Chapter 166 An Awkward Scene

Huo Tianqing shook his head and said, "I'm pressed for time."

She sighed helplessly and said to Huo Tianqing, "Elder, how can your heart bear to see a fragile young girl like me robbed of all future marriages from now on?"

Huo Tianqing raised an eyebrow.

Bo Meng looked on the verge of tears, wearing a pitiful expression. "Elder, I still have feelings—"

Huo Tianqing interrupted her directly, "You mean that boy Bai Qirui?"

Hearing this question, Bo Meng nodded, waiting for him to grant her permission to stay.

To her surprise, Huo Tianqing simply flicked his sleeve. Feeling a sudden gust of wind and blinking in bewilderment, Bo Meng found herself inexplicably standing on a spirit boat.

Watching Huo Tianqing leisurely step onto the spirit boat, Bo Meng cried out, "Elder..."

"There is no room for negotiation." Huo Tianqing gave a light smile, though his gaze was exceptionally cold. "Time is of the essence. You had better not say anything more to me."

Seeing this, Bo Meng had no choice but to agree, knowing all too well that if Huo Tianqing truly lost his temper, he would kill anyone in his path.

A quarter of an hour later.

Bo Meng looked at the scenery outside. Seated on the spirit boat, surrounded by lingering spiritual energy and drifting mist, it was clearly a place of picturesque mountains and rivers. Reminded of the amusing things back there, she grew even more irritable, her entire face broadcasting a clear "do not speak to me" expression.

She rubbed her hair in slight dissatisfaction. "At least let me say goodbye to them..." Bo Meng sighed again. This was her fourth sigh from a moment ago until now.

A gentle breeze blew into the spirit boat, making her much cooler, and only this coolness could slightly pacify the restlessness in her heart.

"I haven't said goodbye to Bai Qirui yet!" Without realizing it, her voice grew louder.

Hearing this exclamation, Xie Yingying walked out, looked at her face with a smile, and stood nearby. At that moment, Bo Meng was rubbing her head with her hands, her small cheeks showing a hint of baby fat. Her eyes were quite large, and her expression as she looked out the window was filled with the pure innocence of a young girl.

Xie Yingying sat down beside Bo Meng, patted her back to help her catch her breath, and comforted her, "Alright, alright, we can still see them later. Don't be upset anymore."

Bo Meng looked at Xie Yingying. At this moment, Xie Yingying was all smiles, wearing a helpless expression as she smoothed down Bo Meng's ruffled feathers. Her entire demeanor radiated an approachable warmth, instantly winning over Bo Meng's affection.

"Senior Sister, we will come back, right?"

"Yes, of course. Once things settle down, just tell Senior Sister wherever you want to go." Hearing Xie Yingying's words, Bo Meng finally set her mind at ease, and her smile returned to her face.

Knowing what was on Bo Meng's mind, Xie Yingying could only pat her head.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister will help you win Bai Qirui over later!"

"Really?" Bo Meng's eyes brightened. Although she had confessed her feelings to Bai Qirui herself, he didn't seem to fancy her. Hearing Xie Yingying's words, her fondness for her instantly increased by leaps and bounds.

"You child, how is it that you have such grand ambitions at merely the Foundation Establishment stage?" Xie Yingying rubbed the tip of Bo Meng's nose, sounding as much in wonder as in admiration.

This time, Bo Meng said nothing, only offering a smile. Then, remembering Bai Shengyun, she quickly asked, "That Bai Shengyun doesn't need to come back with us, right?"

Xie Yingying smiled and pointed toward a room on the spirit boat. "Inside, severely injured and unconscious."

"What happened to him?" Bo Meng asked with some curiosity.

"If you ask me, I have no idea either." Xie Yingying waved her hands to indicate her own cluelessness.

In truth, Xie Yingying simply didn't want to elaborate.

Yet soon, Xie Yingying couldn't help wondering how Bai Shengyun was faring, considering both his soul and physical body had suffered heavy damage.

