Wan moved slightly, the member of Water Phoenix Sect who had their hand on her shoulder immediately sensed something was wrong. They threw a punch towards her face.
Without her spiritual power, the punch made Qiao Wan's vision go black, and she was knocked to the ground.
Another member of Water Phoenix Sect swiftly stepped on Qiao Wan's shoulder, warning in a deep voice, "What are you trying to do? Behave yourself."
F*ck it.
With half of her face pressed against the ground, Qiao Wan gritted her teeth and struggled to look up.
The crowd walked away, taking Mu Xiaoxiao alone.
The hope in Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes slowly faded away.
The prison door was closed again.
Qiao Wan lay on the ground, wiped her nosebleed, and endured the pain with a gloomy sadness in her heart.
Even though she may be a supporting character, the difference in treatment was clearly too extreme!
The prison fell into a deathly silence once again.
After a while, it seemed like Pei Chunzheng's voice could be heard: "Are you okay?"
Qiao Wan turned her head to look at Pei Chunzheng, spat out some blood, collapsed in the shape of a "大" character onto the ground, her mind filled with Mu Xiaoxiao's expression before she left, and she remained silent for a long time.
However, even a fool could tell that Mu Xiaoxiao was not in immediate danger.
Qiao Wan lay there for a while, silently took out a Bodhi seed from her pocket, and glanced at it.
She hadn't had a chance to properly examine it earlier, but now she finally had the time. Fortunately, the Cen family was wealthy and had provided the best Bodhi seed for Cen Er. After undergoing special treatment, there were no visible scratches even though it was stuck in the stone crevices.
Although he asked how she was doing, Pei Chunzheng's condition was obviously not good. After asking that question, he stiffly closed his eyes and no longer looked at her.
He saw the blood.
Once he closed his eyes, there was bright red blood.
In front of him, there was a woman crying. She had aged and lost her youthful beauty. She covered her face and tears slid through her fingers.
Ever since Pei Chunzheng can remember, his mother seemed to cry all the time. His father didn't like his mother, and as a result, didn't like him either. And his mother, she didn't even acknowledge his existence.
Because of this, he tried his best to please his father and mother, going to extremes just to receive a little more attention from them, even if it was just a little bit.
He loved his parents so much.
Pei Chunzheng lowered his eyes and thought deeply.
Eventually, they all passed away.
Pei Chunzheng clutched his stomach tightly, his messy wet hair shielding his obscure gaze. His expression was slightly stiff, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind instantly.
Why did he feel regret when he held Xiaoxiao tightly and watched the water curtain pour over her head, obscuring Qiao Wan's face for that brief moment?
He...
He...
His gaze fell on this bodhi seed, red as blood.
Pei Chunzheng's eyes darkened slightly, and his heart was filled with indescribable and complicated emotions.
Is this something that man gave her?
Gradually, the bodhi seed seemed to transform into a drop of blood on the girl's fingertips, and the water stains in the cell appeared as a pool of bright red blood.
There's so much blood.
Pei Chunzheng's breath suddenly became rapid, so much blood, so much blood.
Qiao Wan tightly grasped the bodhi seed, furrowing her brow. "Pei Chunzheng."
No sooner said than done, a strong sense of danger attacked!
The young man pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw, forcefully pinning Qiao Wan to the ground.
His gaze fixed on the bodhi seed in her hand, and slowly traveled upward, finally resting on Qiao Wan's lips.
"What is this..."
"Who gave it to you?"
Pei Chunzheng's face was tense. As the male lead of Immortal Ascending Road, he had a very handsome appearance. His eyes were clear like melting snow, shimmering with a willow green color. But at this moment, there was a hint of darkness and uncertainty in his expression.
Before Qiao Wan could speak, Pei Chunzheng's expression changed again. He tightly gripped Qiao Wan's wrist.
Qiao Wan was taken aback.
Although she didn't know what had happened, she knew she needed to defend herself!
"You piece of garbage!" she shouted.
But before she could strike, Pei Chunzheng forcefully stopped her. He grabbed her wrist and, with a faint trace of bloodshot in his eyes, looked down at her. His gaze followed her wrist and landed on her not-so-pretty, slightly chapped lips.
After a pause, Pei Chunzheng released her hand. His face expressionless, without any tenderness, he pushed Qiao Wan aside and covered his eyes with his hand.
"Stay away from me," he said.
The young boy's face became even more unpleasant, and his high ponytail came undone, falling onto his shoulders.
He tightly covered his eyelids with his left hand, and his Adam's apple rolled.
"Stay away from me."
Underneath his palm, Pei Chunzheng's eyes turned bloodshot, and he clenched his teeth, looking almost crazed. "Stay away from me, now."
Stay away from him?
Qiao Wan's face remained expressionless as she glanced at her own wrist, her expression subtly complex.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she had, after all, been in a relationship with Pei Chunzheng for some time and she knew that the young boy in front of her... was turning dark! Although she hadn't witnessed his tragic childhood before she crossed over, she knew that the "Melancholic Demon King" Pei Chunzheng's dark side was closely connected to his sorrowful memories from his youth.
It would be troublesome if he turned dark in this place.
After all, she wasn't the protagonist, so she couldn't gently hold Pei Chunzheng like she would comfort a child, gently touching his forehead, with the ability to calm him down like a powerful sedative.
Qiao Wan thought for a moment and decisively rushed towards Pei Chunzheng. She grabbed his long ponytail and pulled his wet black hair, slamming him hard against the wall!
Bang!!
A deafening sound echoed through the air.
With his face buried in the wall and only his black ponytail visible, Pei Chunzheng seemed dazed for a moment.
Qiao Wan looked at him, his face hidden in the wall with a slow trickle of red liquid flowing down. She calmly asked, "Are you awake now?"
Uh-oh.
Pei Chunzheng's luck seemed to be a bit unfortunate.
A twitch appeared at the corner of Qiao Wan's mouth. It seemed that her magical power had been restored after that hit.
*
Main altar of the Water Phoenix Sect.
While waiting for his subordinates to bring the "Holy Maiden," the high priest of the Water Phoenix Sect sat expressionless in his seat, his hood covering half of his face. In a soft voice, he asked, "What are you looking at?"
Nothing.
Taking his gaze away from the entrance, the gentle-eyed young monk sitting on his left smiled kindly and replied, "Nothing."
"Just then," the young boy pondered, his gaze drifting downward, "I couldn't help but feel like I caught a glimpse of a familiar face."
