Main story begins
The plot developments came faster than Han Jiang had imagined.
During lunch, Hanqi suddenly brought up the matter of the Vermilion Bird Pavilion.
Hanqi asked Hanjiang, "Senior sister, why do all the senior brothers and sisters say that I will go to the Vermilion Bird Pavilion in the future?"
“When the three sects compete for the treasure, the Vermilion Bird Pavilion will select the most outstanding disciples from the four major sects. With your abilities, everyone will definitely guess that you will be chosen.”
Han Jiang thought there was nothing wrong with those words, but Han Qi fell silent after hearing them.
Ever since Hanqi moved into the villa next to Hanjiang's, Hanjiang has been observing her every move like a "voyeur."
Because Wen Xu didn't know the exact time of the male and female protagonists' first meeting, he only knew the location.
Therefore, the date can only be determined by Hanqi's action plan.
Every day, Han Jiang would remind Han Qi, "Junior Sister, you must tell your senior sister where you're going! You absolutely must tell her! Especially when you leave the Four Continents Sect!"
Han Qi was always embarrassed by this and would say, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. I will remember it!"
The lunch was unusually quiet; normally, the female students would chat for quite a while.
"Senior sister, is Master in Cold Mountain?"
"It should be there, what's wrong?"
I want to go out for a while.
"Go out?! Where to?" Han Jiang exclaimed excitedly.
The Four Continents Sect is not strictly managed, and disciples are free to leave. If they leave for more than a day, they just need to send a message to the sect elder.
Hanqi looked troubled: "Senior sister, don't worry, I'll be back soon."
Han Jiang wasn't worried about Han Qi at all. She was the female lead, with her own protagonist aura—what was there to worry about? Han Jiang was worried about Wen Xu's mission, and more concerned about getting home!
Wen Xu has promised Han Jiang that he will bring her back to the real world after completing the mission.
"When will Junior Sister go?" Asking about the time is the most important thing.
"If Master agrees, we may set off tomorrow morning."
Han Jiang said, "Then I'll go with my junior sister to ask Master."
Han Tian initially thought Han Jiang was going out with Han Qi, and asked a lot of questions. But when he heard that it was just Han Qi alone, he readily agreed.
How could we possibly go together during the Cold Rain season? It's so far and tiring, let Wenxu handle it.
All she needs to do is stall Han Qi tomorrow, and then she will meet Wen Xu, the male lead, tomorrow.
If you're talking about getting up at six in the morning, Hanjiang definitely won't be able to get up, but getting up to six in the morning is quite easy for him.
Hold off Hanqi, complete the mission, and then sleep all day.
This was her expected plan.
However, plans often go awry.
"Oh, junior sister! You're leaving so early!" Han Jiang awkwardly squatted down at the door and greeted Han Qi.
Hanqi said, "Senior Sister, you're up very early too."
"Um—oh dear! Senior sister suddenly feels unwell! My head hurts so much! My body aches so much too! Can you set off again tomorrow?" Han Jiang suddenly fell ill and collapsed to the ground.
Hanqi quickly helped Hanjiang into the house.
Although the acting was exaggerated, sudden, and slightly fake, Han Qi believed it.
"Junior sister, senior sister is dying..." Han Jiang leaned against the headboard, half-covered by the quilt, like a seriously ill person in a TV drama, slowly raised one hand, pointing in a certain direction as if it were not.
"I'll go and call the Third Elder," Han Qi said.
The Third Elder is Wen Wan.
"No!" Han Jiang sat up, but after Han Qi turned around, she lay back down. "What I mean is... we shouldn't trouble the elder."
"But aren't you dying?"
"I'm still somewhat capable."
Han Jiang thought to herself: I'm a professional actor, I can't laugh on set.
Judging by the time, Wen Xu had set off before Han Qi and should have arrived by now, waiting for the male lead.
"I'll be fine if you take care of me for a day. It shouldn't interfere with my junior sister's affairs, right?" Han Jiang said softly.
Hanqi thought for a moment and said, "It won't delay. I'll go and tell Master."
