Chapter 7: A Beauty Saves a Hero with a Mystery "Would you please show up and have a chat?"

I washed my inkstone, concentrated, and listened for a moment. The Wutong Ancestral Temple was bustling with visitors. The sound of prayers drifted from the main hall, and the courtyard mingled with the quiet chatter of tourists. Seeds fell to the ground, silently enveloped by the earth. Occasionally, a faint whisper of wind drifted through the courtyard, a cacophony of sounds, a lingering, indistinguishable cacophony. The sounds were too mixed to make sense, yet nothing unusual was evident.

"There are at least a hundred voices, but I don't know what you are talking about, sir."

Xiyan looked around and saw that the servants on both sides shook their heads slightly, so he had to purse his lips and remain silent. Following the young master's gaze, he saw that the couple had already left and gone somewhere else. There was nothing there, only a tree guarding the small space.

Had he misheard? That voice, it seemed, was a woman's, startled by something, letting out a low cry. When he turned to listen carefully, it had vanished.

"Young Master has been traveling for several days straight. I think he's tired. Perhaps he misheard something." Xiyan told the attendant to pick up the bookcase. "It's better to get into the city as soon as possible."

Song Linsheng was a little confused for a moment. Maybe that was the case! He had been feeling quite tired recently. He had originally wanted to get to Jiangyang Mansion as soon as possible to see the green phoenix tree before taking up his post. But now that it had "ascended to become an immortal," perhaps it wasn't meant to be.

Wen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief after seeing him and his group leave the Wutong Ancestral Temple. It didn't matter if they left, or not. The Wutong Ancestral Temple was her master's territory, and she wouldn't dare act rashly. However, there were many spirits in Houchun Mountain. If his group encountered anything strange on their way down, she couldn't blame it on her! Even if her master pressed the issue, she wouldn't admit it.

Thinking of this, Wen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, smiled cunningly, formed seals with his hands and followed Song Linsheng's direction, leaving the Wutong Ancestral Temple behind him very lively.

Early spring had arrived, and everything was budding. Lush greenery lined the path down the mountain, a vibrant hue of spring. The still-melting morning dew dampened the visitors' clothes, adding a touch of coolness. Song Linsheng, dressed in white, walked among them, like a dewdrop on a leaf, a round, white, eye-catching sight.

"Sir, this Houchun Mountain truly lives up to its reputation. Even our Shangdu doesn't have so many rare and precious flowers and trees. There are so many that Xiyan can't even name them!"

Along the way, Xiyan kept touching and looking here and there, and was even more cheerful than the birds in the mountains.

Song Linsheng couldn't help but hold his forehead and sighed softly, "Xiyan, you said these words when you went up the mountain."

"Sir, are you unhappy? You used to love flowers and trees, why do you seem to be lacking interest today?" Xi Yan was talking to himself when he suddenly stopped talking.

Yes, the flowers and trees in the mountains in late spring are among the most precious, and the thousand-year-old green wutong trees in the Wutong Ancestral Temple are undoubtedly the most outstanding. However, I was unable to visit them today, and my son returned home disappointed. Even if they were in full bloom, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the heart to admire them.

"Happy, I'm very happy... But, Xiyan, we've passed this place at least four times..." Song Linsheng breathed softly, one hand supporting a nearby crimson-colored flower tree. The blossoms were blooming rapidly, clustering around the branches like light evening mist. The flowers had four petals, each with a pointed end, somewhat resembling a four-leafed tree, though its branches were thicker. Song Linsheng looked up at the tree...

He was sure that they were circling the tree, going back and forth in front of it.

"My brain isn't very bright. I've been wandering around for quite some time before I found this..." Wen Yu muttered to herself as she lay comfortably on the branch of a flowering tree. She poked her head out to take a look under the tree.

Wen Yu was caught off guard by Song Linsheng's fair face and was so startled that she almost fell headfirst from the tree. It wasn't her fault for always hiding in the tree, like she was spying on people. She simply hadn't figured out how to make her entrance, so that it would be logical...

Wen Yu had originally planned to disguise herself as the daughter of a woodcutter, rescue the hero, and then use the opportunity to lure them down the mountain, but she was afraid of loopholes and arousing suspicion, so she thought about it over and over again, which delayed her time.

Seeing him pause, Wen Yu lowered his head and instructed Xi Yan who was standing beside him: "Separate and look for it. Find a way down the mountain as soon as possible. There are many animals in the mountains. Don't delay until night." Xi Yan and his group took the order and left. Soon they dispersed into the mountains and forests and disappeared.

Song Linsheng was the only one left under the tree. He paced back and forth twice, took a long breath, and for some reason, he raised his hand and saluted the tree.

Wen Yu leaned out to get a better look, and wondered in his heart, could there be someone else under the tree?

"The fairy lady might as well show herself and have a chat."

After he finished speaking, he held his breath, his hands still pointed forward, not daring to breathe.

Wen Yu was startled at this. This mortal was truly strange. Could he have truly seen through her deception? She had teased him before, and she was already feeling guilty. Suddenly, hearing Song Linsheng's blunt and direct question, her heart was in turmoil. Her center of gravity shifted, and she plummeted like a ripe fruit in autumn, plummeting straight down the tree!

