Chapter 248

Chapter 248

The night passed, and the sun rose, bringing another new day.

The temperature in the desert rose once again, and Wen Qiao and her companions prepared to set off.

Su Molan stood pale-faced, like a timid wife, watching as Ning Yuzhou made a slight movement. Suddenly, the Black Devouring Scorpions that had been ignoring them earlier seemed to sense fresh meat and charged towards them with excitement.

Surprise flashed across Su Molan's face, and she couldn't help but look at Ning Yuzhou.

He calmly adjusted his slightly wrinkled sleeves, his expression relaxed, as if he didn't care about the approaching Black Devouring Scorpions.

Wen Qiao, who was well-prepared, leaped up and fought the multi-legged creatures alongside Wen Tutu.

Last night, she had specifically asked Su Molan and learned that these creatures were called Black Devouring Scorpions, demonic insects living in the Blackwind Desert. Their shells were excellent materials for refining magical artifacts, and many cultivators liked using them for their spiritual tools.

Although she found these strange-looking creatures only resembled scorpions with their tails, the rest of their bodies seemed haphazardly put together, she now knew their name. Moreover, if sold outside the Blackwind Desert, they fetched quite a high price.

Wen Qiao decided to hunt more of them when leaving the Blackwind Desert.

After months of traveling through the Blackwind Desert, Wen Qiao had dealt with many Black Devouring Scorpions and knew how to quickly dispatch them. In no time, she had eliminated the surrounding scorpions, preserving their shells intact except for a few she had crushed with her fists.

Seeing this, Su Molan's eyes flickered.

Yesterday, after witnessing Wen Qiao easily defeat Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin, she realized that Wen Qiao's combat skills were far beyond what she had imagined.

"Alright, let's go," Wen Qiao said, tossing the slain scorpions into her storage bag and mounting her spirit sword.

Wen Guangun and Wen Tutu quickly climbed onto her shoulders and settled down.

Ning Yuzhou also mounted his spirit sword, and they set off together.

Su Molan followed behind them, riding her own sword.

Her face was very pale, and she looked somewhat listless. The scorching heat of the desert baked her injured body, causing a metallic taste to rise in her throat. She clenched her teeth and swallowed the blood back down.

The blow from Shen Yuanjin yesterday had injured her internal organs. Although she had taken healing elixirs, one night wasn't enough to fully recover.

Su Molan's complexion grew even paler, but she endured the discomfort and kept pace with the others.

When night fell, Wen Qiao and her companions stopped to rest again.

Night was not a good time for travel.

Su Molan walked over unsteadily and saw Ning Yuzhou setting up several array disks around them. Once the array formed, the insects, ants, and snakes in the desert that had been targeting them left, just as they had the previous night, completely ignoring them.

As the fire was lit, Su Molan sat silently beside it, hugging her knees and shedding silent tears, looking like a meek wife.

Wen Qiao couldn't ignore her tears and asked, "Why are you crying again?"

Su Molan sniffled and whispered, "I'm sorry, I just remembered my past with the Xiao family..."

Wen Qiao responded with an "oh" but did not inquire further about her life there.

She squatted by the fire, stirring the burning talisman flames, then suddenly asked, "Why did Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin chase you yesterday? They didn't seem to want to kill you, right?"

After all, both Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin knew her importance; how could they possibly kill her? So when Su Molan sought their help, it seemed somewhat odd.

Su Molan paused before saying, "They wouldn't kill me. They wanted to take me back and imprison me... until I willingly handed over the Twenty-Eight Constellations Map."

"Imprison? Who ordered this? The Xiao family or the Shen family?"

"I don't know, maybe both," Su Molan said, her expression calm, almost indifferent, as if she didn't care whose order it was.

Ever since she could remember, people around her always looked at her with deep and greedy intentions. They indulged her while also imposing strict demands. Even the Xiao family and Shen family, who had agreements with the Su Xinggu Valley, might have lacked ambition initially, but when the last descendant of the Su Xinggu Valley turned out to be weak and incompetent, those old agreements meant nothing.

When someone possesses extraordinary treasures but is too weak to protect them, it's no wonder others would covet them.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but glance at her and suddenly said, "You look much better like this."

Su Molan was taken aback, her nose tingling as tears threatened to fall again. She quickly turned away to wipe them away.

She had noticed that Wen Qiao disliked weak and tearful people. She didn't want to become such a person either, but as more people appeared around her, those with ulterior motives increased, and schemes abounded. One misstep could lead to disaster.

After experiencing a few setbacks, she finally understood that being a weak and tearful descendant of the Su family reassured those around her more than being smart and strong. They treated her like a fool, and as long as she cried over minor things occasionally, it suited them perfectly.

