Chapter 138 You didn't shed a single tear when you killed me, and he's dead...

Lu Yuanyuan suppressed the anger welling up from the bottom of her heart and said, "Why are you so petty? You still remember such a small thing from so many years ago, and you even added so many unfounded speculations! I'll say it one last time, Yue Hong and I are friends, believe it or not!"

Duan Lansheng stared at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

He could, of course, see that there was no romantic relationship developing between her and Yue Hong. But this did nothing to quell the intense sense of crisis in his heart.

He had clearly seen the look Yue Hong gave her back in the mortal realm that year. But at that time, he was the one guarding her side; no one could surpass him. Even though he loathed Yue Hong, he never considered him a real threat.

Things are different now; the person who stays by her side every day is now Yue Hong.

What bothered him wasn't their daily interactions, but the unique nature of their relationship—she and Yue Hong had clearly had their share of conflicts and rifts, yet she had forgiven Yue Hong, and after reconciling, their relationship was even stronger than before. They had been pushed to the brink by fate, entrusting their lives to each other. That beautiful, pure, and mutually trusting affection was hazy, enduring, and resilient. Because it had never truly blossomed, it was also full of infinite possibilities; the path ahead wasn't a dead end.

Given the right opportunity, they will sprout from the soil and grow against the wind. Or they will ignite like sparks from a sea of ​​reeds, swept up by a strong wind, and burn with unstoppable force.

Lu Yuanyuan disliked immature children. So, when Yue Hong was just a boy shorter than her, she could tolerate him to some extent. But after today, she really couldn't sit still anymore.

Yue Hong returned to his former self, and she happily embraced him... What a joyous scene! It was as if it were a replay of the moment he had unexpectedly witnessed in the dimly lit palace many years ago.

The thorn stuck in the flesh was never pulled out; it just got even deeper.

The only obstacle has disappeared, and everything is ready. The turning point in her relationship with Yue Hong might happen tomorrow, or it might happen in the next moment… any next moment that he can't reach!

Unease and resentment grew wildly like weeds, and murderous intent surged like a raging torrent, almost overturning his reason. Words buried deep in his heart uncontrollably floated out one by one.

The excruciating pain in his forehead intensified, and the veins twitched slightly. As if overwhelmed, he slowly straightened up. Suddenly, lost in thought, he let out a cold laugh: "...And that guy surnamed Yin."

Hearing a certain name was like having a forbidden zone buried deep in her heart unearthed, and Lu Yuanyuan suddenly lifted her eyelids.

"You actually liked him, didn't you? Although you hated him, it wasn't all hatred. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so heartbroken when you discovered he was using you, and you wouldn't have been willing to fight to the death for revenge. Later, when you killed me, you didn't shed a single tear. But when he died, you cried so bitterly for him." Duan Lansheng slowly straightened up, staring at her from above, and murmured to himself, "I knew you liked him back then."

"You like him the most, and then you like that guy surnamed Yue!"

Lu Yuanyuan's knuckles, resting on her knees, twitched slightly as the image of that person before their death seemed to resurface in her mind once more.

His face was covered in blood. He grabbed her collar, bit her lip, and begged her not to hate him so much.

But before the tide of memories could overwhelm her, she took a deep breath, pulled herself out of it, looked up, and sized up the person in front of her: "What, are you done?"

Duan Lansheng pursed his red lips into a straight line, staring at her without saying a word.

Lu Yuanyuan threw the teacup to the ground, the exquisite tea set shattering into pieces with a crisp cracking sound. Tea spilled all over the floor, seeping into the carpet and cracks in the brickwork. She sneered and began to retort: ​​"I want to ask you first, on what grounds are you questioning me? Isn't your own life quite exciting? Who are you trying to impress by acting like you've been betrayed by a heartless woman? Do I need to remind you that you've already married and had children in the demon realm? You have a loving deceased wife, and your child is already several years old?"

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Just then, a clear bell rang from outside the corridor, and a snow-white figure appeared outside the open door.

Perhaps it was attracted by the noise. But the atmosphere in the room was tense, with a hint of gunpowder in the air. The little fox noticed this too, and squeezed itself against the wall, moving forward cautiously to the threshold, peeking inside with its two bright black eyes.

Upon seeing Lu Yuanyuan, who was sitting with her back to the door and whom he hadn't seen for some time, his eyes lit up. As if he had let go of his reservations, his tail spun like a flower, and he leaped over the threshold and ran over.

