Chapter 40 A breath, clearly discernible, in an unknown place.
Just like the tidal wave during the flood season, countless twisted and ugly "hands" mingled together and pounced on the two of them!
Jiang Geyun's pupils contracted slightly, and she took a step back.
Turning his head again, he found that Chao Wujiu's figure had disappeared without him noticing.
The "wave" approached even faster than the puppets. In the blink of an eye, the once spacious room was filled with black "hands," leaving only a small open space in the middle.
Jiang Geyun quickly began to mentally calculate the techniques Pei Xueyi had taught her.
However, she had only just learned the theory and was not yet proficient in using many techniques.
When dealing with someone who is communicable but has ill intentions, one might be able to stall with words until they resort to more complex techniques.
However, Chao Wujiu's memories have faded, and in this situation, there is no one to talk to.
Faced with this chaotic monster that has no emotions and no possibility of communication, there is only one way: head-on confrontation!
The fire of one's destiny can ward off evil spirits and burn away malevolent influences. It can be molded into all things and is the simplest and most direct method.
With a firm resolve, Jiang Geyun exerted all her strength, forming hand seals and bracing herself to draw a pillar-shaped "fire wall," praying that it would have some effect.
A thin layer of golden "fire wall" surrounded the two, which didn't seem very reliable.
Su Heng did not retreat an inch, standing behind Jiang Geyun, a calm smile still on his face.
If Jiang Geyun saw this, she would definitely complain to herself, wondering what the big villain was up to this time.
The good news is that the black "tide" stopped moving when it touched the light gold "wall". The hand-shaped things seemed to have been burned and timidly withdrew a lot of their movement.
The bad news is that before Jiang Geyun could retract the hand seal she had made, the first layer of "hands" hit a wall and retreated, but the "hands" behind her did not stop. Endless waves rose one after another!
The "firewall" has limited effectiveness.
Moreover, simply erecting it won't solve everything. Everything has its limits, and this "firewall" is no exception; it requires a continuous supply of energy.
Fighting against someone else on their home turf is far too difficult for a newcomer like her; even the most talented person would find it hard to handle.
A fine layer of sweat quickly seeped out from Jiang Geyun's forehead.
She could clearly feel the strands of hair sticking to her forehead and cheeks, but she had neither the will nor the strength to brush them away.
She mustered her strength and turned to look at Su Heng.
Hopefully, the main villain will be of some use.
It's not that she wants to rely on the main villain.
The fact that he ended up in this situation is more or less related to the fact that the main villain suddenly angered "Chao Wujiu". He is usually so cautious, so he shouldn't be so reckless. He must have had a backup plan.
Be responsible!
The instant Jiang Geyun turned her head, a hand broke through the weak point of the "fire wall" and struck precisely at her head!
The shadowy figure flashed across Su Heng's eyes.
He smiled deeply but made no move.
Jiang Geyun instinctively sensed danger and was about to turn around when a white light suddenly emanated from the hairpin in her hair.
The white light collided with the black "hand," and the two canceled each other out, emitting a very low hissing sound.
Jiang Geyun frowned as she looked at the spot where the two energies had disappeared, then dared not move and focused on casting her spell.
Just then, a familiar shadow loomed over her head once again.
It was that umbrella painted with white camellias.
Su Heng's voice came from above the back of her neck.
"There is no need to resist."
No need to resist?
Jiang Geyun became suspicious, and many guesses instantly popped into her mind, such as—could the people around her have been replaced?
Unfortunately, she doesn't have much time to think things through right now.
Jiang Geyun had no choice but to believe that the main villain was powerful and that her speculation about the crisis was just an illusion.
Jiang Geyun slowly lowered her hands.
The golden "fire wall" dissipated into the void from top to bottom.
Upon seeing this, a black "wave" surged forth!
However, they remained stationary in front of the two, unable to advance an inch.
Jiang Geyun looked up at the familiar umbrella.
This umbrella is clearly not the so-called "green bone" umbrella, yet it can still have this effect.
Considering that the world they were in was created by a reclusive painter in Changxingfang, the umbrella shopkeeper might actually have such skill.
Changxingfang is surprisingly full of hidden talents...
The crisis has been temporarily averted.
The black "waves" in front of them kept trying to touch the two of them, but they could not succeed.
Su Heng showed no emotion of "surviving a disaster," but instead said casually, "Lord Jiang has many ways to save his life."
Jiang Geyun turned around and met Su Heng's gaze.
She understood that the villain was referring to the unusual condition of the hairpin.
Heaven can bear witness, this really wasn't her decision.
That day in the Yinguang Tower, seeing that Shouzhuo could not be relied upon, Wuer turned to the hairpin in Jiang Geyun's hair and suggested using a hairpin instead.
Jiang Geyun considered it for a moment and ultimately rejected his proposal.
Firstly, she didn't trust Ur that much. Secondly, there were many extraordinary people in the capital, and if they discovered that this was Ur's doing, it could become a threat to the two of them.
Unexpectedly, Ur secretly separated his soul and attached it to the hairpin.
Objectively speaking, Ur's actions helped Jiang Geyun, but Jiang Geyun still felt a lingering unease.
She disliked this approach that disregarded her wishes.
Even if it's "for her own good," it's not acceptable.
The result was good this time, but what about next time?
Is her concern unfounded?
Even if it were truly necessary, couldn't Ur have tried to persuade her again?
Now look what's happened; he's being interrogated by the main villain.
Jiang Geyun sighed softly and said, "To be honest, Your Highness, I know nothing about this."
After she finished speaking, she was about to explain further.
Su Heng replied, "I believe in Lord Jiang."
