"So every once in a while, I would go over and chat with her about what's going on recently."
The fact that she was able to sit at the helm of the Tianbo Division and be nominally on par with General Jing Yuan was enough to prove how exaggerated her abilities and military exploits were. Moreover, Si Luo had learned about this former air combat ace from Huanlong before, so he was not surprised at all by what she said.
"Feel sorry."
"It's nothing... I should be the one apologizing to you. I shouldn't tell an outsider like you about this kind of thing... Maybe it's because I've been suppressing this matter in my heart for all these years, so I can't bear the pressure anymore..."
Yukong shook his head, and his tone became calmer, even a little gentle and soft.
Obviously, this matter is important enough to affect her character, that is to say -
"If you don't mind, could you let me go with you to see that old friend?"
Faced with this situation that triggered a key plot, Si Luo naturally chose to enter without hesitation, and at the same time sent a message to several concubines who were crying out for food at home.
It seems that I will have to reward them later.
"why?"
Yukong was a little puzzled by his overly friendly attitude. After all, she had made no secret of her vigilance and suspicion towards them since they first met.
"I'm new to Xianzhou, and I'm very interested in some of its history."
"So if possible, Miss Yukong, can you tell me what happened between you two? If you can tell it, you should be able to feel more relaxed."
Si Luo responded with a chuckle.
"..."
Yukong stared into his eyes quietly for a while. The gentle look without any guilt in it made even her heart ripple. Then she nodded slightly in agreement.
"Okay, since Mr. Si Luo is interested in these things, let's come together..."
...
The fact that Yukong cared so much about her friend meant that his friend was very important to her. Therefore, with her current status and position, she naturally provided the best conditions for her old friend.
Passing through the bustling streets at night, Yukong brought him to a quiet medical clinic far away from the bustling city. After passing the defense line of the Yunqi Army, Si Luo followed the green-haired fox into the interior, and walked along the long corridor behind, passing by one separate ward after another, and finally came to a ward located deep inside.
"Master Yukong."
Each ward this time was equipped with a separate caregiver, so when Yukong opened the door, the girl who was cleaning the room stopped immediately.
"Well, thank you for your hard work. Leave this to me."
Yukong rarely showed a gentle smile. After the girl left, she closed the door and took Si Luo to sit on the two chairs in front of the bed.
"Her name is Cai Yi. She is my childhood friend... She is also my only close friend..."
Looking at the pale, thin, brown-haired, fox-eared girl lying on the hospital bed, Yukong showed an unprecedented tenderness and a hint of reminiscence.
"..."
Si Luo did not interrupt her memories, but just looked at the fox-eared sister on the bed whose heart was still beating. While listening to the story told by Yukong, he observed her cause and effect through his eyes.
What made him very satisfied was that this fox-eared girl named Caiyi also had no causal relationship between men and women. Apart from her friendship with Yukong and her family connection with a certain girl, her causal line could even be said to be very monotonous.
More than ten minutes later, when talking about the last battle that Cai Yi participated in, Yukong's expression suddenly paused, and then he turned his head to look at Si Luo who was listening attentively.
Si Luo's attentive listening indeed won her a lot of favor. At least now she had let go of her previous guard, and her expression when facing him was obviously much softer.
"By the way, Si Luo, have you ever participated in... a battle with huge casualties..."
"Yeah...of course..."
Although he didn't know why Yukong suddenly asked this question, he still chuckled and gave a reply.
His reputation in the Little Garden was not exaggerated. He participated in countless events and even wars among gods. Not to mention other things, the war with Buddhism alone reduced the number of Taoist fighters by at least 20%. Although that battle established his status as the uncrowned king of the Little Garden, it also severely damaged the forces under his command. For a long time, he could only rely on living off his wives to maintain order in the middle and lower levels.
After all, the weakest of those fighters are gods or immortals with a strength of more than five digits. The stronger ones can even come here and fight the star gods head-on. They are undoubtedly the backbone of the group of gods.
"Have you ever encountered a situation where you paid a huge sacrifice but could only barely hold off the enemy's attack... but in the end, a more powerful individual destroyed all the enemies in one blow..."
When Yukong said this, a hint of sadness flashed across her beautiful eyes that were fixed on Caiyi, which allowed Si Luo, who had been paying attention to her, to roughly guess what had happened to her.
"Of course, it's better to say that I have encountered this kind of thing more than once."
Si Luo still had a faint smile on his face, and he responded to Yukong's questions quite seriously. He did not look down on him or mock him because of her fragile heart.
