Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Nine: The Opportunity Arises
When Nanling Yaohua woke up and opened her eyes, she saw the crisscrossed grid and was stunned for several seconds before realizing it was the wooden structure inside a tiled roof.
But why am I in a room? I clearly remember…
Nanling Yaohua rubbed her throbbing head, sat up, and looked around. When she saw “Lu Qingyi” snuggled beside the bed, eyes tightly closed, she was momentarily taken aback.
Lu… how did she end up here?
Although the aftereffects of excessive bl**d loss left her somewhat dazed, Nanling Yaohua could recall that “Lu Qingyi” was definitely not by her side before she lost consciousness.
Following that, Nanling Yaohua’s gaze slowly lowered, noticing that the bl**d on her body had been cleaned and wrapped in a uniquely charming manner with cloth strips. She froze for a moment as images of “Lu Qingyi” gently undressing her and wiping her body flooded her mind, a warm current rushing to her cheeks, instantly painting her face, which was devoid of color, in a rosy hue.
Did she bandage me? Then wouldn’t that mean…
She saw everything?
Although she didn’t mind being honest with Lu Yibei, after all, they were engaged, and being open with each other and even having deeper exchanges was bound to happen sooner or later.
But recalling certain things suddenly made her expression grow complex.
First, Lu Yibei had lied multiple times, having not only deceived her once. They had bared their bodies to each other, yet internally he hadn’t been honest, which made her a bit angry.
Second, entering Yumen Pass had put her in a very bad mood.
Nanling Yaohua didn’t want to step into Yumen Pass…
Even though she had always believed that Nanling Peak was still alive, the responsibility of being the current head of the Yumen Sands Sea Branch felt like an unbreakable shackle that prevented her from entering Yumen Pass to search for her grandfather’s whereabouts.
Putting aside the nearly withdrawn Bai Kai, after Nanling Peak went missing, she was the last surviving member of the Yumen Sands Sea Branch. If anything were to happen to her, the lineage of the Yumen Sands Sea Branch that had lasted for over a thousand years would likely be severed in her generation.
She didn’t want that to happen and couldn’t allow it.
“……”
If the Yumen Sands Sea Branch were to perish because of this, he would at least bear half the responsibility, Nanling Yaohua thought.
If she hadn’t seen the unconscious “Lu Qingyi” being swept away in the spirit energy chaos unleashed by the opening of Yumen Pass, she wouldn’t have instinctively flown forward, grabbing “Lu Qingyi’s” hand, and they wouldn’t have been pulled in together.
Although she didn’t really want to blame “Lu Qingyi,” as she also had some responsibility in this matter, it was inevitable that a hint of resentment lingered in her heart.
It was just like certain girls who, after messing something up, look for someone to blame and can’t help but think of their boyfriends.
Why does nothing good happen when I’m with this guy?
Is our engagement truly just an engagement and not some strange curse?
After waiting for a few seconds, seeing that Lu Yibei had not yet awakened, she silently sighed and lay back down on the bed, discreetly recalling the events that transpired before she lost consciousness.
She remembered chasing after “Lu Qingyi,” or rather, Lu Yibei?
Not sure… still couldn’t say for certain.
Forget it, for now, let’s just refer to her as that woman!
When the gates of Yumen Pass opened, she chased that woman into Yumen Pass, and then suddenly, a whirlwind hit, and the things in front of her instantly transformed into a colorful fluid, disturbed by surging spirit energy fluctuations.
It was a very familiar experience; she had the fortune to experience it once when she mistakenly entered Mrs. Wang Meili’s God Realm Prototype.
Not knowing how long had passed, once she detached from the chaotic currents unleashed by the God Realm, she found herself standing atop the ruins of earthen houses.
The woman was not by her side; all around were just a bunch of unfamiliar urban legends.
These urban legends evoked a rejection so deep it seemed to stem from her soul; she couldn’t help but feel nauseous as they gathered together like piles of sludge, hidden in the darkness, stirring restlessly.
Just with her spirit perception and sharp senses, she could feel countless minute vibrations beneath her feet and hear the sneaky sounds of crushed stones and rubble being rubbed together, as if a thousand twisted limbs were crawling in the darkness.
The air echoed with the unvoiced surge of filthy spirit energy, as if cursing, crying, and roaring…
It was everywhere.
