Chapter 111

(T/N: This novel is translated in the form of split chapters as the chapters are too long and require more detail, so I usually break the chapters into 3 or 4 mini-chapters; it is easier for me to translate as well as to put extra notes to explain the term used by the author.)

Ning Ning was awakened by a burst of screams.

At this moment, the sky was not yet bright, and the sun had not risen. All around was silence, and the horrific scream stood out, like the shrill whistle of a boiling kettle, piercing through the silent night.

The reason why this sound could immediately attract her attention was simple: it was too familiar.

—Although it was out of tune, the ghostly voice, the eerie tone, and the intonation were as sad as if he had seen a ghost apart from He Zhizhou; probably no one else in the cultivation world could produce the exact same sound.

Ning Ning’s drowsiness was completely disrupted by this scream. She abruptly opened her eyes and found Pei Ji, not far away, sitting up from his bedding.

As if sensing her gaze, the young man with long eyelashes looked over.

There was still a hint of sleepiness lingering in his eyes, and a misty gleam floated in his pitch-black pupils.

He looked at Ning Ning without any defense. A few stray strands of hair mischievously brushed against his face, and a hint of red at the corner of his eye complemented the teardrop mole, lacking the aloofness and hostility that kept others at a distance and instead resembling a naive neighbor boy.

Moreover, his clothes were somewhat disheveled, with layers of wrinkles resembling ripples, revealing his slender, pale neck.

Though there was only one person’s distance between them, although Pei Ji had placed his sword between them at some point, barely acting as a 38th line……

(T/N:The 38th Line is a military demarcation line on the Korean Peninsula near 38 degrees north latitude. At the end of World War II, the Allies agreed to use the 38° north latitude line on the Korean Peninsula as the temporary dividing line for the military operations and surrender areas of the Soviet Union and the United States against Japan.)

But now, waking up together and seeing Pei Ji in this state, there was always a sense of sharing the same bed, being inches apart.

Stop stop stop.

What was she, she, she, thinking of such strange things!

Ning Ning blushed at this thought and hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to casually touch her ear.

“That voice just now, was it—”

Pei Ji nodded in response. “It was Senior He.”

Although He Zhizhou had caused trouble for him before, the two of them were not acquainted at that time, so misunderstandings were inevitable.

Moreover, Pei Ji was accustomed to the cold eyes and deliberate antagonism of others since childhood, so he didn’t pay much attention to that incident.

—Everything and everyone around him was insignificant; he didn’t care, so there was no need to bother.

The sudden scream was truly horrifying, and after it stopped, there was silence. Ning Ning worriedly followed Pei Ji as they rushed towards the source of the sound.

The forest was filled with towering, ancient trees that blocked out the sky. Surprisingly, the cave they had been in before was near the edge of the jungle. After traversing through the vegetation for a short while, the scenery suddenly opened up before them, revealing a clear path amidst the dense foliage.

The surging and vast green tide slowly receded, faintly revealing the impending daylight.

Now, before dawn, just on the verge of morning, the sun was held in the mouth of distant mountains, only spilling out a few thin streams of pale light, like water stains flowing on paper, soon covering the entire sky.

The sky was clear like an endless giant mirror, beautifully reflecting under the morning light, resembling a hologram. Several stars dotted it irregularly, some even falling into the lakes outside the forest—

It wasn’t until this moment that Ning Ning understood why this hidden place was called “Water Mirror.”

Looking out, there were five or six interconnected circular lakes. The lake surface was calm and windless, azure like jade. Under the gradually brightening dome, they looked like several round pearls.

The water and sky merged into one color, reflecting the shadows of stars and clouds on the horizon. At first glance, it truly seemed like a thin mirror placed steadily on the ground.

However, as beautiful as this scene was, there was no trace of He Zhizhou, and the surroundings were eerily calm, completely unable to find the source of his screams.

—Although he’s not the most reliable, he couldn’t possibly just stumble and fall into the lake while walking, could he?

Ning Ning was somewhat puzzled, took a few steps forward in confusion, and tentatively called out, “He Zhizhou?”

No one answered.

She approached the lake, making her view clearer.

The dense night had gradually faded away, and the rippling lake was illuminated by the morning light, casting shimmering waves like fish scales. Milky white mist rose all around, obscuring the vision. When she looked down at the lake’s surface, she could see her own reflection.

Ning Ning suddenly paused.

With no wind or waves around, her shadow inexplicably flickered, and behind her came Pei Ji’s low call, “Senior Sister!”

Accompanying this voice was a rush of water breaking—