After all, it is not so much a matter of fragility as it is a matter of confusion and self-denial that arises from the realization that what their best friends have done is meaningless after they have died on the battlefield.
"So...what were you thinking at that time?"
Yukong did not expect Si Luo to give a positive response, so after a pause, he looked at him again.
"Of course I yearn for that kind of power."
Si Luo responded without hesitation.
"And then work hard to be able to master that powerful force."
He remembered very clearly how shocking it was when he first saw Kurima's true form. The little girl who was the most clingy to him on weekdays had a huge body that could play with stars as marbles - and this was when she was condensed to the extreme size.
Although it is always said that after reaching a certain level, a body that is too large will become a sitting duck, but when the body size exceeds a certain limit, without sufficient physical strength, it will be impossible to support such a huge body to move freely. Therefore, even if Kulimo's real body is there, there are few people in the small garden who can break her most basic physical defense. This is why Kulimo's combat power can firmly sit in the top five in the small garden.
"..."
Yukong didn't expect to get such an answer from his mouth. His originally heavy mood was gradually dispelled, and a smile appeared on his face.
"What an unexpected answer..."
"But don't you feel powerless? You have made great sacrifices but can only barely resist the enemy's attack... But Emperor Bow Siming destroyed all the enemy forces with just one strike..."
"I want to know, what does the sacrifice of mortals mean to Emperor Gong Siming..."
Perhaps because her emotions had recovered, she seemed a little calm when she talked about this topic.
"of course not."
This was probably what Yukong was worried about, so Si Luo organized his words a little.
"In terms of the battle situation, if it weren't for the sacrifices of the soldiers, I'm afraid it would be difficult to hold on until the arrival of Emperor Gong Siming. I think Miss Yukong is not confused about this matter... What you are upset about is that you didn't end the war before Emperor Gong Siming..."
"It is obvious that the Xianzhou people started this war for themselves, but they still have to rely on the support of Emperor Gong Siming to win... Miss Yukong, what you are looking forward to is to let the fate of Xianzhou be in the hands of the Xianzhou people."
Since Yukong had said this, Si Luo could naturally confirm which battle this was - according to the records in the Black Tower, this should have been the battle to guard the Immortal Boat Fanghu. In the end, only about 100,000 of the million-strong Immortal Boat army were left, and they were still unable to stop the invasion of the Fengrao people.
The arrow shot by Emperor Bow Siming, in conclusion, did indeed destroy all the enemy forces and solve the problem of abundance, but on the other hand, under that indiscriminate attack, it also destroyed nearly one-fifth of the Fanghu Immortal Boat, and countless people on the Immortal Boat disappeared under that arrow.
Perhaps it was because of this that Yukong had some doubts about Digong Siming. Otherwise, if it was Si Luo who could automatically distinguish between friend and foe and rescue, there wouldn't be so many problems.
"..."
Si Luo's words made Yukong's expression slightly absent-minded. It was not until dozens of seconds later that he smiled again, a smile that was more heartfelt than ever before.
"That's right... That's right..."
Chapter 2: Real acting, win the heart ( reward)
Ever since her best friend died after the battle, Yukong no longer had anyone to talk to. All the pressures she had been under for a long time came together. Even though she had already figured it out in her heart, she still couldn't get out of the shadow of the past.
This time, she not only confided to Si Luo the pressure that had accumulated over the years, but also received a very satisfactory reply from him. The sudden feeling of enlightenment even made her long-frozen emotions burn with a trace of passion that had been long unseen.
"Thank you... Si Luo... Can I call you that?"
The change in address also meant that she truly recognized Si Luo and treated him as a friend or even a confidant.
"of course."
A faint smile appeared on Si Luo's face, and then he chose to pursue the victory without hesitation, and turned his gaze to the fox-eared girl lying on the hospital bed.
"By the way, can I check on her?"
"Um…"
Although he didn't know what he wanted to do, due to his high favorability towards him, Yukong didn't hesitate too much and nodded slightly.
Si Luo, with a serious look on his face, placed his hand on the girl who had been receiving nutrients to sustain her life.
"Cai Yi was seriously injured at the time... so seriously that even Dan Dingsi could only barely keep her alive... Although I also know that for her, this situation is actually a torture... But..."
Looking at Si Luo's actions, Yukong spoke softly.
Si Luo did not respond, but pretended to be serious and touched the girl's dry tail, and then began to think about how to maximize the favor he had gained.
