Chapter 280

Chapter 280

Su Molan ran so fast that she seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Wen Qiao glanced over and continued setting up the tent methodically before saying to Ning Yuzhou, "Husband, I'll go check on her."

Ning Yuzhou picked up Wen Guangun, who was crouching nearby munching on spirit fruits, and said, "Take Wen Guangun with you."

Hanging from Ning Yuzhou's hand, Wen Guangun grunted in agreement, indicating it would follow Ning Ge’s orders without question, never straying from the path set for it.

"No need; Wen Guangun should stay here with you," Wen Qiao refused without hesitation.

If another black scorpion appeared, Wen Guangun's earthy shell would be incredibly useful. It was a fortress that even the thorns of the blood-sucking demon vines couldn't fully penetrate, perfect for defense. Her husband was weak, and Wen Guangun could protect him well.

Before Ning Yuzhou could say anything else, Wen Qiao had already grabbed her whip and run off.

Wen Qiao followed the trail of Su Molan's scent.

When she found Su Molan, she discovered her protecting a severely injured man while fighting a group of men. Her explosive spirit sword technique was ferocious, contrasting sharply with her delicate and innocent appearance.

Many people lay on the ground, all wounded by the explosive spirit sword technique.

Wen Qiao immediately recognized the injured man Su Molan was protecting as Pei Qiyu of the Demon Sky Sect, and the others fighting her were demon cultivators.

As Su Molan's opponents, the demon cultivators, who were being overwhelmed by the explosive spirit sword technique, felt extremely frustrated and finally, unable to bear it any longer, summoned the Demon Sect's Soul Summoning Banner.

The moment Wen Qiao sensed the ominous aura, she summoned her Sun Bow, drew a spirit arrow, and shot it swiftly.

With a whoosh, the spirit arrow pierced the Soul Summoning Banner, burning a small hole through it with the power of the Sun Bow, destroying the high-quality banner.

"Who did that?" the demon cultivators roared in rage.

After dealing with the prematurely destroyed Soul Summoning Banner, Wen Qiao charged forward with her whip.

Seeing Wen Qiao appear, Su Molan's face lit up with joy. She popped another spirit replenishing pill, boosting her spiritual energy, and unleashed her explosive spirit sword technique once more.

With two female cultivators, both equally powerful, joining forces, the demon cultivators were quickly defeated, leaving none standing.

After confirming that the demon cultivators were dead, Wen Qiao coiled her golden stone whip back around her waist and stared at the unconscious Pei Qiyu lying on the ground.

This genius of the Demon Sect was in terrible condition. His clothes were soaked in blood, the black fabric saturated with a heavy stench of blood, his breath faint, indicating severe injuries that might have affected his foundation. Even in a coma, his brows were tightly furrowed, giving an impression of constant vigilance. The dark brows emphasized his pale, sullen face, adding a fragile beauty to his appearance.

In his unconscious state, Pei Qiyu looked weaker and less domineering than when he was awake.

Su Molan also sheathed her sword, feeling slightly embarrassed under Wen Qiao's scrutiny of Pei Qiyu.

Seeing that the demon cultivators were dead and Pei Qiyu was still unconscious, the hidden Su Xing reappeared. It perched on Wen Qiao's shoulder, its clean, large eyes sparkling adorably as it gazed at Pei Qiyu along with her.

After observing the Demon Sect's genius up close, Wen Qiao turned to Su Molan and said, "It's getting dark. Let's head back so Ning Ge won't worry."

Su Molan nodded, hesitatingly looking at the unconscious Pei Qiyu on the ground. If left alone, he would likely be devoured by the black scorpions in the desert before he could regain consciousness.

"Aren't we taking him back?" Wen Qiao asked, puzzled. "He's your trophy, so you're responsible for him."

Su Molan: "..."

In the end, Su Molan silently hoisted her "trophy" onto her shoulders and followed Wen Qiao back to their campsite.

By the time they returned, night had fallen completely, and the temperature in the desert plummeted rapidly. The ground froze over at an alarming rate, and in the darkness, a bright firelight shone like a beacon.

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Guangun sat by the fire, a pot hanging over it, bubbling with spirit fruit soup. The clear broth boiled vigorously, the spirit fruits and mushrooms swirling within, creating a colorful spectacle.

"You're back."

Ning Yuzhou greeted them with a smile, his gaze pausing briefly on the person Su Molan was carrying.

Wen Qiao responded and sat down beside him, saying, "Husband, this is a genius from the Demon Sect. He's Su Molan's trophy."

Su Molan: "..." Could you please not mention the trophy?

Su Molan gently placed the person she was carrying aside, neither roughly nor tenderly. Then she sat down by the fire, glancing at Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, finding it difficult to speak.

At this point, Ning Yuzhou had already served Wen Qiao a bowl of spirit fruit soup and given Wen Guangun a bowl, which it drank by itself. Finally, he served himself a bowl and began drinking it slowly.

In the freezing cold, a warm bowl of spirit fruit soup brought warmth and comfort throughout their bodies.

