Chapter 74 The hands that teased Fellow Daoist Bai were so long and beautiful, but...
"You're so clumsy, making yourself look like this." The woman's slightly coquettish voice rang in Bai Ye's ear.
Bai strained his eyes, trying to see the woman clearly, but all he could see was a hazy halo. She was enveloped in a hazy light, so ethereal that she seemed not to exist at all.
"Is it you?" Bai Ye's lips trembled slightly. "Zhong... Jiu Li?"
"No, it's not." The woman chuckled, completely unconcerned about the blood and sand on Bai Ye's body, and pulled her into her arms.
His body fell into a soft embrace, and he caught a familiar, cool fragrance. This scent confirmed to Bai that the woman in front of him was Zhong Jiuli.
Even if she deliberately covered her face, it couldn't change the fact that Zhong Jiuli had come to find her.
At this moment, Bai's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he completely lost consciousness.
......
The intense, pervasive heat enveloped her.
This was Bai Ye's first feeling after regaining consciousness. The scalding heat enveloped every inch of her skin, and she turned over uncomfortably. The rough sand rubbed against her cheeks, reminding her that she was not lying on a soft bed.
"Da Bai, you're awake?" Xiao Tai Huo immediately jumped to Bai Ye's side.
Bai slowly opened her eyes, but the blinding sunlight made her close them again.
"Yes, I'm awake," she replied with her eyes closed, her voice lazy and tinged with weariness.
The next moment, she sat up abruptly and looked around. There was only Xiao Taihuo, who was playing in the heat and covered in sand, and Jiao Jiao, who was slumped in the shade of the rock wall, trying to cool off.
"Where is she?" Bai asked in a hoarse voice.
Little Taihu brushed the sand off his hands, blinked his big eyes, and asked, "Who is it?"
"Zhong Jiuli, I saw her last night. She saved us, didn't she?"
"No," Little Fire said innocently. "Last night, a beautiful sister who was glowing all over saved us. She carried us out of the sandstorm, flew us to this rocky mountain, gave me a bottle of pills, and then left."
As she spoke, she took out the empty medicine bottle, "I fed all the medicine to you and Jiaojiao last night, and then you both stopped bleeding."
Bai rubbed his slightly dizzy head, frowned, and looked at the rolling sand dunes in the distance. Suddenly, he was no longer so sure.
Could it be that he lost too much blood yesterday and mistook another woman for Zhong Jiuli? But in this desolate desert, what are the chances of encountering a woman in distress who would be willing to save them?
"Xiao Wang, did you see the person who saved us last night clearly?" Bai asked in his mind.
[No, you can't even see clearly, so Xiao Wang is even less likely to be able to scan that person's face. However, according to the system's data analysis, the other person's figure is more graceful than Zhong Jiuli's, so it's highly unlikely to be her.]
"Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'somewhat better'? Zhong Jiuli's figure is clearly the best in the world! Do you, Wang Cuihua, even have any aesthetic sense?" Bai retorted, dissatisfied.
[Pfft~] Xiao Wang let out a soft laugh in Bai Ye's mind.
[Not bad, not bad, you really hit the nail on the head. No wonder Zhong Jiuli always calls you a little pervert. I said so much, and all you ever heard was the word "figure."]
"Shut up." Bai, enraged, unilaterally cut off the chat.
She patted her bottom and stood up, glancing at the bloodstains all over her body. Oh well, patting it won't help, she'd better change.
"Don't play in the sand, it's too hot. Go keep Jiaojiao company." As she spoke, she unbuckled her belt, and her blood-stained clothes had just come undone when her hand stopped.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Several figures descended from the sky, and the members of the Fire Fox Mercenary Team landed in unison.
Five or six pairs of bright eyes simultaneously fell on Bai Ye's half-undone clothes. Although there were many people standing there, the space fell into an eerie silence.
Bai also adjusted her clothes, feeling somewhat embarrassed. What was wrong with these people? She was wearing her inner clothes properly, at most only showing her collarbone. Why were they staring at her like that?
"Stop looking, close your eyes." Huo Lan chuckled, her gaze sweeping over the team members.
Once the others had turned their backs to the two of them, she finally turned her gaze to Bai Ye. "Are you injured?"
"It's nothing serious, it's all from the blood of demonic beasts." Bai Ye finished speaking and lowered his gaze, avoiding Huo Lan's eyes.
She suspected that the people in this Fire Fox mercenary group might not be straight; they all seemed to be... lusting after her body.
I can't have too much contact with her, otherwise I might lose my virginity; she has a boyfriend.
