Don't forget to give that signed photograph to my brother," she patted his shoulder one last time. "He will be paying a shit ton for many many things.. including this."

Leaving behind the frozen stiff boy, Le fang Ling walked away, towards a darker place in the forest.

Taller and thicker pine trees grew there. They completely blocked the sunlight and cast dark shadows on the ground.

This worked like a natural hideout. Coincidentally, it hid the entrance to the hidden cave in the Vermillion bird peak.

It was the same cave where An Cheng had taken her to visit when she first met her. She had somehow placed this thing at the back of her head as she was busy with training and other things.

While trying to lead her pursuer to an isolated location, she somehow ended up coming back here.

Was it fate or was it just a coincidence? She had no idea. But she was glad her feet subconsciously led her here. She could not have asked for a better place than this to temporarily hide Nagina.

After knowing that she was being followed, she came up with a plan to lead the man astray. But she had Nagina with her who was currently unconscious and recuperating.

So, she had asked Feng Po Po to take Nagina with her and wait for her inside the cave.

As the cave was naturally full of spiritual energy, although, in low amount, she knew it was better than nothing.historical

Considering Nagina had lost an incredibly large amount of qi, even a bit was a life-saving drop for her.

Now that she met the kid that her brother sent after her, Nagina's condition took over her mind. She was worried about what would happen if Nagina stayed like that for eternity.

She was not afraid of losing a system. She was better off without the harsh leveling conditions of the system that made her angry at times. There were times when she did rely on the system for various things and she was thankful for that, but now that she had gotten knowledge about this world, she was sure she could survive here herself. She might miss a few perks of the system, but that was it.

However, Nagina was much more than her system. Although it would be a weird thing to say she fell for an AI, that was what had happened. A smile crept on her lips as she stood in front of the cave. AI or not, Nagina had a unique soul and emotions as she did, and that was what she fell for.

If anything was to happen to her, she would feel broken inside, and that was for sure. She was weak in her heart when it came to those she loved. "Feng Po Po!" She called out. A cool and refreshing feeling hit her soul when she stepped inside the cave. It was as if she had eaten a fresh mint leaf early in the morning. This feeling..she loved it. It took a while for her eyes to get adjusted to the dark surrounding of the cave. The tiny pebbles glowed dimly. They covered the ground and walls of the cave.

'They look as magical as they did when I first visited,' she thought to herself as she walked. The sound of her feet on gravels echoed in the silent cave. Feng Po Po was nowhere to be seen.

Did she go further inside the cave? She wondered as she followed the connection of her with Nagina. That was the only thing that consoled about the presence of Nagina.

Following it, she walked further and further inside the cave. She grew impatient with each passing second.

The path she was following was the one she and An Cheng had taken. That path led to the secret chamber down where *that thing* was kept.

'Did she leave the upper level to go down there?' she wondered as she walked down the spiraling stairs. The path was similar to the last time she had come here: uneven and narrow.

The nearer she got to the entrance to the underground chamber, the unsettling feeling in her heart grew much more than ever. She felt her heart thumping in anxiety as if it was about to jump out of her chest.

After walking for a bit, she reached the gate guarded by the statutes of the Vermillion birds.

Everything looked the same except for one tiny detail. The shrine gate was wide open.

".."

"Who in the world opened the gate?" If she remembered correctly, An Cheng had said that only a selected few could open the door. The access was, of course, given by the token that the students get during admission.

But the two birds at the gate did not just allow entry based on the token. They did not allow just anyone. Only those with a special grant and the token were allowed in. However, Feng Po Po had neither. It was suspicious how the gate was open since Feng Po Po had entered it.

"Is she really that strong that she bypassed the security system of this place?"

Filled with questions, she made her way inside the gate and started to sprint at full speed. After a while, the path diverged into three. Based on her memory, she chose the one she had taken the last time.

It was the middle tunnel. Le fang ling could also sense the presence of Nagina and Feng Po Po at the end of the tunnel.

Now there was no doubt, Feng Po Po had indeed taken Nagina with her to the forbidden place.

"What are you planning, Feng Po Po?" With an unknown fear creeping up in her heart, she dashed to the exit of the tunnel.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel was harsh on her eyes. She narrowed her eyes as she placed her feet inside the secret chamber for the second time.

"Feng Po Po! What are you doing here?!" She yelled as soon as she saw the tall figure of Feng Po Po.