Tears silently streamed down Zhu Zhuqing's face, but they were no longer tears of sorrow and despair; instead, they were tears of relief and happiness, a feeling of peace and resolute acceptance.
She closed her eyes and hugged Tang Feng's waist even tighter, as if she wanted to merge herself into Tang Feng's life.
Tang Feng felt the woman's dependence and slight trembling in his arms. He looked down at her and noticed the tear stains at the corners of her eyes and her completely trusting posture. His hardened heartstrings seemed to be gently plucked.
He didn't speak, but tightened his grip on his arms, and the Flame Dragon Wings accelerated once more, resolutely flying towards the Star Dou Great Forest, facing the faint light of dawn approaching in the east.
Two hearts, hardened by hardship, quietly intertwined under the night sky of their escape.
Above the Star Dou Great Forest, after two days and two nights of extreme escape, the two finally flew away from the Star Luo Empire's territory. Tang Feng's Soul Power was greatly depleted, and he felt extremely exhausted.
Although Zhu Zhuqing in his arms had taken the healing medicine he carried with him, and her internal injuries had stabilized considerably, her external injuries still needed to be treated.
Tang Feng descended and weaved through the dense forest until he arrived at that familiar cave hidden behind the waterfall.
The cave remained exactly as he remembered it: dry, spacious, with the simple stone platform and traces of a campfire he had left behind.
This was the place where he first stayed during his training in the Star Dou Great Forest, and also the place where he and Zhu Zhuqing first met after he saved her.
Tang Feng carefully placed Zhu Zhuqing on a relatively flat stone platform covered with dry grass.
Zhu Zhuqing sat up and said, "Is this... this place?"
"Hmm." Tang Feng turned and glanced at her, then nodded.
He took a clean blanket from his Storage Soul Tool and laid it on the stone platform to make Zhu Zhuqing more comfortable. After taking out a water pouch and some medicine, he said, "Let me clean your wounds again and apply some medicine."
A faint blush rose on Zhu Zhuqing's pale cheeks, and she nodded gently.
Tang Feng took out clean gauze, water, disinfectant, and ointment, neatly placed them on a smooth stone nearby, and asked, "Can you manage by yourself?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and said, "... Okay."
Tang Feng said, "Okay."
He then walked to the cave entrance, turning his back to her.
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and began to laboriously unbutton her tattered, blood-stained white outer garment.
The process of cleaning the wound was undoubtedly painful; sweat soaked the stray hairs on her forehead and her thin undergarment.
Behind me came the rustling of clothes and a faint, suppressed groan of pain from touching a wound; then the sounds finally stopped.
Tang Feng asked, "Is it done?"
After hearing the confirmation, Tang Feng turned around and saw that Zhu Zhuqing had changed into her usual black fitted leather jacket, which outlined her breathtaking curves and made her bare shoulders, neck and arms appear even whiter and more dazzling.
Tang Feng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as his gaze fell upon it.
Feeling Tang Feng's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing felt both happy and shy.
Tang Feng immediately looked away, stepped forward, picked up the pile of blood-stained tattered clothes and filthy gauze on the stone platform, walked to the cave entrance, and used his Soul Power to burn them to ashes, which then scattered into the waterfall's mist.
The cave was quiet for a moment, with only the faint roar of the waterfall coming through the curtain of water, muffled yet strangely calming.
Zhu Zhuqing had adjusted her posture, leaning against the stone wall. Although her face was still pale, she seemed to be in better spirits.
Tang Feng handed over some dry rations and water. "Drink some water, eat something, and replenish your strength. We might have to stay a few more days until your injuries are completely healed before we set off again."
She nodded, took the food, and ate it in small bites. The cool water slid down her dry throat, bringing a sense of relief.
His heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. After a pause, he said, "Your Soul Power is greatly depleted. You should rest for a while."
Tang Feng glanced at her and said, "Alright, I'll meditate for a while, you should also rest."
For the next few days, the two stayed temporarily in this secluded mountain cave.
Tang Feng goes out once a day and brings back some clean water and Soft Bone Rabbit as food supplements.
