The frame drove through the forest path, and the wheels pressed against the fallen leaves and soil, making a soft crunching sound.
Xu Qiansu sat cross-legged on the terrace in front of the bicycle frame, with patches of mottled tree shade passing over his face.
He was leaning against the carriage, holding a pen and writing down his recent experiences in his Pokémon research notes one stroke at a time.
But it’s not really a diary. Most of it is about cultural landscapes, geographical environment, Pokémon ecology, etc.
Besides, what he was holding in his hand was not a diary, but Pokémon research notes!
Although most of them are like "Miss Mary is cute".
The forest is quiet, the air is fresh, the sun is bright, and there is only the soft creak of the carriage and the rustle of Xu Qiansu's pen tip passing over the paper.
Soraya put his little paws on Xu Qiansu's shoulders, exposed his little head from behind, and stared at the research notes in his hand.
It's not that it doesn't want to lie in Xu Qiansu's arms... The little marsupial has curled up, resting its chubby little tail on Xu Qiansu's lap, sleeping soundly.
She was exhausted these days. She had just experienced another high-intensity battle and was exhausted.
And a little marsupial of her age should have been curled up in the pocket of its mother all day long... She didn't have a mother, but Xu Qiansu's thighs and arms were also warm places that made her feel comfortable.
Vulpix lay next to Xu Qiansu's legs and yawned loudly. Then the six fluffy and cute big tails stood up slightly, swayed slightly in the air, and then covered his body.
Without Chirulian, no one can compete with her for favor...
Xu Qiansu has been holding Soraya most of the time these days. Now that the little marsupial is back, he should hug her more often... Both of them are children, and even if Vulpix is dissatisfied, he will not care about them. .
The Vine Snake was sitting on the carriage, like a queen looking down on her territory, squinting her big burgundy eyes and enjoying the comfort of the sun passing by her.
Not long after, Xu Qiansu put down her pen, closed her Pokémon research notes, and then took out a map. Her fingertips followed the roads on the map, passing through various towns.
Chiri was dead, and Xu Qiansu had no enemies in Xicui...so he could concentrate on searching for traces of Qilulian.
They are now in the westernmost part of the Black Glory Field...
Xu Qiansu's fingertips slowly caressed northward from Heiyao Wilderness, then pointed towards Tianguan Mountain, then slid eastward along Tianguan Mountain, down the mountain... Finally, the fingertips reached the edge of the map...
There is the border between the Xicui area and the Kanto area...
That was the place where the girl died...an ordinary lake.
"A dead person you have never met...is it worth your time and effort to travel thousands of miles to worship her?" Suddenly, a soft and lazy voice came from behind.
Cattleya floated behind Xu Qiansu. She put her hands behind her back and stuck out her little head like Zoroa, staring at the map in Xu Qiansu's hand.
Cattleya naturally knows the question of whether it's worth it. After all, it's up to the parties involved to decide.
She asked this out of pure dissatisfaction.
"It doesn't matter if it's not worth it, it doesn't matter... I will definitely go." Xu Qiansu smiled, without looking back, and said in a low but clear voice: "Just like I will definitely help the Snow Demon Girl find her trainer."
"Hmm -" Cattleya made a nasal noise of unknown meaning and said nothing more.
"If I die one day, will you travel thousands of miles to worship me?"
Xu Qiansu's voice was calm and calm, with a gentle smile. The tone was no different from usual, but it made Cattleya's heart skip a beat.
The mottled tree shadows brushed over Xu Qiansu's body, and then gently caressed Cattleya's beautiful face.
Xu Qiansu didn't look back, so Cattleya couldn't see his expression clearly... She didn't read his mind, but slowly straightened up, then floated to the carriage, sat down holding on to her long skirt, her calves swayed slightly, and the hem of her skirt swayed, revealing Her white boots.
"Of course I will. Not only will I worship you, but I will also cut the people or Pokémon who killed you into pieces to avenge you."
Cattleya's voice was not loud, as usual, with an unmistakable nobility.
But only she knew the complex thoughts contained within.
