Chapter 93 093 Does the Lord Yuanjun not deserve your trust...?
No, upon closer reflection, it's actually not just these past two days.
From the moment she furtively asked him for a topical ointment to reduce swelling and blemishes, the strange signs began to appear like fishing line woven into silk, invisible to the naked eye yet vaguely palpable.
Duan Lansheng's arm muscles tightened silently.
The still air was tense, as if two forces were locked in a tense standoff.
Lu Yuanyuan looked dejected, a blush spreading from her ears peeking out from under her black hair all the way down to the roots of her neck. She squeezed the arms wrapped around her waist, signaling him to let go: "Okay, okay, I'll tell you, Lansheng, let me sit down, I'll tell you slowly."
Her concession was like deflating a balloon that was about to burst.
"..."
Duan Lansheng didn't answer. As if afraid that she would kneel on the ground if he let go, he hooked the chair leg with his leg and dragged the chair behind her so that she could sit down. Only then did he pull over another stool and sit down, staring at her. His dark blue eyes were as black as the sky before a storm: "What exactly have you been doing these past two days?"
To his utter surprise, Lu Yuanyuan met his gaze and gave the same answer: "I really didn't lie to you, I was cultivating."
Duan Lansheng's face turned cold, and his attitude became unusually stern: "What kind of martial art would make you unable to even stand?"
"The cultivation method I practice is indeed not the one taught at Mount Shu. Do you remember when we were in the Yong Kingdom, I was trapped in the collapsed imperial tomb?"
This matter touched upon a memory he didn't want to recall, and Duan Lansheng paused for a moment: "Of course I remember."
“When I went to chase after Consort Xie, I was ambushed by that monster. We fought, and in the end, it captured me and took me to the imperial mausoleum. When I woke up, I found Consort Xie and I locked in the same cell. Consort Xie was completely defenseless, and that monster killed the two of us with ease, like cutting melons and vegetables. Don't you find it strange that we were able to survive until Yue Hong led his men to dig the tunnel?” Lu Yuanyuan didn't keep me in suspense and continued in one breath: “The reason is that although I didn't defeat it, I did inflict some damage on it, and I also accidentally broke into its consciousness. Inside, I saw a secret manual.”
Duan Lansheng was taken aback: "A secret manual within divine consciousness?"
"That's right. Just like how you saw the Lotus Sutra in its consciousness and deduced that its next target was Consort Xie, I also saw its memories. That monster must have lived for many years and been to many places. Its memories are a jumbled mess, containing all sorts of things. I saw a fragment of a secret manual in it. This book is unlike any kind of immortal technique we've ever learned. At the time, I was severely injured and not very lucid. I vaguely followed those few fragments of pages and channeled my spiritual energy. As a result, I found that my spiritual energy had a burst of power in a very short time, and my recovery speed had also increased."
Lu Yuanyuan raised her head and continued...
"However, after I came out of the imperial tomb, it was as if I had woken up from a dream, and the memories in my sea of consciousness became very blurry. They were originally records from a fragmented scroll, and coupled with the fact that I was no longer in that environment, I could no longer cultivate as smoothly as I had in the imperial tomb. However, because it had helped me a lot, I couldn't let it go, but I wasn't sure if I could continue to use it or if it could become a stable cultivation method. So, I wrote down everything I could remember and returned to Mount Shu, intending to have Yuanjun review it."
Upon hearing her words, Duan Lansheng's expression gradually changed from initial astonishment to solemnity.
Lu Yuanyuan touched her earlobe and said, "The coincidence is that Yuanjun read the incomplete scroll and said that he had seen a similar technique in an ancient book. It's not exactly evil or heretical, but the effects of this book vary from person to person. I may have been too compatible with it, which is why I had a physical reaction. I'll be fine after resting for a day or two."
Duan Lansheng slowly shook his head: "The origin of this item is unknown, and you really shouldn't practice it anymore. If you want to increase your spiritual power, there are many other ways."
“My talent is average; no matter how much I cultivate, I can't catch up with you geniuses. I feel that this incomplete scroll must be a gift from heaven, a gift that saved my life. I want to become powerful, the more powerful the better. Because I don't want to see my friends die in front of me again, and I can't do anything about it.” Lu Yuanyuan clenched her fists and remained silent for a moment.
But seemingly not wanting the atmosphere to remain somber, she sniffed and quickly adopted a lighter tone: "Besides, isn't Yuanjun taking care of me? After I finish cultivating, I'm usually in a semi-conscious state for a while, and he stays by my side the whole time. If anything were wrong, he would have noticed long ago. If you're worried, you can check on him."
