Chapter 278

Chiyuan's face was full of bitterness and resentment. She reached out and touched Shen Gonglin's cheek. What a good Shen Gonglin was. Even after being bullied like that, she still came to comfort her. She must protect the best Shen Gonglin. Immortal Chiyuan hereby swears!

Suffering? Shen Gonglin felt it was alright, not too bad. In fact, strictly speaking, she was the one who benefited. Hi Fu treated her very well, whether it was in daily life or when she was giving her perks, she never treated her like an outsider. At breakfast, Hai Fu would pick out all the meat for her and even help her remove fish bones. So Shen Gonglin didn't have any ill feelings towards her. However, in order to cooperate with Class President Chiyuan, Shen Gonglin could only remain silent. Shen Gonglin had also practiced the art of teasing.

With heavy hearts, Chiyuan and Shen Gonglin quickly caught up with Hi Fu, who had already gone ahead. There were traces of battle all along the way; she really did fight wherever she went. Not far away, Hi Fu stood on tiptoe, gazing into the distance. What was she looking at?

"Look, that should be the village we were talking about, and over there, what a huge stone statue! It must be a carving of me, right? How come it's all so dilapidated?"

Hi Fu Shen Gonglin to the village built against the mountain in the distance. On the opposite side of the village, there was a towering stone statue that looked like a giant figurine. It was a pity that it was already in such a dilapidated state. It would have looked even better if it were in its complete state.

"Time, Honkai, disaster... these must be the things that caused the statue to be so broken. Let's hurry over there, maybe someone is still alive."

Chiyuan shook her head, her tone tinged with sadness. In the long river of time, many things will fade away and disappear. She had experienced this many times before, but every time it happened, she still couldn't help but feel so down.

"Got it, let's go."

Chapter 54 The Impact of Honkai

Wandering through the village, Shen Gonglin and her companions were speechless as they looked at the devastated scene around them. An aura of destruction permeated the air, and the entire village was eerily quiet. There were no corpses in sight; perhaps they had all been turned into Suicide Squad? Before even getting close to the village, they had indeed killed many Suicide Squad, who were probably the original villagers.

"Nobody's here."

Hi Fu opened a box, but there was nothing inside except for some trinkets that some villager had hidden. Throughout the entire ordeal, no living person was found.

"Maybe he's hiding..."

Chiyuan tried to think positively, but Hi Fu interrupted her.

"Perhaps they're all dead, all become Suicide Squad... That's fine too, now all we need to do is clean up the Suicide Squad..."

Hi Fu said indifferently, what did the lives of the people in this village have to do with her? She would rather look at the stone statue in the distance than worry about it. She felt that the stone statue had sculpted her a little fatter. She shouldn't be that fat, right? Suddenly, Hi Fu heard some noise and stretched out a hand to stop Chiyuan from speaking, signaling her to be quiet.

"Shh, there seems to be a sound..."

Hi Fu calmly discerned the sounds, while Shen Gonglin and Chiyuan also heard rustling sounds coming from the building next door. After a while, under the watchful eyes of the three, a little girl timidly peeked out. Although most of her body was in shadow, the three still saw the abnormality on the girl's body. Purple, evil veins flowed on her face and arms, which was a sign of being Honkai by Honkai.

"She has been corrupted..."

Chiyuan's tone was very heavy. She wondered if Shen Gonglin had any way to deal with this level of erosion.

"... She hasn't been transformed yet."

"But at this level..."

"Shut up!"

Hi Fu rebuked Chiyuan, but Chiyuan remained silent. In her phantom state, she couldn't do anything, and the little girl probably couldn't see her either. Chiyuan looked at Shen Gonglin also frowned. This girl was severely corrupted, and most importantly, she had the constitution of an ordinary person. If Valkyrie, she could absorb Honkai energy for treatment, but in the girl's current state, if she absorbed Honkai energy, she would probably die immediately.

"Are you here... to rescue us?"

"Yes, don't worry."

Looking at Hi Fu and Shen Gonglin in the sunlight, the little girl let out a weak voice. Hi Fu leaned closer to the girl and comforted her. Although she had been arguing with Chiyuan, Hi Fu was incredibly patient with this unfamiliar little girl. Only then did she see the girl's appearance clearly and finally understand that she could no longer live as a normal person.

Tell me, what happened here?

Even though a conclusion had been reached, Hi Fu's tone remained the same as always. Her lively voice instantly put people at ease, and upon hearing her voice, the little girl gradually quieted down.

"People suddenly went mad... Just now, everyone suddenly turned white, so many of them... hacking and slashing everywhere..."