"Hey! Hey!" Han Jiang shouted, "Don't tell Master!" If Han Tian were to tell him, everything would be over.
"Why do you want to go out, junior sister?" Han Jiang forcibly changed the subject.
"I'm going to Shenlu Valley to find a certain herb." Hanqi wasn't completely fooled. "I heard that my senior sister's voice is full of energy, so I guess she's alright. I'll go today."
Han Jiang immediately shrank back onto the bed: "Senior sister is still not quite there, why don't you stay with her a little longer?"
Han Qi only said half of his agreement when the light in his eyes suddenly dimmed, and he walked mechanically toward the door as if he were being manipulated.
Han Jiang jumped up and tried to grab Han Qi, but was thrown away.
"Hanqi!" Hanjiang tried to wake Hanqi.
Hanqi seemed to be bewitched, walking forward on his own.
Han Jiang had no choice but to follow along. She didn't possess any magic to transmit sound, so she couldn't contact Wen Xu.
Hanqi worked tirelessly like a robot, which made things difficult for Hanjiang following behind, as he couldn't rest for a moment and had to keep walking.
If there were a step count record, it would have broken 10,000 long ago.
Thank goodness Hanqi can't fly on a sword, otherwise, with her flying in the sky and Hanjiang chasing after her, it would be a real nightmare.
Shenlu Valley is located in Yanzhou, southwest of the Four States Sect. It would take Hanqi a whole day to walk there.
"Han Xiaoman, didn't you tell your master that you weren't coming out with Han Qi?"
Han Jiang jumped back abruptly, taking several steps back in a defensive stance, staring at the newcomer: "What are you doing here?"
"The world is so vast, I can be wherever I want." Cang Jingqi smiled insincerely, revealing no true emotion.
Not wanting to waste time on this person, Hanqi walked away.
"It seems you two aren't together—you're following her?" Cang Jingqi's words were ambiguous.
"Mind your own business!" Han Jiang retorted, then belatedly realized it was impolite, adding, "Your Highness, you must be very busy, right?"
Cang Jing said, "No rush, let's wander around. Let's go!"
Where to go?
"Weren't you going to follow your junior sister? She's already far away." Cang Jingqi really didn't run into Han Jiang on purpose. He just happened to be on his way to Chenlu Valley when he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure on the way.
Darkness fell, and fog rose.
Let alone the cold maple, you can't see anything in the cold frost.
It's over.
I should have eaten more carrots more often — but never mind, they taste awful, I'd better not eat them.
The ground was dry, with no footprints to be found. The cold snap was getting faster and faster, and there was no other way but to—
It's been abandoned.
Since she couldn't find it anyway, she simply sat down on the ground. Having not slept all night and walked all day, she felt that she was not far from sudden death.
"Why did you suddenly sit down? What, did you lose track of your junior sister?" Cang Jingqi had been following Han Jiang closely.
Han Jiang looked at Cang Jingqi for help: "Your Highness, have you seen Han Qi?"
"without."
Han Jiang said irritably, "You're really useless..."
Cang Jing scoffed, "Useless? It's not like I was the one who wanted to follow someone. You lost them yourself and now you're blaming me?"
“I didn’t call that stalking. I was just worried that something might happen to her, so I followed behind her to make sure she was safe.”
"Oh, now that you mention it, I had misunderstood you. It turns out you're such a kind senior sister."
"That's right!" Han Jiang said smugly. "Stop arguing and hurry up and find someone!"
Cang Jingqi unfolded his folding fan and leisurely stepped into the thick fog.
Han Jiang hurriedly followed.
In the latter half of the night, as the weather gradually cleared, Hanqi's silhouette could finally be faintly seen.
Thankfully, I didn't lose them.
The next morning, they arrived at Shenlu Valley, and Hanqi woke up.
I woke up at just the right time.
The Valley of Fallen Egrets is said to be named so because egrets flying overhead would be affected by a special force nearby and fall from the sky, sinking into the valley.
