Drip, drip, drip...
Crimson blood flowed continuously into Bai Ran's mouth. Her complexion began to improve, and the wound on her abdomen healed rapidly.
"It's working!" Xuan Yuan rejoiced. "Quick, carry her into the house!"
Bai Ran was carried into the academy by several elders. Zhuque, however, transformed back into a small ball and stared intently at Xiao Zi's corpse.
"I will kill the sneak attacker... I will slice him into a thousand pieces..." she mumbled, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.
Ting Lan gritted his teeth. "Together..."
Fang Tianhui gasped. "No! You can't!"
Ting Lan turned, his eyes icy. "You know who it is, don't you?"
Fang Tianhui clapped a hand over her mouth, shaking her head desperately.
A flash of red light, and Zhuque transformed into human form. Baring her teeth, she grabbed Fang Tianhui by the neck and lifted her.
"Speak! Who ambushed Master!" The beautiful being was now in a furious rage.
Fang Tianhui's face turned red, struggling to breathe. "I... don't know..."
Her grip tightened rapidly, her neck quickly turning bruised and purple. "Master has always taken care of you, protected you..."
"And it was because of your letter today that she rushed to help you!"
"Yet now you repay kindness with enmity! You harbor the enemy!"
"I've had enough!" Zhuque's eyes were bloodshot. "You don't deserve to be by Master's side at all!!!"
"Nnngh—!" She couldn't breathe!
Fang Tianhui struggled desperately, but how could a few people escape the power of an ancient divine beast...
At this moment, a hand gently rested on Zhuque's. It was Xuan Yuan.
"Little Bai hasn't woken up yet," he sighed. "No matter what mistake she's made, let's wait for her to wake up first."
Hearing this, Zhuque narrowed her eyes, casually tossed the person she held, and turned into the academy.
Ting Lan cast a cold glance at Fang Tianhui and followed Zhuque into the academy.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Fang Tianhui coughed violently, gulping in air.
"Dean..." She bit her lower lip tightly, her voice choked with emotion.
Xuan Yuan, hands behind his back, gazed at the academy. "It must be that Qin family brat, right..."
Fang Tianhui, upon hearing this, desperately wanted to explain but was interrupted.
"Only he could make you shield him like this. You don't need to rush to explain. If he really did it, neither you nor I can change anything."
Instantly, Fang Tianhui's heart sank to the bottom.
Meanwhile, in the lower realm, the bodies of all the demonized humans had been cleared. Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, and a host of ghosts were all heading towards Star-Picking Academy.
Jing Feng's heart pounded constantly, a nagging feeling that something had happened.
He sped towards Star-Picking Academy. As soon as he entered, rows of students and elders gathered before a particular house.
"What happened?" His heart leaped into his throat.
Zhuque turned her face away. "Master... was ambushed..."
He froze on the spot. "Miss Bai? Ambushed..."
Snapping back to reality, Jing Feng became incredibly furious. "Who! Who did this!!!"
Fang Tianhui lowered her head, afraid to speak.
Just then, Qin Mu Bai arrived...
"Mu Bai!" Fang Tianhui suddenly raised her head. "Quick, tell them! It wasn't you!"
Zhuque clenched her fists, staring intently at him.
All eyes were now fixed on him.
*Thump!* Qin Mu Bai suddenly knelt, his head heavily hitting the ground!
"Mu Bai...?" Fang Tianhui stared at him blankly. "What are you doing...?"
"I..." Qin Mu Bai bit his lip until it bled. "I..."
"I'm sorry, Bai Ran..."
"It really was you!" Xuan Yuan exclaimed in shock. "Did the Qin family brat really do it???"
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd. They knew Qin Mu Bai's character; it was impossible for him to harm Little Bai, let alone sneak attack her!
Zhuque flashed forward and quickly grabbed Qin Mu Bai by the neck. "It was you!!!"
"How could you face Master!!!"
Xiao Zi... Xiao Zi sacrificed her life for Master...
Everything... was caused by the person standing before them...
"I'm going to kill you!!!" Zhuque's eyes were bloodshot, and she raised her right hand, ready to strike Qin Mu Bai.
But at that moment, Bai Ran's voice echoed from within the room. "Let them in."
"Master... Master is awake!" Zhuque whipped her head around, looking at the room with excitement.
"Qin Mu Bai and Fang Tianhui, let them in."
Zhuque paused for a long moment before finally releasing her grip. "Hurry up and go!"
Qin Mu Bai remained rooted to the spot, afraid to face Bai Ran.
"I said go!" With Zhuque's temper, she grabbed the two and threw them into the room, then shut the door.
Silence reigned within. Bai Ran's lips were pale, and she still looked somewhat weak.
She sat on the bed, looking at the two calmly.
"Was it you?" she asked Qin Mu Bai.
Qin Mu Bai immediately knelt, his silence conveying everything.
"Sister Bai, he had no choice..." Fang Tianhui anxiously wanted to explain.
"I'm asking him!" The icy words sent a shiver through Fang Tianhui, and she dared not speak further.
"Answer, yes or no."
Qin Mu Bai buried his head low, and a muffled voice replied, "Yes..."
Bai Ran's gaze swept over the faint spiritual energy fluctuations on his shoulder. "You weren't in control, were you?"
"Yes..." Qin Mu Bai answered honestly, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
"You were controlled by the demonized humans," Bai Ran stated directly. "The leader of those demonized humans was an expert in mental power."
Hearing this, Fang Tianhui breathed a sigh of relief, but Bai Ran's next words plunged her into an icy abyss.
"Fang Tianhui, I ask you, if only one of Qin Mu Bai and I could live, who would you choose?"
"Sis... Sister Bai, what are you talking about?" She looked at Bai Ran in disbelief. "A question like this..."
Utterly cold, Fang Tianhui was stunned. She had never seen Sister Bai look at her with such an expression...
"Human hearts are like a scale."
"Once you have someone you cherish, the other side will naturally tip up and become lighter."
"You just got married, and you're pregnant. You cherish Qin Mu Bai, and I can understand that." Bai Ran picked up the letter. "But you shouldn't have, you absolutely shouldn't have..."
"Used me."
The letter was forcefully thrown to the ground. "Your purpose in calling me here is self-evident, isn't it?"
Fang Tianhui's body trembled. "Sister Bai... I didn't... I..."
Her nose stung, and she knelt down as well. "I'm sorry..."
"I'm sorry..."
The lower realm was attacked by demonized humans, and Star-Picking Academy suffered a catastrophe.
Xuan Yuan, Elder Hong, Bai Zhantian, Murong Chen... they all knew Bai Ran's strength. They feared the demonized humans, but they feared Bai Ran getting into trouble even more.
Therefore, none of the people in the lower realm familiar with Bai Ran sent her a message, because their greatest hope was for Bai Ran to remain safe in the middle realm.
But Fang Tianhui feared for her child's safety and thought of Bai Ran.
She believed that as long as Bai Ran arrived, she and her child would be safe...
She had used her relationship with Bai Ran, hoping to leverage Bai Ran's power to protect herself and her child...
She was wrong, completely and utterly wrong...
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry..." Fang Tianhui kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down her face.