Chapter 137: Deeply Suspicious—Right or Wrong?

“Whatever happens, I must still thank Senior for your kindness. With these Cold Orchid Needles, we are like tigers given wings. We will certainly obtain the qualification to enter the mysterious region—and the treasures hidden within it!”

Though Featherfall was idly turning the needles in his hand, their chill fragrance seeming to pierce his bones, his words revealed an unshakable resolve. From this moment onward, it seemed that nothing could stop his steps from advancing toward that mysterious region.

Even if he was destined to fight to the death against someone he truly did not wish to hurt, even if he desperately wanted to avoid a tragic outcome in which one of them lived and the other died, there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He could only win, regardless of the cost. Beyond that, he had no other path to choose.

Featherfall could not afford to lose, nor could he allow himself to lose. He had no time to start over. The only thing he could do was seize this opportunity, make a name for himself in the contest arena, and let the world know that Featherfall existed. Then, relying on his own reputation, he would quickly locate the remaining fragments of the Saber Souls.

In truth, the most important reason was that Featherfall refused to live beneath anyone else. He did not want to be bound by anyone, nor did he wish to be controlled by anyone. Even Heaven itself could not toy with him as it pleased. He would become an existence that surpassed this world, so that no one would dare scheme against him again, and no one would dare harm those who stood beside him or those he cherished.

Yet Featherfall was not born with a love of power, nor did he particularly enjoy standing above others. It was simply that, having been born in a turbulent age, he had no other choice.

He could only climb upward, step by step, until he reached the summit. If he had been given the choice, Featherfall would rather have been an idle wanderer, free as a drifting cloud or a wild crane. He would have sought out a peaceful, harmonious sanctuary, settled there, and withdrawn from worldly affairs, living out the rest of his life in tranquility with his parents, Little Hidden, and the person he loved.

But from the day he was born, it had already been fated that his life would never be ordinary. Too many responsibilities weighed upon him, and too many secrets were hidden within him. He had no choice but to seize supreme power in order to protect himself and protect others. Without a doubt, Featherfall’s life was filled with helplessness—but who could say that this was not, in its own way, the best destiny for him?

Since he was destined never again to live an ordinary life, then he might as well use all his strength to make it shine. Featherfall wanted only the very best; otherwise, would all his efforts not be wasted? One day, he would become the supreme ruler of this world. One day, he would ascend to another realm and carve out a place for himself there as well.

When that day came, he would make those who had wronged him suffer every pain the world had to offer. And he would allow those who had remained faithfully at his side to enjoy everything this world had to offer.

Thus, Featherfall secretly swore that he would become the strongest being in existence. In that instant, an added measure of determination and domineering power emerged from him. They shone with a radiance impossible to ignore, causing even the Grand Elder to turn his gaze toward him in astonishment.

It was as though Featherfall had changed greatly in that single moment. He possessed even more of a ruler’s bearing than before, and his heroic spirit had become more pronounced. Without question, his soul had risen to another level in the space of a breath.

“Enough nonsense. Dawn is almost here, and you should leave. Remember this: do not use the Cold Orchid Needles unless you reach a critical moment!”

With that, the Grand Elder swept his hand toward Featherfall and Little Hidden. At once, the two of them felt the world spin around them. Their vision went black, and they fell unconscious. They retained a faint awareness, yet could not wake.

They only felt their bodies rise into the air and drift slowly into the distance. The sensation was remarkably comfortable.

No one knew how long they floated before finally descending. When the two of them opened their eyes, they were astonished to find themselves outside the Bamboo Queen’s cottage.

They exchanged helpless smiles. That old man was truly bizarre. He had insisted that they make their own way there, yet refused to let them return on their own. What exactly was he trying to accomplish?

Could it be that the journey back contained scenes even more thrilling and dangerous, and that the Grand Elder had deliberately rendered them unconscious so they would not witness them—ensuring that those secrets would remain secrets forever?

“We’re finally back. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to let my guard down. It seems I haven’t had a proper rest since we returned from that place. One endless trouble after another, one unfinished task after another, has come crashing down upon me. I’m exhausted in both body and spirit. Still, perhaps that is for the best. Only when I am completely worn out can I fall peacefully asleep.”

When Featherfall saw the Bamboo Queen’s cottage, filled with its familiar scent, he let out a long breath of relief and spoke with a smile.

After this unbroken chain of events, Featherfall was utterly spent. He was not merely weary in body; even his wounded heart was exhausted. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to cast away every worry and sleep soundly. Then, when he awoke, perhaps the spirited, tireless version of himself would return.

So this was what happened when one remained strong for too long. This was the exhaustion that came from forcing oneself to endure for too long.

Only dreams could wash away these dark emotions. Featherfall no longer wished to concern himself with anything else. He only wanted to sleep in peace for a while—even if it were only for a brief moment.

“It seems you really are about to collapse, you brat. Hurry back inside and get some sleep. I want to go see Lanwu.”

Little Hidden patted Featherfall on the shoulder and spoke with an expression that said he understood. Yet the moment he mentioned Lanwu, his gaze dimmed noticeably.

Perhaps this misunderstanding had allowed him to see himself more clearly, and to understand Lanwu more deeply as well. He truly owed that young woman something—the trust that was indispensable between two people.

Little Hidden had given all of that trust to his good friend Featherfall while overlooking the fact that someone else at his side needed it too.

