Page 491

As they traveled, the group gradually became more familiar with one another.

Especially since Mi Xi appeared to be about their age and was noticeably handsome, but more importantly, he carried himself with grace and was polite in his interactions.

Everybody liked him quite a bit.

Of course, except for Quan Shaoqing and Ai Xiang.

Yun Xiao remained silent as she traveled.

It had been a long time since she saw Ai Xiang, their last meeting.

They exchanged no words!

They didn’t even greet each other, nor did they make any effort to approach and make small talk.

She didn’t know whether Ai Xiang had completely forgotten about her or not.

Soon, they arrived at a valley and found a stream.

Quan Shaoqing looked at the sky as dusk approached, "There are sixty kilometers of mountain road left. We’ll rest here tonight and continue our journey tomorrow."

They were still two days away from the ten-day appointment with Gu Feng.

There was no need for them to rush.

Everyone chose a flat spot and made a fire.

Gu Xiaoxi looked up, only to see mountains stretching endlessly before her, their termination point out of sight.

"Who would’ve thought that this Spirit Mountain lies in such a strange location." Gao Yuchen had carried out many missions, but he had never encountered such peculiar circumstances.

"We’re not at Spirit Mountain yet. The strange occurrences are probably still to come," Mi Xi continued the conversation.

Yun Xiao saw no immediate danger around, but turned to Gu Xiaoxi and said, "I’ll go gather some firewood for tonight, it’s likely to get cold."

No sooner had Yun Xiao set off than Gao Yuchen stood up and hurriedly said, "I’ll go with you, it’s not safe alone."

Gu Xiaoxi nodded, "Then be careful."

After all, they were away from home.

Ai Xiang glanced at Yun Xiao but simply turned and sat beside the stream, silent and not speaking.

Gu Xiaoxi walked up to Ai Xiang, unable to hold back, she asked, "You and Yun Xiao used to be close. Why don’t you even speak a word to each other now?"

Ai Xiang turned back and eyed Gu Xiaoxi, "What do you know?"

Gu Xiaoxi raised her eyebrows, a sly smile on her face, "I know what I need to know. Don’t be so stingy. A withered flower will eventually turn to dust anyway. If the person you’re waiting for is still there, and if you’re destined, you’ll meet again one day."

"Is that so?" Ai Xiang said, looking down as a scornful smile appeared on her lips. "Maybe the fate has truly ended."

"That’s just fine, now there’s a sincere feeling in front of you, treasure it!" Gu Xiaoxi immediately said cheekily.

Ai Xiang stared at her, puzzled, "What sincere feeling in front of me! Stop making a fuss here!"

"Yun Xiao likes you, don’t tell me you don’t know," Gu Xiaoxi stated bluntly.

Yun Xiao was naturally timid and certainly dared not confess. If Ai Xiang kept playing dumb, when would the two make any progress?

Sure enough, Ai Xiang’s brow furrowed, and she fell silent. "I already have someone to wait for."

Gu Xiaoxi took a deep breath, feeling like she was playing the lute to a cow.

"Why don’t you understand? Cherish what’s before you, the person you’re waiting for might already have married someone else," Gu Xiaoxi thought Ai Xiang seemed to be quite understanding, so why was she so stubborn?

"What if she is waiting for me?" Ai Xiang said.

Gu Xiaoxi made a face at Ai Xiang, wishing she could crack open her skull to see what was inside.

"I’m warning you, the opportunity is right before your eyes. If you don’t grasp it, sooner or later the day will come when you’ll regret it," Gu Xiaoxi snorted coldly and turned away.

Ai Xiang sat by the stream as the setting sun began to dip lower in the sky.

He had become accustomed to waiting for someone...

Yun Xiao carried a bundle of dry firewood, Gao Yuchen looked at her, perplexed, "I didn’t think that you could be even quieter than me."

Yun Xiao smiled faintly, "It’s not that I don’t like talking, just that I’m not sure what to say. I’m afraid of making others unhappy."

"Caring too much about others’ feelings often means hurting yourself, why bother?" Gao Yuchen laughed. They were partners, after all, and needed to understand each other.

"Maybe I’m afraid of communication," Yun Xiao said. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have so few friends.

Even in the large family that was the army, few people accepted her, and she accepted even fewer. So, she hardly had any friends.

"It’s the long loneliness that leads to fear of communication. Are you still afraid now?" Gao Yuchen asked.

Yun Xiao looked at him and shook her head, "Much better than before."

"Gradually, your mood will get much better as well." The two of them started chatting and seemed to enjoy their conversation.

...

Gu Xiaoxi and the others stopped to rest, arranging two people to keep watch.

