Chapter 104 She succeeded.
A tingling, itchy heat, like ants gnawing at her, gnawed at her flesh, and tears streamed down her cheeks, making her eyelids and nose appear moist and pink. Because of her difficulty breathing, the flush spread down her neck. What initially seemed like only a little grievance turned into a profound sense of injustice once she started crying.
"I don't want you... I want Senior Sister..."
She cried and shouted, bent her knees to push his body away, and struggled to turn over.
It is said that people are more likely to reveal their true thoughts when they are not fully conscious. Just like her now, even in such a disheveled state, she still crawled to see her beloved senior sister.
Because she had no strength in her hands and feet and couldn't support her body, she could only crawl on the ground. The rough grass and stones scattered on the soil pressed against her soft waist and abdomen, which seemed to be a kind of torment, and she couldn't tell whether it was pain or pleasure. She trembled violently, and after crawling only two steps, she had to stop and rest.
These reactions weren't all acting. The corrosive toxins were rapidly fermenting in her blood, their effects on her body far more intense than she had anticipated. Realizing her mind was teetering on the brink of collapse, Lu Yuanyuan, tears streaming down her face, bit her hand hard, leaving another tooth mark on her thumb, as she reclaimed control of her brain.
This was something she had planned long ago.
In this agonizing and difficult moment, she was afflicted with the poison of love, yet she was not Duan Lansheng's Daoist partner. Therefore, sending her to Yin Xiaozhu, who was of the same sex and possessed profound cultivation, to have him treat her was arguably the best option.
Based on her understanding of Duan Lansheng, she knew that as long as he had a shred of sanity, he would definitely do this, and would never take advantage of her vulnerability to lay a finger on her.
How could she allow Duan Lansheng to absolve himself of all responsibility?
It's better if everyone falls into the mud and gets dirty; if she's unhappy, he won't be comfortable either.
After returning to Mount Shu from the mortal realm, every time she endured fear and hatred to please the person who killed her, she pretended, tested, sowed discord, and acted... all in order to influence Duan Lansheng's judgment and choice today.
She first subtly hinted to Duan Lansheng that he was her only support in Shu Mountain. Therefore, when she found herself helplessly in a predicament, he had an inescapable responsibility to help. That night at the inn was the prelude; she tested the extent to which Duan Lansheng would back down.
Then, she deliberately revealed various clues, creating a fabricated story in Duan Lansheng's mind.
Her intention was to make Duan Lansheng misunderstand that Yin Xiaozhu, taking advantage of her status and position, had done many unspeakable bad things to her while she was mentally unstable. This was to sow the seeds of his suspicion towards Yin Xiaozhu and erode his trust in her.
With all the preconditions changed, when she is deeply tormented by love poison, will Duan Lansheng still feel comfortable handing her over to Yin Xiaozhu?
Or perhaps, it should be handed over to another alchemist?
It's not impossible. But don't forget, Duan Lansheng himself has also fallen victim to it. With her in tow, he can't go far at all. In the vast and boundless secret realm, the fog and the monsters blocking the way prevent the communication between signal fireworks and human voices, making it very difficult to ask for help.
Even if Yin Xiaozhu were really nearby, it was impossible for her to appear before them like a divine being descending from the sky.
The reason for this behavior was simply to provoke Duan Lansheng.
She anticipated that Duan Lansheng would likely be angered by her because she ignored his sincere advice and was even thinking of sending a lamb to the slaughter in such a dangerous situation.
But as it turned out, Duan Lansheng's reaction was much stronger than she had imagined.
She thought she had crawled a long way, but in reality, he reached out and grabbed her ankle, dragging her back. Perhaps due to his agitation and lack of control, his grip was so strong it seemed he wanted to crush her ankle, and his face was more terrifying than ever before: "Who are you looking for?"
It was as if they wanted to devour her alive.
Lu Yuanyuan pretended not to understand. As soon as he let go, she continued to climb out. As soon as he got close, she stopped and instead clung to him, climbing up on top of him.
"It's uncomfortable...it's so hot..."
She banged her forehead against the ground several times until the other person finally stopped being completely unresponsive. She felt someone gently embrace her, letting her back rest against his chest. His voice came from above her, sometimes near, sometimes far, very low and husky, completely different from his usual calm and indifferent demeanor. But even so, he remained restrained, taking a deep breath as if suppressing something, before patiently coaxing her: "...Not awake...No...Just like this for now, bear with it..."
The sound was sometimes muffled and sometimes clear.
Lu Yuanyuan suddenly bit her lower lip, her fingertips digging into the flesh of her palm.
That's not enough.
The fish haven't fully taken the bait yet.
