Chapter 45 (Two-in-One) [VIP]

"Zi Zhuo, how is Yue Ling's health now?"

"After this pot of medicinal soup is finished tonight, and with the pills I found from the divine doctor, Yue Ling's hidden injuries should be completely healed."

That night, Zi Zhuo prepared another pot of medicinal soup for Yue Ling to soak in. However, unlike before, when Yin Chu Jiu would stay by his side, this time he stood on the other side and waited for Zi Zhuo to finish before going to ask her questions.

Zi Zhuo glanced at Yue Ling sitting in the medicine tub, then at Yin Chu Jiu who looked worried, and smiled as she described Yue Ling's current condition.

Upon hearing from Zi Zhuo that Yue Ling's hidden injuries had fully healed, Yin Chu Jiu revealed an obvious sense of relief.

However, he still didn't go to Yue Ling's side, but instead went to deal with the magical beasts. Ever since Yue Ling stopped him from cooking, the four coachmen had been preparing their meals. However, Yin Chu Jiu wasn't doing nothing; she helped process some of the prey within her capabilities.

Otherwise, he wouldn't know how to face Yue Ling when he had nothing to do.

The meal was ready quickly, just as Yue Ling emerged from the medicine tub.

The medicinal soup is ready, and the meal is prepared; it's time to eat.

During the meal, the black cat didn't like to talk and just kept eating. Zi Zhuo, being the oldest, talked more. Yin Chu Jiu and Yue Ling were also alright.

But for some reason, the atmosphere at meals wasn't as good as before. For several days in a row, they ate in complete silence, without exchanging a single word.

However, this time, they had only been eating for a short while when Zi Zhuo spoke up. He looked thoughtful and said, "Yue Ling is now fully recovered, so we should set off again."

Yin Chu Jiu paused for a moment, Yue Ling's expression remained unchanged, and the black cat continued to gnaw on the meat.

"Chu Jiu, I remember you mentioned before that the Moon Forest contains miraculous medicinal herbs that can help Yue Ling stimulate the energy within his body, right?"

"Yes." His biggest goal was to go to the Moon Forest. He used to be eager to go, but now he wasn't so impatient.

"You also said that Yue Ling's current body cannot withstand such a large amount of energy and needs to be tempered in advance, right?"

Yin Chu Jiu: "Yes."

“Alright, then let’s proceed as planned. Once we reach the relevant location, you can tell us what rare and precious herbs can help Yue Ling temper his body. Before we find those herbs, I’ll look for ancient texts and prepare some medicinal soups for Yue Ling to temper his body, okay?” He was reminding Yin Chu Jiu of his prophetic abilities.

Yin Chu Jiu took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, "Okay."

After Zi Zhuo finished speaking with Yin Chu Jiu, he talked to Yue Ling. However, compared to Yin Chu Jiu's cooperation, Yue Ling barely reacted. It seemed that in his eyes, having great power held no appeal for him.

After finishing his meal, Yin Chu Jiu helped the coachman clear away the dishes, then washed up before getting into the carriage to rest. Once inside, he found a corner to lie down in, immediately closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

For the past two weeks, he's been living like this. During the day, he can manage to keep his distance from Yue Ling, but he can't at night. No matter how big the carriage is, it's only so big. No matter which corner he sleeps in, he can always see the figure of the person next to him no matter where he turns over.

Feeling guilty, Yin Chu Jiu didn't want to see Yue Ling's dark eyes, so she timidly went to bed early to reduce the chances of not seeing or talking to Yue Ling.

Of course, perhaps the best thing would be to stop seeing Yue Ling and make everything clear to him, but Yin Chu Jiu knew that he couldn't do that. It would not only be unfair to Yue Ling, but it would also cause him great harm.

So for now, he can only distance himself from Yue Ling in a subtle and gradual way, without causing him much resentment. Once Yue Ling's feelings for him have subsided, his departure won't cause him much distress.

Lost in thought, Yin Chu Jiu drifted off to sleep. Not long after he fell asleep, a figure climbed into the car and placed a handkerchief under his nose. Then, without Yin Chu Jiu's knowledge, he fell into an even deeper sleep.

After Yin Chu Jiu fell into a deep sleep, the figure pulled her into his arms, and the two lay down together.

