After everything was settled in the Bright Moon Palace, I called Xue Gucheng over and said,
"Brother Xue, the three-day deadline has arrived. We can go rescue Liu Shinian."
"Alright, are we leaving today?"
I thought for a moment and said,
"Let's go today. However, Brother Xue, do you know who is holding him captive?"
"I received reliable information that he is being held by General Ziye of Beishendu."
"Ziye? Ziye! Is the information reliable?"
I was overjoyed. We knew him, and he would surely help me.
"Absolutely reliable."
"That's great! I know Ziye, and I think I have a plan."
Xue Gucheng was confused and couldn't figure out what plan I had.
"Alright, let's hurry and go."
As I said this, I was about to leave with him to find Yan Wushuang and go to Beishendu together.
Unexpectedly, as we were about to go downstairs, we ran into Yan Wushuang and Lin'er coming together.
Seeing that I was about to leave, Lin'er advised me,
"Ghost King, Liu Shinian will not be in danger for the time being. Now that your tribesmen are arriving, you should stay in Black Mountain and arrange everything. As for Liu Shinian, let Thirteen Niang accompany the two of you."
I shook my head slightly, feeling it was not appropriate.
"No, since I promised to go with Brother Xue and Sister Yan, I should go with them. Let the elders temporarily take charge of Black Mountain."
Lin'er said again,
"Ghost King, many things require your decision now. If you leave, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it alone."
Yan Wushuang, seeing my dilemma, didn't want me to worry and said directly,
"Muye, listen to the elder."
Xue Gucheng also said,
"Shuang'er and I are used to coming and going. It's inconvenient with others. I think we shouldn't ask Thirteen Niang to come along. It'll be faster if just the two of us go."
As they said, it would be fine for them to go, but after rescuing Liu Shinian, they would have to leave. By then, I would have no connection to my past and would completely become the Myriad Ghost King, and they would have no connection to me anymore.
I pondered for a long time, not knowing how to make a decision.
Xue Gucheng saw my worried and helpless expression and knew what I was thinking. He said,
"Muye, are you worried that after we rescue Liu Shinian, we will no longer have contact with you?"
I nodded slightly, admitting it silently.
Yan Wushuang sighed and expressed her thoughts.
"Muye, we were friends with you before, and we still are. Don't worry about our departure, and don't make yourself difficult. If fate allows, time and destiny will bring us together."
With her guidance, I understood more, finally facing reality, and knowing that in the ebb and flow of life, people will always leave. Thus, I let go.
"Alright, you go then."
"Okay, we're leaving."
As they said this, the two of them were about to leave. I suddenly thought of something else and called out to stop them.
"Wait!"
They turned their heads and looked at me with confusion. I said,
"Let me write a letter for you to give to Ziye. Perhaps it can help."
"That would be good."
"Wait for me."
After saying that, I hurried back to my room, found paper and pen, and started writing the letter.
Xue Gucheng, Yan Wushuang, and Lin'er waited outside the door.
Lin'er still asked with some regret,
"After rescuing Liu Shinian, are you really leaving?"
Xue Gucheng and Yan Wushuang fell silent simultaneously. They couldn't answer this question for a moment.
After a while, Xue Gucheng said,
"Since we decided to leave, let's leave. We've decided to return to the mountains. We haven't been back for a long time."
A hint of disappointment appeared on Lin'er's face, but he still respected their choice.
"That's fine, but I wonder if the mountains there will be the same as here?"
"They should be similar, just without such magnificent palaces."
"Then when you see the same scenery, will you remember us?"
Xue Gucheng suddenly became speechless again. He actually had many things to say.
Yan Wushuang replied for him,
"We will. Perhaps we will meet again."
"Yes, I hope so too."
While they were talking, I finished writing the letter, hurriedly opened the door, and handed the letter to Yan Wushuang, saying,
"Sister Yan, Brother Xue, I entrust Liu Shinian to you."
Yan Wushuang tucked the letter into her embrace and nodded, saying,
"Don't worry, we're leaving then."
"Yes, go."
Watching them gradually walk down the stairs, I suddenly felt a sense of reluctance. I hurried after them and said somewhat awkwardly,
"Let me see you off to the front."
Xue Gucheng turned his head. His pale mask concealed all his expressions, and he simply said softly,
"Yes, that would be good."