Su Xing quickly finished its bowl of spirit fruit soup and, with lingering satisfaction, said, "Ning Ge's soup is full of spirit energy, better than what the disciples in Su Xing Valley make."

"Of course," Wen Qiao said proudly. "The spirit fruits used in the soup were picked by my husband and me from Floating Island in the desert. They are rich in spirit energy, unlike those outside."

"Sounds great. Should we also go pick some spirit fruits before we leave?" Su Xing asked hopefully.

Wen Qiao bit her chopsticks, looking at Ning Yuzhou. With two months until the black wind, there was plenty of time, but encountering Floating Island was random and not easy.

"Don't bite your chopsticks," Ning Yuzhou said. Seeing her quickly put down the chopsticks, he then told Su Xing, "If we encounter Floating Island, we'll go in. If not, it's fine."

Su Xing nodded happily, "Great, thank you, Ning Ge."

The pot of soup was soon empty, mostly consumed by Su Xing.

It needed a lot of spirit energy to maintain its wakefulness, so it accepted anything—food, drink, or items—and displayed the powerful digestive abilities of a spirit vessel.

After finishing the soup, Su Xing licked its bowl, its gaze falling on the still unconscious genius of the Demon Sect, and couldn't help asking, "Lanlan, why did you save him?"

Su Molan met its pure, innocent eyes and couldn’t lie, so she said, "He saved me before."

"Huh?" Su Xing was particularly surprised. "Isn't he from the Demon Sky Sect? How could a demon cultivator be so kind as to save you?"

Su Molan didn't know how to explain, so she could only say, "He's different from those demon cultivators..."

"He is indeed different," Su Xing agreed. "He was being hunted by demon cultivators earlier. They were really ruthless, injuring him this badly. How pitiful."

Su Molan: "..."

Even righteous cultivators often kill each other; there doesn't seem to be much difference.

Su Molan knew that Su Xing, due to incomplete memories, had a naive and innocent side, easily swayed by others. She felt it was her duty as a guardian to protect and properly educate Su Xing, ensuring they wouldn't be deceived in the future.

At this moment, Ning Yuzhou said, "Aren't you going to save him? If you leave him like this, he'll die soon."

Su Molan's heart trembled slightly, and she asked in alarm, "He will really die?"

Ning Yuzhou looked at her with a half-smile.

Wen Qiao also stared at her with an upright expression, silently thinking: Are they really a couple?

Su Molan immediately felt awkward again, wanting to explain but not knowing what to say. She steeled herself and said, "Rest assured, once he regains consciousness, I'll have him leave."

She couldn't let anyone know about the teleportation array in the Black Wind Desert, not even Pei Qiyu.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yuzhou said, "It's fine if he stays."

Su Molan looked puzzled. Weren't they heading to another continent? Why keep him?

Could it be that Young Master Ning thought it was too cruel to send him away in his injured state?

It seemed Ning Yuzhou's image as a good person had deeply rooted itself in Su Molan and Su Xing's minds. They firmly believed that Brother Ning was a good person, always acting out of kindness.

Without further explanation, Ning Yuzhou personally checked Pei Qiyu's injuries on the ground.

After examining him, he took out several spirit pills and fed them to Pei Qiyu.

Having done this, Ning Yuzhou told Su Molan, "Change his clothes and let him rest in your tent tonight. He should wake up around noon tomorrow."

Su Molan: "..."

As night deepened, the temperature in the desert dropped sharply. Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao entered their tent to rest.

Wen Guangun swallowed the remaining spirit fruits and crawled inside. Soon, the tent fell silent, as if everyone had settled down for the night.

Su Molan looked at Pei Qiyu on the ground and resignedly carried him into the tent.

**

The next day, as the sun rose, the temperature in the desert quickly soared.

They broke camp and continued toward the location of the teleportation array.

Su Xing still perched on Wen Qiao's shoulder, looking around all morning without spotting Floating Island, feeling quite disappointed.

Wen Qiao comforted him, "Floating Islands are rare. The last time we came to the Black Wind Desert, we only encountered ten."

The fact that they "only" encountered ten Floating Islands would make those who enter the Black Wind Desert every year but never see one feel quite inadequate.

Su Molan thought this expressionlessly while carrying someone.

Suddenly, she felt movement on her shoulder and turned to see a face just opening its eyes. Instinctively, she dropped the person.

With a thud, sand flew up, causing Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou ahead to stop. They saw Su Molan standing awkwardly on her flying sword and Pei Qiyu sprawled in the sand, looking grim.

Su Molan was mortified and wanted to crawl into a hole.

She quickly jumped off the flying sword, lifted Pei Qiyu, and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Pei Qiyu remained silent, his gaze moving from Su Molan's face to Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, his expression darkening, clearly in a bad mood.

Thinking he was angry about being dropped, Su Molan hurriedly explained, "We saved you when you were being chased by demon cultivators. Your injuries were severe, but fortunately, Young Master Ning's spirit pills helped."

Pei Qiyu's dark gaze returned to her face.

Su Molan forced a smile, her eyes glistening as she looked at him.

