Chapter 144 Awakening from a Mountain Dream
The curses echoed through the cave. Having spent many years in the military, Yue Hong was quite intimidating in his rage, and his vocabulary of curses was exceptionally vivid. However, his furious questioning of Duan Lansheng was like a raging fire rushing into the sea, failing to even create a wave.
While he was catching his breath, Duan Lansheng said calmly, "I never intended to be a good person in your eyes, nor do I need your gratitude. It's just that Yuan Yuan and I are of one mind. She hopes you are doing well, and her wish is my wish."
These words, though devoid of profanity, left a rather unpleasant taste, only adding fuel to the fire.
As expected, a fierce aura gathered between Yue Hong's brows: "...Nonsense! How could she be on the same side as a beast like you who takes advantage of a crisis?!"
He finally lost his temper, rushed forward, grabbed Duan Lansheng by the collar, and raised his fist to smash it into that hateful face.
Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Lu Yuanyuan suddenly came to her senses and rushed out, shouting, "Yue Hong, stop right now!"
Upon hearing her voice, Yue Hong paused, but the force of his punch was too great, carried by the wind, and impossible to retract. Such a punch would send a mortal flying several meters, crashing into a stone wall. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult for Duan Lansheng to dodge.
But for some reason, Yue Hong's knuckles still grazed his cheekbone heavily. Duan Lansheng groaned, turned his head, and took a step back.
Yue Hong suddenly released his grip, took a step back, and looked at Lu Yuanyuan with a hint of helplessness: "I... Lu Yuanyuan..."
He was so enraged that he didn't even notice Lu Yuanyuan's arrival. Although he didn't think he had said anything wrong, he didn't intend for Lu Yuanyuan to hear it.
On the other hand, Duan Lansheng was not surprised to see Lu Yuanyuan appear, as he had obviously already noticed the presence of another aura outside the cave.
He raised his hand to smooth his disheveled collar and walked towards her.
At almost the same time, Yue Hong also took a step towards her.
Perhaps because he had just regained complete control of this body, his limbs seemed newly grown, and Yue Hong staggered. Lu Yuanyuan, fearing he would really fall, quickly ran over and steadied his swaying body.
Seeing that she chose to walk towards Yue Hong first, Duan Lansheng paused for a moment, slowly stopped, and quietly watched her.
Lu Yuanyuan's gaze met his for a fleeting moment in mid-air before parting ways.
It's only natural to help the person who has fallen if you have to choose between the two options. So why does it feel strange to be looked at like that by him?
Lu Yuanyuan looked away and glanced at Yue Hong, whom she was supporting. He was glaring at Duan Lansheng, and although she had stopped him, his fists were still trembling slightly with anger.
In the near future, once her plan with Xiao Ru succeeds, she will never return to this world, which means she will never see Yue Hong again. She had been worried about whether Yue Hong would wake up before she left, but now that he's awake, she can speak to him personally about some things. She looked up at Duan Lansheng and said, "I have something I want to talk to Yue Hong about. You can go now."
The light in the cave flickered, making it difficult to discern Duan Lansheng's expression. Lu Yuanyuan felt his gaze linger on her cheek for a moment, but it seemed like an illusion, as his voice remained gentle: "Okay, then I'll go home and wait for you."
The implied defiance in the words "I'll wait for you at home" could only be understood by the one being protested against. Yue Hong's face suddenly turned pale, and he clenched his fists tightly, but then forcefully suppressed his anger.
As soon as Duan Lansheng left, the surroundings quieted down. Yue Hong quickly turned to face her and said, "I already know. He used my safety to threaten you! You don't need to wrong yourself and get involved with someone like that for my sake!"
Lu Yuanyuan shook her head, tugged at his wrist, and said, "Let's go outside and talk about it."
The mountain air was slightly cool, and one could almost hear the dripping of water on the rocks deep within. Outside the cave, beneath a tree, lay a large, moss-covered rock, like a soft green carpet. Lu Yuanyuan gestured for Yue Hong to sit down, and she sat cross-legged opposite him, getting straight to the point: “Duan Lansheng and I aren’t in the kind of relationship you think we have. Admittedly, you were one of the reasons I initially broke the ice with him, but many things have happened since then, and the current situation isn’t entirely because of you. My alliance with him now is based on my own considerations—there’s something I want to do, and that thing requires him to accomplish.”