Lu Yuanyuan was furious, her face ashen, and she had no mood to deal with other people's children. She heard the voice but did not turn around.

However, the next second, a sharp, piercing cry of a fox rang out in the air.

Lu Yuanyuan was startled, then turned her head abruptly. She saw Tangyuan's upper body bent over, its bottom sticking up, as if it was in pain and unable to support itself with its front paws. Its round eyes were narrowed into slits, and tears rolled down, wetting the two tufts of white fur on its face, making it look pitiful.

On the ground nearby, there was a puddle of undried tea, and the dim sunlight shone on the broken porcelain shards.

Oh no! Because the room was too dark and the tile was the same color as the carpet, it was too inconspicuous. When it ran over, it didn't notice it, stepped on it with its paw, and got hurt.

One thing at a time, even though she was arguing with Duan Lansheng, she didn't intend to take it out on the child. Because Tangyuan was closer to her, Lu Yuanyuan bent down without thinking, put her hands under the little fox's armpits, and picked it up onto her lap.

Tangyuan didn't resist. It drooped its ears, buried its face in her palm, and made a coquettish sound, sounding somewhat aggrieved. Lu Yuanyuan pinched the back of its neck, touched its front paws, and coaxed, "Stretch out your paws, let me see, we need to pull out the porcelain shards."

Tangyuan stuck out her little pink tongue and licked her, then obediently stretched out her front paws.

Lu Yuanyuan was prepared to see the porcelain shards deeply embedded in her paws, but when she looked at them in the light, she was surprised to find that Tangyuan's two front paws had no wounds.

Not to mention a broken skin, there wasn't even a porcelain-like indentation from a heavy jump or run on that slightly cool, plump pad.

What happened?

Lu Yuanyuan frowned and quickly checked its two hind paws as well, finding only dust on its toe pads.

While it's good that it wasn't injured, the fact that it didn't even leave a mark means it wasn't hurt at all. So why did it make such a loud cry of pain and shed tears? Was it just because it's sensitive to pain?

"He's alright, give him to me."

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the front, and Duan Lansheng quickly took the little fox from her arms and carried it back.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but his voice sounded a little weaker than at the beginning. Holding the little fox in one arm, he stepped back, letting one arm hang down, and turned to the side, softly coaxing the little fox in his arms. His posture of holding the child was very skillful, and it seemed that he had indeed been taking care of the child personally all along.

The surroundings quieted down; the tense argument that had been brewing had been abruptly halted by this incident. But the falling out was a fait accompli. It seemed Duan Lansheng was determined not to help in any way—even if there was payment.

Before coming here, she had a vague expectation that she would be turned away. But when the result was announced, it would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed. But upon reflection, why should she have had any illusions or expectations?

They learned their lesson long ago.

If you don't have expectations, you'll never be disappointed.

Lu Yuanyuan's clenched fist suddenly relaxed and slowly loosened. The marks of her fingernails were imprinted on her palm.

Suddenly feeling superfluous, she felt extremely uncomfortable sitting there. She couldn't stay any longer, so she stood up and whispered, "I'm leaving. Just pretend I was never here today."

Just as he turned around, Duan Lansheng's voice came from behind: "The rumors you heard from outside are not true. I have remained single since I left Mount Shu and have never married."

Lu Yuanyuan was startled and turned her head to look. She found that Duan Lansheng was looking at her. Because he was standing in the dim light, his glass eyes looked deep and dark.

Whether it was her imagination or not, his expression seemed gentler and his tone less harsh and aggressive as he explained. At the same time, he stared intently at her, as if anticipating her reaction.

Lu Yuanyuan felt uneasy and left the palace in haste without responding.

She walked straight for a long time before stopping, her mind buzzing.

The argument was quite heated just now, but upon closer reflection, it seems like there are many things that don't quite add up.

Duan Lansheng died before Yin Xiaozhu, so why did he seem to know everything that happened afterward?

Why did she react when he learned of Yin Xiaozhu's death? And why did he seem to know that her entanglement with Yin Xiaozhu, and her revenge against Yin Xiaozhu, all stemmed from the latter using her?

Before Yin Xiaozhu died, she called her "Quan Quan," a nickname that Duan Lansheng only learned about.

It's almost as if... these two people shared a part of each other's memories.

Lu Yuanyuan bit her lower lip.

Also, Duan Lansheng said he didn't marry, so where did the glutinous rice balls come from?

Was it his child born out of wedlock with a fox spirit?