Seeing the villain's sudden, relieved smile, Jiang Geyun was quite puzzled, but she couldn't find any information to ask him. Helplessly, she swallowed back the explanation she had prepared.
Jiang Geyun's hand touched the hairpin again, her thoughts were completely different from when she did this last time. Back then, she was still hesitating about whether she should agree to Wuer's request, but now she only felt irritable.
The bad behavior achieved a reasonably good result, and I don't even know how to express my frustration.
Su Heng asked in a low voice, "Is Lord Jiang troubled by not knowing what to do with this thing?"
Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds, then replied helplessly, "Your Highness is indeed wise; I do have this worry."
She felt that she was still not strong enough. If she were strong enough, she wouldn't have such worries. She would have been able to sense Ur's methods earlier.
Having received Jiang Geyun's verbal confirmation, Su Heng's smile deepened.
He said, "Why don't we just leave it here?"
As he spoke, Su Heng looked directly into Jiang Geyun's eyes.
—During the Qingming Festival, it is as clear and vibrant as crystal; when feeling lost, it is as shrouded in mist. The longer you look at it, the more you feel like you are trapped in the mountains, unable to escape.
Su Heng extended his hand to her.
Jiang Geyun was captivated by his actions and looked down at him.
His bone structure is well-proportioned, like flawless jade.
Su Heng's words carried a hint of guidance as he asked, "Should I resolve this for Lord Jiang?"
There was silence for a moment.
Jiang Geyun ultimately shook her head.
Ul meant well; if destroying the hairpin had any negative impact on Ul, it would be as if she owed Ul something.
We'll talk things out when we get back.
Despite the rejection of his proposal, Su Heng's expression remained unchanged, still calm and composed.
He withdrew his hand and said calmly, "It was my oversight. Was this hairpin something Lord Jiang used to perform magic?"
Upon hearing Su Heng's explanation, Jiang Geyun instantly understood why the umbrella could be used. Presumably, the umbrella's material was special enough to serve as a means of casting spells, though the degree of its effect varied.
In other words, any bamboo umbrella can be used as a spellcasting tool, but the green bone umbrella is simply more effortless and has a more obvious effect.
Humans are naturally adept at using tools to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Her previous reliance on brute force to cast spells must have seemed very...naive.
It's not her fault. She had just been given a lecture by Pei Xueyi on principles that she couldn't digest in a short time, so it was too much to ask her to understand them immediately.
Awakened by Su Heng's words, Jiang Geyun touched the Shouzhuo sword at her waist and made some plans in her mind.
She's not strong enough now, but that's okay. She'll learn step by step until she clears Su Guang's name and removes all the shackles that are meant to bind her.
The world is vast and open; it's just adversity, not a dead end.
She said to Su Heng, "Just as Your Highness said, I will take care of it once this matter is settled."
Su Heng concealed his emotions and said gently, "No need to say more, this is Lord Jiang's prerogative."
Then, he pointed to the door and asked Jiang Geyun, "Shall we leave for now and find another way out?"
Jiang Geyun nodded, and then worried that her reaction was not enough. Just as she was about to add something like "Your Highness has considered everything carefully," Su Heng suddenly took a step closer to her.
The already short distance between the two was further reduced by a few inches.
Su Heng said, "The space under the umbrella is limited, so you need to be careful if you want to move around."
Jiang Geyun remained silent for a moment, then silently moved a little closer to Su Heng.
A relentless black tide surged from all around.
The two men, each holding an umbrella, carved out a path through the surrounding area.
At this point, Jiang Geyun had to admit that going through hardships together was indeed beneficial for cultivating feelings.
In the quiet space under the umbrella, you could clearly hear the breathing of the people around you.
The temperature seems to have risen slightly.
Jiang Geyun unconsciously pursed her lips, her thoughts a jumbled mess, unable to grasp anything for the moment.
Therefore, she had no way of noticing that something unseen appeared behind them. The surging, terrifying black tide stopped its menacing attack and retreated in pain and fear, ultimately unable to resist, and silently dissipated.
Once the door was completely closed behind them, the room had turned pure white, and everything was gone.
Su Heng's eyes were filled with indifference. He turned his gaze away from the room and paused for a moment in Jiang Geyun's hair.
...
Back in the corridor, Jiang Geyun breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out from under the umbrella, her movements slightly stiff.
Su Heng smiled gently, lowered his head to close the umbrella, and hugged it back into his arms.
Jiang Geyun coughed lightly, breaking the silence, and asked, "Your Highness... what should we do next?"
Jiang Geyun was used to finding solutions on her own, but just now she suddenly remembered that this predicament was not just her problem. When it comes to sharing hardships, we should think together.
So what if he's a major villain? If he can be used, then we'll use him!
Su Heng chuckled and said, "What I just said was an incomplete guess. Would Lord Jiang like to hear my true thoughts?"
The corridor remained as dark as ever, and perhaps influenced by this gloom, a different meaning flickered in Su Heng's eyes.
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Author's Note: Some readers may have missed the announcement, so I'll reiterate it here. The chapters will be available for purchase in a few days. I've counted them and plan to start from chapter 21. Once the date is finalized, I'll post it in the announcement the day before. For now, I'm trying to build up a draft (can I really manage that?!) and give readers who have been waiting for more chapters some time to read the earlier ones. There will be a giveaway after the chapters go on sale, so don't miss it!
There will be another update tomorrow (non-VIP version), where I'll finish writing about the world in the painting and let everyone read this part in its entirety. I'll probably save it for later and not update it the day after tomorrow, and then update a longer version when it becomes VIP! Thank you all for your companionship in the past and future, muah!
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