Valley of Falling Stars; A Maidservant's Thoughts

The wind blows across the fields, and stars fall into the deep valleys.

A fierce wind swept through this huge hole in the sky, stirring up clouds of dust and sand.

The wind then seeped into these weathered crevices and caves, emitting a piercing howl, as if ghosts were wailing and wolves were howling, or ten thousand people were wailing.

You Su frowned slightly, raised his sword, and cleaved a bird in two, which crashed to the ground. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the bird was entirely white, but its corpse had turned into a pool of black, foul-smelling liquid, which then dissolved into the earth.

"Is this also an evil spirit?"

A clear female voice rang out, tinged with deep worry.

It was pure white as snow, yet after death it turned into a pool of mud—a truly ironic situation.

The speaker carried a Golden Paper lantern, inside which, instead of a candle, was a bright pearl. The pearl's light shone through the Golden Paper, illuminating the woman's face and adding a touch of sanctity to her beautiful and ethereal appearance.

The woman was dressed in Purple Robe, with a strand of silver hair fluttering among her black hair. She possessed a refined and otherworldly air. She was none other than Zi Yiyi, a personal attendant of Venerable Hua Jing.

"That's right."

Since entering the valley, You Su has killed four such evil spirits. Although they were evil spirits, they were as weak as real birds.

He looked up and blinked, gazing at the dark night sky. Deep in the valley, fireflies seemed to twinkle and shimmer enchantingly.

Starfall Valley lives up to its name; the valley truly resembles a falling star. However, You Su did not perceive this as a magnificent sight, for he knew it was filled with evil spirits.

All he could see were evil spirits.

In the past five months, he has received more than ten missions assigned by the Evil Warding Department, exorcising nearly forty evil spirits of varying sizes. The reason why he was able to discover the vast majority of these hidden evil spirits was because of his ability to see evil even though he cannot see objects.

You Su even began to suspect that her blindness might have been intentionally caused by someone.

"This is really strange. Evil spirits are filthy creatures that crawl ashore from the sea, so they are mostly in the form of sea creatures. How could they turn into birds on land?" Zi Yiyi said worriedly.

"Was this always like this?" Starfall Valley You Su stopped in her tracks, not venturing any further.

Zi Yiyi shook her head. "Starfall Valley is located in the westernmost part of the Central Yuan Continent. Like the Western Wilderness Continent, it is somewhat desolate, but it is rich in mineral resources. It got its name because of the mineral veins at the bottom of this valley."

This mineral is called Star Crystal Ore. It is hard and nearly transparent. Although it has no special effects, it is exceptionally dazzling and beautiful, and is loved by people from all over the world. Valleys are prone to wind, and when the wind blows across the sand, the fragments of the crystal mineral hidden in the sand are carried by the wind and float in the air like falling stars, hence the name.

"It seems this Star Crystal Ore has been almost completely mined out." You Su rubbed the ground with the toe of his foot.

"That's right, Star Crystal Ore are very precious. This place has been almost completely developed by people long ago, and the beauty of Starfall Valley is no longer what it used to be. But a few days ago, someone said that Starfall Valley had regained its former glory because a deeper layer of Star Crystal Ore at the bottom of the valley had been exposed, attracting many people to enter the valley to mine, but no one came back alive. This attracted the attention of the surrounding cultivators, who quickly sealed off the entrance and exit of the valley."

You Su nodded slightly. He had been aware of these circumstances since receiving the mission. He then found a rock, dusted it off, and sat down.

"Sister Yiyi, let's rest for a while."

Zi Yiyi pursed her lips, a hint of apology on her face, and then sat down on the stone next to You Su.

"You've come all this way, Your Highness, thank you for your hard work."

Those in the know about You Su Evil Warding Department's performance over the past six months have all witnessed it. The attitude of most people has changed from initial disdain to recognition, and now to feeling inferior to him. This includes Zi Yiyi, who already recognized You Su's Zi Yiyi.

With You Su on the mission, all the evil spirits were wiped out, which was a terrifying achievement. Everyone unanimously thought that this young man was the natural enemy of evil spirits.

You Su smiled in surprise, "Sister Yiyi calls me 'Divine Child' again, I'll turn around and leave. You can just call me Young Master You, or simply You Su. As a Divine Child, exorcising evil is my duty, nothing to do with hardship."

Zi Yiyi blushed, as if she was thinking of the reluctant way she addressed You Su as "Young Master You" when they first You Su.

"But you just finished your last mission a few days ago, you should be enjoying some leisure time..."

You Su waved his hand casually, "As long as the Evil God exists, how can there be a truly peaceful day in the Five Continents? Besides, my colleagues from the Evil Warding Department are scattered throughout the Central Yuan Continent, and I don't even have the chance to go back and rest. How could I dare to say that I'm suffering?"

These nice words were half true and half false; it's impossible to say that You Su harbored no resentment.

In recent months, there have been more and more evil spirits causing trouble, and even the First Elder secretly told him that a storm was brewing.