"It's good that you're alright." Huo Lan said, glancing at the shadowy corner of the rock wall where Xiao Tai Huo was holding Jiao Jiao, staring blankly at them.
"That kid, is he the teammate you were waiting for outside the city?"
"Ahem, yes, she is my teammate outside the city. Don't let her young age fool you, her cultivation is quite strong," Bai said, forcing a smile.
Huo Lan nodded and praised with a smile, "Your strength is indeed impressive. In just a few days, Fellow Daoist Bai's cultivation has improved considerably."
"Ah...yes." Bai also gave an awkward yet polite smile.
She was now 100% certain that the woman in front of her had ulterior motives towards her; otherwise, why would she be awkwardly chatting with her like this?
"Help! Zhong Jiuli, if you don't come soon, your wife is going to be carried off by wolves!" Bai cried out in his heart.
Huo Lan noticed Bai's embarrassment and changed the subject, "Fellow Daoist Bai, are you going to change your clothes?"
Bai nodded repeatedly, hoping the group would leave quickly.
"Then you can change, I promise I won't peek." Huo Lan said and turned around.
Looking at the six figures standing in a row in front of me, they stood as straight as javelins, practically as if they had written "We're listening to you take off your clothes" on the back of their heads.
"Big White, can't you change it yourself? Do you need my help?" Little Fire came up to him, looking confused.
"No need." Bai pinched the little girl's chubby cheeks, forcing out a gentle voice through gritted teeth, "Little Tai Huo is such a good girl, how about I make you bamboo shoots and pork stir-fry for dinner tonight?"
"Pfft~"
One of the team members couldn't help but laugh out loud, and then the whole group burst into laughter.
Amidst the rising and falling laughter, Huo Lan turned around with a smile in her eyes, her gaze falling on Bai Ye's slender fingers, the fingertips still pinching Bai Taihuo's chubby little face.
“Children speak without thinking, Fellow Daoist Bai, why bother arguing with a child?” Huo Lan said, then stepped forward and, without further ado, covered Bai Ye’s hand, freeing Xiao Tai Huo’s face.
She lifted Bai Ye's hand, her thumb lightly tracing his long, slender fingers. "Fellow Daoist Bai's hands are so long and beautiful; they shouldn't be used to bully children."
Bai was struck dumb, standing there in a daze, watching Huo Lan hold her hand and play with it.
Who exactly said that the ancients were reserved? That's far too unreserved!
Was she being harassed? Probably.
If you don't take your hand back, she might become even more unreserved.
Reminded by Xiao Wang, Bai finally came to her senses. She abruptly withdrew her hands, put both hands behind her back, her face flushed, and she stammered, unable to speak.
"Xiao Wang, what should I do? Give me some advice! I think I've run into some thugs!" Bai Ye cried out for help.
The most effective way to refuse a stranger's advances is to say you already have a partner.
"I have a Daoist partner."
After Bai finished speaking, an awkward and eerie silence fell over the surroundings once again.
"Fellow Daoist Bai...have you misunderstood something?" Huo Lan covered her mouth and chuckled.
She was already beautiful and charming, and now her smile was like a hundred flowers blooming, making her incomparably beautiful.
"Huh?" Bai blinked blankly.
"I see that you are quite capable, fellow Daoist, and I would like to invite you to participate in a great opportunity."
After Huo Lan finished speaking, she took half a step back and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect. "If I have caused you to misunderstand anything, then I have been presumptuous. I hope you will forgive me."
"No, it's not that serious." Bai was also a little confused, but still hurriedly reached out to support the other person's wrist.
She had a group of teammates with her, so we couldn't let her, as the leader, bow and apologize to them in public.
"No need for that," Bai stammered, changing the subject. "By the way, what opportunity did you mention? Where are you inviting me to go?"
"I recently came across something that shows the location of the Starfall Battlefield." Huo Lan said, taking out the map and stuffing it into Bai Ye's arms.
Bai also looked down at the old map tucked into her clothes. The parchment scroll still carried the warmth of another person's body and was now pressed against her chest.
She felt she couldn't keep up with the thought process of the cultivators from Xizhou. How could they all act so unpredictably? Was this woman too carefree? This thing was clearly a treasure map, and she just handed it to me. Was that really appropriate?
"Fellow Daoist agreed, right?" Huo Lan picked up Xiao Tai Huo, who was watching the show from the side, without further ado. "Then let's not waste any more time and set off immediately."
Before she finished speaking, she transformed into a streak of red light and soared into the sky, with the members of the Fire Fox Mercenary Group following suit on their swords.
Bai stood there, watching the group of people gradually disappear into the distance in the sky. Xiao Taihuo, perched on Huolan's shoulder, laughed heartlessly and waved to Jiaojiao.
