As Chen Wuya boarded the returning ship with Bai Zhi on his back, the horizon had only just begun to pale gray. The sea wind, heavy with moisture, slapped against his face, but he did not slow, heading straight for the cabin. Mo Feng was already waiting at the door, clutching a compass in his hand, his brows twisted into a tight knot.
"How did it go?" Mo Feng asked in a low voice.
Chen Wuya shook his head. "It worked, but she isn't holding up well." He gently laid Bai Zhi on the bed. Her face was even paler than before, her lips nearly bloodless. Her breaths came shallow and quick, one hand pressed constantly over her lower abdomen.
Mo Feng leaned in for a look, then checked her pulse. His expression darkened. "The Twinborn Curse has been lifted, but her body was already frail. And with this child... I'm afraid she can't endure a long, rough journey."
Chen Wuya stood motionless beside the bed, his fingers lightly brushing the loose strands from Bai Zhi's forehead. Her eyelids trembled, but she did not wake.
"We need to get back to the Central Plains as soon as possible," he said. "If we delay any longer, both she and the child will be in danger."
Mo Feng nodded and pulled a yellowed sea chart from his robes, spreading it across the table. "The original route would have taken three days, but that won't work now." He pointed southeast. "Chaotic currents have risen at sea, and the wind has shifted. If we take the old route, the waves could overturn the ship."
Chen Wuya stared at the chart for a long time.
"I can use Near Yet Far," he suddenly said. "One step, and we'll leap back to land. No need to