Chapter 24 024 "Let go! I need to... pee."...
Having been trapped in her sea of consciousness for almost a month, this was the best sleep Lu Yuanyuan had ever had.
When Lu Yuanyuan woke up the next day, she felt refreshed, except that her arm was numb from Duan Lansheng's pillow.
Looking down, she saw Duan Lansheng's head nestled against her chest, his upturned nose pressed against her clothes, his body curled up in a state of insecurity, his breath shallow.
When she hugged him last night, he seemed a little reluctant at first. But after falling asleep, his instincts still made him move closer to the warm adult.
Duan Lan's sleeping posture as an adult is always quiet and peaceful, just as it was when he was a child.
Lu Yuanyuan pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, then sat up and pulled her arm away. The moment she moved, Duan Lansheng woke up. Seemingly confused for a while, he slowly blinked before getting up, his slightly oversized nightgown slipping down to reveal one chubby shoulder.
Lu Yuanyuan pulled up his collar and said without changing her expression, "Get up. Can't you wash your face and get dressed by yourself?"
Duan Lansheng rubbed his eyes and answered her this time in a soft voice: "Yes."
"Okay, get dressed, I'll make breakfast."
Lu Yuanyuan quickly steamed four meat and vegetable buns and served the shredded meat porridge in a small wooden bowl—this was a children's bowl that she bought for Duan Lansheng when she went shopping for clothes yesterday. It was shallow and small, so she wasn't worried that he would break it and cut his hand.
When she returned, Duan Lansheng was already dressed and sitting in a chair waiting for her. Lu Yuanyuan checked him over; the buttons were on, and the shoes weren't on backwards... but it was obvious he didn't know how to comb his hair, which was hanging down.
There are advantages to becoming human; I no longer have to supervise his meals. Lu Yuanyuan placed the wooden bowl in front of him. Duan Lansheng held the bowl with both hands, lowered his head, took a sip of porridge to moisten his throat, and then picked up a meat and vegetable bun, chewing quietly with very refined manners.
Lu Yuanyuan said, "Lansheng, let's eat and talk at the same time."
Upon hearing this, Duan Lansheng raised his head, put down his bowl, and looked at her with his dark blue eyes.
His eyes are much rounder than they are now, with the pupils taking up a large proportion of his face.
"After you transformed into a human, do you still remember things from before?"
Duan Lansheng nodded.
Lu Yuanyuan tentatively inquired, "So, what are your plans after this?"
Duan Lansheng was stunned for a moment.
Lu Yuanyuan didn't want him to misunderstand her meaning, so she sighed and said, "I didn't mean to send you away. I just wanted to ask you if there's anything you'd like to do afterward. If so, you can tell me anytime."
To her disappointment, Duan Lansheng lowered his head slightly and remained silent.
I don't know if I had no idea or if I just didn't want to tell her.
Lu Yuanyuan originally thought that as long as Duan Lansheng could speak, she would quickly find the key to leaving the sea of consciousness. But when she actually tried to put it into practice, she realized that she had been too naive.
System: "Yes. Simple and crude questions like 'What do you want to achieve? Tell me, and we'll solve it together so we can leave here' won't get you any real answers. You need to observe for yourself."
Lu Yuanyuan sighed.
Since the environment of the Sea of Consciousness is this small town, interacting and communicating with more people might yield more clues.
Lu Yuanyuan quickly came up with a solution that would satisfy both parties.
The town was small, and there was only one old doctor nearby. Although she didn't yet have a Golden Core, she had been a pill cultivator in her previous life, so treating ordinary people's fevers, colds, sprains, and bruises was more than enough for her, without needing Golden Core techniques.
The old doctor was short-handed, so Lu Yuanyuan approached him, explained her purpose, and after some testing, she got a job opportunity at his shop. She told the old doctor that Duan Lansheng was a distant relative, and she was worried about leaving her child alone at home, so she hoped to bring him to work with her.
The old doctor was a serious man, but seeing how quiet Duan Lansheng was, he agreed.
Therefore, from that day on, Lu Yuanyuan began taking Duan Lansheng back and forth between the clinic and home. While she worked in the shop, Duan Lansheng would read books beside her.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Yuanyuan met all sorts of people every day, but there was still no progress. Just as she began to doubt whether her approach was wrong, a turning point suddenly arrived.
That day, Lu Yuanyuan arrived at the clinic and was immediately dispatched by the old doctor to deliver medicine. It turned out that earlier, a merchant's servant had come and said that his master had caught a cold in the past few days. He gave the old doctor a prescription and asked him to pick out the medicine according to the list on it and deliver it to the ferry on the west side of the town before noon.
