Ning Rongrong Cried!

The oppressive feeling brought by that purple figure still lingered in her heart, and the sight of Brother Su Yu soaring into the sky weighed on her chest like a stone.

She did not understand what Master was, nor did she know who that woman was. She only knew that Brother Su Yu had lured the danger away alone in order to protect her.

"Brother! You mustn't let anything happen to you..."

Ning Rongrong bit down hard on her lip. Only when she tasted a trace of blood did she barely manage to keep herself from crying out, though her shoulders still trembled uncontrollably.

"Rongrong won't be willful anymore. I won't keep insisting on coming out to train anymore... As long as you come back, I'll listen to everything you say..."

She buried her face against the blade. Su Yu's scent still lingered on it, calming her slightly, but the next moment, an even deeper fear surged up within her.

She remembered Brother Su Yu standing in front of her, remembered the steady tone in his voice when he said, "Don't move. Stay here." Her tears flowed even harder, and she could not help breaking into sobbing hiccups.

"Hic... Brother Su Yu... come back soon... Rongrong can't... can't be without you..."

The wind passed through the forest, rustling the leaves as if answering her cries—or perhaps making the boundless silence even more unbearable.

Ning Rongrong tightly hugged the Immortal Slaying Sword, as though it were the only connection between her and Su Yu.

Her tiny figure looked especially lonely and helpless in the empty woods.

She did not know how much time had passed until familiar footsteps sounded in the distance.

The sound drew closer and closer, carrying the presence she had longed for day and night.

Ning Rongrong abruptly raised her head. Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw that familiar figure running toward her.

She could no longer hold herself back and threw herself at him with a cry. "Brother Su Yu!"

Su Yu steadily caught the rushing Ning Rongrong. Feeling the little girl trembling violently in his arms, his heart clenched.

He quickly crouched down, supporting her shoulder with one hand while gently wiping the tears from her cheeks with the other.

"Rongrong, don't cry. Look, aren't I perfectly fine?"

His voice was exceptionally gentle, carrying a comforting smile as his fingertips brushed the corners of her eyes, reddened from crying.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Tell your brother."

But Ning Rongrong only buried her face in the crook of his neck, her arms tightly locked around his neck.

She shook her head through sobs, but her tears poured forth like floodwaters from a broken dam, soaking a patch of his clothes.

"No... no... Brother Su Yu... you scared me to death... I thought... I thought..."

The rest of her words caught in her throat, choked by sobs. She could not continue, only trembling incessantly.

That half-hour of waiting had felt as though every second were roasting her over a fire.

She had not even dared to consider the worst possible outcome. She could only hug the Immortal Slaying Sword and repeat his name over and over.

Su Yu sighed heartbrokenly and let her hold him, one hand gently patting her back as he soothed her in a low voice, like comforting a child.

"It was your brother's fault for making you worry. Look, didn't I come back safely? I won't ever leave you alone again, alright?"

He could feel the little girl in his arms gradually calming down, though she was still sniffling.

Su Yu took the opportunity to scoop her up in his arms, then looked at Zi Ji standing to the side and signaled for her to follow.

Ning Rongrong nuzzled against him for a moment before finally daring to lift her tear-filled face and ask softly, "That... that purple big sister... she..."

Hearing Ning Rongrong calling her, Zi Ji quickly stepped forward from behind Su Yu.

"Miss, were you looking for me?"

Seeing Zi Ji, Ning Rongrong fearfully buried her head in Su Yu's arms.

It was this big bad person. This big bad person had wanted to bully them just now!

Seeing Ning Rongrong timidly bury herself in Su Yu's arms, Zi Ji's face flashed with embarrassment and helplessness.

She knew that her earlier presence had frightened the Young Girl. She did not dare approach again, merely keeping several steps away as she softened her voice considerably.

"Don't be afraid, Miss. I won't hurt you. From now on... from now on, I'll protect you and Lord Su Yu."

Su Yu gently patted Ning Rongrong's back and said to Zi Ji, "Wait ahead of us first. We'll come over shortly."

Zi Ji promptly answered, "Yes," then tactfully turned and retreated to the fork in the path ahead, standing far away without approaching again.

Ning Rongrong still clutched his clothes tightly in her little fists, her small body trembling faintly.

Su Yu lowered his head and brushed his chin against the top of her hair, saying gently, "Rongrong, she won't bully us anymore. Look, she listened to me just now, didn't she?"

Ning Rongrong peeked half her face out from his arms, secretly glanced at Zi Ji's back in the distance, then quickly shrank back again and muttered softly, "But... but she was so fierce just now..."

"That was because you didn't know each other before. Now that you do, she won't be like that anymore." Su Yu patiently coaxed her.

"And with your brother here, if she dares disobey, your brother will teach her a lesson. Alright?"

Only then did Ning Rongrong slowly raise her head, looking at him with watery eyes:

"Really?"

"Really." Su Yu lightly scratched the tip of her nose, his tone certain.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

The Young Girl sniffled and nodded. Though she was still somewhat afraid, she was no longer as resistant as before.

Her little hand tugged at Su Yu's sleeve as she asked softly, "Then... then are we still taking her with us?"

"Yes, we'll take her along." Su Yu carried her forward.

"She knows the paths through the Star Dou Great Forest. With her here, we'll encounter fewer dangers."

Ning Rongrong seemed to understand, though her arms remained tightly locked around Su Yu's neck.

As they neared a fork in the road, she saw Zi Ji standing with her back to them, her posture straight. She really did look somewhat like a guard, and the fear in Ning Rongrong's heart lessened again.

Hearing their footsteps, Zi Ji turned around. Seeing that Ning Rongrong was no longer as resistant as before, a trace of relief appeared in her eyes.

Only after Su Yu nodded did she slow her pace and follow behind them at an angle, doing her best not to draw the Young Girl's attention.

After walking for about two hours, the three arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Zi Ji, isn't there a kind of flower in the Star Dou Great Forest called the Nether Spirit Flower? Where are Nether Spirit Flowers mainly found?"

At his words, Zi Ji's steps paused slightly. Recalling the terrain of the Star Dou Great Forest, she replied in a low voice, "The Nether Spirit Flower has a peculiar nature. It prefers shade and fears sunlight, usually growing on the shaded sides of ancient trees over a hundred years old. It especially favors damp valleys with rich humus."

"There are almost no places suitable for its growth on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. However, I know of a valley in the outer region where there are some Nether Spirit Flowers."

"There will most likely be large packs of Nether Wolves guarding the area around the Nether Spirit Flowers—those beasts' auras blend with the flowers', making them especially troublesome to deal with."

She glanced at Ning Rongrong in Su Yu's arms and added, "If we go deeper into the inner region, to the shaded slopes near Blackwood Cliff, the chances of finding Nether Spirit Flowers will be greater."

"Only, the Soul Beasts there are of higher level. Thousand-year and even ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts roam that area, so we must be especially careful."