They just flew away like that??
It flew away!?
They've left?
Bai, in a frenzy, spread his wings and chased after her, shouting, "Huolan!!! Do you know that this is human trafficking?"
A clear voice echoed across the sky, and the girls of the Fire Fox Squad burst into laughter. Their silvery laughter rose and fell, making the desolate desert seem a bit more lively.
"Fellow Daoist Bai, there's no need to stand on ceremony." Huo Lan turned to look at Bai Ye beside her, her eyes filled with obvious amusement. "Since we're teammates now, it's only right that I help you take care of your child."
She turned to the side, allowing Bai to see clearly that the silly Bai Taihuo was indeed nestled comfortably in Huolan's arms, his little head resting on her shoulder, looking extremely content.
Bai was almost furious. It turned out that this little girl hadn't listened to a single word of what she had taught her. She really was a silly girl who could be easily lured away by anyone.
"Fine, hug me if you want." Bai sighed helplessly. "You have to tell me where we're going now."
"The Starfall Battlefield is in the heart of the desert. Let's go to the oasis supply depot to rest first," Huo Lan replied.
Before nightfall, the group arrived at the oasis safely.
Since entering the Rama Desert, Bai had never seen an oasis before; this was the first time.
This supply station wasn't large; dozens of brownish-yellow rock houses were built next to the lake. Although simple, it was unusually lively.
On the open ground by the lake, the cultivators gathered in twos and threes. Some had set up stalls, selling goodies they had found in the desert. Many other cultivators had set up grills right there by the lake, the sizzling meat emitting an enticing aroma.
The strong aroma of wine mixed with the scent of meat made Bai swallow hard. Come to think of it, since entering the desert, she hadn't had a proper meal. Every day was spent traveling, without a moment's rest, and the food she had prepared in her storage ring hadn't been used at all.
The shopkeeper was a young woman dressed in a light blue gauze dress. She had a graceful figure, and her cultivation level was unfathomable, but she was definitely not simple.
As the group entered, she swayed her slender waist to greet them, "Oh dear, you've arrived rather late. There are only two rooms left today."
Huo Lan casually put her arm around Bai Ye's shoulder and said rather boldly, "I'll live with Fellow Daoist Bai, and the rest of you can squeeze in."
"Alright!" the innkeeper replied quickly, as if afraid of losing business. She handed over two small wooden plaques. "Guests, take these. There are protective restrictions carved in the stone house. Only the person holding the wooden plaque can open the restrictions. You can rest assured and I guarantee that not even a sand ant can crawl into the house."
Bai swallowed back the refusal she was about to utter. Once inside the desert, she would need to be constantly vigilant even when resting at night. This room, which offered a place to relax and rest, was indeed hard for her to refuse.
Huo Lan took the wooden plaque and handed one to Xiao Tai Huo, "Here you go, how about we set up a barbecue stall at the door with our sisters?"
"Okay." Bai Taihuo replied crisply, and followed the group of girls without any hesitation.
Huo Lan then turned to the shopkeeper: "Please help me prepare some hot water. We've been traveling for several days, so we need to take a good shower."
"Alright, I'll send it to you right away," the shopkeeper readily agreed.
"Thank you." Huo Lan thanked her with a smile, then naturally put her arm around Bai Ye's shoulder and led her to the room. "Let's go, Fellow Daoist Bai, you need to take a good shower."
Bai couldn't get a word in edgewise, and Huo Lan took care of everything. She was then led into the room in a daze, feeling a strange sense of disorientation.
Her gaze fell on Huolan, who was making the bed. She had a very strange feeling about this woman.
Even though it was only their second meeting, Huo Lan seemed to understand her very well. Several times she wanted to lose her temper, but Huo Lan would back down at the right moment, preventing her from getting angry.
"Sir, the hot water is here." The waiter's voice interrupted Bai Ye's thoughts.
Huo Lan went forward and opened the door. Xiao Er carried a huge bathtub into the room with one hand.
"Sir, the hot water is ready for you. Just call me when you're done washing, and I'll come and tidy up." The waiter then left the room.
The rising steam filled the room, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers and herbs.
Huo Lan leaned against the window, the afterglow of the setting sun falling on her shoulders. Her gaze fell on Bai Ye's blood-stained clothes. "Fellow Daoist Bai, aren't you going to wash up?"
"I took a bath." Bai nodded, glancing at Huo Lan who was standing motionless by the window, then at the bathtub. "Um, are you taking a bath too?"