"Did you come to the Blackwind Desert to find the Yin Spirit Flower?" Wen Qiao asked.

"It's not me who's looking for it; it's the Demon Sky Sect. I'm just accompanying them," Su Molan said, her eyes flickering, speaking somewhat vaguely.

In truth, she had used this opportunity to enter the Blackwind Desert to escape the watchful eyes that followed her.

However, she hadn't expected to encounter Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin on Floating Island, who had also entered the Blackwind Desert. They attacked her, intending to make her suffer before taking her back.

Thinking of this, Su Molan's expression darkened.

Lost in thought for a moment, she looked up and saw the two sitting opposite her.

Their atmosphere was intimate and warm. Sitting side by side without any overtly affectionate gestures, they exuded a closeness that outsiders couldn't penetrate, indicating a strong bond between them.

At the moment, they were talking, but they had cast a soundproofing spell around them, so Su Molan couldn't hear anything.

She lowered her gaze, not attempting to pry.

Wen Qiao held a bowl of freshly cooked spirit fruit soup and took a sip. On this bitterly cold desert night, drinking a warm and delicious bowl of spirit fruit soup warmed her entire body and replenished her spiritual energy, achieving multiple benefits.

The spirit fruits were picked during their stay on Floating Island. Whenever they arrived at a floating island and found spirit fruits, they gathered them all, accumulating a substantial amount, enough to last them for a long time.

After Ning Yuzhou cooked the spirit fruits into soup, the taste was excellent, and Wen Tutu and the others loved it.

Wen Qiao drank half a bowl of soup before saying, "Husband, although Su Molan cries a lot, she's not stupid."

"If she were really stupid, she wouldn't have been able to keep the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map and would have been tricked away long ago." Ning Yuzhou smiled and then asked her, "Chui, do you want to take her with us?"

Wen Qiao sighed, "She insists on following us, and we can't just drive her away. What else can we do?"

Although she enjoyed fighting and believed that anything could be solved with force, she never struck people casually or created unnecessary killings. Otherwise, after offending Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin yesterday, she should have killed them directly instead of running when the sand lizards appeared.

In truth, she never wanted to kill without cause.

After all, her encounter with Xiao Minxin and the others was merely a chance meeting; there was no deep-seated enmity. Even if she took Su Molan with her, it didn't warrant killing them.

Seeing her rarely melancholic appearance, Ning Yuzhou couldn't help but laugh.

He reached out to stroke her head gently and said softly, "Don't think so much. Just do what you want to do. I'll handle everything for you."

His Chui only needed to live happily, doing what she loved, and forge ahead bravely. He would be by her side, clearing all obstacles and difficulties for her.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by his unconditional indulgence, Wen Qiao seemed a bit capricious as she held the soup bowl and muttered softly, "Anyway, we need someone to understand the Pleiades Continent. Su Molan is the only descendant of the Pleiades Valley and probably knows a lot. Keeping her around isn't bad."

"Chui is right," Ning Yuzhou said warmly. "Actually, after hearing their conversation yesterday, I knew Su Molan's identity wasn't simple. We could show her kindness, and perhaps there will be unexpected surprises later."

"Do you mean the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map?" Wen Qiao asked, understandingly.

"Not just that."

Wen Qiao looked at him in confusion. Could there be more?

However, Ning Yuzhou had no intention of explaining. He smiled at her, took the empty bowl she had finished, and refilled it with spiritual fruit soup.

Beside them, Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun also finished their bowls and, still craving more, called out to Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, pushing their empty bowls over.

Ning Yuzhou glanced at them lightly and, considering Wen Qiao's face, refilled their bowls again.

Then, he poured a bowl of spiritual fruit soup and offered it to Su Molan, who was lost in thought nearby: "Miss Su, have a bowl too."

Su Molan accepted it gratefully, murmuring a thank you, and began sipping slowly. As she drank, her tears started to well up again.

But remembering Wen Qiao's sharp tongue, she silently endured, her eyes turning red, making her look pitiful and evoking sympathy.

Wen Qiao felt that this woman must have gone through a lot to develop such a character and asked again, "What are you thinking about now?"

"I'm thinking about Xiao Minxin's mother..." Su Molan said with red eyes, "Actually, Uncle Xiao and Aunt Xiao treated me very well. If it weren't for protecting me, Aunt Xiao wouldn't have died... Aunt Xiao was like another mother to me. If she knew that after her death, Xiao Minxin and I would fall out, she would be the most heartbroken."

If anyone in the Xiao family had no ulterior motives, it was Xiao Xiankai's wife, the matriarch of the Xiao clan.

