The soul of an evil dragon? What was going on? This evil dragon was left with only a soul, its body shattered? How did it survive?
Bai Cha was somewhat disbelieving. What was happening here surpassed everyone's expectations. The woman under the tree, serene and fragile like a gentle breeze under the moon, did not resemble the descent of an evil dragon at all.
"So it's an evil dragon, no wonder it's causing such strange phenomena," Zhi Yue snorted coldly and stepped forward, a ball of flame rushing towards her. The woman under the maple tree opened her eyes and turned her head, appearing somewhat surprised and confused, unable to process the situation before her.
With that turn, Bai Cha and Meng Qinghuan's pupils shook violently.
A black blade of light tore through the sky, cold and dark, passing through the flames. The flames instantly seemed to be doused with cold water and retreated. It pierced through Zhi Yue's chest, and in Zhi Yue's disbelieving gaze, it shattered a maple tree behind her into pieces.
"You're asking for death." Cold killing intent gathered in Bai Cha's eyes. She retracted the sword condensed from demonic energy in her hand. Even Gu Zitan, who had been standing by silently and foolishly, sensed Bai Cha's murderous intent.
Although Mo Ziye was more active around Bai Cha and dared to play around with her more boldly than others, when Bai Cha truly got serious, Mo Ziye was always the first to back down. Seeing Zhi Yue heavily injured and falling, Mo Ziye quickly stepped forward to heal her with holy light but dared not say a word.
"Qinghuan." Bai Cha took a step forward and placed her hand on Meng Qinghuan's shoulder. It was then that everyone noticed Meng Qinghuan's abnormality.
If Meng Qinghuan had been vigilant and serious when she first saw these two formations, she was now shocked and disbelieving. Her tightly closed eyes parted slightly, revealing a sliver, within which lightning flickered. However, this lightning actually complemented the soul of this evil dragon.
"You, why are you here?" Meng Qinghuan walked over, squatted down, and met the gaze of the ethereal woman before her. "You..."
"Qinghuan, you've grown so big." Before Meng Qinghuan could finish, the woman's opening words hit everyone like a bombshell. She looked up at Bai Cha, her tone filled with nostalgia and surprise. "Even little Bai Bai has grown up so much."
Her voice was slow, like a spring breeze rippling across the water, gently reaching the other shore. Faint memories suddenly became clear in Bai Cha's mind.
It was more than ten years ago. When she had just begun to understand things, Ye Feng had taken her to visit the Meng family. At that time, she was already quite familiar with Meng Qinghuan, who had pulled her along to meet the elders.
"Grandpa Er, look, look, this is my future boss, little Bai Bai~"
Meng Qinghuan seemed to be teasing Bai Cha deliberately, grinning like a fool.
"We are of the same generation, why add 'little' twice?"
Bai Cha was young then and a bit shy. Just as she was about to retort, a gentle woman patted her head. Bai Cha could no longer remember the woman's appearance, only that she seemed to be a lady from a respectable family, so gentle and kind that she could disarm anyone. She was like the moon on the water, gentle and dreamlike.
Now, that hazy face became clear again because of the familiar voice. Bai Cha's expression changed, and the name stuck in her throat almost instantly slipped out: "Hong Feng?"
Why was it like this? It was an acquaintance?
Bai Cha hurried forward to help the woman sitting on the ground, but her hand passed through the ethereal body.
This was, after all, a soul. How could a mortal body touch it?
Meng Qinghuan finally came back to her senses and quickly stepped forward to protect her second grandmother's soul, but Hong Feng waved her away and refused.
"Don't be like this, Qinghuan. I'm fine staying here. My body was sacrificed under this tree, so I can only stay here." Hong Feng brushed aside a few strands of hair from her temples. Her waterfall-like black hair, as Bai Cha remembered it, was still smooth, but now it was snow-white. However, her face seemed to bear no trace of time, still as beautiful.
"Even you have come, but he hasn't. He must have sacrificed himself." Hong Feng sighed softly, her face paling a bit. "Little Bai, you don't look very old either. You're so young yet you have to bear such great responsibility. I suppose your parents must have met misfortune."
Hong Feng knew how much Ye Feng and Bai Qingyuan doted on their daughter, not to mention Bai Ze. Bai Cha was willing to train them day and night, and even then, they were heartbroken. How could they let their little treasure be exposed to the filth of this world? But since Bai Cha was standing here now, it was likely that the Bai family had experienced some upheaval.
"You... what is this?" Bai Cha hesitated, not expecting this situation. Although she was the leader, the people in the Shadow faction respected her greatly, but Hong Feng was of her grandparents' generation, so she had to use respectful terms.
While Bai Cha was still wondering what was going on with Hong Feng, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration and exclaimed in surprise, "You were separated from Grandpa Meng during the battle in H City six years ago, weren't you?"
Now Meng Qinghuan also realized it. Six years ago, the Shadow faction had already shown signs of crisis. Meng Chen took his wife to H City to fight. Meng Chen was severely injured, and Hong Feng went missing. Everyone thought she was dead, but they never expected her to be here.
"Yes, he said he would come to find me, but to this day, even you have grown so big and he still hasn't appeared. He must have met misfortune." Hong Feng shook her head powerlessly. "I've been here, unaware of days and nights, my injuries too severe to heal. To last long enough to see him, I could only sacrifice my body under this tree. But it seems I won't be able to see him anymore."
"Meng Chen is not dead." Bai Cha's expression was a little complicated, with a hint of hesitation.
"Not dead?" Hong Feng was stunned for a moment, looking a bit dazed. "So, did he find a new love? That's right, I was so badly injured then, the chances of survival were slim..."
