Chapter 544: It was unexpected, but she was woken up by anger

In her slumber.

Tang An's primordial spirit hand twitched slightly.

She should have been plunged into an endless sleep, but in her dream, she suddenly shared a perspective with Jiuyue, which gave her a glimmer of reaction.

Through Jiuyue's perspective, she saw Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, and Nezha all tending to her injuries.

Yet Jiuyue's gaze was fixed upon the Purifying World Green Lotus.

"How could this be..."

How could she be sharing a perspective with Jiuyue?

Why were they all injured?

Was there war in the Heavens again? Or did the Jade Emperor hold a grudge and target the Qingqiu Fox Clan?

"Jiuyue, I shall go fetch some Ginseng Fruit to make up for your lost longevity."

Longevity? Ginseng Fruit?

An incense stick of time later.

After eating the Ginseng Fruit, Jiuyue clearly felt more comfortable and less frail.

Yang Jian asked, "Why has your appearance not recovered even after eating the Ginseng Fruit?"

Jiuyue beckoned for a mirror, allowing Tang An to see the same scene.

How... how did Jiuyue's face become like this? Who hurt her so badly?

Within the Purifying World Green Lotus, the Heaven and Earth Fetal Pearl trembled slightly.

Jiuyue looked at herself in the mirror, stroking her cheek.

"Sister... if you saw Jiuyue like this, would you be frightened? Would you avoid me from now on?"

Tang An was anxious. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"What exactly happened? Who hurt you like this?"

Tang An was frantic, slapping at the intangible light screen, but they could not hear her.

She was currently sharing Jiuyue's perspective and could only fret in vain.

"Where is Wukong? Where is Yang Jian? Where is Nezha? Didn't I tell you all to protect her well and not let anyone bully Jiuyue?"

Perhaps sensing something, Jiuyue looked toward Sun Wukong.

The once high-spirited Wukong now had a steady gaze, no longer as unruly or playful. His eyes held a hint of gloom as he looked at the Purifying World Green Lotus.

"What happened? Wukong, he..."

Jiuyue then looked toward Yang Jian. Yang Jian sighed, his eyes filled with unspeakable vicissitudes, his brows heavy with melancholy.

He simply took out a flask as usual, filled it with spiritual liquid, and handed it to Nezha.

"Third Brother."

"This spiritual liquid is beneficial to you; stop drinking tea in place of wine."

Nezha took the flask and walked into the courtyard.

The autumn wind blew down withered yellow leaves, making his back look desolate and lonely.

He leaned against the Purifying World Green Lotus as usual, drinking the "wine" in large gulps to vent the suppressed emotions in his heart.

"You all..."

Tang An had thought she had finally found liberation.

She never expected that her departure would become a cage, trapping them all on Huashan.

"Third Brother."

"Brother Nezha."

"Second Brother."

Following their calls, Tang An looked toward Nezha.

He was using a small knife to carve into his own chest, skillfully and numbly extracting his heart-blood.

And when Jiuyue rushed over, Tang An saw on Nezha's chest...

Those hideous scars, carved who knows how many times.

"What are you doing? What are you doing!"

Nezha seemed unable to perceive pain at all; it was as if only by hurting himself could he alleviate the pain in his heart.

Tang An had experienced that state herself; how could she not understand?

"Are you crazy?"

"Stop carving, do you hear me? Let go!"

No matter how Tang An shouted, they could not hear her.

She could only watch helplessly as Nezha hurt himself, using the heart-blood essence—stripped of its bloody scent—to nourish the Purifying World Green Lotus, humbly hoping for the miracle of her awakening.

"Are you an idiot?"

"And you all, what are you doing, one by one? Huh?"

"Who told you to imprison yourselves? I went to such great lengths just to let you live; what exactly are you doing!"

But no matter how Tang An tried to scold them into clarity, they could not hear her.

Tang An took a deep breath, and in a fit of rage, she shattered the perspective and awakened her primordial spirit from its silence.

The moment her primordial spirit flew out of the Purifying World Green Lotus, Sun Wukong and the others sensed her aura.

In that instant, she saw tears of excitement in their eyes—tears that were complex, filled with endless bitterness.

The words Tang An wanted to use to lecture them were stuck in her throat.

"Sister, you're awake?"

"You're finally awake..."

Jiuyue flew over and stood before Tang An, crying like a child.

"You don't know what I went through all these years to practice the forbidden arts..."

"But it doesn't matter; you're awake, you're finally awake, you're finally... finally awake..."

Jiuyue poured out all her longing and grievances, crying and laughing, gasping for breath.

Tang An stroked Jiuyue's face with heartache, though she still could not touch her.

But it didn't matter; as long as she was awake, it was enough for Jiuyue.

"Didn't I tell you all to take good care of Jiuyue?"

"You didn't even stop her when she was acting recklessly."

Tang An's tone was reproachful, yet filled with unspeakable heartache.

Sun Wukong's eyes were filled with tears as he walked over with a smile. "Master, your auspicious omen should be looked after by yourself."

"I never raised a little fox since I was young; it was only because I trusted you, Master, that I took on the task of caring for Jiuyue with these two."

Their eyes met, and both burst into tears and laughter.

Indeed, how could she expect a monkey, a Judicial God who managed the Heavenly Law, and a ruthless killer who spared no one to take care of a cute, soft, and adorable little fox?

"Master." Yang Jian walked over, looking at Tang An with deep emotion.

"You're awake."

"Yes, I'm awake."

Yang Jian nodded, seemingly wanting to say a thousand words, but as he lowered his head, it turned into tears and a smile of relief at her return.

Tang An gave each of them a big hug. Although she couldn't actually touch them, she felt they all needed this hug—a hug that had been missing for who knows how many years.

She didn't know what they had been through all these years, but that kind of torment must have been unbearable.

"Sister, you won't fall into a deep sleep again, will you?"

"Otherwise, Jiuyue's appearance really won't be saved." Jiuyue pouted and acted spoiled; if she hadn't been unable to touch Tang An, she would have clung to her by now.

"Enough, I won't sleep anymore."

Hearing these words from Tang An, Jiuyue let out a long sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to excessive exhaustion, severe injuries, or the fact that she had held her breath for nearly a thousand years and suddenly let go.

With a moment of carelessness, she fainted.

"Jiuyue!"

"Don't worry, Master." Yang Jian caught Jiuyue, who had reverted to her fox form. "I will take Jiuyue to heal with Brother Wukong."

"Yes, yes." Sun Wukong was very perceptive, so he quickly agreed with Yang Jian, and the two left with Jiuyue.

In this place, only Nezha and Tang An remained.