She had only this one chance, so she absolutely could not allow any possibility of failing to convict him. She was willing to pay any price for it.
Then she choked up again, no longer content to stay in his arms, twisting and struggling, forcefully turning around and grabbing his wrist. To make sure he understood, she steeled herself, her face flushed, and forced out four words through gritted teeth: "Don't want this..."
This bold and explicit statement finally had an effect.
Because the fish finally took the bait.
She felt a hand gently stroking her face. Lu Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat. She opened her eyes and saw Duan Lansheng looking down at her, his face right above hers, inches away.
Perhaps she was mistaken; his gaze was complex, dark, and solemn, tinged with a hint of hope and caution. The same hand that had so forcefully pulled her back just moments before now rested on her face, but gently and tenderly, as if touching something fragile: "You...have you thought it through? Do you really want me?"
Of course I don't want that.
Lu Yuanyuan didn't want to answer the question, so she pretended to be completely under the control of the poison and didn't understand his words. She tried to raise her upper body and gently kissed the corner of his mouth as an answer.
My mind is becoming increasingly muddled, as if it's turned into a lump of mush. I vaguely had a dream where I melted into a puddle of water. However, this wasn't exactly a pure metaphor.
The wildly growing weeds in this desolate place had never been trimmed and were prickly. She kicked him rudely, complaining in a spoiled manner that she was uncomfortable. Duan Lansheng paused, then immediately stopped, and soon a layer of his large outer garment was laid on the grass.
But she still wanted to cry, and this time she wasn't faking it. She instinctively reached to bite her own hand. But this time, as soon as she put her hand to her mouth, she was stopped. The other person grasped her hand, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and somewhat awkwardly guided it to the top of his head, as if to tell her to pinch there if she wanted.
A fluffy, snow-white thing stood up and rubbed against her palm.
Fox ears?
When did his fox ears and tail appear?
After that, Lu Yuanyuan felt that she had briefly lost her memory and reactions for a period of time. She didn't know how much time had passed when her wet eyelids trembled slightly, and she woke up to find herself still in the same place, with the back of her head comfortably resting on Duan Lansheng's lap.
The sky wasn't completely dark yet. Duan Lansheng, with his black hair loose and his fox tail and ears tucked in, wearing only his undergarments, was holding her hand and examining it with a frown.
On the grass beside him, a dry cloth was folded from a belt, and on it lay a somewhat familiar plant, crushed and red, which was the silver jujube. Duan Lansheng picked up a little bit of the crushed material and carefully applied the medicine to her, to the bloodied tiger's mouth where she had bitten herself, and to the snake bite marks on her arm.
As he moved, he noticed she was awake. Their eyes met, and whether it was his imagination or not, Duan Lansheng's ears seemed to turn red. Having known him for so long, it was rare to hear him stammer, "You...you're awake...are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Yuanyuan remained silent, met his gaze for two seconds, then closed her eyes wearily, her fingers gently stroking the robe she was pressing down on.
She was waiting.
Whether in the original story or in the previous life, this farce ended the moment the disciples of Mount Shu broke in.
In the original story, the original owner was witnessed by her fellow disciples harassing Duan Lansheng in every way, leaving behind irrefutable and conclusive evidence.
In the previous life, it was only after everything had settled down that the disciples of Mount Shu, having heard the commotion of the giant python being slain, finally arrived here belatedly.
So, those people should be arriving soon, right?
Just as this thought crossed my mind, a heavy sound of grass and trees being snapped came from the depths of the dense forest.
Not only Lu Yuanyuan, but Duan Lansheng also heard it. His hand, which was applying medicine to her, paused. The tenderness in his eyes vanished, replaced by wariness and displeasure. At the same time, he subconsciously stepped in front of Lu Yuanyuan, covering her face with his sleeve to prevent anyone from seeing her still flushed face.
He didn't realize that his current behavior was exactly the same as that of an animal guarding its food.
The footsteps grew closer, and the next second, a few meters away, came the cracking sound of a dry branch being snapped by boots.
A man exuding a menacing aura appeared before them.
Yin Xiaozhu's face was extremely pale, as if he had been punched hard. He slowly stopped, staring at the scene before him with a stiff and gloomy expression, and his body was surrounded by an unprecedentedly fierce and ruthless aura.
Even the most oblivious person could sense the overflowing murderous intent.
After a great battle, the blood of the monster still floated on the surface of the pool. But even redder and more glaring than the pool water was the neck of the person lying on the ground, which was so thin that even the collar of their clothes couldn't cover it.
