Chapter 45: The Demon's Footsteps (Part 2)

  "Unwilling, resentful, and so, you don't think others can get out either?"

  Ning Feng sat in the upwind position, the wind wrapped around his voice, and his voice was mixed with a sigh, making it seem elusive and hard to conceal his anger.

  Shu Bailin finished telling the legend of Zhi Bu Yao, and Ning Feng and Lao Daozi, along with Shu Bailin himself, confirmed that their previous encounter was indeed caused by Zhi Bu Yao.

  On a cold and windy night, the bonfire's flames beckoned travelers to stop, for without it, wouldn't they freeze to death in the Gobi Desert? It was this very thing that wore down people's willpower, ultimately causing those who had ventured out on instinct to freeze to death.

  Those who died of sunstroke, their encounters were also similar.

  This kind of torture and killing is more cruel than direct slaughter, and simply retelling the process can evoke the boundless resentment it contains, which cannot be dissipated.

  "If I myself cannot persist, should everyone else also be stopped in their tracks?"

  "With such a narrow mind and so little ambition, even if you became a demon, you would still be useless."

  Ning Feng coldly made his evaluation, while Shu Bailin and Lao Daozi on the side had complex expressions, neither affirming nor denying.

  They are still reeling from what just happened, but they don't think each other is useless at all.

  "I've heard two other stories similar to this one, with some differences and vastly different endings."

  Ning Feng said this sentence and Shu Bailin came over with interest, saying: "Come on, let's talk, we're all going to take a breather anyway."

  As she spoke, Shu Bailin gazed towards the eastern horizon, still a hazy brightness, without any sign of dawn breaking.

  He would describe his fear of walking alone at night as a need to catch his breath, speaking with confidence and without any hint of embarrassment.

  Ning Feng smiled slightly and began to tell a story in a leisurely tone:

  There was a little girl named Jingwei who played by the seaside and was swept away by the waves.

  After her death, she transformed into a Jingwei bird, spending her whole life picking up small stones and throwing them into the sea, vowing to fill the ocean with mulberry fields so that future generations would not suffer the same fate as hers.

  "There was another woman who grew up by the sea, died in a shipwreck, and her spirit did not disperse. She transformed into a dolphin and rescued countless fishermen, and was revered as Mazu by the coastal people."

  "They are all gods; stop at the foot of the demon, just demons!"

  The tone of Ning Feng's words was full of disdain, and Shu Bailin and the others fell silent. Similar experiences, different approaches, one as a deity, the other as a demon, the contrast was striking.

  "It's daytime!"

  "Let's go."

  The story ended, Ning Feng helped Han Er up and walked towards the rising sun.

  Shu Bailin and Lao Dao exchanged a glance, then hastily followed up.

  "Wait for us~~~~"

  ……

  The sun has just broken through the gloom and risen above the desert, warm like a mother's embrace.

  It's just a matter of time difference, the scorching sun in the Gobi sky makes people want to shoot it down with a bow and arrow.

  Ning Feng and others were sweating profusely.

  Compared with last night's situation, it was just the opposite, but the degree of suffering seemed to be similar.

  At that time, even the bone marrow was frozen into ice, and now the blood is about to boil over.

  The scorching heat became unbearable, just like the sudden inability to tolerate cold.

  "Are you a monster?"

  Ning Feng gritted his teeth, and his eyes were blazing with fury.

  If this light could be turned into substance, I'm afraid it would be unknown where it is, and yet it can still affect their footsteps, all the demons will be reduced to ashes.

  I have walked this road before.

  Lao Dao's hands were placed on his knees, and the sweat had just dripped onto the sandy ground, "hissing" as it instantly evaporated into a mist.

  "Not far ahead, there is a spring bubbling out, a small oasis. We'll go drink some water and then continue on our way, we really can't hold on any longer."

  Shu Bailin's eyes lit up at once, and with difficulty, he dragged his legs towards that direction.

  If it weren't for his unreliable symbol, he would have wanted to shed some more blood and get a new one for himself, as the current one was really worn out.

  "Don't bother."

  Ning Feng's voice was also hoarse, he grabbed Xiu Bailin and stopped in his tracks, sweat pouring out like a fountain.

  "We have water."

  With a loud "thud", the bookcase fell heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of yellow dust.