Lin'er also followed, wanting to see them off together.
We arrived outside the Bright Moon Palace and bid farewell again.
"Take care on your journey."
They waved silently, but there was no response. We only saw two white figures, like a gentle breeze, gradually disappearing at the end of the stone steps.
Lin'er looked at my reluctant gaze and gently patted my shoulder as a form of comfort.
...
The four cities were plunged into panic again due to the escape of the Myriad Ghost King.
Daolang and Feixiong had been in seclusion since their parting in the Myriad Ghost Forest and only emerged again today.
The two leisurely returned to Nanhai City, only to find that notices were plastered everywhere, both inside and outside the city, almost one for every person.
The two approached the city wall and saw a row of notices with a portrait of a person.
Upon closer inspection, it was the familiar Muye. Below, a line of black characters read:
This person is the rumored vicious Myriad Ghost King, who was reborn after killing dozens of people in a bloodthirsty frenzy. A few days ago, he was subdued by righteous individuals and imprisoned in the Boundless Abyss, but an accomplice rescued him, and he has now escaped and his whereabouts are unknown. Those with clues can report to the prefectural office for a reward of ten thousand.
At once, rumors spread throughout Nanhai City, and the people were in a state of unease.
Daolang frowned and pulled Feixiong into a corner, whispering,
"I've heard about this before. We've also interacted with her, and she's a good person. Now that she's become the Myriad Ghost King, there must be some unspeakable reason. Why don't we go and defect to her and see if we can help her escape this predicament?"
"Go and defect to her?"
Feixiong was somewhat confused.
"Yes."
"But we don't even know where she is. Where can we go to defect to her?"
"Have you forgotten that we are best at tracking?"
"Oh, I understand."
The two brothers exchanged a smile and then cheerfully left Nanhai City, heading towards the outskirts.
A thousand meters south of Nanhai City is the official road from Dongyue Town to Xizi Kingdom.
The official road was sparsely populated, with only a few desolate figures coming and going.
Daolang couldn't help but sigh, recalling the bustling scene of carriages and people carrying loads in the past, as if it were yesterday.
With a sigh, in this moment of melancholy, Daolang suddenly smelled a lingering scent of righteousness in the air. The scent was like the fragrance of jasmine blooming in ice and snow, strong and sweet. He felt it was very familiar and, recalling it, guessed who it was.
"This smells like the scent of the Snow Blade Twin Monsters."
Daolang murmured to himself.
Feixiong sniffed the scent remaining in the air and suddenly frowned.
"There's also a strange dark energy mixed in here."
Daolang's lips curved into a slight smile.
"They must have been with the Myriad Ghost King for too long to have picked up this strange dark energy."
His eyes darted, and he suddenly thought,
"Right, aren't we looking for Muye? I think they probably know. Let's catch up and ask them."
Before Feixiong could react, he grabbed Feixiong and dragged him like a ball, running rapidly towards Xizi Kingdom.
They knew that with their half-baked speed, they couldn't possibly catch up to the silent footsteps that came and went like the wind.
So Daolang stopped. Feixiong, with a dazed head, sat on the ground, covering his head with his hands and shaking it.
Daolang muttered to himself,
"This won't do. Their speed is not something ordinary people can keep up with. What should we do?"
Feixiong groggily got up and asked him,
"What should we do?"
Daolang looked back at Feixiong with a helpless expression. He walked over, pushed Feixiong's head, and moved to the side, saying,
"What should we do? We can't catch up to the Snow Blade Twin Monsters."
Feixiong, however, was not worried and simply said,
"Why don't you just call out to them?"
Feixiong's words immediately enlightened Daolang, who clapped his hands in surprise and said,
"Good idea!"
Thus, under Feixiong's confused gaze, he transformed into his original wolf form, ran up the mountain, and howled at the sky. The howl pierced through the clouds and mist, like an invisible force moving forward, until it reached the ears of the Snow Blade Twin Monsters.
The Snow Blade Twin Monsters, who were ten miles away and hurrying on their way, suddenly stopped in confusion upon hearing a sudden wolf howl.
Yan Wushuang looked at the sky strangely and asked,
"There's a wolf howl."
Xue Gucheng listened carefully again and guessed,
"This sounds like Daolang's voice. Could it be that he's using his true form to call us?"