No, he just said he's always been single, as if he anticipated that his "unmarried" statement would be misunderstood, so he added that supplement.

Could Tangyuan be his adopted child?

But nine-tailed fox cubs are so rare, unlike cats and dogs that run around on the street. Can you just pick them up whenever you want?

Moreover, Duan Lansheng made no mention of Tangyuan's arrival before setting off for Zhaolan. Had he been leaving the child in the palace with servants for the past two weeks?

A dappled shadow of trees flickered overhead. At that moment, Lu Yuanyuan glanced down and suddenly noticed some strange marks on her sleeve. She unfolded the sleeve and held it up to the sunlight, revealing a few dark red dots. Because her clothes were dark, they wouldn't be noticed at first glance.

How come there's blood here?

When did you get it on?

Lu Yuanyuan pressed it with her fingertips and felt a moist texture.

It's not dry yet, it's freshly stuck on.

Was it Tangyuan's mark? But she had already checked, and Tangyuan had no wounds.

Lu Yuanyuan stared intently, and the image of a hand suddenly flashed through her mind.

Duan Lansheng reached out and took the little fox from her arms. It was only for a very brief moment, but no one else could touch her sleeve except for him.

Is it Duan Lansheng?

She was arguing with him face to face, and she could clearly see that his hand was perfectly fine. When did it get a wound and start bleeding?

The one who got stabbed by the porcelain shard was Tangyuan... but the one who bled was Duan Lansheng?

Lu Yuanyuan stared intently at the bloodstains on her sleeve, as if in a trance. A strange, inexplicable feeling welled up within her again, and the enormous shadow hidden behind the mist gradually became clearer.

No… she has more pressing matters to attend to right now.

Lu Yuanyuan clenched her fists, stood up, and walked towards the room.

.

The delegation from the cultivation world has completed its mission to inspect the border city, and it's time to return to Xuanzhao. This official trip, due to unforeseen circumstances, included a multi-party cooperative effort to rescue Xiaoruo, proving that adversity reveals true friendship and indirectly boosting relations between the two worlds. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this return to Xuanzhao will allow them to finalize the cooperation and go their separate ways.

Two days later, the group gathered and returned to Xuanzhao.

When the cultivators first arrived in the demon realm, they were constantly being pointed at and mocked like monkeys. Now, however, the two sides get along much better. General Zuo is a prime example of a demon with a fiery temperament. He initially gave everyone a hard time, but now he blends in with the main group, and his laughter can be heard even through the noisy crowd.

News of the rescue operation for the queen had already spread among the demon king's personal guards. It was said that the rescue plan succeeded entirely thanks to the cooperation between their high priest and the envoy, the Immortal Lord Lingheng, who infiltrated the swamp.

However, today, the Lingheng Immortal Lord, who has been the subject of much discussion recently, was nowhere to be seen in the crowd.

...

In the guest quarters of the royal palace, the cultivators had already left, and the maids were packing up their last belongings in twos and threes, chatting and laughing as they did so. As their work gradually lessened, they picked up their trunks and left, and soon only one demon maid was left sweeping the dust.

Suddenly, she felt a gaze sweep over her from the corridor. Turning her head in confusion, she saw a figure standing in the courtyard that had been empty just moments before.

She looked closely, her eyes widened, and she immediately stopped sweeping and bowed tremblingly: "Priest."

Duan Lansheng stepped forward, looking as if he had not recovered from a serious illness. His lips were painted red, and only the flame pattern on his forehead was equally bright: "Immortal Lord Lingheng is not here?"

The demon maidservant didn't dare to look him in the eye and explained in a low voice, "The Immortal Lord left the demon realm early this morning."

With just one sentence, Duan Lansheng's expression changed drastically: "What?"

"It seems that Immortal Lord Lingheng is returning to Jin'ao Island. Before dawn, His Majesty sent people to escort them along the road to Zhaolan, back the way they came..."

Before the maid could finish speaking, the figure in front of her had already disappeared like a gust of wind.

...

At noon, a heavy rain arrived as expected. The weather in the South always seems to be this gloomy.

Lu Yuanyuan sat on a chair on the second floor of the inn, hugging her knees, gazing at the heavy rain. The rain was so heavy that she couldn't see the road or trees in the distance. Because the sound of the rain was so loud and she was lost in thought, she only realized there was something on the second floor when she smelled a faint, damp, fishy smell in the air.