"No, you misunderstood. He didn't remarry." Bai Cha quickly waved her hand. "He's paralyzed in bed, and only his eyes can move..."
Speaking of which, this was something that most people in the Shadow faction couldn't understand. When Meng Chen was severely injured, almost all his bones were shattered, and he was in a coma for two to three years. Yet, he survived with tenacious willpower, astonishing the doctors, who couldn't understand why he was making such a futile effort.
After all, he was just alive. He couldn't move or speak. What was the point? Most people in the Shadow faction would simply choose to die, but Meng Chen stubbornly clung to life, relying on nutrient drips.
So, was it because of Hong Feng? Just as Hong Feng sacrificed her body, confining herself to this place, waiting for Meng Chen for so many years.
Actually, Bai Cha understood. It was like when Ye Feng was lost after Bai Qingyuan's death.
"I'll go bring him here." Bai Cha patted Meng Qinghuan's shoulder. She could see Meng Qinghuan's shock at the moment. Since Hong Feng and Meng Chen had paid such a price, they at least deserved an explanation. No matter what, they had to meet.
"I'll go." Meng Qinghuan had already regained her senses. She put on her kasaya and hurried out of the maple forest. His grandparents had passed away early. His second grandfather and second grandmother had a deep affection for him. Now that both of them were in such a state, he would definitely have to take responsibility.
"I'll escort you. I can use spatial magic, which can get you back faster." Freya swayed the exquisite bow and arrow made of pink crystal in her hand, smiling sweetly. "You don't have to thank me too much, okay? Whatever concerns Tea Tea is my concern, so it's natural for me to help you~"
Actually, the last sentence might not have been necessary.
Bai Cha crossed her arms and sighed helplessly. This little girl seemed to have to involve her in everything she did or said.
Freya walked aside with a smile, placing her delicate hand on the bow. A pale pink arrow materialized out of thin air on the previously empty pink crystal bow.
It had to be said that Freya had an excellent figure, perfectly proportioned and voluptuous. The way she twisted her waist and drew the bow and arrow at this moment was very pleasing to the eye.
The pink arrow broke through the air, exploding in the air without a target, but without causing any destructive ripples. Instead, it created circles of ripples in space, forcefully carving out a spatial gate in the air.
"Hehe~ Tea Tea, aren't I amazing?" Freya immediately pounced onto Bai Cha's shoulder, smiling like a kitten and seeking praise.
"Yes, amazing." Bai Cha glanced at Freya, smiling somewhat strangely. "Then why are your hands trembling?"
Space and time were the most mysterious and profound attributes. No matter how powerful a person was, using them required considerable effort. For a young girl like Freya who loved beauty, drawing an arrow with a special pose would increase the wasted energy manifold.
Freya's small face immediately flushed upon hearing this, and she grumbled and rubbed against Bai Cha's embrace, expressing her displeasure.
The people around were almost accustomed to the way Freya and Bai Cha interacted and found it unremarkable. However, Hong Feng, who was standing beside them, was greatly astonished.
"Miss Freya, you seem to hold a significant position in Balance Wood, don't you?" Hong Feng was a bit confused. In her impression, the relationship between the Shadow faction and Balance Wood had been quite strained back then.
Had they reconciled now?
"Oh, so what? Even though I'm in Balance Wood, I'm still an independent individual. It doesn't stop me from liking Tea Tea!" Freya said with a smile, leaning into Bai Cha's embrace. "Tea Tea, my hands hurt."
Bai Cha was speechless, knowing that Freya was a bit jealous because Mo Ziye was present, making her more restless than usual. She didn't refuse and pulled Freya to sit down, gently massaging Freya's small hands.
Freya's lips curved into a triumphant smile as she winked at Mo Ziye. Mo Ziye had been very displeased since Freya arrived. Although he had initially intended to compete fairly, Freya's constant showing off along the way had made him hold back his anger.
"In that case, I thank Lord Lucifer for saving me back then." Seeing that the younger generation were all still present, Hong Feng felt a bit better. She looked at Lucifer, who was beside Bai Cha, and bowed. "If you hadn't given your all back then, I'm afraid I would have been a puppet for life. However, I didn't expect you to choose a host."
Lucifer's heroic demeanor and pride back then were evident to any dragon. He had been the first to stand up against the Creator God. Only Lucifer had managed to bring out most of the dragons in the face of the Creator God's immense power.
Lucifer shifted two steps to the side, not accepting Hong Feng's grand gesture. He merely smiled gently, with not only politeness and distance but also a hint of comfort and relief.
"You are my master's elder. I am my master's attendant. Therefore, this seniority makes such a禮節 (lǐjié - etiquette) unsuitable," Lucifer bowed slightly and said with a smile. "When Mr. Meng arrives, you will be reunited. This is a joyous occasion."
Hong Feng paused and looked at her former king with complex emotions. She truly found it difficult to equate the imposing and majestic emperor of the past with the gentle, refined, and pure man before her. The difference was too great.
"Master." Lucifer stepped to the side to support Bai Cha, who was almost pounced upon by Freya, his expression gentle. This scene caused Hong Feng to sigh with emotion again.
Back then, she had only wanted to live a quiet life in seclusion in the maple forest. If she hadn't met Meng Chen, how could she have fought alongside him on the battlefield? Just like her former king, he had ascended the throne and become king, but now he willingly became an attendant, a gentleman, and gave his tenderness to a woman.
It turned out that love could truly change a person.
Hong Feng picked up a red leaf from the ground and smiled faintly.
This red leaf was truly beautiful, just like when she was about to meet Meng Chen.