Chapter 2176 - 2177: The Whereabouts of the Fire Spirit Fruit
Chapter 2176 - 2177: The Whereabouts of the Fire Spirit Fruit
Although Lin Chen did not directly agree to Meng Shan's request, to Meng Shan at this moment, his words were already excellent.What she feared was wandering aimlessly, like a few days ago, not knowing where the road lay. But now Lin Chen had clearly given her a direction, allowing her to have a glimmer of hope for the future.
"Let's eat first."
Lin Chen ruffled Meng Shan's slightly disheveled hair and handed the roasted meat to her.
She ate as if she hadn't had a meal in days, her hungry stomach devouring the giant beast's meat Lin Chen had prepared, leaving nothing behind.
This sight, however, made Lin Chen feel infinitely relieved, as it showed that Meng Shan had already let down her guard.
Once she was full, Lin Chen tidied up the clearing in the forest and settled her on one side, using the gentle firelight to coax her into sleep.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen sat in meditation and cultivation beside her, with half of his consciousness sinking into his sea of knowledge, while the other half cautiously monitored his surroundings. Being in the forest, Lin Chen had to stay vigilant.
"Dad... Mom..."
As Meng Shan rested, she muttered softly, her tender hands moving in the air as if to drive away or to embrace the emptiness above.
"Sigh..."
Lin Chen sighed gently, then stepped forward and held Meng Shan's hands, the warmth in his palms gradually calming her restless emotions with his touch.
Her small face was much more at ease, her head slightly tilted, breathing evenly. Only the tear stains at the corners of her eyes bore witness to the nightmare she'd just had.
...
The next morning, Lin Chen set off with Meng Shan.
This place was still some distance from the Green Ripple Sect, and returning Meng first and then coming back clearly wasted too much time. It was better to take Meng Shan along, find the herbs, and then return.
Anyway, with Lin Chen's current strength, as long as he didn't encounter overly formidable enemies, he could still retreat safely.
"Big brother, what kind of herbs are you looking for?"
Along the way, Meng Shan followed behind Lin Chen, asking.
Lin Chen pondered and didn't quite know how to explain it to Meng Shan, as he wasn't very knowledgeable about pharmaceutics. Instead, he handed over the note written by Chen Jie to Meng Shan, saying, "It's these, though I've already found many herbs inside, only a few are left that give me a headache now."
Lin Chen was somewhat troubled, especially about the Spirit Fruit. This place was dense with mountains and forests, filled with a chilling aura. The place where the Spirit Fruit grew, however, was extremely fiery.
Clearly, it was difficult to find here.
"This fruit... I think I've seen it somewhere."
Meng Shan pointed to the Spirit Fruit, speaking hesitantly in a low voice, "It was about ten miles from our village, on a mountain clearing, where there used to be this fruit."
"Where is that? Take me there quickly!" Lin Chen's face lit up with joy.
But his expression made Meng Shan hesitant; she lowered her head slightly, showing a trace of struggle, and then said, "But there are many fire monkeys living there, each exceptionally fierce. In the past, villagers tried to pick the peculiar Spirit Fruit for medicine but ended up being beaten up and vomiting blood..."
This was what concerned Meng Shan. No matter how she'd thought, she didn't want Lin Chen to be in danger.
Otherwise, who would teach her the Immortal Law, who would take her to the sect?
Lin Chen squatted down, ruffling her hair. From her eyes, Lin Chen naturally understood Meng Shan's worry. But this trip was precisely for this reason, and besides, if he couldn't handle a few fire monkeys, how would he deal with future enemies?
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. If our strength vastly differs, we can always make a timely retreat," Lin Chen comforted.
Under Lin Chen's assurance, Meng Shan agreed to accompany him.
Though young, she knew the terrain around the village well, even if they'd run quite far. But when Lin Chen lifted her into the tall trees and she stood atop the treetops, scanning the forest, Meng Shan managed to locate the clearing she'd mentioned.
Meng Shan's body was weak, and the location she mentioned was still thirty to forty kilometers away, quite far.
So Lin Chen casually carried Meng Shan on his back and, under her guidance, sprinted swiftly in that direction.
Because of the speed, a piercing wind roared in Meng Shan's ears, and the rushing wind caused her somewhat tattered clothing to expose her body to the cold.
But she said nothing, merely wrapping her arms around Lin Chen's neck, her cheek resting tightly against Lin Chen's broad shoulder. The warmth emanating from it made Meng Shan feel slightly comforted.
Lin Chen had no idea about Meng Shan behind him; he held her by the knees with one hand, while the other grasped the Tianyan Ancient Sword originally strapped to his back.
As he moved, the green trees swept past on either side, and before long, Lin Chen had traveled more than half the distance.
In the distance, Lin Chen saw traces of burning and destruction.
This should have been Meng Shan's home village, Mengjia Village.
Lin Chen sighed softly, glancing over everything with just his peripheral vision, taking in the entire scene.
This place had nothing left but charred land. The houses, once built with great effort, had vanished in the flames. Even the green sprouts were buried in the blackened earth, struggling to grow through.
As he ran on, Lin Chen felt a slight wetness on his back. It was Meng Shan burying her head entirely against Lin Chen's back, eyelids slightly closed, with tears continuously welling up.
Evidently, it was caused by the tragic sight before her.
Being born and raised here, witnessing the destruction of loved ones and everything around, is a heartache that words cannot easily express.
Meng Shan sobbed quietly, her small hands clenched into fists, filled with an unspoken fury.
Seeing this, Lin Chen did not speak up; instead, he ran forward even faster, hoping that once they left this place, Meng Shan would recover.
A little while later, Lin Chen found himself before a vast clearing, stopping in his tracks.
He set Meng Shan down from his back, lifting his eyes to survey the scene ahead.
"Big brother, it's here," Meng Shan said, wiping away the remnants of tears from her eyes, pointing to the front. There stood a cliff several meters high.
The cliff, jagged with strange stones, protruded several inches out from the rock face, with debris occasionally falling from the top.
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