Chapter 68 068 This can be considered an advance payment for future NTR (Netorare) opportunities...
Duan Lansheng pressed his fingertips against his brow bone, as if his head was in great pain, and said in a low, indistinct voice, "It's been hurting here ever since I fell off my horse."
His posture at this moment was completely different from his usual upright and proper sitting posture. Perhaps he was really uncomfortable and had no time to compose himself. He leaned against the couch, his tall and slender figure with beautiful, undulating lines. Patches of ink-like shadows were mottled on his shirt, making it impossible to distinguish whether they were window shadows or winding black hair.
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned.
Having gone on so many missions together, this guy has always adhered to the golden rule of novel protagonists: "He bleeds but doesn't cry or complain." He's the kind of person who wouldn't report a disaster even if a planet were to collide with Earth. Therefore, if he were to say he's feeling unwell, there's no doubt that he's encountered something extremely distressing.
Could it be that she misjudged him? Is the second prince of Yong Kingdom actually a hidden human weapon, with enough destructive power to make even a Golden Core cultivator suffer a setback?
However, that's not entirely true. After all, this is the skull, and beneath the skull lies the most intricate organ in the human body—the brain. Modern medicine, with its many advanced instruments, hasn't been able to fully explore its mysteries. Even in the cultivation world where everyone seems to have superpowers, cultivators still need to protect their heads when fighting monsters, as unexpected impacts can indeed cause damage.
Lu Yuanyuan stiffened and said seriously, "Don't move, let me see if you have any wounds."
"No." Duan Lansheng shook his head and took a low breath.
"Alright, stop moving your head." Lu Yuanyuan quickly stopped him, sat on the edge of the bed, reached out, and carefully infused his forehead with spiritual energy, examining him. When her palm pressed down, Duan Lansheng's body stiffened slightly, and his expression became somewhat unnatural. But in an instant, he lowered his eyes, suppressing his instinct to dodge, and remained silent.
Lu Yuanyuan didn't notice his fleeting unease. After examining him three times, she withdrew her hand in confusion.
Strange, she doesn't seem to have noticed anything wrong?
Is it because she is not a neurosurgeon and does not have the help of instruments, that according to the methods of the cultivation world, she can at most see if there are any wounds, but cannot see any deeper problems?
Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then moved her fingers around, feeling the back of his head, pressing several spots, and listing some aftereffects of concussion: "What about these places? Besides pain, do you feel dizzy? Do you find it difficult to think, have a worse memory, or suddenly not remember things?"
Duan Lansheng stirred, as if trying to sit up, but he couldn't muster the strength. He leaned his weight on her shoulder and breathed gently on her chin: "Both, a little bit of both."
Lu Yuanyuan held his shoulder, pushed him away slightly, and frowned as she looked him over: "Do you remember what hit you on the head?"
Duan Lansheng lifted his eyelids, about to give an answer, when the phrase "memory is getting worse" suddenly flashed through his mind. His Ren and Du meridians seemed to open up, and he said, "I don't quite remember."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
After thinking for a long time, I couldn't find any plot in "The Enchanting Fairy Tale" where Duan Lansheng's brain was damaged.
This should just be a side effect of a concussion, right?
Although she didn't think it was that serious, Duan Lansheng wouldn't lie about something like this. Firstly, that was his character; secondly, lying was nothing more than trying to play the victim and gain sympathy, and he had no reason to do that.
Lu Yuanyuan had no choice but to end the treatment: "It's okay, get some rest tonight, you'll recover in a few days."
Her gaze shifted to Duan Lansheng's fair hand: "Was this also scratched just now?"
There was a red scratch, diagonally across the vein. It wasn't bandaged, but it was clear it had been cleaned; water droplets were rolling around, and there was slight bleeding at the edge.
Duan Lansheng nodded: "Exactly."
"Have you applied any medicine? It's not good to leave it open like this, let me bandage it for you."
A faint glimmer of light appeared deep in Duan Lansheng's eyes. Without saying a word, he simply handed her his hand.
Dan Xiu inevitably carried a lot of bottles and jars with him. Lu Yuanyuan found a flat, round, light green wound medicine in her storage ring, applied it to the wound, and then wrapped a long handkerchief around the back of his hand twice. The medicine from Mount Shu was remarkably effective; by tomorrow, the wound should be healed.
As Lu Yuanyuan pondered, she suddenly realized that as they began to speak normally, the invisible cold war that had been raging between them for days seemed to have ended with the breaking of the ice. It came strangely and went strangely.
The air between the two was very quiet, so quiet that they could hear the distant sounds of servants moving about and horses snorting outside the palace.
