With those words spoken, Lyle merely offered Rou Xue and the others a slight smile before turning, mounting his horse, and riding off toward the Holy City, leaving them behind. Seeing that Lyle was unwilling to answer, Rou Xue was helpless and could only turn to leave with Mo Han.

Meanwhile, atop the walls of the Holy City, a solitary white figure stood erect, gazing in the direction Rou Xue and the others had departed, unwilling to move for a long time. A sudden breeze lifted her veil, instantly revealing an astonishingly beautiful visage—it was none other than the Saintess of Light, Shui Ling'er. However, the spiritually vibrant eyes that usually characterized her now seemed startlingly empty, and her complexion had turned deathly pale, evoking an involuntary pang of heartache in any who saw her.

Just then, Lyle approached slowly. Looking at Shui Ling'er’s lonely silhouette, he couldn't help but sigh.

He spoke softly to her, “Ling'er, Brother Mo Han and the others have already left. Rest assured, I observed him. Brother Mo Han’s color has improved significantly; he should be fine. Miss Rou Xue said that with just two more days of rest, Brother Mo Han will be fully recovered, so please, do not worry.”

Hearing Lyle’s words.

Shui Ling'er slowly turned around, a look of profound sorrow clouding her once-bright eyes. Her voice choked with tears as she spoke to Lyle, “Uncle Lyle, does this mean I will never see Brother Mo Han again? Before agreeing to the Pope’s request, I thought I was prepared, but now that I see Brother Mo Han is truly gone, why does my heart still ache so much?

It hurts so much that it’s gone numb. I am so miserable. I truly wish I could have left with Brother Mo Han, but I know that for me now, that is nothing but an impossible dream.”

Hearing Shui Ling'er’s reply, a look of tender pity entered Lyle’s eyes as he began to counsel her. “Ling'er, you shouldn’t dwell on these thoughts now.

Do you know how much it pains your Uncle Lyle to see you like this? Your Uncle longs to see the lively, laughing Ling'er I knew before. Furthermore, the affairs of the world are unpredictable. Perhaps His Holiness the Pope will change his mind later and agree to your matter with Brother Mo Han. When that time comes, won't you be able to be with Brother Mo Han again? Uncle Lyle will certainly do his utmost to speak with His Holiness the Pope on your behalf.

So, for now, you must take good care of yourself, do you understand? Otherwise, if you continue in this state, you might become ugly. And then Brother Mo Han won’t want you anymore! When that day comes, don't come running to Uncle Lyle to complain!”

Hearing Lyle’s words, Shui Ling'er knew the hope was tenuous, yet a faint glimmer of light seemed to reignite in her eyes. She spoke with sudden excitement, “Uncle Lyle, are you serious? You truly are willing to help me? Thank you so much! Uncle Lyle, you are so good to Ling'er.”

Seeing this, Lyle could only manage a wry, internal smile, for he knew how slim that hope truly was. He was merely trying to comfort Shui Ling'er, to keep her from despairing, to at least give her a sliver of hope so that he could gently guide her back to well-being. He never expected her to actually believe him. They say women in love are blindly foolish, and it seems that is entirely true. This Shui Ling'er, usually so clever, became as foolish as any ordinary young girl when faced with this situation. Nevertheless, Lyle maintained his smile and agreed to her request, resolving internally that as soon as an opportunity arose, he would definitely help Shui Ling'er reunite with Mo Han.

As for Mo Han, he fully regained consciousness the day after leaving the Holy City. By this time, given the speed of Rou Xue and the others, they were long past the Holy City's sphere of influence. Mo Han and his companions were now in a small city situated between the Tianlong Empire and the Kanya Empire. It seemed the Pope of Light had accounted for this when casting his spell, arranging for Mo Han to awaken at this precise moment; even if Mo Han wished to return, they were already far outside the Holy City’s control.

Normally, with the speed of Rou Xue and the others, they could have reached Tianlong City in just a day or two. However, they had received news from the Holy Dragon Patriarch that Daili and the others had also left Tianlong City and were heading toward their current location. To prevent Daili and the others from arriving to find them gone, Rou Xue had to slow their pace. After flying roughly half the distance, they began traveling by carriage to reduce speed. Simultaneously, they instructed the Holy Dragon Patriarch to dispatch several Holy Dragon tribesmen to search in the direction Daili was coming from, hoping to deliver the good news of Mo Han's recovery ahead of time so they could rendezvous.