The girl's description might not be clear to others, but those present were people who frequently fought against the Honkai. Shen Gonglin and the others could imagine what had just happened. This village had indeed been affected by the Honkai, and there were probably no other survivors besides this girl.

Chiyuan was deep in thought, while Shen Gonglin was pondering how to save the girl. Should she use the power of time to rewind her to a time before she was infected? But this infection was an inevitable "future" for her, and even if she absorbed Honkai energy at that time, her ordinary human body would be unable to resist it... Damn it, if only she had discovered it earlier, when the Honkai patterns had just begun to spread, there might still have been a chance to save her.

"Save me! Please, save me..."

As if grasping at a lifeline, the girl tightly held Hi Fu's hand, and Hi Fu, unusually gentle, comforted her.

"Don't worry, I will, I will."

Hi Fu reached out and gently touched the girl's forehead. Instantly, the girl quieted down, and her eyes seemed to regain their sparkle. She looked at Hi Fu, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something, while Hi Fu smiled slightly at her.

"Okay, let's rest first, I'll be back soon."

Hearing what Hi Fu said, the girl nodded slightly and then closed her eyes. Hi Fu stepped out of the shadows, and Chiyuan, seeing her eager expression, couldn't help but ask what she meant by saying she would save her.

"What do you want to do?"

"Of course it's to avenge her, otherwise do you think I'd ask you to do it?"

Hi Fu rubbed his fists and looked at Chiyuan with some surprise. What else could he do? This was the only way now. Otherwise, how else could he save her? Should he chant sutras for her to pass on to the afterlife? But he didn't know how to do that at all.

"This isn't the kind of salvation she wanted!"

Chiyuan was somewhat angered by such a frivolous attitude. So this was the kind of salvation she was talking about. She had thought she might have some kind of solution... although that hope was just like a rootless duckweed.

"However, this is all I can give her. You know she won't live much longer... At least this is something I'm relatively good at. Also, Shen Gonglin, don't waste your brain cells. I know you're very capable and strong, but in this situation where an ordinary person is infected to such a deep degree, even you can't help. In this situation where everyone is dying, the best outcome is that she can live until I avenge them."

Hi Fu shrugged. She wasn't that sentimental. The situation was already crystal clear. Hi Fu rubbed Shen Gonglin's head to comfort her, who had been Shen Gonglin in thought. He had already created many miracles, but miracles happen for a reason.

"... Let's look for other survivors; we should at least try our best."

Knowing that Hi Fu was right, Chiyuan took a deep breath and suppressed her thoughts. Actually, she must have felt terrible too. Although her tone was still flippant, her gentleness towards that girl just now was genuine. She was a very gentle person after all.

Otherwise, Shen Gonglin wouldn't be so close to her.

"Okay, let's start looking now."

Hi Fu nodded, and then the three of them stood up in the village, which was almost in ruins, but unfortunately, they found nothing.

Chapter 55 Don't Disturb Me, Honkai

After a fruitless search, aside from taking down some insignificant Honkai Beast, Shen Gonglin and the others found nothing of note. With slightly heavy hearts, they returned to the village. Hearing a sound, the little girl lying in the shadows struggled to open her eyes. When she saw the Hi Fu, her eyes shone with hope.

"Hi, I'm back."

With great enthusiasm, Hi Fu squatted down next to the girl again, her face beaming with a sunny smile. She waved to the little girl, and seeing the smile on her face, the little girl felt much calmer. This young lady, who looked like an immortal, was so gentle.

"It's alright now, I've taken down all the bad guys."

Hi Fu reached out and ruffled the girl's hair. She tried to smile at her cheerfully, as this was all she could do now. "Everyone is back to normal, and so are you. You'll get better soon, don't worry."

"Um..."

Upon receiving this answer, the girl's eyes lit up. She nodded and relaxed as she gazed at Hi Fu. She really felt as if her body was getting better. Looking at the young lady squatting in front of her, the girl's heart seemed to be filled with strength, and this radiant glow made her ask the question that had been on her mind.

"Are you... an immortal...?"

"You know me?"

There was no denial, because that's what Hi Fu believed. The villagers thought he was the immortal. He had once protected the village while acting as a chivalrous hero on Mount Tai Xu, and the village had then passed down the idea that he was an immortal. The statue was sculpted based on his image. Who else could he be but an immortal?

"I don't recognize you... but you look a lot like... that statue..."

The girl's gaze passed through the Hi Fu and landed on the statue in the distance, which was covered by the growing stone canopy. Her grandfather had said that it was an immortal from Mount Tai Xu who always appeared when the village was in danger and saved people from suffering. And wasn't this the case now? The hero who saved the whole village, this young lady, must be an immortal.

"This statue was sculpted by my ancestors... I remember it wasn't this badly damaged before... It was so beautiful back then, like... a fairy."

