Chapter Twenty: The Tears of Gentle Breeze

“When will we finally land?” At first, Feng Shang had been a bit frightened, but after what felt like an eternity without even a glimpse of the ground—surrounded on all sides by a void, nothingness pressing in—his fear gave way to boredom. All they could sense was the endless descent, as if there would never be an end to their fall. Growing listless, Feng Shang posed his question aloud.

The Thumb-Sized Scarecrow didn't sing this time; instead, it danced atop Feng Shang, its slender legs moving deftly. Hearing Feng Shang’s complaint, it gave a sharp kick, accelerating their plunge. Together, Feng Shang and the Thumb-Sized Scarecrow plummeted like a bolt of lightning.

A sharp “crack!” echoed from below not long after Feng Shang vanished from sight.

“Feng Shang!” Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, and Fang Zhe cried out in unison. But when they finally touched down, both Feng Shang and the Thumb-Sized Scarecrow were nowhere to be found.

“Intruders!” A swarm of minor fiends surrounded Han Tianyue and his companions.

“Who dares trespass in my lair!” thundered a voice from the abyss. Suddenly, the void above churned with gathering storm clouds and lightning. A monstrous hand—formed entirely of black, swirling clouds—stretched down toward them.

“The Old Demon!” Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, and the others all held their breath as blood-red eyes emerged from the storm, fixing them with a baleful glare.

“So it’s you little pests. Last time you escaped, but now you’ve delivered yourselves to me. I won’t let you go again!” With a roar, the Black Mountain Old Demon hurled himself from the clouds.

Mao Xuanzi shot forth a “Blazing Palm Mark,” which soared through the air, transforming into a massive fiery hand that met the demon’s cloud-hand in midair.

With a splitting sound, the Blazing Palm Mark disintegrated.

Wang Chong drew his blade and, with a swift slash, dispatched several minor fiends at his side.

But for the Black Mountain Old Demon, the Blazing Palm Mark was little more than a tickle. The immense cloud-hand descended with overwhelming force.

Jindi and Shui Xi stepped forward. “Heavy Strike!” “Savage Charge!”

Their joint assault struck the demon’s hand, slowing its descent—but only slightly.

Mao Xuanzi rushed to their side, unleashing another Blazing Palm Mark, but even combined, their power was not enough to resist the demon’s might.

“Even if we join all our strength, we’re still no match for him!” The gap in power was simply too great. Han Tianyue had no wish to fight the Black Mountain Old Demon. “Frozen Wasteland!” In a blink, the world around them transformed into an icy tomb that enclosed them completely.

With a thunderous crash, the cloud-hand smashed through the ice, shattering their defense in an instant.

Then, a crisp and brittle dripping sound broke the tension. The cloud-hand halted above their heads.

The Black Mountain Old Demon withdrew his grasp, distracted, as if something else had caught his interest. He turned into a mass of storm and lightning, surging in another direction.

The source of the dripping was Qing Feng’s tears. The moment she raised her head, her heart seemed to come alive, and that tear was born of that sudden stirring. And what she saw as she looked up was Feng Shang. As for why Feng Shang was there—he had stumbled upon this place while eluding the minor fiends’ pursuit, and now stood before her, seeing a woman bound tightly with ropes. Though she was breathtakingly beautiful, for reasons he couldn’t explain, Feng Shang felt nothing.

Just then, the footsteps of the minor fiends approached. Feng Shang quickly hid himself.

As the fiends entered the chamber, Feng Shang and the woman locked eyes.

“Please don’t tell them I’m here. Please don’t.” Feng Shang silently pleaded.

Suddenly, the woman screamed, “Help me! Help me! Help me!”

Feng Shang’s face went pale at once.

Dark clouds and lightning coiled around Feng Shang. From within the storm came a furious roar: “You’re the one who made Qing Feng cry?”

“Qing Feng!” Feng Shang glanced at the woman, then back at the swirling storm. “Storm!” he cried. A great wind rose up, sweeping away the clouds, lightning, and the minor fiends in one mighty gust.

“So you’re Qing Feng!” Feng Shang hurried to her side, searching for a way to unlock her chains.

The Thumb-Sized Scarecrow kicked Feng Shang aside, and with a tiny chop of its hand, all the chains snapped.

“You’re amazing, little one!” Feng Shang turned to Qing Feng, urging, “Come with me, quickly!”

With her chains broken, Qing Feng fainted dead away.

Helpless, Feng Shang hoisted her onto his back and fled as fast as the wind.

A furious roar split the air. The Black Mountain Old Demon’s voice thundered through the sky: “How dare you steal the heart of my woman! You will pay dearly!”

Within the churning storm, the lightning grew ever more violent.

In that moment, Feng Shang had only one thought: to flee as far and as fast as possible.

As Qing Feng regained consciousness on his back, the first sight of him stole her heart away. She closed her eyes gently and leaned into his shoulder.

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