As a high-ranking cultivator long accustomed to the power and convenience brought by her cultivation, Chu Youtong now found herself completely powerless.
The unfamiliar sensation of hunger left her feeling deeply unsettled.
“It’s over, it’s over! I’m hungry, and I have no strength at all. Even without cultivation, it shouldn’t be like this!”
Chu Youtong wailed loudly, her cries making Su Qianqian a bit irritated.
“If you’re hungry, eat. Quiet down for a while. You’ve lived for hundreds of years, haven’t you? Try to keep your composure.”
Su Qianqian pressed down on Chu Youtong, who was pacing anxiously, and spoke helplessly.
Su Qianqian had grown far more adaptable to their current predicament.
After all, she’d once plummeted directly to the level of an infant, unable even to walk.
Her daily routine now wasn’t much different from that of an ordinary mortal; unless she was in seclusion, she ate and slept as usual.
But that didn’t mean Su Qianqian could feel at ease. The situation here was simply too bizarre!
The sun was bright, birds were singing, flowers were fragrant, and in the distance, a small town was wreathed in rising cooking smoke.
If Su Qianqian saw this scene outside, she would only think the place looked nice.
But seeing it here… all she felt was dissonance and strangeness!
Gazing toward the distant village, Su Qianqian was inexplicably struck by a sense of familiarity.
Deep down, she felt that something important awaited her there—maybe it was the breakthrough they needed!
And staying here was pointless.
Now that she and Chu Youtong had become ordinary mortals, if they stayed here, they’d only starve.
“Let’s go have a look at that village. Maybe we’ll discover something.” Finishing her thoughts, Su Qianqian pointed in the direction of the village.
Seeing that Chu Youtong had no objection, Su Qianqian turned and took the lead, and Chu Youtong hurried to catch up.
Not long after, Su Qianqian heard Chu Youtong cry out behind her: “Ow, my foot!”
Su Qianqian turned back. They were now walking on a path full of sharp stones, and Chu Youtong… wasn’t wearing shoes.
Su Qianqian couldn’t help but cover her face.
This girl had always disliked wearing shoes—when she still had cultivation it was fine, but now, walking barefoot just hurt her feet.
Looking at Chu Youtong’s pitiful expression, Su Qianqian shook her head and squatted down beside her. “Let me carry you.”
“Really? I knew you still love me~”
Delighted, Chu Youtong hopped onto Su Qianqian’s back, making her stagger!
Su Qianqian, a little annoyed, gave Chu Youtong’s bottom a couple of slaps.
“Be gentle, I don’t have any cultivation either!”
“Ha, sorry, sorry~” Chu Youtong apologized, arms around Su Qianqian’s neck.
And so, step by step, Su Qianqian carried Chu Youtong along.
Thankfully, Chu Youtong wasn’t heavy to begin with; otherwise, Su Qianqian wouldn’t have been able to manage.
As she was carried, Chu Youtong softly hummed a tune, feeling that this wasn’t so bad after all~
Walking on, Su Qianqian watched Chu Youtong, who seemed in high spirits. The mood of this “Witch” was as carefree as ever.
To be honest, Su Qianqian’s opinion of Chu Youtong had changed a lot.
Previously, she’d always seen her as a “Mad Girl.”
If there was anything good to say, it was probably that Chu Youtong always had a cheerful attitude— Su Qianqian had never managed to keep up with her way of thinking.
Back at Sword Sect, when Chu Youtong had directly given Su Qianqian her Life Mark, Su Qianqian hadn’t really trusted her, always on guard against Chu Youtong’s unruly nature.
Yet, surprisingly, Chu Youtong had been so obedient that there was nothing to complain about.
Gradually, even Su Qianqian and Lin Muxue had gotten used to having someone like her wandering the Sword Sect all the time.
Thinking back now, Su Qianqian realized she’d unknowingly come to trust Chu Youtong greatly…
She could let her play with her younger sister and daughter, and when a crisis came, would rely on her to protect her family.
She completely regarded her as one of her own.
“Hey, Chu Youtong.”
“Wha~aat~”
“Nothing, I just suddenly felt like calling your name.”
“Eh? Then let’s chat a bit? Don’t worry, relax, this place doesn’t look too dangerous after all.”
“Don’t let your guard down. This is a Forbidden Zone where almost no one survives.”
“Alright, but I’m not afraid of dying~ Being with you makes me pretty happy anyway.”
“But I don’t want to die yet. Let’s go back together, and then I’ll return your Life Mark.”
“Just keep it. You don’t need it anyway, so whether you return it or not doesn’t matter.”
The two of them kept chatting like that, probably saying more to each other now than they had in the entire past month.
In this strange and unfamiliar place, talking more with Chu Youtong was the only thing that could somewhat soothe Su Qianqian’s nerves.
Gradually, Su Qianqian began to gasp for breath, thoroughly exhausted.
Just as she reached her limit, the stony path finally ended, and Su Qianqian set Chu Youtong down.
“Huff… huff, give me… a moment to rest, my body is just… too weak right now…”
Su Qianqian sat down on a large rock by the roadside, panting heavily.
Chu Youtong helped wipe the sweat from her forehead—the two of them looked like children out for a picnic on a nice day.
While resting, Su Qianqian glanced toward the small town nearby.
The sense of familiarity in her memories was growing stronger, and a blurred figure of a young girl appeared in her mind.
The blur on her face was gradually dissipating, and Su Qianqian could vaguely make out a pair of violet eyes…
“Qianqian, are you alright?” Chu Youtong waved her hand in front of Su Qianqian’s face, pulling her consciousness back from the depths of memory.
“Who was that… Why do I feel so sad…?”
No matter how Su Qianqian tried, she couldn’t recall the whole memory.
But as they got closer to the village, her memories truly were gradually awakening.
Su Qianqian hopped off the rock and looked once again at the small town with smoke curling into the sky.
“All rested? Let’s keep moving.”
“Alright, let’s go!”
Chu Youtong replied, skipping to Su Qianqian’s side and tentatively reaching for her hand.
Su Qianqian glanced at their joined hands but didn’t mind.
Seeing Su Qianqian’s silent approval, Chu Youtong relaxed completely, continuing to hum all the way, their clasped hands swinging back and forth.
For a moment, Su Qianqian felt like this Witch of the Hehuan Sect was actually quite pure—but that must surely be an illusion.
The rest of the way wasn’t very long, but since it was all uphill, it still took a good while given their current stamina.
Especially for Chu Youtong, whose feet were really hurting.
The two of them stood at the village entrance, looking in.
Maybe it was mealtime, as there were no villagers walking about outside.
Chu Youtong and Su Qianqian both heard their stomachs rumbling at the smell of food wafting from within the village.
Chu Youtong wiped the corner of her mouth and muttered to Su Qianqian, “Since I started cultivating, this is the first time I’ve ever felt so hungry. So this is what hunger feels like? It’s really unpleasant… So, what should we do next?”
Su Qianqian didn’t reply. After entering this village, her memories had begun to recover much faster.
If she remembered correctly, the two elders at this house by the village entrance were very warmhearted. Perhaps they could first…