Chapter 102 Don't go looking for others.
Upon seeing that the person seeking shelter from the rain was her, Duan Lansheng paused, his dark blue eyes widening slightly, like a butterfly landing on water, creating shimmering ripples: "Yuanyuan?"
The girl in front of him, who had been squatting on the ground with her head down, looked up and saw that it was him. She was stunned for a moment, and then her face lit up with surprise and joy: "Lan Sheng, what are you doing here?"
"...That's what I should be asking. What are you doing here?" The crimson, exquisite sword twirled deftly in her hand before sheathing itself. Duan Lansheng bent one leg, leaned forward, and extended his hand to her: "Is something wrong? Can you get up?"
Also venturing alone in the Lingbao Secret Realm, she was first chased by monsters, then swept away by Yin Xiaozhu. Duan Lansheng's situation was clearly much better than hers; his clothes were neat and clean, his palms were fair, and his nails were clean and free of dirt. It was obvious that the monsters in the Lingbao Secret Realm had not affected his quality of life.
Tiny feelings of jealousy and malice bubbled up like bubbles. Lu Yuanyuan deliberately placed her dirtier right hand in his, wiping the dust onto his palm.
Duan Lansheng seemed oblivious to her thoughts, tightened his grip, took a step back, and pulled her up.
Lu Yuanyuan briefly recounted her experience in a few words, of course omitting the part about meeting Yin Xiaozhu: "Our team encountered a strange fog yesterday, and there were monsters in the fog, so we were all scattered. When I ran to a safe place, I realized that I was lost and could not find my other companions."
She paused, seemingly both puzzled and relieved, and muttered to herself, "So I've unknowingly traveled this far to your place?"
Duan Lansheng gave a soft "hmm," seemingly without suspicion: "Just now, I saw a figure wearing a Shushan Sect robe running through the woods. It looked a lot like you, and I thought I was seeing things."
"above?"
Duan Lansheng nodded, slightly turned his body to make room, his gaze piercing through the rain to look up, his jawline clear and sharp: "The place where I take shelter from the rain."
Lu Yuanyuan looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a cave located at a higher elevation. Suddenly, her wrist was encircled.
“You can’t stay here alone. This place is too low-lying, and the rain is getting heavier. The rain might flood this place. Come with me.” Meeting her somewhat surprised gaze, Duan Lansheng lowered his eyes slightly, but did not let go of her: “Since you’re lost, you’ll stay with me from now on. Don’t look for anyone else.”
Lu Yuanyuan readily agreed, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Okay, I feel much more at ease traveling with you. I'll try my best not to be a burden to you like last time."
Duan Lansheng had already planned to pull her away, but upon hearing the last sentence, he suddenly stopped. A cold, poisonous needle pierced his heart, sending a sharp, unsettling pain through him.
I'll drag you down like last time.
The Lingbao Secret Realm from that year seemed to flash before her eyes; he was carrying someone on his back, walking ahead with a cold face. She limped behind him, her feet bleeding, scabs sticking to her socks, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
Because she was afraid of being abandoned by him as a burden.
What was her expression like at that time, and what were she feeling?
He couldn't remember.
Because he didn't look back at her.
Now, she can bring up those events in a relaxed tone, even defining herself as a burden, as if the hurt is all in the past. But this precisely proves that when she chased after him with blisters on her feet back then, she felt his anxiety, impatience, and disgust more clearly than anyone else.
She didn't care anymore. But he felt neither happy nor relieved.
On the contrary, he felt a tightness in his chest, as if cooking oil had been poured over it, causing his flesh and blood to rot and become blocked and unable to come out.
Lu Yuanyuan seemed unaware of what he was thinking; his words just now were merely casual remark. She shook his hand and urged, "What are you daydreaming about? Let's go, before the rain gets too heavy."
The two soon arrived at the cave that Duan Lansheng had mentioned.
Although it was just a temporary shelter from the rain, it reflected Duan Lansheng's obsessive-compulsive style. There were signs of simple cleaning, and fallen leaves and dry firewood had already been laid out. The two had barely stepped inside when the rain outside suddenly intensified, the sky darkened, and lightning flashed and thunder roared.
They set up a barrier at the cave entrance, making some concealment to prevent light from getting through, and gathered around the fire to dry their outer clothes and shoes.
Lu Yuanyuan let her wet hair down, bent down, and leaned close to the fire, casually asking, "By the way, have you found any trace of Master Xugu these past two days?"
From the beginning, Duan Lansheng's face had been somewhat pale, and he seemed lost in thought. Hearing her ask him, he hesitated for a moment before looking up and saying, "Nothing."
