128: Beast Girl Messenger Qiao Yao

The morning wind blew through the Hospital courtyard, carrying the scent of medicine and soil.

Shen Xiaochuan stood by the tarmac, watching the last transport plane take off and disappear into the clouds.

There were still drag marks from stretchers on the ground, and in some places, bloodstains had dried into a dark brown.

He looked down at the back of his hand; his faith points were still rising, +1 every second, the numbers jumping steadily and coldly.

These points could not save people, nor could they buy back time.

Anna had been taken into the lounge, and the door was closed.

The way she collapsed still flickered in his mind—her eye sockets dark, lips cracked, and fingernails worn down.

The wounded were the same, lying one by one on temporary Hospital beds, their breathing weak, relying on machines to sustain their lives.

People from the Church of the Goddess of Light had come once, saying they had treated everyone they could, and for the rest... they were helpless.

"It's not that we aren't willing to try our best," the priestess in white robes said in a soft voice, "it's that their souls are dissipating, and we cannot save them."

Shen Xiaochuan frowned: "Is there anyone who can save them?"

The other party was silent for a few seconds before saying: "The Goddess of Nature in the Star Spirit Forest might be able to. But she does not see outsiders unless you have a token."

He left as soon as he heard this.

Now, he stood before a dense fog, holding a yellowed teleportation scroll in his hand.

He had found it last night after rummaging through the spoils warehouse; the label read "Star Spirit Forest · Entrance Trial Version."

It was rumored to be unstable and might not land accurately.

But he had no choice.

He flicked his finger, and the scroll ignited with a cyan flame.

A halo of light lit up beneath his feet, and the ground shook.

The next second, the world twisted, and a rushing sound filled his ears.

When he landed, his knees sank, and he almost fell.

He steadied himself and looked up.

Before him was a forest of towering ancient trees, their branches and leaves blocking the sky, with only a few spots of sunlight filtering through.

The air was humid, smelling of a mixture of rotting vegetation and floral scents.

A low growl came from the distance, unlike that of an ordinary beast.

He had just taken a step when there was a rustling sound behind him.

He turned his head and saw seven or eight figures emerging from the tree shadows.

They all looked like women, with long, furry pointed ears, some with tails, and some with beast markings on their faces.

They held bone spears or vine bows, their eyes wary as they slowly surrounded him.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately raised his hands and stood still.

"I have no malicious intent," he said. "I am here to find the Goddess of Nature."

No one responded.

An older Beast Girl stepped forward, sniffed, and frowned.

"A human? A male? No entry allowed here."

"I know the rules," Shen Xiaochuan said, pulling a charred black stone from his pocket.

"But I am not a bad person. Three days ago, I cleared out a demon nest, and this is a remnant core from it. You should recognize this kind of black Qi."

The Beast Girl stared at the stone for a few seconds, and suddenly her pupils constricted.

"The Star Spirit Mark... You kept it?"

"I just dug it out," Shen Xiaochuan said.

"At the time, I saw the remains of your kin inside, so I buried them and carved a mark."

The Beast Girls looked at each other, and the atmosphere relaxed a bit.

The older Beast Girl nodded: "Since you could recognize the identity of the deceased, it shows you didn't just wander in. Speak, why are you looking for the Goddess of Nature?"

"To save people," Shen Xiaochuan said in a low voice.

"I have tens of thousands of wounded on my side whose souls are dissipating, and the Church of the Goddess of Light cannot save them. I heard that only the power of nature can."

The Beast Girls quieted down, some exchanging glances.

"Are you in a hurry?" the older Beast Girl asked.

"Yes," Shen Xiaochuan said. "People are dying every minute."

"Then you won't be able to move that fast," she said, making way.

"Follow me. Remember, don't touch the plants, don't step on the glowing leaves, and don't shout. This forest doesn't like people who are in a rush."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded.

The group walked deeper in.

The path was winding, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves that felt soft underfoot.

The trees on both sides became denser, their roots intertwined, and occasionally he could see a translucent flower glowing faintly.

"That is a Moon Lotus," the leading Beast Girl said softly.

"One petal soaked in water can wake someone who has been in a coma for three days."

Shen Xiaochuan stopped and noted the location.