Hearing that she wasn't being coerced, Yue Hong's troubled expression eased slightly, and he asked suspiciously, "What do you want to do?"
Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, not answering directly, but smoothing her hair and saying, "Afterwards, I will go with him to the front lines of the battlefield to fight the Ghost Emperor..."
He was interrupted in a hurry halfway through his sentence.
"Why? The front lines are so dangerous! This is completely different from the alliance we agreed on from the beginning!" Yue Hong gritted his teeth, seemingly lost in thought. "Are you really going to risk your life for him?"
A finger flicked his forehead with considerable force: "I went to the front lines not for anyone else, but for myself—the thing I want to do can only come true when I see the Ghost Emperor."
To those unaware of the details, this explanation sounds utterly absurd.
Yue Hong narrowed his eyes, leaned down, and stared at her: "What can only come true if you see the Ghost Emperor?"
His brow bones are high, and as long as he doesn't tilt his head back, there will be a dark shadow in his eye sockets. When he stares at someone, his gaze is focused and sharp, making it impossible for anyone to look away.
Lu Yuanyuan looked at him calmly, her eyes clear and brighter than the moonlight: "I can't say. But I promise, I value my life, I'm not going to my death."
Yue Hong slapped his thigh and said angrily, "How can you guarantee something like this? If the guarantee were valid, so many cultivators wouldn't have died on the battlefield!"
However, no matter how much he pressed her for an explanation, Lu Yuanyuan remained resolute, refusing to offer any further explanation or listen to any advice.
She always seemed to be like this; once she made up her mind, no one could sway her.
A mix of helplessness, admiration, and frustration welled up within Yue Hong. He closed his eyes briefly and said, "Fine, since you won't tell me why or give up, I won't stop you. I'll go with you then."
Lu Yuanyuan blinked: "This situation is special, so I can't let you come along."
Yue Hong: "..."
Even though she had many secrets she couldn't tell the characters in the book, the feeling of being cared for and pulled back from the brink of disaster wasn't bad. Lu Yuanyuan felt a warmth in her heart, and a barely perceptible teasing smile appeared on her face: "Besides, you know yourself that you can't beat me. Even if you wanted to stop me, you couldn't, could you?"
Yue Hong: "…………"
His face darkened, and just as he was about to say something, his large hand was grasped by a pair of warm, fair hands.
Lu Yuanyuan's joking expression vanished. She leaned slightly forward, stared at him, and said solemnly, "Yue Hong, after I leave, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with. I can only feel at ease if I entrust it to you. That's one of the reasons why I can't let you come with me."
Her tone was serious, unlike usual. Yue Hong was taken aback, then stared intently: "Alright, go ahead."
...
In the stillness of the night, Lu Yuanyuan returned to her small mountain house and saw that Duan Lansheng's room was still lit, with a crack in the wooden window letting in a warm candlelight. The room was quiet, and the door was ajar, not closed tightly, as if it were left open for someone.
Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, silently reminding herself that she would only take a glance. As she approached, she saw Duan Lansheng sitting in a chair, lost in thought. Unfortunately, just as she looked over, he seemed to sense something and cast a long, lingering glance at her.
This person's ears are even more sensitive than a dog's...
However, foxes are indeed canines.
Being caught peeping would make her look like some kind of voyeur. Lu Yuanyuan felt a little embarrassed, coughed, and said, "You're still awake?"
Duan Lansheng gave a lukewarm "hmm".
She hadn't seen him like this in a long time. Lu Yuanyuan took two steps forward and came closer to him. Suddenly, she noticed that his cheeks were red, his cheekbones were a little swollen, and there were faint traces of blood. She was startled and asked, "What happened to your face?"
Duan Lansheng looked at her without saying a word.
Could it be that he was hit when he was fighting with Yue Hong earlier? How could it be so serious? Yue Hong had just regained control of his body, so his movements should still be a bit sluggish. How could Duan Lansheng not have dodged his attack?
Lu Yuanyuan bent down, about to examine it closely. But Duan Lansheng turned his head away and covered his eyes with his sleeve: "Don't look."
She grabbed his sleeve and pulled it down: "What are you blocking? Let me see."
Duan Lansheng didn't seem so determined to prevent her from seeing. Sure enough, when she tried to force him, his strength gave way, and he reluctantly lowered his sleeve, looking listless and at her mercy.
