I Need To Find A Way To Make Her Love Me Again - Chapter 52

The bright moon hung high in the sky. Ancient, towering trees stood before the grand hall, looking from a distance as if they were lifting the palace into the clouds.

Yan Xingyu followed closely behind Little Yi Rong on her sword, watching as the other navigated a withered leaf mantis with practiced ease into the magnificent and decadent hall.

She knew no one could see her, and she could not interfere with anything. Thus, she boldly chased after Little Yi Rong, following so closely that her feet nearly clipped the girl’s heels.

She scrutinized the little figure before her. The person who usually stood a head taller than her was now shrunk by half, barely reaching her waist. A simple braid gathered part of her hair.

Looking down, Yan Xingyu could only see long, curving eyelashes, a delicate straight nose, and cheeks devoid of baby fat. She walked with a steady, quiet gait, like a little adult.

Yan Xingyu purposely reached out to ruffle the small head. Though she couldn’t touch her at all, it was purely for her own satisfaction in her imagination, she felt as if she truly had, a strange sense of contentment washing over her.

She played around, reaching out to pat the little face, when the figure suddenly stiffened and stopped, turning to stare directly at her.

Yan Xingyu froze. She stared back at her “little person,” who remained as silent as ever yet kept her gaze fixed.

She muttered to herself, Isn’t this just an illusion? How does it feel like she can see me? Just as she was wondering about the behavior, a woman’s laughter rang in her ears.

“Rongrong, catch!”

A small ball of green pine and pink flowers fell from the sky. Yan Xingyu turned to see a woman with willow leaf brows and smiling eyes approaching. The familiar face made her eyes widen.

Why is Yan Zhe’s mother here?

“Aunt Xiang.”

The voice came from behind her. Yan Xingyu looked back and forth before realizing Little Yi Rong had simply noticed Yan Xiaoxiang’s arrival.

Watching the little one cradle the green and pink ball and walk to the woman, Yan Xiaoxiang patted her head and asked, “Rongrong, did you just get back from outside?”

Little Yi Rong hummed an affirmative and asked, “Aunt Xiang, why are you here?”

“Recently, the various factions of the Demon Realm have been critical of your mother. Xiwu took the opportunity to stir up trouble and start a war to move against her. I heard of this and came to lend your mother a hand.”

Yan Xiaoxiang’s expression grew solemn as she spoke. Seeing Little Yi Rong’s dazed look, she smiled shallowly to comfort her: “It should be fine. Don’t worry, Rongrong.”

Just as the words left her mouth, Yan Xingyu heard thunder crashing outside. A flash of golden lightning streaked past, making her squint. When she opened them again…

She met a sharp gaze, eyes like deep pools shimmering with cold light. Beneath a high bridge of a nose, thin lips parted, yet the voice was unexpectedly soft and low.

“Xiaoxiang, you arrived quickly.”

The woman had her hair half-loose. A peacock tail blue gauze tube dress wrapped around her graceful figure. A long dragon bone tail coiled around her waist. Yan Xingyu had initially thought it was a decoration.

But as the woman spoke, the tail moved. While the base remained around the woman’s waist, the tip wound toward Yan Xiaoxiang.

The woman hooked her hand to stroke the dragon bone and smiled. “Yilan, why are you back from outside as well?”

“I was arranging a few things.”

As Yilan spoke, her eyes finally shifted to her younger daughter. “Rong’er, did you go to the human realm again?”

“Yes.”

“There is much chaos among demons and monsters lately. Go out less.”

“Yes.”

Little Yi Rong’s responses were the exact same mold as her adult self. Yan Xingyu couldn’t help but roast her internally.

Yilan saw her younger daughter’s reaction and frowned slightly, but then her expression softened. After a few instructions, she ignored Little Yi Rong.

She turned to Yan Xiaoxiang: “Xiwu’s move this time is aggressive. It doesn’t seem spontaneous, it feels premeditated.”

“You altered the interface between the Demon Realm and the human realm, restricting the entry and exit of demons. Naturally, they are dissatisfied. Someone in the shadows is bound to want to pull you down.”

Yilan’s brows arched with unbridled arrogance and a smile of total control. She replied to Yan Xiaoxiang, “Let them come.”

“Haha, Yilan, don’t be too careless.”

“I know.”

The back and forth banter revealed a deep intimacy between them. Yan Xingyu was surprised at how good their relationship was.

“Mother.”

Another voice drew their attention. Yan Xingyu saw the beautiful blue haired woman who had vanished earlier. She walked over with a smile.

She naturally leaned against Yilan’s arm and acted spoiled. “Mother, you’re back. Did anything happen outside?”

Toward her lively eldest daughter, Yilan’s tone was much warmer: “Nothing. Ruo’er, how was your cultivation today?”

Yi Ruo replied, “Your daughter would never be lazy.” Then, she looked at the guest and greeted politely, “Hello, Aunt Xiang.”

