Chapter 129: The Meaning of Friendship (Part 1)

But now it was clear that was no longer the case. She had awakened, and her strength was not weak; she was fully capable of protecting herself, yet she still chose to follow him.

In her eyes, Kong Zhe could see a distinct glimmer—an intense fervor.

Kong Zhe was certain it was not some kind of romantic affection between man and woman. More accurately, it was the look of a devoted believer beholding a high priest!

Since the day she jumped off the broken bridge, the way she looked at him had never changed—always with that fanatical gaze. Sometimes, even when Hong Ling stared at him, he would feel a shiver run down his spine.

Sigh, how did things come to this?

Kong Zhe rubbed his forehead and sighed softly. He had no idea what emotional turmoil that woman had endured that day, but he could guess it must have been harrowing; otherwise, one’s personality wouldn’t change so drastically in such a short time.

He sighed again, stroking his chin, feeling a headache coming on as he pondered how to handle this woman.

“Brother Kong, no matter what you say this time, unless you kill me now, I’m going to stick with you!”

Hong Ling’s eyes burned fiercely as she stared at Kong Zhe, her delicate face resolute. With the utmost seriousness, she declared, “I’m not the same Hong Ling I used to be!”

As she spoke, she suddenly snatched the sword from Kong Zhe’s hand. With one hand, she grabbed her long hair, and with the other, lightly flicked the blade.

“Ah! Goddess! What… what are you doing?”

Nearby, a chubby man jumped up from the ground, his short legs pumping as fast as they could carry him toward Hong Ling. As he ran, he stretched out his hands, trying to catch the strands of hair fluttering in the wind.

“The goddess’s hair! This is the goddess’s hair!” he shouted, clutching a handful of the dark strands, holding them up to his nose to inhale. The fragrance wafting from them flushed his face a deep red with excitement.

Kong Zhe paid no mind to the man’s strange cries; he was simply stunned as he looked at Hong Ling.

That slash had cost her the result of over a decade of careful care—her long hair.

A gentle breeze stirred her freshly cut hair to her shoulders. Hong Ling brushed it back behind her ear. Though what she had just done was a choice that would make any girl hesitate, there was not a trace of hesitation or regret on her face now.

Though her hair was gone, Hong Ling’s short hair was neat and tidy. Coupled with her well-proportioned figure and fair skin that never looked frail, she now appeared bold and spirited.

“I’m no longer the woman who cared about appearances. Now, I just want to follow you and grow stronger!”

Her voice rang with unwavering determination, causing Kong Zhe to pause briefly.

But he quickly regained his composure, lowered his head, and after a moment’s hesitation, took a dagger from his ring and held it out before her.

“If you say you no longer care about your appearance, then prove it to me.”

Kong Zhe’s calm tone made Hong Ling flinch slightly. She instinctively lowered her gaze to the dagger.

This was no ordinary dagger. It shimmered faintly with green light and specks of black—clearly a magical item, possibly even poisonous. A wound from such a weapon would leave even an Awakened with a scar that would not heal easily.

Yet Hong Ling said nothing and hesitated not a moment. She snatched the dagger, closed her eyes, and with a quick motion, sliced at her own face.

“No!”

The chubby man’s startled cry filled the air as Hong Ling opened her eyes in confusion.

At that moment, Kong Zhe’s hand closed firmly around her wrist holding the dagger. His grip was strong but gentle, and though he wasn’t exerting much force, she couldn’t move.

The dagger’s cold blade was less than a millimeter from her fair cheek, and she could clearly feel the chill emanating from it.

Kong Zhe sighed but offered her an apologetic smile.

“Get along well with them from now on.”

With that, he turned without waiting for her reaction and strode toward the giant serpent.

Hong Ling stood frozen, staring after him. After a moment, realization dawned, and she was overcome with joy.

Kong Zhe’s words meant he accepted her, didn’t they?

After all her efforts, she could finally follow him openly and proudly. Overwhelmed with emotion, she felt tears threatening to spill, almost jumping for joy where she stood. Then, suppressing her excitement, she hurried to catch up with Kong Zhe, whose figure was already fading ahead.