The old doctor was slow on his feet, so Lu Yuanyuan took the tightly bundled medicine bag and led him to their destination. She brought Duan Lansheng along as well; it was better to get out for a walk than to stay in the shop all the time.
The ferry crossing was bustling and lively.
Ever since they got lost last time, Lu Yuanyuan now holds his hand whenever they go out. Duan Lansheng has gotten used to it.
This small town is located at the foot of the mountain. To leave, one needs to take a ferry across the river and then hike for several days. Now, it snows heavily every few days, and the mountain roads are almost completely blocked by snow. Today is the last day the ferry service will continue. Starting tomorrow, those who want to leave will have to wait until next spring. Therefore, this bustling scene will likely be gone in a few days.
Lu Yuanyuan found the medicine buyer's boat and discovered that he had chartered the entire vessel. After explaining her purpose to the boatman, she learned that the buyer was from Luzhou. She heard that he had recently become wealthy and had befriended several cultivators, and this time he was helping them transport a large quantity of treasures to Luzhou to sell.
Soon, a servant-like man emerged from the cabin, took her medicine, paid her, and complained, "You're too late! The ship is about to depart!"
After taking the medicine, the other person hurriedly returned to the deck. Sure enough, the boatman began to retract the gangway.
The boat slowly left the ferry dock and headed towards the opposite bank of the river. Lu Yuanyuan stood below the dock and watched the servant walk towards the cabin. Suddenly, a man stepped out of the cabin. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with an ordinary yet kind face and richly dressed. The servant forced a smile and handed the man a medicine packet; clearly, this was his master.
Just then, Lu Yuanyuan suddenly felt the small hand in hers stiffen. She looked down at Duan Lansheng as if she had a premonition, and found that his expression was extremely strange. He was staring intently at the man on the ship, his teeth were grinding, his pupils were uncontrollably dilating, and his body was trembling like a leaf, as if he were under a nightmare.
Lu Yuanyuan sensed something was wrong, and her heart skipped a beat: "Duan Lansheng? Duan Lansheng!"
With people coming and going, she worried that Duan Lansheng might lose control and reveal his monstrous features in public, so she quickly wrapped him in her cloak and picked him up. As soon as Duan Lansheng's feet left the ground, he struggled violently, using both hands and feet, like an angry little beast: "Let me go!"
Realizing it was useless, he buried his head in her shoulder in frustration and bit down hard.
There was no bleeding through his clothes, but he was still uncomfortable. Lu Yuanyuan didn't speak, but carried him to a quiet alley nearby before putting the child down and squatting in front of him: "You can't control your eyes anymore. You can't let others see you like this. What if there are cultivators here? I can't protect you... Tell me, what happened? Who was that person?"
Duan Lansheng was pale and trembling. He slowly released his teeth from her shoulder.
"Do you know that man on the ship?" Lu Yuanyuan cupped his cheeks in her hands, staring at him. "Who is he?"
Duan Lansheng gripped her sleeve tightly, a glint of tears in his eyes, and gritted his teeth as he said, "...His name is Fan Shen, and he's the murderer who betrayed my mother!"
Lu Yuanyuan was slightly surprised, but she calmed herself down and sat down next to him, putting her arm around his shoulder and asking, "Don't be afraid, tell me slowly."
The story told by Duan Lansheng begins in a way very similar to the Peach Blossom Spring.
A traveling merchant and his wife and children, searching for spirit herbs, got lost in the deep, foggy mountains. Pursued by a demonic beast, they fled when their carriage plunged off a cliff, breaking their legs. In despair, they discovered a treasure cave inhabited by a reclusive clan of fox spirits.
The fox demon had once fallen in love with a mortal and had a natural affinity for humans. Seeing that this stranger was not a cultivator, but had a wife and children, and that the children were about the same age as her own, she felt compassion and not only took the family in for a while, but also set his broken leg.
Because of this incident, the two forged a friendship. The merchant's wife, who had contracted the plague, was cured under the fox spirit's care. However, before his wife had fully recovered, the merchant, eager to attend to some family matters, left the mountain early. Before departing, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude, promising to return and retrieve his wife and children once he had settled his affairs.
As a result, once this person descended the mountain, he immediately changed his tune. Relying on his memory, he sold the fox demon's hiding place to several cultivators and even personally led them to find the fox demon.
The fox demon underestimated the other party's wickedness. Smelling a familiar scent as it approached its territory, it assumed the other party was coming to pick up its wife and children and thus fell into the trap without any precautions.
Lu Yuanyuan frowned: "This merchant, is he Fan Shen from the ship just now?"
