Chapter 132 Duan Lansheng is long dead, I know you are a phantom…

Did you get it on your hair too?

where?

Lu Yuanyuan subconsciously raised her hand to touch blindly, but before she could touch her temple, her hand was grabbed by the other person.

"Don't touch it, it's already dry." Xi Ye patiently repeated, her voice gentle, but seemingly not giving her a second choice: "Lower your head, I'll wash it with water for you."

Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment: "Okay, then I'll trouble you."

"You're welcome."

A night breeze blew by, carrying the damp scent of earth in the air. Although she couldn't see it, she could roughly sense that the river was right in front of her, so she sat down with her knees apart, bent over, and lowered her head.

Something moved above her head, her hairband was pulled loose, and her black hair fell down, being brushed forward by a pair of hands. The other person's fingertips inevitably touched her neck, cool and refreshing, sending a silent shiver down her spine.

Lu Yuanyuan hugged her legs, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

She wasn't used to exposing the back of her neck and back, a posture that exposed her vulnerability. It reminded her of an antelope drinking water by the river, its neck drooping, waiting for a predator to pounce and bite off its carotid artery.

Perhaps it was the similarity of the movements that caused her to have this strange association—she felt as if a gaze was falling on the back of her neck, lingering in that area, causing a small patch of goosebumps to rise on her skin.

The next second, the sound of splashing water reached her ears, and she heard the rustling of fabric. Xi Ye must have bent down, scooped up a handful of water, and started washing her hair.

He was very careful, not pulling her hair too hard, and he didn't even miss her ears. In modern times, only a very dedicated hairdresser like Tony would provide this kind of service…

Lu Yuanyuan's fingers twitched, and she pursed her lips, feeling somewhat uneasy. But since he was helping her, she couldn't very well criticize him, so she let herself think about random things to distract herself. However, he lingered on her ear for far too long, as if it were his new toy, rubbing and fiddling with it until the temperature of her earlobe rose.

Finally, she couldn't resist any longer. She hunched her shoulders, flinched, and looked up. But she forgot that her hair was still wet, and with that movement, the river water quickly flowed down the back of her neck and into her collar.

Caught off guard by the sudden chill, Lu Yuanyuan gasped and immediately looked down. However, in her haste and unable to see clearly, she bumped into something.

It was Xi Ye's hand.

Her breath brushed against his fingers, feeling almost like a kiss on his palm.

She vaguely sensed that the other person's movements had frozen.

Lu Yuanyuan awkwardly pulled away a little: "I'm sorry. Actually, you could have just rinsed me off easily, there was no need to go to so much trouble."

She was about to get up when her head was pressed down. She couldn't see Xi Ye's expression, but he seemed particularly insistent on this matter: "No trouble at all. Since your hair is wet, let's finish washing it and get it clean."

Before she could speak, he casually gestured for her to turn around: "We're over there."

"..."

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Lu Yuanyuan swallowed her words of refusal and turned her head away, allowing him to clean her other ear.

They washed themselves clean, but their eyesight didn't return quickly. Fortunately, it was only temporary. With some time before dawn, they decided to set off again after sunrise and found a high spot near the riverbank to rest.

After resting and keeping watch, Lu Yuanyuan crossed her arms, leaned against a rock, and closed her eyes to rest.

...

When she felt the light on her face, Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids twitched slightly, and she opened her eyes. Her whole body felt exhausted, as if acid was spreading through her bones after a high fever. Every movement was heavy.

Is it dawn?

But when she turned her head, she saw a full moon in the sky, with few stars in the sky. She was standing under an arched bridge. The bright moon was reflected in the river.

It's still night... Wait, she can see now?

No, she's not blind, so why would she have the thought that "she shouldn't be able to see anything"?

Lu Yuanyuan touched her temples, feeling a little dizzy, as if she had overlooked something very important. She looked around and saw a long, lively eyelashes behind her, the city lights just coming on, filled with laughter, but no matter how she looked at it, her features were a blur, like dissolved ink.