The little marsupial turned over on Xu Qiansu's lap, exposing its soft belly, and then fell asleep.
"That's it..." Xu Qiansu chuckled, reached out and gently pinched the little marsupial's paw, pursed her lips and thought for a moment, then asked with a smile: "If the person who asked you this question just now was Zhulan, would you Saying 'No matter what, I won't let you die'?"
Cattleya was startled for a moment, then suddenly smiled, her beautiful face looked really beautiful under the passing shade of the mottled trees, "You are mocking me for often using the phrase 'What would you do if it were Mali?' ?”
"This is what is called learning from the barbarians and developing skills to control the barbarians."
Having said that, Cattleya and Zhulan are not the kind of relationship that makes people imagine... Zhulan, as Cattleya's only friend who was under house arrest under the green tiles and white walls when she was a child, has now become the pillar of her soul. The presence.
That kind of relationship can't be described by just "lily".
"Do you think I'm a barbarian?"
Cattleya's slender jade fingers gently circled her golden hair.
Xu Qiansu continued to gently press the little marsupial's paws, with a slight smile on her boyishly handsome face, "Whether it's a barbarian or a noble, you are still Cattleya."
Hearing this, Cattleya narrowed her almond-shaped eyes slightly, but said nothing... The Cattleya Xu Qiansu knew was very different from Cattleya herself.
She didn't want to talk to Xu Qiansu anymore, so she looked up at the specks of dust in the air. After a moment, she lowered her eyes and asked, "Are you afraid of death?"
Hearing this, Xu Qiansu said nothing. He slowly lowered the hand holding the little marsupial's paw, and just gently rubbed the little marsupial's palm with his fingertips.
Cattleya lowered her eyes and looked at Xu Qiansu's back, her always elegant and lazy expression was somewhat serious.
"If I remember correctly, the first 'death' I met when I came to this world... was her mother." After a moment, Xu Qiansu spoke clearly in a low voice.
Cattleya tilted her little face, looking past Xu Qiansu, she could vaguely see the chubby tail of the marsupial.
"So when a man is alive, he will live, and when he is dead, he will die. That's it." Xu Qiansu shook his head gently and said without explaining too much.
The breeze in the forest was blowing, and on the carriage, the furs, feathers and other objects left by the hidden spring Pokémon were swaying lightly in the wind.
Cattleya did not reply. A man would live when he was alive and die when he was dead. It was easy to say, but there were very few people who could really do this.
Moreover, whether Cattleya wanted Xu Qiansu to answer like this at this moment, or whether she wanted him to say 'I don't want to die'... She couldn't figure it out...
After a moment, she slowly said: "Not everyone can die meaningfully, but there must be a reason to be willing to die...either for the sake of family and country, or for righteousness, or for ideals, and you Along the way, until now, the only person who can make you willing to die is Ma Li, right?"
Xu Qiansu lowered his eyes and looked at the little marsupial sleeping soundly on his lap, but did not answer. He just shook his head slightly. He didn't know whether he was denying this statement or denying that Cattleya only said Mary.
Cattleya was in a trance.
Why would she ask such a meaningless question?
It doesn't matter whether Xu Qiansu wants to die or not...Does Cattleya still have a choice now?
In the past three years, she has exhausted all methods.
Thinking of this, Cattleya glanced at Xu Qiansu's back, then looked away and said no more.
The breeze was gentle, the shadows of the trees were mottled, and the carriage creaked as it moved forward. Until now, Xu Qiansu had never looked back at Cattleya.
One person was sitting cross-legged on the terrace, the other person was sitting on the carriage...no one was looking at the other.
After an unknown amount of time, the car drove out of the forest, and the vision suddenly became clear.
White mist composed of bird water vapor lingered around. Xu Qiansu turned her head and looked. There was no obstruction from the branches, and the sunlight was shining directly down, making Xu Qiansu squint her eyes.
The sound of rumbling and rumbling was endless... After getting used to it for a while, Xu Qiansu looked intently, but he came to a steep cliff. The river fell from the edge of the cliff, forming a huge waterfall, and gathered into a clear spring below.
