Several people left the valley, used their qinggong, and reached the nearest small town to buy a carriage. The group mounted their horses, with Qingfeng and Mingyue taking turns driving, heading towards Spirit Mountain.
Inside the carriage, Qingyao had been silent. Seeing Xiaoyuer's face grow paler and her consciousness becoming hazy, she still tried her best to hold on. Even when she was in so much pain that she felt like she was about to convulse, she didn't forget to comfort her and didn't make a sound. Her small, tender lower lip had been bitten until it bled. Sweat had soaked her hair, clinging to it, making her look utterly pathetic.
Qingyao spoke to her with heartache.
"Xiaoyuer, you'll be alright. Didn't you say Young Master Wuqing is very powerful? He will definitely save you."
Wuqing sat to the side, watching everything unfold, his heart wracked with torment. It was all his fault. If Qingyao knew the truth, would she blame him? Would she ever forgive him?
He felt a surge of fear and unease, but he could do nothing. He could only softly comfort her.
"Alright, Qingyao, don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Qingyao looked up and nodded. Her cold, elegant face was covered in a layer of frost. Moyue, standing beside her, spoke softly, "Miss, shall I carry the young miss?"
Her master was already sad enough; she didn't want her to be more distressed, but Qingyao shook her head repeatedly.
Even though Xiaoyuer's soul belonged to someone else, she was her biological daughter. The bond of blood could not be changed. At this moment, she suddenly felt immense fear. What if she truly died?
Qingyao held her tightly, her voice choked with emotion, "Xiaoyuer, please don't be in any danger. We must live happily."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but recall her past life. Although she hadn't enjoyed much affection from her parents in her previous life, she was far happier than Qiao Nan.
She had parents and a grandmother, and her maternal grandmother had doted on her. Qiao Nan, however, was an orphan. It was precisely because she was an orphan, and had such a sunny disposition, that they became good friends. They were only fifteen when they first met.
They met at an orphanage.
They liked each other immediately upon meeting, so she begged her parents to fund Qiao Nan's education until she graduated from college. She thought they would remain good friends forever, but eventually, things went wrong.
She hadn't intended to kill Xiao Rui; she was just too angry and wanted to teach her a lesson. But Qiao Nan took it seriously and deflected her gun, which then hit her. In the final moment, angered, she fired again and killed Qiao Nan.
She never imagined that Qiao Nan had insisted on finding her. Thinking about the suffering her friend endured in her past life, Qingyao's heart ached even more. Now, she was her daughter, and she wanted to give her the love of a family, to make her happier. But who would have known such a thing would happen?
"Xiaoyuer, promise me, you must live. Otherwise, I will be heartbroken. Isn't your greatest wish for me to be happy and fortunate?"
Qingyao spoke slowly. Xiaoyuer forced her eyes open, her lips moved a few times, and then she managed to say, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I still need to take care of you. King Yama wouldn't dare to take me."
She smiled, a faint halo illuminating her pale face. Slowly, she said, "I'm so tired, I'll sleep for a while. Don't be sad, I'll be alright."
After saying that, she actually closed her eyes. Qingyao was terrified and shook her vigorously. "Xiaoyuer, Xiaoyuer, don't sleep, don't sleep!"
Wuqing, who had been sitting beside them, felt no better than Qingyao, perhaps even worse. He extended a slender hand and tightly grasped Qingyao's arm. "Don't worry, she's just too tired and has fallen asleep. By the time we reach Spirit Mountain, she'll be fine."
"Wuqing, you must not let anything happen to her."
Qingyao looked at Wuqing with pleading eyes, her gaze filled with terror.
It was rare to see her like this, except for the time she saw his white hair, she had looked equally distressed and sad.
"Nothing will happen. Rest assured."
The carriage sped forward like an arrow. Qingfeng and Mingyue took turns driving, making no stops along the way. The group didn't even have time to drink water, pressing on towards Spirit Mountain.
However, as Wuqing had anticipated, since the people outside had poisoned them, they wouldn't let them reach Spirit Mountain so easily. After passing a small town, a group of people finally blocked their path.
A somber voice echoed from outside the carriage: "Stop. Not a single one of you will pass. Either turn back or stay here. In any case, no one is getting through."
As soon as Qingyao heard someone stop the carriage, she lifted the curtain and looked out. She saw towering mountains all around. It was winter, and the entire mountainside was bare, exuding a desolate aura. The sky was overcast, shrouded in dark clouds.
The wind was biting cold. As the carriage curtain was lifted, the wind rushed in. But Qingyao couldn't spare a thought for that. She leaned out to observe the people blocking the carriage.
They were dressed in black robes, their faces devoid of expression. There were over a dozen of them, and the leader was the same person she had seen in the valley before.
Seeing their current actions, Qingyao pondered for a moment and understood the situation. She abruptly turned to look at Wuqing.
"Wuqing, who are these people? They were the ones who sent people to poison us, weren't they? Why? Speak up, tell me, what do they want?"
Wuqing looked up at her, a pang of pain in his chest. Did he really have to let her know? But there was no more time. It was more important to deal with the people outside first. He would tell her after saving Xiaoyuer.
"There's no time. Let's deal with these people first and save Xiaoyuer. When we return to Wuqing Valley, I'll tell you, okay?"
Qingyao naturally understood the urgency. These people meant no good. They clearly didn't want them to proceed to Spirit Mountain. In that case, Xiaoyuer's life would be in danger. She nodded immediately. Saving her was the priority.
"Okay."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wuqing and Moyue stepped out, leaving her alone in the carriage to look after Xiaoyuer.
Wuqing leaped out of the carriage. Mingyue swiftly positioned the young master's wheelchair. Wuqing sat in the wheelchair, his expressionless gaze fixed on the dozen men opposite him.
His face was as clear as a handful of snow, his eyebrows and eyes like a painting, his hair and robes white, exuding an indescribable elegance. However, the chilling aura around him made one hesitate to approach, and his dark eyes held no warmth.
"Young Master."
Upon seeing him, the dozen men felt a tremor in their hearts. They called out cautiously.
Did they not know how merciless and bloodthirsty the Young Master was? Their actions this time had clearly angered him, and they feared that none of them would fare well. However, they were acting under orders. Even if they died without a burial place, it was their mission.
"He sent you here, how despicable."
As Wuqing's voice fell, he leaped into the air. Qingfeng and Mingyue, seeing their master enraged and taking action, did not dare to delay. They had already flown to his side, and Moyue followed closely, swiftly engaging the opponents.