Tang Hao: If You Love Her, You Shouldn't Leave Her Exposed to Wind and Sun

"See the sea? Great idea!"

Lin Ye lay with his head on Ning Rongrong's lap, gazing at the peaceful night sky as a smile curved his lips.

To see the sea, they naturally had to go to Vast Sea City. And as luck would have it, Holy Soul Village lay along the way.

"Then it's settled. Once I've recovered some strength, we'll head to Vast Sea City. The sea there is the most beautiful."

"Yay!"

Hearing Lin Ye agree, Ning Rongrong was thrilled, little stars sparkling in her eyes.

It was as though she could already see that clear, boundless sea.

A trace of longing appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's cool face as well.

The carriage traveled steadily along the main road toward Vast Sea City for several days.

Over those days, under the two girls' attentive care, Lin Ye's complexion improved. Although he still couldn't use soul power, he could now move freely.

That day, the carriage suddenly left the main road, turning onto a narrow mountain trail at a fork.

Ning Rongrong lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside curiously. "Big Brother Lin Ye, where are we going? This doesn't look like the seaside."

Lin Ye reclined against the soft seat, resting with his eyes closed. At her question, he opened them slightly and smiled mysteriously. "Somewhere to pick up a few things. A little 'treasure.'"

"Treasure?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up at once, and she leaned closer. "What treasure?"

Zhu Zhuqing also drew her gaze away from the window and looked at Lin Ye, a question in her eyes.

"Just two treasures forgotten in a corner. You'll know when we get there."

Keeping them in suspense, Lin Ye closed his eyes again.

The carriage finally stopped at the entrance to a village called Holy Soul Village.

The wheels had barely come to a halt when the carriage door swung open. Lin Ye stepped down slowly, with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing close behind.

Their exquisite, luxurious, and unusual clothing and extraordinary bearing were entirely out of place in the village. They immediately drew the villagers' curiosity. People turned to look, only to quickly avert their eyes in awe.

Soon, an old man with white hair and a white beard approached with several others, leaning on a walking stick. He was Old Jack, the chief of Holy Soul Village.

An ingratiating smile appeared on Old Jack's face as he spoke respectfully. "Three honored guests, what brings you to our humble village? Is there anything we can do for you?"

The villagers behind him were equally respectful, not daring even to breathe too loudly.

Clearly, they had mistaken the three of them for nobles passing through.

Lin Ye asked directly, "Village chief? I'd like some directions. Which way is the path to the mountain behind the village?"

Not daring to delay in the slightest, Old Jack immediately pointed toward a stretch of rolling mountains beside the village. "My lord, it's over there! Follow that dirt path straight ahead, cross a little stream, then head up the slope on your left!"

After pointing out the way, he added, "Are you heading into the mountain, my lord? The vegetation is dense there, and there are wild animals that might disturb such honored guests. Would you like some of our village's able-bodied men to guide you..."

"No need."

Lin Ye refused without hesitation. "We'll go ourselves. As for our carriage, we'll leave it here for now. Sorry for the trouble, village chief, but please watch it for a while. Don't let anyone approach and startle the horses."

As he spoke, he casually tossed three Gold Soul Coins to Old Jack.

Startled, Old Jack fumbled to catch the Gold Soul Coins, his body trembling with joy!

Three Gold Soul Coins! That was nearly several months' worth of their income!

"Yes, yes, of course! Rest assured, my lord! I stake my life on it! I'll keep your carriage safe! I won't let anyone near it!"

Lin Ye nodded slightly and said no more. Turning to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, he said, "Let's go."

As they walked, Ning Rongrong asked curiously, "Big Brother Lin Ye, what 'treasure' are we looking for on that mountain behind the village? Why did we have to stop at this little village halfway up the mountain?"

Looking at the increasingly dense mountain forest around them, Lin Ye's lips curved into a meaningful smile.

"That's right, there really is treasure here. And it's something... that will make a certain someone suffer so badly he'll wish he were dead, his heart twisting as though carved by knives."

Lin Ye deliberately emphasized "wish he were dead" and "heart twisting as though carved by knives," while a cold glint flashed through his eyes.

Perceptive as ever, Zhu Zhuqing noticed that Lin Ye's tone was full of hostility toward those "certain people." Thinking of Tang San's father, whom he had killed earlier, she wondered whether this had something to do with them.

The three walked along the steep mountain path for some time. Though Lin Ye was still weak, his physical constitution was exceptionally strong. After just a few days of rest, he could already navigate a mountain trail like this with ease.

Half an hour later, Lin Ye stopped before a slope and pushed aside a curtain of vines. A cold, sinister breath of air rushed out, revealing a pitch-black cave entrance.

"Found it!"

Looking at the utterly unremarkable, even somewhat eerie cave before him, Lin Ye couldn't help sneering. He muttered under his breath, "Tch. That useless Tang Hao kept saying how deeply he loved Ah Yin, yet he left her in this wretched cave with no sunlight and barely any vital energy. He kept her from gathering enough strength to regain human form, and even her basic spiritual awareness was nearly worn away... Truly the most useless of the useless! He deserved to have his bones ground to dust and his ashes scattered!"

Lin Ye's voice wasn't loud, but Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing beside him heard every word!

Ah Yin? Human form?

Ning Rongrong couldn't help asking, "Ah Yin? Big Brother Lin Ye, who are you talking about?"

"Let's go in first. I'll explain it to you later." With that, Lin Ye stepped into the cave ahead of them.

The cave was extremely dim, the air damp and cold, and the ground riddled with pits and bumps.

Ning Rongrong followed close behind. The moment she entered, she couldn't help shivering and frowned. "Wow! It's so dark in here! And so damp! It smells strange... Big Brother Lin Ye, what treasure would be hidden in a place like this?"

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but her sharp gaze swept their surroundings, alert for any possible danger.

Having heard Lin Ye mention Tang Hao in his muttering just now, she was already certain that the treasure he spoke of had to be connected to the dead man.

The cave wasn't very deep. By the faint light filtering in from outside, the three soon reached its end.

There, Lin Ye's gaze immediately locked onto a hollow in the earth at the center of the cave.

Inside that hollow was just one plant, an ordinary stalk of blue silver grass.

Its leaves drooped, their pale blue color sickly and devoid of vitality. Even the leaf tips had begun to yellow. Dust and water stains from droplets falling from the cave ceiling clung to them, leaving the plant looking listless, like a potted plant forgotten in a dark corner for ages that might die at any moment.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing immediately noticed the blue silver grass as well, looking somewhat out of place amid its surroundings.

"Why is there... here?"