As these thoughts crossed her mind, Zhao Lianyun suddenly felt a voice reaching her from the darkness.
The voice was calling her name with desperate force: "Zhao Lianyun... Zhao Lianyun..."
"Who?"
"Who is calling me? Calling my name?"
"Why does this voice feel so familiar?"
"Ah, I remember now — isn't this my own voice from before?"
At that thought, Zhao Lianyun suddenly recalled a scene from the past.
It was during the era of the Royal Court supremacy struggle. Zhao Lianyun's father had fallen in battle, and she was about to be used as a political bargaining chip, given away in a marriage alliance. Zhao Lianyun had relied on Ma Hongyun to resist this fate. She went from being a wealthy young lady to a destitute, friendless woman in the blink of an eye.
One day, Ma Hongyun dragged her to a valley.
"Look, I found you a great place!" Ma Hongyun looked quite pleased with himself.
Zhao Lianyun looked around and found nothing but an unremarkable little valley. She couldn't help but curl her lip. "What's so special about this? It's just a rundown valley. Nothing scenic about it at all."
"How can you say that?" Ma Hongyun's eyes went wide. "Valleys are really rare back in the Northern Plains, you know. And let me teach you — if you shout your name into the valley, the valley will answer you. Like this!"
Saying that, Ma Hongyun took a deep breath and shouted into the valley: "Zhao — Lian — Yun!"
The valley quickly echoed back: "Zhao — Lian — Yun!"
Zhao Lianyun rolled her eyes helplessly. "Fools really do have the most fun. What's so special about an echo? I've never met anyone as simple-minded as you!"
"Hahaha." Ma Hongyun scratched his hair. "Everyone says I'm dumb, so of course I'm dumb. How could I ever be as clever as you, Miss Little Yun?"
"But when I was little and unhappy — when other kids teased me and didn't want to play with me — I'd run off alone to the valley near my home and shout into it."
"I'd shout my name once, and the valley would shout it back. I'd shout once, and the valley would shout once. It played with me and never abandoned me, never ignored me. Unless my voice wasn't loud enough."
"I can see you've been unhappy lately. Probably because no one's been keeping you company. And I have to stay by the Young Patriarch's side all the time, so I can't be with you every moment. If you're feeling down, just come here to the valley. Play with the valley."
Zhao Lianyun said nothing. She looked at Ma Hongyun's earnest, sincere face, and a feeling of tenderness rose unbidden in her heart.
"This Ma Hongyun — he's a fool, but he's not a bad person."
"He must have had a miserable life growing up. Even now, staying by the Young Patriarch's side, he's constantly beaten and scolded. Yet I've never once seen him cry in sorrow. He's always grinning."
"Oh well. I'll play with you then."
At that thought, Zhao Lianyun sighed and called out her name to the valley.
Seeing Zhao Lianyun actually go through with it, Ma Hongyun was so happy he started dancing around. "No, no — you need to shout louder! Even louder!"
Zhao Lianyun shouted again.
Ma Hongyun shook his head vigorously. "Still not loud enough! You have to shout really loud for the valley to hear you. It's not answering right now only because it can't hear you."
Zhao Lianyun took a deep breath and let out her loudest shout.
She cried out — Zhao Lianyun!
And the valley answered — Zhao Lianyun.
Ma Hongyun burst into laughter.
Zhao Lianyun also felt her heart grow lighter, the pent-up frustration dissipating, and her mood brightened along with it.
"Zhao Lianyun."
"Zhao Lianyun."
"Zhao Lianyun!"
In the darkness, the voices kept coming.
Zhao Lianyun, what are you doing? Don't be lost.
Zhao Lianyun, you are not alone. Heaven and earth are with you. As long as you call out loudly, heaven and earth will hear.
Zhao Lianyun, you must wake up. Someone is still waiting for you to save them.
That person once stood by your side, watched the stars with you, shouted into the valley with you...
Go help him.
Go help him!
He must be feeling lonely right now, and perhaps afraid.
You need to shout, make your voice heard, let him know you're coming! Let him know that if he holds on, there's hope of being saved!
"Yes!"
"I will save him!"
"How can I fall here?"
Zhao Lianyun's eyes snapped open!
She jolted awake from her unconsciousness.
The moment she awakened, she found her entire body blazing with pale blue light.
This was the blue light erupting from the Immortal Love Gu!
The wounds on Zhao Lianyun's body were rapidly healing, her condition surging higher by the moment.
The blue light radiated outward, illuminating everything around her.
Zhao Daniu staggered backward, his face full of terror. "Ah, what kind of light is this?! Heavier than a mountain! This aura — what manner of Immortal Gu is this?!"
Shi Zhengyi was also bathed in the radiance.