20 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

The matter of the black flood dragon had been settled, and the spiritual beast they were searching for had been decided upon. However, Yue Bai noticed Ji Wu Nian had become somewhat silent recently. Her master had been going out frequently at night and had spent the past few days sitting in her secret spot without drinking, just sitting there. Since Ji Wu Nian didn't call for her, Yue Bai didn't intervene. Could it be that Ji Wu Nian was thinking about Liu Li? "Ye Er." A soft sensation pressed against her back, tightening around her waist, and a warmth spread over her shoulder. "Master." "Ye Er, you've been dazing off a lot these days," Ji Wu Nian said, hugging her. The girl's absent-minded expression reminded her of a newborn animal. Whenever Ye Er snapped back to reality, she appeared delicate and fragile. Ji Wu Nian knew that despite Ye Er's seemingly compliant manner, there was an inherent caution in her. Yue Bai found an excuse. "Ye Er has been somewhat disheartened by the lack of spiritual beasts lately." This was quite rare, considering even when Ji Wu Nian was tormenting her repeatedly with hooks, the small disciple had never shown signs of such distress. "Take your time," Ji Wu Nian always lay on her side, letting Yue Bai face away from her. This way, Ji Wu Nian could hold her waist and provide support while giving enough space for her disciple to curl up as needed without revealing her own vulnerable expression. Ji Wu Nian liked it this way, thinking it was good that her own expressionless face wouldn't be seen. "Ye Er, bear with it." Yue Bai closed her eyes, submitting to the cold aloofness Ji Wu Nian tried to hide. The pain persisted, and as Yue Bai's body spasmed, she infused her spiritual power into Ji Wu Nian's body, focusing intensely without daring to be distracted. "Warning! Warning! The mission target is in mortal danger! Vital signs dropping! Eighty percent, sixty-five!" The sudden, piercing sound in her sea of consciousness made Yue Bai shudder, her concentration shattered. The meticulously controlled spiritual power dispersed immediately, and the intensified pain flooded her consciousness. Yue Bai bit her lip but still cried out, "Ah!" "Mission target's vital signs continue to drop! Sixty percent! Fifty-five!" "Shut up!" Yue Bai was further agitated by the sharp noise in her sea of consciousness, her scalp tingling. She gritted her teeth, refocusing her mind. The drop of blood that had lain dormant in Liu Li's body for a long time within her sea of consciousness began to throb, gradually becoming round before it exploded like a firework. "Liu Li's vital signs have stabilized!" The firework was magnificent, but the scattered shimmering particles refused to dissipate as hoped. Yue Bai's body and consciousness trembled, but she managed to control the scattered spiritual power, condensing it into a thin stream that flowed away into an unknown direction. "Mission target's vital signs recovering..." Once again, Jiu Yi was stunned by the operation. "Sixty-five percent, seventy-five, seventy-eight. Yue Bai!" My god, such a remote control operation deserves full marks! "Yue Bai?" "Yue Bai!!!????" There was no response in the sea of consciousness. This time, Yue Bai had truly fainted. *** Yue Bai was probably unconscious for about an hour. The moment she regained awareness, Jiu Yi informed her that Liu Li's life was currently stable. Feeling weak all over, even opening her eyelids was a struggle. She lay in darkness for a while before recognizing she was in her own room, likely carried back by Ji Wu Nian. Recalling the intense pain she had just experienced, Yue Bai gritted her teeth. She retrieved a stamina-recovery pill from her spatial storage, and after meditating to restore her energy, she flexed her fingers, feeling her strength return. Turning over, she got out of bed. Yue Bai knew Ji Wu Nian had gone to her secret spot again and sensed some unrest within her master, but Yue Bai had no time to deal with it now. Stable life signs did not equate to safety. Upon arriving at the location, Yue Bai heard a long howl resonate through the mountains and forests, shaking the ground and startling the birds. Liu Li was in that same direction. Drawing her Qingfeng sword, Yue Bai swiftly expanded her spiritual perception, noting they were on a remote island outside Moon Port City. The howl had come from the flood dragon she