After all, this little thing is not worth mentioning to him. Even if Cai Yi is gone, he can directly cross time and forcibly pull her from the past - the world's correction power is no joke. Although it may not be able to interfere with the level of Star God, but for ordinary girls like this, even if he pulls a million from the past, it will not have any impact on the existing history.
"..."
Perhaps Si Luo's acting was too deceptive, so gradually Yukong stopped talking and just looked at his serious expression quietly.
After a few minutes, Si Luo withdrew his hand, feeling that it was about time. Then, under Yukong's gaze, he spoke calmly.
"I think I can give it a try."
"Try...what?"
Yukong, who had no hope at the beginning, was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up from the chair and looked at him with some excitement.
"You can try to wake her up."
Si Luo did not disappoint her. He chuckled and said the response she most desired.
"But I can't guarantee that it will work. I've cured people with similar symptoms before, so I think I can give it a try..."
"That's enough...what do you need me to do?"
The heart-to-heart talk just now had already made Yukong fully trust him, so she had no doubts about what he said. Moreover, she was willing to seize any tiny possibility for her best friend, so she tried hard to suppress the excitement and nervousness in her heart and asked softly.
"You don't need to do anything, just watch from the side."
Si Luo had a faint smile on his face. He then sat down in front of the bed and placed his right hand on Cai Yi's forehead.
As a warm light appeared from his hand, Yukong held his breath and began to observe Caiyi's situation.
A few minutes later, under her gaze, her best friend's originally pale, beautiful face with a hint of sickness gradually showed a healthy blush, and her weak breathing gradually became clearer.
"Silo! It seems to be working!!"
The sudden surprise made Yukong unable to suppress his excitement. He revealed his clumsy character for the first time in a long time and could not help but look at Si Luo excitedly.
However, the clearly visible sweat on his face calmed the originally excited elder sister down instantly, especially after noticing his fatigue that he could not conceal. The inexplicable emotion and heartache made her calm down again. On the one hand, she could not ask Si Luo to stop treating Cai Yi, and on the other hand, she felt guilty for his unilateral efforts.
So after hesitating for a while, Yukong finally came to Si Luo carefully, took out his personal handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat off his face.
More than ten minutes passed, and the projection screen that was constantly recording Cai Yi's physical data showed that her health indicators had returned to normal. Si Luo also stopped what he was doing, and fell back exhausted, resting his head directly on Yukong's soft and warm chest.
Although it was his first time to have close contact with the opposite sex, Yukong did not resist at all. He even took the initiative to hold him in his arms and helped him adjust his posture, making Si Luo feel more comfortable.
"Thank you for your hard work, Si Luo~"
There was an unprecedented tenderness on Yukong's face. One hand gently stroked his face, and the other hand was around his waist. He held him and sat on the bed, letting him lean sideways in his arms.
She didn't ask what the result was, nor did she pay attention to her best friend on the bed. At this moment, she focused all her attention on the handsome man in her arms.
She originally thought that she would never be attracted to any member of the opposite sex in her life, but now it seems that she might have to slap herself in the face.
"Fortunately, I did not disgrace my life."
Si Luo leaned on Yukong's chest very tiredly, and turned his head as if unintentionally. He sniffed the rich milk fragrance and spoke weakly.
As if to confirm what he said, Cai Yi, who had been lying on the hospital bed, gradually opened his eyes. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, he was stunned for a while, and then slowly sat up.
"Eh? Yukong...what are you doing..."
Although Yukong had become much more mature at this time, as her best friend, Caiyi still confirmed her identity at the first opportunity. At the same time, when he saw Si Luo who was in close contact with her, he spoke with surprise.
"And... didn't I die on the battlefield..."
Her memory still lingered on the scene where she was seriously injured on the battlefield and entrusted her adopted baby to Yukong on her deathbed.
"Cai Yi!"
Yukong finally turned his attention to her at this time, but because she was still holding Si Luo, she could only look at her awakened friend with tears in her eyes and called out her name with sobs.
"Ahhhhh? Why are you crying?!"
Cai Yi panicked instantly, and her expression, which was exactly the same as in her memory, also brought a happy smile to Yu Kong's tearful face.
"This is crying of joy... Cai Yi, long time no see!"
"..."
Yukong's appearance, which was obviously much more mature than in his memory, and her excited emotions made Cai Yi seem to understand something. After a slight pause, he also revealed a faint smile.
"Long time no see, Yukong~"
