A wet, but soft warm body fell into his arms, slowly sliding downwards. A hand extended, unafraid of the filth on her body, and pulled Shen Li into his embrace. Her hand that bloodied his face gently fell to her side before being caught by another.
His hand flipped her's as his fingertips felt for her pulse.
The man clothed in white frowned,
"Where is the field camp?"
Shang Bei quickly stepped forward.
For a lady yet to be wed, it was naturally inappropriate to be in a man's embrace. Shen Li's purity must stay untouched.
But when he sensed the heavenly power surrounding the white clothed man, Shang Bei realized that he must've been the messenger sent by Heaven.
They would naturally be no rush to bring Shen Li back.
But Heaven. . . Only sent one person down!?
"Your excellency is?"
"Sky Beyond Heaven, Still Water Pavilion, Ancient God Xing Zhi."
Although the people of the Demonic Realm didn't know anything about the Sky Outside Heaven and weren't familiar with the Still Water Pavilion, the whole universe knew about Xing Zhi, the only living Ancient God; and the very same god that arranged Shen Li's marriage. . .
Shang Bei immediately turned respectful. If it was his word, then it must be taken seriously .
"I must apologize. I've spent too long in the mortal realm so I had gotten a bit lost after not visiting for a while and was late."
Shang Bei fell silent.
It wouldn't be a good idea for him to be impolite in return to his politeness.
He ordered,
"Clear the battlefield and assist the injured soldiers together to the field camp!"
He quickly stepped to Xing Zhi's side and reached out a hand as he said,
"I do not dare to trouble sire, and will carry King instead."
"No."
Xing Zhi's body twisted, evading Shang Bei's outstretched hands,
"There's no harm if I hold her.
She came to me herself."
Once spoken, he paid no further heed to Shang Bei and quickened his pace forward, before suddenly turning his head to look at Shang Bei,
"Ah right, where is the field camp?"
Shang Bei fell silent.
Sky Beyond Heaven's Sir Xing Zhi, his temper. . .really. . . is unique.
¤¤Ʊ¤¤
The sunlight rocked along with the swing of the green leaves. The breeze was cool, the scent of herbs waffling through the air. She slowly sat up to see an azure clothed white man, rocking leisurely on the rocking chair. This sound perfectly finished the tranquil scene.
The rocking chair slowly stopped. The man turned his head to look at her, quietly looking at her,
"What's wrong? Hungry?"
"No."
Her usually straight back was hunched, bending over slightly.
Her lips forced a smile,
"I'm only. . . tired."
Her head felt hot. A warm palm rubbed her head gently,
"Rest. It'll be okay."
"Hmm"
She quietly closed her eyes.
However, she quickly opened them once again, her arm reaching out only to grab emptiness,
"Wait!"
Shen Li woke up.
Her body was aching painfully, and her left hand clutched her the wound on her shoulder tightly . She couldn't help but moan in pain.
"K-King? King, what's the matter?"
Shen Li fixed her gaze on the speaker. A small soldier was looking at her in shock, almost in a panic. She disregarded him for now and looked at her surroundings, discovering that she was lying down on a bed within one of the field camp's tents. The pain wracking her body was so intense that it felt as if her body would fall apart at any given moment. She didn't even need to look down to know that her body must've been wrapped with bandages like a mummy!
Although she knew that she should've been quietly recuperating, Shen Li just couldn't stay still after seeing the memories flow in her dreams.
"Help me up."
The little soldier hurriedly raised his hand,
"King, cannot.
That. . . that person has said you cannot move around heedlessly."
Deciding this and that, it must be the dumb army doctor.
Shen Li secretly disdained him, but didn't continue to force him, but instead asked,
"Do you have the statistics on how many soldiers perished in duty?
Did you send off the souls of the deceased?
How is General Mo Fang's injury doing?"
Being shot with these rapid-fire questions one after another, the little soldier began to grow panicked and rushed to the exit, leaving a call,
"I will hurry and notify the General!"
Shen Li slammed her fist against the bed unhappily,
"It's not like I'll eat you!
Hsssh!
Ow. . . pain. . . "
"Ah."
A laugh suddenly sounded from somewhere outside, causing Shen Li to feel startled, unable to even see who it was from inside the tent.
She frowned, about to make an inquiry about the speaker when the flap leading in opened, revealing Mo Fang who was also covered in bandages tip to toe. He entered, leaning on his walking stick to slowly shuffle to Shen Li.
When he saw Shen Li with her eyes open, he breathed a sigh of relief, finally letting loose of all the tension in his heart before speaking,
"King. . . Are you okay?"
