Chapter 100 Her pitch-black world bursts into bloom with fireworks at this moment…
Duan Lansheng's expression was very unusual.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart tightened, but she didn't show it on her face. She pretended to be in pain from his pinch, turned her head to the side, and shook her wrist, saying, "Lansheng, loosen your grip, you're hurting me."
Duan Lansheng paused, withdrawing some of the force he had used to hold her wrist, but his fingertips remained firmly pressed against her skin, without the slightest gap.
He was still waiting for her answer.
Lu Yuanyuan looked up, appearing calm and innocent, and readily fabricated a lie: "I didn't go to see Yuan Jun on purpose; I just happened to run into him on the street."
Upon hearing this, Duan Lansheng's gloomy expression did not dissipate: "Just a chance encounter?"
“Yes, after you left, I stayed on the boat until dark before going ashore. I slipped and fell, but I wasn’t hurt. My shoe flew off and sank into the lake. It was so dark, there was no way to retrieve it. Just then, Yuanjun passed by and noticed I was missing my shoe, so she offered to take me back. If I had known it would end up like this, I would have gone with you then.” She finished, a look of regret on her face.
Duan Lansheng pursed his lips, his expression wavering slightly, but he still refused to let go of her hand: "Really?"
Of course it's fake.
"Why would I lie to you?" Lu Yuanyuan answered with a rhetorical question. After thinking for a moment, she took the initiative to reach out her other hand, cover his large hand, and gently shake it: "Lansheng, you are my best friend. I will definitely take your advice first."
Duan Lansheng stiffened, his gaze falling on her hands.
Lu Yuanyuan pretended not to notice, casually shook his arm twice, and then subtly withdrew her hand, putting it behind her back.
She needed to keep Duan Lansheng calm; keeping him calm for just one night would be enough.
Lu Yuanyuan raised her eyes, a troubled look on her face, and glanced at him cautiously: "But...you know what kind of person I am. Yuanjun has taken care of me for so long and been so considerate to me. You want me to suddenly turn against him? I really can't do it. Like today, he took the initiative to help me. Am I supposed to point my finger at him and give him a good scolding?"
Hearing her speak so well of Yin Xiaozhu, Duan Lansheng's expression was almost unbearable. But her subsequent soft words made his fingers unconsciously loosen their grip on his hand.
"Of course, I know you don't speak without reason. I will listen to you and try to spend as little time as possible with Yuanjun."
Lu Yuanyuan took a step back and blinked. "We're entering the Spirit Treasure Realm tomorrow. I want to get some rest, and you should go back too. We can talk again after this is over, okay?"
Watching her close the door, Duan Lansheng remained silent for a while before returning to his room. Stepping out of the shadows at the end of the corridor, he saw a disciple carrying a small basket, walking briskly towards him.
Behind him, only Lu Yuanyuan's room remained. It was obvious who she was looking for so late at night.
Duan Lansheng stopped and stood in the middle of the road, showing no intention of moving aside: "What's the matter so late?"
The disciple bowed to him and said, "The Lord is still discussing this. He instructed me to send some things up to Senior Sister Lu and also to pass on a message."
Duan Lansheng's gaze fell on the basket, which contained several large, round oranges: "What message do you want to convey?"
It's quite rare to see Senior Brother Duan, who's usually known for his cold demeanor, gossiping about others. However, it's not exactly a secret, so the disciple didn't hide anything and honestly repeated, "The Primordial Lord asked me to pass on four words: These aren't sour."
Duan Lansheng listened without expression, then suddenly reached out, grasped the basket handle, and said, "She's already resting. Give me the things, and I'll give them to her tomorrow."
The disciple, unsuspecting, obediently presented the small basket he was carrying and left.
.
The inn in Dingchan didn't have underfloor heating; during the cold winter, they relied on burning charcoal for warmth. Each room had a charcoal brazier, placed in a corner.
Because it wasn't yet the season when people were afraid of the cold, the charcoal brazier in Duan Lansheng's room had never been used, and there wasn't even any charcoal in it.
But tonight, a blazing fire has been lit in the basin.
The oranges were thrown into the fire along with the wicker basket. Flames climbed the vines, quickly engulfing and charring the fruit. Sparks floated up, drifting to the ground, where a boot extinguished them, leaving only black ash.
After rubbing the boots against the floor again, even the dust marks disappeared.
Duan Lansheng showed no expression and withdrew his foot.
On his first day at Mount Shu, she had even spoken up for him in a difficult situation. Perhaps it was this hazy feeling, a mixture of gratitude and admiration, that made him unconsciously keep an eye on her movements in secret.