Lu Yuanyuan felt a slight chill, goosebumps rose on her arms, and she suddenly stood up and turned around.

The room behind her was dark, and at the bottom of the pitch-black stairwell, a figure dripping wet had appeared out of nowhere. Lightning flashed, illuminating his face. His eerie eyes were fixed on her.

For a moment, Lu Yuanyuan was genuinely startled, so when she recognized the man whose clothes were so soaked they could be wrung out as Duan Lansheng, her tone became somewhat unfriendly: "What are you doing here? What are you doing standing there silently?"

d

Duan Lansheng didn't answer her question. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he approached her step by step. As he drew closer, she noticed bloodshot veins in the whites of his eyes, and his porcelain-white face glistened with clear tears, truly resembling a vengeful ghost that seemed to draw out people's yin energy. He answered irrelevantly, "You're leaving? You're going back to Jin'ao Island?"

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback, suppressing the strange sense of oppression, and told the truth: "I don't want to go back to Jin'ao Island."

To prevent the vengeful spirit inside Yue Hong's body from causing harm, everyone had no choice but to bind him with the Immortal Binding Rope. However, it wasn't a long-term solution for a young man to be bound all day long; if this continued, Yue Qi inside his body might retaliate.

Lu Yuanyuan then thought of seeking help from the Xuan Turtle. Although the Xuan Turtle hadn't participated in the creation of the puppets, it had lived for so long that it should know some secret techniques. So she wrote to the Xuan Turtle yesterday, and it replied early this morning, saying that although it didn't have a solution, it could give her a more effective magic weapon that could still control what was inside Yue Hong's body, but at least wouldn't require binding him like a dumpling. Just then, Immortal Lord Qionghua was going to the cultivation world on some business, so she asked the Xuan Turtle to bring the item down, and they would exchange it at Mount Shu.

Because the matter was of great importance, Lu Yuanyuan originally intended to go back and retrieve it herself. However, after calming down and thinking it over, she realized that as the leader of the delegation, she couldn't abandon her post without permission. So, she handed the task over to a cultivator from Jin'ao Island who was traveling with her, and informed the Demon King. The Demon King immediately dispatched a demon beast to escort them out of the demon realm, and riding in a demon beast carriage was indeed much more convenient.

Since she was going to see Immortal Lord Qionghua, Lu Yuanyuan thought she could also hand over a copy of her work records from this period to Xuan Gui, and also give the immortal envoy some instructions, so she simply escorted him to the border of the demon race.

Further ahead lies Fengdu, where they stopped on their way here.

Now that the celestial envoy had departed, Lu Yuanyuan should have been heading back when a torrential downpour began. The people in the demon beast carriage could take shelter from the rain, but the demon beasts would have to run through it. Since time wasn't of the essence, Lu Yuanyuan told them to wait until the rain subsided before setting off, which is why they were waiting there.

Actually, before Duan Lansheng arrived, she had been lost in thought and had already considered that if there was truly no other way, she might try to trade with Xiao Ruo's system, even though she didn't really want to get involved with artificial intelligence like the system. However, this method had a drawback: even if she successfully obtained the teaching materials, it would take time. Yue Hong didn't have that much time.

Duan Lansheng remained silent upon hearing Lu Yuanyuan's words.

Perhaps because there was no wind in the room, she noticed that the other person pursed their lips and their face seemed a little stiff.

...

When he arrived, he genuinely believed that Lu Yuanyuan had already left and returned to that place he could never even get close to.

When this thought crossed his mind, he felt as if he had fallen into a raging inferno, his evil thoughts surging like a tide, and he felt no chill as the cold rain pelted his body.

She left.

She just left like that.

Countless conflicting thoughts filled her ears. Was she going back for that man surnamed Yue, or was it because of yesterday's events—she loathed him and didn't want to see him every day anymore, so she changed commanders at the last minute and transferred someone else...?

He waited so long, endured so much, and finally waited for her to step out of Jin'ao Island, for a chance to stand in front of her without having to be a monster and make her despise him.

We can't let her abandon them, father and son, and leave without looking back.

We must keep her, no matter what it takes.

Perhaps I could tell her the secret of the glutinous rice balls.

Since he's not going to do anything anyway, and she's leaving soon, what's the point of taking things slowly?

He even had the thought of giving up entirely.

He originally intended to keep this secret forever, to maintain his image in her memory, and to prevent her from seeing him as a terrifying monster. Even if she knew the truth, she might still think he had been plotting against her, thus intensifying her hatred for him… but he preferred to be a thorn in her side than to be ignored and forgotten.