“I haven’t found it either. Sigh, I really can’t understand why Master Xugu would suddenly come to the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm.” After saying that, Lu Yuanyuan turned her eyes to observe Duan Lansheng’s expression.
Duan Lansheng seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, "It seems that Master Xugu is here on the orders of her master to carry out a secret mission. But what exactly it is, we will only know after we find her."
Duan Lansheng's master is none other than the sect leader of the Shushan Sword Sect, who is also the father of the eldest sister.
Could it be that Master Xugu suspected Yin Xiaozhu's identity and secretly shared his thoughts with the sect leader? Did she come to the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm to find out the truth in order to prove herself, or perhaps she reached some agreement with the sect leader?
I have no clue.
It seems that Duan Lansheng doesn't know much more information than she does.
Indeed, this matter could be a big deal or a small one. The dignified senior sister of Mount Shu has been replaced by a man. Unless he has solid evidence, Master Xugu wouldn't dare to tell everyone he meets.
Duan Lansheng added some firewood to the fire, took out some dry food, and handed it to her: "It looks like this rain isn't going to stop. We might have to spend the night here. Let's eat something first."
"Oh, okay."
Lu Yuanyuan had left her food and water pouch in the cave the night before. When she heard the cries for help from the river, she didn't have time to pack them up and ran out. She was then pulled back into the cave by Yin Xiaozhu and endured until dawn before finally managing to escape. Afraid that he would wake up, she just wanted to run as far away as possible and had no intention of going back to retrieve her belongings.
Anyway, she'll run into Duan Lansheng in half a day, so she can eat his food and use his things; there's no need to go back and pick them up.
Lu Yuanyuan held the paper bag and took a bite of the dry rations. This stuff wasn't normal food, after all; it kept making her saliva tingle, but it was still dry to chew. Duan Lansheng didn't seem hungry and didn't eat with her. She saw him unscrew his water pouch, take a sip, and the water moistened the corner of his lips.
Lu Yuanyuan swallowed the dry food and felt her throat was even drier.
Duan Lansheng put down the water pouch and quickly noticed her gaze. He was slightly taken aback, but then realized what she meant: "Thirsty?"
Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment and nodded: "A little."
Where is your water bladder?
Lu Yuanyuan told the truth: "I lost it on the way."
Duan Lansheng stood up: "I only have one water bag left. You wait here for me, I'll go out and wash up, then I'll fill it with water for you."
“No need for all that trouble. Go get fresh water, boil it, and then wait for it to cool down before drinking it. I’m really thirsty right now.” Lu Yuanyuan held out her hands to him and winked. “Besides, this water pouch is yours, isn’t it?”
Duan Lansheng didn't understand, and nodded subconsciously.
"That'll do."
A small hand pried open his fingers and took the water pouch without a word. He saw her hold the pouch in both hands, tilt her head back, and gulp down the water from where he had drunk.
Duan Lansheng was startled, then realized what was happening. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and the image of butterflies lingered in his eyes. Perhaps it was just the firelight, but a faint blush seemed to brush across his cheek, and his fingers curled slightly.
His despondent mood was lifted by this little incident, taking flight like a kite. His ups and downs were beyond his control.
That night, the two slept in a cave, lying down fully clothed across a fire.
The next morning, they set off together.
The railway tracks were aligning with those of her previous life. Because Lu Yuanyuan's combat abilities had increased in this life, Duan Lansheng no longer needed to protect her constantly, thus lessening his burden. At the same time, Lu Yuanyuan also discovered that the monsters attacking them in this life were somewhat different from those in her previous life.
It seems that only in places where the original work provides a clear setting will the story remain unchanged from the previous life. In any plot that is only briefly mentioned, the monsters that appear are also random.
Time flew by and the third day arrived. The poisonous bees, described in detail in the original work, arrived as promised without any warning.
When they went on missions together, if they encountered camping in the wilderness, he would usually keep watch for the first half of the night, while Lu Yuanyuan would keep watch for the second half. But these past few days, Duan Lansheng hadn't woken her up on time and had been keeping watch by himself all night.
However, as they got closer to the icy pool, Lu Yuanyuan found it increasingly difficult to get a full night's sleep and woke up earlier and earlier. Therefore, on this day, just as the sky began to lighten, they were fully prepared and set off.
The forest was very quiet in the early morning. Lu Yuanyuan walked ahead, clearing the way, and used her sword sheath to push aside some leaves. Suddenly, she heard a strange buzzing sound coming from a distance, growing louder and louder. She paused for a moment and looked in the direction of the sound.