had previously confronted. Liu Li and her group were facing off against it. Liu Li herself had already fainted, being protected by the surrounding disciples. Several other cultivators were battling the flood dragon in the sky, but their attacks were insignificant against it. The black flood dragon raised its scales and howled skyward, its dragon horns glowing under the moon. Its tail surged from the sea, fiercely slamming into the ground. Damn it! With a tremendous wave-like force behind it, the dragon's tail crashed down, leaving no escape. Those on the island instinctively curled up, bracing for what seemed to be their destined end. Seconds passed; the sound of the massive wave dissipated, but no expected pain followed. Someone cautiously opened their eyes and saw someone wielding a sword, suspended in mid-air, a protective barrier sheltering everyone. The person wore light blue robes and a silver mask that covered the upper half of her face, revealing only a delicate jawline. Surrounded by blue glows like scattered stars, she stood against the moonlight, her presence unwavering like a steadfast bamboo in the mountain, shielding them all. “Yue Bai, are you alright?” Jiu Yi was no longer in the mood to admire Yue Bai's showiness. She had nearly failed to block the flood dragon's strike in time and had taken a direct hit. Even with borrowed items, her vital energy must be in turmoil, and her spiritual power would be severely depleted. Her body was too weak to withstand such extreme feats. “I'm fine.” Yue Bai tasted blood in her throat and swallowed a pill to suppress the backlash. She glanced at the people behind her and, seeing they were safe, focused entirely on the flood dragon before her. It now had only one dragon horn, with blood-red eyes and exposed fangs, looking ferocious, but it stopped attacking when it saw Yue Bai. The cultivators in the air, noticing the dragon's hesitation, were about to advance again when a formidable pressure surrounded them, rendering them motionless. The place that had been uprooted moments ago now filled with only the sound of crashing waves. Yue Bai looked into the dragon's eyes. “What’s going on?” Her voice, interwoven with imposing authority, pierced into the flood dragon's consciousness, making it close its mouth, no longer exhaling violently. “My Lord, these people suddenly attacked me,” the flood dragon responded in her sea of consciousness. “The leader among them bears demonic energy, and their killing intent was overwhelming. I fought back in self-defense.” Demonic energy? Yue Bai glanced at Liu Li. “That person?” “Yes, a few days ago, demonic cultists harassed me, and I repelled them. I didn’t expect they would send more people,” the dragon said. “I was already on the verge of defeating him in the sea when he suddenly unleashed spiritual power, forcing me to retreat. That’s why I chased him here. If my actions disturbed the people and angered you, I beg for your forgiveness.” Yue Bai didn’t respond immediately. She looked up and saw that the cultivators' robes didn’t belong to the Sanqing Sect. Although she had a guess, she still asked, “Who are you, and why are you here?” Her voice was as cold as fall droplets in a chilly pond. The cultivators, still wary of the dragon, noticed its respectful demeanor towards Yue Bai and dared not ignore her. One leading figure spoke for them, “We are the disciples of the Lingyun Palace. This monster disturbed the seas, causing suffering among the people, so we accompanied Sanqing Elder Liu Li to subdue it.” “Subdue it?” Yue Bai felt a discomfort in her chest, pressing down to stabilize her breath. “Are you here for any other reasons?” Other reasons? The cultivators exchanged confused glances, unsure how to respond. “We do not understand what you mean, miss…” “Enough with the nonsense!” Suddenly, a disciple rushed forward with a sword. “The monster is here, let’s kill it first!” The flood dragon roared in response, baring its sharp teeth, its scales shimmering menacingly in the moonlight, as if ready to devour anyone who dared approach. Yue Bai's body ached, and her head throbbed. She glanced at the disciple, “If you think you can win, go ahead.” Feeling reprimanded, the disciple stepped back, receiving a glare from the leading figure. Seeing they were sensible, Yue Bai's soul resonated with the dragon, “Give me some face and don’t hold grudges against these few. Return peacefully to digest your dragon