#61: Found

For several days, Shi Luoyi and Cangwu scoured the forests and the vicinity of Wangdu Sea but failed to find any trace of Bian Lingyu.

Cangwu scratched his head. “Should we check the nearby towns?”

Shi Luoyi nodded. It was their only option. There was no time to waste, so the two immediately headed toward the nearest town. She could only hope that even in his qilin form, Bian Lingyu retained some vestige of his divine nature and wouldn’t harm anyone.

Seeing her distress, Cangwu consoled her. “Lingyu won’t eat humans. If he’s hungry, his instincts will drive him to hunt demonic beasts. Even I, a cultivated spirit beast, can restrain myself—surely he can too.”

“Let’s hope so.”

When they reached the town, it began to rain. Shi Luoyi noticed something troubling. This remote town had unknowingly attracted many cultivators over the past few days.

This scene was all too familiar to Shi Luoyi. In her previous life, she had often been pursued by cultivators in this same manner, constantly on the run.

Thinking of Su Li and the missing Bian Lingyu, her heart tightened. She grabbed a bamboo hat from the side, donned it, and cast a spell to alter her appearance.

Cangwu followed suit, mimicking her actions.

Fortunately, with the rain, their disguises didn’t seem out of place. Not far into their search, Shi Luoyi spotted a wanted poster concealed among the pillars, visible only to those with spiritual energy.

Cangwu fumed. “They’re calling Lingyu a demonized beast and accusing you of harboring evil creatures, even claiming you’ve betrayed your sect!”

Compared to the indignant Cangwu, Shi Luoyi remained calm. This was exactly the kind of thing her sect elder would do.

In her past life, seeing these execution orders filled her with sorrow. But now, Shi Luoyi felt an eerie sense of peace.

Though many events still mirrored her previous life, she knew fate’s strings had already shifted. Her inner demons were completely gone, and this time, she had someone to protect. Bian Lingyu had guarded her through two lifetimes—it was now her turn to protect him.

Shi Luoyi said, “This might actually be a good thing. The sect leader went to receive Su Li, confirming knowledge of his divine identity. Now, issuing a bounty means they haven’t found Bian Lingyu either.”

Because they couldn’t find him, they rallied others to search.

Sure enough, not long after, they overheard cultivators discussing: “Who knows how powerful this demon is? Even the grand sect competition has been suspended. Whoever kills the beast will not only receive Sect Master Hengwu’s treasured Ruoshui Sword but also a five-hundred-year cultivation pill!”

Shi Luoyi glanced at them from afar and said to Cangwu, “Let’s go.”

The two avoided the cultivators and wandered around the town for several days but found no trace of any spirit or demonic beasts.

Shi Luoyi had never felt time pass so slowly. Even when she was forced to consume the nine-tailed fox’s core last time, she hadn’t felt this anxious.

The qilin’s true form was unpredictable, akin to a final burst of vitality. After reverting to his true form, Bian Lingyu could still wield partial divine power. Neither she nor Cangwu had anticipated this, and perhaps neither had Bian Lingyu or Qingxuan.

After all, since ancient times, no fallen deity had ever been forced into their primal form in the mortal realm.

She feared Bian Lingyu might hurt others against his will, yet she also feared others harming him.

At night, as she rested, the cold but dependable presence she once relied on was absent. Just as Shi Luoyi decided to change locations and search farther away, a sharp-eyed old woman suspiciously scrutinized her. “Are you cultivators?”

Shi Luoyi asked, “What do you want?”

The woman rubbed her hands together. “Well, the wealthy Liu family in town lost their foolish young miss. With her impending marriage, she was snatched away by a monster. Moreover, the chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep in the Liu family’s backyard have been stolen repeatedly. The master fears this beast will eventually harm others in the household and sent me to find any wandering immortals to deal with it.”

Shi Luoyi and Cangwu exchanged glances. Shi Luoyi then asked, “Alright, lead the way. We’ll take a look.”

The old woman, who had only been testing her luck, beamed with joy. “Oh, oh, miss, follow me!”

She didn’t understand why, despite the recent influx of cultivators in town, none had been willing to accompany her to handle the matter.

Compared to such petty thefts, they were more interested in hunting a greater monster. Naturally, they looked down on the meager reward of tens of silver taels offered by the Liu family.

Seeing Shi Luoyi and Cangwu’s unassuming attire—neither resembling typical ethereal cultivators nor locals—the old woman had only half-heartedly approached them. To her surprise, they agreed to follow her.

