Chapter 11 011 (Revised) "Tie me up."
Lu Yuanyuan: "…………"
Hey, what a terrible time to wake up!
The excruciating pain caused by reverting to one's original form and going against nature coursed through his bones and blood. Sweat dripped into his pupils, blurring Duan Lansheng's vision.
Noticing a furtive dark figure emerging in front of him, the boy's taut nerves clenched, as if a beast, vulnerable and unable to fight back, had its territory invaded by an outsider, and felt intense alertness and hostility.
As soon as he moved, he suddenly realized that he was bound hand and foot with a thick rope, unable to move his upper body. He pursed his thin lips, and a look of shock, anger and humiliation welled up in his eyes.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids twitched, and she quickly retreated, but it was too late.
A gust of cold wind brushed past her neck, raising goosebumps. Then, she watched in horror as the hemp rope, thicker than her thumb, was sliced into several pieces by an invisible current and slid down.
Unfortunately, she was still holding the two ends of the rope in her hands. The inertia of the rope snapping caused her to lose her balance and fall forward, crashing into Duan Lansheng.
The two of them fell to the ground, pressed against the wall.
Through their clothes, Lu Yuanyuan's nose bumped against his collarbone, the stinging sensation instantly bringing tears to her eyes. But the next second, a warm, pure current flowed from where their bodies touched, into her limbs and bones, stronger than the fortune Yue Hong had given her, making her weak and limp, so comfortable that her hair stood on end.
Lu Yuanyuan groaned, and her hand, which was trying to prop herself up, slipped and pressed down. She didn't know where she ended up pressing down, but Duan Lansheng's breath suddenly froze.
The next second, Lu Yuanyuan's neck suddenly tightened. A cold, hard, long object emerged from below, brushed past her earlobe, and precisely lifted her up by the collar of her outer robe, creating distance between them.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
Lu Yuanyuan shivered from the cold and glanced sideways, still shaken—it was a sword sheath.
Duan Lansheng lay on his back beneath her, a faint, fiery red aura swirling between his brows, his voice hoarse and stern: "What... what were you trying to do just now?"
What this man had just done to him reminded him of the first time he met her. Having witnessed her absurd and frivolous nature, he simply couldn't think of her outrageous behavior tonight in a positive light.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
Those unaware of the background might assume he had been sexually assaulted by a woman who had harassed him.
That makes sense, though. For someone as pure and innocent as him, who never interacts with women and saves his first kiss, first handshake, first embrace, and first night for the female lead, his recent experience has far exceeded his acceptable range.
Lu Yuanyuan feigned ignorance and said, "What did I do? I just lost my balance and bumped into you."
A hint of disgust flashed in Duan Lansheng's eyes as he said, enunciating each word clearly, "You tied me up, and you call that 'not doing anything'?"
Seeing that she couldn't get away with it, Lu Yuanyuan had to change her story: "I heard you fall to the ground and I was so worried about you that I came to see what happened. When I saw you like this, I guessed that you must have developed that kind of mania that makes you hit people and destroy things. If you cause a scene and attract monsters, that would be terrible. Just in case, I tied you up first."
His aggrieved expression and wronged tone were practically screaming "My good intentions have been wasted!" in his face.
Duan Lansheng: "..."
"Besides, I'm just a mortal, no match for a demon. If anything happens to you, I'll suffer too. What reason would I have to harm you?"
She paused for a moment, then added this sentence.
At that moment, a soft tearing sound, like cloth ripping, broke the silence.
The two of them froze simultaneously.
This time, without her having to speak, Duan Lansheng pursed his lips, closed his eyes, sheathed his sword, and put her down.
Lu Yuanyuan touched her collar and thankfully it wasn't torn, just slightly ripped.
She didn't know if Duan Lansheng had accepted her excuse or simply didn't want her clothes to get ruined. Perhaps... she should press her advantage and make him never want to bring it up again.
Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment, then adopted a sincere tone and said, "Fellow Daoist Duan, I'm serious. If you have any hidden ailments, you can speak frankly without being shy. I won't discriminate against you. It would be so much better if I had to keep guessing and causing so many misunderstandings, wouldn't you say?"
Duan Lansheng, who had already sat down to the side and stopped looking at her, opened his eyes again upon hearing this, his face darkening slightly: "You're overthinking it."