pill. If they disturb you again, do as you please.” The flood dragon, knowing it had already acted out of turn against her, felt somewhat aggrieved but still agreed, “In that case, I will listen to you, my Lord.” Well, now it was calling her "Lord." “Becoming a true dragon is a difficult path,” Yue Bai found the dragon somewhat endearing now. “I see you're forming dragon horns but neglecting dragon claws. You might end up an odd creature. Lay a solid foundation and take it slow.” The flood dragon felt embarrassed, “Thank you for your guidance, my Lord.” Exhaling once more at the cultivators, the dragon turned back to the sea, disappearing beneath the moonlit waves. Landing back on the ground, Yue Bai's chest still felt tight with pain. The medicine had temporarily subdued the injury, but the burst of spiritual power had torn her insides. Had it been her original frail body, she would be facing a soul-tearing punishment now. The cultivators from Lingyun Palace followed her descent, watching as she walked straight towards Liu Li. The disciples protecting Liu Li were unsure whether to stop her, ultimately standing aside without drawing their swords but still blocking her way. The mask-wearer before them had an indifferent gaze—not the chill of millennium-old ice, but the detached look of someone who had seen it all. Indifferent to life, to death, to whether she struck them down or walked away. Her lips barely moved, “Move aside.” The leader of Lingyun Palace signaled, and the Sanqing disciples hesitated before reluctantly stepping aside. Liu Li lay on the ground, her clothes tattered, her face pale. Kneeling down, Yue Bai lifted and cradled her head, feeding her a pill and tilting her chin to help her swallow. Simultaneously, Yue Bai's soul entered Liu Li's sea of consciousness. The jade slip from Zhongge stated that those tainted with demonic energy, even if they concealed it externally, would always have a cluster of black flames in their sea of consciousness, igniting every negative thought and dragging the person into endless despair. But Liu Li’s sea of consciousness was clean, with no black flames, only a faint trace of energy. Yue Bai felt a deep sense of familiarity that made her glance up at the moon. The full moon hung high, as if determined to illuminate every shadow of the night. "A new mission has been triggered," Jiu Yi's voice sounded, "‘Help Ji Wu Nian conceal her demonic energy.’" "Where did you come from? Did Liu Li show any abnormalities on the way here?" As she knelt, holding Liu Li beneath the moonlight, the distant aura around her softened, tinged with a subtle sadness. She knelt with a slightly bowed back, her mask obscuring her eyes. Bathed in moonlight, the woman holding Liu Li seemed to almost radiate a glow. The disciple from Lingyun Palace, internally marveling at how a celestial beauty like this could be with Elder Liu Li, replied, "We came down from Lingyun Palace. Elder Liu Li must have received our letter and came from Cangzhou to meet us. After meeting up, we set out to search for the demonic flood dragon. There were no abnormalities along the way." "How did you end up fighting the flood dragon? Tell me everything that happened." "Well..." The disciple hesitated. Although her background was unclear, this mysterious woman had saved their lives and seemed to have a deep connection with Elder Liu Li. So, he decided to explain, "We were originally dispatched by Prince Duan to investigate the turbulent seas. We discovered a demonic flood dragon here. Knowing we couldn't handle it alone, we sent a letter to Elder Liu Li, who was in Cangzhou. After meeting up, we went straight out to sea to subdue the flood dragon. Unexpectedly, the flood dragon had advanced in rank during that short period. Elder Liu Li led the charge but was injured by the dragon. In a moment of crisis, Elder Liu Li suddenly unleashed a burst of spiritual power, forcing the dragon back. We rescued him and fled here with the dragon in pursuit. We fought continuously until you arrived to save us.” Leading the charge, that's why those behind didn't know. Yue Bai pressed her hand against her chest and stood up. "The flood dragon won't return. Take him to Prince Duan's residence to rest. I'll come to find you in a few days." "May I ask your name?" the disciple inquired, "So we can inform Elder Liu Li when she wakes." "It's not important." Yue Bai swung her Qingfeng sword and flew away on her sword.