Chapter 54 054 If you choose to ignore it, Yue Hong will...

Indeed, three years ago, she was swept away by the demon right in front of Yue Hong. Yue Hong might not know what that kind of demon was, but anyone with eyes could see that if you were swept away by it, you wouldn't have enough lives to survive.

Forget it, now is not the time to correct his perception. This place is dangerous; someone could easily take a sneak attack. We shouldn't stay here any longer. Once he comes to life, he'll naturally realize he wasn't dreaming.

System: "Ding! Congratulations, host, for triggering the hidden storyline [The Prince]. Please choose [Save] or [Do Not Save]."

The hidden plot she triggered last time was already enough to drive her crazy. Lu Yuanyuan just wanted to avoid this thing. She shrugged and said, "Does it matter which one I choose? Yue Hong is the backup male lead, he's not going to die no matter what."

System: "Of course not. If you choose to ignore it, Yue Hong will die tomorrow."

Lu Yuanyuan was stunned, filled with questions. However, the system couldn't possibly be lying to her. She immediately said, "Save them! Of course, save them!"

She'd think about the rest once they were in a safe place. Lu Yuanyuan cast a protective barrier around Yue Hong, picked up the dagger that had fallen to her feet, and found herself in the darkness, with will-o'-the-wisps and fox cries echoing around her. A heavy twilight enveloped the wilderness as she crouched down and carefully climbed the earthen slope.

Amidst the tangled weeds lay a corpse—the very man who had fired the arrow without provocation. His chest was pierced by the arrow, blood seeping into the soil, obscuring the view. However, the man was wearing cloth armor and iron gauntlets, making it easy to identify him as a soldier.

However, he did not have any markings indicating his country of origin on his body.

Is this guy a soldier from Yong or Yan? If it's the latter, then this is troublesome. Because this person isn't on horseback, it either means he has companions, or there's a Yan camp within walking distance. Lu Yuanyuan gently parted the tangled grass with her dagger, intending to examine it closely for anything of value, when she suddenly noticed several round objects hanging from the man's waist. Because it was too dark, Lu Yuanyuan didn't immediately recognize what they were, but after a while, a chill suddenly ran down her spine.

This is... a human head.

Four severed heads, resembling watermelons, hung from the man's waist, their ashen faces frozen in terror and despair. There were old people, children, and women; the old were in their seventies, their hair and beards completely white. The children looked barely old enough to walk. Several flies buzzed around the wounds where their necks had been severed, the blood already drained.

After the initial shock, all that remained was a deep sense of nausea and vomiting.

Although she wasn't from ancient times, she still had basic common sense. No army would recruit the elderly, weak, women, and children as soldiers; these four must be civilians.

Considering the soldier's actions of shooting her without asking any questions, it's highly likely... he was indiscriminately killing civilians.

Lu Yuanyuan pinched her nose and searched again, finding a water pouch and a cloth bag on the man's waist. She uncorked the water pouch, fanned it, and a strong smell of liquor wafted out.

Worried about Yue Hong's situation, Lu Yuanyuan put her things into her storage ring and quickly left.

Thankfully, she had already learned to fly on a sword, allowing her to travel a thousand miles a day without a horse. Unfortunately, Yue Hong was simply too tall and heavy. Lu Yuanyuan carried him on her back, using the sword as a step. If she flew too high, she couldn't maintain her balance; if she flew too low, his boots with iron toes would leave two long mud tracks on the ground.

Before descending to the mortal realm, their last intelligence was that the place where Duan Lansheng and the others disappeared was very close to Xiangcheng. Xiangcheng was under the control of the Yong Kingdom, and she and Qi Chang's group had arranged to meet in Xiangcheng, which was in the north. Heading north was definitely the right choice.

Like a crab carrying a boulder, Lu Yuanyuan huffed and puffed as she hurried along. As dawn broke, she finally led Yue Hong to a place far enough away, where they stopped beside a small river that was open and sheltered by trees and rocks.

Lu Yuanyuan let go of his hand, intending to be gentle, but her palms were sweaty and slippery. With a muffled thud, the person on her back suddenly fell headfirst, lying unconscious in a spread-eagle position.

Oh no, I used too much force!

Lu Yuanyuan slapped her forehead and quickly went over to check on Yue Hong's condition.

On the riverbank, the air was moist, and the lush green grass reached above ankle height. Brilliant sunlight shone on the water, shimmering like gold foil, with occasional dark shadows drifting by.

After being given the elixir, Yue Hong's abdominal wound stopped bleeding heavily. However, due to the bumpy ride, the wound was constantly being squeezed, and Lu Yuanyuan intermittently felt warm, sticky liquid seeping from his armor and flowing onto her back.

Now, in the bright light, Lu Yuanyuan looked closely and realized that Yue Hong's condition was worse than she had expected. His lips were pale and chapped, and his handsome face was flushed with an eerie redness. She was startled and reached out to touch his forehead; it was very hot. However, his pulse did not seem to indicate a fever.

Lu Yuanyuan took a step back in confusion, scanned his entire body, and then looked at the sky, realizing the problem—it was too hot!

