I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 40

By the time Li Baiying returned to the base of the cliff, it was already dawn.

Her stealth suit was torn in multiple places, hanging awkwardly on her frame and making her appear rather disheveled.

Yet her eyes shone with unwavering intensity, betraying no trace of fatigue.

Taking swift strides, she arrived at the formation where she had parted from Qin Yixiao and plunged inside without hesitation.

“Junior, don’t forget to erase your footprints, lest others follow you.”

A woman’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind, causing her jubilant steps to falter momentarily.

“Yes, Ancestor.”

Concealing her tracks was now her top priority. She quickly formed a hand seal, and crimson demonic energy swept across the ground like blazing flames, churning the muddy terrain into a soft, indistinguishable mess.

“Now it’s unrecognizable, right?”

To be thorough, she tiptoed to the leeward side, ensuring her scent wouldn’t be picked up by tracking-savvy two-headed hounds.

“Passable.” Hong Wang’s voice carried a hint of amusement, followed by open teasing. “Alright, I know you’re eager to return. Hurry and show that spirit tablet to your little dao companion.”

Li Baiying gave an embarrassed smile but didn’t refute it this time. It was true, she had been anxious to come back, even worrying whether something might have happened during her absence.

From afar, she spotted the young girl sitting beneath a tree, sorting medicinal herbs.

“I’m back!”

She rushed over excitedly, bending down to deftly take over the task. “Need any help?”

Without waiting for a reply, she began sorting the herbs herself.

“Did everything go smoothly last night?”

Qin Yixiao watched her bustling figure and asked softly.

“Just average, I suppose, more on the thrilling side.” Li Baiying fumbled at her waist, retrieved a spirit tablet, and tossed it to her. “Here, your life-bound tablet.”

“How did you…”

Unable to hide her astonishment, Qin Yixiao cradled the faintly glowing cyan tablet in her hands, carefully tracing the engraved name as if to confirm it wasn’t a jest.

“The Wu family is in trouble.”

Li Baiying’s smile faded as she concisely recounted what she had witnessed. Finally, she sighed wryly, “Only a few direct disciples remain imprisoned. Judging by the traces of battle, Elder Qin the Third enlisted the help of an extremely powerful expert, at least at the Divine Transformation stage, far beyond our current capabilities to confront.”

“I was concerned that leaving the spirit tablet in the ancestral hall might invite unnecessary risks. An expert of that caliber could easily use curse-based spells to affect us indirectly, so it’s better to settle this once and for all.”

“Indeed.”

Qin Yixiao exhaled softly and stored the tablet away. When she looked up again, her expression had grown more animated. “You could have just taken your own. Why did you bring mine back as well?”

“Well, tonight happened to be a rare opportunity, the Qin family’s defenses were lax. I saw Elder Qin the Third leading many elders in a banquet, drinking without restraint. Meanwhile, Qin Zhili and the others were still searching for our traces below the cliffs, leaving the clan virtually unguarded. I figured such a chance wouldn’t come again soon, so I took the liberty…”

Li Baiying found herself explaining at length, though she left out the core reason. At the time, she hadn’t hesitated, driven by instinct, she risked infiltrating the Qin family to retrieve the other’s tablet as well. As for what dangers she might face or what to do if discovered, she hadn’t dwelled on it.

“Besides, we’re like two grasshoppers tied to the same string, we stick together when fleeing for our lives. You’re not still thinking of returning to the Qin family someday, are you?”

“No.”

The girl shook her head firmly, then added softly, “Thank you.”

“What for? There’s no need for such politeness between us.”

Li Baiying’s eyes shifted thoughtfully before she glanced down at her tattered clothes. Seizing the moment, she pressed on, “How about you help me treat my wounds? Some are on my back, and I can’t reach them.”

“Alright, take off your clothes.”

…

This time, applying the medicine felt entirely different from before.

Li Baiying wasn’t sure if her tolerance had improved, but she didn’t feel any sharp pain. Instead, the gentle, accidental touches of the other’s soft fingertips sent waves of tingling sensations through her.

“How did you get these injuries?”

“I accidentally ran into a patrol team. Luckily, I was quick on my feet.”

“A patrol team? Where?” Qin Yixiao pressed.

“Outside the Li family ancestral hall. They seemed to be searching for something, muttering among themselves. I hid nearby for two whole hours, and as dawn approached, I had no choice but to knock them out.”

“The injuries came from being grazed by their magical artifacts during the scuffle.”

Recalling the scene, Li Baiying sighed faintly. “I originally wanted to tear them to pieces, but I realized they weren’t from the Qin family, or even from any faction on Mount Taichu. Considering how hard it is to cultivate to the Innate Realm, I decided to spare their lives.”

However, she hadn’t let a single item from their storage pouches go untouched.

Especially the things taken from the Li family, they had to be returned to their rightful owners.

Lost in her recounting, she didn’t notice the sudden, intense flicker of emotion in the girl’s expression.

“Ah, it’s strange, though. Why would outsiders come here? Could they have caught wind of something?”

“Perhaps. Walls have ears, after all.”

Qin Yixiao spread the last bit of ointment over her wounds and firmly wrapped the bandages around the gruesome injuries. “Don’t go doing something so dangerous alone next time.”

“What?” Li Baiying hadn’t quite caught it and asked again.

“I said, next time you go out, I’m coming with you.”

Qin Yixiao met her gaze and spoke softly.

This time, it was Li Baiying who looked away first, her expression slightly uneasy. “I was just worried about putting you in danger…”

“Weren’t you worried when you were alone?” Qin Yixiao deliberately tugged the bandage tighter, eliciting a sharp hiss from her. “Easy, easy!”

“Let this be the last time.”

“Alright, I’ll definitely take you with me next time.”

Li Baiying agreed verbally, but only she knew what she truly thought.

Standing up, she casually slipped on a simple robe and finally let her eyes sweep over the dense thicket around them. “Let’s keep moving. This is only the first layer of the formation, pursuers could catch up at any moment.”

At the same time, she kept calling out mentally to Hong Wang.

“Ancestor, ancestor, which way should we go next?”

“Little one, do you really think I’m an all-knowing guide? Can’t you think for yourself first?”

“The situation is urgent,” Li Baiying replied with feigned seriousness. “Besides, I’m not familiar with the inner workings of Mount Taichu.”

“Hmph, I think you just want to show off in front of your little Dao companion. Fine, let’s see… next step.” The female voice fell silent for a long moment before suddenly posing an unrelated question, “Junior, do you know formation techniques?”

“This second-layer formation requires at least basic formation mastery to have any hope of breaking through.”