Before the figure could even help Yin Chu Jiu fall asleep, there was a knock on their car door. A handsome man in a magnificent purple robe poked his head in, saying with a mix of amusement and helplessness, "Use it sparingly. I didn't bring much of the Nightmare Grass. Our next stop is the Rainbow Forest. If you don't want to search for Nightmare Grass in the forest, then use more."

"Also, come to my car tomorrow morning, I have something to tell you."

Yue Ling glanced at Zi Zhuo, and although he didn't say anything, his expression clearly showed that he had taken his words to heart.

Zi Zhuo left after speaking, while Yue Ling held the unconscious Yin Chu Jiu tightly and also fell into a deep sleep. But even in his sleep, he held Yin Chu Jiu with great strength.

This time, instead of shrinking himself into Yin Chu Jiu's arms, he began to imprison Yin Chu Jiu in his embrace.

After a sleepless night, Yin Chu Jiu opened his eyes and looked at the roof of the car. He hadn't slept so comfortably in a long time.

But Yue Ling wasn't with him. He'd gone to bed early last night and didn't know if Yue Ling had returned. The car was moving forward, and the uneven road made the ride a bit bumpy. Had they set off without having breakfast? Or had he slept too long?

She lifted the carriage curtain, and saw that the two drivers outside were sitting comfortably. Yin Chu Jiu took a sip of water to moisten her throat, cleared her throat, and asked one of the drivers with a smile what had happened this morning.

The coachman, having known him for a month or two and getting to know him fairly well, replied with a smile, "Young master, you got up a little late today, so we didn't wake you for breakfast. We put your breakfast in the small compartment on your table; it shouldn't be cold yet. The master said we were a bit slow, so we're on our way now. Please don't mind."

So, while Yin Chu Jiu was still asleep, they had already set off. They had long since left Mingyu Forest and were heading towards the next forest.

If that's the case, then of course I won't be surprised. But how could he have overslept? Could it be that he hasn't been sleeping well for the past two weeks, which is why he slept so soundly last night?

Yin Chu Jiu guessed, and he smiled sheepishly, then asked, "Then... where's Yue Ling? Why isn't he in the carriage?"

The coachman replied with a smile, "My master has something to discuss with him, so he's in the carriage behind right now."

"Okay, I understand, thank you." After receiving the message, Yin Chu Jiu thanked the coachman and got into the carriage.

Once inside the carriage, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a barely perceptible sigh. In truth, he had already guessed something.

Yue Ling... should be keeping his distance from him.

Yue Ling was a proud person, and it was probably right for him to want to distance himself after realizing her thoughts. But… touching her chest, Yin Chu Jiu felt a deep discomfort there.

However, the truth was not as Yin Chu Jiu thought. Yue Ling did indeed go to the car behind, but not to leave him; rather, she was trying to find a way to keep him there.

It was only because Yin Chu Jiu was unaware that Zi Zhuo, Yin Chu Jiu, and the Black Cat were colluding that Yin Chu Jiu couldn't understand.

In the carriage behind, Zi Zhuo had a serious expression, the black cat looked bewildered, and Yue Ling's eyes were deep and unfathomable.

"In short, things are as I said," Zi Zhuo said. "You went over there last night and should have overheard the conversation between Black Cat and Yin Chu Jiu. Yin Chu Jiu must have a secret, and that secret indicates that you and he will not be together in the future."

Yue Ling lowered his eyes, his dark eyes becoming even more profound.

“He knows how to do that, so he must have seen it in there,” Yue Ling added.

He reminded Yue Ling that Yin Chu Jiu would predict this matter.

Without Zi Zhuo's reminder, Yue Ling had already figured it out. The prophecy... If it was because of that prophecy that Yin Chu Jiu wanted to leave him, his dark emotions would only intensify.

In Yin Chu Jiu's eyes, was he really that untrustworthy?

“What we need to figure out now is what makes Yin Chu Jiu think that you two are destined to separate.” Zi Zhuo rested his chin on his fan, looking thoughtful. “Generally speaking, there are only two factors that can cause two people to not be together: one is external, and the other is internal.”

Yue Ling's eyes flickered slightly, signaling Zi Zhuo to continue.

“There are two categories of outside opposition. One is opposition from other people, such as his parents and brothers.”

Parents, siblings...

