Chapter 15: Jia Shanglu's hand was born to be held with his...

(fifteen)

Chen Changyi brought Li Shanglu to the edge of a blue lake on Zhenfeng Mountain. This is the only alpine lake on Mingzhou Mountain, named Wujiu Lake. According to legend, many cultivators have come here to comprehend the great Dao, and their cultivation has improved rapidly. It is the most suitable place to temper one's state of mind.

The two of them spread out a thin blanket and meditated under the qingtan tree as if they were going out for an outing.

Shen Changyi also brought food, his favorite red bean jelly, and Li Shanglu's favorite snow bud and green radish tea. He used magic to brew tea and ate it with the jelly. The greasy sweetness of the red beans and the bitter taste of the tea were perfectly balanced.

He handed the cold cake to Li Shanglu, but Li Shanglu didn't take it.

"Didn't you say you would teach me how to practice?" Li Shanglu covered his face with his hands and said in a low voice with dissatisfaction.

The young disciples who were practicing around them kept casting curious glances at them. Everyone was fully armed and sitting upright, but they were the only ones who came with cakes and tea, which was so embarrassing.

Chen Changyi was completely oblivious. He was used to being stared at. He still stubbornly handed the cold cake to her and said, "It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Li Shanglu had no choice but to take it quickly, and then he heard Shen Changyi muttering incoherently while eating the cake, "It's most suitable for cultivating one's character... using... "

"Swallow it first."

Li Shanglu's mouth twitched slightly. He was so stupid that he couldn't hear a single word of his mumbling.

Chen Changyi swallowed the cake and whispered, "The cake is sticky, sorry. Illusion is the most suitable for cultivating the mind."

Although the sect leader's instructions only included the four words "cultivate one's mind", these four words usually meant that Li Shanglu should participate in the illusion trial.

There is a place in the Mingzhou Sect specifically for disciples to use illusions, and that is the place by the Wujiu Lake.

Illusions are divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound and Yellow. The simplest one is the Yellow level illusion, which will not cause any harm to people. It is like a dream, and the person who sets up the formation can choose the content of the illusion he wants to sleep in.

Those who pass the trial will have a more open mind and will be less susceptible to the tricks of the evil cultivators.

"Hey? Is that Master Sword Immortal? Is the woman opposite his cousin?"

"He doesn't look as ferocious as the rumors say. He keeps covering his face and seems quite introverted and shy..."

"I really want to learn sword techniques from the Sword Immortal. I've already mastered the Falling Rain Pear Blossom Sword, which he created, to the seventh level!"

"They seem to be here to cultivate their mind, so it's best not to disturb them."

The young disciples looked at them silently from a distance, their gazes becoming increasingly fiery.

Li Shanglu couldn't stand it any longer, so he simply turned his back to them and urged, "Since we are going to enter the illusion, why don't we start quickly?"

Hearing this, Shen Changyi said softly, "Don't worry, are you feeling better?"

Li Shanglu looked up at him in confusion, and saw Shen Changyi moving closer to her. He put his hand on her chest and said, "Xie Du said you have a heart problem. Let me take a look at you."

His eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of worry in them.

However, Li Shanglu lowered his eyes to look at his hand resting on his chest. After a moment of silence, he raised his hand and slapped him on the head, "Where are you touching?"

In this short moment, Shen Changyi had already used his spiritual power to find out her physical condition, and he couldn't help but asked in confusion,

"Your heartbeat is normal, how could he say you're sick?"

Hearing him mention Xie Du, Li Shanglu sneered, "He's lying."

Hearing this, Shen Changyi shook his head and said softly, "He won't lie."

Li Shanglu was furious that he dared to defend that bastard. "Even a master like you has lied before. A good teacher always produces a good student. Is it surprising that your student would lie?"

She always uses strange metaphors to leave Shen Changyi speechless. A good teacher produces a good student, but that's not how it's used.

"So, how did he lie?"

Li Shanglu snorted lightly, slowly approached Shen Changyi, and whispered in his ear, "Shen Changyi, the so-called heart disease means that your good disciple makes my heart beat very fast."

If Shen Changyi mistakenly believed that she liked Xie Du, he would definitely hate and dislike this disciple from then on, right?

Xie Du respected his master so much that only Shen Changyi's hatred could hurt him the most.

The warm breath brushed past his ear, instantly dyeing it crimson. Shen Changyi was stunned for a moment, "What?"

He was too close, and all he could think about was the orchid scent on Li Shanglu's body, so he couldn't hear clearly.

"I told you your disciple makes my heart beat fast," Li Shanglu said through gritted teeth. "Did you hear me clearly this time?"

This time Shen Changyi heard everything. He was stunned for a moment and asked subconsciously, "Why?"

"Because he..." Li Shanglu choked up and couldn't come up with an answer after a long while. She couldn't find any good points in Xie Du at all. "Because he's the Young Sect Master."

Well, this is barely convincing.

Shen Changyi stared at her for a while, then lowered his eyes. "I don't understand."

"What's not clear?"

He took a bite of the jelly cake and thought seriously, "Young Sect Master... is just a title... and he..."

Li Shanglu said weakly, "Don't eat while talking."

"And Xie Du swore a blood oath," Shen Changyi took a sip of tea and swallowed the cold cake, "I will never marry in this life."

Hearing this, Li Shanglu frowned slightly. She didn't expect Xie Du to have this trick. No wonder Shen Changyi never worried about her contact with Xie Du.

But Li Shanglu was unwilling to let him go so easily. She was so angry that her teeth were itching. No one had ever let her suffer any harm since she was a child.

"Husband." She spoke suddenly.

Shen Changyi froze, turned his head to look at her, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly.

"Um?"

Li Shanglu leaned on his shoulder, stroked his hand with his fingertips, and said softly, "Actually, your apprentice bullied me today."