Yan Wushuang thought for a moment and said,
"Unless it's absolutely necessary, no one would willingly return to their true form and become a beast. There must be some urgent matter."
"I think so."
"Shall we wait for them, Brother Xue?"
"Let's wait. Perhaps there is indeed an urgent matter."
After saying that, the two turned back to meet Daolang and Feixiong.
After Daolang's long howl, he was satisfied and returned to human form. Feixiong smiled and teased him,
"I've been with you, Second Brother, for so long, and I've never seen your true form. Seeing it this time, you're even more handsome than yourself."
Daolang interrupted him with a smile.
"Enough, you're just trying to make me happy. Let's go. They're probably waiting for us ahead."
Saying that, the two of them sped up again and ran forward.
After running for an unknown distance, a pair of white figures suddenly descended from the sky and landed in front of them.
Daolang quickly stopped, but Feixiong, who was following half a step behind, collided with him and was sent flying.
The Snow Blade Twin Monsters also made way for them to land without any hesitation.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
Daolang, dazed by the collision, sat up holding his forehead and kept groaning.
Feixiong, seeing this, walked forward somewhat embarrassed to pull him up.
"Second Brother, are you alright?"
"I'm... I'm alright."
Yan Wushuang, suppressing a smile, couldn't help but tease them.
"What's wrong? Do you two feel your bodies are weak and have come here to loosen your muscles and bones?"
Daolang looked at the two with a tragic expression, then cautiously glanced around. Seeing that no one was around, he whispered to them,
"We're here to find Muye. Do you know where she is?"
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang looked troubled and turned to ask Xue Gucheng.
"Brother Xue, can we tell them?"
He knew Feixiong and Daolang to some extent and trusted them. He nodded slightly, agreeing.
Yan Wushuang then said,
"We are not with Muye. She has become the Myriad Ghost King now. Aren't you afraid of being ostracized by the righteous path if you still dare to look for her?"
Hearing this, Feixiong suddenly laughed.
"My brother and I are both scoundrels. The people of the four cities have long disliked us, but they just haven't been able to catch us, otherwise, we would have been paraded through the streets long ago."
Yan Wushuang laughed heartily and asked them,
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"We want to go with you."
Daolang said.
Xue Gucheng directly told them the truth.
"We are going to Beishendu to rescue Liu Shinian this time. As for Muye, she is in a safe place. If you want to find her, wait until we rescue the person and then we'll take you there."
Upon hearing this, they immediately became enthusiastic.
"Rescue people? Isn't that our specialty? Liu Shinian is also our friend. If you're going to rescue him, let us go with you. Perhaps we can be of some use."
Xue Gucheng thought for a moment. The two of them had considerable skills and had interacted with Ziyu and Ziye. Perhaps they could indeed help. He said,
"That's fine too. Let's set off immediately."
"Alright, it's just..."
Feixiong stammered but didn't finish his sentence.
"Just what?"
Yan Wushuang asked.
"Just, can you walk a little slower? We can't keep up."
As soon as he said this, Yan Wushuang couldn't help but laugh out loud and said,
"We can't help that. Then we'll meet in Beishendu."
Saying that, she pulled Xue Gucheng and quickly darted into the forest, flashing away like a sharp sword.
Feixiong hurriedly shouted from behind.
"Then you must wait for us!"
Whether the other party heard his incomplete shout, Feixiong sighed and lowered his head, saying indignantly,
"Truly disloyal."
Daolang smiled heartily and comforted Feixiong, saying,
"Alright, alright, it's just our own lack of ability. If we had their skills, we wouldn't be doing these petty thieving jobs."
Feixiong felt much better with Daolang's comfort and said,
"That's true, it's just our lack of ability. But no matter how much we run, we can't catch up to them. What should we do?"
Daolang turned his head slightly and suddenly had an idea.
"It's still hundreds of miles to Beishendu. If we have to run, it will be non-stop. I can't do that either. Why don't we just find a place, buy two fast horses, and then continue our journey?"
"Good idea. There's a small town not far ahead. There should be horses there."
"Okay, let's hurry."
"Mm."
After saying that, the two of them mustered their strength and, like two wild horses that had not shed their wildness, broke free from their reins and galloped away.
Before sunset, they finally reached the nearest small town. Without much delay, they bought two fast horses and rode off into the night.