Chapter 278: Feiying, the power-hungry
An example of waiting at the station.
Feiying sat by the window, supporting her chin with one hand, her eyes penetrating the thick glass.
The mountains of snow sparkled with crystal light in the sun, so beautiful that it was breathtaking, but also so cold that it made people feel a little sad.
Her expression was somewhat lost, and a white world was reflected in her eyes.
But my thoughts seemed to drift far away.
The slightly furrowed brows and occasional sighs silently revealed her inner uneasiness and anxiety.
The interior is warm and comfortable, in stark contrast to the icy and snowy outside.
The heat from the heater created a thin layer of mist on the glass windows. Feiying would occasionally use her fingers to draw a few marks on the window, and then watch them slowly disappear.
Jasmine, who was sitting opposite, was holding a cup of hot honey tea in her hand and sipping it in small sips.
She looked at Feiying, then at Ziluolan beside her, her eyes full of confusion and helplessness.
"I can't get into the Snow Country..."
Jasmine broke the silence, with obvious disappointment in her voice:
"The mission we've received may have to be postponed for the time being. What should we do now?"
Her question hung in the air, but received no immediate response.
Feiying seemed to be immersed in her own thoughts and turned a deaf ear to Jasmine's words.
Violet was quietly flipping through a book, killing her free time.
After returning from the spiritual realm of the sea of sand, they immediately rushed back to the academy to report to the principal on the completion of the mission and their thrilling encounters in the sea of sand.
However, after returning to the academy, they did not see the principal, Xiao Bailian.
Every time I contacted Xiao Bailian, she seemed to be secretive and I didn't know what she was busy with.
Just briefly praised them for completing the task.
Then the call ended quickly.
This abnormal situation made them feel a little uneasy.
Although Xiao Bailian usually looks lazy and casual, she never neglects her care for her students.
This change in attitude made them realize that something important might have happened.
At the suggestion of the school teacher, they decided to go to Xiaobailian's hometown, Snow Country, to meet her in person and understand the situation.
On the one hand, he is concerned about the principal's condition, and on the other hand, he wants to take this opportunity to travel to the snowy country in the north.
But they did not expect to encounter heavy snow blocking the mountain, so now they can only be forced to wait for the next return trip, and the mission is put on hold again.
Violet closed the book in her hand and looked up at Feiying who was still absent-minded by the window.
"Fei Ying?"
Violet called softly, but got no response.
"Feiying! What are you thinking about?"
Feiying still maintained the same posture, as if she didn't hear Ziluolan's voice.
Her eyes were still fixed on the window, her fingers mechanically drawing meaningless patterns on the glass.
It was not until Violet raised her voice and shouted a few more times that she finally realized what was happening and turned around.
"Ah? You called me?"
Feiying blinked, and there was a hint of confusion in her voice, as if she had just woken up from a dream:
"Sorry, I was distracted..."
Violet and Jasmine exchanged a worried look.
Ever since returning from the Spirit Realm Sand Sea, Feiying has often been like this, often absent-minded, immersed in her own thoughts, and sometimes even forgetting the conversation she is having.
This state is too abnormal for the usually energetic and silly Feiying.
Violet asked with concern, her voice soft and gentle:
"Feiying, have you been worried about anything recently?"
"If you have any troubles, you can share them with us, maybe we can help."
Feiying lowered her head and shook it gently, her fingers unconsciously twisted together.
"No, I was just thinking about something..."
Her voice was very soft, almost as if she was talking to herself:
"I wonder where Taoyao is now and whether she is doing well..."
When talking about the name "Taoyao", Feiying's voice trembled slightly and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.
There are worries, longings, and also a hint of unspeakable pain.
Ever since Taoyao was taken away by Zhongmo, and then lost Baiying.
Feiying has been in this state, sometimes anxious and sometimes silent.
Violet looked at Feiying's sad expression, reached out and patted her shoulder gently, trying to give her some comfort.
"Don't worry, Feiying."
Violet said gently:
"Fairies are almost all immortal."
"Besides, Taoyao is the original fairy. Her power is far beyond our imagination."
"Even if she is taken away by the End, the End can't do anything to her."
Violet's words were filled with rational analysis and trust in Taoyao's abilities, in an attempt to alleviate Feiying's worries.
However, these words did not seem to have the desired effect.
Feiying raised her head and a trace of pain flashed in her eyes.
"But I really want to find her now..."
There was a strong sense of longing and helplessness in Feiying's voice.
"It's been so long and there's no news. She just disappeared and I don't even know if she's safe."
She paused and turned to Violet, her eyes full of expectation and pleading.