Finding herself and Duan Lansheng "reconciled" so easily, Lu Yuanyuan suddenly felt a pang of unease. She withdrew her hand, sat with her back to Duan Lansheng, wiped the ointment from her fingertips, and gazed at the morning light filtering through the windowpane and casting a hazy glow on the roof beams. After a moment of silence, she said, "I've been by Consort Xie's side for so long, and everything has been peaceful. I haven't detected any demonic energy. Aside from waiting for that thing to appear on its own, I have absolutely no idea how to catch it. What do you think?"
With little progress and the days dragging on like a daily log, the progress of the [Infant Devouring] dungeon is very slow, currently stuck at 30%.
When the conversation turned to business, Duan Lansheng paused for a moment and said in a deep voice, "We killed its companion, which has made it wary. It will definitely be a hundred times more careful than before."
Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment and said, "This is a double-edged sword. I don't think it's a bad thing. If you hadn't read the consciousness of one of the demons when it was dying, we wouldn't have been able to predict that its next target would be Consort Xie and wait for it here in advance."
Duan Lansheng turned his dark blue eyes to her, pondered for a moment, and said, "But I don't think it will repeat its old tricks and directly break into the palace to find Consort Xie."
Lu Yuanyuan turned her head and met his gaze, immediately understanding his meaning.
Consort Yu was young and beautiful, and for the first half of her life she lived a life of luxury in the prosperous capital. But one day, she fell from grace, her family became slaves, and she was left with only the company of a Buddhist lamp and a Buddhist temple for the rest of her life. The immense change, loneliness, and pain must have greatly weakened her psychological defenses. Judging from the testimony of Consort Yu's maid before her death, the two demons probably saw this, which is why they took advantage of Consort Yu's vulnerability.
From the perspective of a monster choosing food, a fully formed, full-term fetus is naturally the most nutritious.
It would be inappropriate to kidnap Consort Yu, who was pregnant for ten months, right away. This would alert the people around her and might even attract meddlesome cultivators, causing her to escape.
Lu Yuanyuan guessed that the two demons didn't initially intend to kill Consort Yu, the vessel for producing food. Their advance approach and seduction were merely to make Consort Yu willingly stay in the nunnery for her "lover" and go to great lengths to conceal her pregnancy from outsiders. Once she gave birth, the two demons would then, under the pretext of not revealing their secret, take her child away, deceiving her that they had found a home for it, thus allowing them to devour the dragon prince without firing a single shot.
However, later, perhaps due to some unforeseen event, the two demons, in their urgent need to seize power, couldn't wait for the child to be born at full term. They directly disemboweled Consort Yu, killed the mother, and seized the child.
As they predicted, the act of killing and the resulting bloodshed attracted the attention of the cultivation world.
Consort Xie enjoys the Emperor's favor and has a son like Yue Hong by her side. Her life is blissful, and she is about to become the most honored woman in Yong Kingdom. The tricks of bewitching people with demons will not work on her.
Seeing that they couldn't trick the dragon prince away using the previous methods, and that they were all alone, the remaining monsters would definitely be very cautious and try to avoid direct confrontation, taking the child away by stealing or robbing.
Fortunately, the thing only knows that its good brother was killed by the cultivator, but it doesn't know that Duan Lansheng has already seen its good brother's divine sense.
When it followed the scent to the palace and was blocked by the palace's defenses, it would probably think it was the work of the Yong Kingdom's Grand Preceptor, rather than being 100% certain that it had been added to the Shu Mountain assassination list.
Lu Yuanyuan nodded: "If I were it, seeing how heavily fortified the palace is, I would never dare to force my way in alone. It would be troublesome if I could get in but couldn't get out. To be on the safe side, I would choose to make my move when Consort Xie leaves the palace. Either stealing or robbing is much more reliable than attacking an impregnable fortress."
Duan Lansheng: "That's right. Senior Brother Qi and I discussed it, and the most likely place it will appear is—"
Lu Yuanyuan's head lit up, and she looked up, saying in unison with him, "The Empress Conferment Ceremony, the Luo River Sacrifice."
According to the tradition of the Yong Kingdom, whenever there was a major change in the court, a seven-day, seven-night sacrificial ceremony would be held at the Luo River to inform the ancestors of the previous dynasty. Ministers and nobles would all attend. As the protagonist of the coronation ceremony, Consort Xie was required to leave the palace and appear at the sacrificial ceremony, regardless of the circumstances.
The demon knew to use a handsome man to get close to Consort Yu, so he must have realized that this was the best opportunity to make a move against Consort Xie.
Sure enough, after some deduction, Lu Yuanyuan discovered that the progress of the [Infant Devouring] dungeon had suddenly increased to 35%. It seemed that their general direction was correct.
.
Because Duan Lansheng was feeling unwell, Lu Yuanyuan couldn't just leave him, so she could only sit in the side room where the palace servants changed clothes until noon.