Shi Luoyi accompanied the woman to a mansion. The old woman explained, “This is the Liu residence. Immortal, follow me. The current head of the household is the lady. I’ll take you to see her.”

Soon, Shi Luoyi met a middle-aged woman adorned with gold and silver jewelry.

The woman, somewhat plump, eyed Shi Luoyi and Cangwu’s disguised appearances skeptically. “Can they really handle this?”

The old woman whispered, “Oh, my lady, just give them a try. No one else in town is willing to help. If that fool has been eaten, so be it—but what if this beast grows dissatisfied with stealing livestock and targets our family next?”

The lady’s expression changed, and she became more respectful toward Shi Luoyi and Cangwu, plastering on a smile. “I’ll take you to the backyard.”

Shi Luoyi nodded. “Have you seen what it looks like?”

“No, it comes every night, moving as fast as the wind.”

“Has it harmed anyone?”

The lady replied, “Aside from taking the girl, it hasn’t hurt anyone else. The other day, we stationed guards overnight, but they were still injured—two of them are still recovering.”

When speaking of the missing young miss, the lady seemed indifferent. On the way, Shi Luoyi had learned that this “foolish” daughter wasn’t the lady’s biological child. The wealthy Liu patriarch was away on business, leaving behind a spoiled son and a mentally impaired daughter, born of the deceased first wife, named Liu Yingying.

Liu Yingying, nineteen years old, was beautiful but unmarried. Taking advantage of her husband’s absence, the lady planned to marry off this troublesome “fool” to a disreputable tavern owner in town.

Unexpectedly, Liu Yingying was abducted that very night.

As Shi Luoyi surveyed the chaotic backyard, her heartbeat quickened. Despite the disorder, no one had been killed. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was Bian Lingyu.

Immediately, Shi Luoyi declared, “Tonight, my senior brother and I will keep watch. If you hear anything, don’t come.”

The lady, already terrified of this elusive beast, feared for her own safety and quickly agreed.

That night, Shi Luoyi and Cangwu waited in the backyard.

Cangwu asked, “Do you really think it’s Lingyu?”

“I’m not sure, but we have to try.”

“But didn’t they say… he also abducted the Liu family’s young miss? Why would he kidnap someone?” Cangwu blurted out. “In his primal form, he doesn’t even recognize you. Why would he take Miss Liu? Could it be…”

He thought of saying “eating,” but the so-called “beast” hadn’t harmed anyone else.

Shi Luoyi shook her head, furrowing her brows. This was the part she couldn’t understand. “Shh, there’s movement.”

Both held their breath. Sure enough, not long after, a shadow swiftly entered the backyard under the cover of darkness.

Just as the lady had described, its speed was extraordinary—it took only an instant for the two prepared chickens to be snatched away.

But Shi Luoyi saw him clearly. After nearly half a month, Bian Lingyu had changed slightly.

Mud clung to his body, and the bone spurs on his back couldn’t retract, making him appear less docile and more fearsome. Under the moonlight, he no longer bore any trace of his former aloofness or gentleness, yet Shi Luoyi’s eyes brimmed with tears.

She suppressed her emotions, remembering they still needed to find Miss Liu. She signaled Cangwu to follow her.

Bian Lingyu remained unaware that they were trailing him.

He was far weaker than before. At first glance, aside from his silvery-white scales and elongated feathers, he appeared no different from any other demonic or spirit beast.

He stopped in front of a cave and began eating the two chickens. After only a few bites, he suddenly raised his head, realizing Shi Luoyi and Cangwu were there. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he lunged toward them.

Cangwu’s scalp tingled instantly—not out of fear, but due to an instinctive sense of awe. Even if Bian Lingyu was weakened, in his true form, resisting him would be difficult.

The moment Shi Luoyi was pinned to the ground, she used a magical artifact to restrain him.

Under the moonlight, Shi Luoyi saw her reflection in his silvery-white pupils. Since meeting Bian Lingyu, she had never seen him look so ferocious.

His expression was cold and menacing, his sharp claws raised as if ready to tear her apart.

Her heart ached. Though her face showed no emotion, an indescribable sense of injustice welled up inside her. The person who had cherished her like a treasure through two lifetimes now neither recognized her nor treated her kindly.

But finding Bian Lingyu before Su Li was a great relief.

Shi Luoyi didn’t have many things with her, but her storage pouch contained numerous magical tools. She quickly knocked Bian Lingyu unconscious.