As if recalling her peaceful life before, the little girl's tone was full of reminiscence, and Hi Fu, upon hearing this, immediately realized that she missed how simple things were back then.

"Hey, it's really simple, just watch."

Manipulating Honkai energy, Hi Fu gently waved his hand, and a white light flashed. The stones covering the statue were instantly shattered. The exquisite energy refined the poorly completed statue, and the rubble fell like rain. The statue seemed to be reborn. He was really strong. He could do such a thing with just a wave of his hand.

"Look, is this how you remember it?"

After finishing this task, Hi Fu looked at the little girl with great pride, and the girl also showed a happy and satisfied smile. She nodded gently. For some reason, she felt very sleepy, and even talking felt tiring. Finally, she closed her eyes and seemed to fall into a deep sleep.

"... You killed her?"

Standing beside Hi Fu and the little girl, Chiyuan was unable to see her. If she could, she would undoubtedly know that Chiyuan was more like the immortal in the statue. Seeing the girl remain silent, Chiyuan slowly spoke, "This is not salvation."

"No, how could I do something so cruel? I wouldn't even kill a feather... I just let her have a dream. In the dream, none of this happened. Everything was perfect. She could live happily until she died."

Withdrawing her hand, Hi Fu stood up. She glanced at Chiyuan, whose expression was complicated, and stepped out of the shadows to bask in the sunlight. Seeing that Chiyuan was about to say something, she directly interrupted her.

"You asked me to save her, and this is all I can do. Even Shen Gonglin can't cure this kind of corruption that affects ordinary people. What can you expect from me? This is already the best outcome."

Hi Fu looked up, as if to dispel her slightly heavy mood, and looked at the statue in the distance. Although it was to fulfill the little girl's last wish, cleaning up her own statue was indeed a good choice. She was really beautiful, even if she was just a statue, she was more beautiful than many people.

"You haven't been very talkative today, you must have something to say. Just say it, it's okay. I'm already in a bad mood, it won't make things worse no matter what you say. Just say it."

Noticing Chiyuan's hesitant look, Hi Fu waved her hand dismissively. Although she knew that her words would upset her, seeing Chi Yuan holding back her thoughts only made Hi Fu more annoyed. In any case, her good mood for the day was almost gone, so she didn't care anymore.

"I once placed many Xuanyuan Swords and Feather Dust on Mount Tai Xu. Ordinary Honkai would hardly have any effect on this place, but after we arrived, the Honkai erupted. There can only be one explanation..."

Deliberately softening her tone, Chiyuan seemed afraid of provoking Hi Fu, but this was the conclusion she had reached, and it was indeed very cruel. Upon hearing this, Hi Fu frowned and glared at Chiyuan. She had asked her to speak, but she hadn't let her spout such nonsense!

"Alright!"

As Hi Fu finished speaking, the phantom of the Chiyuan, which was attached to the Feather Dust, suddenly became transparent, as thin as a mirage in the atmosphere. When Shen Gonglin saw this, he quickly ran over. He held the phantom's hand with great concern. He had only been gone for a short while, so why were the two of them arguing again? Looking at this illusory Class President, Shen Gonglin felt very sorry for her. No matter which Class President it was, he didn't want her to disappear.

"...For Shen Gonglin's sake, I'll let you off this time. I can shut you up with a single thought, or make you disappear with ease. You are a Feather Dust, Herrscher from the previous generation. I should have destroyed you immediately. I shouldn't have listened to a single word you said. But I respect you. I allow you to exist independently and to stay by my side. You should show respect for my respect... Don't try to disrupt my thoughts again, Honkai."

Seeing Shen Gonglin's worried expression, Hi Fu scratched his head and relaxed the restriction on the phantom. This girl is just too kind-hearted. Even one of his clones is so sad. In order not to make him sad, he will let her go. However, if she continues to bewitch him like this, she will not be so ruthless.

Chapter 56

Hi Fu turned and walked away, waving her hand. The powerful force that had firmly bound Feather Dust was also removed. The immobilized phantom breathed a sigh of relief, and her originally illusory body finally stabilized. Shen Gonglin looked at her worriedly. Following Hi Fu's method, he also transferred his Honkai energy into Chiyuan's body, hoping it would work.

"Don't worry, I'm fine... Don't let my appearance fool you, I can still handle half an hour of physical transformation."

She smiled gently at Shen Gonglin, a rare sight indeed, as Chiyuan joked with her like this. Chiyuan didn't want Shen Gonglin to worry about her; she knew very well that her power was almost gone, but even so, there were still things she had to do, things she absolutely had to accomplish.