Spending the night out in the open was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

Everybody kept to their own thoughts.

Gu Xiaoxi was accustomed to sleeping alone in the trees.

High up on the tree branches, both the view and the ability to hide were the best choices.

Although she and Quan Shaoqing were husband and wife, the distance that should be maintained between them was preserved.

Most of the time, he watched her in silence.

And she tried her best to avoid him and not think about him.

When the first rays of morning light fell on the earth,

Gu Xiaoxi woke up to find a blanket covering her.

Curiously sitting up on the tree branch, she was bewildered by the blanket in her hands, whose was it?

Her gaze swept across the camp, where everyone was gradually awakening and packing up their things.

Quan Shaoqing had already packed his backpack and was eating his rations. Clearly, he had woken up early!

However, his complexion wasn’t looking too good.

Mi Xi was already standing under the tree, looking up at her with a smile, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Not bad," Gu Xiaoxi chuckled dryly. Looking at the blanket in her hands, she asked puzzledly, "Whose is... this...?"

Of course, she instinctively thought it was Quan Shaoqing’s.

Unexpectedly, Mi Xi simply smiled, "I was afraid you’d be cold sleeping so high up, so I covered you with it."

The morning sunlight beautifully lit the forests, with Mi Xi dressed in a light gray tracksuit, elegant and princely, his fair face smiling softly, gentle like a prince.

A ghost who had lived for so long, yet emanating a sense of youthful vitality and warm sunshine, was simply astonishing.

Gu Xiaoxi hesitated for a moment, took the blanket, jumped down from the tree, and returned it to Mi Xi, "Thank you!"

Ai Xiang clearly noticed Quan Shaoqing fiercely biting his beef jerky, appearing deeply troubled, "What’s with you? Who upset you this early in the morning?"

Quan Shaoqing remained silent, stood up, and addressed everyone coldly, "Pack up, we are setting out! Hurry up everyone!"

Gu Xiaoxi silently shouldered her pack, and then everyone assembled to continue on their journey.

Along the way, Quan Shaoqing’s face was gloomy as he strode at the front.

Ai Xiang was constantly by his side.

Gu Xiaoxi tried to join them, but seeing that Quan Shaoqing was disinclined to pay attention to her, she simply hung back.

Mi Xi followed Gu Xiaoxi at an unhurried pace.

Seeing that Quan Shaoqing was ignoring them,

Gu Xiaoxi turned to Mi Xi and said, "I’ve heard about you from Qing Lian!"

"... What?" Mi Xi looked shocked, "You know everything?"

"Yes!" Gu Xiaoxi nodded.

Mi Xi looked uneasy for a moment but seeing Gu Xiaoxi’s indifferent expression, he asked nervously, "Won’t you be afraid of me? Or stop seeing me as a friend."

Gu Xiaoxi smiled, "Why should I be afraid of you? But if you dare harm me, I will definitely not let you go."

"How could I!" Mi Xi’s face was full of smiles, glancing at Quan Shaoqing walking ahead, he continued, "Even if someone else tries to harm you, I won’t."

His words carried a certain oath-like weight.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaoxi fell silent.

She didn’t understand what Mi Xi meant!

His words couldn’t help but make her suspect his intentions.

Even if one liked another person, it wouldn’t happen this fast.

At that moment, Mi Xi said to Gu Xiaoxi, "Stop here, I’ll give you a Life-saving Talisman on your forehead. If you encounter danger, this thing can save your life at a critical moment."

Gu Xiaoxi stopped, looking at Mi Xi.

Mi Xi bit his finger, promptly making a dot on Gu Xiaoxi’s forehead.

Suddenly there was a dash of red at Gu Xiaoxi’s forehead, but it was absorbed by her skin in a moment.

Gu Xiaoxi only felt a beam of sunlight penetrating her forehead, instantly warming her entire body. That warmth enveloped her soul, it felt like a major baptism for her life.

"What’s it for?" Gu Xiaoxi didn’t understand Mi Xi’s gesture at all.

Mi Xi just smiled mysteriously, "It saves lives!"

This drop of blood contained his centuries of cultivation, ensuring that even if Gu Feng was stronger, he could not harm Gu Xiaoxi. Moreover, the effects of this single drop of blood went far beyond that.

"Oh," Gu Xiaoxi nodded, then suddenly felt it was inappropriate and asked, "Does this mean I will owe you a favor?"

"I’m not so petty as to make you repay it," Mi Xi laughed.

But Gu Xiaoxi shook her head, "Still, I would feel guilty."

"Then, someday, if I’m no longer here, help me look after Mi Luo and Mi Xue!" Mi Xi stated proudly with a very serious tone.