Like many others, Duan Lansheng's maternal clan was betrayed by those they had taken in, but they were far less fortunate than the reclusive people in "The Peach Blossom Spring." A bloody battle ensued between them and the cultivators, resulting in heavy losses on both sides. The flames destroyed everything, and ultimately only Duan Lansheng escaped alive.
What's most infuriating is that the leading merchant actually profited by taking away many treasures from the fox demon's cave.
Moreover, afterwards, when the people in the vicinity heard that a fox demon had been wiped out on the mountain, they clapped and cheered, regarding the merchants and cultivators as great heroes and singing their praises.
System: "Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining a crucial clue. Please travel to Luzhou in January next year to unlock more clues."
After hearing this story, Lu Yuanyuan felt as if a stone was pressing on her chest. Judging by modern people's simple, righteous values, the right and wrong of this matter were obvious. However, the current state of the cultivation world was just that messed up.
Because the Duan Lansheng clan were low-status monsters in the cultivation world, even though they were the ones doing good deeds, they were also the ones being betrayed, yet no one sympathized with them; everyone just said they deserved to die.
So, on the first day, when she introduced herself as a friend of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Duan Lansheng was so resistant, right? It was purely because he had PTSD from the phrase "friend of his mother."
Lu Yuanyuan lowered her eyelids.
In her past life, although she and Duan Lansheng were husband and wife, he remained silent about his past. If she hadn't been accidentally drawn into his consciousness, she probably would never have known about it.
Since entering the sea of consciousness, Fan Shen is the only person who has elicited a strong reaction from Duan Lansheng. Could Duan Lansheng's inner conflict be related to him?
How can she break free from her sea of consciousness? Does that person have to die?
No, that's not right. If this is Duan Lansheng's unresolved issue, then does that mean he didn't find this person to take revenge on in his past life?
System: "He went, but it was too late. According to the protagonist's halo law, anyone who opposes the protagonist will not have a good ending. That merchant did not live to see Duan Lansheng find him. In two months, he will be encountered by bandits on the road, hacked to death, and his body will be fed to wild animals."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
There is no true dead end in the sea of consciousness; there is always a way to escape.
The Duan Lansheng of today may wish he could devour the flesh of his enemy alive. But in reality, this sea of consciousness was extracted from his memories from childhood to adulthood.
In other words, what truly trapped Duan Lansheng here was not the regret of not being able to personally kill his enemy.
That answer, even Duan Lansheng can't give her now.
Just as the system said, she could only go to Luzhou to search for it herself.
System: "Host, there's no need to worry too much. Since it's a sea of consciousness that extends from the beginner's dungeon, it won't be too difficult to implement."
“Until you learn how to use your own strength, everything you do is suicide. After you die, you'll be branded with a well-deserved crime. That's why I stopped you just now.” Lu Yuanyuan wanted to pat his head, but hesitated and instead placed her hand on his shoulder: “Your mother sent you away hoping you would live well and cherish this life. There are some things you can't do right now.”
Duan Lansheng felt a hand pressing down on the back of his neck, gently squeezing it in a soothing manner.
"But I'm not telling you to do nothing. I'll help you. Once the mountain road is open, let's go to Luzhou for a visit."
Upon hearing this, Duan Lansheng raised his eyes, his youthful face showing a hint of surprise: "You want to help me? Why?"
Why would she get involved in something that has nothing to do with her?
Because we must leave your sea of consciousness.
Lu Yuanyuan swallowed the real answer, looked at him, and said sincerely, "Because... I also can't stand such bad people who do bad things without paying the price. Let's think of a solution together."
Duan Lansheng pursed her red lips, her heart slightly moved.
.
Obtaining a clue was only the first step. The last ship had already departed. All they could do was wait until next spring.
Perhaps because everyone had talked things out, Duan Lansheng was more relaxed towards her than before. After that day, the weather grew colder day by day, and the snow became thicker and thicker. A path would be cleared during the day, only to be buried again by snow at night.
Having already obtained the clues, Lu Yuanyuan didn't actually need to go to the clinic anymore. However, she didn't want to waste time; going there to treat patients would also serve as a way to review her medical knowledge. Besides, it wasn't good for Duan Lansheng to stay cooped up at home all the time; it would be better for him to go to the clinic to read books and help wipe the tables.
However, she soon had to interrupt her part-time job plans due to an unexpected event.
The incident occurred at the end of December. That day, while she was shoveling snow in the backyard of the clinic, she slipped and fell, hitting her knee on a stone and injuring her foot.
Such superficial injuries cannot be healed by contact with Duan Lansheng. She can only go home to recuperate.