…

“Healing spell! Healing spell! Healing spell…”

When Kong Zhe returned to the group, he saw Xue Feifei kneeling on the ground, holding Tuan Tuan in her arms. Nearby, Xiao Lei was continuously casting healing spells.

Xiao Lei’s complexion was pale, and sweat beaded her forehead, but she paid no heed, relentlessly pouring out her magic.

“Xiao Lei…”

Kong Zhe felt a pang of sympathy and grasped her hand gently.

“Don’t push yourself too hard…”

“Brother Kong, I’m fine!”

Feeling Kong Zhe’s tenderness, Xiao Lei smiled faintly but shook her head, wiping sweat from her brow and speaking earnestly, “Tuan Tuan has helped me so much. This is all I can do now…”

Sighing, Kong Zhe moved beside Xue Feifei and crouched down to examine Tuan Tuan carefully.

Xue Feifei knew Kong Zhe was trying to help, so she dared not speak, watching him with hopeful eyes.

She had checked Tuan Tuan’s body more than once herself but was utterly helpless. Though a top scholar whose research spanned multiple fields, she knew little of medicine or biology.

She couldn’t tell what poison had afflicted Tuan Tuan. Now, she regretted not having studied medicine earlier.

If anyone could save Tuan Tuan, it was Kong Zhe—their time together was brief, but in these few days, he had worked countless miracles.

He was her last hope. She silently prayed that Kong Zhe would find a way to heal Tuan Tuan.

But the truth was bleak. No matter how much Kong Zhe knew, he was not a god. When it came to medical issues, he was powerless.

After half an hour of repeated examination, Kong Zhe finally lifted his gaze and sighed, shaking his head toward Xue Feifei.

He had done everything possible but found no cause.

Tuan Tuan’s vital signs were normal; even her status panel showed no abnormalities. By all rights, she was overly healthy—there should be no danger. Yet she remained unconscious, her face etched with pain as if enduring unbearable torment.

This puzzled Kong Zhe deeply. He could not understand what was wrong or why she could not wake.

He had spared no effort, giving her blood drugs and potions to clear abnormal states, but none had any effect.

“Hey, what do you mean by shaking your head? Can’t you save her? Are you just going to do nothing?”

Xue Feifei’s voice cracked with tears as her emotions surged, accusing him.

Kong Zhe sighed again, not angry at her outburst but unsure how to explain.

Seeing Kong Zhe sigh without a word, despair overwhelmed Xue Feifei. It was as if all her strength drained away; she slumped to the ground, holding Tuan Tuan tightly, tears falling onto the child’s face, tracing delicate tear lines down her cheeks.

“Healing spell…”

Xiao Lei’s face showed pity. Gritting her teeth, she quickly wiped away tears and resumed waving her staff tirelessly.

“Xiao Lei…”

Kong Zhe watched her desperate efforts and sighed.

“Healing spell, healing spell, healing spell, healing… ugh!”

Xiao Lei seemed reckless, exhausting her magic reserves. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her palm, causing her to groan softly.

This was the aftereffect of overusing magic; her whole hand trembled as if under a high-voltage shock.

She cried out in pain, her face paling further. Just as she felt dizzy and weak, about to collapse, a strong arm caught her.

“Don’t push yourself too hard!”

A gentle voice whispered in her ear, bringing comfort. Straining to lift her head, she met Kong Zhe’s worried gaze.

A surge of joy welled up inside her, and she smiled unconsciously.

But this was no time for happiness.

“It’s okay… this is all I can do…”

Xiao Lei steadied herself and, with trembling hands, tried to wave her staff again.

“Healing…”

But nothing appeared. Her pale complexion grew even more haggard—her magic was completely drained.

Magic could create miracles, but it required mana. Once an Awakened lost their mana, all else was futile.

Since the protective shield shattered, Xiao Lei had been continuously casting healing spells to mend the giant serpent, Tuan Tuan, and the injured students. Now, no matter how much magic she once had, it was utterly depleted.

Tears clouded Xiao Lei’s eyes.

In the end, I’m still useless, unable to do anything...

That was when she was in third grade.

Encouraged by her sister, Xiao Lei transferred to that new elementary school.

A brand-new school, beautiful buildings, and classmates all dressed vibrantly, full of energy.

Everything seemed to shine brilliantly.