15 The Woman

When Chang Xiuying was following the black hooded man, the entire scene changed. Portraying a deadly surrounding, no plants, no trees, just a black fog, and black sands appeared in her line of sight. She looked around and saw a beautiful and stunning figure of a woman looking up at the sky, standing on a small hill and looking deadpan at the bloody moon.

She's 2.09 meters tall, she has a silvery-red hair that is tied up into a ponytail and the end reaches her waist, she has a broadsword in her back that is bigger and heavier than her, a bow in her left shoulder and quivers on her right thighs, daggers on her waist and a shining silver sword in her hand.

She's fully equipped with weapons but she had no armors or the likes of a protector. Chang Xiuying fearlessly approached the figure as she knew that it's only a simulation. When she got nearer, she finally saw what is the small hill the girl is standing on. However, she didn't twitch or flinch at the sight. She can feel her heart beating louder, feeling the unusual behavior of her heart.

The scene once again changed when the beautiful girl looked at her way with her silvery-red eyes.

It turned back when she's at the establishment building, however, the one she's looking for is gone. She just turned around and decided to go to the place where she was once lived.

...

At the boundary of the Pink Tree, Central Marsh:

Yan Ruo keeps on hesitating whether to step inside or just leave and find an opportunity to give the medicine to Gu Feng. Thinking that this is the only place where the direction of Gu Feng is headed to.

"That old man... you can't really tell if he's senile or not." She shook her head and left. But then, she heard someone quietly cursed. He saw Old Gu Feng standing 5 meters behind her with a furrowed brows.

"Old Gu Feng! So, you're there all along! I have something for you!" She happily declared as she searched inside her storage bag. Gu Feng just stood there impatiently as he's ready to kill the one who said that the Young Lady is wrong in the head.

"Here! This is the medicine that I've obtained from the forest, it will be able to help you to ease your lower back pain. Ah! Also," She retrieved something behind her and handed it over to Gu Feng. "This is the newly repaired storage bag. I remembered that you badly needed one since your's is old and worn out. So, I took the liberty to find our repairman and have it upgraded too with the help of Irene. Please receive this gift."

---------------

On her way out of the forest, she saw Irene holding bushed in her hands and a band of bushes on her head. She slowly approached her and startled Irene with her question, "What in the world of Central Marsh are you doing?"

"Aah!" Irene quickly covered her mouth and agitatedly looked at the direction she's been looking into. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she didn't discover Jiang Hao staring at him. "Aunt Ruo, you scared me. Anyway, I'm not doing anything at all. What makes you ask that?"

Yan Ruo pointed everything weird about her. Irene turned flustered as she denied everything. "Wha-what are you... haha... It's just a mission. I'm really not doing any strange things at all!"

Yan Ruo looked over and saw Jiang Hao putting his clothes on. She smacked Irene's head and scolded her. "Peeking at your very own husband?! What are you doing, child?"

"I-it's not like that! Who-who said about p-peeking?! You peeked too!"

"Aiyo. So both of you still hasn't done the deed?" Yan Ruo snickered at the innocent maiden in front of her.

Irene blushed hard that it reached her neck and her hands trembled. "It-it's really not..."

"Aiyooo. Okay, okay. Then, how about you help me repair and upgrade this storage bag? If not, as you are busy peeking at your husband, I'll spread out wide the reason of why you left the village."

"You..." Irene scornfully looked at Yan Ruo. "Fine! Just meet me at my old home. Aah!" Irene suddenly shouted as she saw Jiang Hao dashing out.

"Sorry, Aunt Ruo, I need to go. Anyway, just take this and it will upgrade the bag!" She threw a crystal and left to chase after Jiang Hao.

Yan Ruo snickered once again before proceeding to venture out of the forest to look for a repairman.

---------------

"Ahahaha! Old Yan, I can't believe you are showing this senile old fool such kindness! Maybe there's something bad that will happen later?!" Gu Feng tried to laugh hysterically as he really can't fight the urge to escape and kill the brat.

"You... is this how you'll repay the kindness of people!?" Yan Ruo became flushed in anger as she cracked her knuckles.

"Ahahaha! Calm down, Old Yan! I did not say that I will not accept this. You see, my back pain has been going on frequently. Much thanks! I shall use this immediately. Such medicine can't wait to be used! Old Yan, I'll leave first!" Gu Feng turned to his way and walked as if he's in pain. When he's far enough, he immediately ran towards the direction where Chang Xiuying is at.

He passed by first the old house he's in and transformed into a small child with a beastly appearance. It's one of the pet species in his home, the Star Wolf. Since he still doesn't want his original appearance to make an entrance to the Young Lady's eyes as it will mostly backlash to him when the time they truly meet comes.

Elodiaren appeared on the spot and glared at the girl who is guarding Chang Xiuying diligently. When she sensed Elodiaren, her eyes sparkled as if she saw her savior. "Boss, she's really wrong-"

"Say that one more time and I'll kill you."

The girl turned silent but her happiness is still not fading. Elodiaren's mouth twitched, he just decided to ignore the girl and walked nearer to the unconscious Chang Xiuying. He placed his hands gently on her forehead but he can't sense anything unusual.

"Boss, I've tried the awakening technique but all it can do is glow her eyes gold. It seems that my skill leveled up."

"What makes you think it leveled up?" Elodiaren gritted his teeth to stay calm. He once again performed the same one the girl performed but his was more complex.

"Because it's gold!"

Elodiaren sighed in frustration. Once he finished his hand seals, the runes appeared and it floated Chang Xiuying. Her eyes opened once again but this time, the glow is red.

"Boss?! You've degraded! That can't be... I am stronger than boss now?!"

"Shut it." Elodiaren's voice pierced through her heart and fear continuously leaked out of it. She sank and never attempted to speak again.

When he saw the girl's behavior, he turned his attention to Chang Xiuying. His eyes softened with worry as he continuously spread his power into Chang Xiuying.

"Suspended Animation..." Elodiaren slowly muttered.

The girl gaped her mouth as she raised her hand and looked at Elodiaren. "Speak."

"If that is the case, it may be possible that there are the constant replaying of memories in her brain. It cuts off all connection and if it is not retrieved by the original caster she would not be able to go back and would remain in the Abyss of Memories for eternity."

"Why haven't you discovered it sooner?"

"I was overwhelmed. Tehee."

"This child... never mind, redirect your amplifying mana. Those two... no, four of them will come."

"But boss, you can reverse this. Why won't you?"

Elodiaren gently patted off the dirt on Chang Xiuying's clothes. "I would love to. But there are so many witnesses that she's entered suspended animation. It would be indeed strange if she was woken up like there's nothing going on in the first place."

...

At the same time, Yao Chen hurriedly met with Jiang Hao. She explained briefly of what happened and he has to help. She also pointed behind a bush and made Irene come out. When they reached the location, the energy reverted back to its previous place and it greatly puzzled Yao Chen. She grabbed Yao Yun to get back quicker, Irene and Jiang Hao also followed the two.

They've finally gotten back and saw Chang Xiuying lying on a soft ground like it was prepared meticulously for her. The mother-and-son pair looked dazed, previously they didn't see the child at all and when they returned, the place was even arranged neatly for her.

'What exactly is going on?' They thought. After recovering from their daze, they did not idle any longer and let Yao Yun settle the things that are meant to be settled. Jiang Hao and Irene also prepared for back up in case it failed.

Yao Yun started to retrieved something inside Chang Xiuying's head.