But on the other side of the bridge, it was pitch black. No lights were on in the houses, the shops were empty, and there wasn't a soul on the road, as if it were a world without any living beings.

What happened?

Lu Yuanyuan was a little confused. She touched the railing of the stone bridge and found it was as cold as ice. She took a few steps to the side and walked to the bottom of the steps leading up to the bridge. There she saw a person standing on the bridge.

The man had his back to her, his figure tall and slender, as if he were waiting for someone. Bored, he leaned against the bridge railing, gazing at the bright moon.

Lu Yuanyuan's heart clenched violently. A voice reminded her that she shouldn't go any further, but should turn around and return to the bustling world behind her.

But for some reason, her feet wouldn't obey her commands, and she walked towards the bridge. The closer she got to the other side, the quieter it became, as if there was a vacuum on the bridge, which amplified the sound of her footsteps.

Seemingly finally hearing the movement behind him, the person slowly straightened up and turned around. Dark eyebrows, red lips, skin as white as snow, and a gleaming light that seemed to reflect the brilliance of pearls in their deep eyes.

Lu Yuanyuan heard her own voice was dry: "You... what are you doing here?"

The man didn't speak, but stared at her intently, extending his hand towards her with his palm facing up. She was very familiar with this gesture; it meant for her to come over.

She knew that if she got close, her hand would be taken.

Lu Yuanyuan stared at that slender hand, and slowly reached out her hand to the other person.

A voice screamed "No!" in her mind, and the sense of disconnect gave her a splitting headache. At that moment, the stone bridge, lanterns, and street rippled like water, and even the figure of that person turned to dust.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she strained to catch up. The name that had been stuck in her throat finally broke through all the obstacles and burst out.

...

Lu Yuanyuan suddenly woke up with a start, her eyes wide open, only to find herself in complete darkness after being blinded. Her throat was dry and hoarse, and her temples were covered in sweat.

What was that just now?

Was it a dream?

Right, she remembered that she had just come out of the swamp, and she was sleeping while sitting on a rock. Now she was lying flat, with a cloth under her, separating her from the grass and sand, like a piece of clothing.

She was startled and tried to sit up, but someone leaned over and pressed her shoulder down just in time, saying softly, "I'm here. You'll be more comfortable lying down."

It was the sound of the night.

But Lu Yuanyuan still sat up. Seeing this, Xi Ye didn't force her and handed her a water pouch from the side: "Drink some water first."

Lu Yuanyuan picked up the water pouch, took a few big gulps, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "What I just did was..."

“Tonight, after hearing your description, I suspected that the snake that sprayed you with venom was a hallucinogenic snake from the Ghost Realm, and now it seems I was right. You are a cultivator, so this kind of thing shouldn't affect you, but because a spring leech was currently residing in your body, it took advantage of your weakness.” Xi Ye paused for a moment, then comforted her, “Don't worry, it's just a short-term effect. Once the poison dissipates, you'll be fine.”

Hallucinations?

Lu Yuanyuan frowned, but relaxed when she heard that it could be resolved: "That's good. By the way, I don't think I was gesturing wildly or walking around, did I?"

Xi Ye took the water pouch from her hand and said, "You are not an ordinary person, so your physical movements shouldn't be affected. You were just talking in your sleep."

Was she talking in her sleep?

Lu Yuanyuan's face tightened. Oh no, she remembered that in her last dream, she seemed to have shouted that person's name. Could she have actually shouted it out?

Of course, it wouldn't matter if Xi Ye overheard it, since he didn't know who Yin Xiaozhu was anyway.

Thinking this, she pursed her lips and tentatively asked, "Did you hear what I said?"

The surroundings fell silent.