But people are not static.
He didn't know when it started, but the feeling he got from the other person gradually changed. Especially when Lu Yuanyuan was involved, it was as if there was a kind of hostility hidden in the softness, densely surrounding him.
He knew that Yin Xiaozhu was a woman.
But does that mean women won't have ulterior motives towards each other, or do strange things?
Although he hadn't experienced it, firstly, he had mistakenly believed that Lu Yuanyuan was his wife in his sea of consciousness, and secondly, when he was on a mission, he had disguised himself and infiltrated a brothel in order to capture a monster hiding in the crowd.
He's not completely ignorant.
Women can do just as much as men.
If Lu Yuanyuan did it voluntarily... no, she couldn't have done it voluntarily.
Clearly, Lu Yuanyuan still doesn't know how she was treated by her trusted senior sister.
For a fleeting moment, he wanted to be firm and make her promise not to contact Yin Xiaozhu again. But seeing her expression, as if she was afraid of angering him, he held back.
He didn't like Lu Yuanyuan looking at him with pleading eyes.
The contents of the basin had almost burned away, turning into charcoal, and it was impossible to tell what they originally were.
Duan Lansheng gently rubbed his fingers.
Actually, when he grabbed her wrist just now, he really thought that it would be great if he could tie her to his side with a rope.
By keeping her firmly by his side and never separating from her anywhere, he would no longer have to worry about her secretly going to see Yin Xiaozhu behind his back.
.
The next morning, the Shu Mountain group gathered outside the inn and flew to the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm on their swords.
The Lingbao Secret Realm has no physical boundaries, but standing before it, everyone can sense its chilling and mysterious atmosphere. The enormous rift valley, like a lightning bolt's mark on the earth, cracks the land for hundreds of miles around, and a vast primeval forest covers everything, its ferocious and vigorous life force rising from the ground.
Lu Yuanyuan sheathed her sword and stood silently in the crowd, recalling the original plot.
According to the original novel "The Enchanting Fairy Tale," the original owner she possessed was a piece of chewing gum specifically targeting Duan Lansheng, managing to squeeze into this mission. While everyone else was busy with their important tasks, she remained steadfast in cultivating her lecherous persona, waiting for an opportunity to extend her clutches towards Duan Lansheng.
The most important purpose of this trip is to find Master Xugu, not to kill monsters, loot treasure chests, or gain experience. In order to improve efficiency, Xuyuanzi ordered everyone to avoid direct confrontation with monsters as much as possible, so as not to waste precious time.
According to the agreed-upon group divisions, the strong will travel alone, while the weak will stick together. Highly skilled disciples like Duan Lansheng and Qi Chang, capable of handling things independently, will act alone. They are fast on their swords and have extensive experience dealing with demons, allowing them to extricate themselves swiftly even in unexpected situations. Companions would be a burden to them.
As for disciples whose cultivation level is below this level, they must work in groups of five, with each group having its own tasks. The original owner, being a half-baked individual, was naturally categorized into this group.
The original owner was extremely disappointed that she couldn't be grouped with Duan Lansheng, but she didn't dare disobey Xu Yuanzi, so she had to suppress her lust and follow the arrangements. Just as her small team entered a forest deep within the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm, a strange white mist appeared ahead and quickly enveloped them.
The Spirit Treasure Realm contained everything imaginable; the fog obscured visibility, amplifying the unknown terror to its peak. Soon, a scream rang out from within the thick fog, sword light flashed, and blood splattered.
The original owner usually slacked off in her cultivation, spending her free time fantasizing about dating Duan Lansheng. When faced with real trouble, she was terrified of dying and would turn and run. Luckily, she survived the dense fog despite her rudimentary martial arts skills. However, this reckless run also left her completely disoriented.
However, every cloud has a silver lining – the original owner of this body was separated from her teammates, but was found by Duan Lansheng in the forest.
The original owner instantly stuck to it like a leech.
Although Duan Lansheng loathed the original owner and was extremely annoyed by her harassment, he wasn't so desperate as to seek revenge and watch her die a miserable death. He simply didn't want to have anything to do with her.
The original owner of this body stumbled upon the route he was traveling alone on. He was on a mission to find someone and couldn't turn back early. But if he abandoned the original owner, she would be in grave danger. After a brief moment of thought, Duan Lansheng decided to take the original owner with him and set off together.
Although he had taken her with him on the journey, Duan Lansheng remained extremely cold towards her throughout, sometimes going an entire day without uttering a single word unless absolutely necessary. During rest periods, he would meditate, regulate his breathing, and polish his sword, treating the original owner of the body as if she were invisible and refusing to let her sit next to him.