Zhu Zhuqing's recovery ability is amazing. With the help of the medicine provided by Tang Feng, coupled with her own tenacious will and good physical condition, her injuries are improving at a speed that can be seen with the naked eye.
By the fifth day, she was basically recovered. She also began to meditate daily to restore her Soul Power and digest the insights gained from this brush with death.
At night, a small campfire is lit inside the cave to dispel the dampness and chill.
That night, Zhu Zhuqing sat by the fire, hugging her knees, watching the flickering flames. Suddenly, she whispered, "You... how did you end up in Star Luo City?"
Tang Feng was poking at the fire with a thin twig when he briefly replied, "Not long after you left the sect, I also went traveling across the continent. I traveled east, then south, and finally west to Star Luo City. Not long after I arrived, I overheard news about you in a teahouse."
Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, the firelight casting a soft shadow on her lowered eyelashes. She whispered, "I've been expelled from the family."
Tang Feng stopped fiddling with the firewood, looked up at her, and said firmly, "I know. That's not your loss. You're free now."
Freedom—these three seemingly ordinary words, like an unexpected warm current, struck the softest corner of Zhu Zhuqing's heart.
The resentment of being used as a pawn and sacrifice by the family, and ultimately being ruthlessly abandoned, seemed to melt away quietly at this moment with these three words.
Her nose suddenly stung, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head, burying her face in her arms to hide her instantly reddened eyes, her shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly.
After a while, when Zhu Zhuqing had calmed down a bit and looked up again, Tang Feng asked, "What are your plans next?"
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.
She raised her head, no longer avoiding his gaze, and looked directly at Tang Feng.
In the firelight, Tang Feng's face was clearly defined, his eyes deep and unfathomable—the image she had longed for for the past two years, the one that had sustained her through countless moments of despair.
This time, she didn't hesitate at all. Her gaze hardened again, even carrying a do-or-die courage, and she clearly said, "I want to try that ' Lovesick Heartbreak Red '."
Tang Feng stared at her intently, meeting her clear, unwavering eyes, which now held a deep sense of determination and meaning.
A slight stirring ran through him. He naturally understood what " the Lovesick Heartbreak Red " meant, and he also understood the sentiment behind Zhu Zhuqing's request at this moment.
Without asking any further questions or hesitating for a moment, a faint red light emerged from the Storage Soul Tool at Tang Feng's waist.
He stretched out his hand, and the red light receded, transforming into a physical form—the ' Lovesick Heartbreak Red ', the king of flowers and a supreme celestial treasure.
The vibrant red petals trembled slightly, shimmering with a lustrous sheen even in the dim cave, exuding a clear and unique fragrance, as if they embodied the purest emotions in the world.
Tang Feng gently handed it to Zhu Zhuqing, reminding her with trust and encouragement, "It requires the most sincere heart to pick."
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was fixed on the deep red flower, then slowly moved to Tang Feng's hand holding the flower stem, and finally fell back into his eyes.
She nodded heavily, extended her slightly trembling hand, and carefully accepted the precious herb that held her heart and future in its hands.
Her fingertips touched the cool flower stem, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart. She knew that this was not only a test, but also the most solemn answer she had given to him and to her own heart.
Zhu Zhuqing held the " Lovesick Heartbreak Red " flower in her hands and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and every real moment she had spent with Tang Feng over the years flashed through her mind.
His cool yet reliable figure when we first met in the Star Dou Great Forest, his focused gaze when he guided my training in the Suotuo City Soul Fighting Arena, and his concerned expression when he gifted me the Soul Bone and the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone upon my return to the sect.
And just a few days ago, when she thought she was going to die in front of the Zhu Family hall, that lecherous figure descended from the sky and stood in front of her...
These images flowed through my heart like water, coalescing into a heavy, undeniable emotion: trust, dependence, gratitude, and deep love.
When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with a clear and resolute light.
He channeled his Soul Power, and a mouthful of blood fell onto the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. The entire Lovesick Heartbreak Red instantly shone with a brilliant red light, the red becoming deeper and more vibrant, and the whole flower exuded a richer and purer fragrance.