Perhaps, there might still be a sliver of a chance to win her favor. The mere thought of this possibility made his heart race uncontrollably, and his rapid breathing intensified.

...

But it turned out that it was all a misunderstanding.

The intense, burning impulse gradually subsided. His soaked clothes, like armor, pressed down on his shoulders and body, rendering him immobile. After what seemed like an eternity, a single drop of water slid down, bringing a touch of life to the stillness.

Duan Lansheng remained motionless, slowly raising his eyelids. Water droplets slid down his neck and into his clothes, the gauze underneath seeming to dissolve into blood, soaking his clothes.

Lu Yuanyuan frowned, wanting to say something, but in the end she just turned her gaze away and looked at the heavy rain beside her.

Just as she turned her head away, she suddenly heard Duan Lansheng speak softly: "I can help you save that guy surnamed Yue."

Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, then turned her head, somewhat wary: "Didn't you refuse to help me yesterday?"

"I've changed my mind."

After a pause, Duan Lansheng said in a hoarse voice, "As long as you agree to one condition."

Indeed, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Perhaps he's come to realize that cooperation is always better than confrontation.

Lu Yuanyuan composed herself: "What are your conditions?"

Duan Lansheng looked at her for a while before speaking: "To solve his problems, we need to take him to Mangshan. I want you to come with me and move to Mangshan."

Lu Yuanyuan narrowed her eyes, not immediately agreeing: "What do you mean by that?"

Seemingly unable to meet her gaze, Duan Lansheng lowered his eyelashes and said, "For him to fully recover, I must stay in Mangshan for a long time. Tangyuan can't live without me, and he likes you very much. I hope you can come to Mangshan and live with us for a while to keep him company. If you can do that, I promise you I will help you solve the problem with the man surnamed Yue."

Actually, he had changed his mind while tossing and turning last night, which is why he rushed to find her early this morning, only to find that she was gone.

We shouldn't let momentary impulses cause us to miss out on what we want; we must hold onto what we desire firmly in our own hands. Only a fool would let such an opportunity slip by.

It turns out he had never changed; he was like the hungry dog ​​he had seen as a child, clinging tightly to the bone and refusing to let go.

“You said that if I agreed to help you, I would owe you a favor, and I would do whatever you asked without hesitation. My request shouldn’t be too much.”

Lu Yuanyuan was also somewhat surprised.

She initially thought Duan Lansheng would use this opportunity to extort a large sum of money from her. His request seemed abrupt at first glance. But after hearing his detailed explanation, she found it to be almost effortless to implement—it was simply a matter of asking her to be the child's playmate.

Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Your only request is that I live in Mangshan and that you don't force me to do anything except play with Tangyuan?"

Duan Lansheng's eyelashes trembled slightly in the flash of lightning: "I won't force it."

After confirming there were no hidden traps, Lu Yuanyuan pursed her lips and said, "If it's just about living with you and playing with Tangyuan, I can agree to it. However, there has to be a time limit. I can't stay here indefinitely; I have to go back to Jin'ao Island eventually."

Duan Lansheng frowned, his eyes shrouded in darkness, looking somewhat gloomy: "Name a deadline."

He was the one who made the request, but the question was unexpectedly thrown back to her for an answer.

"The transaction will end once Yue Hong recovers."

After Lu Yuanyuan made the suggestion, she immediately realized something was amiss. She felt that Duan Lansheng wouldn't do anything malicious, but she couldn't believe he meant no harm to Yue Hong. What if he sabotaged Yue Hong's deal to prolong the transaction? That would be terrible. So she quickly changed her mind: "How about two months? I think two months should be enough, right?"

Duan Lansheng's sleeve seemed to move slightly as he stared at her for a long time, his eyes somewhat dark: "Okay."

Lu Yuanyuan pursed her lips. Since it was a transaction, she decided to settle all the terms: "There's one more issue. I have official duties to attend to and have been staying in Mangshan. I might not be able to fulfill my responsibilities."

"I'll arrange for someone to deliver the things. But unless there's something else, you should go back to Mangshan."

Lu Yuanyuan lowered her eyes: "In that case, I have no further questions. Let's start the transaction officially when we get back."

She walked to the side, sensing Duan Lansheng staring at her. But she didn't look back, instead picking up a cloth draped over the back of the chair. This was an empty inn; when she came to take shelter from the rain, the demon servants had offered her a dry cloth to dry her hair. But she hadn't gotten much wet, so she hadn't used it.