Lu Yuanyuan took a closer look. The punch had swollen his face, indicating it must have been quite powerful. It was truly astonishing; an ordinary person would have been swollen like a pig's head after such a blow. Duan Lansheng's sideburns fell in a few strands near his cheekbones, his fair face flushed, and he remained silent, his gaze fixed elsewhere, looking somewhat like a wronged young wife.
Lu Yuanyuan's fingertips stopped half an inch from his cheek: "Does it... hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt." Duan Lansheng stirred, his cheek brushing against her fingers, then suddenly frowned. Lu Yuanyuan quickly withdrew her hand: "You said it doesn't hurt. Wait a moment, I'll apply a cold compress for you, that should make you feel better."
She hurriedly returned, carrying a half-dry cloth, and sat on the low couch, pressing her cheek against his. The room was quiet. She studied his expression and tentatively asked, "Are you... a little unhappy? Yuehong didn't mean it. He just slept for too long and was out of touch with the outside world, so he doesn't know what's going on."
Duan Lansheng didn't even raise his eyes: "Do I look like the kind of person who would get upset over such a trivial matter?"
Are you really not unhappy?
"...In short, I've already explained things to him, and he's gone back to Jin'ao Island. I told him he doesn't need to come with me. I think Jin'ao Island can take good care of him as things go."
"Um."
The tone of his voice was noticeably raised.
After applying the compress for a while, the cloth in her hand had been warmed by her body heat. Lu Yuanyuan withdrew her hand and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's not so red anymore. If it's still swollen tomorrow, I'll switch to a hot compress."
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed, and a weight settled on her shoulder. Duan Lansheng's chin rested on her shoulder as he pulled her close from behind, enveloping her hand in his own. He asked casually, "How did you explain it to him?"
The skin behind her ear was a little itchy. Recalling what she had just told Yue Hong, Lu Yuanyuan stiffened slightly. Fortunately, she quickly calmed down and didn't give anything away: "I didn't explain too much. I just told him that I hoped he could respect my choice."
She tried to stand up, but the arms around her waist wouldn't let go, and the woman hugged her even tighter. Duan Lansheng buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, remained silent for a while, and then said softly, "Actually, I lied to you just now."
"You're lying to me?"
“I was lying when I said I wasn’t upset. I don’t like seeing you standing with outsiders, no matter how pitiful they are. You can’t show favoritism to them and only look at them. Don’t you think I’m being petty and annoying?”
His voice sounded pitiful, as if he was showing weakness. However, he did not loosen his arms around her. Instead, he slowly tightened them, pulling her into his embrace until they were completely pressed together. This was a completely different attitude from when he had let her do as she pleased.
Lu Yuanyuan was so close that she could feel the contraction and throbbing of the organ in his chest through his clothes.
Thump, thump.
Lying is something you get used to after a couple of times. But perhaps it was the close proximity that was testing her guilty conscience, and Lu Yuanyuan's fingers involuntarily trembled slightly. She steadied her voice and said, "Of course not."
"real?"
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping across her cheek as he looked intently at her.
"Really." Lu Yuanyuan lowered her head, gently holding his hand back and shaking it a few times to comfort him. "Don't overthink it. I've never found you annoying."
"Don't you know? Sometimes... being a little petty can be quite cute; it's a kind of fun in a marriage," she added.
Seemingly surprised that she would take the initiative to coax him, Duan Lansheng was slightly taken aback, and a smile gradually appeared on his lips.
In the stillness of the night, a faint, sharp whistling sound drifted through the air outside the window. Almost instantly, Lu Yuanyuan realized that someone was approaching, and the warm atmosphere, like a reflection in a mirror, was shattered into pieces.
"What's outside..."
Duan Lansheng stood up, pressed her shoulder to signal her to calm down, and said softly, "It's alright, I'll go out and see, they should be looking for me."
He walked out quickly. Lu Yuanyuan looked at the ground and saw the wet cloth lying there, covered in dust.
Duan Lansheng had always forbidden anyone from coming up the mountain to disturb them, deliberately creating a dreamlike paradise. But tonight, since someone had broken with tradition to come looking for him, it meant that something major and urgent had occurred, and he had to inform Duan Lansheng immediately.