It has to be said that having Duan Lansheng as a powerful patron made this mission incredibly easy. No matter what monsters blocked their path, he could deal with them as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
As the saying goes, when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lustful desires. Once the danger to his life was over, the original owner's mind began to stir again.
After joining the Shu Mountain sect, this was the first time she had spent so much time with Duan Lansheng, not being separated for a single moment of the day. Unfortunately, Duan Lansheng was like a cake displayed in a shop window—she could only look at him, not eat him, which was both exciting and empty.
She never imagined that the glass would one day shatter.
That was the third day they had traveled together.
The two had just arrived at an unnamed valley deep within the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm. It was already late, and after Duan Lansheng checked the surroundings, he indicated that they should rest there for the night.
Although they are cultivators and can go for long periods without food, that is usually a choice made out of necessity. When given the choice, they will still consume food.
The two had dry rations in their storage rings. As for water, there were rivers and streams everywhere in the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm, which could be drunk simply by boiling.
Knowing she was now a burden, and also wanting to demonstrate her strengths to Duan Lansheng, the original owner volunteered to fetch water every day. Her spiritual power wasn't high, but she was quick on her feet. Besides, Duan Lansheng was nearby; if anything dangerous happened, she could just run back.
That evening, the original owner set off to fetch water as usual. Following the sound of water, she came to a pool at the foot of the waterfall and filled two water bags.
As she was leaving, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water. Seeing her disheveled appearance and dark marks on her face, she was filled with remorse. Thinking that Duan Lansheng was with her every day, she decided to wash her face before going back.
The accident happened the moment she squatted down to wash her face; the giant python underwater dragged her in.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Duan Lansheng heard the commotion. Rushing to the edge of the pool, he found only a string of bubbles on the surface. Duan Lansheng immediately jumped into the water, killed the giant python, and rescued the original owner of the body who was nearly suffocating. In doing so, he was bitten on the calf by a snake underwater.
Pandora's box was thus opened.
The snake that bit him was venomous, and not just any venom, but a kind of aphrodisiac called "Bone-Corroding Poison," which has the aphrodisiac effect of dog blood, and it took effect quickly on Duan Lansheng.
The original owner, having miraculously survived, awoke groggily to find Duan Lansheng writhing on the ground, suffering from hallucinations and excruciating pain, his snake venom acting up not far away. However, his powerful willpower allowed him to retain a sliver of consciousness, and he intermittently told the original owner that the antidote for the snake venom was deep within the pool, near the rock where the giant python lived.
Two tigers cannot share one mountain; two powerful monsters cannot coexist in one place. He has already killed the giant python, so there shouldn't be much of a threat left in the pool.
However, the original owner completely ignored Duan Lansheng's words. Firstly, she was afraid of death and dared not go into the water again. Secondly, with Duan Lansheng so out of his mind, wasn't this a perfect opportunity to force herself on him?
Therefore, you can see how despicable the original owner's character was from this. Duan Lansheng got into such a state to save her, and not only was she unwilling to risk repaying his kindness, she also repaid kindness with enmity. In the end, her attempt to force herself on him failed, and she was even expelled from Mount Shu, which she completely deserved.
This is the "Bone-Corroding" plot from the original novel.
Lu Yuanyuan remained silent, lost in thought.
And in her past life...
Getting separated from his teammates, meeting Duan Lansheng, and traveling together with Duan Lansheng... these are all largely consistent with the original novel. The fork in the road occurs on the evening of the third day.
She went to fetch water, lingered by the pool, and was eventually dragged into the pool by the giant python, not to wash her face.
Rather, it was because she found a plant called silver sage fruit on a low cliff next to the waterfall, which could stop bleeding, heal wounds, and remove putrefaction.
Duan Lansheng entered the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm without bringing many wound medicines. If he were alone, he wouldn't have needed them. However, because he had her as a burden, he suffered many minor injuries along the way, including a sting from a poisonous bee that morning, and her storage ring didn't contain any medicine to treat it.
Silver sage fruit is an excellent medicine for treating bee stings.
It usually only grows in sunny places. The trees in the Lingbao Secret Realm are so dense that sunlight can hardly penetrate, so it is very rare to find the Silver Xiao Fruit here. She was very happy, so she carefully climbed up the cliff, intending to pick it and give it to Duan Lansheng.
She can finally do something useful for Duan Lansheng, instead of relying on him for protection in everything.
These were her last thoughts before she was dragged underwater by the giant python.
As she fell into the pool, she pulled down the silver jujube tree, which was crushed in the struggle.