"Oh, so I was overthinking it..."
At this moment, Duan Lansheng suddenly raised his eyes, looked behind her, and uttered two words in a solemn and rapid manner: "Quiet."
Lu Yuanyuan was startled, then belatedly realized that the floor had darkened, and slowly turned around.
Just like how a fire in the dark attracts flying insects, in this dead village, lighting a candle in the house is tantamount to making oneself a target, telling evil spirits, "There are living people here." Therefore, from dusk onwards, this village house can only be illuminated by the frosty moonlight that falls through the cracks in the wooden windows.
However, at that moment, through the crack of the only wooden window, strands of long, soft, seaweed-like black hair slipped in. Lu Yuanyuan held her breath, her gaze shifting upwards, a chill running down her spine—a murky, bloodshot eye was silently peering at them through one of the cracks.
Despite the barrier, the thing seemed to still faintly sense that there were living people in the room.
Why?
Could it be... that she had too many cuts and scratches, and the smell of blood attracted it?
Lu Yuanyuan sat stiffly on the ground, barely daring to breathe, praying that it would leave soon. However, contrary to her wishes, the thing not only didn't leave, but also tentatively crawled on the window, changing positions to sniff.
Just then, she suddenly felt a warmth on her body, as if she had been covered by something.
Lu Yuanyuan opened her eyes slightly and realized that Duan Lansheng had taken off his clan robe and covered her with it.
His outer robe was extremely large, easily covering her. The cool fragrance of agarwood blended with his body heat, shielding her from the smell of blood on her skin.
It seems... he has also discovered what is attracting evil spirits.
Lu Yuanyuan bit her lip. Hidden under her clothes, nothing could be seen. It felt like an eternity before she heard Duan Lansheng whisper, "He's gone."
Lu Yuanyuan remained silent this time, returned the coat to Duan Lansheng, and turned her back slightly.
Just then, the system notification sounded belatedly: "Ding! Original plot details completed, character completion rate increased."
The system didn't penalize her for the actions she just took to bind Duan Lansheng; she got away with it.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart stirred slightly. She opened the panel to check and found that the dungeon progress had become 60%, and the character's completion rate had also increased from 5% to 8%.
What surprised her most was that her health, which had previously been stuck at 40/100, had also broken through that barrier and had now risen to 50/100.
Is this the buff from being a popular potential male lead? It's like breaking through a bottleneck!
After the demon left, Duan Lansheng did not speak to her again. After calming down, he moved to another spot and quietly meditated to regulate his breathing.
Whether he can get out of here alive depends on him. Lu Yuanyuan naturally wouldn't disturb him, and took a nap while he was cultivating. She was woken up by Duan Lansheng just before dawn.
It was late in the Yin hour (3-5 AM), before sunrise, and the moon had already disappeared into the slightly purplish sky. This meant that Duan Lansheng was no longer troubled by the full moon.
The whole village was as gloomy as a tomb, with thick fog covering the sky, and not even a dog barking or a rooster crowing could be heard.
Duan Lansheng channeled spiritual energy into the guiding talisman, and the two followed it all the way to the east end of the village. During the day, this place stood as a dilapidated, abandoned house covered in cobwebs. Now, it had transformed into a luxurious mansion with black tiles and white walls. It looked utterly out of place in the remote mountain village, particularly eerie.
Lu Yuanyuan looked up and saw two large white lanterns swaying in the wind beneath the upturned doorway. At first glance, the plaque appeared to have four characters, but upon closer inspection, the strokes were a chaotic jumble of disassembled characters. Below, the lacquered red doors were wide open, the doorway deep and dark, like the gaping maw of an abyss.
It's practically the most classic haunted house image in TV dramas.
The moment she stood at the door, the progress of the [Hair Demon] dungeon skyrocketed to 80%.
It seems this is the BOSS's lair. It's quite well hidden, with a completely different appearance day and night. No wonder Duan Lansheng wanted to act before dawn.
The house was very large. They followed the guide into the house, passing through empty halls along the corridor. There was no furniture, no living creatures, and the place was deathly still.
Soon, the two found a cellar in the backyard. Faint sobs could be heard through the stone slabs.
Duan Lansheng knelt down on one knee, pressing his palm onto the stone slab. This stone slab, so heavy that it would take several people to lift it, was pushed aside with ease in his hands, like a child's building block.