It's getting late. Although Huang Ying is there, it's best not to leave Consort Xie for too long.
Duan Lansheng understood this as well, and struggled to his feet, pinching the bridge of his nose. Seeing his unusually weak appearance, Lu Yuanyuan still reached out to help him up: "...If you're still feeling dizzy, why don't you go see Senior Brother Qi? He's much better than me."
Duan Lansheng declined, saying, "No need."
Lu Yuanyuan walked out of the palace with him. Because of the horse accident, Consort Xie had no heart to watch the performance anymore and had already returned home. The Emperor did not order everyone to leave; the noble sons of Yong Kingdom had grown up with roughhousing and wouldn't be intimidated by a minor, harmless accident. Around the horse field, palace servants repaired the broken fences, preparing for the next polo match.
Lu Yuanyuan and Duan Lansheng passed behind the crowd and quietly left the bustling Taiqing Palace.
Duan Lansheng still seemed a little dizzy and insisted that she hold his hand. Lu Yuanyuan had no choice but to patiently walk with him slowly. When they arrived at a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, a familiar figure in fiery red suddenly caught her eye. The person walked through the flowers, followed by a palace servant.
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback.
Xiaoruo? !
What's Xiao Ru doing here?
She was walking openly and swaggering through the palace in broad daylight, with servants following behind her; clearly, she hadn't sneaked in.
So, who brought Xiaoruo in?
Is the plot starting to align with the original story and stop running wild?
Wait a minute… Lu Yuanyuan narrowed her eyes and suddenly recognized that the palace servant following Xiao Ru looked familiar—the other party seemed to be a favored old eunuch by Crown Prince Yue Qi’s side, someone left to him by the Empress Yuan.
When did Xiaoruo and Yueqi meet?
Sensing something amiss, Lu Yuanyuan stopped in her tracks. In the blink of an eye, the two were about to turn around, and she saw Xiao Ruo's pretty face flushed red, her expression showing displeasure. A palace maid was following closely behind her, seemingly trying to persuade her.
There was an artificial hill nearby. In her haste, Lu Yuanyuan grabbed Duan Lansheng and pulled him behind the rock without saying a word, making a "shh" gesture.
Duan Lansheng: "..."
The two hid behind the rocks, the weeds swaying gently, and shadows flickered through small holes in the rocks. Xiao Ru's crisp voice rang out, and just hearing it, one could vividly picture her charming and lively face: "I'm not going back! Yue Qi is a big liar. Anyway, he has so many beauties in his room, he doesn't need me. Why would I go back!"
She actually called Yue Qi by his given name. The eunuch turned pale with anxiety and made a gesture to cover his mouth: "Miss Xiao Ruo, this is the palace. You can't call His Highness by his given name!"
Xiao Ru crossed her arms and sneered, "So what if I call you that directly? Who cares about your stupid rules!"
The eunuch earnestly advised, "Miss Xiaoruo, His Highness and you both returned to the palace today. Upon your arrival, he went directly to the study to pay his respects to the Emperor. He truly had no idea about the ten beauties who suddenly appeared in the Eastern Palace. These must have been sent over by some people who wanted to curry favor with His Highness. How His Highness has treated you these past few days is something not only you but also I have witnessed along the way. How can you think that His Highness doesn't need you?"
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
Wait, there's a lot of information here. What is all this about?
It sounds like Xiao Ruo has successfully turned Yue Qi into a devoted subject and even moved into the Eastern Palace?
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned and subconsciously looked at Duan Lansheng's reaction. She saw his thick eyebrows furrow slightly, and a hint of surprise and displeasure appeared on his fair face.
They exchanged a glance and tacitly remained silent.
Outside the artificial hill, Xiao Ru was unaware that there were other people present. After hearing the eunuch's words, her jealousy seemed to subside a little, and she huffed, "Then I'll have Yue Qi kick all those women out, and burn all the chairs they touched!"
"This servant will certainly report... Ah, to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Immediately, the rustling of robes trailing on the ground came from outside, and a eunuch bowed. Lu Yuanyuan raised a finger, gently brushed aside the drooping grass, and quietly looked over.
A handsome young man strolled over.
More than three years had passed, but Yue Qi's appearance hadn't changed much. He wore a moon-white robe and was gentle and refined. It was clear at a glance that he hadn't been exposed to the sun and rain at the border like Yue Hong had in recent years. Even when his father sent him on official business in other places, it was a relatively safe job.
The Yong Kingdom values the achievements of military men, and the common people admire those who have made military contributions to their positions. This is why Yue Hong's reputation among the people is subtly surpassing that of the Crown Prince.