Finally, Pei Qiyu thanked Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, "Thank you both for saving me."

Su Molan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your injuries are still serious. Stay with us for now."

Pei Qiyu nodded indifferently, his gaze fixed on her face.

When they resumed their journey, Su Molan grabbed Pei Qiyu's hand and led him onto the flying sword, continuing through the desert.

Initially worried he might resist, she was relieved when he complied without any fuss, doing whatever she asked.

Su Molan felt a bit uneasy around Pei Qiyu, knowing his keen insight and intelligence made him someone best avoided.

As night fell, they set up camp behind a dune sheltered from the wind.

Pei Qiyu, as the injured party, sat aside watching Su Molan bustle around, her face glowing with an unusual vitality.

After setting up the tent, she cooked some spirit fruit soup.

Su Molan brought a bowl over and said, "Drink this spirit fruit soup; it will help your injuries."

Pei Qiyu obediently took the bowl but didn't drink it right away, his gaze lingering on her face.

Su Molan resisted the urge to touch her face and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"No," Pei Qiyu replied, his voice tinged with darkness. "When are you changing back to your original face? That one looks better."

Su Molan: "…"

Wen Qiao couldn’t help but glance at Su Molan. Although her current appearance was more pleasing than her original innocent and weak face, why did Pei Qiyu say the original one was more agreeable? Could it be that he had a preference for that look?

They were still in disguise, planning to revert to their original appearances after reaching the teleportation array.

Pei Qiyu’s words also made them realize that he had already seen through their identities; the transformation pills were useless.

Su Molan looked at him awkwardly, deciding to pretend she hadn’t heard anything.

They spent an uncomfortable night, and the next day they continued on their journey.

Pei Qiyu was someone with a strong presence, but if necessary, he could become someone with a very low profile.

He followed them deeper into the desert without asking where they were going or why they were venturing further into the Black Wind Desert at this time. He showed no curiosity, like a shadow trailing behind them.

On the other hand, Su Molan seemed distracted.

She didn’t understand what Ning Yuzhou was up to, why he was bringing Pei Qiyu along. Su Xing had complained to her in private, saying that because of Pei Qiyu’s presence, it didn’t dare to appear casually and had to remain invisible, even hiding to drink the spirit fruit soup made by Ning Ge, feeling quite aggrieved.

As they got closer to the location of the teleportation array, Su Molan began to feel anxious.

That evening, when they set up camp to rest, Pei Qiyu sat with them around the fire.

The pot hanging over the fire bubbled with spirit fruit soup, and the world seemed quiet except for that sound.

Suddenly, Su Molan asked, "Young Master Pei, why were you being pursued by the demon cultivators?"

Pei Qiyu lazily glanced at her. His pale face, under the warm glow of the orange flames, took on a warmer hue, enhancing his stunning beauty.

He said nonchalantly, "I stole the Demon Sky Sect’s treasure and killed the sect master’s favorite disciple. The sect master was furious and sent people to hunt down this traitor."

Su Molan looked at him, speechless.

She never expected someone as smart as Pei Qiyu to do something like this, especially getting caught. According to his style, shouldn’t he have quietly obtained the item and then discreetly disposed of the person, remaining clean-handed while watching everyone else be played like puppets?

At this moment, Ning Yuzhou asked, "What treasure did you steal from the Demon Sky Sect?"

Pei Qiyu glanced at him. Though he still looked lazy, Su Molan, who was closest to him, noticed his body tensing up.

Su Molan was taken aback. Ning Gongzi seemed like a good person, so why was Pei Qiyu so wary of him?

"It’s nothing, just a small trinket. Since it’s passed down from ancient times, the Demon Sky Sect considers it a treasure," Pei Qiyu said lightly, clearly not wanting to elaborate.

However, Ning Yuzhou suddenly became someone who ignored social cues. He smiled and said casually, "So in your demon cultivator eyes, the Ancient Heaven Mirror is just a small trinket?"

The Ancient Heaven Mirror?

Su Molan and Wen Qiao looked at Ning Yuzhou.

Pei Qiyu’s expression changed dramatically, his gaze turning cold and piercing as he stared at Ning Yuzhou.

Ning Yuzhou remained composed, having reverted to his original appearance. His refined demeanor now seemed to Pei Qiyu like a cultured scoundrel in sheep’s clothing, making him even more wary.

"How do you know about the Heaven Mirror?" Pei Qiyu asked coldly, no longer hiding anything since his secret was out.

Ning Yuzhou chuckled softly, "The Heaven Mirror is a demonic artifact, easily recognizable. How could I not know?"

This statement carried a double meaning—was it because it was a demonic artifact that he knew, or simply because it was easily recognizable?

Neither Wen Qiao nor Su Molan were sensitive enough to grasp the nuance, but Pei Qiyu picked up on it, his heart tightening with increased vigilance.

"Who exactly are you?" Pei Qiyu asked coldly.

Ning Yuzhou replied, "Who I am doesn’t matter to you, but I am curious. As a demon seed, why are you here in the human cultivator continent?"