At this thought, Xie Yingying lost all mood for teasing. After exchanging a few more words with Bo Meng, she walked into Bai Shengyun's room, used her spiritual power to ease his pain, and popped a few medicinal pills into his mouth.

Afterward, she quietly rose and left the room, catching sight of Bo Meng, who still looked rather gloomy.

The two of them fell silent for a time.

Xie Yingying felt the awkwardness of the quietness, but right now she had no spare energy to manage the atmosphere, so she simply remained silent.

Without speaking, time seemed to fly, and soon they reached their destination.

Xie Yingying took an invisibility talisman out of her pouch, applied it to Bai Shengyun, and dragged him toward the Joy Palace.

Even though others couldn't see them now, walking right past the guards still felt somewhat awkward, making Xie Yingying's very gait seem stiff and unnatural.

"Junior Sister, where is the room? Why can't I find it?" Traversing the corridors along the way demanded a tremendous amount of psychological endurance from Xie Yingying.

Looking back at the path they had just walked, she felt completely drained of strength.

The Joy Palace was shrouded in perpetual gloom. Even though it was still bright daytime outside, the sunlight was blocked out here the moment one stepped inside, as if everyone in this place was conspiring in secret, desperate to keep outsiders from hearing.

Bringing Bo Meng along was precisely because she possessed night vision capabilities.

In truth, had it not been for Bai Shengyun, Xie Yingying would never have had to sneak back into her own bedchamber like a thief!

Bo Meng chuckled softly. Relying on the concealment of her invisibility, she even raised her voice.

"We're almost there, Senior Sister!"

"Hey, you mischievous child, keep your voice down!" The two of them spoke quite loudly like this, suddenly finding it rather amusing, though the amusement was short-lived.

Upon reaching the room Bo Meng led her to, Xie Yingying immediately dropped Bai Shengyun to the floor.

For no other reason than that he was simply too heavy. With Xie Yingying's petite frame, supporting him was truly a bit too difficult.

With her hair disheveled, Xie Yingying looked down at Bai Shengyun lying on the floor with a sense of helplessness. She had no choice but to summon Bo Meng to help her lift Bai Shengyun onto the bed.

Once he was on the bed, Bo Meng took her leave, and Xie Yingying didn't want to trouble her any further, so she had to check on Bai Shengyun by herself.

His injuries, however, were far from optimistic. Bai Shengyun's brows were tightly knitted, his lips pressed into a thin line, and a thin layer of sweat coated his face. Even though he had passed out, his bodily functions and relentless pain were constantly assaulting and torturing him.

Looking at him, Xie Yingying felt a pang of heartache. Upon closer inspection, she saw that his bandages had split open and were stained red with blood. If she didn't clean the wounds soon, infection would surely set in.

She hesitated somewhat. After all, propriety dictated that men and women should not touch upon handing things over, but right now...

Xie Yingying suddenly shook her head, snapping back to reality. This was a critical moment; she had no time for such trivial concerns. With that thought, she reached out to untie Bai Shengyun's clothes.

Meanwhile, upon learning of Xie Yingying's return, Yiling bounded straight up from her desk.

"Senior Sister is back? Why didn't you say so sooner? Quick, quick, I'm going to see her!" Before anyone else could speak, Yiling had already darted out like a flying arrow.

Running frantically, Yiling had completely forgotten her manners. Normally, one should knock before entering a room, but this time she pushed the door open directly without waiting a single moment.

In an instant, both of them froze.

All Yiling saw was Xie Yingying draped over Bai Shengyun, with a large portion of Bai Shengyun's garments stripped away, leaving his snow-white skin exposed to the air. Combined with Xie Yingying's bewildered and clueless expression, it looked for all the world like someone caught in the middle of attempting something illicit.

Yiling was utterly mortified. Her previous excitement and joy vanished into sudden sobriety as she recalled her own lack of manners. If only she had knocked on the door, none of this would have happened. Reminded of this, a wave of guilt welled up inside her...

The silence between them was too heavy. Yiling was forced to say something. With her hand still suspended mid-air, she offered an awkward smile.

"Senior Sister..."