The stone slab creaked, and screams of terror erupted from the people in the cellar, accompanied by a strong, sour stench. As the faint light of dawn shone in, it became clear that there were more than five people below; at a glance, there were nearly ten, men and women, all their faces contorted with fear. Upon realizing that it wasn't a monster, their fear instantly turned to ecstatic joy, and they frantically cried for help.
"We are villagers from the foot of the mountain! Please help us get out!"
"We are all merchants transporting goods through this area..."
"We've been locked up here for so long! We're so scared, please, please save us..."
Fearing their shouts would attract monsters, Lu Yuanyuan quickly gestured for silence. There were ropes outside the stone slab, but as soon as Duan Lansheng lowered them, the people below erupted in chaos. A fat, burly man viciously pushed past the thin girls, stepping on their shoulders as he tried to climb up: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! I need to leave right now!"
In an instant, cries and angry curses filled the air.
Lu Yuanyuan said urgently, "Hey! Don't step on them! One by one..."
Just then, the man was swept across the chest by the sword wind and fell down violently.
Duan Lansheng stood outside the cave and said coldly, "You go last, they go first."
Lu Yuanyuan's heart stirred, and she glanced at him.
The man below was clearly indignant, but seeing Duan Lansheng's sword, he dared not be too arrogant in this situation: "You... do you know who I am? Their worthless lives are worth nothing, but my life..."
Just then, at the end of the silent corridor, a strange creaking sound of wood suddenly came from the end. It was as if something was clinging to the wooden pillars and rapidly approaching.
Lu Yuanyuan was startled and turned around at the same time as Duan Lansheng. The house was shrouded in shadows, and a colossal four-legged creature appeared at the end of the corridor. It had long, jet-black hair, a gaping maw that covered half its face, and a dense array of sharp teeth. But it was different from the one Lu Yuanyuan had seen before. Before, one could barely make out human features, but now, its face looked as if it had been molded from several pieces of clay, with patches of flesh raised here and there. Only the eyeballs and the mouth had three holes dug out. Its crawling posture was extremely contorted, yet it moved very fast.
"I knew it... why did I smell a familiar stranger in the village tonight..." The demon hissed, sticking out its foul-smelling tongue. When it saw Lu Yuanyuan, its blood-red eyes flashed with a sharp light: "I was just about to piece together my next skin. You've come at the perfect time. I'll use you as my next skin!"
As soon as it finished speaking, it let out a long howl and rushed over.
Duan Lansheng drew his sword and shouted, "Step back!"
Among the new generation of disciples, Duan Lansheng's aptitude should be considered top-notch; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to descend the mountain so quickly. However, the enemy he faced this time was using weapons that were simply too unfair. Everywhere, hair was a deadly weapon, a single strand capable of severing a person's neck. If he had been wielding a common sword of a mortal warrior instead of a celestial sword, he would probably have been sliced into countless pieces long ago.
For a moment, the sky was almost completely illuminated by the sword light.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Yuanyuan quickly rescued the girls, bending down and desperately reaching for their hands to pull them up one by one. They were all twelve or thirteen-year-old children, their faces covered in dirt. When the last few men also climbed up, the cellar emitted several frightening creaks, dust rose, and it collapsed with a crash.
Lu Yuanyuan turned around in alarm.
What a close call! If we had been a step later, those girls would probably have been crushed to death inside.
Just then, the little girl in her arms suddenly exclaimed, "Sister, your hand!"
Lu Yuanyuan was puzzled and looked down. Because she had pulled the person up, her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a section of skin. She then noticed that the thin, long cuts she had received yesterday evening were now tinged with an ominous purplish-black, and she didn't know when they had turned like this.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
No way, it looks like poisoning?
System: "Ding! Original plot details completed, character completion rate increased."
System: "Ding! Host's health has been detected to be below the safety threshold. To avoid a soul separation reaction, please replenish your health as soon as possible."
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback.
When did she trigger the original storyline?
No way, could this be the "serious injury" that sent her to Mount Shu?