Yue Ling gently shook her head. "No, Chu Jiu was willing to leave the Yin family for me, so he won't hurt me for them. Once he decides to be with me, he won't easily change his mind because of them."

"Then the other type isn't their opposition, but other forces that prevent you two from being together. There are many such forces, such as a common enemy, or your different statuses, which force you to separate. Didn't you two offend the Gong family to leave Yundu City? Could it be the Gong family?"

If Yin Chu Jiu and Yue Ling are together, and Yue Ling becomes very powerful in the future while Yin Chu Jiu does not, is it possible that the Gong family could capture Yin Chu Jiu and threaten Yue Ling again?

During the threat, perhaps Yin Chu Jiu, in order not to implicate Yue Ling, did...

Zi Zhuo's mind raced with speculation when suddenly a sharp cracking sound came from inside the car, as if something had been broken. He was startled and looked closely, only to see that a piece of the table next to Yue Ling had been snapped off.

A perfectly good table was broken off, and the square and beautiful table immediately became broken. It was made of the finest red ironwood!

The person involved seemed oblivious to Zi Zhuo's heartache. He parted his thin lips slightly, his voice soft yet containing a strong sense of violence, and said, "Continue."

How can he continue?!

Zi Zhuo felt a sharp pain in his heart. Then, several fist-sized gems appeared on his table. There were enough gems to rebuild several more of these luxurious carriages.

Zi Zhuo: "..."

Oh, he forgot, they also robbed the healer's lineage.

“Externally, there are probably only two possibilities. As for internally, there are also two types: one is that you have changed your mind, and the other is that he doesn’t like you anymore. If he changes his mind, he is destined to leave,” Zi Zhuo said.

“No.” He had barely finished speaking when Yue Ling replied, “I will never change my mind, and neither will he.”

"How can you be so sure?" Zi Zhu asked curiously.

Yue Ling stopped talking.

How could he not be so sure?

He could never change his mind, never.

As for Yin Chu Jiu, he wouldn't have rejected him before he liked him, so there's no reason for him to reject him after he started liking him.

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me, then don't," Zi Zhuo said. "Since you're certain it won't be the first type of the first category or all of the second category, then what will cause you and him to separate in the future is an external force."

"Now that we understand the reason, we need to find a solution to this situation."

Yue Ling raised his eyes, his gaze dark and deep, his voice low and husky, "What are you thinking?"

Zi Zhuo asked, "And what are you thinking?"

“Of course it is…” Yue Ling stared intently at Zi Zhuo, or perhaps not at him, but at the entity that separated Yin Chu Jiu and him. Blood vessels began to appear in his eyes from his black pupils, spreading to his entire eye sockets. In an instant, he became incredibly sinister and dark. “Become stronger.”

Become stronger, so strong that no one can separate the two of them.

Yin Chu Jiu was afraid, but he couldn't be afraid, and he wouldn't let Yin Chu Jiu be afraid.

He feared those things would separate them, so he eliminated the threat that would separate them.

Ah, he was too weak, so weak that he had no power at all.

That's why those people can bully him and trample him underfoot.

That's why Yin Chu Jiu is afraid of those things, afraid that those things will separate them.

If he weren't so weak, if he weren't so frail, then wouldn't Yin Chu Jiu be less afraid?

They will not think of distancing themselves from Him or of being captured and used to coerce Him because of what they see in the prophecy.

“He said that I will be the strongest person on this continent in the future, so I will be the strongest person on this continent.” Yue Ling continued, playing with the piece of table he had broken off as he spoke. “When I become the strongest person in this world, nothing can separate the two of us, no one can.”

The boy was still young, but his aura was terrifyingly strong. The first time I saw him, he seemed like a small beast with nowhere to turn, yet still stubborn.

After the power sealed within him emerged, and his body recovered from the injury, he gave the impression of a peerless ferocious beast crouching in the darkness, accumulating power.

That peerless ferocious beast can go mad for its most precious prey, and become even more powerful for its goal, ultimately defeating everyone and ruling this land!

Zi Zhuo swallowed hard. He never expected that the boy he had helped on a whim would end up like this. Inside the car, the black cat, which had been quietly eating the jerky it had earned, growled warily. Its bright eyes instantly turned into cat-like eyes, its vertical pupils contracting, extremely alert.

