Night had fallen, and white snow blanketed the Western Sea wasteland. From time to time, soldiers could be seen traveling to and from the pass.
Five riders galloped toward Blackstone Pass on swift horses. The Empress rode Rouge Tiger at the head, followed by Shui'er, Ning'er, and Yunli, while Xue Baijin brought up the rear. It looked as though one was clearing the way and the other guarding the rear, but in truth, the two simply could not stand the sight of each other and did not want to meet face-to-face.
Luo Ning was as cool and tranquil as ever, riding without saying much. Beside her, however, Perfected Person Xuanji looked rather conflicted. She wanted to crack a dirty joke, but with Yunli right there, she felt it would be unbecoming of an elder. Yet if she said nothing and kept posing as a dignified elder after being dragged under the covers to pile atop one another yesterday, that would clearly be putting on airs.
Fortunately, after a journey of her usual taciturn silence and inner struggle, Niao Niao's muttering finally sounded overhead:
"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
They immediately reined in their horses and looked back. A black dot appeared behind them, reached the sky overhead in a mere instant, and then descended.
Ye Jingtang came down from the sky with Fan Qinghe still in his arms. Though her clothes were not much different from when she had left, her complexion carried a hint of weariness. Even after landing before the five riders, her eyes were still a little evasive.
One look at Qinghe's expression told Perfected Person Xuanji what had happened. She rode over and teased:
"Only just coming back, and you can barely stand? How many times did he put you through the wringer?"
Fan Qinghe straightened her collar