"Oh?" Huo Lan's eyes narrowed slightly. She straightened up and slowly approached, her red lips almost touching Bai Ye's earlobe. "Fellow Daoist Bai, is it your wish that I'll wash with you?"
"No, no, no!" Bai also retreated in a panic until his back hit the wall with a "bang" before he stopped.
She waved her hands wildly, as if Huo Lan were some kind of filthy thing, "I have a Daoist partner, Fellow Daoist Huo, I really have a Daoist partner."
"Heh~" Huo Lan chuckled softly, her laughter carrying a hint of languid allure.
She slowly raised her hands and stretched. The leather armor, which fit her body perfectly, tightened with her movement, making her already graceful curves even more alluring.
"Just kidding. Go wash up, I'm going to check on their barbecue preparations." With that, she swayed her slender waist and left the room with a wobbly gait.
Bai glanced at the tightly closed door, checked it several times to make sure no one could get in, and then took off his clothes and stepped into the bathtub.
Enveloped in warm water, Bai couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, "A hot bath is definitely the most comfortable thing to do."
Do you know why she ordered hot water for you?
"Why?" Bai replied lazily.
[Because the piglets need to be washed clean before eating.]
"Xiao Wang, do you think it's possible that Zhong Jiuli saved me last night, and then, worried about me, transformed into Huolan to come and see me today?" Bai boldly speculated.
Why don't you skip the barbecue and just go to sleep? You can dream about anything.
"Okay, I also think it's unlikely. Zhong Jiuli would only do something so thankless if she was bored out of her mind." Bai also splashed some hot water on his face, trying to clear his head.
By the lake, Huo Lan suddenly burst out laughing for some reason. She picked up a skewer of golden-brown, glistening meat and waved it lightly in front of Xiao Tai Huo, teasing the little guy like a greedy cat, making "woof woof" noises, which made several young girls burst into laughter.
By the time Bai finished showering and changed into clean clothes, it was already completely dark outside.
A huge bonfire was lit by the lake, dispelling some of the night's chill.
"Over here." Huo Lan's voice cut through the noisy crowd and clearly reached Bai Ye's ears.
She sat in the brightest spot by the campfire, the firelight illuminating her smiling eyes and brows. When Bai approached, she patted the soft cushion beside her and said, "Sit here."
Bai quickly walked a few steps and sat down next to her.
"Eat up, I just grilled these for you." Huo Lan shoved a skewer of meat at Bai without a word. Bai instinctively took it and held it in his hand, glancing at the strange-looking thing in the firelight.
"What is this?"
Huo Lan leaned closer to her, her voice low and tinged with laughter, "A desert specialty, roasted fire lizard, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it smells amazing."
Bai's face turned slightly pale. He swallowed hard and silently put down the large handful of meat skewers. "Sorry, I just suddenly remembered that I'm on a diet today and can't eat meat."
"What? A dignified Nascent Soul cultivator, afraid of a skewer of roasted fire lizards?" Huo Lan raised an eyebrow, grabbed a skewer of roasted lizards, and stuffed it into Jiao Jiao's mouth.
Jiaojiao opened her mouth and took it, eating it without looking up, "Yezai, this is so delicious!"
"Then you can eat them all." Bai also gave all the roasted fire lizards to Jiao Jiao.
Huo Lan gave a wink, and the team members understood. They brought out the roasted spirit sheep, which was golden and glistening with oil. "If you don't eat roasted fire lizards, you can at least eat roasted spirit sheep, right? This is an oasis specialty, spirit sheep raised by the innkeeper himself. It's very expensive."
Bai knew perfectly well that the woman was teasing her. Somewhat annoyed, she tore off a leg of lamb and took a big, vicious bite, as if she were biting not lamb but the hateful woman beside her.
"Don't just eat meat, drink some wine too. This is a special wine from the oasis supply point to keep you warm. After a few cups, you won't be afraid of the night chill." Huo Lan handed over a cup of wine.
Bai also took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Only after swallowing did he realize how extraordinary the wine was.
A surge of intense heat shot from his throat straight to his dantian, as if he had swallowed a lump of magma. Bai's eyes lit up, and his fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson. "Such strong liquor, another one, please."
Huo Lan poured her another glass, saying, "Drink slowly, this wine is very strong."
Bai also picked up her wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, completely ignoring her advice. She was no longer the little tiger she used to be; now, she drank from a whole jar, and she wouldn't get drunk so easily.
The result, of course, was that he got drunk!
"Another cup!" Bai Ye stood up boldly, holding a lamb leg in one hand and a cup in the other, but his legs gave way and he slumped into Huo Lan's arms.
The soft spot on her cheek didn't hurt at all; instead, it smelled wonderful. Bai's already confused mind became even more dizzy.