A dark cloud, like a tornado, rose from the woods, twisted in the sky, and suddenly rushed towards them!
Those are poisonous wasps! Thousands upon thousands, each as big as a human fist, with a thick, long stinger. The consequences of them piercing the body are unimaginable. Those with weaker spiritual power would likely die instantly.
"Get out of here!"
Someone shouted in her ear and grabbed her wrist.
However, sometimes the most difficult monsters to deal with in the forest are not the large ones, but the inconspicuous ones. By the time you realize they are there, you are already trapped in an ambush.
Sure enough, as soon as the two left, a buzzing sound came from the low bushes on both sides. Countless poisonous bees hidden under the leaves rose up from their feet and merged into the black whirlwind, swirling rapidly and relentlessly pursuing them.
Seeing the distance between them closing, even if they managed to outrun each other, it would be difficult to escape unscathed. Duan Lansheng made a decisive move and quickly deployed a barrier. The poisonous bees crashed into the barrier as if they had hit an invisible glass membrane, falling to the forest floor with a thud.
However, although the barrier blocked more than 90% of the attacks, dozens of fish still managed to slip through when it was opened.
Lu Yuanyuan's arm tightened, and she was pulled around. Duan Lansheng scooped her into his arms, pressed her down beneath him, and wrapped her tightly in his clothes, using his body to shield her from the poisonous bees.
He had a large frame and long limbs, and he held his clothes down tightly, creating a small, impregnable world around him. Lu Yuanyuan's vision was completely dark, and even when she breathed heavily, she could only smell the faint scent of sandalwood emanating from his clothes.
In her past life, Duan Lansheng had protected her in the same way, which is why she was stung by the poisonous bees.
She remembered her past life, when she couldn't bear to see the person she loved suffer, yet she couldn't help, and she cried helplessly and anxiously. Now, Lu Yuanyuan simply grabbed a tuft of his hair, curled up without moving, and sure enough, she soon heard the person above her groan, but the hand protecting her head didn't let go.
Duan Lansheng wasn't just sitting idly by, holding her down without doing anything. Before long, Lu Yuanyuan felt the buzzing of wings within the barrier subside, and heard something fall to the ground. Finally, light returned, and Duan Lansheng released her.
She sat up abruptly and looked closely. The poisonous bees in the barrier had been eliminated by Duan Lansheng and were lying on the ground convulsing. A small, round wound had appeared on the back of his hand, from which drops of blood oozed, revealing a deep red color beneath the skin.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyes widened, feigning surprise: "You've been stung!"
Duan Lansheng pressed his wound and said in a short, strained voice, "I'm fine! Let's leave here first."
With the protective barrier, escaping was much safer. But these swarms of poisonous bees were truly troublesome, chasing them for miles. After much difficulty, they finally managed to shake off the dark cloud.
The sun was already high overhead. Duan Lansheng deactivated the barrier, and Lu Yuanyuan helped him sit down on a rock. It was a relatively open clearing in the woods, with short vegetation.
Lu Yuanyuan didn't sit next to him, but squatted down in front of him, anxiously tugging at his sleeve: "Sit down and rest, let me see your hand."
Duan Lansheng was pale and slightly out of breath, but he did not refuse and obediently offered his hand.
Lu Yuanyuan looked closely. The area on Duan Lansheng's hand where he had been stung was swollen high, the skin was taut, and there were faint purplish-black bleeding points, which looked quite gruesome.
Lu Yuanyuan gasped, grabbed his fingers, and looked as if his injury was her pain: "This...this, are you in a lot of pain?"
"A little." Duan Lansheng looked at her for a while, and seeing that she was so self-reproachful that her features were all scrunched up and she couldn't speak properly, he suddenly changed his words: "It's nothing."
Lu Yuanyuan bit her lip: "It's all my fault for not being able to help you much just now, and I've dragged you into this mess. There's no medicine in my storage ring to reduce the swelling and detoxify, so you can only suppress it with your spiritual power for now."
Of course, she only casually took responsibility and didn't really care. After all, Duan Lansheng being stung by the poisonous bees was arranged by the original author, so what did it have to do with her?
Unexpectedly, upon hearing her words, Duan Lansheng's fingers trembled slightly, and he suddenly spoke in a muffled voice: "You are not a burden to me."
“I’m glad you think that way. Sigh, you’ve been supporting the barrier for so long after you were injured, you must be exhausted. There shouldn’t be any danger nearby, we can rest here for a while.” Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment, then stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and said, “Sit down for a while. I just heard the sound of water, there should be a water source not far away. I’ll go get some water and be back soon.”
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