The tolling of the bell shattered this dreamlike state in the mountains. Her intuition told her that the dream had finally come to an end, and it was time for her to make her next move.
To go home, she must ride the wave of Duan Lansheng's influence and see the Ghost Emperor before he vanished; otherwise, it will all be in vain.
Joining the battle is simple. In the mortal realm, soldiers are all men, but the cultivation world doesn't have such strict rules. In this great battle to subdue the Ghost Emperor, there are no gender restrictions for participating cultivators; as long as they are strong enough, they can participate. In some remote mountain villages where Yin soldiers are rampant, some civilian cultivators have formed teams to maintain peace in their areas. However, the team directly attacking the Ghost Emperor is implicitly composed of Martial Gods. Furthermore, these people may not be able to always act in sync with Duan Lansheng; she will only be following Duan Lansheng.
All that buildup was just to have a credible reason for Duan Lansheng to believe her and willingly take her along.
Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath, and a thin layer of sweat appeared under her clothes.
To put it another way, she had already prepared a draft and could recite it fluently even with her eyes closed. But when the moment actually arrived, she felt a strange sense of detachment, as if her soul was floating in mid-air, coldly watching herself silently recite her lines.
Before she could prepare herself, Duan Lansheng returned alone. Lu Yuanyuan abruptly looked up, stood up, and asked knowingly, "What happened?"
Duan Lansheng met her gaze and, without hiding anything, said in a deep voice, "The situation at the front is somewhat urgent, and I must leave now."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Lu Yuanyuan's eyes widen as she stared at him blankly.
This incident happened rather suddenly. She looked dazed, as if she had been caught off guard by the news. Duan Lansheng's chest softened slightly. He softened his voice, took her hand, and said, "Although it was a bit rushed, there's no need to worry too much. I'll send you a message to explain later."
He released his grip and was about to walk away. Lu Yuanyuan seemed to finally regain her composure, taking a step forward to block his path, and looking up at him: "Wait, I'll go with you."
Duan Lansheng stared at her in astonishment: "What?"
Lu Yuanyuan's tone was even more determined than before as she repeated, "I want to go with you. No matter where you go, I will go too."
These days, although Duan Lansheng could feel her heart gradually opening up and accepting him, he always felt it was like a pot of lukewarm water that had never boiled. But now, perhaps because the news of their separation arrived without warning, he felt for the first time so directly her longing for him, her worry, and her urgent desire to hold onto him.
After the initial shock, a surge of joy and excitement welled up in my chest, bursting forth like a torrent and washing away any lingering doubts that had arisen from the strange occurrence.
Fortunately, his joy didn't cloud his judgment. Ever since they reconciled, he had almost always complied with her requests, but this time, he immediately refused her: "No."
Lu Yuanyuan shook her head vigorously, grabbed his sleeve, and said, "I have to go with you. I'm worried about you and Tangyuan. I won't feel at ease until I'm watching over you myself. Do you think I'll be a burden to you?"
The last sentence is already deliberately unreasonable.
"Of course not, but these are two different things." Duan Lansheng held her shoulder, preventing her from getting any closer. He stroked her shoulder with his fingertips, comforting her, but still patiently refused: "I know what you're worried about. I promise I will come back safe and sound."
Unexpectedly, the person in front of him suddenly opened their arms, buried themselves in his chest, hugged him, and said softly, "But we are family."
"..."
Duan Lansheng froze, his hand that had been pushing him away also frozen in mid-air.
“A family should always be together, through thick and thin, advancing and retreating together. How can you leave me behind? If it were you, would you feel at ease?” Lu Yuanyuan looked up at him and said, “Even if you don’t agree, I will find a way from Jin’ao Island. Don’t you feel more at ease keeping me under your own nose?”
"……good."
After a moment of silence, Lu Yuanyuan heard a slightly hoarse response from above.
She knew she had won.
Of course, there is still a long way to go before ultimate success.
She wasn't stupid; she could sense that Duan Lansheng agreed to her request not only because he was moved by his family's words, but also because he knew she meant what she said and wanted to keep her under his watchful eye to prevent her from running around in places he couldn't see.
Moreover, he only agreed to let her follow him, but he didn't agree to let her follow him when he killed the Ghost Emperor.
However, at least this hurdle has been overcome. Every difficulty has its own path, and she will find a way to overcome it when the time comes.
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