Chapter 38 Cloud Mountain Chaos Lightly Touches
Seeing Jiang Geyun looking at him, Su Heng gave her a reassuring smile.
The villain's calm demeanor is really misleading.
If Jiang Geyun hadn't known exactly who the "mastermind" was, she might have made a mental note of him as evidence that "this person is dangerous and suspicious, so be careful."
When he wears black, she feels that even if someone else's blood were splattered on him, it would leave no trace; this person is so deep and terrifying. When he wears light-colored clothes, she feels that this person, being in a high position, must be able to let his subordinates do the work without getting his own hands dirty; this person is so deep and terrifying.
In short, it's extremely terrifying.
Jiang Geyun's rebellion against the system and her vigilance against the relentless pressure made it impossible for her to view Su Heng in a normal and natural way.
Such a sudden situation didn't even make him show any surprise. It's hard to tell if he's too confident or if he's just used to putting on a calm facade.
...Anyway, Jiang Geyun is the latter.
She was genuinely terrified at the moment the world changed so drastically.
Remembering her official duties, Jiang Geyun still stepped to Su Heng's side and shielded him behind her. While observing him, she said, "Your Highness, please be careful."
Su Heng lowered his gaze, sweeping over her back.
Although it was a thick black all around, it was different from night. To be precise, this blackness seemed to have been smeared on all the things around it, covering their true colors.
Therefore, both of them can still clearly see their surroundings and each other.
Su Heng's voice came from behind her, "Does Lord Jiang know why I have come here?"
Jiang Geyun was frowning as she looked at the space in front of her. Upon hearing this, she replied, "I hope Your Highness can enlighten me."
Su Heng asked, "Does Lord Jiang think the painting is an inanimate object?"
The thick black color seemed to be flowing.
Or perhaps it's just an illusion created by the flow of light and shadow.
Jiang Geyun was on high alert, engaging all her senses, wary of any potential danger that might strike at any moment.
The endless blackness stretched to the horizon, seemingly boundless, unlike anything in the real world.
The surroundings were completely silent, so not only were there no sounds of conversation, but even the sound of breathing was very clear.
She spared some attention and replied, "Since Your Highness says so, the answer must be 'no'?"
Behind him, Su Heng's voice drew closer.
He said, “Lord Jiang is wise, which is why I came here. The painter who lives in seclusion here is extraordinary. When facing the same painting, people may see their own memories and even desires.”
Jiang Geyun was fully on guard and did not react for the time being.
After a few more breaths, she suddenly understood Su Heng's words.
She also recalled a rather... magical painting she had once seen.
The details of that time instantly came to mind.
The afternoon sky was clear and clean, the air was dry and slightly cool, and the scent of ink and paper from books wafted over the shelves. In the painting, two people had their hair intertwined and their fingers clasped together.
They could hear each other's breath.
Suddenly, a soft breath brushed against the back of her neck, and Su Heng's voice was very close, "What has Lord Jiang remembered?"
Jiang Geyun suddenly turned around and took a few steps back, waving her hand in shock.
She said, "No, no, no, Your Highness, please continue, please continue."
As soon as she finished speaking, she cursed herself in her heart.
Why make such a commotion! This definitely doesn't seem like it was for no reason!
Fortunately, Su Heng didn't say anything more.
He smiled and straightened up, saying, "It's like seeing another world, another version of myself."
Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds before answering, "...So, Your Highness wants to use paintings to investigate the case?"
Su Heng said, "That's right. I wanted to ask for the painting, but I didn't expect to get involved in this and implicate Lord Jiang."
Jiang Ge thought to herself, "It's better not to say that. Given the messy relationship between the two, it's hard to say who is dragging whom down."
Just as she was about to reply, Su Heng's gaze fell on what was behind her, and he suddenly smiled.
For a moment, Jiang Geyun hesitated, unsure whether she should turn around.
She asked somewhat stiffly, "Your Highness, what interesting thing have you seen?"
“It’s nothing new,” Su Heng said. “Someone wants us dead.”
Oh, I see. It's not exactly new.
Um?
Jiang Geyun quickly turned around, shielding Su Heng behind her, and placed her hand on Shouzhuo, ready to strike.
At the edge of their field of vision, a small brown dot appeared in the distance, resembling a humanoid creature, moving rapidly toward the two of them!
After a brief moment of deliberation, Jiang Geyun made a decisive decision and turned to Su Heng, saying, "Your Highness, let's go quickly!"
Su Heng's hand, which had been resting on the umbrella in his arm, raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand upon hearing Jiang Geyun's words.
Just as he was about to say something, Jiang Geyun didn't give him a chance, grabbing his hand and fleeing in the opposite direction of danger.
The monotonous blackness flew backward, my heart pounding like a rapid drumbeat.
Under the influence of adrenaline, Jiang Geyun felt like she had inexhaustible energy.
Of course, there's also the reason why she was able to summon her natal fire with Pei Xueyi's help.
Jiang Geyun couldn't see it, but the golden brand on the back of her right hand was slowly flashing, like breathing.
Midway through the escape, she even took a moment to look back, worried that Su Heng's stamina wouldn't keep up.
Clearly, she was overthinking it.
Seeing her turn around, Su Heng, who was being pulled by her, smiled at her with a natural expression.
