Each Other

Although Ming Shu still couldn't move, the impact from his spiritual world had subsided.

A faint six-pointed star appeared between the brows of the small white fox sleeping on the ground.

Its body size had also shrunk to that of a kitten.

The oppressive aura it originally emitted had vanished, and Ming Shu could no longer sense any Demonic Beast Spirit power or presence.

They remained in this stalemate until evening, when Zhao Siqi returned alone. Lü E was still outside tidying up.

As Zhao Siqi passed through the courtyard, she noticed Ming Shu standing there blankly, unmoving. He didn't respond when she called to him.

She realized something was wrong and rushed over to check on him.

After half a day of effort, Ming Shu could finally blink normally and had been resting with his eyes closed for a long time.

"Are you alright?" Zhao Siqi gently touched Ming Shu's arm and shoulder, trying to support him, but found his body was stiff.

He must have been hit by some kind of spell.

She went out to have Lü E notify Ren Yuan to ask Chong Li to return as soon as possible.

She had noticed the fluffy white fox on the ground long ago, but she hadn't thought it was the Demon Fox that had stirred up trouble.

She hadn't even picked it up. It was only when Ming Shu gestured with his eyes for her to take the Demon Fox that she casually scooped it up.

When the patrolling squads returned, she, along with Zhao Dun and Zhao Chuan, the two people she trusted most, carried Ming Shu back to his room and laid him down so he could rest peacefully.

Then, they strengthened the internal guard posts and waited for Chong Li to return.

Everyone had been busy with their own tasks throughout the day, and no one had paid attention to the Manor Lord meditating on the arrow tower.

Everyone was accustomed to Ming Shu's behavior of watching the scenery from up there.

These past few days, everyone had been on edge, fearful that the Demon Fox would suddenly appear and harm them.

Little Zhao and Ren Yuan split into two groups, riding north into Langya Prefecture to find Chong Li.

Chong Li didn't receive the message until the next morning. Ren Yuan told her that Ming Shu had encountered problems during his cultivation and had fallen from the arrow tower, and was currently unconscious.

Such a problem only made Chong Li freeze for a few seconds. She quickly realized that this was a false message. The real reason was inconvenient to tell Ren Yuan, and she would likely only find out when she met Little Zhao.

Half-believing, the two hurried back on their horses.

During this time, Ming Shu only managed to doze for an hour before waking up again to communicate with Zhao Siqi using his eyes.

Zhao Siqi, being intelligent, wrote down some common words she used to communicate with Ming Shu daily. Then, she waited for Ming Shu to blink to select them, piecing together some simple sentences to communicate.

Due to the lack of keywords, Ming Shu couldn't tell her that the small white creature sleeping on the quilt beside him was the Demon Fox they were hunting.

He selected the simplest words to form a sentence to reassure her.

Since he couldn't open his mouth to eat, he could only manage to slowly drip some water into his mouth to alleviate his thirst.

With his current cultivation of Sorcerer Second Order, he could go without food for a few days without issue. However, since he was still growing, it was important to supplement his nutrition appropriately.

Zhao Siqi still had a few life-saving pills from her mother stored away. But there was no urgent need for them yet, so she hadn't taken them out.

However, she had them prepared.

After working hard for most of the night, Lü E finally went to rest, leaving Zhao Siqi to watch over Ming Shu alone.

Speaking of which, this was the first time Ming Shu had entered the bedroom since they got married.

Normally, Ming Shu slept in the study. Sometimes, when he was busy, he would stay in temporary lodging outside.

The room was filled with the scent of Zhao Siqi's presence. Ming Shu had never slept in this bed before. It was his first time!

Did he have to thank the Demon Fox for this?

Ming Shu's thoughts wandered. Zhao Siqi had waited for him for a long time, but he showed no further signs of selecting words, so she finally lowered her hand.

Ming Shu's thoughts drifted again, considering that he could set up several sets of backup cipher translation kits. Some crucial secret information could be transmitted using ciphers.

If he had ready-made, commonly used ciphers, he could use them directly here. Playing charades was really difficult to guess.

Their upbringing environments were completely different, and a large part of their knowledge bases did not overlap. During the time they had spent living together, they hadn't spent enough intimate time to develop tacit understanding.

On one hand, Ming Shu deliberately kept his distance. Although they weren't very old, they weren't that young either. Many people from poor families had examples of getting married and having children at this age.

On the other hand, both of them had a mountain of affairs to handle. The construction of the new family was a complex web of countless troublesome matters.

Thus, the two of them, in the dead of night, quietly looked at each other's faces.

Both possessed Second Order cultivation. Although they were busy during the day, they weren't overly exhausted at night. With clear eyes, they cast aside their worries and gazed intently at each other.

They smiled unconsciously. However, only Zhao Siqi's lips could curve upwards, while Zhang Mingshu could only maintain a stiff expression. Yet, the smile in his eyes was overflowing.

Although Ming Shu hadn't explained the specific situation clearly, he had judged that there was no longer any danger, so it should be fine. Zhao Siqi finally let go of her uneasy heart.

Suddenly, her cheeks felt a little warm. She lowered her head and gently kissed Ming Shu's stiff face.

Ming Shu felt the magical power within him begin to surge chaotically.

His fingers couldn't help but tremble.

"I was so worried about you!" Zhao Siqi said softly.

Ming Shu's breathing became irregular.

At this moment, he was building his career, developing his family, and finally felt a sense of purpose. To protect his family, to protect the people in his home, this person before him!

She truly didn't mind that he had nothing, traveled thousands of miles, and wasn't afraid of enemy dangers. It certainly wasn't just because his father said he thought highly of him.

He believed that if his performance during their first meeting hadn't satisfied her, she definitely wouldn't have stayed.

Zhao Dun might be someone arranged by Zhao Wuxu, but Zhao Chuan, who came from the intelligence network, must be taking orders from her mother.

She had every right to leave if she wasn't satisfied.

And Zhao Wuxu chose her for two reasons: one was her resilient personality, and the other was that she didn't have the airs of a noble lady.

This meant her first impression of Ming Shu wouldn't be too fixed.

This gave Ming Shu the chance to slowly prove himself.

Later, whether it was his response to fighting pirates and leading from the front, or his daily interactions, handling of people, and development and construction, Ming Shu gradually earned her approval.

She said they should be open with each other upon meeting, but she never mentioned what treasures were actually stored in Zhao Siqi's box.

Ming Shu also had his own secrets, so he had no intention of prying. They each had their own boundaries and bottom lines.

Although they didn't exchange many words that night, their feelings for each other deepened.

Ming Shu felt a long-lost sense of care and love, while Zhao Siqi saw a brave young man who remained calm in the face of crisis and possessed immense potential.