Yan Xingyu watched this performance, noting how different it was from the way she had bullied Little Yi Rong just moments ago. She looked down and saw Little Yi Rong standing silently to the side, clutching her toy ball.

In just a few sentences, Yan Xingyu could see that Yi Rong’s mother clearly played favorites.

Watching Yi Ruo monopolize everyone’s attention and intentionally marginalize the small figure, Yan Xingyu felt a surge of anger. This foul woman… how is she Yi Rong’s sister?

She reached out to ruffle the hair of the lonely Little Yi Rong, wanting to show that she liked her best and she shouldn’t be afraid. However, the girl just kept her head down, clutching the ball, her emotions unreadable.

Yan Xingyu couldn’t tell if she was sad or simply used to being bullied. As she pondered this…

While they were laughing and talking, Yilan’s face suddenly changed. Yan Xiaoxiang noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ruo’er, stay here with Rong’er. I need to go out for a moment.” Yilan gave the order and glanced at her companion. Yan Xiaoxiang, in sync, turned to follow her.

Yi Ruo saw her mother leave in a hurry and sensed something was wrong. She looked at Yi Rong and said, “I’m going to follow Mother to see what’s happening. Don’t run off.”

“When Mother asks later, remember to say you and I were in the hall the whole time.”

With that, she followed closely and left the hall.

Yan Xingyu rolled her eyes at how quickly Yi Ruo’s voice had turned cold and demanding.

Noticing Little Yi Rong didn’t even respond and that the other didn’t even wait for a response before barking orders and leaving, it was clear this had happened many times.

Unexpectedly, Little Yi Rong wasn’t entirely submissive. After everyone left, she stood in silence for a while, then also headed outside.

Under the pouring moonlight, shadows spread across the ground. Yan Xingyu looked up to see countless thick vines surging outward, threatening to wrap the entire palace in the ancient tree’s embrace.

Little Yi Rong leaped onto the back of the withered-leaf mantis guarding the hall and urged it to fly, trying to outrun the closing vines to escape.

Seeing the gaps between the branches getting smaller, she grew anxious. But she was just a few seconds too late. The vines tightened into an iron wall.

Blocked, Little Yi Rong reached out to touch the vines, her eyes filled with unavoidable worry.

Yan Xingyu watched from her sword, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart as they were sealed inside.

Suddenly, she caught the gaze of the mantis’s compound eyes. Its twitching antennae seemed to be sending her a signal. Yan Xingyu wondered why she felt that way.

The next second, she watched as the withered-leaf mantis began to decompose its body at a visible rate, turning into thousands of brown threads that surged into Little Yi Rong’s body.

Yan Xingyu was dumbstruck. That tender young face now sprouted sharp fangs. The girl thrust her hand into the vines; with no resistance, she sliced through them one by one.

Her slender arms transformed in an instant into sharp blades, piercing through the hardened vine wall like a hot knife through butter.

Once they broke through the barrier, the screeching of monsters rushed into their ears. Outside, the world was no longer peaceful, smoke filled the air under turbulent clouds, cold light flashed in the darkness, and blood splattered everywhere.

Little Yi Rong scanned the surroundings and saw the dragon bone, once three feet long, now ten times larger, standing proud among the demons, looking down on everything just like her mother.

Seeing that her mother was safe, Little Yi Rong felt much more at ease.

But in a flash, a fierce wind came from behind. Fortunately, having merged with the mantis, she possessed its extraordinary vision and sensed the attack.

She spun around. Five meters away, a pink-purple twin headed sparrow dragon appeared. Its claws gripped a vine as it flared the umbrella like membranes on the sides of its heads, staring at her with interest.

Yilan seemed to sense something and turned her head. To her shock, she saw her younger daughter facing off with Xiwu. She screamed, “Rong’er!”

Seeing Xiwu lunge at her daughter, Yilan’s composure shattered. She immediately pulled the dragon bone from her side and swung it fiercely.

Her reaction was lightning fast. She watched as her daughter, though not skilled in offense, proved much more agile than expected.

Xiwu tried to grab the little figure but missed repeatedly. Watching the bone-stings flying at her, Xiwu flapped her wings. Her long fingers transformed as she took human shape, a purple sparrow crown hung over her forehead, its gems reflecting eyes full of ambition.

“So this is the younger daughter you’ve been hiding.”

“Impressive indeed.”

There was a double meaning to her words. Yilan understood perfectly but did not respond to the provocation. She shouted, “Rong’er, come to my side!”

Hearing her mother’s call, Little Yi Rong moved faster, desperate to escape the dangerous woman.

Xiwu saw the child was slippery and knew she couldn’t catch her alone. A plan flashed through her mind.

She used her claws to pierce the dragon bone in her hand, fashioning a bone flute on the spot. She pressed it to her lips and blew.

The high-pitched flute sound erupted with powerful force, like a tiger emerging from a forest. The roar surged into the demonic fray. In an instant, every demon and monster eerily stopped their movements at the same time.