The water shut down her five senses. That bone-chillingly cold pool was even darker than she had imagined. After being swept down a meter or two, she felt the light disappear completely. The water was pungent and cold. The scales of a giant python coiled around her waist, pulling her to the bottom. The muddy water gurgled down her throat. She quickly reached the bottom and reached out haphazardly, touching something soft—a bloated corpse. The corpse's cloudy eyeballs had popped out of their sockets, staring blankly at her.
That was her first time being so close to a corpse, almost pressed against its embrace. The terror that pierced her scalp was unforgettable, indescribable. She felt her limbs stiffen, desperately struggling, trying to avoid touching the cold, rotting flesh. In despair, her struggles grew weaker, and she resigned herself to death. However, just as the last precious breath escaped her lungs with her tears, she was saved.
What happened next was just like what was written in the original book, but with subtle differences.
Duan Lansheng told her there was an antidote underwater. Thinking of the corpse in the crevice of the rocks, her limbs went weak as a board. She took a deep breath, but never considered backing down. Even if she had to crawl, she would crawl down and retrieve the antidote.
However, just as she was about to leave, Duan Lansheng grabbed her and kissed her.
Her pitch-black world bursts into a dazzling display of light and fireworks at this moment.
The movement of a single gear completely altered the course of the entire machine.
Perhaps because she fell into the water from a different spot, it took Duan Lansheng longer to rescue her, which resulted in him being more severely poisoned and experiencing a faster onset of the poison. This explains the different reactions he had in the original story compared to his previous life.
She knew that Duan Lansheng was not in his right mind, because he didn't have much strength at first, and his fox ears and tail had uncontrollably popped out. However, she couldn't control her infatuation to hold his hand.
The opportunity to refuse was in her hands from the very beginning, but she despicably chose not to correct her mistake and succumbed to it.
Afterwards, when she came to her senses, the wind blew into her feverish head, and she instantly regretted it.
She thought she would be expelled from Mount Shu. The fairy tale of sleeping together and becoming inseparable, or of someone who doesn't like you suddenly falling in love with you, only ever happens between the protagonists of those stories.
To her surprise, after putting on his clothes, Duan Lansheng coldly scrutinized her for a long time, seemingly with disgust and struggle. In the end, however, he made a decision that shocked everyone—he chose to eat the dead cat and become her Daoist partner. In this way, she would not be punished for violating the sect rules, beaten, and expelled from the sect.
After they became Daoist partners, the matter was settled, and in order to clean up the atmosphere of Mount Shu, it was time for the rumors to stop.
In fact, this matter was never publicly tried from the beginning.
But who is Duan Lansheng? Countless people are watching his every move, let alone his sudden marriage to her.
The general outline of the matter could not be kept from the public.
When her sect questioned her, her "confession" had already been leaked. Secretly, many people were criticizing the matter.
Everyone says that the silver jujube she mentioned doesn't grow on the cliff. Silver jujubes simply don't grow in such dark places.
They pointed and whispered contemptuously at her, saying that she only realized how despicable and shameless she had been after the fact, and that she had racked her brains to come up with such a clumsy motive in order to beautify her actions, salvage some impression, and appear noble. The funniest thing was that she even chose the wrong type of plant growing on the cliff when she lied, clearly showing that she didn't take her studies seriously.
They said, did she think that with this excuse, Duan Lansheng would be grateful to her, this disgusting toad?
They said that Duan Lansheng must regret saving her, and that such a scourge should suffer a bit.
They said that if it were them, they would rather bang their heads against the mountainside than let her succeed. The feeling of being clung to by someone you hate and unable to shake them off is truly disgusting.
They said she was a liar who didn't even bother to think before she lied.
...
After all, I was indeed bewitched halfway through, so in the end, I'm not entirely innocent.
So she didn't want to cry. Nor did she ask Duan Lansheng whether he believed the rumors or she.
She covered her ears, ignoring the rumors, stubbornly believing that Duan Lansheng's suggestion of such a solution proved he at least had some affection for her... No, no, that would be too much of a stretch. It should be said that Duan Lansheng at least didn't dislike her.
Time will tell.
She will definitely not let Duan Lansheng regret choosing her to spend his life with.
...
Past events and bygone days vanish like smoke.
Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath to stop her trembling. Seeing the rows of Shushan disciples ready to depart, she rubbed the storage ring on her index finger.
With a chance to start over, she vowed not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
A junior disciple stepped forward and asked, "Senior Sister Lu, we are ready. Shall we set off now?"
Lu Yuanyuan nodded: "Let's go."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
