Chapter 152: Reentry

Mobai truly never expected Elder Guyu to propose a marriage alliance on behalf of another. As he looked into Murong Ziyan’s clear, crystalline eyes, which gazed at him with a hint of longing, he had to admit that although Murong Ziyan wore an unconventional short haircut, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her beauty was by no means inferior to that of Red-Forest Woman or Xiao Xue. Yet, for reasons unknown, he simply did not feel that romantic attachment toward her. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he said, "I am deeply grateful for Elder Guyu’s kind intentions, except that—"

Before he could finish his sentence, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the doorway, accompanied by a panicked shout, "Big Mo! Big Mo, come out quickly! Xin'er—Xin'er is vomiting blood!"

Sitting within the room, Mobai felt his heart violently jolt. He immediately stood up, cupped his fists toward Elder Guyu, and said, "Please forgive me, Elder. I must go see what has happened." Without waiting for a reply, he strode hurriedly out of the room, only to find Wu Luohua drenched in cold sweat.

Elder Guyu and Murong Ziyan, still inside the room, were equally startled. Clearly, something unexpected had happened outside, and it seemed to involve Mobai’s companion, Nalan Xin'er. Following closely behind Mobai, the two stepped out of the room and saw Mobai in the courtyard, holding the unconscious Nalan Xin'er in one arm while channeling his spiritual energy directly into her chest with the other. After a long while, Nalan Xin'er's breathing finally began to stabilize.

With sweat beading on his forehead, Mobai, with the assistance of Murong Ziyan and Gan Yu, carried Nalan Xin'er into the guest pavilion of the Listening-Rain Cottage. After laying her gently down on a soft bed, Mobai turned to Wu Luohua and asked in a low voice, "Little Hua, what on earth is going on here?"

Anxious, Little Hua replied, "A moment ago, Yu'er and I were having a wonderful conversation with Xin'er. But for some reason, the little girl suddenly started coughing violently and then coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. It scared us out of our wits! We didn't dare administer any medicine rashly, especially since the little girl only took the Seven-Leaf Lotus not long ago. That's why I rushed over to find you..."

Knowing full well that the young girl could not be given medication casually at this moment, Mobai cast a look of appeal toward Elder Guyu. Elder Guyu nodded slightly to Murong Ziyan. Murong Ziyan stepped forward, came to Mobai's side, and said, "Mobai, do not panic. Let me check Lady Xin'er's pulse. Symptoms like vomiting blood should not easily occur after taking a medicinal herb as potent as the Seven-Leaf Lotus."

She locked eyes with Mobai, prompting him to finally withdraw his hand from Nalan Xin'er's grasp. The successive twists and events had left Mobai unable to easily trust the disciples of the Yi Flower Sect anymore.

Yet, having no other choice, he could only entrust Nalan Xin'er's fate to Murong Ziyan. Carefully approaching Nalan Xin'er, Murong Ziyan reached out and pressed her fingers against the little enchantress's pulse point. As she concentrated on the diagnosis, the expression on her face shifted repeatedly.

A tense Mobai stood nearby. After a long moment, he finally saw Murong Ziyan pull her hand away from Nalan Xin'er. Murong Ziyan spoke gravely, "Someone added other ingredients into the Seven-Leaf Lotus, which is why Lady Xin'er is vomiting blood."

Wu Luohua asked anxiously, "What do you mean? Could it have been done while brewing the medicine?"

Before Murong Ziyan could reply, Mobai murmured, "Ah, what a grievous sin. Lady Murong, do you happen to have a way to treat Xin'er's injuries?"

Murong Ziyan looked at Mobai and asked, "Could it be that you already know what has happened?"

Mobai smiled bitterly. "It seems we truly should not have come to the Yi Flower Sect, only to offend so many people. However, she must have misunderstood Xin'er, which is why Xin'er has suffered this calamity. Yet, I have no desire to pursue this person, because she acted out of misguided romantic obsession rather than pure malice. Therefore, I beg Lady Murong to tell me the remedy for Xin'er as soon as possible."

Moved by Mobai's words, Murong Ziyan seemed to understand a little more. She said, "Then you must return to the cold abyss and harvest another leaf of the Seven-Leaf Lotus. Only by using poison as an antidote can Lady Nalan's injuries be healed. However, judging from what you said earlier, you cleverly obtained the Seven-Leaf Lotus from the cold abyss last time, but this time it will likely not be so easy. Although I am not familiar with the habits of the aquatic monster, animals in the forest invariably heighten their vigilance after losing something precious for the first time. Given how short the interval has been, that monstrous fish is bound to be extremely guarded."

Mobai naturally understood what Murong Ziyan meant. He smiled indifferently and said, "I have no other choice. Xin'er has had such a bitter fate, suffering on another's behalf twice over. How could I watch her bleed? I ask you all to take good care of her while I am gone."

With that, Mobai turned to leave, but Little Hua called out, "Big Mo, take this with you; it will make things safer." To his surprise, Little Hua produced the Divine Plate Token.

Gently patting Little Hua on the shoulder, Mobai said, "Rest assured, Big Mo's life is quite tenacious. Keep this safe; use it to strike down those who deserve it when the time comes."

Looking into Mobai's resolute gaze, Little Hua nodded heavily.

Returning to Nalan Xin'er's side, Mobai gazed down at the young girl. To think that along this journey, she had encountered so many trials—could this little girl endure it all? For the first time, Mobai reached out and gently stroked Nalan Xin'er's face with deep sincerity, much like an elder brother's tender affection for his younger sister.

All of this was witnessed by Murong Ziyan, in whose eyes a complex emotion flickered for the first time. Standing nearby, Elder Guyu could only clasp her hands in a Daoist salute and silently chant a title of respect.

This time, Mobai made the journey even faster than before. First, he was already familiar with the path; second, the situation was far more critical than last time, as the little enchantress had already vomited blood. Thus, his pace unconsciously quickened.

Inside the cold abyss cavern, Xiao Xue's face was deathly pale. Hearing the sound from outside the cave, she sighed inwardly to herself. *Could this be destined by fate? Why has he returned? Are you and I truly fated to engage in such a fierce battle?*

For reasons unknown, the water in the cold abyss began to churn restlessly. Xiao Xue abruptly swung her Millennial Ice Thorn, unleashing a razor-sharp wave of biting frost that instantly blasted the water straight up toward the vaulted ceiling of the cave. With a resounding crash, the water cascaded back down, leaving the cavern deathly still.

Mobai walked into the cold cavern and, upon seeing this scene, felt an abrupt chill grip his heart. Even though he had spent years at the Rain-Cold Pool, he felt the current atmosphere was profoundly wrong.

Slowly raising her eyes, Xiao Xue looked at Mobai—at this man—and raised her Millennial Ice Thorn. "You shouldn't have come."

Mobai was momentarily stunned, not understanding why Xiao Xue would say such a thing. Yet, he already sensed that the ominous feeling upon entering was entirely justified. Could something else have changed?

"Why shouldn't I come?" Mobai asked.

"Because if you come, you will die," Xiao Xue replied coldly.