System: "Correct, host. In the original version of the story, the Yan Kingdom raised an army, and you escaped from Dengtian Mountain, but were captured by the Imperial Guards before even leaving the palace. Afterwards, you were imprisoned in the dungeon. On your way to be executed, you were kidnapped by the hair demon who had been watching you. But now, due to various reasons, the plot has undergone a minor, harmless change—with Yue Hong's help, you escaped from Dengtian Mountain, were captured earlier, and also met Duan Lansheng earlier... Regardless, the ending is the same—you've been poisoned. If you don't go to Shu Mountain to detoxify, your life will be in danger."
Lu Yuanyuan: "…………"
Unable to tell whether it was the overwhelming amount of information or the effects of the poison, she was genuinely feeling dizzy.
Just then, a clear shout rang out from the courtyard wall: "Monster, how dare you be so insolent!"
Who is it?
Lu Yuanyuan turned her head and saw two cultivators, a man and a woman, dressed in the robes of the Shu Mountain Sect in mid-air. Judging from the style of their robes, they were both personal disciples, one rank higher than the outer disciples of Shu Mountain.
As soon as the two arrived, they joined the battle, helping Duan Lansheng deal with the hair demon. The scales of victory quickly tipped in their favor, and before long, the hair demon was humiliated, its demon core extracted, letting out a final wail before being annihilated.
Bathed in the faint morning light, the two men dismounted from their swords and walked toward Duan Lansheng.
Duan Lansheng sheathed his sword and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Mingdao and Lord Qiyuan."
The man addressed as Mingdaojun nodded casually, his attitude somewhat dismissive, just as every cultivator treats a half-demon.
The abducted mortals then seemed to awaken from their daze and excitedly knelt down to worship the immortal.
Ming Daojun casually waved his hand, and seeing Lu Yuanyuan, who was pale and almost fainting, his eyes flickered slightly: "This mortal..."
Duan Lansheng said in a deep voice, "She was injured by the hair demon and poisoned."
The beautiful female cultivator surnamed Qi squatted down to examine Lu Yuanyuan's wounds, shook her head, and said, "It's Bone-Melting Green. If she were a Golden Core cultivator, she could simply circulate her spiritual energy to expel this poison from her body. But she is a mortal and certainly doesn't have the ability to detoxify herself. If left untreated, she will surely die from the poison within three days. We can only take her to Mount Shu for treatment."
Qi Yuanjun took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom and put a pill into Lu Yuanyuan's mouth.
The pill was small, jet black, and dissolved instantly in her mouth, possessing considerable magical power. Lu Yuanyuan immediately felt the pain in her wound lessen considerably, and she became drowsy, closing her eyes in an instant.
Qi Yuanjun stood up and said, "Let her sleep, that way she won't be in too much pain on the way."
Ming Daojun nodded, looked at Duan Lansheng, and said calmly, "We received your distress signal and rushed here as quickly as possible, but there were some delays on the way, so we are still two days late. We didn't expect the situation here to be so critical. By the way, weren't you on a mission with Zixiu, Ye Xiao, and the other two? Where are they now?"
Zixiu, Ye Xiao, and the others were the four terrible teammates who abandoned Duan Lansheng halfway through.
Duan Lansheng stood in the morning light, frowning: "I did not send a distress signal."
"What?"
Just then, Qi Yuanjun, who had gone to check the situation in the cellar, exclaimed in a low voice, "Senior brother, come and see here quickly!"
Using the light from the swords, the three approached the breach. In a corner of the cellar, which had collapsed more than halfway, were four men dressed in the robes of the Shu Mountain Sect.
Two of them had their bellies ripped open, their eyes and mouths filled with hair, their deaths mirroring those of the villagers outside. The other two were also barely alive, their breaths faint, as if they had been starving for a long time.
Upon seeing the newcomers, the two surviving disciples initially flinched, but upon realizing that the visitors were cultivators from Mount Shu, they revealed expressions of wild joy at having escaped death.
Mingdaojun frowned, seeing their state, which was worse than that of beggars, and asked, "Did you send out the distress signal? When you descended to the mortal realm, you were clearly traveling together as a group of five. Why are four of you here, and in such a sorry state?"
One of them froze for a moment, then suddenly rushed forward, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Daojun! It's all Duan Lansheng's fault! His mother is a demon, and he wasn't on our side. He left the group without permission, and we were so worried about chasing him that we fell into the demon's trap and ended up like this!"
The other person paused for a moment, then joined in with a wailing cry: "Yes—Daojun! It's all Duan Lansheng's fault, you must stand up for us in front of the sect leader!"
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