Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 470 455: Little Yueqiu: This Young Gentleman in White Is Seriously "Sick" (Unity)

Pei Yuhang led Little Yueqiu far away from the towns garrisoned with government soldiers, arriving in a desolate wilderness called Hill Mountain.

For miles around, there were only a few scattered villages at the foot of the mountain.

Here in these vast mountains, Pei Yuhang believed that even if pursuers came, it would be impossible for them to find him and Little Yueqiu.

His only worry now was that Little Yueqiu had lost her memories of him...

"Yueqiu, you..."

"My name is not Yueqiu."

The young girl furrowed her brows, her long, silver-white hair swaying gently as she shook her head. A trace of stubbornness flashed in her ruby-like eyes.

"I am the eldest daughter of Prince Ning. My name is..."

"Your name is Yueqiu. Qing Yueqiu. You are my first disciple."

Pei Yuhang calmly interrupted her and suddenly leaned forward. The silver-haired girl's breath hitched, and she instinctively recoiled.

"If you don't agree to this name, then I'll turn you in to the Government Office."

Pei Yuhang lowered his voice, threatening Little Yueqiu into acknowledging him as her master.

"..."

'What a cunning and domineering man...'

The silver-haired girl clenched her cuffs. After a long moment, she finally lowered her gaze, bit her bottom lip, and said in a low voice, "...Do as you wish."

'When you're living under someone else's roof, you have to lower your head.' She sighed to herself, knowing she could only compromise for the time being.

Pei Yuhang nodded, satisfied.

"Yueqiu, listen to me carefully. Your memories may have been tampered with.

That's why you've forgotten your own name, and why you've forgotten me..."

Little Yueqiu gave the rambling Pei Yuhang a speechless look. She was already starting to form a guess about his origins.

'He's probably a peerless master who lost his beloved disciple and went mad with grief.'

'What a pity.'

"Yueqiu, listen to me. You have to believe me."

"Alright, alright, Sir... I mean, Master. I believe you. I believe you."

Little Yueqiu gave a resigned nod. Whatever Pei Yuhang said, it was best to just go along with it.

Just as she tilted her head, watching Pei Yuhang and wondering what sort of tall tale this unrealistically handsome man in white would spin next...

...she noticed that his mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out.

Pei Yuhang seemed to notice Little Yueqiu's confusion, and his sword-like brows immediately furrowed.

"Yueqiu, you couldn't hear what I just said, could you?"

"Sir... Master, you didn't say anything just now."

Little Yueqiu thought that this man in white's illness was even more serious than she'd imagined.

'Just as I thought. The truth about Ji Shenyun is being blocked in her Sea of Consciousness.'

'It seems... Ji Shenyun has taken complete control of Yueqiu's Sea of Consciousness. Damn it.'

Pei Yuhang clenched his fists, an immense sense of panic suddenly washing over him.

He couldn't bear to imagine how he would face his beloved disciple after she was possessed by some ancient monster...

Seeing Pei Yuhang's tormented look, a flicker of pity crossed Little Yueqiu's beautiful crimson eyes.

'Sigh... even though he's incomparably handsome and his martial arts are extraordinary, in the end, he's just a poor, sick man.'

'Perhaps he's having another episode now.'

Little Yueqiu hesitated for a moment, then reached out her small hand and gently took hold of Pei Yuhang's fingers.

"Master, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere... You don't have to worry about me disappearing."

"..."

Pei Yuhang felt the warmth on his fingers. The girl's skin was cool, yet it pulsed with vibrant Life Force.

But he knew that the Little Yueqiu at his side had not yet recovered her memories. This gesture of comfort was nothing more than her pure, instinctual reaction.

"Thank you."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently stroked the girl's silver hair.

Startled by the sudden pat on her head, Little Yueqiu's shoulders trembled, and she instinctively wanted to pull away. But when she raised her eyes and met Pei Yuhang's pale face, she pressed her lips together and, in the end, remained still.

'He's already so sick,' Little Yueqiu thought. 'I might as well let him pet my head.'

'I'll just think of it as... taking care of a patient,' she told herself.

The crackling campfire stretched their shadows long.

Little Yueqiu stared at the dancing flames, and an image gradually formed in her mind: her father being led to the execution grounds. The seals on the vermilion gates of the Prince Ning's Mansion also became particularly glaring in her memory.

She instinctively tightened her grip on her clothes, her knuckles turning white.

After all, Little Yueqiu was still just a child. Now that the adrenaline of the escape had faded, the grief of losing her home and family washed over her like a tide.

With painful clarity, she realized... she no longer had a home.

Everything was gone, never to return. She had nothing left.

A sob escaped her.

Large teardrops welled up in her crimson eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

Pei Yuhang felt a slight tremor from the girl in his arms. He paused, then tightened his embrace, pulling her slender frame even closer.

Little Yueqiu's silver hair brushed against his jaw, carrying a faint, clean scent.

"Don't be afraid."

His voice was soft, yet every word was clear. "Yueqiu, from now on, you still have me."

The firelight reflected in Pei Yuhang's deep eyes, like two resolute stars. The hand on her hair tightened slightly, as if he were making a solemn vow.

"I will protect you. I won't let you suffer even the slightest harm again."

'I will bring you back to reality... I swear it.'

...

...

「Imperial City.」

Inside Jinluan Hall, Dragon's Saliva Fragrance rose in wisps from a gilded censer.

The Celestial Emperor of the Zhao Kingdom lounged on the Dragon Throne, his long fingers tapping idly on the armrest. After listening to the intelligence report presented by the Cabinet, he slowly opened his long, narrow eyes, a cold glint flashing deep within them.

"So, you're saying—"

The Celestial Emperor's lips curved into a cold smirk. "The daughter of Prince Ning that I wanted... you failed to capture her, is that right?"