She handed the cloth to Duan Lansheng: "Wipe yourself off, aren't you sick?"

Duan Lansheng seemed a little stunned as he looked at the cloth. After a long while, he reached out and took it.

Lu Yuanyuan withdrew her hand before touching his fingertips, looked at the rain, and showed no unusual expression.

She saw it during the handover of the cloth.

Duan Lansheng did indeed have wounds on his hands.

A deep, straight scar on the palm.

It looks like the cut made by a shard of broken porcelain when you step on the ground.

.

Lu Yuanyuan didn't know what the long-term impact of her decision would be, but in the short term, it was well worth it.

Mangshan is located in Xuanzhao City. According to Duan Lansheng, the transaction will officially begin after returning to Zhaolan.

But she didn't expect that the person who came to see her before Duan Lansheng was an uninvited guest.

That was her first day back in Xuanzhao. When there was a knock on the window, Lu Yuanyuan was sitting by the window in her room, absentmindedly flipping through a book. Realizing that someone was throwing pebbles up there, she put down the book, pushed open the door to the terrace, and looked down. She saw a furtive figure hiding behind the big tree in the garden.

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback. Avoiding the attention of others, she went to the garden, went around to the back of a tree, and sure enough, she saw Xiao Ruo. She stopped and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Of course I have something important to discuss with you." Xiao Ru looked around and, seeing no one else, breathed a sigh of relief. She then said seriously, "Didn't I tell you? You saved me, and I will definitely help you get home. This time, I will not go back on my word—I have confirmed with the system that using the time tunnel to return to Earth is feasible, and I also know the coordinates of the time tunnel!"

Lu Yuanyuan quickly asked, "Where?"

Xiao Ru leaned closer to her, pointed to her right eyeball, and lowered her voice: "It's in the Ghost Emperor's right eye."

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback: "In the right eye?"

“That’s right. I originally thought that the time tunnel was a fixed location, perhaps the place where the Ghost Emperor slept. But it turns out that the location of the tunnel entrance is so tricky that it moves with him.”

Lu Yuanyuan's expression became somewhat serious.

The method exists, but achieving the goal is virtually impossible. The fact that the Ghost Emperor is listed as the final boss in *The Enchanting Fairy Tale* speaks volumes about his immense and terrifying power. Besides his own formidable strength, he commands countless ghost soldiers and generals. On the battlefield, even getting close to him is uncertain, let alone running right into his sight—is it as if they're afraid the Ghost Emperor won't notice?

Xiao Ru seemed to see through her thoughts and added, "Of course I don't mean for you to go and stupidly die! The Ghost Emperor's eyes only open the entrance to the space-time tunnel when he is on the verge of death. You don't need to fight him. You just need to run over and pick up the scraps when he is about to die."

Lu Yuanyuan: "..."

Xiao Ruo let out a breath and continued, "Although I think Duan Lansheng has been possessed by some demon or monster, I read in the script that as long as the agreement between the two realms is finalized, the task of subduing the Ghost Emperor will still fall on his shoulders on the day the Ghost Emperor emerges from the mountain. I guess that's just the inertia of the plot. So I'll just assume that he is the original Duan Lansheng."

Lu Yuanyuan understood her implication: "You want me to go with Duan Lansheng to subdue the Ghost Emperor?"

"That's the idea. However, getting close to the battlefield is only the first step. To land safely on Earth, instead of being sent to some messy cultivation world or ancient world, you need an item. That item is the key to your return home."

"What prop?"

Xiao Ruo said, "That item requires me to exchange it with points, and I haven't saved enough points yet. But it won't be long, and I'm sure I'll be able to exchange it."

Lu Yuanyuan was silent for a moment: "Are you really going to use your own points to help me go home?"

"I know you don't believe me, but this time I'm serious. Once I get the item next time, my system will explain it to you." Xiao Ru tiptoed and whispered advice in her ear: "When Duan Lansheng is about to kill the Ghost Emperor, he won't be like in a superhero movie, going in alone, right? Even if he wants to be a hero, Ji Shuo won't allow it; he'll definitely have elites protecting him. If you want to go home, find a way to get Duan Lansheng to take you with him at that moment. That way, you can get close to the central battlefield and use that key item to open the time tunnel when Duan Lansheng kills the Ghost Emperor. That's your best and only chance; you must seize it!"