The sun blazed fiercely, and the heat was intense. The temperature was nearly forty degrees Celsius. Mortal soldiers couldn't use protective magic or create barriers; to withstand the swords and spears on the battlefield, they could only resort to rudimentary methods—forging their armor to be as thick and heavy as possible. A single suit weighed over a hundred pounds and was completely airtight. Yue Hong felt like he was trapped in an iron barrel in a sauna; if this continued, he would suffer heatstroke.

Lu Yuanyuan quickly began to remove his armor. Having never removed this type of clothing before, it took her a while to find the iron hooks and ropes, and she pulled off his armor and battle skirt. As soon as she unpacked them, a hot, humid smell assaulted her nostrils—a sour, rancid odor of sweat and the metallic smell of dried blood.

vomit!

Lu Yuanyuan couldn't help but hold her breath in disgust and lean back. Only after the smell dissipated somewhat did she examine Yue Hong. His exposed skin only had minor abrasions, nothing serious. The only wound was on his hip.

A bloody mess, with scabs clinging to his tattered undershirt. Unable to see clearly, Lu Yuanyuan quickly tore open his knotted belt and pulled his pants down.

The young man's body was hot and muscular, with a wheat-colored complexion. His abdominal muscles, like bricks, were neatly stacked, and his V-line was clearly visible, with prominent pale blue veins.

The wound looked like it had been inflicted by some kind of long weapon. Fortunately, no internal organs were damaged, which was a stroke of luck, making it much easier to treat. Lu Yuanyuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, took out the jug of strong liquor she had just confiscated, placed it aside, and then took out a small pot from her storage ring, preparing to sterilize it with boiling water before stitching it up.

While making preparations, she began to reflect on the current situation.

How strange! In this Mary Sue novel where the protagonists compete for supremacy, all the elements like heavenly tribulations, immortals and demons, war, and palace intrigue are merely background elements for the romance. Every potential male lead is an immortal princess, and even if their lives are in danger, Xiao Ruo is the only one who can save them and develop feelings for them.

How could Yue Hong need cannon fodder to survive in this place?

Just then, Yue Hong's fingers twitched suddenly, and he opened his eyes with lightning speed. However, he couldn't handle the sunlight and was so stimulated that tears streamed down his face, forcing him to close his eyes again.

"Don't worry." Lu Yuanyuan kindly reached out to shield his eyes from the light and asked, "Can you hear me?"

Yue Hong: "..."

He opened his eyes again, and what he saw was a clear blue sky and a pair of almond-shaped eyes filled with worry.

Yue Hong frowned but did not answer. After a while, seemingly disliking talking to someone while lying down, he used his arm to prop himself up and swayed slightly.

Lu Yuanyuan sighed twice, unable to stop him, so she could only lend a hand and help him lean against the rock: "Alright, alright, don't move around. I'm going to the river to get some water... not for you to drink, I know you're thirsty, but you can't drink water right now."

As she spoke, she gently patted his arm to comfort him.

Yue Hong leaned wearily against the rock, glanced at his arm, and remained noncommittal. As soon as Lu Yuanyuan turned around, he absentmindedly picked up the nearby pot and took a swig.

The next second, "poof—"

A mouthful of fiery liquor choked him, and he spat it all out.

The intense stimulation, like a sharp cone piercing his brain, instantly brought his scattered soul and spirit back into his body.

Yue Hong arched his body and coughed violently. His abdominal muscles tightened, pulling at his wound and causing him to shudder with pain. He reached out to press on his hip bone, but upon touching it, he found that the texture was not right.

After the burning sensation in Yue Hong's throat subsided, his eyes were bloodshot. Looking down, he saw that his belt had been violently torn and his pants had been pulled down.

Yue Hong: "…………"

Just then, a small hand suddenly reached out from the side, snatched the wine jug from his hand, and said angrily, "Yue Hong! Are you looking for death? I told you not to drink water, and not even wine!"

Yue Hong froze for a moment, then slowly raised his head. He saw a lively young girl standing in front of him, hands on her hips, glaring at him angrily.

No one had ever dared to snatch anything from him. But at this moment, his attention was no longer on the stolen wine jug. After staring at her for a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, "Lu... Yuanyuan?"

"Who else could it be but me? You don't think you're still seeing ghosts, do you?" Lu Yuanyuan sighed, put the wine jug aside, reached out and tapped his heart, saying, "Don't worry, you're still alive, we're both alive. Look, it's still beating here..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Yuanyuan's collar suddenly tightened, and he pulled her over. Immediately afterward, something heavy pressed against her chest.

Lu Yuanyuan: "…………"

Yue Hong buried his head in her chest, pressing his ear against her breast. After listening for a moment, he seemed annoyed by the soft, fleshy flesh beneath him, finding it difficult to hear clearly. He even frowned and pressed his ear deeper, his warm breath brushing against her skin.

Lu Yuanyuan stared blankly at his rude behavior, her face gradually turning red, then pale, then black.

The next second, a loud "slap" echoed through the air.