"Eh? Senior Sister, weren't we just at the Four Continents Sect?" Han Qi turned her head and saw Han Jiang behind her.
The cold weather has left me breathless with exhaustion.
"I don't know either, you just suddenly started walking out..."
"Senior sister, are you feeling better?"
"..." How is Han Jiang supposed to answer this? If I say it's not ready, can we go back?
Cang Jingqi chimed in, "Han Xiaoman, are you sick?"
"It's nothing serious." We can't let Cang Jingqi know, otherwise he'll definitely tell Han Tian.
"But..." Hanqi's mouth was covered by Hanjiang.
Han Jiang: "No buts—Junior Sister, weren't you looking for herbs? I can help you find some!"
Cang Jingqi didn't know when he left, which was good, saving Han Jiang from having to pretend.
Hanqi's unconscious behavior is really suspicious, as if he is forcing himself to follow the plot.
As the female protagonist, while enjoying the halo of the female lead, she is also firmly bound by her identity.
Hanjiang asked Wenxu why the female lead came to Shenlu Valley, and Wenxu said that the book didn't explain it much.
It seems like the plot was simply designed to create a chance encounter with the male lead.
"Senior sister, this is what I'm looking for." Han Qi handed Han Jiang the blueprint.
It was copied from a book.
It's called "It can cure anything".
"Just from the name of this herb, you can tell it can cure anything," Han Jiang joked.
Could the name of this wretched grass be any more careless?
The two did not separate, ostensibly because Han Jiang was worried about Han Qi, but in reality because they were afraid of running into the male protagonist.
Hanqi wanted to go east, so Hanjiang pulled her west; Hanqi wanted to go north, so Hanjiang pulled her south.
Go in the opposite direction, Han Jiang doesn't believe she can meet the male lead like this!
I haven't seen what the male lead looks like yet. Generally speaking, male leads in romance novels are all very handsome, right?
It was nearly noon, but the valley was still cool.
It's the tail end of summer now, and it's still very hot.
It is said that there is a magical power in Shenlu Valley that attracts egrets to sink into the valley.
The book doesn't specify what kind of power it is. Wen Xu said the original book didn't mention it much.
Hanjiang really wants to know what exactly was written in that original book, since it didn't mention this or that.
She asked Wen Xu about the book's title, but Wen Xu always gave vague answers, saying he had forgotten the specific name.
If the warmth doesn't answer, it's best not to press for an answer when the cold descends.
So sleepy. Hanjiang yawned.
I haven't slept for a day and a night.
Moving in the exact opposite direction from the map, Hanqi couldn't even tell where she was.
Hanjiang silently memorized the location, planning to return the way he came tomorrow after today.
She sat cross-legged on the ground to rest, while Hanqi tried hard to decipher the map.
"Senior sister, we seem to be lost," Hanqi said.
Hanjiang patted the seat next to him: "Sit down. Aren't you tired of standing? It's just getting lost, it's not a big deal."
Hanqi sat down and continued to fiddle with the map.
Hanjiang yawned again.
Yawning is contagious, and Hanqi yawned right away too.
I'm so sleepy. Han Jiang suddenly felt dizzy for a moment, but quickly woke up and resisted falling asleep.
"Junior sister, are you tired? Why don't we take a rest?" Han Jiang said, but received no reply from Han Qi.
"Junior sister?" Han Jiang turned her head to look, and saw that Han Qi had already fallen asleep while holding the map.
She can fall asleep whenever she wants.
Hanjiang laid Hanqi down and adjusted her sleeping position.
"Maybe I should take a nap too," Han Jiang thought.
But then she realized that someone had to keep watch, otherwise what if they encountered danger in this valley?
Ugh! I can't sleep again.
Han Jiang sat down next to Han Qi, grumbling, and reached for the map in her arms—it was so hot!
Han Jiang immediately reached for Han Qi's forehead; it was burning hot.
"Hanqi? Hanqi!" Hanjiang shouted.
Hanqi's face was expressionless; he didn't look like he was asleep, but rather like he was dead.
Seriously?! The female lead is dead, isn't this plot over?!
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