As a divine child, he often goes on missions. His senior sister, another natural enemy of evil spirits, rarely accompanies him, and they rarely meet up when returning to the peak after a mission. His junior sister seems to be preparing to break through to the Water Condensation Realm recently, and often goes into seclusion. This is because the Condensing Water Realm of the Demon Race is also known as the Humanoid Transformation. It requires deep meditation and hard work to hone one's original form. Only in this way can one have a majestic snake appearance after Humanoid Transformation, instead of just a three-inch snake.

So the three of them, who were once inseparable, have recently found themselves spending less and less time together.

During this You Su Peak, I was fortunate to find both my senior and junior sisters there. I had hoped to spend a few days catching up and reminiscing. I was also planning to have a proper get-together for my junior sister's birthday in three days, but before I could even get downstairs, I received a special assignment from the Hua Jing, First Seat.

You Su was always directly appointed by the head of the Heavenly Arts First Seat, but this was the first time the mysterious Hua Jing, First Seat had specifically asked him to help.

In order to leave a good impression, he couldn't refuse, so he simply released a little bit of his yang energy and then rushed to Falling Star Valley.

Having just arrived, he entrusted Zi Yiyi, who was receiving him, to take him into the valley to investigate the situation.

"You are a divine being, different from ordinary officials. If the Evil Warding Department has to handle everything, then it would be a complete failure."

Zi Yiyi greatly admired You Su's actions of rushing thousands of miles to arrive and immediately requesting an investigation into the evil spirits, feeling that having such a responsible divine being was a blessing for the Evil Warding Department.

"They're all the same," You Su said modestly.

Although exorcising evil was arduous, it must be admitted that You Su regained a considerable amount of Allah's power through this exorcism.

Unfortunately, most of the evil spirits exorcised were Flesh and Blood Type creatures, none of which were particularly special; they merely made his physique stronger. As for the few evil spirits Five Elements Type, some were fire- and some were water-. Although they were of low rank, they allowed him to use low-level water and fire-related Technique Method more freely.

It's worth mentioning that not a single evil spirit Dream Master Type has been seen since. Rather than saying this is unusual, it's more accurate to say that the evil spirits You Su encountered before were extremely unusual, as evil spirits Dream Master Type have always been the rarest and most mysterious.

"It's only been a little over half a year since I last saw you, yet your cultivation has already reached the Water Condensing Lower Realm, almost at its peak. Such talent is truly beyond the reach of others."

Zi Yiyi sighed sincerely. When the two first met, their cultivation levels were almost a whole major realm apart, but now You Su is almost at the peak of the Water Condensing Lower Realm, while she is still only at the Water Condensation Realm.

"Sister Yiyi, you're mistaken. You only see my talent, but you don't see my hard work."

You Su made a witty remark to ease the atmosphere, and what he said was true. Many things cannot be simply summarized by talent. You Su's hard work day and night, and his tireless efforts, are the key to how he and Ji Lingruo realize their talents.

Zi Yiyi looked at the boy's face with surprise in her eyes, and felt that he had indeed matured a lot. His facial features were more angular, and although he was thinner than before, he looked more masculine...

"Sister Yiyi, where is Sister Yaoyao?" You Su asked suddenly.

Zi Yiyi then realized that she had been staring blankly at the screen, and quickly blushed and looked away.

"She and I are both personal maids of Hua Jing, First Seat, and we cannot leave Hua Jing, First Seat's side at the same time. When I go out, she can only follow Hua Jing, First Seat."

"I see..."

You Su felt that everyone was powerless and unable to obtain true freedom. Feeling melancholy, he took out his water bottle and drank wine to drown his sorrows.

"You want to see her?" Zi Yiyi suddenly asked softly.

You Su nearly choked. "What makes you say that?"

"So you don't want to see me?"

You Su looked embarrassed, not understanding why this aloof and taciturn Sister Yiyi had started playing with words.

"Sister Yaoyao helped me out before, so she's a friend. I haven't seen her in a long time, so I just casually asked her how she was doing. It would be great if we could meet, but it's okay if we can't; there's always next time."

You Su still had a good impression of the playful and cheerful Sister Yaoyao. Of course, this was only as a friend, like Zi Yiyi. Firstly, he didn't have a deep relationship with them, and secondly, he already had his senior and junior sisters and Xue Ruo, so it was really hard for him to have any other thoughts.

"She should be deep in the valley with Hua Jing, First Seat right now. You'll see her when she returns."

Zi Yiyi felt a pang of jealousy. It should have been her mission to meet You Su the Lingxu Mountain Range that time. This time, Tao Yaoyao even wanted to take the mission from her. Fortunately, Hua Jing, First Seat didn't let her have her way.

Recalling the playful look Tao Yaoyao gave her when she failed to snatch the mission, Zi Yiyi felt a prickling sensation on her back.

"Is it impossible to proceed into the depths?"

"Hua Jing, First Seat has ordered that entry is not permitted lightly."