After saying that, she rolled up her sleeve and generously extended her wrist to her.
Duan Lansheng was not swayed by her banter. He reached out and grasped her wrist, feeling it; there was nothing wrong. After releasing her, he looked at her and said, "Let me see those tattered scrolls."
Lu Yuanyuan looked troubled, thought for a moment, and still refused: "No, I promised Yuanjun that I can't show it to a third person."
She paused, brushed her hair aside, and continued, "Also, didn't I already say that Yuanjun would take care of me the whole time I was cultivating? Don't you trust Yuanjun?"
By the end, she looked a little annoyed.
She looked every bit the devoted fangirl who would never allow anyone to speak ill of Yin Xiaozhu and question her.
Duan Lansheng said in a deep voice, "That's not what I meant."
"That's settled then, don't worry about it at all. You know me best. I'm afraid of pain and death. If anything goes wrong, I'll be the first to quit and I'll definitely ask you for help." Lu Yuanyuan grabbed his sleeve and shook it, saying, "Remember to keep this a secret. Yuanjun said that this thing wasn't obtained in a proper setting, so it's best not to tell anyone. If you run into him, remember to pretend you don't know anything."
She made promises and pleaded, and Duan Lansheng ultimately couldn't resist her. He lowered his eyes, concealing the trace of worry and struggle, and gave a low "hmm".
Lu Yuanyuan blinked, took his hand, hooked her little fingers together, and shook it: "Then let's pinky swear."
Of course, the stories about breaking into the monster's consciousness in the imperial tomb, finding the fragments of the secret manual in the consciousness, and the reaction of her legs going weak and falling down in front of Duan Lansheng were all lies.
In the world of cultivation, proper cultivation methods all advocate for tranquility and mental cultivation. There will absolutely be no physical reactions of sexual desire or sexual pleasure after cultivation.
Duan Lansheng was well aware of this, so when he first saw her unsteady reaction, he was obviously suspicious.
Fortunately, her efforts to become good friends with Duan Lansheng over the past few years weren't entirely in vain. At least for now, her credibility with Duan Lansheng is excellent, and he doesn't suspect that she was lying before.
His reaction was exactly what she expected.
If, after this, Duan Lansheng received her assurance that "there would be absolutely no problem," but on the other hand, he repeatedly discovered that she exhibited inappropriate reactions, and she, blindly trusting Yin Xiaozhu, continued to turn a blind eye to these things...
So, what will Duan Lansheng do?
Based on her understanding of Duan Lansheng's character, she knew that when he sensed something was amiss, he would definitely intervene again to stop her from continuing her cultivation.
If she still refuses to listen to advice and insists on continuing her cultivation, he will probably take the second step—to address the problem at its source and go with her to find Yin Xiaozhu to clarify the matter.
And of course, she wouldn't remain unrepentant.
Because letting things escalate to the second step would expose the deception.
Therefore, one cannot overact on the first try; one can only subtly hint at things little by little, allowing doubts to accumulate through ambiguity.
Gradually, she wanted to make Duan Lansheng believe that he was the person she could trust and rely on most. Because all the seemingly trustworthy people around her were somewhat strange and suspicious—and this was all a performance she was deliberately putting on for him; he was the only audience. Duan Lansheng would never have concrete evidence to verify his suspicions, nor could he accuse anyone.
In this way, there's no need to worry about Yin Xiaozhu crashing and burning before him.
She wanted to test how much Duan Lansheng valued her as a friend. If she were to use herself as bait, would he temporarily set aside his principles and lend a hand to her if she were in danger, because he felt he was her most reliable person?
If he cannot ignore her, then she will be able to use the sect rule of "breaking the precept against lust" to set a trap and drive Duan Lansheng out of Shu Mountain in one fell swoop.
.
After their meeting at the medicine shop, Lu Yuanyuan resumed her normal daily routine and did not lose her composure in public, nor did she secretly meet with Duan Lansheng again to ask for medicine.
She told herself to be patient and wait for the cooling-off period.
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half has passed since I returned to Mount Shu. As the weather turns slightly cooler, the system's demon-catching dungeon, "Snow Plum Blossom," has been launched.
Lu Yuanyuan was somewhat surprised when she saw this instance appear. In the original story, this instance was relatively simple, and its highlight was that it involved Xiao Ruo and Duan Lansheng.
And she, the cannon fodder female supporting character who covets Duan Lansheng, will also be a troublemaker in the team.
Since the fall of the Crown Prince of Yong, Xiao Ruo has mysteriously disappeared amidst a cloud of mystery, and there has been no news of her since.
Since this instance was successfully triggered, it proves that Xiao Ruo has reappeared.
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