“Xiaoyu is very brave, but let your aunt go this time,” Shen Yanlan said softly.
She released Shen Yu and stood up.
"Aunt?" Shen Yu stared blankly at Shen Yanlan's receding figure, wanting to follow her but being held tightly by Shen Sheng.
Shen Yanlan walked up the steps one by one, picked up the crown and put it on her head.
She turned around with a flick of her sleeve, and even in simple clothes, her elegance was undeniable. This only daughter, who had always been cherished by her father, grew up at an astonishing pace after the successive deaths of her father and brothers.
"I will defend Changguan Pass, no matter what."
Shen Yanlan stood on a high place gazing into the distance—the direction of the front line. Although she was dressed in plain clothes, she dared not let anyone underestimate her in the slightest.
Her voice was resounding, like a thunderclap, dispelling the deathly silence.
"I will never back down!"
And she did indeed do everything in her power to defend Changguan, just as she had said.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: People only believe in themselves when lured into a trap…
As the saying goes, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. But for various reasons, there will always be souls that are unwilling to rest in peace. If you want them to be reincarnated in peace, you need to properly bury their remains or chant sutras to help them pass on. The latter is not possible right now, and Shen Yu's remains of Shen Yanlan are not complete. He can only try to awaken Shen Yanlan.
“Auntie…it’s me, Xiaoyu…wake up…” Shen Yu’s voice choked with sobs, but Shen Yanlan seemed not to hear him.
Shen Yanlan continued her relentless attacks on Shen Yu, muttering that she would defend Changguan Pass.
Shen Yu's eyes reddened, but he didn't cry. He just took a deep breath, cut his hand, and let the blood flow onto Shen Yanlan's bones.
If the voice cannot wake Aunt Yan, then will the blood of her closest relatives be able to remind her of herself?
Shen Yu had been hoping for a miracle, but it actually worked. As his face grew paler from blood loss, Shen Yanlan, who had been numbly repeating the same sentence, spoke slower and slower, a struggle flashing in her eyes.
Seeing that this was working, Shen Yu gritted his teeth and continued to bleed. When Shen Yebai saw him stagger a couple of steps due to blood loss, he couldn't help but shout to stop him: "If you don't stop bleeding, you'll die before you even wake her up."
Shen Yu understood the reasoning, but he still didn't stop bleeding. His vision blurred, and his mind was filled with only the thought of waking up Aunt Yan.
Suddenly, a pair of cold hands pressed down on the wound on her hand. Shen Yu struggled to open her eyes and saw a familiar face before she lost consciousness.
Shen Yebai had been watching him closely and caught him just as he fell, preventing Shen Yu from dropping to the ground.
Shen Yanlan looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar boy lying in Shen Yebai's arms, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
The little child in her memory had grown up and even bled out of his body to wake her up. The feeling of being remembered made Shen Yanlan's nose tingle.
"Thanks."
Shen Yanlan smiled through her tears. How she longed to wait for Shen Yu to wake up and have a proper talk with him, but it was impossible.
Looking at her increasingly transparent body, Qin Moyu couldn't help but ask, "Your body..."
Shen Yanlan gripped the spear tightly and scoffed, "It's Onizuka's doing. He's summoning me back. Ha..."
But her expression softened when she saw Shen Yu: "Although I don't want Xiao Yu to come looking for me, but... knowing his personality, once he's made a decision, he won't give up, so..."
"Xiaoyu, your aunt is waiting for you to take me home."
Shen Yanlan looked towards the direction of the Southern Continent royal family one last time, and as she finished speaking, her body finally disappeared into the air.
With the farce temporarily over, Qin Moyu decided to help the person to the end. He and Shen Yebai continued forward with the unconscious Shen Yu until night fell. Considering that the two had only recently left the abyss and had fought again, they were not in good spirits, so they decided to rest on the spot.
Qin Moyu fed Shen Yu some pills and water, and Shen Yebai bandaged his wounds, which made Shen Yu's complexion look less terrible.
The West Continent is different from the East Continent; its climate is slightly drier. Qin Moyu saw many plants that were not found in the East Continent. At night, there were also scattered fireflies drifting in the forests of the West Continent.
The sky was pitch black with only the moon hanging there, but the moonlight was exceptionally bright, and bathing in it calmed my heart considerably.
"Ye Bai." Qin Moyu sat next to Shen Ye Bai, hugging his knees, his gaze fixed on the moon.
"What's wrong?" Shen Yebai was still wearing his disguise, but his gaze towards Qin Moyu was as tender as ever, as if one could feel his burning heartbeat through his skin.
"I want to go home too."
Qin Moyu spoke softly, her initial desperate shouts now replaced by silent solitude.
"I'll go home with you after everything is over." Shen Yebai couldn't help but think of Shen Mo. He and Shen Mo had to come to an end, but no matter what, he would never give up on Qin Moyu.
"Okay." Qin Moyu leaned gently on Shen Yebai's shoulder, and he found that he seemed to like this intimate gesture.
It's not about romantic love; it's just that the feeling of having someone to lean on when you're tired is truly captivating.
The two nestled together in silence, the only sound being their tender breaths.
…………
The first thing Shen Yu asked upon waking up was where Shen Yanlan was.
Qin Moyu told him everything that happened after he fell unconscious, and Shen Yu angrily slammed his fist on the ground: "Damn Onizuka!"
Shen Yu was undoubtedly going to find the old man to retrieve Shen Yanlan's complete remains, and Qin Moyu thought about it and decided to go with him.
On one hand, Shen Yu is now struggling to even protect himself, let alone seek revenge; on the other hand, Shen Yebai also needs to find out Fen Gong's whereabouts. Since they're going to travel anyway, they might as well go together.
Shen Yu was naturally happy to have them accompany him.