It wasn't until noon, when the carriage stopped, that Yin Chu Jiu saw Yue Ling again. He thought Yue Ling wouldn't talk to him anymore, but during the meal, Yue Ling insisted on serving him a bowl of rice and adding a lot of vegetables to his bowl.

Not only that, he also pinched his chin, his eyes fixed on him, his gaze deep and heavy, seemingly containing a profound meaning. Yin Chu Jiu was certain that it was definitely not a look of dislike or alienation towards him.

At this moment, Zi Zhuo spoke up: "Chu Jiu, are there any medicinal herbs in Changhong Forest that are good for Yue Ling?"

Yin Chu Jiu immediately took the opportunity to break free from Yue Ling's hand, turned her head to face Zi Zhuo, and said to him in a seemingly relaxed manner: "Yes, there is a kind of natural treasure called Heavenly Heart Ironwood Milk. The milk is snow-white in color, the liquid is viscous, and it emits the fragrance of trees. It is an excellent material for tempering the body. Dilute Heavenly Heart Ironwood Milk in water, and when a person sits in it, they can absorb the milk through their skin to achieve the effect of tempering the body."

After speaking, Yin Chu Jiu hesitated for a moment, "You're asking this because..."

Previously, Zi Zhuo had never proactively inquired about such matters; he would only ask when they arrived at the destination. This means that Zi Zhuo was not proactive at all before, but now he seems very proactive.

Zi Zhuo smiled and said, "I examined Yue Ling last night. His body can currently only withstand the energy of a ninth-level Heavenly Pearl. If he releases more energy, it will cause further damage to his body. Therefore, I urgently need materials that can temper his body to make Yue Ling's body stronger."

“Yue Ling feels the same way. He also wants to become stronger quickly, which is why I asked that question.” After Zi Zhuo finished speaking, she asked Yue Ling next to her, “Right, Yue Ling?”

Yin Chu Jiu had no choice but to look at Yue Ling now. Yue Ling nodded slightly, indicating that Zi Zhuo was right.

Then, the boy pinched his chin again, placing his fingers in the same spot as before.

In the same spot, with the same gaze, this time he spoke, his hoarse voice reaching Yin Chu Jiu's ears.

“I will become stronger, very strong. So don’t be afraid. No matter what kind of future you see in the prophecy, no matter who it is, I will not let them separate us.”

The boy's voice carried an indescribable rhythm, and his resolute tone seemed to have a calming effect. However, to Yin Chu Jiu, it was nothing short of a thunderclap.

At the same time, Zi Zhuo added, "We know why you want to stay away from Yue Ling, Chu Jiu. I'm not trying to be mean, but you should have told us about this. We are your companions, and Yue Ling is your... well, close partner. You should trust us instead of choosing to bear it all alone."

The black cat opened its wide, round eyes, munching on the meat while nodding and purring, "Yes, yes."

"Didn't you say that Yue Ling will be very powerful in the future, and that both this black cat and I will be his subordinates? That means Yue Ling will be very powerful in the future. Why can't you trust Yue Ling and tell him about the difficulties you know? Is there anyone stronger than Yue Ling?"

Yin Chu Jiu paused for two seconds, then he understood what Yue Ling and Zi Zhuo meant. So, the reason Black Cat asked that question last night was indeed because someone had come to trick him into revealing information.

Should he be glad that he only told part of it because he knew he couldn't tell everything?

In Zi Zhuo's view, he distanced himself from Yue Ling because someone else had interfered, so he made this decision to avoid such a thing.

He didn't know whether to be happy that Zizhuo and the others cared about him and tried to get information out of him to help him solve the problem, or to feel sad that they had misunderstood the situation.

Yue Ling and Zi Zhuo's guess was correct; there was indeed a force trying to separate them. However... that force was beyond their control; it was something even the world itself could not stop.

No matter how strong Yue Ling becomes, he can't possibly contend with that power, because he's not fighting against one person, but against an entire world.

Moreover, they would never know that the stronger Yue Ling became, the sooner he reached the Moon Forest and became a top expert, the sooner that power would appear, and the sooner they would be separated.

Yue Ling changed his pinching to supporting, using four fingers to support Yin Chu Jiu's chin while his thumb rubbed against his lips. His eyes were deep and his voice was low and husky: "Are you still afraid?"

meeting.