The sun breaks through the clouds and shines straight down. The water vapor of the waterfall reflects the light golden light. The breeze blows by, bringing with it a somewhat illusory color.
Several Gyarados were circling and flying around the waterfall. Many water Pokémon of different races gathered under the waterfall, but they rushed towards the waterfall one after another, swimming upstream...
Some were washed down halfway and hit the lake, causing splashes and frightening the Pokémon who were cowering aside and not daring to climb the waterfall. But after a while, those failed Pokémon emerged from the lake again, unconvinced. The ground stared at the waterfall, and circles of gurgling bubbles emerged from the lake, seeming to declare war on the waterfall.
And some Pokémon that rushed straight up and passed the waterfall to the cliff flew up from the river, raising countless crystal water splashes, and immediately fell into the river, raising their little faces and looking at the people under the waterfall. The little black dots are full of cute expressions of pride and excitement.
The little marsupial rubbed its eyes, first raised its little head and glanced at Xu Qiansu, and touched Xu Qiansu's legs with its little paws to make sure that he wouldn't disappear suddenly, and then stared at his big black eyes, curious. He stared at the scene in front of him.
Immediately, a small marsupial finally rushed up to the waterfall. Yin Bu met Xu Qiansu's eyes, and was frightened on the spot. He quickly got into the river, but without paying attention, he was swept by the river and rushed down the waterfall...
"Uh~~Pfft!" Shui Yinbu revealed his little face from the lake, spat out a small line of water, and then looked up at the frame on the cliff, his big eyes full of curiosity.
"Kaluka!?" The little marsupial was also startled by the sudden appearance of Shui Yinbu, and subconsciously dug its little head into Xu Qiansu's arms, only exposing its little butt and tail. Half a minute after fighting several flying Pokémon alone.
Xu Qiansu couldn't help but chuckle, and reached out to gently caress the little marsupial's back.
After the carriage passed the waterfall, Xu Qiansu looked away, pursed her lips, and said: "If you have the ability to return to modern times, go back as soon as possible."
"Huh?" Cattleya was sitting on the carriage. After hearing this, she looked away from under the waterfall and turned her head to look at Xu Qiansu.
This is not the first time Xu Qiansu has said this.
Cattleya has already suffered so much for him... She shouldn't be spending her whole life in such a troublesome place.
And can Cattleya return to modern times?
Of course it is possible.
The key to opening the door to time and space has been found. She has experience traveling through the back side of the world, so if she is the only one, the loss of traveling through time and space will be much smaller than the first time, and it will naturally be much safer... But she said She wanted to take Xu Qiansu back to modern times. Even if Xu Qiansu would die instead of Zhulan after returning, Cattleya would still take him back...
At least, Xu Qiansu should be allowed to see Ma Li for the last time... So no matter what, Cattleya must find a way for Xu Qiansu to safely travel to the back of the world...
Thinking of this, Cattleya suddenly froze. Counting the days, there were still less than seven days until that day...
Could it be that what Kyurem said at the beginning meant that...Xu Qiansu would encounter an accident on the way back?
Or maybe, because of an accident, Xu Qiansu will stay in Xicui for the rest of his life, while Cattleya successfully returns to modern times and cannot see each other for the rest of her life. This can be regarded as "losing an important person"...
"Why don't you speak?" Xu Qiansu finally looked back, looking at Cattleya's pretty face, and asked in confusion.
Cattleya lowered her eyes and looked at Xu Qiansu, a few strands of blond hair on her forehead slightly blowing in the breeze.
After a while, she shook her head slightly and said, "How do you know you don't want to stay here?"
This is not the first time Cattleya has said this kind of answer.
If the calculation is correct, Xu Qiansu is most likely to encounter an accident on the way back.
Cattleya suddenly bit her lips. If Xu Qiansu does not die within seven days, does it mean that the 'fate' set by Kyurem is invalid?
Being in the Xicui area, there are almost no dangerous situations for Cattleya... Naturally, there are no dangerous situations for Xu Qiansu.