"ah--"

Song Linsheng raised his head at the sound, and his eyes reflected a figure in a princess-colored dress, falling from a branch full of flowers, just like a flower bud fallen from a tree - it was a woman. He was stunned for a moment, but soon came to his senses and stretched out his arms to catch the person.

Unwilling to let the impact be too strong, they both rolled to the side. Song Linsheng protected Wen Yu with both hands, but his back hit the rugged trunk of the flower tree. His calf was also slightly painful because it was brushed by some branches.

"Ouch!" Wen Yu felt dizzy. She was too anxious just now and was afraid of revealing her magic in front of this mortal. She was determined to be disfigured and fell down with her head held high.

She tried to loosen her muscles, but felt nothing unusual. The warmth she felt while swinging her arms reminded her that there was someone here!

Song Linsheng!

Wen Yu sat up and turned back to check on Song Linsheng. His hair was slightly loose, beads of sweat were on his forehead, and his black cloak was stained with dust. A few petals of the four-leafed osmanthus were embedded in the folds of his clothes, adding an indescribable elegance to his desolate appearance.

"Madam, are you okay?" Seeing the woman turn around, Song Linsheng asked. When he met her gaze, Song Linsheng felt that his appearance was not decent. He tried to stand up with his arms, but found that his left leg was dull and painful, and he could not use any strength. He could not help but groan.

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Wen Yu hurried forward, helped Song Linsheng up, and helped him rest against a tree trunk. He seemed injured somewhere. Wen Yu's eyes wandered over Song Linsheng's body. The white robe on his left calf was slightly stained with crimson, mixed with the flowers, making it difficult to see clearly.

Seeing this, Wen Yu was about to reach out to check the injury without hesitation, but was stopped by another hand. The hand had just touched the back of Wen Yu's hand when it was quickly raised up, just resting on the back of her hand. Wen Yu looked over.

Song Linsheng nodded at her and explained, "The wound is not elegant, I am afraid it will pollute your eyes."

"Let's wait for my servant to come back and deal with it."

Wen Yu blinked, momentarily unable to react. It was just a wound, a few drops of blood, how could she be afraid? This man was being too particular.

"This place is far from the foot of the mountain! Your servants won't be back for a while. Are you just going to wait for the blood to dry up?"

After saying that, Wen Yu didn't even look at his expression, but reached out to lift his outer robe. Seeing that the amount of bleeding was not heavy, it was probably caused by scratches from broken stones and branches. Wen Yu raised his hand and habitually wanted to use magic to heal his wounds. He was a plant elf and was best at healing. Thinking of this, Wen Yu felt quite proud.

"I wonder what my lady was doing on the tree just now?" Song Linsheng's voice came, and a small breeze blew in Wen Yu's ears, and the furry ear hair made Wen Yu feel a little itchy.

Wen Yu paused when he heard this and withdrew his magic power. It was a close call. He almost forgot that he was a mortal.

"I... I was resting on the tree..." Wen Yu almost bit her tongue. What a lame excuse! It was amazing that she could come up with it!

Wen Yu's head hung low, the tangled hair on her forehead concealing her features, making it difficult for Song Linsheng to discern her expression. She tore off half of her skirt and bandaged Song Linsheng's wound, a simple knot, though it was more of a bandage than a knot. Wen Yu still planned to find an opportunity to heal him with her magic. The emerald-colored ribbons of her clothing blossomed on Song Linsheng's left leg, creating a striking contrast with the four-leafed iris, a truly vibrant sight.

Song Linsheng didn't say anything for a long time, perhaps because he was stunned. Wen Yu tentatively raised her head and glanced at him.

He was staring at her with his eyes full of doubts. Just when Wen Yu thought he was going to continue asking questions, he straightened his expression, raised his eyebrows slightly, and smiled.

"The treetops are not a good place to rest, my lady, you should be careful."

Wen Yu tilted her head, her cheeks felt a little hot, and the two braids behind her ears hung down in the same direction. She didn't know what to say.

The sky was gradually darkening, and the wind seemed to carry a hint of rain. Earlier, he and his group had spent some time exploring the Wutong Ancestral Temple, and then, after descending the mountain, they kept detouring under the four-leafed osmanthus tree, wasting considerable time. Now the sun was setting, hidden in the clouds and mist.

There are many monsters in the mountains, and there are countless beasts, insects and ants. It is not easy to stay in the forest at night. Wen Yu saw that Song Linsheng was not very mobile, so after a little thought, she imitated the tone of Song Linsheng's previous teasing:

"Young Master, I know a place that's perfect for resting!"

Upon hearing this, Song Linsheng smiled at Wen Yu, seemingly not too surprised, and uttered a low "Oh?"

"Look at the sky, it's going to rain. I'll take you to take shelter." Wen Yu stood up, brushed the dust off the corners of his clothes, and reached out to help Song Linsheng up.

"Xiyan and the others—my attendants and their group—haven't returned yet..."

"Don't worry, I've left marks for them along the way. If they can't find you when they come back, they'll follow the marks to find you."

"Can you walk? Let me carry you!"

Song Linsheng was halfway up with Wen Yu's support when he paused after hearing this.

"You little lady! You are really different."