Gu Qianying froze, a flood of images about the child before her suddenly appearing in her mind.
"Mother, do you know why I haven't grown taller? Because I haven't eaten meat. Mother, I want to eat meat."
This was the excuse the little boy before her had come up with to eat a wild rabbit.
"Mother, Xiao Hua, she cursed me, so I want to beat her. Mother, you said that if someone bullies your son, your son should bully them back, right?"
This was the reason the little boy was being bullied by a girl named Xiao Hua, after she had called him a child without a father.
"Mother, your son prepared a bowl of brown sugar water for you. Remember to drink it, and you won't hurt anymore."
This was what happened when she had period pains.
There were many, many more scenes of her interactions with the little boy, including his laughter and his tears.
"Wife, I am Nangong Mo, your husband... Wife, Qianying... do you remember me?"
Gu Qianying stared blankly at the two people before her.
The name "Nangong Mo" brought back many beautiful memories.
Beneath the flower trees, she nestled in his arms as he whispered his promises in her ear, expressing his love for her.
Every word he spoke flashed through her mind.
"Son!"
She finally uttered these two words.
"Husband!"
Gu Qianying called out to Nangong Mo.
"Wife..." Nangong Mo's voice was hoarse, and he smiled as he looked at Gu Qianying.
Her eyes were filled with mist, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had finally remembered him.
"Mother!"
Little Yi Hao struggled to get down from Nangong Mo's embrace.
Nangong Mo gently set little Yi Hao down.
Little Yi Hao rushed towards Gu Qianying like the wind.
However... at that very moment, the voice of the Demonic Venerable Emperor reached Gu Qianying's ears.
"Spirit Slave, kill them. You cannot betray this Venerable Emperor. Spirit Slave... my command is inviolable..."
A mind-controlling curse repeated in her ears, over and over again.
"Ah..."
Gu Qianying knelt on the ground in pain, clutching her head.
Her head felt like it was splitting, and many voices echoed in her mind.
"Mother... Mother... don't be afraid, I'm here. Little Yi Hao will protect Mother."
Suddenly, a pair of small hands grasped her wrist, a warmth spreading across her hand.
Gu Qianying lowered her gaze, not looking up.
"Mother, look at me... I am Little Yi Hao, I am your son."
Little Yi Hao's voice continued to echo in her ears.
Suddenly, she looked up.
"Mother..."
Her dark eyes were somber, her icy gaze like a thousand-year-old frozen well.
Little Yi Hao's words abruptly stopped, and he stood there stunned.
He had never seen his mother like this.
"Mother... what's wrong with you?"
"Scram!"
As the wind picked up, Gu Qianying suddenly flung Little Yi Hao away.
Little Yi Hao, like a kite with a broken string, his small body flew backward.
"Little Yi Hao!"
Meng Qinghua, Du Chun, and others flew towards them.
Nangong Mo's pupils contracted, and he quickly stepped forward to catch little Yi Hao as he fell from mid-air.
As they landed steadily, Nangong Mo looked back at Gu Qianying: "Qianying... you..."
At this moment, it was as if two different souls resided within Gu Qianying, one righteous and one evil.
Her dark eyes and red eyes alternated, her expression changing accordingly.
"Ah..."
She cried out in pain, clutching her head.
Nangong Mo, holding little Yi Hao, flew to Meng Qinghua's side and handed the child over for care. He then turned and flew to Gu Qianying, embracing her tightly from behind.
"Qianying... I am Nangong Mo, your husband..."
He repeated this in her ear.
"Ah... get away, get away from me!"
The splitting headache did not subside at all; instead, it intensified.
Nangong Mo gripped her wrists, turned her to face him, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Gu Qianying's pupils widened.
At this moment, the surrounding black mist began to dissipate, and the white clouds and sunlight reappeared in the sky.
Withered flowers and grass began to sprout anew.
Gu Qianying, still frozen, slowly raised her hands, closing her eyes as he kissed her.
At this moment, a sense of peace washed over her, and the headache gradually faded.
"You want to bewitch this Venerable Emperor's Spirit Slave, Hmph, dream on!"
Suddenly, a dark energy emanated from everything, and all surrounding objects lost their original colors. The white clouds and sunlight that had just appeared were instantly obscured by black mist.
A powerful demonic aura began to surge around everyone.
"Qianying... Ninth Imperial Uncle! A'Mo..."
Du Chun and the others watched helplessly as the figure, transformed into a giant black shadow, flew towards Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying.
"Mother!"
Little Yi Hao didn't know what was happening, but he could clearly see a giant figure flying towards his mother.
Little Yi Hao pushed Meng Qinghua away, intending to rush towards Gu Qianying, but Meng Qinghua held him back in time.
The others used their lightness skills, attempting to fly towards Gu Qianying.
However... as if encountering a hard, invisible, and intangible barrier, Du Chun and the others were unable to approach Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo.
At this moment, the Flood Dragon A'Mu and Bai Ze were both trapped in a water prison, battling a strangely shaped water beast spirit.
Meanwhile.
Nangong Mo, who had transformed all his spiritual energy into qi for her, clearly saw the hideous face of the Demonic Venerable Emperor drawing closer.
At this moment, he was completely unable to move. If he was distracted, his wife would fall into a qi deviation, and once that happened, he would never be able to bring his wife back to her senses.
"Mmph!"
Suddenly, countless black threads, like long arrows, pierced Nangong Mo's body from behind.
Nangong Mo did not move, but his face turned very pale.
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Gu Qianying tasted the saltiness of the blood and frowned, trying to push Nangong Mo away.
But at this moment, Nangong Mo held the back of her head, deepening his kiss and holding Gu Qianying tighter.
His white robe was riddled with bloody holes, and blood spread all over his body. The pain was self-evident.
Yet, even so, he did not let go of her.
"You want to use your own spiritual energy to transfer qi to her, to wash away the demonic power within her? Hahaha, Lotus Emperor, oh Lotus Emperor, you loved her so much back then, willing to die just to guide her back to the righteous path. Good, since you are so selfless, this Venerable Emperor will grant your wish, Hahaha!"
The black shadow floated behind Nangong Mo, his green eyes filled with icy coldness.
A long sword emanating dark energy appeared in the Demonic Venerable Emperor's hand. He retracted the black threads and, holding the sword, thrust it fiercely into Nangong Mo's back.
The tip of the sword pierced Nangong Mo's chest.
Blood spread from his chest.
"Mmph..."
Nangong Mo held Gu Qianying even tighter.
The spiritual energy surrounding him seemed to be slowly dissipating.
The moment Gu Qianying opened her eyes, her gaze was no longer red.
"Nangong Mo!"
Gu Qianying's mouth was filled with the blood that had come from his.
At this moment, she finally recognized him.
But he slumped into her arms.
Seeing her clear eyes, Nangong Mo smiled weakly: "Wife, you finally recognize me."
His body was covered in bloody holes. Held by her, he laboriously raised his hand and slowly touched her face.
"It's so good, wife, I can finally be held by you. Qianying... I'm tired."
He looked at her, blood trickling from his lips, happy at this moment.
Tears streamed down Gu Qianying's cheeks, and she choked back sobs as she held the person before her.
At this moment, she could feel his life force slowly draining away.
"Nangong Mo... don't leave me, please don't leave me, okay? I beg you..."
Having regained her senses, she naturally understood what had happened.
He had used all the spiritual energy in his body to transfer qi to her, to bring her back from the brink of qi deviation.
To wash away the demonic energy within her, to make her a "complete person" not controlled by others.
Wife... actually, I am also Luo Mu Chen. Do you know, actually... I have always been by your side...