Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 142: The Baby Rain God Is Here
However.
The person who arrived was not Mo Lingwei, but Chen Shaobei.
When Shen Ningning saw it was someone else, a bewildered look filled her dewy black eyes.
Chen Shaobei, his face etched with anxiety, reined his horse to a halt before the little girl.
"Miss Shen, something’s happened to the Crown Prince! He can’t come to get you."
"I was worried you’d be waiting, so I came to let you know. In a couple of days, when His Highness is all right, he’ll summon you to the palace."
He said this in a great hurry, already turning his horse to leave.
Shen Ningning scrambled forward. "What happened to him?!"
Chen Shaobei said, "Lan Garden suddenly caught fire. I heard the Crown Prince is inside, and I’m on my way to help with the rescue."
Sensing her worry, he added, "Don’t worry. The Emperor has already dispatched a massive force to put out the fire. His Highness will definitely be safe."
’Lan Garden is on fire?!’
The little girl jumped in fright.
She didn’t know where Lan Garden was, but the moment she heard Mo Lingwei was in the middle of a massive fire, she panicked.
Wu Zuchang’s parents had died in a fire, never to emerge again.
"Langlang! Langlang!" Shen Ningning spun around and screamed.
The Black Wolf King’s massive, agile body leaped from the woods, and the little girl vaulted onto its back in a single motion.
"Follow Chen Shaobei! He must be going to Lan Garden to help with the fire. We’re going too!"
The Black Wolf King let out a great AWOO—a message for the pack in the woods—before tearing off at a full sprint with Shen Ningning on its back.
Chen Shaobei remained completely oblivious, only sensing his horse running faster and faster, as if fleeing for its life.
He had no idea that a black wolf was hot on his heels!
After entering the Capital City, they turned left into a wide alley and continued straight for a while until a blazing inferno that lit up the sky came into view.
Members of the Imperial Guard formed a line, passing buckets of water. Commander Lu’s voice was raw and hoarse from the smoke, but he was still shouting—
"Keep buying more water! The Emperor has given the order—no matter how much silver it costs, buy water to put out this fire! We must save the Crown Prince!"
The Imperial Palace had an ample water supply, but Lan Garden was too far away. Distant water can’t put out a nearby fire, so they had no choice but to buy water from the nearby commoners.
Everyone was so busy they barely touched the ground. Shen Ningning followed close behind Chen Shaobei, so the imperial guards assumed they were together and didn’t stop her.
Chen Shaobei went straight to the entrance of the inner garden.
A wave of fire blasted them in the face, a searing heat carrying crimson embers.
The Black Wolf King whimpered and backed away. Shen Ningning quickly stroked his head with her small hands to soothe him.
Then, she jumped down and ordered, "Langlang, you wait for me nearby. Don’t come in!"
The Black Wolf King was uneasy, its gaze fixed on Shen Ningning’s retreating figure.
The little girl ran straight to Chen Shaobei’s side and heard him questioning several soldiers in water-soaked straw cloaks.
"Have you found the Crown Prince?!"
"Not yet. Lan Garden has one hundred and eight rooms, but the fire is too intense. We’ve had to start searching from the south side where it’s less severe, but we’re not fast enough. I’m afraid..."
"Keep searching! Teams of six, go in by turns! Soak your cloaks and cover your mouths and noses with wet cloths! You must find His Highness!"
Just as Chen Shaobei finished speaking, he turned to see a soldier, badly burned, being carried out.
He strode forward, his face grim, and pulled the straw cloak from the injured soldier, throwing it over himself.
The surrounding soldiers were alarmed. "Young General, you can’t go in! It’s too dangerous!"
"Protecting the Crown Prince is protecting the very future of Cangyun Country! How can I hang back? Move aside!"
Just as Chen Shaobei was speaking with the soldiers, he caught a flash of movement in his peripheral vision—a small figure in a red-gold dress had charged straight into the blaze.
Chen Shaobei froze for a second, then roared, "Shen Ningning! Get out of there!"
But the little girl had already run into the garden and vanished from sight.
Chen Shaobei had no choice but to plunge in after her, searching for any sign of Shen Ningning.
The little girl charged ahead, her head down. The sea of fire around her threatened to incinerate everything, rolling in apocalyptic waves of heat.
"COUGH, COUGH..." Shen Ningning clutched her chest, choking on the acrid smoke.
She reached her little hand into the Immortal Realm and pulled out an entire dark cloud.
Since she didn’t know where her brother was, she had no choice but to use the entire cloud to make it rain.
’As long as I can stop the fire in Lan Garden, that’ll be enough.’
Just then, a series of howls echoed from behind her.
Shen Ningning turned to see the Black Wolf King bursting through the flames to land at her side.
Wisps of smoke rose from his singed fur, and an ember still glowed on his left ear. Shen Ningning rushed forward to pat it out.
The Black Wolf King gave her little face a few frantic licks, whining softly.
An animal’s fear of fire is instinctual, but he had overcome his terror just so he could stay by Shen Ningning’s side and protect her.
"AWOO~" The Black Wolf King was telling her he could smell Mo Lingwei.
Shen Ningning quickly scrambled onto his back. "Langlang, let’s go find my brother!"
The Black Wolf King shot forward with the speed of the wind. The little girl wasn’t idle either; she tore the dark cloud into pieces and tossed them into the sky.
The sky, which had been glowing an angry red from the fire, suddenly began to rumble with the sound of distant thunder.
Chen Shaobei had reached the sixth row of buildings when he heard the sound and looked up in astonishment. "Is that thunder?!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, a fat raindrop splattered on his forehead.
"It’s raining!" a soldier cried out in joy.
’The Crown Prince can be saved!’
Immediately after, a torrential downpour came crashing down.
The great fire, like a writhing serpent, was ultimately no match for the dragon-like deluge. The flames gradually sputtered out amidst the downpour.
Mo Lingwei clutched the late Empress’s memorial tablet as he collapsed onto the steps of a courtyard.
His limbs were weak, and the frost coating his body had yet to dissipate.
When the fire broke out, he had been about to leave. But then, his old affliction struck. He collapsed, his body rigid and unable to move.
He could only watch helplessly as tongues of fire licked their way into the courtyard. He had stumbled back to retrieve his mother’s memorial tablet, clutching it protectively to his chest.
It was as if he hoped the fire would consume his body, as long as it didn’t disturb his mother’s final peace.
Just as Mo Lingwei’s vision began to fade to black, a heavy rain began to fall abruptly.
Surprise flashed in his eyes.
Then, a colossal black figure skidded to a halt at the courtyard entrance.
The small figure on the wolf’s back was clad in a red-gold dress. The ends of her hair were slightly disheveled, and her exquisite, beautiful eyes were filled with worry for him.
"Shen... Ningning?" Mo Lingwei’s lips parted, his voice so faint only he could hear it.
He watched her, a little dragon maiden in the rain, draped in the glimmer of a thousand raindrops as she rushed toward him.
Everywhere the Black Wolf King’s paws landed, flames were extinguished.
"Brother!" Shen Ningning cried, her voice choked with sobs.
She scrambled down from the wolf’s back and ran to his side.
Her scalding tears fell onto Mo Lingwei’s cheek, seeming to land deep within his heart as well.
"It’s too late, Langlang! My brother is dead!" Seeing Mo Lingwei lying motionless, Shen Ningning threw back her head and let out a great wail.
The Black Wolf King padded forward and sniffed at Mo Lingwei.
Then, it raised a paw and pressed it firmly against his chest.
"COUGH..." Mo Lingwei shuddered in pain.