  Lao Dao and Baizi, Shu Bailin, all stared over with eager eyes. Upon hearing the sound of water, even Han Er, who had been wandering around like a lost soul, began to turn his eyeballs.

  Ning Feng lifted the cloth covering the book chest, reached inside and had just pulled out a sheepskin pouch when Shu Bailin snatched it away from him.

  He took a big gulp of "gurgling" water, and when the sheepskin bag was about to leave his mouth, he turned the opening downwards with great effort, and even the last drop of water that fell out with difficulty made him want to lick it.

  "This is not enough, we still..."

  Shu Bailin hadn't finished speaking when Ning Feng started pulling out bag after bag, two for each person. It wasn't that there weren't enough books, but rather that everyone's hands were full.

  "Is this a bookcase or a treasure chest?"

  Shu Bailin was stunned for a moment, then didn't care about anything else. Gurulu poured down two more bags, and his stomach was bulging before he realized that Ning Feng had started pouring water on his head.

  The precious water source in the Gobi Desert seemed endless in his hands.

  "He won't have stuffed a spring into the bookcase, will he?"

  Shu Bailin was speechless, and soon saw Ning Feng walking towards Han Er, asking in a low voice: "Han Er, did you drink it out? This is the water from your family's sweet dew well."

  "Mr. Han and Da have already gone home, they are waiting for you."

  Han Er, who had been as still as a wooden stump, suddenly took a big gulp of water and tears began to flow from his eyes, unstoppable.

  "Wow!"

  Ning Feng let out a long sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally fell back into his stomach.

  He's afraid that the current Han Er is just a walking corpse. In that case, what's the point of saving him?

  Can be moved, can shed tears, then it is still human, good, good.

  "The scholar is really annoying, bullying people to death." Shu Bailin rubbed his stomach, he really couldn't drink anymore, and muttered: "What kind of sweet dew and well water is this? It's obviously the spiritual spring from some unknown sacred mountain."

  His eyes rolled around, sizing up Ning Feng from head to toe, then looked at the book in his hand, seemingly deep in thought, as if he had just recognized him.

  "We've had enough drinks, let's set off."

  Ning Feng patted Han Er's tear-stained face comfortingly and stood up, saying.

  All along the way without a word, at noon that day, Ning Feng and his party finally walked out of the vast and unchanging Gobi Desert, in front of them was Ganlu Town.

  "Finally..."

  Ning Feng's eyes flickered for a moment, and he slowed down his pace. The four of them walked slowly in a line.

  Han Er didn't say a word, Lao Dao Ba Zi and Shu Bai Ling both fell silent, surprisingly showing no signs of urgency, letting Ning Feng walk at his own pace, slowly moving forward.

  For a moment, the sweet dew settles on the town's entrance, and the townspeople come and go, entering one's line of sight.

  "Big sister."

  Suddenly, a gust of wind called out, and a little girl playing at the entrance of the town jumped up.

  "Big brother~"

  Next to the big girl, there was an old lady who sat kindly and watched the little girl play. The little girl obviously had a very good impression of this big brother who invited her to eat pastries, jumping up and chattering excitedly with the old lady about something.

  Ning Feng took a deep breath and said loudly: "Da Ya, go to Gan Lu Fang and say: Han Er is back."

  Han Er stood behind him, his whole body trembling, opening his mouth but unable to speak, yet the continuously flowing tears were enough to express his excitement.

  The little girl responded with a crisp "yes" and skipped away in the direction of Ganluo Alley, leaving behind a trail of laughter that attracted people along the way.

  Scholar enters Gobi Desert, saves Second Brother Han twice.

  This news spread its wings and flew all over Ganlu Town in an instant.

  Ning Feng turned his head and looked at the three people who had been following him all the way, with a crowd of people gathering behind them at the town entrance.

  The whole town of Ganlu gathered together, and all the townspeople became a backdrop. Ning Feng took to the stage and began to sing an opera.

  "I have to admit, I broke my promise."

  The sound of the wind was so loud that it drowned out even the noisy sounds of the town.

  Across from him, three people facing the rolling waves simultaneously lifted their heads.

  Han Er, Shu Bailin, Lao Daobazi!

  "I said you wouldn't make it past yesterday, but here you are today."

  "Stop right there, you demon! Let's settle this once and for all!"