As long as Xu Qiansu travels to the back of the world without taking him with him within seven days, there is a high chance that he will survive.
Xu Qiansu can still survive!
Cattleya felt a burst of joy in her heart for no reason.
...No, as a god, Kyurem had no reason to frighten Cattleya with a false shot.
If Xu Qiansu does not die, it must be Cattleya who failed to truly fall in love with Xu Qiansu. In the end, the fate of Xiangxiaoyu's death will still befall Zhulan.
Cattleya doesn't care about losing her happiness, but she cares about Zhulan.
So far, has Cattleya fallen in love with Xu Qiansu? In her heart, does Xu Qiansu's status surpass Zhulan?
... Cattleya herself doesn’t know that right now, she neither wants Zhulan to die nor Xu Qiansu to die.
It seems that the effect of self-suggestion is outstanding... Cattleya's chest was a little heaving, but she thought so.
But, as long as she takes Xu Qiansu through the back of the world within seven days, but she can't save Xu Qiansu despite all her efforts... will she be able to save Zhulan?
Huh? Why does she go to such great lengths to protect Zhulan?
Why can't we go to great lengths to protect Xu Qiansu?
Do you even need to ask?
It was impossible for her to protect Xu Qiansu. Even though she undoubtedly had strange feelings for Xu Qiansu emotionally, this was just the effect of autosuggestion. Once Xu Qiansu died and the autosuggestion was lifted, she would not be so sentimental...
The slight emotion at this moment was suppressed by Cattleya's almost ruthless rationality.
But the random thoughts in my mind cannot be suppressed no matter what.
"Uncomfortable... Too much mental energy loss?" Xu Qiansu stood up, walked to Cattleya, looked up at her slightly, and asked softly.
Cattleya didn't know why, but her breathing was a little rapid. She couldn't help but look at Xu Qiansu...
She suddenly remembered when she was a child...about four or five years old.
At that time, during the day, Cattleya's petite body was wrapped in bloated and huge costumes, learning aristocratic etiquette. This was a brief opportunity in her life to interact with people...
After a tiring day, night fell, and all the teachers who taught Cattleya left, leaving her alone in the empty courtyard.
She took off her bloated clothes alone, put on her pajamas, sat in the tea room, and reviewed the tea ceremony taught to her by her teacher.
Suddenly, there was a ping-pong sound outside the window.
Cattleya turned her head to look, and saw wisps of orange fire flying into the night sky, and then suddenly scattered in all directions...fireworks.
Her big clear eyes followed the wisps of fire and exploded into the sky. Then she lowered her eyes again, and her eyes followed the fire that shot up into the sky again... and so on.
Unknowingly, when the fireworks dissipated and the night sky became the same as usual, Cattleya suddenly heard the sound of "chichi", but the tea in the teapot boiled for a long time and overflowed... She He was hurriedly cleaning up, but his super power, which usually would go berserk whenever the mood was slightly wrong, was strangely unresponsive at that time.
Looking into Xu Qiansu's eyes, Cattleya suddenly thought of this trivial matter.
She couldn't help but stretched out her white and tender little hand, and gently poked the side of Xu Qiansu's face.
"Huh?" Xu Qiansu's eyebrows were frivolous.
After a while, Cattleya spoke slowly and clearly in a low voice.
"...I have carved another mark on your body, so that you can still see me and touch me."
Xu Qiansu laughed dumbly and shook her head helplessly, "I thought you had already re-engraved it for me when you showed up."
Cattleya twisted her little face, "Aren't you disappointed?"
"What?"
"It turns out there's nothing special about you. It's just because of the mark that you can touch me."
"I can touch you, just to confirm that you are still alive... As long as there is nothing wrong with your body, it doesn't matter whether I can touch you or not."
Cattleya looked at him and said nothing.
Then, she suddenly said: "Qilulian... I found it."
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Go home.
I quickly added the two promised 4,000 words.
Also, we're at the end of the volume... there are less than ten chapters left.