You Su nodded silently, unsure of what to say, and the two fell into silence.

"I heard... you and Wangshu Fairy have become dao companion?"

"Does Sister Yiyi know too?"

You Su didn't try to hide it, He Shutong told him not to publicize it, to leave Wangshu some peace and quiet, and just not to deny it when people asked. It was hard to ask about such things directly, but the two were often seen together, so the outside world was skeptical about the news.

The Third Elder was furious about this, resenting that the two had become dao companion without informing her beforehand, and even keeping it from her. Although she outwardly felt sorry for Xiao Wangshu and was indignant at You Su for being two-timing, she actually sent the newlyweds many belated blessings, and of course, she also made up for the one that Ji Lingruo owed.

She also told the two women that if they had any complaints about You Su, they could tell her. Thirteenth Elder could not intervene, she would punish him severely.

"It seems that the rumors Yao Yao mentioned are true..."

Zi Yiyi lowered her head, looking at the bright pearl in the lantern, and suddenly felt a sense of shame. She could only sigh at the huge difference in status; the person she had looked down on before had become someone she needed to respect.

She had always been proud of being the personal attendant of Hua Jing, First Seat, but now she thought that only the red sun was worthy of the bright moon.

"Senior Sister fondly remembers the days when the four of us returned to our clan together, and she should have invited Sister Yiyi to the banquet. However, Senior Sister and I didn't want to make a fuss, so we didn't tell anyone. Please understand, Sister Yiyi."

You Su is very perceptive and her words are always perfectly tactful.

Zi Yiyi concealed the sorrow in her eyes, "What about Lingruo? You and Lingruo should also be dao companion, right..."

As expected, the woman's intuition was sharp, and she immediately hit You Su's sore spot.

"You Su is indeed very lucky; this is a blessing I've accumulated over eight lifetimes." You Su smiled gently, her words sincere.

Zi Yiyi's pupils contracted slightly, her heart touched. Many men have three wives and four concubines, but they treat them as a source of pride, essentially regarding them as appendages. But You Su is completely different, and it's no wonder he can win the hearts of two stunning beauties.

"Child of God, there is no need to belittle yourself; it's all mutual."

"You're calling me 'Divine Child' again. I told you, Sister Yiyi, you don't need to call me that."

You Su shook her head, then stood up. "Sister Yiyi, have you rested enough? Why don't we walk a little further?"

His repeated victories made You Su less afraid of evil spirits, and even though he knew he couldn't go deep into the area, he still wanted to give it a try.

Zi Yiyi gracefully stood up and reached out to pat the dust off her delicate bottom.

"That's enough for tonight. I'll take you to rest on the outskirts of the valley. We'll hear from Chief Hua Jing, First Seat when he returns tomorrow."

Before entering the valley, You Su knew that a tight defense had been set up around Falling Star Valley, and the severity of this mission was the greatest he had seen in recent months.

"Good."

The two then embarked on their return journey, exchanging a few words about their recent situations.

A dusty wind blew incessantly, You Su suddenly stopped, gazing at the sky with a solemn expression.

"What's wrong?"

"They circled back and forth, but in the end, they were all flying in the same direction..."

You Su stared blankly at the small, weak, evil-looking white birds in the sky.

He had noticed this since entering the valley and had been observing it closely, finally confirming his guess.

Zi Yiyi frowned and began to observe the circling birds, just like him, becoming more and more amazed as she looked.

She had never noticed this pattern before, but once it was pointed out, with preconceived notions, she would find that they really did follow a certain pattern.

"Why do they look like they're on guard duty?"

"That's right, follow it!"

You Su spotted one of the white birds returning home and immediately started walking to catch up with it.

Seeing this, Zi Yiyi hurriedly caught up, "It's flying deeper! Don't chase it, let's send a message back first!"

"Sister Yiyi! You go and deliver the message first. I'll go after them alone. We can't miss this opportunity!"

You Su possessed numerous life-saving Law Treasure, so he was not afraid of the unknown depths.

"You!"

Zi Yiyi was somewhat exasperated. Recalling the boy's single-minded devotion to eliminating evil, she realized what had happened and immediately stepped in front of You Su to block his way.

"Are you in such a hurry to finish this mission just so you can go back and be with them sooner?"

"It's my junior sister's birthday in three days."

You Su paused, quite frankly.

Zi Yiyi gritted her teeth, feeling somewhat envious of the happy snake girl.

Under the glow of the Golden Paper, the girl's gaze gradually hardened.

"Fine! I'll use the Sound Transmission Token send a message! With me here, at least we can still contact Hua Jing, First Seat to ensure your safety!"

After saying this, she chased after the departing bird.

As a maid, she rarely broke the rules, but at this moment she felt her heart racing.

She didn't understand why she made such an impulsive decision. She had always been the most obedient maid of Hua Jing, First Seat, and disobedience could cause her to lose this proud status.

Was she perhaps anticipating experiencing something with him?

Just like the dazzling women around him...