Huo Lan reached out and put her arm around Bai's waist, then asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Bai, is this... a chance encounter?"
"Hmm, Huolan, you're a bad woman." Bai Ye raised his rosy face, his bright amber eyes misty with tears, and his breath carried a strong aroma of alcohol, making Huolan seem a little drunk as well.
"Fellow Daoist Bai, please don't slander me. What have I done wrong?" Huo Lan lowered her eyes, looking at Bai Ye, who was drunk and acting crazy in her arms.
“You’re just as bad as Zhong Jiuli, you’re both bad women.” Bai Ye cried out about how bad Zhong Jiuli was, while pushing the woman in front of her away. “I’m already Bai Niu Gulu, the heartless and loveless Ye, I don’t need you to hug me.”
She stumbled and staggered, clutching the lamb leg, towards the house.
"Take good care of them," Huo Lan instructed, quickly following Bai Ye's steps. She was worried that the drunkard might run into someone else's house and get beaten up, which would be terrible.
Bai, still tipsy, hadn't gone far when Huo Lan caught up with her. She pulled her into her arms, snatched the lamb leg from her hand, and said, "Don't eat anymore, let's go back to the room and sleep, okay?"
"No, I'm not full yet." Bai snatched the lamb leg back from her and took a big bite.
Huo Lan helped her to sit down on a rock by the lake. "Let's sit here and eat before going back inside."
A night breeze swept by, bringing a chill. Bai seemed to have sobered up, yet also seemed even more drunk. In any case, she became more obedient. When Huo Lan told her to sit down, she sat obediently, slowly gnawing on the lamb leg in her hand.
Only after she had completely devoured the whole leg of lamb did Huo Lan snatch the clean bone from her mouth.
"I'm full, how about we go back to sleep?"
Bai, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, stared at the woman beside him. "Zhong Jiuli, why do you look so different?"
"Fellow Daoist Bai, look carefully, who am I?"
"I don't want to watch," Bai said, shaking his head.
"So what do you want to do?"
“I think… I have a wife, but I don’t have one. Oh right, my mother is gone, and my wife doesn’t want me anymore.” Bai finished speaking, stood up, and marched back.
Huo Lan followed closely behind her.
The lakeside fell completely silent, and the roaring campfire gradually died down.
Inside the rock house, Huolan laid the drunken Bai down on the bed, wrung out a hot towel, sat sideways on the bed, and wiped the little drunkard's dirty cheeks.
"Zhong Jiuli..." Bai also grabbed her wrist and muttered, "Why did you come back to find me again?"
"I've heard you mention this name repeatedly. Is this your Daoist partner?"
"No, she is not my Daoist partner. She is a heartless scumbag. She slept with me and then abandoned me."
Huo Lan felt a slight throbbing in her temples. This person, even drunk, still managed to smear her name—why had she traveled all this way to find her?
"Why aren't you saying anything? Do you also think she's a bad woman?" Bai pressed on relentlessly.
"Yes, yes, yes. She's a bad woman. Now that bad woman isn't here, let's wipe our faces clean and go to sleep," Huo Lan said irritably.
Her hands moved swiftly, unbuttoning Bai Ye's clothes and wiping the wine stains from his neck. With that kind of vigilance, if she hadn't been watching him, he probably would have been devoured in a few days, leaving not even a trace.
A hot towel was applied, and Bai felt so comfortable that she made a little pig-like grunt.
Huo Lan raised her hand and slapped away the outstretched hand. "Stop making a fuss and be quiet, or I'll roast you and eat you in a bit."
Bai also mumbled, "You're a bad woman too. You bad women like to deceive young girls, don't you?"
"Who do you think you are?" Huo Lan scoffed. "What blind woman would want a drunkard like you?"
Even so, she kept working until she had wiped the white cloth clean, then quietly got up and tossed the cloth back into the copper basin.
After washing her hands and returning to the bedside, she saw Bai Ye still staring at her with his eyes full of tears.
"You little drunkard, why are you staring at me instead of sleeping?"
Bai blinked, then hugged the blanket and shrank further into the bed. "I have to be careful of you. What if you do something bad to me while I'm asleep?"
"Heh~" Huo Lan laughed in anger, and simply leaned forward, propping herself up on the bed with one hand, looking down at her, "What are you worried I'll do to you? You still dare to get drunk and stay in the same room with me?"
"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Bai is actually expecting me to do something to you?"
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Author's Note: [Hugs][Hugs][Hugs] It's Huolan~~~
Sister Zhong is about to start her tiger-training mode; the poor little guy is in big trouble. [Evil grin]
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