His eyes followed her jade-white fingers, watching them swim between his fingers and slowly interlock them. Shen Changyi stared at them intently as if he was bewitched, his breathing slightly paused.

The air was filled with a light orchid fragrance. He did not move, allowing Li Shanglu to hold his hand tightly.

It was strange, Shang Lu's hand seemed to be born to be held together with his hand, the two fit together perfectly and naturally.

"How do I bully you?"

When he opened his mouth, his voice was a little hoarse.

Li Shanglu leaned close to his ear and breathed into it, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally. "He threatened me with a sword and even hit me. I was terrified, so my heart was beating so fast. I was too scared to tell you just now."

Shen Changyi lowered his eyelashes, his gaze fixed on her bright red lips, "Where did I hit you?"

Li Shanglu wanted to point to his arm, but after a pause, he pointed to his face and said, "Look, is there still a mark left?"

Shen Changyi looked in the direction of her finger. Her skin was flawless white, with a small mole on the edge of her lip that made him vaguely want to kiss it. Apart from that, there was nothing else.

People who lie have a faster heartbeat than usual.

Shanglu was lying to him.

But if Shanglu is not bullied, he will not lie.

She has her reasons.

He reached out and touched her face, his eyes dimmed a little, and he whispered, "Does it still hurt?"

With Shen Changyi holding his face, Li Shanglu pushed his hand away awkwardly, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"I'll punish him."

Shen Changyi was still staring at the small mole on her lip. Why did it grow there? It was so hard to look away.

After hearing a satisfactory answer, Li Shanglu decisively left his side and quickly pulled his fingers out of his grasp. "You have to tell him that you've never seen a disciple so disrespectful to his elders. You're very disappointed in him. You should also tell him that you've decided to expel him from the sect..."

Suddenly, there seemed to be a void in my heart.

Shen Changyi frowned and wanted to touch her hand and pull her back.

But those beautiful and slender hands had already left to take the cold cake wrapped in oil paper.

"Did you hear what I said?" Li Shanglu asked unhappily, stuffed the jelly into his mouth, chewed it twice, and stopped talking.

The broken jelly cake is a bit sticky.

Shen Changyi finally came to his senses and nodded, "I heard it. I'll just expel you from the sect. The sect master has done me a favor."

Li Shanglu: "I only asked you to scare him, not to kick him out."

Such a punishment would indeed teach Xie Du a lesson, and Shen Changyi nodded again.

Seeing that he agreed, Li Shanglu felt a little better. The sweet red bean jelly left a soft and sticky taste between her lips and teeth. She thought leisurely about Xie Du's tragic end, and her mood became even better.

Occasionally a breeze blew by, creating wrinkles on the blue lake surface in the distance that reflected the sky.

Chen Changyi looked at her from time to time. Even her hair was blown into a lazy arc by the wind, hanging lightly in front of her chest, which was really beautiful.

It would be nice if his life could stay at this moment forever.

After eating and drinking, Shen Changyi began to draw the formation.

He was not proficient in formations and had only dabbled in them briefly, but he could still draw simple formations like the Yellow Level Illusion.

Although I don't know why the sect leader suddenly wanted Shang Lu to temper his state of mind, I think he must have his reasons.

Recently, the demonic cultivators have indeed become more rampant...

He carefully drew the formation, and after ensuring it was correct, he led Li Shanglu into the illusion.

"How do I use this thing?" Li Shanglu stood in the center of the formation. It was his first time seeing an illusion formation, and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

Shen Changyi took out a book from his storage ring, opened it, and handed it to Li Shanglu.

Li Shanglu looked over and roughly understood. A Yellow-level illusion would only allow people to enter the most memorable scene, such as the happiest moment, the saddest moment, the most terrifying moment... anything.

She closed the book and said with a lack of interest, as if ordering a dish, "The happiest one."

Shen Changyi responded, drawing something on the ground with the tip of his sword. After a while, he walked over to Li Shanglu.

"..." Li Shanglu looked at him in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Shen Changyi whispered, "I also want to see what makes you happiest."

Li Shanglu herself didn't know what made her happiest. Maybe it was when she tricked Helan Jin into giving her the gold ingots a while ago. So she said nonchalantly, "Whatever you want."

Hearing this, Shen Changyi breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that she would not agree. It turned out that Shang Lu did not hate him that much.

The formation started up slowly, and a white mist rose out of nowhere. The vision in front of him was gradually blurred by the mist. The vision was too poor. Li Shanglu felt insecure. He reached out to grab it nervously and grabbed a piece of cold clothes. His restless heart quickly calmed down.

When the white mist dissipated, she opened her eyes, slightly stunned.

Cicadas chirped and sunlight shone into the neat courtyard. The yellow puppy smelled a familiar scent and ran towards her excitedly, circling around her boots again and again. When she looked up, she saw smoke rising from the eaves and the aroma of food wafting into her nose.

"Ning'er——"

Someone shouted, a gentle male voice.

"Yan Ning——"

This time it was a high-pitched female voice.

"Li Shanglu—come back for dinner!"

Li Shanglu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his body seemed to be nailed to the spot.

This is her home.

It was not the small house in the mountains where she and Shen Changyi lived, nor was it the Shen family where she lived with Shen's father and mother, but the home of her, Li Shanglu, and her parents.

Tears suddenly flowed down her cheeks. She was about to walk into the house when she saw a little girl in a goose yellow skirt passing by her.

"Stop shouting, stop shouting, I heard you a long time ago!"

The little girl's voice was childish, coquettish and willful. She was dirty as if she had just crawled out of the mud. She muttered softly,

"I haven't had enough fun yet..."

Li Shanglu stayed where he was, motionless.

That's her.

She was five years old.

The author has something to say:

----------------------