Seeing Mo Han safe and sound, the heavy weight lifted from Rou Xue’s heart. She immediately asked with concern about his condition, whether he felt any discomfort anywhere. Seeing Rou Xue’s anxious expression warmed Mo Han’s heart. He shook his head, indicating he was fine, then asked with a touch of confusion, “Right, why am I here? I remember being blasted away by that Young Patriarch of the Demonic Dragons, and then nothing. I thought I was done for this time; I never imagined I’d survive. I truly have you to thank, Rou Xue.”

When Rou Xue heard Mo Han thanking her, she knew he had misunderstood and thought she was his savior. Realizing this, Rou Xue quickly corrected him. “Brother Mo Han, you’ve misunderstood. The one who saved you wasn't me. On the contrary, you were severely injured by the Young Patriarch of the Demonic Dragons while covering my retreat. So if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me thanking you. Besides, your injuries at the time were so severe that even my father was powerless to help. So it certainly couldn’t have been us who saved you.”

Hearing Rou Xue’s answer, Mo Han looked puzzled. “What? You didn’t save me? Then who did?” “It was Her Excellency the Saintess,” Rou Xue explained without hiding anything. “Your injuries were truly critical at the time; they were beyond what mortal hands could remedy. That’s why Father thought of the Light Church’s most sacred treasure, the ‘Seven-Colored Feather’—only it could truly save your life. Although we knew the hope was faint, it was the only way to save you, so Elder Kalimo and I rushed you to the Holy City, hoping to seek an audience with the Pope of Light to intervene. But we ran into Her Excellency the Saintess there. Upon seeing you injured, she became extremely anxious and tense. She personally approached the Pope of Light to demand the use of the Seven-Colored Feather to save you. So, if you have thanks to give, you should direct them properly to Her Excellency the Saintess.”

Hearing Rou Xue’s explanation, Mo Han finally understood that Shui Ling'er was the one who saved him. A wave of warmth washed over him as Shui Ling'er’s peerless face flashed through his mind. He asked, “By the way, where is Ling'er? Where is she now? I don’t see her?”

Rou Xue and Kalimo hesitated upon hearing Mo Han’s question, still debating whether they should tell him about the matter now that his injuries had just healed.

Seeing the expression on Rou Xue and Kalimo’s faces, Mo Han immediately felt something was amiss. He hurried to speak, “Did something happen? Rou Xue, please tell me quickly—is something wrong with Ling'er?” Seeing how much Mo Han cared for Shui Ling'er, a pang of bitterness struck Rou Xue’s heart. She replied, “The fact that you care so much for the Saintess suggests your relationship with her is certainly not simple. When the Saintess saw you injured, she had the same anxious expression.”

Mo Han was momentarily stunned by Rou Xue’s unexpected change of subject, unable to understand why she wasn’t answering his question. However, he answered honestly, “Well, I won’t hide it from you. Ling'er can actually be considered my wife. So naturally, I must care about her. How is she?” Rou Xue’s expression flickered with a hint of envy upon hearing Mo Han’s reply. She said, “I see. No wonder the Saintess was so worried about your safety. In that light, everything seems to make sense. Do Sister Daili and the others know about this?” Mo Han shook his head. “My arrangement with Ling'er is quite recent. After returning to Tianlong City, so many things happened that I haven’t had a chance to tell Daili and the others yet.”

Seeing that Mo Han seemed about to press further, Rou Xue understood what he wanted to ask and quickly smiled. “Actually, Her Excellency the Saintess should be fine. It’s just that, for some reason, I feel something is strange, as if the situation defies logic.”

Mo Han became even more confused upon hearing this. “What exactly happened? The more I listen, the more confused I become.”