"Don't worry, Class President, I won't let you disappear. This time, you absolutely won't be able to escape from me."

Shen Gonglin made this promise, saying that he had already lost Class President once, and he absolutely did not want to experience that feeling again.

Shen Gonglin solemnly promised, while also glancing at Hi Fu, who had already walked away into the distance. This Class President and that Class President ... A certain idea was already vaguely forming in his mind. It was truly alarming; they had clearly vowed to fight the Honkai to the end, but now...

Shen Gonglin felt that she would eventually become one with the Honkai. There was no way around it; He had given her just too much. Who could withstand such a test? Even an old-fashioned person couldn't withstand it.

On the rugged mountain path, Hi Fu walked absentmindedly. She didn't know where she wanted to go. Although she was moving forward, her mind was filled with the phantom of Feather Dust. Although the phantom was controlled by her power, its actions were beyond her control. Sometimes she even had a delusion that the soul parasitizing the feather existed just as real as her. What was going on?

Was it because I gave her too much? Why did I create her in the first place...? Right, at that moment I was about to die, and in order to leave a glimmer of hope, I gave almost everything. Yes, that must be why that feather seemed so... real.

Thinking of this, Hi Fu turned to look at the phantom that was following not far behind her, alongside Shen Gonglin. Yes, that's right. Although her figure was slightly transparent, she and Shen Gonglin looked so well-matched standing together. Just standing there was enough to attract attention, as if she were the only real existence, and everything else was like smoke. This feeling was really annoying...

So, should I take her back?

The choice flashed through Hi Fu's mind, but he immediately shook his head. No, if he did that, she would disappear. Did he really want her to disappear? One voice after another echoed in his mind. What was going on? He hadn't heard these voices in a long time. Id, ego, superego... Right, he hadn't talked to his inner self in a long time. Was it because he had other people with him, so he no longer needed "himself"?

How is that possible?

Could it be... that she has controlled him? Has he lost himself and become a puppet of the feather? No, she has never tried to influence him, nor could she do such a thing, Hi Fu denied, but the unknown voice in his mind continued. Was she his past, and was the past pulling him back to his former self?

Thinking about this possibility, Hi Fu felt very complicated. To turn back into the old Fu Hua... But is this the result she wanted? To become that kind of Fu Hua... No.

She made her choice decisively. She had been too indecisive in the past. She had the power to change everything, but she always made things worse because of some inexplicable obstacles. She didn't want that to happen again, so she must not become the person she used to be. Otherwise, she would definitely fail again.

Therefore, to repel external threats, one must first pacify internal strife?

As I gaze at the slowly approaching phantom, I realize that this is the internal factor influencing my progress. If I want to move forward and strengthen my resolve, I must first eliminate this internal instability.

Shaking her head, she put the thought aside for now. After thinking about so many things, Hi Fu felt her head was starting to ache. For now, she should just enjoy the sunlight. The girl closed her eyes and tilted her head back to greet the sun. And at times like this, Shen Gonglin would come over and spoil the mood.

"With your face held so high, aren't you afraid birds will poop on your face?"

Shen Gonglin walked over curiously. What was she doing? Was she performing some kind of strange ritual?

"Idiot! Can't you appreciate the atmosphere? Don't you think I look absolutely ethereal right now?!"

Enraged, Hi Fu punched Shen Gonglin on the head. Then she grabbed Shen Gonglin's neck and stretched out her hand towards the sun, as if trying to capture its brilliance. Sunlight flowed down from her fingers like a golden waterfall. This beautiful scene was ruined by Shen Gonglin. What do you mean by a bird landing on your face? Is there such a bold bird?

The boldest bird Hi Fu had ever seen was undoubtedly the Chiyuan next to him.

With a slight pout, Hai Hi Fu turned her attention back to the sunlight in front of her. She enthusiastically reached out and tried it for a while before finally letting go of her thoughts and revealing a childlike, innocent smile on her face. After playing, Hi Fu looked at the sunlight in the forest and then looked at Chiyuan.

"Tell me about their story."

As if to ease the unpleasant atmosphere with Chiyuan, Hi Fu tried to find a topic to talk about. She looked like a friend who couldn't bring herself to apologize. Had she gone too far just now?

"I already told you all this on the way here."

Not noticing that Hi Fu was trying to save face for herself, Chiyuan bluntly said that even the emotionally inept Shen Gonglin wanted to cover her face at this behavior. This Class President is really a straight woman. Can't she see that Hi Fu is just making conversation?

"Oh, I was in a hurry to get there, so please tell me again."

Hi Fu chuckled, as if the previous unpleasantness had never happened. Why should he be angry with his clone? They were both him, not a split personality. What was there to be angry about?

"Okay, what do you want to know?"