Duan Lansheng sat beside her, appearing to be in relatively good spirits. Lu Yuanyuan, however, looked far more wretched, lying helplessly on her coat, several clear finger marks and scattered teeth marks visible on her wrists. Her neck was dotted with red spots. The evening was still, and a faint, lingering scent filled the air.
It has a sweet taste with a hint of fishiness.
It wasn't the smell of blood or sweat; he could tell the difference.
He had never hated his keen sense of smell more than he did now.
Just then, the person lying on the ground seemed to see him through the gap in his sleeve. Suddenly, he blinked, his lips pursed, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks. It was like a child who had been bullied badly outside finally seeing a savior, and the grievances and pain he had been enduring so bitterly finally found an outlet.
Duan Lansheng's hand remained on Lu Yuanyuan's face. When the warm tears fell onto his fingertips, he suddenly paused, looked down at her.
But Lu Yuanyuan didn't look at him.
Just like when she first tried to escape him, she forcefully rolled over, landing face down with her elbows on the ground. This simple movement seemed to activate certain muscles, causing her tears to fall even more fiercely. She gritted her teeth and crawled away from him, towards the person in the distance.
One small action can have far-reaching consequences. Her reaction seemed to disrupt the tense atmosphere that was on the verge of exploding at any moment, and the other two moved almost simultaneously.
At the same time, noise and footsteps came from the woods in all directions.
"Is this the right direction?"
"That should be right! I heard the noise coming from this side... Hurry up and follow!"
...
Lu Yuanyuan stopped in her tracks upon hearing the sound. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Duan Lansheng reach out to her. At the same moment, Yin Xiaozhu was already in front of her, silently picking her up and taking a few steps back. He supported her hips with his arms, making her hug his neck like a child.
Duan Lansheng's hand missed its target, and his expression turned grim. He suddenly stood up.
The people from Mount Shu finally arrived, their sword light and the glow of talismans illuminating the open space. The leader was none other than Qi Chang.
Upon bursting in and seeing the three of them all safe and sound, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, bewildered by the tense atmosphere, no one dared to speak loudly.
Qi Chang glanced around and saw a mess on the ground, with the haystacks showing signs of being trampled. Duan Lansheng stood in the middle of the crowd, unusually disheveled, his lips swollen and red, with scratches on his neck, but his back was ramrod straight. His attention was not spared for the person who had barged in; his dark blue eyes remained fixed on the person in Yin Xiaozhu's arms.
And that person... curled up, as if trying to burrow into Yin Xiaozhu's arms. Looking down, even their shoes were gone.
Sensing something serious had happened, Qi Chang's eyelids twitched. Sheathed her sword and spoke first: "Senior Sister, what happened? Was there a monster attacking you? Are you injured?"
Lu Yuanyuan buried her face in Yin Xiaozhu's neck and remained motionless.
To outsiders, it seemed rather strange that Yin Xiaozhu, the senior sister, was hugging a female cultivator like this, but at this moment, he seemed to have no mood to hide it anymore.
She was close enough to see everything clearly. For a fleeting moment before Qi Chang and his group arrived at the woods, Yin Xiaozhu's pupils uncontrollably transformed into sharp, dangerous vertical pupils, like those of a snake.
Lu Yuanyuan tightened her arms around his neck as if she were afraid, trembling, and hugged him even tighter.
She sensed that after she did this, Yin Xiaozhu seemed to hold back something, took a deep breath, and spoke in an icy voice close to her scalp: "We'll talk about it when we get back."
Qi Chang quickly chimed in, "That's true. Let's leave here first and talk about it then."
Not far away, Duan Lansheng was still staring intently at Lu Yuanyuan's back—the back that had been avoiding him ever since she woke up.
Among so many people, only Fu Xinguang was someone he was relatively familiar with. Fu Xinguang glanced around, but still steeled himself and stepped forward to pick up his coat from the ground: "These are your clothes, right? Put them on... Huh, what's this?"
Upon seeing what he was pointing to, Duan Lansheng's expression suddenly changed.
Everyone looked closely and saw a crumpled flower shaken out of the pocket of the coat and float lightly down in front of Fu Xinguang's boots.
Lu Yuanyuan leaned on Yin Xiaozhu's shoulder, her body slightly stiff, but she did not turn around.
Because she knew what it was without even seeing it with her own eyes.
Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly.
She wanted to cut off all of Duan Lansheng's escape routes, leaving him speechless and unable to defend himself.
So she lied to Duan Lansheng, saying that the grass was prickly and asked him to take off his coat to cushion her feet.
While Duan Lansheng was focused on kissing her and not paying attention to her hands, she secretly hid the last remaining Corrosive Flower from her storage ring into the inside pocket of his coat.
She succeeded.
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