Emperor Yong's differential treatment—sending one son to the border to be tempered and grow up, while keeping the other by his side for a peaceful life—made it difficult to say which son he valued more.
Depending on one's perspective, the answer will likely be completely different.
Will Yue Hong feel that his father favors the crown prince, which is why he is unwilling to let him take any risks? Will the crown prince resent his father for binding his own wings while paving the way for his half-brother?
Sigh, it seems like they're pleasing neither side. This is probably how things are with the imperial family, father and son. No wonder throughout history, there have always been countless instances of royal families distrusting and killing each other.
Lu Yuanyuan sighed inwardly.
She thought the three people outside would leave this time. But to her surprise, when the eunuch saw his master arrive, he bowed and then stepped back to a distance, leaving space for the two of them.
After he had walked away, Yueqi's voice rang out: "What's with the tantrum?"
"Who's throwing a tantrum at you! You lied to me, you big liar... ugh."
At the same time, there was the sound of a fist pounding on a chest. Immediately afterwards, Xiao Ru's hand seemed to be pulled, and she let out a low, indistinct gasp, followed by the sound of kissing.
"..." Lu Yuanyuan felt slightly embarrassed. She was familiar with that kind of voice. She just didn't expect these two to flirt like this in broad daylight.
Of course, it's normal for Xiao Ru to behave this way if she's a demon.
It's true that the same rice breeds a hundred different kinds of strange creatures. One should say that Duan Lansheng, a monster whose male virtues have been thoroughly preserved, is the real anomaly.
If she were the only one eavesdropping, it wouldn't be a big deal. The problem is, she was standing with Duan Lansheng enjoying the conversation, and she truly couldn't describe her feelings.
The narrow space behind the artificial hill was unusually quiet. The treetops above swayed slightly, and a beam of midday sunlight fell on her eyelids, burning hot.
Duan Lansheng's hearing was so sharp, he must know what was happening outside. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his chest. He remained completely calm, his breathing not fluctuating at all, as if he had no feelings whatsoever.
When Xiao Ruo eventually wins over Duan Lansheng, how will he feel when he recalls this scene? Is this considered a pre-emptive use of his future NTR (Netorare) potential?
Just then, the two outside seemed to have finished their passionate encounter. Xiao Ruo was soothed and her anger subsided. She nestled obediently in the tall man's arms, playing with the jade pendant on his belt.
Yue Qi chuckled and reached out to pinch her chin: "Aren't you angry anymore?"
Xiao Ruo's voice was somewhat coquettish: "Hmph, if you dare to treat me badly, I'll find someone else. You've seen my abilities; with me, your throne will be within your grasp. I bet all your brothers would love to treat me like a treasure."
Yue Qi withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Insolence."
Xiao Ru smiled brightly: "You're being mean to me? If I hadn't helped you, how could you have gotten rid of the old thief's pawns planted next to you so quickly?"
...
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanyuan's expression changed slightly.
If she and Duan Lansheng had only overheard some frivolous gossip about the Crown Prince earlier, and even if they were discovered, it wouldn't be a big deal. However, their current topic was something that absolutely could not be overheard.
How could Xiao Ru say such a thing? In her mind, Xiao Ru had always been a naive and innocent soft girl who sometimes made mistakes and dragged everyone down, but always managed to lead everyone out of trouble. But now it sounded like she wasn't simply dating Yue Qi, but rather like a subject helping him build his career.
Even though she hasn't even met Yue Hong yet, and the battle for the throne hasn't even started, has Xiao Ru already made her choice in the struggle for the throne?
This seems to be different from what's written in the book.
As if things weren't going to go wrong, just then, out of the corner of her eye, Lu Yuanyuan caught a glimpse of a small, dark shadow falling from a tree and landing on her.
She turned her head and saw a huge spider on her shoulder, its eight hairy legs wriggling gently.
Lu Yuanyuan's mind went blank: "..."
The next second, it darted up her collar and into her undergarments.
Lu Yuanyuan: "!!!"
Even if the spiders in the mortal realm were poisonous, they couldn't kill her. But at this moment, people don't think about such things at all. She felt an itch on her skin, and something bulging inside was crawling around. A sense of disgust rooted in her ancient genes made Lu Yuanyuan's hair stand on end. Her scalp was about to explode.
She forcefully suppressed a scream, bent over, and frantically searched her body. Duan Lansheng noticed her unusual behavior, his eyes widened slightly, and he grabbed her elbow. Lu Yuanyuan was drenched in sweat, mouthing "spider" to him. Feeling the spider crawling deeper and deeper, she could no longer bear it. She turned around, loosened her belt, and reached inside, frantically searching and groping.
Just then, the two suddenly heard a sharp shout from outside the artificial rockery: "Who's in there!"
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