For a moment, Shen Li was surprised before quickly smiling, and said:
"Mo Fang, these words should also be asked to you."
Shen Li looked at him, his bandaged body cutting him as a rather sorry figure. Her own body covered by bandages ached in response.
Suddenly, she smiled,
"I just remembered, a few days ago, the me who was quarreling with the Demon Emperor had previously said that the Sky Beyond Heaven was nothing great, and just sealed in a few demonic beasts.
He even wanted us to guard that Space-Time Rip seal for them! Now experiencing it myself, I really want to curse my own stupidity!
In that Space-Time Rip, it was only a little beast! Inside, there must've been thousands more, far worse, but they're all sealed up! He truly does deserve the three realms respect, ah!"
Shen Li has not yet finished settling her feelings when she saw Mo Fang suddenly throw his walking stick to the side and bow down lowly as he kneeled.
Ignoring all the risks of agitating his wound further, he prostrated himself in front of Shen Li,
"Causing the King to have such a serious wound, Mo Fang deserves to be damned."
Shen Li was startled but then fell silent, her demeanor turning entirely cold.
Her voice was crisp,
"In accordance to your own argument, this King must deserve to die, and even 10,000 deaths would not suffice for my previous mistake.
These brothers who have died together in the battlefield is because I have not protected them well enough.
They have lost everything, including their own lives and future."
¤¤Ʊ¤¤
"It naturally cannot be blamed on the King!" Mo Fang raised his head,
"Fighting and executing the demonic beast, it was the King's merit!
How could they blame it on. . ."
At this, Shen Li sighed.
Her voice was gentle as she said,
"As such, get up.
No one can blame you for this incident."
The rims of Mo Fang's eyes heated up. He bit his lip tightly and lightly knocked his forehead onto the ground. For a very long time, he didn't raise his head even a little bit.
"King is unclear. . . It is Mo Fang that cannot forgive himself."
When he was awake and found out of Shen Li's wound and the coma she fell into, he was frantic, rushing to her.
Seeing her covered in wounds, her breathing faint and almost unnoticeable, he. . .Mo Fang fell quiet .
"You are injured.
So, I cannot forgive myself."
Hearing him say those words so suddenly, Shen Li sucked in a breath of cold air, starting at Mo Fang,
"Mo Fang, you. . . You cannot. . . "
"Within Mo Fang's heart, King has always been there."
Since slaughtering through enemy lines and obtaining her first merit, Shen Li never had the same appearance as a normal woman of the Demonic Realm, had never understood what feelings other normal women of the Demonic Realm felt.
But one day, when she wore an embroidered skirt, one of the feudal lords, sized her up with a panic-stricken look before shouting:
F***!
Before running away in extreme fear.
Since then, she had never touched a woman's garments again.
But today, seeing a man from the Demonic Realm express his feelings to her, Shen Li only felt shock and disbelief,
"You. . . It must be that the toxins from the fox made it up to your brain, making you confused right?"
"Mo Fang's head is very clear."
Looking as if he wanted Shen Li to directly cut open his heart to take a look at his feelings, Mo Fang decided to speak frankly,
"Mo Fang likes the King. Mo Fang likes Shen Li."
Shen Li's breath was stuck in her chest, almost choking. But seeing Mo Fang's clenched jaw and determined expression, Shen Li's face sunk, solemnly speaking to him,
"Out of the question."
Mo Fang raised his head to look at her, but only saw her grim face,
"This is not good. I want you eliminate this sentiment and eradicate those thoughts.
This is a military order."
Mo Fang fell into silence once again.
Finally, his jaw clenched and he kowtowed lowly,
"Yes ."
At this moment, although inside the tent it was silent, Shang Bei's flurried shouts could be heard suddenly from the outside,
"Ah! God Xing Zhi Sire, don't go in now, ai!"
"Why?" When this word was spoken, a slender finger brushed the entrance of the tent, opening it.
Shen Li fixed her eyes on the entrance. Against the light, a white silhouette was just craning its head around to speak with someone behind it.
His long robe dragged, giving the people of the Demonic Realm a rather cumbersome impression.
However, it is this cumbersome display that gives off the sense of aloofness, a disdain from worldly affairs.
"This, this. . ." Through the small crack, General Shang Bei managed to see that it was silent as Mo Fang kneeled in front of Shen Li, head bent.
He sighed reluctantly,
"Forget about it, it's nothing."