"Ziluolan, where do you think Taoyao is now? Is she still in the Rift?"
Feiying asked anxiously, as if she had grasped the last straw:
"You are so smart, you must have some clues or guesses, right?"
Violet fell into a brief silence, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was thinking about how to answer this difficult question.
She tapped her fingers lightly on her knee, a gesture she made when she was deep in thought.
The snowflakes falling outside the window sparkled in the sunlight, as if countless diamonds were falling from the sky.
This beautiful scene contrasts with the heavy atmosphere in the room, which seems a bit ironic.
"Fei Ying..."
Violet finally spoke, her voice cautious and rational: "We know too little about goblins."
"Although Zhongmo took away Taoyao's primordial flower, we don't know whether she is imprisoned in the Rift."
"Moreover, the world inside the Rift Gate is inherently chaotic, with huge distortions in both time and space."
"Even if we rush in rashly, we may not be able to find Taoyao."
Violet's words were full of rational analysis, which was her usual style.
As the captain of the team, she needs to analyze problems with a calm mind, even if these analyses sometimes sound cruel.
Feiying's shoulders slumped and the expression on her face became even gloomier.
Her fingers unconsciously gripped the armrests of the seat, her knuckles turning white from the effort.
"But……"
Feiying's voice was almost squeezed out from between her teeth, with a hint of stubbornness and unwillingness:
"If I don't do anything, I won't be able to find Taoyao, right? Violet..."
"I felt like I had gotten stronger, but before I knew it I was back to my old self."
"I clearly want to find Taoyao and Baiying, but I don't have any clue at all..."
There was a strong sense of frustration and self-blame in her voice.
Violet looked at the distressed Feiying, and a trace of heartache flashed in her eyes.
She knew how much Feiying cared about Taoyao, and she also knew what losing Taoyao meant to her.
As a good friend, she hopes to give Feiying some substantial help rather than just empty comfort.
"Don't think too much about it."
Violet said gently, with a hint of encouragement in her voice:
"Based on what we know about fairies now, fairies are attracted to each other."
"They all want to devour other fairies in order to gain greater power."
Her eyes lit up, as if she had suddenly found a glimmer of hope.
"If we really want to find Taoyao next, then what we can do now is to look for information related to fairies."
"When we encounter fairies, we can often encounter Taoyao, or find clues related to Taoyao."
Violet's analysis sounds reasonable.
Although there is a lack of substantive guidance, it at least provides a direction and a starting point.
Feiying nodded slowly, and the despair in her eyes eased a little.
"Well, I see."
While the girls were talking, a delicate and small device on Jasmine's wrist suddenly made a crisp prompt sound, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere in the room.
The sound was particularly obvious in the quiet room, and the attention of the three people was immediately drawn to it.
Jasmine looked down at her wrist, her eyes suddenly widened, and a look of surprise and joy appeared on her face.
"Eh? It's Principal Hakuren!"
Jasmine exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement that was difficult to conceal:
"She finally contacted us!"
She quickly operated the device on her wrist, sliding her fingers nimbly across the screen, trying to get through.
After a few seconds, a translucent three-dimensional projection was projected from the device and floated in the air in front of the three people.
The projection was fuzzy at first, as if it was disturbed, and it flickered with blue light.
Gradually, a familiar figure appeared in the projection.
Xiao Bailian looked a little tired, with faint dark circles under her eyes. It was obvious that she had not had a good rest recently.
"Hello, hello? Is there any sound?"
Xiao Bailian's voice was intermittent due to the unstable signal, and she was obviously anxious.
"This damn snowstorm has ruined our signal..."
She seemed to be adjusting some equipment. In the projection, she kept tapping something with a frown on her face.
"Hey! Is there any sound? Please respond if you hear it?"
She almost shouted, a hint of urgency in her voice.
Violet immediately leaned forward to make sure her voice was heard clearly.
"Principal, we can hear your voice..."
Violet responded calmly, her voice clear and powerful:
"Although the signal is a little unstable, I can basically hear it clearly. How is the situation over there?"
Xiao Bailian in the projection was visibly relieved after hearing the response, and her tense shoulders relaxed.
"Huh...finally there's a sound."
Xiao Bailian sighed, with a tired but relieved smile on her face:
"This horrible weather messes up all the communications equipment."
She adjusted her sitting position slightly to make herself more comfortable.
Then he looked directly at the other end of the projection, his eyes becoming focused.
"Let's get down to business. I heard you guys came to the Snow Country?"
Violet raised her head slightly and looked directly at the tired but still energetic face of Xiao Bailian in the projection.
Her tone was calm and methodical, as if she was giving a formal mission report.