She had overcome the creature she feared most in all the world, simply so that when she saw his true form, she could look upon him with the same natural affection and admiration she felt for his human form.

Little Hidden knew how difficult it was to force oneself to overcome something one had feared for so long. Perhaps even he himself would have been unable to do it. Yet that young woman had succeeded—not for her own sake, but for his.

For a woman to go that far for the man she loved was no small matter. And she had done far more than that.

With a woman so devoted to him, what reason did he have not to treat her well? What reason did he have not to give her the precious trust she deserved?

Yet Little Hidden had overlooked all of it. He had overlooked Lanwu’s love until the incident just now finally opened his eyes.

He only hoped that his awakening had not come too late, and that he still had time to make amends to that foolish girl.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Go and see your woman. I think she needs you far more than I do.”

Featherfall gave Little Hidden a meaningful smile, then walked into his own room without looking back.

In truth, Little Hidden was not the only one who needed to reflect on what had happened. Featherfall did as well. He, too, ought to examine himself carefully.

Apart from Little Hidden, was there anyone else in this world worthy of his trust—someone to whom he could entrust his very life?

Perhaps Featherfall had truly been thinking too maliciously this time. Lanwu had not actually done anything; it was merely his own suspicion causing trouble.

If he thought about it carefully, they had been together for so long and had endured so many hardships and dangers side by side. What reason did they have to doubt or speculate about one another?

Perhaps none of them knew the others’ true identities, nor what each had experienced in the past. But their hearts had always remained close.

Before genuine sincerity, everything else became insignificant, did it not?

Featherfall truly needed to consider whether his constant vigilance had been right or wrong.

When Little Hidden pushed open the door, a delicate feminine fragrance swept over him, wrenching at his heart. It was Lanwu’s scent. Whenever he thought of that girl, guilt filled him.

He entered the room and lifted the thin veil. A beautiful woman lay on her side before him. With that single glance, he could no longer see anyone else.

Yet for some reason, even in sleep, Lanwu’s brows remained tightly furrowed, as if something troubled her so deeply that she could not find peace even in her dreams.

The worry etched across her small face made her appear so delicate and forlorn that anyone would have wanted to rush forward, take her into his arms, and comfort her.

Her little cherry-red lips opened and closed as though she were murmuring in a dream. When he quieted his heart and listened carefully, he realized that she was calling Little Hidden’s name.

That foolish girl still missed him even in her dreams.

Little Hidden could not help wondering inwardly: Did he truly hold such an important place in her heart? Was he so deeply fixed within her thoughts that she could not let him go for even a moment, that she missed him with every breath?

Looking more closely, he noticed faint traces of tears at the corners of her eyes.

What had happened to her that she had fallen asleep in tears?

Little Hidden’s heart ached at the sight, the pain sharp as a knife. He wanted nothing more than to take Lanwu’s sorrow upon himself. Even if it meant suffering countless times over, he did not want that foolish girl to endure the slightest harm or shed another tear.

Unfortunately, it was already too late. Lanwu had suffered this pain hundreds and thousands of times. If he took it upon himself now, it would only mean that another person had been made to suffer as well.

“What happened to you? Why wouldn’t you tell me? Let me share this pain with you. At least then, it would be easier for you to bear. Why must you be so foolish and carry everything alone? If you insist on doing that, then what use is there for me as a man?

“If I cannot even preserve the smile of the woman I love, what kind of man am I? What kind of man could I possibly be if I claim to love you?”

Little Hidden reached out and gently caressed Lanwu’s cheek. Then he murmured to himself:

“Little Hidden, Little Hidden… You call yourself clever, yet how could you fail to see Lanwu’s suffering? How could someone like you call himself the person she loves most?”

Suddenly, a faint starlight in Lanwu’s hand caught Little Hidden’s attention. He gently unfolded her fingers and finally discovered what it was.

Was this not the hairpin he had exchanged for her with a dark green crystal in the marketplace that day?

More precisely, it was a token of their love.

If he had not seen it tonight, he might truly have forgotten it. Yet Lanwu had treated it like a priceless treasure. Even in sleep, she refused to release it, insisting on carrying it with her into her dreams.

Little Hidden felt even more keenly that he had failed to cherish their relationship. That hairpin had witnessed the feelings they shared. Such an important object, and he had actually forgotten it.

Meanwhile, Lanwu had kept it safe all this time.

He truly wanted to ask himself whether he had ever taken this relationship seriously, whether he had ever regarded Lanwu as his woman.

He might be careless by nature, but that was no excuse. How could he treat love as though it were a game—playing with it whenever he was bored, then casting it aside whenever he became busy?

Lanwu, on the other hand, had always maintained their relationship with complete sincerity. Yet in the end, all she had received in return was suspicion from the man she loved.

How absurd.

At the thought, Little Hidden suddenly felt deeply uncomfortable. He could not say whether it was pain or bitterness; all he knew was that his heart felt unbearably heavy.

A wave of inexplicable emotion surged through him, filling his chest. He tried desperately to suppress it, but the burden nearly made it impossible to breathe.

So he really had been that cruel. He had ignored Lanwu for so long, leaving her to endure her pain alone and suffer through her loneliness alone.

And yet, even while she was tormented, she had still worried about his feelings.

As the man who claimed to love her, he had truly failed.