Madam Xiao treated her very well. She was a gentle and kind female cultivator. If her own mother hadn't died, she might have been treated just as lovingly by her mother.

Unfortunately, Madam Xiao died.

After Madam Xiao's death, Xiao Minxin hated her deeply, believing that if it weren't for saving her, Madam Xiao wouldn't have died. It was Su Molan who caused her mother's death.

Su Molan couldn't refute this because it was the truth.

She owed Madam Xiao her life.

Xiao Minxin's words yesterday were correct: raising a demon beast would be less troublesome than raising her.

Seeing her start crying silently again, Wen Qiao felt a headache coming on and quickly changed the subject: "Your injuries haven't healed yet. Cry less and focus on recovering. After you're better, do whatever you want. You don't need to follow us."

"No, I promised to give you the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map, and I won't go back on my word," Su Molan said stubbornly, pursing her lips.

Wen Qiao refused again, "We really don't want it!"

They already had plenty of treasures and didn't covet others' possessions. Since the Su family had guarded the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map for so long, it must be very troublesome. Whoever obtained it would face complications.

Su Molan was stunned and looked closely at Wen Qiao, realizing she meant it.

It turned out that some people truly didn't want the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map; not everyone sought it.

Her nose tingled, and she wanted to cry again but held back, speaking with a nasal voice, "If you're afraid I'll bring trouble, I can... I can disfigure myself."

Wen Qiao looked at her in surprise, "Do you enjoy being ugly?"

She touched her own face, unwilling to disfigure herself. Although she didn't care about beauty or ugliness, she had to consider her husband's feelings, sparing him from looking at an ugly face every day.

Su Molan was speechless again.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself not to argue with the young ones, as she was the elder generation.

After a while, she said, "I want to live and no longer be Su Molan! As long as I am Su Molan, they will continue to target me and even control me and... make me have children with Young Master Shen. As long as the Su family's lineage continues, they can control the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map. It doesn't have to be me."

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou looked at her in surprise, realizing that this crybaby had plans beyond just crying.

"I once obtained a Shape-Changing Herb. After consuming it, my appearance and physique will change, and no one will recognize me. Then, I'll use other methods to disfigure my face, and no one will know I'm Su Molan..."

Listening to her detailed plan, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou began to listen seriously, evaluating its feasibility.

After she finished, Wen Qiao couldn't help but ask, "Why are you telling us your plan? Aren't you afraid we'll betray you?"

"Of course, I am," Su Molan admitted honestly, "So I have to take a gamble."

When chased by Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin, she saw these two pass by. She was tired of constantly being on guard and despised those who approached her with ulterior motives, making her reputation tarnished and even causing her fiancé to misunderstand her... So she decided to take a gamble.

Even if she lost, she wouldn't die immediately; at worst, she'd be forced to bear children, leaving the Su family's lineage.

There was another reason.

Su Molan glanced at them, then continued drinking her soup, looking like a wronged, delicate wife.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but say, "Would you like another bowl?"

"Is that possible?"

There was nothing wrong with it; after all, her husband had cooked a lot of spirit fruit soup today.

Wen Qiao filled a bowl for her and watched as she continued to drink the soup like a downtrodden wife, knowing that Su Molan had been shaped this way and that her character would be hard to change.

After finishing the soup, night had fallen deep.

Being in the desert, the night could not be used for sleeping, so they all decided to meditate and wait for dawn.

Su Molan, just like last night, curled up to fend off the cold of the desert, occasionally letting out muffled coughs.

Suddenly, something came toward her, and Su Molan instinctively reached out to catch it. Opening her hand, she found it was an exquisite spirit pill.

She looked up and saw Wen Qiao looking at her, hearing her say, "This is a healing spirit pill. Eat it."

Su Molan was instantly moved to tears again, but then she heard Wen Qiao say, "Don't cry so easily. Try to control yourself. If you can't control it, go outside and fight the black scorpions until you're too tired to cry anymore."

Su Molan's tears immediately stopped.

The next day, they continued their journey through the desert.

Su Molan's injuries had healed significantly, and she wasn't as uncomfortable as yesterday, though the scorching heat of the desert still made them sweat profusely, making it very unpleasant.

As they passed through a part of the desert, they discovered it was a nest of black scorpions, crawling with them everywhere.

Wen Qiao suddenly stopped.

Standing on her spirit sword, her posture graceful and her beauty striking, she said to Su Molan, "If you want to follow us, you need to stop crying so much."

Su Molan looked at her with bright eyes.

"So, go down now and fight these black scorpions."

Su Molan: "..."