Further away, the brown humanoid figure was so close that its face was almost clearly visible.
Jiang Geyun withdrew her gaze and continued her escape.
This interruption made her suddenly notice that there were strange phenomena in what she thought was an endless, identical black "corridor".
Every so often, a door will appear on one side.
The same scene kept repeating itself, and if it weren't for the pursuers behind her, she would have almost thought that this "corridor" was connected end to end and in an infinite loop.
Upon noticing the room, Jiang Geyun acted decisively, pulling Su Heng to the door and attempting to open it to hide inside.
Unfortunately, the door was locked and couldn't be pushed open directly.
That brief pause was enough for the thing behind them to catch up!
The brown humanoid was the same puppet the two had seen in Changxingfang, only its skin was paler and its features were not natural enough. It seemed to have been made for a single function, and no further details were added.
It may look rough, but it's quite functional.
A knife popped out of the puppet's hand and slashed down at the two of them!
The sound of something cutting through the air still lingers in my ears.
Jiang Geyun pushed Su Heng away, drew her Shouzhuo sword, dodged the slash, and used the momentum to stab the puppet's neck.
As expected, no blood flowed.
The puppet tilted its head and glanced at Jiang Geyun, seemingly puzzled.
The next moment, the puppet's skull rolled off.
Just as Jiang Geyun was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she discovered that although the puppet's head had been severed, its body could still move.
The headless puppet clumsily pulled out the knife that had gotten stuck to the side with its two arms, turned towards Jiang Geyun, and the head on the ground turned its eyes and rolled towards the body.
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and stared at the puppet's shoulder.
That's the joint where its arms connect to its upper body.
Jiang Geyun pulled Shouzhuo out of the puppet's broken neck as fast as she could and tried to stab it into its joint.
Losing just one arm might not be enough to stop the knife from falling.
But she had no time to calculate the possibilities; she could only pray that she would try her best.
She had just drawn her sword, Shouzhuo, and was about to act with a resolute intent—
The puppet stopped moving first.
It's not just that the movement stopped.
Many cracks appeared on the puppet's body, and light leaked out from the cracks.
It's like the prelude to an impending explosion.
Jiang Geyun was stunned for a moment, her mind racing to process everything that was happening before her eyes.
Before she could sort out her thoughts, a gentle yet irresistible force pulled her backward.
Her legs buckled, she lost her balance, and fell backward into a pre-planned embrace.
Behind me was a chest that felt somewhat familiar, and in front of me was an open umbrella.
The white camellia has a light and elegant color, but its overlapping petals have a different kind of intricate and delicate beauty.
In a world entirely black, a sliver of white suddenly appears.
The shattered fragments of the puppet hit the umbrella, making a rustling sound.
The umbrella surface looked like ordinary oiled paper, but it was surprisingly tough enough that Jiang Geyun was safe and sound under its protection.
Only the still-breathing and heartbeats indicate that danger once existed.
The rustling sound of the fragments hitting the ground gradually subsided.
Jiang Geyun's breathing rhythm had returned to normal, but her heartbeat was still pounding in her ears, rapid and hurried.
She took two more deep breaths.
When she finally felt mentally prepared, she didn't move her body but turned to look at the person behind her.
Their eyes met.
Su Heng lowered his eyelashes, his expression gentle.
What had just happened was indeed not enough to move him.
He leaned down slightly, closing the already short distance even further, and his cool fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushed against her cheek, plucking a brown flake from her shoulder.
Jiang Geyun's mind was in complete confusion.
She couldn't sort out her thoughts, and the only idea she could grasp was—"Who is whose bodyguard?"
Su Heng said unhurriedly, "As a Night Watcher who has just returned from a mission seriously injured, Lord Jiang is already very reliable."
Jiang Geyun looked down at the arm that was across her waist.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she took half a step forward.
Su Heng's arm was only loosely around her waist. As soon as she moved, he withdrew his hand and put his arm behind his back.
The umbrella was lifted, revealing the complete mess behind it.
Jiang Geyun was speechless at the mess in front of her. Then, she turned around and saw Su Heng closing the umbrella with one hand, while the other hand was still behind his back.
She recalled that inexplicable sense of familiarity, her gaze fixed on his shirt, which she had tousled by her pillow.
Jiang Geyun opened her mouth as if to speak, but the tightly closed door beside them opened from the inside.
A young, tender voice rang out.
"Knock once is enough, why knock so many times?"
A little girl stood behind the door, her clothes stained with various colors of paint, making it impossible to discern their original colors.
Standing against a black background, it resembles a firework suddenly bursting into bloom in the night sky.
The girl saw the two people standing in front of the door clearly.
Her gaze moved from Su Heng's wrinkled sleeves and front to Jiang Geyun's slightly flushed cheeks and loose hair, which were flushed from the strenuous exercise.
Her eyes became suspicious.
Jiang Geyun followed the girl's gaze for a moment, then froze.
—Shut up! Come up with an explanation!
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Author's Note: What happened the other day was incredibly exhausting. I was practically using up all my saved-up chapters. I started rehabilitation today, so writing is a bit slow. Hopefully, there won't be any more of these kinds of situations in the future! I'll try my best to be on time. I like this sense of order and reassurance, so I hope the adults can feel it too [pity].
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