Ning Beichen was still flying in the air, being carried by a woman, which made him feel helpless. However, he couldn't voice any objections because Luo Yingying said his speed was too slow.
Ning Beichen resigned himself to it. Yet, he found the angle to be somewhat awkward. Every time he looked up, he could see Luo Yingying's beautiful, delicate face and the scenery faintly revealed within her neckline.
Ning Beichen swore he had no intention of peeking, but he couldn't help but steal a few glances.
Although he saw nothing, it was precisely because he saw nothing that his imagination ran wild, filling his mind with beautiful scenes he conjured himself.
"What are you looking at? Stare again and I'll gouge your eyes out."
Luo Yingying, flying through the air, couldn't possibly miss the guy's actions. She leaned close to his ear and warned him fiercely.
Ning Beichen immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be introverted. It wasn't that he was truly afraid of Luo Yingying; he simply didn't want to get into unnecessary conflict with her.
He couldn't deny Luo Yingying's beauty, but for a beauty that seemed detached from the mortal world, Ning Beichen preferred the mature, elegant style of Liu Yilin and the queenly demeanor of Haitang at home.
Haven't you seen that men who fall for women of excessive beauty rarely have good endings?
Because of beauty, it's tiring.
But Ning Beichen was more inclined to believe that because of beauty, it's tragic.
So Ning Beichen didn't want to be part of that tragic tale.
No matter how beautiful she was, they were all the same once undressed. This guy had swum in a sea of flowers and seen all sorts of women.
As Ning Beichen was lost in his thoughts, Luo Yingying suddenly plummeted from the sky, him in tow, like a falling meteorite.
Fortunately, Ning Beichen was also a strong individual. Otherwise, such an experience of rapid weightlessness could make one vomit for three days and nights.
After landing, Ning Beichen saw a towering, massive mountain peak appear before his eyes.
The lower part of the mountain was shrouded in swirling clouds, but many structures could be vaguely discerned.
"Miss Luo Yingying, is this your sect?"
Ning Beichen asked curiously.
Luo Yingying nodded. Looking at the sect so close at hand, she remained motionless, standing on a large rock as if petrified.
Ning Beichen, watching her dejected silhouette from behind, suddenly felt a pang of pity for this woman.
For a woman who had been sealed for countless years and then resurrected, Ning Beichen could actually understand her feelings. Her hesitation was likely due to a desire to see familiar faces, yet fearing that those people might no longer exist.
Ning Beichen gathered his courage and walked to her side, suddenly reaching out and boldly taking her hand.
Luo Yingying reacted, immediately trying to pull away with a look of anger. But Ning Beichen held on even tighter, looking at her with firm eyes and saying:
"Let's go. No matter what, I'll be with you."
Perhaps it was Ning Beichen's words that made Luo Yingying stop struggling, becoming like a cold beauty.
"Let's go."
Ning Beichen held her hand, without any impure thoughts. It was purely to comfort her, so his gaze was pure. Perhaps this was why Luo Yingying didn't struggle.
Encouraged by Ning Beichen, Luo Yingying slowly walked forward. They reached the cloud-shrouded mountain peak, and only then did Luo Yingying glance at him and say:
"Aren't you going to let go?"
Ning Beichen quickly released her hand and followed behind her, which suddenly gave him a sense of loss.
Not long after, a small wooden house appeared before them. It was nestled against a sheer cliff, with a breathtaking sea of clouds outside.
Living in this small wooden house would be as dreamy as it gets.
Ning Beichen saw Luo Yingying step towards the wooden house. He also noticed that Luo Yingying seemed to have an incredibly familiar sense of the surroundings of the wooden house. This wooden house must hold some special significance for her, otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to come here first.
"This was my home. I grew up here as a child."
Unexpectedly, before Ning Beichen could ask, she began to explain to him on her own.
"I see. You must have been very happy as a child."
Ning Beichen said to her.
"I don't have parents. My master adopted me. My master treated me very well. In my heart, he was my father. It's just infuriating that that great demon killed him!"
Luo Yingying said indignantly.
Ning Beichen's eyelids twitched. He truly didn't know how to comfort her about this. He believed it was a painful wound in her heart.
Creak.
Luo Yingying walked over and pushed open the wooden door. To Ning Beichen's surprise, the wooden house hadn't rotted, and the door could still be opened.
Luo Yingying herself, however, seemed unfazed.
Perhaps, for her, the time she left the small wooden house wasn't that long ago. Then she encountered the annihilation released by the great demon, and everyone else died. She should have died too, but for some reason, she had survived.
There were very few things inside the wooden house: only a table and a bed. But as Luo Yingying reached out to touch the table, she saw it suddenly turn to dust. All she grasped in her hand was some ash, which left her completely stunned.
A crystal-clear tear fell, leaving a streak on Luo Yingying's face.
Ning Beichen watched, his heart aching. He wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how.
Although the small wooden house still stood, everything inside had decayed. A mere touch would turn it to dust, leaving Luo Yingying heartbroken.
"No, no..."
Luo Yingying murmured to herself. She hurriedly walked out of the wooden house, not even saying goodbye, and ignoring Ning Beichen, she flew directly towards the buildings above.
Ning Beichen quickly followed her by sword flight. Soon, Ning Beichen landed on the ground and saw that the massive buildings were empty, devoid of any life, only the smell of decay.
Although Ning Beichen had been mentally prepared, seeing these once glorious places reduced to decay still saddened him, let alone Luo Yingying.
"Junior disciples..."
"Senior brothers..."
"Senior sisters..."
"Junior sisters..."
"Elders, where are you all?"
"Ah!!!"
Luo Yingying let out a heart-wrenching roar. Tears streamed down her face, falling to the ground.
There was no one here. No senior or junior disciples, no elders, no sect leader. Not a single soul. Only silence and desolation.