As he collapsed onto her, Shi Luoyi didn’t dodge but reached out to catch him.

Cangwu exhaled in relief. It instinctively feared Bian Lingyu but forgot that he grew weaker by the day. He had reached his limit and now resembled an unenlightened spirit beast in the wild.

However, when Shi Luoyi settled him down and peeked into the cave, she realized there was a difference.

Inside the cave, a figure was curled up.

Miss Liu was filthy, clutching a rabbit doll. Piles of fruit pits surrounded her, and tear stains marked her face as she slept.

Cangwu peeked in. “Why did Lingyu capture her?” He brought her here and kept her in the cave like a pet animal.

Shi Luoyi gazed at the rabbit doll and couldn’t help but smile.

She remembered that morning when she woke up with teary eyes and found a clay rabbit in her arms.

In Bian Lingyu’s eyes, perhaps she resembled a red-eyed rabbit trying to bite him.

Even in his primal form, though his consciousness had regressed to chaos, seeing the rabbit in Miss Liu’s arms must have triggered something. Believing it belonged to him, he carried both her and the rabbit back to the cave.

This might be a subconscious impulse that the divine race, when lucid, would never admit to.

Shi Luoyi woke Miss Liu. Over the past few days, Miss Liu had been terrified, constantly watched by the cold gaze of that monstrous creature at the cave entrance.

Miss Liu dared only to pick a few fruits nearby when Bian Lingyu left to hunt. If she ventured too far, he would throw her back, glaring at her coldly yet not harming her.

Day after day, Miss Liu cried like a child. But the Bian Lingyu at the cave entrance remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on the doll in her arms, occasionally lost in thought.

Shi Luoyi wiped away Miss Liu’s tears and cleaned her clothes with a purification spell. She turned to Cangwu. “Go ask the Liu family’s servants if Miss Liu has any other relatives. Take her to them for now, and when Master Liu returns, he can take her back.”

This incident turned out to be a blessing in disguise—Miss Liu wouldn’t have to marry the tavern owner.

Cangwu nodded and quickly returned. “Miss Liu has an uncle in the neighboring town. I’ve taken her there.”

Meanwhile, Bian Lingyu was about to wake up.

Cangwu asked, “How do you plan to return the divine pearl?”

Seeing Shi Luoyi pour out a pile of items from her storage pouch—including even demonic cores—Cangwu’s eyes widened. “You want to consume these cores?”

That had been the original plan.

Bian Qingxuan had been banking on this idea.

But upon seeing how Bian Lingyu had “raised” the “rabbit,” Shi Luoyi changed her mind. After all this time, Bian Lingyu had never let her fall into darkness. She didn’t want to betray his intentions.

As for why Bian Lingyu hadn’t mistaken her for a “rabbit,” Shi Luoyi guessed that compared to the crying rabbit in the cave, she now resembled the world-shattering “divine pearl” more closely.

With that, Shi Luoyi sifted through the items and picked up a magical artifact.

Cangwu’s expression turned strange. “Isn’t that… an artifact that forces spirit beasts to transform into human form?”

Shi Luoyi replied, “Mm.”

Cangwu understood what she intended. Though he was naive as a spirit beast, he wasn’t entirely ignorant. Stammering, he said, “But… he doesn’t recognize you anymore.”

“Then we’ll meet anew today.” If Bian Lingyu, in his confused state after falling to the mortal realm, once liked her, perhaps it could happen again.

Cangwu coughed awkwardly. “Even though you’re Dao companions, will he agree?”

Shi Luoyi smiled faintly and gently tugged at one of the bone spurs. For the first time in days, her heart felt light. “When he’s lucid, he might refuse even at the cost of his life—it concerns my survival. But since he no longer remembers me, perhaps he’ll agree.”

Shi Luoyi added, “Don’t worry. If this doesn’t work, there’s always the path of demonic cores.”

Cangwu fell silent for a long while. “Are you truly willing to do this?”

Though she possessed the divine pearl and was close to ascending, she was now returning it to Bian Lingyu. She herself didn’t know what the outcome would be.

Shi Luoyi didn’t respond.

It had never truly belonged to her—it was merely being returned to her Dao companion. In this vast universe, the six realms needed a deity like Bian Lingyu.

She had already lived a lifetime carrying his love. If fate favored her, Bian Lingyu might reclaim everything, and she and her father might not perish. If not…

This time, it was her turn to send the fallen young god home.