Song Yao found a flower in the corner, an unopened one growing on a bone.
The flower was extremely colorful. Its vivid red color was oddly eerie. Song Yao instinctively took two steps back and covered her nose with her hand.
Zhao Zhao watched Song Yao's actions and wrinkled her nose, sniffing hard.
There was no smell at all. She looked at Song Yao curiously again. Seeing that the other still kept that gesture, she covered her own nose to avoid looking out of place.
They stared at the flower for a long time. Finally, Zhao Zhao couldn't hold it back anymore. She looked at Song Yao seriously and said, "Cousin, if you're scared, you can hold my hand. Don't pat my shoulder. When you do that, I'll get a bit scared too."
Song Yao looked utterly bewildered. She raised her hands innocently and said, "What are you talking about? Why would I pat you for no reason?"
"That... what's that?" Zhao Zhao's face suddenly changed. Song Yao was also stunned. Mechanically, they both turned around.
"Ah—!" The sight almost scared the souls out of them.
Three or four tiny skeletal hands were resting on Zhao Zhao's shoulder, patting it intermittently.
In the mid - air not far away, countless skulls were floating, swaying left and right towards Zhao Zhao, as if they were playing some game with a close friend.
Song Yao felt a lump in her throat looking at this scene. But just two seconds later, she took out an electronic peach - wood sword with her right hand and held a talisman in her left. She stared at this group of things gravely.
Zhao Zhao came to her senses. Seeing Song Yao closing her eyes and chanting a spell, the talisman catching fire and the peach - wood sword about to strike, she quickly hugged Song Yao's waist and dragged her back.
"Cousin, cousin, wait!"
Interrupted by Zhao Zhao, Song Yao was extremely annoyed. "Are you crazy, Song Zhaozhao? Let go of me now!"
Zhao Zhao refused to yield. "Don't be impulsive, cousin. They haven't harmed us. They're just a bunch of poor kids. If you burn them, they'll be gone forever!"
These things didn't show any malice. On the contrary, Zhao Zhao could sense their affection.
If she let her cousin carry out those actions, they would truly be "erased from existence".
Song Yao stopped, her breathing uneven. After a long while, she retracted the peach - wood sword and the talisman as if admitting defeat.
Seeing that she had persuaded Song Yao, Zhao Zhao heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Thank goodness!
Those little skulls were startled by Song Yao and flew several meters away. Now, seeing that it was safe, they cautiously approached Zhao Zhao again and happily circled around her.
Even though Song Yao knew they were all little babies who died at an innocent age, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable because they were still skeletons. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and took a step back.
Zhao Zhao watched the skulls spinning around her and clapping their little hands. She didn't quite understand what they wanted to do, so she could only smile stupidly.
Suddenly, a skeletal finger stabbed towards Zhao Zhao's palm. Several drops of blood immediately oozed out.
"Zhao Zhao, are you okay?" Song Yao quickly grabbed Zhao Zhao's hand to check and her eyes towards the skeletal hand were filled with anger.
Zhao Zhao shook her head, indicating that she was fine.
The skulls floating around looked at each other. Finally, they all targeted the skeletal hand and swarmed towards it, giving it a good beating.
Song Yao was stunned. "They..."
But Zhao Zhao's attention was attracted by the flower growing on the bone. She tugged at Song Yao's skirt and said, "Cousin, look... the flower is blooming."
The red flower slowly blossomed. A bright red mist emanated from the stamen, and something rushed out of it.
They were spirits.
The spirits included little girls of three or four years old, newborn babies crying loudly, and the oldest was an eight - year - old girl.
Without exception, they were all girls. There wasn't a single boy.
There were so many of them that they quickly filled the entire tower. They squeezed together, leaving a space for Zhao Zhao and Song Yao.
The moment the spirits came out, the surrounding skeletons instantly turned into ashes and disappeared.
Now Song Yao knew that it was an everlasting flower that nourished the spirits.
Zhao Zhao looked at them, feeling a sharp pain in her heart. She had only heard from her senior sister that all things in the world would turn into spirits and be reincarnated after death. Now, seeing it with her own eyes, she was shocked and sad.
They were still children, at an age when they needed protection on Wutong Mountain, but now they had become like this...
She watched for a long time. Then, the oldest - looking little girl spoke. She said to Zhao Zhao, "Sister, thank you. We're going to be reincarnated soon!"
Zhao Zhao didn't know what she had done to deserve their gratitude, so she just remained silent.
The spirit girl didn't mind. Together with the countless little spirits around her, they formed a circle and surrounded Zhao Zhao and Song Yao.
She said, "Sister, this place is about to collapse. We'll take you to a safe place!"
"Wait—" Before Zhao Zhao could say a complete sentence, the next moment, a red light flashed and she and Song Yao were sent to another place.
In Posa Village, the abandoned baby tower that had been built for who - knows - how - many years suddenly collapsed.
Zhao Zhao and Song Yao were sent to a place full of beautiful flowers and green trees.
Song Yao fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time. She groaned in pain while holding her arm.
Zhao Zhao was fine with such a short fall from the tree. She trotted over and helped Song Yao up. "Cousin, are you okay?"
Song Yao looked at Zhao Zhao as if she were a strange person. "Don't you feel any pain at all?"
Only then did Zhao Zhao realize it. She mumbled, "Well... it hurts, but I'm okay now!"
"..." Song Yao sighed. "Forget it. Help me up first."
Zhao Zhao helped Song Yao up from the ground. The two sisters looked around aimlessly.
They seemed to have gotten out of the tower, but they didn't know where the spirits had sent them.
The spirits said it was a safe place, and it really seemed so. After all, the surrounding area was beautiful, like a fairyland.
A fragrance wafted through the air. The smell was very familiar to Zhao Zhao. There was spiritual energy floating around, just like what she felt when she first came to the village.
Zhao Zhao led Song Yao deeper. They were in a passive situation. Although this place seemed beautiful, they had to be extremely vigilant.
After walking for a while, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Su Yuan?" Song Yao recognized the person first and called out.
The figure in the distance moved, turned around, and looked at them indifferently.
Meeting Su Yuan in such an environment, Song Yao finally felt a bit more relaxed.
With Su Yuan around, they could handle any danger.
Zhao Zhao stared at Su Yuan for a while. She felt something was off.
But Song Yao had already walked towards Su Yuan, so she had no choice but to follow.
However, just as she took a step, she saw a flash of red light in Su Yuan's eyes.
Something's wrong!
"Cousin, don't go!"
It was too late. Killing intent flashed in Su Yuan's eyes. He reached out and grabbed Song Yao by the throat.