As Sir Xing Zhi slowly walked inside the tent, Shen Li's face became somewhat stupid. Before she fell into her earlier coma, she had walked towards that white figure, that man. Earlier she had thought it was just an illusion, but it truly was her
"Xing Yun".
"You. . . "
Upon seeing Shang Bei come in and grab him, Mo Fang hurriedly got up from the floor. He clutched his hands tightly, only to sense that it was covered with cold sweat.
Icy cold sweat.
Shang Bei gently sighed in his heart, then turning to talk with Shen Li,
"King, this is Sky Outside Heaven, Sir God Xing Zhi, who came to reinforce the seal on the Space-Time Rip."
"Xing Zhi. . .Sir God?" Shen Li struggled to get up, but Xing Zhi stepped forward and gently pushed her body down,
"The wounds will reopen."
"Have you ever been in the mortal realm?" Shen Li asked,
"You don't know Xing Yun?"
Xing Zhi just pulled the quilt over Shen Li's body, his words holding a sense of indifference,
"Do not know."
He took out Shen Li's wrist that was tucked inside the quilt, softly measuring on her pulse.
After a long while, he finally said:
"Your breathing is much steadier."
Shen Li was still as she looked at him. The two pairs of eyes met.
Xing Zhi smiled faintly,
"The long famous Azure Sky King is truly brave, fierce. Seeing her now, your heroic spirit really makes one admire you.
But no matter how good the foundation, it won't do if you act recklessly.
So, I ask King for the sake of her people, to take care of your own body."
A foreigner's greeting was said so interestingly, and quite pleasant to listen to as well. Shen Li's eyes twinkled, but she immediately vanished it.
Her expression turned peaceful, "Thank you for your troubles, Sir God."
He is not Xing Yun.
When comparing facial features, Xing Zhi's seemed much more sharp, his figure was taller, and had a cold air around him that Xing Yun didn't. Xing Yun's temperament was indifferent but still treated everybody with fair etiquette. But this man, looking at his conduct, was used to ruling and oppressing others year-round.
"Also, I have to be here for quite some time. I haven't come here for millennia, and don't know what has changed around here .So first I need to explore the area to get a general layout of the topography before I enter the Space-Time Rip ruin .
At that time, I must have King guide me around .
Hearing what was said, all 3 people in the tent were startled. Shang Bei said,
"Sir God, if you need someone to guide you around, then the soldiers within the army are all very familiar with the topography of this land, and I'm sure they can serve you in some way.
Right now, King is seriously injured, and I'm afraid she'll have to rest for quite some time."
"General does not need to worry. I myself will be personally taking care of King's health. In no less than three days, she will be able to move around freely. There is no harm for her to lead me around, and activity is also helpful to her physical and mental health."
Mo Fang frowned,
"This humble one wishes to substitute for King to lead Sir God around the area."
Xing Zhi's gaze leisurely fell onto Mo Fang.
As he looked at him, Xing Zhi smiled lightly,
"No, I'll have her lead the way."
Seeing Mo Fang's fists clenching tightly, the curve on his lips grew.
Shen Li hurriedly spoke up, "Well then, thank you for your care during the next three days."
"It's decided upon . "
Leaving Shen Li's tent, Shang Bei took Mo Fang to another nearby tent. Xing Zhi walked alone in the field camp. Moving by a tent, he suddenly saw a little soldier staring at him in alarm. Pondering, he turned around and looked at him.
The soldier immediately tried to run away:
"Halt." Xing Zhi called him.
The small soldier immediately stopped moving. Xing Zhi arrived by his side and gently rapped the side of his head .
"Forget."
A picture flashed in the little soldier's mind unexpectedly. He entered King's tent to pack up the supplies but was surprised to find a white figure sitting by King's bed.
"Tired. . . "
"Rest. " He touched the King's head.
"It'll be okay."
Suddenly aware someone came in, the man in white turned his head.
He put his index finger on his lips, making a gentle "shh!" sound.
His figure disappeared.
Suddenly, the King woke up, shouting loudly,
"Wait!!"
The little soldier opened his eyes and saw a white-clothed figure pass by him.
He gave him a somewhat fuzzy impression, but he couldn't remember it clearly. The little soldier scratched his head, feeling a little confused, but he also couldn't say where he was confused. He just gazed at his departing back, before suddenly remembering that he needed to pack up the supplies in King's tent!
¤¤Ʊ¤¤
Note: For clarification purposes, this book places heavy emphasis on the difference between normal immortals and actual gods .
You can kind of view it as,
1 . Ancient God
2 . Gods
3 . Immortals
4 . Sprits, which is why they address Xing Zhi as "Sir God"