Yin Chu Jiu wanted to answer. He wanted to tell Yue Ling to slow down and not to get stronger so quickly, but he didn't know how to start.

Yue Ling has already gone to such lengths for him, so how could he possibly have the right to persuade Yue Ling to slow down? Besides, it was he who said he wanted Yue Ling to become stronger.

Yin Chu Jiu didn't know what his expression was at the time, nor how he answered Yue Ling. He was lost in his own thoughts. When he came back to his senses, they had already set off again. He was sitting in the car, while Yue Ling was leaning close to him.

The boy had a smile on his face, but because he didn't smile often, his smile didn't look very natural, but his bright black eyes were full of satisfaction.

"Ah, open your mouth." The boy told him to open his mouth, and Yin Chu Jiu subconsciously opened his mouth, then put a cool, sweet fruit into his mouth. "This is a sweet fruit, I picked it in the Mingyu Forest before. I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but you ignored me before, so I put it off until now." The boy hugged him and complained sweetly.

"Is it delicious?"

"...Delicious." What's going on?

"I picked quite a lot. I'll wash them for you after we stop tonight."

Yin Chu Jiu remained puzzled, "Okay."

Upon hearing this, the boy's face immediately lit up with immense joy.

"So you've agreed to be with me now, right?" The boy's dark eyes were filled with anticipation. "You already promised me."

Yin Chu Jiu didn't know how to answer. Should he say that he didn't have those feelings for Yue Ling yet, or should he tell Yue Ling not to apologize anymore? But he couldn't say it.

He was lost in thought and didn't even know what he said. Judging from Yue Ling's happy expression, he must have said something he was talking about while he was distracted.

Otherwise, Yue Ling wouldn't be so happy.

After thinking for a moment, Yin Chu Jiu covered the boy's eyes, and stopped him when the boy subconsciously tried to remove his hand.

He said, "Yue Ling, I know I don't want to leave you. I want to be good to you and stay with you forever. When you kiss me, I don't feel disgusted or repulsed, but I don't know if that means I like you."

Yue Ling immediately raised his hand that was hanging by his side and grabbed Yin Chu Jiu's wrist with great force, so much so that Yin Chu Jiu could not break free at all.

Yin Chu Jiu didn't feel any pain, nor did she break free from Yue Ling's hand. "I am a very selfish person. I selfishly said I would repay you back then, but I never thought about whether you would accept it. I also selfishly made the current schedule two months ago, saying that I would make you stronger."

"I've been selfish so many times, can you let me be selfish just one more time?" Yin Chu Jiu's voice trembled slightly.

Yue Ling couldn't see the person in front of him, but he could clearly feel his caution and the importance he placed on him. He suppressed his desire to control the boy and said, "Okay, go ahead."

"Let's not be together. I'm not used to being with men, and I've never tried dating a man before. Can you give me some time to adjust? Before you become stronger, before you get your chance in the Moon Forest, can you give us both some time?"

"You need to figure out if your feelings for me are genuine love or just habit, and I'll also sort out my own feelings. After our trip to the Moon Forest, if we both like each other, then we'll be together; if not, then we won't be together."

No, Yue Ling reflexively wanted to deny his decision, but after thinking about it, he realized that the boy's attitude had softened, so he agreed.

"good."

Yin Chu Jiu looked at the lower half of the boy's face that wasn't covered by him, closed her eyes, and suppressed all her emotions deep in her heart.

If Yue Ling remains in this world after becoming a powerful figure, he will stay with him forever. If he disappears, will Yue Ling feel any better without him by his side?

Why does he have no memory of what just happened? If he hadn't lost his focus, things certainly wouldn't have turned out this way. There was no way out, no other choice.

That night, Yin Chu Jiu fell asleep again under Yue Ling's magic herb. Not long after, Zi Zhuo came over and said to Yue Ling with a smile, "Is the medicine working well?"

Yue Ling thought about Yin Chu Jiu's reaction that afternoon and nodded, "It was alright."

Magic Grass: Primarily used for hypnosis and seduction, it is an excellent ingredient for eliciting pleasantries. It is most effective when used in food.

Author's Note:

Two-in-one~

Thank you to the little angel who watered my plants with nutrient solution!

29199225 2 bottles; 1 bottle of ash wood;

Thank you so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!