If she hadn't lost her sight, she wouldn't have missed the fleeting coldness in the young man's eyes. He gripped the water pouch tightly, his knuckles white, and gritted his teeth. But after taking a deep breath, he spoke with a well-controlled, clear voice: "I didn't hear you clearly."

He paused, then said casually, "But judging from your appearance, I guess you had a nightmare and saw some filthy thing you didn't want to see."

For some inexplicable reason, Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon hearing his last words, she lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "It... can't really be considered a nightmare."

With some time before dawn, she groped around behind her, leaned against the rock, and decided to close her eyes and rest for a while longer.

Exhausted, she failed to notice the strange atmosphere, or the source of it—

Xi Ye stared intently at her, his eyes blazing with coldness, which transformed into a ferocious fire of jealousy and resentment. Suddenly, he tightened his grip, and the resilient water sac was crushed into powder, which fell into the grass.

This time, Lu Yuanyuan had no dreams until dawn.

They set off at sunrise.

In the following days, they inevitably had to endure wind and rain, but once they left that eerie place filled with yin energy, Lu Yuanyuan's psychological pressure lessened considerably. She left the tasks of finding directions, sourcing food and water, and choosing resting places to Xi Ye; her only concern was ensuring she didn't fall behind.

But she wondered if it was just her imagination, but ever since the first night, she felt that Xi Ye was in a bad mood and rarely spoke to her.

Lu Yuanyuan didn't pay much attention; she was focused entirely on herself.

Perhaps due to the combined effects of the leeches and the hallucinogenic snake venom, her vision was recovering more slowly than expected. Three days had passed, and she could only barely see a faint white light. But this couldn't be rushed.

...

With her feet aching and exhausted, Lu Yuanyuan staggered. Looking up, she saw a sliver of sky faintly visible through the thick fog—the sky revealed when two towering cliffs met.

What is this place?

She looked around in confusion, and suddenly noticed a tall figure in the distance ahead. He was carrying someone on his back and walking very fast, without ever turning back to look at her.

Memories flooded back into my mind in an instant.

Right, she remembered. Because of the White Crane Boat crash, she and Yin Xiaozhu fell into the Floating Pagoda Valley, where they later encountered Duan Lansheng. Yin Xiaozhu fell into a coma, and although Duan Lansheng was eager to save her, he couldn't use his sword to take both of them away at the same time, nor could he abandon her as a burden. So, he could only carry one on his back and drag the other, leaving on foot.

Right now, she's chasing after Duan Lansheng, who's ahead of her.

This was her only chance to live, and she didn't want to die here. Even knowing that Duan Lansheng wished he hadn't met her, this burden, she still had to shamelessly follow him with all her might.

Keep chasing, don't stop.

A vague sense of unease flooded her mind. Lu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth and limped after him, trying her best, but the distance between them only grew further and further. Suddenly, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.

The fall made her see stars, she choked on mud, and blood gushed from both noses.

After such a delay, when they looked up again, there was no one to be seen.

She lay on the ground, wiping the blood from her nose, a long-forgotten, bewildered ache flashing through her heart. She lay there for a while, feeling hot, before enduring the pain to get up. Slowly, she groped her way to a nearby rock, lifting one foot.

Her feet ached terribly, blisters formed, and then burst, the dried blood sticking to her socks. Tears welled in her eyes. She lifted one leg, hesitated for a long time, but didn't dare to forcibly take off her shoes and socks to check, so she put them back on.

She had a vague feeling that something was off, a sense of unease lingering. Unable to figure it out, and unable to move, she unconsciously lowered her head and drifted off to sleep for a while.

She never imagined that when she opened her eyes again, she would see Duan Lansheng.

In her dazed state, she felt a body press against her and lift her up into a sitting position. A hand gently wiped the blood from her face. Lu Yuanyuan coughed and woke up.