Further ahead, a fallen tree was wrapped in purple vines, the edges of their leaves shimmering with silver light.

"That is Rejuvenation Vine," the Beast Girl said.

"Tear off a strip to wrap a wound, and even broken bones can be healed."

His heart stirred, and he took out a small notebook to draw a mark.

He thought: If I could bring these back to the Divine Kingdom, I wouldn't have to worry about running out of medicine in the future.

"What are you thinking about?" the Beast Girl asked suddenly.

"Thinking about how to save lives," he said.

"Everything you have here is life-saving out there."

The Beast Girl didn't speak, just sighed.

After walking for over an hour, the fog thinned out.

A clearing appeared ahead, with a lake in the middle, its surface like a mirror reflecting the sky and mountains.

By the lake was a wooden house built on the branches of a large tree, connected to the shore by a vine bridge.

As they approached, a burst of singing drifted over.

The voice was very soft, like wind blowing through leaves, or like a stream flowing over stones.

There were no words, only syllables, yet it made one want to cry.

Shen Xiaochuan stopped.

In the middle of the lake stood a young girl, barefoot on the water, wearing white clothes.

She sang with her head tilted back, her hair moving gently with the sound.

He thought that was the Goddess of Nature.

Just as he was about to step forward, a voice sounded from behind him:

"The person you are looking for is not on the water."

He turned around abruptly.

A woman was standing behind him, less than two steps away, though he hadn't noticed when she appeared.

She wore a light green dress, her hair was as green as leaves, and her eyes were amber, seeming to look right into one's heart when she looked at someone.

"Are you... the Goddess of Nature?"

She nodded: "You've come. For those who are dying?"

"Yes," Shen Xiaochuan said, looking directly at her.

"I beg you to save them."

The Goddess of Nature did not answer and looked at the lake surface: "She is more capable than I am."

Shen Xiaochuan looked in that direction.

The singing girl had stopped and was looking over.

"Her name is Qiao Yao," the Goddess of Nature said.

"She is not a god, nor is she an elf. But she can make those who have just died open their eyes again."

Shen Xiaochuan was shocked.

"Really?"

"Provided that the soul has not yet dissipated," Qiao Yao said, her voice clear.

"If the body is broken, I can repair it. But if the heart has already gone cold, I cannot bring them back."

"The people I bring have heartbeats, they have breath," Shen Xiaochuan said, anxious.

"They can't hold on much longer. They were locked underground for three years, they didn't surrender, they waited until we came to save them. They cannot die now."

Qiao Yao listened quietly.

Then she looked down at her reflection in the lake.

"I haven't been out for a long time," she said.

"The outside world is too noisy, and people's hearts are too chaotic."

"But there are people crying there," Shen Xiaochuan said.

"Not sobbing loudly, but the kind of crying that is stifled in the throat. I heard it, so I came."

Qiao Yao raised her head.

Her eyes changed, no longer vacant, as if she had been moved by something.

"A place where even the songs are crying," she said softly, "I shouldn't pretend not to hear."

After saying this, she walked across the water, her steps so light they created no ripples.

Upon reaching the shore, she bent down and plucked a flower from the lakeside—a Moon Lotus, its white petals glowing faintly.

She tucked the flower into her lapel.

"I will go with you," she said.

The Goddess of Nature stood still, neither stopping her nor speaking.

She raised her hand, and a green light flashed over Qiao Yao's entire body, as if to protect her.

The Beast Girls also gathered around.

Their faces, which had been wary just a moment ago, now showed respect.

A young Beast Girl ran up and handed Qiao Yao a small cloth bag.

"Inside are three stalks of Soul-Guiding Orchid," she said.

"Eat them on the way, and don't tire yourself out."

Qiao Yao took it and nodded in thanks.

Shen Xiaochuan took out the teleportation scroll and spread it on his palm.

"Are you ready?"

She looked at him and nodded.

He flicked his finger, and the scroll ignited.

A cyan light lit up, enveloping them both.

He looked back one last time.

The Goddess of Nature was still standing in front of the wooden house, her figure gradually being swallowed by the fog.

The Beast Girls stood at the edge of the forest, some waving, some bowing in salute.