Hearing this, Rou Xue relayed to Mo Han the words the Pope of Light had spoken while healing him, along with the strange detail that Shui Ling'er had been conspicuously absent when all the high-ranking officials of the Light Church were present. She also mentioned that Shui Ling'er had ultimately instructed Lyle to inquire about Mo Han’s condition. As she concluded, Rou Xue questioned, “Logically speaking, since all those high officials of the Light Church were present, why was Her Excellency the Saintess missing? And why would the Pope of Light utter those rather cold words while healing you, Brother Mo Han? Furthermore, why did the Saintess, knowing you were leaving and worried about your health, choose not to see you herself but send Lyle to inquire? Don't you find these matters strange, Brother Mo Han?” Mo Han fell into deep thought upon hearing this, unable to pinpoint the reason, so he let it go for now. However, Mo Han had already decided that instead of guessing wildly here, he would travel to the Holy City himself after some time to see Shui Ling'er; then everything would be clear. With this thought, Mo Han spoke, “I find it strange too, but after some time, I will personally make a trip to the Holy City, and then everything will be clear, won't it?” Hearing Mo Han’s reply, Rou Xue spoke with worry, “But the Pope of Light clearly stated that you are now considered an unwelcome person by the Light Church. If you go, you will certainly face obstruction from them, and I fear conflict might arise. The Light Church is, after all, the continent’s foremost religious body; opposing them requires careful consideration even for our Holy Dragon Clan, let alone you going alone. It’s too dangerous.”

Hearing Rou Xue’s warning, Mo Han scoffed dismissively. “I’m going to see my wife. What right does the Light Church have to stop me? Even the Light God wouldn’t have the right to prevent a husband and wife from meeting, let alone their Pope. So, these things are not a problem for me at all. If they truly dare to block me, I might not be afraid of them either. I refuse to believe the Pope of Light has three heads and six arms.”

The intense confidence in Mo Han’s tone made it impossible for Rou Xue and the others to harbor a shred of doubt about his words.

Rou Xue quickly interjected to stop him. “I know you might not fear the Pope of Light, but think about it: the Light Church is the continent’s number one religious power. They hide unknown depths of strength. What you see now is merely the surface. Take the Seven-Colored Feather, for example; an ordinary person would never know of it, let alone how many other treasures they hide. Even my father treats them with three parts caution, let alone you going alone. Please, don't act rashly.”

Mo Han smiled and replied, “Don’t worry. When have you ever seen me act foolishly? I have my own judgment. Besides, I didn’t say I’m going right now. I plan to visit the Holy City only after I’ve been to the Gulan Ruins. So, I won't be heading there anytime soon.”

Hearing Mo Han’s answer, Rou Xue knew further persuasion was useless and decided to drop the matter for now. She would tell Daili and the others later. Mo Han might not listen to her, but he would consider the warnings of Daili and the others. Everything would wait until they arrived.

At that moment, Rou Xue and Kalimo’s expressions suddenly lit up with delight. They exchanged a look and hurriedly went outside. Mo Han, seeing this, didn’t know what was happening but sensed it wasn't bad news, judging by their expressions.

Not long after, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and Mo Han’s door was pushed open. A figure rushed directly into his arms—it was Daili. She held Mo Han tightly, asking with worry, “Brother Mo Han, are you alright? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? As soon as I heard you were injured, I wished I could fly to your side immediately to take care of you. Thankfully, you’re well now, or I truly don’t know what I would have done.”

Hearing this, Mo Han lovingly patted Daili’s back. “Silly girl, look at me, I’m perfectly fine now. You forgot who your Brother Mo Han is? I’m like a cockroach, not so easy to kill. That Young Patriarch of the Demonic Dragons wanted my life, but his skills fall short, hehe.”

Hearing Mo Han’s response, Daili chided him playfully. “You! Always talking nonsense. You have no idea how worried we were. And you still have the mood to joke.”

At this moment, Latin, who had followed Daili in, also spoke up with a laugh. “Boss, I knew you wouldn't be done for. Otherwise, you wouldn't be my boss, would you? See how much faith I have in you?”

Mo Han smiled at him. “You brat, I notice you’ve gotten smarter lately. Good, keep that up.”

Daili, after hearing Latin’s words, noticed Rou Xue and the others standing behind her. She quickly flushed and tried to pull away from Mo Han’s embrace, but Mo Han was unwilling to let go. He held Daili tightly, showing no intention of releasing her. Daili, worried about Mo Han’s recent recovery, dared not struggle too hard, so she simply lay flushed in his arms, letting him hold her.

Then Latin continued, “Hehe, of course, I know! Boss, you must have heard the saying: ‘a scourge lasts a thousand years.’ Someone as mighty as you wouldn't just hang around for a short time.”

Hearing Latin’s reply, everyone in the room burst into laughter. Mo Han looked amused and exasperated. “Are you just making excuses to insult me, brat? It seems you’re itching for a beating again. Your boss may have just recovered, but dealing with you is still more than enough. Do you want to try the taste of popcorn, hehe?”

With that, Mo Han made a gesture as if flexing his fists and rubbing his palms together.