XH 286 - I am willing

The World Spirit had tossed them at a weird, wet and dark cave. Which was also the breeding ground of the Gu bugs!

"Eww, it looks so disgusting that my hairs are standing up," Xiao Hua whispered with a wrinkled face and rubbed her arms.

"That is the female lead's miracle spring pool!" Heise quickly recognized the large spring pool that emitted fog with dozens of small eggs soaked in it.

"Really?" Xiao Hua scrutinized the pool. It was fortunate that both of them were cultivators and able to see things slightly better in the dark, including things farther away. Because of that, they do not need to risk their lives by going close just to identify it. 

"Why would Fu Chou take it out?" Heise wondered. It was certainly safer to keep the precious spring pool in her spatial jade bracelet.

It was also surprising that the spring pool could be taken out from the spatial jade. 

"Maybe something is wrong with the spatial jade bracelet?" Xiao Hua guessed hopefully. "Did you see anyone around?"

"No. I don't sense anyone other than us here. How stupid of them not to place guards around their precious tool," Heise mocked with a evil grin. 

"Doesn't mean they won't set up dangerous traps," Xiao Hua pointed out.

Heise shrugged without a care. "Well, the World Spirit did a good thing to bring us here." 

The Azure Dragon had let him learn the art of teleportation, one of a basic form of space manipulation. However, he could only teleport to places where he had gone before. But he could always teleport to where the other three celestial beast's vessels were without needing to know their location thanks to the bond between the four celestial beasts. 

Now that Heise has stepped into Gu Dan grounds, he can always come here anytime he wishes and the three other vessels could follow him here! 

Just thinking about it makes his blood boil in excitement!

"Heise, let's destroy those eggs and steal the pool away!" Xiao Hua's eyes gleamed like a thievy cat.

"You can't!" Heise quickly stopped her. "We can't do anything to alarm them! We need to go back, prepare things first before bringing an army here."

"So… let's spy around before leaving?" Xiao Hua suggested. Her fear was nowhere to be found with the reliable Heise with her. 

It was a good idea so they tried to find a way out from their tight space, only that they could not. 

"This might not be an intentional space they made," Heise finally concluded. 

"We can only get out of here by making the hole larger," Xiao Hua said.

Heise shook his head. "We can't do anything now, so let's go back."

The transmigrated duo teleported back to the meeting room, hand in hand, and saw Liang Shan standing at the same spot, seemingly waiting for them. His eyes were back to normal, which meant the World Spirit had gone.

"Liang Shan, you wish to speak with Xiao Hua?" Heise asked. 

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then I will leave both of you some space." With that sudden accommodating decision, Heise stepped out of the meeting room and closed the door behind him. 

Heise actually just wanted to excuse himself to speak with Doctor Bai, Yu Zheng and Long Zhu about his discovery. 

Although Liang Shan was confused why Xiao Hua and Heise would suddenly be missing and then appearing again, he did not ask any question since they were not injured. 

"Is there anything a matter, Sir Liang Shan?"

Liang Shan bowed respectfully. "This monk only wishes to thank the benefactor for saving this monk with your miraculous water."

"That's…" More than two year ago. "It is just a small matter. There's no need to mention it."

Liang Shan shook his head. "You have helped me more than you know. I am eternally grateful for your generosity. I gave my word that I will not speak of this matter to anyone and bring it with me to the afterlife."

What a heavy and depressing promise you made!

But Xiao Hua did not decline it and gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"This is all this monk wanted to say." Liang Shan was going to leave when Xiao Hua stopped him.

"Liang Shan! You… you really would sacrifice your soul to reseal the gate? If the Emperor could not find another solution..." 

One would think Xiao Hua was being cruel for poking people's wounds like that. But Xiao Hua does not have enmity with him even if her husband does. 

Sacrificing people for the greater good never sat well with her, even if she knew his sacrifice was important to protect the world. She would not have asked him if he had not thanked her and showed her goodwill. 

Towards his genuine goodwill, Xiao Hua would not put up a barrier to keep him out. 

Liang Shan's calm eyes wavered, but his heart shook even fiercer. In the temple, only his senior and high monk asked if he was willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of everyone in the world. As expected, his servants could not accept his decision and tried to change his mind but failed. 

But Xiao Hua, who had no relation or good feeling towards him, would ask him that question with a genuine worry coloring her gray eyes. 

It was no wonder that Long Zhu would treasure her so much. 

"I am willing."

His words created a strong bitter taste in her heart, especially when his gaze was clear and without negative feelings. What could she say to someone that had made up his mind?

They decided to end the matter when the outside of the room started to get noisy. The meeting room was sound proof thanks to a special artifact, but it allowed outside noise to enter. Only the eavesdropper could not overhear anything from inside the room.

The door opened and revealed grim faces of Heise, Long Zhu, Yu Zheng and the high monk. 

"What's going on?" Xiao Hua asked no one in particular as she looked around the grim faces.

"Fu Chou and a group of demons once again infiltrated the nameless village," Long Zhu explained as he pulled Xiao Hua to his side.

The High monk had left a small number of monks to guard the village, but they could not compete with the demons. It allowed Fu Chou to bypass them and approached the gate.

"We need to get there right now!" Heise growled in frustration. "High monk and Liang Shan, please head there first. Yu Zheng, can you and Doctor Bai follow them?"

Heise had heard Yu Zheng had easily slayed the demons. Yu Zheng's strength was not simple, and he was likely the only one able to kill all the demons without using all his strength.

But will he help?

Yu Zheng smiled. "Bai Chuan will certainly want to follow along, to help the innocent villagers to evacuate to a safer place." Plus, Doctor Bai's second task was to prevent the demon invasion.

Not going means he was not doing his job properly and will be deducted in points.

Heise turned to Xiao Hua. "I will have you lead a team to attack Gu Dan's base and destroy all the eggs." He does not want their enemies to have backups at golden hour!

"Got it." Xiao Hua will certainly take the spring pool along!

"Third bro-"

"I will be following Xiao Hua," Long Zhu cut off Heise's words and his sentence surprised some of them.

Heise blinked. "Third brother, Xiao Hua will be safe with her guards."

"I will be useless to you if I keep on worrying about my wife's safety while she is inside the enemy's base," Long Zhu explained. "You also don't really need me, with others there to help you to stop the demons."

"Right. We don't need him to win," Yu Zheng smirked, taking the chance to throw some mud on Long Zhu.

Heise snorted and glanced at Xiao Hua, who grinned at him while holding onto her husband's hand. She would certainly feel safer if Long Zhu was there with her.

"Whatever!" Heise snapped childishly. He felt his eye stings from being assaulted by their lovey dovey action. "Once you are done bombing their base, join us!"

Xiao Hua laughed. "Bombing is too much-"

"I want you to bomb it," Heise insisted. 

Xiao Hua's smile died. "That-"

"Just do it," Heise said with finality and hurriedly went around to find people to order around. 

"Gu Dan is indeed pitiful, but war has no good or bad sides, just the victor and the loser." Yu Zheng patted Xiao Hua's head before walking to where his lover was.

The high monk and Liang Shan offered them a bow before following Yu Zheng, who would be using his space technique to send them directly to the nameless village. 

None of them question the mysterious but powerful Lord Yu Zheng's identity.

Seeing Xiao Hua's face filled with conflict, Long Zhu wanted to ease it. "Xiao Hua-"

She shook her head, stopping Long Zhu's words. She does not know what he wanted to say, but she was clear that he does not disagree with Heise's decision. 

"I will do it."

This was war, and the world was at stake. They will need to completely crush Gu Dan and stop them from once again reviving themselves and do evil once more.