That night, her legs ached with the slightest movement, and she had little energy, so she went to bed early to rest.
In the dead of night, amidst the wind and snow, she was awakened by a bloating sensation in her lower abdomen. Moonlight streamed onto the bedding, and Duan Lansheng slept soundly in the outer room. Lu Yuanyuan tried to bear it, but the more she tried, the more unbearable it became. So, she slowly got out of bed and carefully moved towards the outside.
She was very clean and always felt that chamber pots had a smell, so she never bought one in the house and always went outside to use the toilet.
She stepped past the children outside, quietly went outside, and closed the door. By the moonlight reflecting off the snow, she noticed the snow-sweeping broom had fallen over on her way to the toilet. Lu Yuanyuan frowned, leaned against the wall, and slowly picked it up before continuing on her way.
However, fate seemed to be working against her. Perhaps it was the sudden change from a warm place to a cold one, but after a few jumps, her legs started to ache, and she suddenly lost her balance and collapsed to the ground with a thud, instantly breaking out in a cold sweat.
To make matters worse, she found herself unable to stand up.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
She held her breath, gripped the window frame, and struggled to stand up when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
A pair of hands reached under her armpits and easily lifted her up.
These hands were fair, long, and large; they weren't Duan Lansheng's chubby child's hands. As she stepped back, her shoulder bumped into the other person's chest.
Only she and Duan Lansheng were in the room.
But it's impossible for a child to grow that tall and have that much strength to lift her up.
Lu Yuanyuan's hair stood on end. Her first thought was that a thief had broken into her house. She shoved the other person away and turned around at the same time. The other person was more stable than her. When she pushed hard, it was she who lost her balance, and her ankle was in excruciating pain.
But this time, before her body even touched the ground, she was embraced again, her knees warmed, and she was lifted up horizontally.
Lu Yuanyuan took a breath, and when she looked closely, she was stunned as if she had been struck by lightning, and her struggling movements stopped abruptly.
Duan Lansheng stood in front of her. He was thin, with loose black hair and eyes like the cool moonlight. His body had fully matured into that of a tall, upright young man. His voice was clear: "Why didn't you call me? Don't you want your legs anymore?"
Lu Yuanyuan: "…………"
Lu Yuanyuan: "???"
System: "Master, don't be surprised, this is his sea of consciousness. The owner of the sea of consciousness can take on any form here. Many times, the owner of the sea of consciousness is trapped in a predicament and does not know that he can transform at will. But if their subjective initiative to do something exceeds the predicament, then they can successfully transform."
Lu Yuanyuan had a headache: "Speak like a human being."
System: "He wanted to help you up, but his childlike size prevented him from doing so. His desire to help you was so strong that he changed from the inside out."
Lu Yuanyuan: "But he still looks like he's five or six years old during the day. Doesn't he find it strange that he's growing up like a balloon?"
No, she doesn't seem to need to panic. If Duan Lansheng can see through the change in age and realize this is a sea of consciousness, that's a good thing! Doesn't that mean they can skip going to Luzhou and leave directly?
The system ruthlessly shattered her illusion: "Of course not. Theoretically, it would take about ten years for him to change from his daytime self to his current self. His consciousness will use self-consistent logic to blur his memories and those of those around him, making him believe that he has lived with you for so long. In short, it makes it impossible for him to find a loophole to leave."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to accept the unexpected situation. She took a deep breath before reaching out to push the boy's chest: "I'm fine now, put me down."
Duan Lansheng glanced at her pig's trotters, then picked her up and carried her into the room, saying, "You can't leave."
"I can leave, let me go, I'll walk by myself! I'll walk right now and show you..."
Duan Lansheng wouldn't listen to her. Lu Yuanyuan punched him a few times, but couldn't stop him. Having no other choice, she grabbed his hair and, somewhat resignedly, told the truth: "Let go! I need to...pee."
Duan Lansheng paused and looked at the person in his arms.
Her gaze darted away, avoiding his eyes; her ears turned red, as if she felt embarrassed; and her voice was muffled.
He woke up from his sleep to the sound of something hitting the ground. His memories told him that he had been living with this person for a long time. However, recalling the past, she seemed to have always been in a vaguely dominant position in the relationship. He rarely saw her from this perspective as he did at this moment, and he could also perceive her obvious emotional fluctuations.
Duan Lansheng lowered his eyelashes, a hint of indescribable emotion flashing in his eyes.
He turned around, carried her to the outhouse as instructed, and gently placed her on the ground. Lu Yuanyuan, just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, realized that Duan Lansheng showed no sign of leaving.
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