“Okay!”
Jiu Baiyun nodded firmly in response to Xiao Mu’s request.
Without any further delay, he bent down, swept his arm around, and securely hoisted the trembling Xiao Mu, who was clutching his clothes, onto his back.
The girl was very light, but the heavy responsibility and the unknown danger ahead weighed on Jiu Baiyun’s heart.
“Hold on tight!”
He instructed in a low voice, and at the same time, he pushed off the ground with force.
Boom!
A loud sound rang out as the ground beneath his feet caved in, and Jiu Baiyun’s figure shot into the air.
Watching the ground grow farther away, Jiu Baiyun immediately channeled the remaining spiritual energy within him and wrapped it around his body.
Then he quickly dove toward the direction of Su Zhiyun and A Ran on the back mountain.
At the same time, Jiu Baiyun didn’t forget to send a telepathic message to Yun Yao.
After all, since he had taken Xiao Mu away, her father would surely not take this lying down and would likely do something to his courtyard.
Although he had set up some defenses for the courtyard, Jiu Baiyun felt it necessary to warn Yun Yao so she wouldn’t be caught off guard.
Looking down again, Jiu Baiyun took a deep breath.
The small courtyard, the village, and even the rolling hills below rapidly shrank and blurred in his vision, eventually turning into a mosaic of green shades.
For Jiu Baiyun, this brief Wind-Riding Flight was a liberation from the ground’s constraints, a feeling of freedom brought by the flow of spiritual energy.
He felt the wind howl past his ears, his sharp gaze locked on the direction of the Houshan Ancestral Hall, thinking only of reuniting with Su Zhiyun and A Ran as soon as possible.
However, for Xiao Mu on his back, this was an unprecedented terrifying experience.
Waaa—
When her feet completely left the solid ground, a short, terrified whimper escaped Xiao Mu’s throat.
She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, but the sudden weightlessness and rapid ascent brought a strong dizziness, making her feel like her insides were churning.
“B-Brother Baiyun!”
Xiao Mu’s voice was tearful, her tiny body tensing like a stiff rock on Jiu Baiyun’s back.
She didn’t dare open her eyes at all, feeling only emptiness all around, with nothing to hold on to or stand on.
The howling wind filled her ears, whipping her hair wildly and stinging her cheeks, adding to the terrifying illusion that she would be thrown off at any moment.
The only thing she could hold on to was the “Brother Baiyun” beneath her, the only source of safety.
Survival instinct gave her astonishing strength; her two thin arms locked around Jiu Baiyun’s neck like iron bands.
Her legs also tightly wrapped around his waist, her whole body like a frightened octopus, wishing she could embed herself completely into Jiu Baiyun.
“Cough… Xiao Mu… loosen… loosen a bit…”
Jiu Baiyun, caught off guard, felt his breath choke and almost lost his rhythm.
He then realized the little girl’s fear far exceeded his expectations.
He quickly diverted a sliver of his focus to slow down the flow of spiritual energy, which drastically reduced their diving speed.
At the same time, he tried to turn his head to calm Xiao Mu.
“Don’t be afraid! Just hold on tight, you won’t fall! I’m flying you!”
But Xiao Mu couldn’t hear him at all.
She still had her eyes tightly shut, her face buried deep in the back of Jiu Baiyun’s neck.
Every gust of wind, even the slightest jolt, made her tighten her grip on Jiu Baiyun’s neck, while her mouth let out indistinct whimpers and sobs.
“Too high… too high…”
“Waaa… I’m going to fall… Brother Baiyun… help!”
She repeated incoherently, her voice scattered by the wind.
Jiu Baiyun could clearly feel the violent trembling and cold temperature from the small body on his back, as well as the force that was almost strangling him.
He sighed helplessly, knowing that no words of comfort could reach Xiao Mu right now.
He could only try to keep the flight steady, slightly releasing his protective spiritual energy to form a softer barrier, shielding Xiao Mu from most of the harsh wind, while speeding up again.
He hadn’t expected Xiao Mu to be this afraid of heights.
He stopped trying to talk and focused more on steering, diving toward the Houshan Ancestral Hall.
The lush trees below became blurry green streaks flying backward, while Xiao Mu on his back still clung tightly to him like a terrified little animal.
When the familiar roof outline of the ancestral hall finally appeared in his sight, Jiu Baiyun felt a little relieved.
He adjusted his angle, preparing to land.
Meanwhile, Xiao Mu on his back seemed to sense the speed slowing and the height decreasing, and her tense body finally showed signs of relaxation.
But her arms around Jiu Baiyun’s neck still showed no sign of loosening.
Jiu Baiyun landed steadily on the open ground in the backyard of the ancestral hall.
The moment his feet touched solid earth, he clearly felt Xiao Mu’s body relax suddenly, and the force that had been choking him finally released.
“Alright, Xiao Mu, we’re here. We’re safe.”
He said as he carefully set the little girl down.
As soon as Xiao Mu’s feet touched the ground, her legs gave way and she nearly collapsed.
Her face was pale, her lips trembling slightly, and she panted heavily, still in shock.
Her eyes were unfocused, clearly not fully recovered from the terrifying flight.
“Jiu Baiyun! You finally…”
Su Zhiyun heard the noise and rushed out of the ancestral hall.
Halfway through her sentence, she saw the pale little girl beside Jiu Baiyun and froze.
“…Who is this?”
A Ran also came out.
Seeing Xiao Mu’s state, her little face immediately showed worry and sympathy, and she quickly stepped forward to support her.
“Little sister, are you okay?”
Jiu Baiyun rubbed his sore neck, looked at the terrified Xiao Mu, then at the confused Su Zhiyun and concerned A Ran, and spoke briefly.
“Her name is Xiao Mu. It’s urgent, so we need to take her with us. I’ll explain on the way. Have you packed everything? We must leave immediately!”
Su Zhiyun looked at Xiao Mu, her heart full of questions.
‘He said he had an urgent matter to go back for, and now he brings back a little girl—he hasn’t gone into human trafficking, has he?’
Silently grumbling to herself, Su Zhiyun looked at Xiao Mu’s obviously terrified state, then at Jiu Baiyun’s serious expression, and knew now was not the time to press.
She quickly nodded.
“A Ran’s things are all packed. Just one small bundle. We can leave anytime!”
“Good!”
Jiu Baiyun’s gaze swept over the three, finally landing on Xiao Mu, who was still weak in the legs and clutching his clothes.
“Let’s go! Down the mountain immediately, heading north!”