Duan Lansheng knelt before her, his robes spread on the ground, revealing his beautiful, fair skin and delicate features. His expression was serious as he tightly pressed his red lips together, wiping away the blood from her face. Seemingly surprised that she would wake up at this moment, their eyes met, and he paused slightly, a dark ripple spreading across his deep blue eyes. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she saw heartache and regret in him.

But he quickly lowered his gaze, took her hand on her knee, placed it on his face, and held it tenderly for a moment before looking at her: "Yuanyuan, let's go, I'll carry you out."

A muffled rumble of thunder sounded at just the right moment, and the sky darkened. Dark clouds obscured the already meager light, bathing everything in the valley in a pale blue glow.

In such light, his face became flickering between light and shadow, and his skin lost its human warmth, becoming somewhat eerily pale.

Only the lips are bright red.

It was very similar to the color of the blood that flowed from the corner of his mouth after he was stabbed in the chest that day.

The sharp pain awakened the illusion. In an instant, the unease lurking beneath the surface, like a giant beast bursting from the water, revealed its outline.

Lu Yuanyuan abruptly pulled her hand back, put it behind her back, and muttered to herself, "...I won't go with you. Duan Lansheng is long dead, I know you're hallucinating."

Although she believed that stabbing Duan Lansheng would settle things evenly, he, with only memories of one lifetime, probably didn't see it that way. If Duan Lansheng were truly dead and returned to her, it would surely be because he hated her intensely and wanted revenge, to make her suffer. How could he possibly kneel before her, hold her hand, and give her that kind of expression?

To break free from a dream, all you need to do is expose the truth behind its existence: treat the things in the dream as nothing more than air.

But for some reason, the dream didn't stop, and when she said with certainty that he was dead, Duan Lansheng seemed a little angry, his eyes were resentful, he forcibly grabbed her wrist, frowned at her, and forcibly carried her on his back.

Caught off guard, Lu Yuanyuan's feet left the ground. When she came to her senses, she was filled with shock and anger and began to kick and punch. However, her body in the dream had not yet formed its core and was no match for his strength. In her anger, she could only bite down hard on the closest place to her—Duan Lansheng's shoulder.

Strange, does Duan Lansheng have such broad shoulders right now?

His clothes were thin. She used all her strength, and even through his clothes, she could taste a faint fishy flavor on her lips and tongue.

...

Everything vanished in that instant.

Lu Yuanyuan lay curled up on her side, her chest and back covered in cold sweat. She woke up with a start, the world before her eyes a blurry black. She took a deep breath and realized that someone was holding her wrist. The strength and warmth reminded her of Duan Lansheng in her dream.

She froze, instinctively raising her hand to push away the person beside her. At the same time, Xi Ye's familiar voice rang out above her: "It's me, don't be afraid."

Was what she just saw... also a dream of hers?

But this dream felt far too real.

The Duan Lansheng in her dream was not a mere illusion; he could speak and get angry, as if he had truly returned to life and come to find her.

Lu Yuanyuan's chest heaved as she covered her eyes with her sleeve, pressing them hard to calm herself down. Only then did she suddenly remember that when she woke up, she seemed to have pushed Xi Ye, who had come to check on her, without asking any questions. She was startled and quickly sat up, apologizing, "Oh right, I'm so sorry for pushing you so hard. I didn't mean to, because I... had a really terrible nightmare."

Was the dream I just had a nightmare?

It wasn't really a nightmare.

Because, at the end of the dream, she vaguely felt that Duan Lansheng did not intend to kill her. He did not come to tear her to pieces or to take revenge on her.

But there's no need to explain these things to Xi Ye.

Regardless, she should apologize for her rudeness just now, and it would be best to attribute the reason to something the other person couldn't see.

Xi Ye stopped patting her back to help her catch her breath.

The wilderness was silent, and the air fell into an eerie and prolonged silence.

Lu Yuanyuan sniffed and said softly, "I just woke up, but I wasn't fully awake. I felt that you looked a bit like the person I saw in my nightmare, so I subconsciously hit you. I'm really sorry."