Being in such an environment felt like falling into a quagmire, constantly experiencing the discomfort of her body sinking deeper into the muck.
Therefore, Nanling Yaohua activated her spirit patterns, a segment of a bamboo sword materializing in her hand, cleanly and neatly slashing through the obstructing urban legends, sending them fleeing in disarray.
Then, for a long time afterward, she wandered alone through the desolate, lifeless, seemingly decaying giant corpse of a city gate, searching for the woman and her grandfather.
Unlike other spiritual ability users and half-urban legends who entered Yumen Pass apprehensively avoiding the urban legends lurking in the dark, she moved forward with determination; if any oblivious fiends jumped out to block her, she would deal with them as she had those initial urban legends, cutting them down until…
Until she encountered that terrifying urban legend.
When that urban legend descended, the surging spirit energy filled with rage erupted from its ominously shrouded black-armored body like lava ready to burst, the unsettling crimson glow roiling between the seams of the armor, eventually gathering into a bl**d-red banner that unfurled behind it, moving of its own accord.
In an instant, the ground cracked, hurricanes howled, and a deafening sound tore through the air as if heaven and earth had stirred in response.
Following that, it was as if the network caused a video to lag; Nanling Yaohua only saw the hulking shadow in her vision pause a few times to change positions before abruptly appearing right in front of her.
So close that she could feel the chill emanating from the black armor, smell the stench of decay wafting from underneath it, and hear the heartbeat of that heart imprisoned for a thousand years, fueled by burning wrath, reverberating like thunder.
In the next moment, a pitch-black spear whizzed toward her, enveloped in an ominous crimson light, like a comet descending from the depths of the starry sky, bringing disaster and d*ath to the earth.
Faced with such a surprise attack, Nanling Yaohua could have employed more methods to counter it, but as that figure closed in, she felt an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Despite confronting only one person, it felt as though she faced a thousand soldiers charging at her, her body bound by an invisible force, as if weighed down by lead, and even her thoughts slowed by a half-beat.
Until, when she returned to her senses, she barely had time to instinctively raise the long sword formed by the condensed authority of spirit patterns to block in front of her.
When the weapons clashed, a deafening noise filled her ears in that instant.
Amidst the roaring, a faint, sharp cracking sound echoed.
Within the violent, savage, and excessive brutality lay an extraordinary level of skill…
The Shaman Queen struck just once, and the bamboo sword formed from the authority of spirit patterns shattered.
Countless sparks flew.
Her sword-holding arm lost all sensation until, a few seconds later, a severe pain finally hit her, spreading from her torn palm all the way up to her shoulder.
Her body felt weightless, like a dead leaf blown by the wind, flying backward.
Before she could even hit the ground, that iron body charged again, roaring like thunder as it rushed over, sending the spear in its hand through the air in a perfect arc, accurately piercing through her chest.
Then, with force, it lifted her into the air…
——
“Ugh…”
Recalling her encounter with the Shaman Queen, Nanling Yaohua suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, and her body convulsed slightly out of control, as if every nerve in her body was resisting, warning her not to think back on that horrifying experience.
It was a one-sided slaughter she had never experienced before… no, perhaps the other party didn’t want to k*ll her, only to torture her.
She didn’t even know how she escaped from that terrifying figure but vaguely remembered seeing a relatively intact small courtyard before losing consciousness, then pushing open a door, stumbling inside.
Perhaps… she was knocked away and fell near that courtyard?
Hearing the painful groan from Nanling Yaohua, Lu Yibei immediately approached, asking with concern, “You’ve finally woken up… How do you feel? Better? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? Oh, right, at a time like this, shouldn’t you drink some hot water first before eating?”
“But the only food available is spicy strips and energy bars; you shouldn’t mind, right?”
The spicy strips were what she carried with her, while the energy bars were rummaged from Huaiyuan Jun’s bag.
Although they were just insignificant little items, they were her hard-won spoils from taking great risks to scavenge corpses, and she had no intention of returning them to Huaiyuan Jun.
Such things were like the dried bananas that dropped from the Elf Queen in a game Lu Yibei played long ago, carrying special commemorative significance.
[Huaiyuan Jun’s Lost Energy Bar]… Even if not eaten, it had to be kept!
“……” Nanling Yaohua silently looked at Lu Yibei and gently shook her head.
“Don’t want to eat?” Lu Yibei scratched the back of his head, “Do you want to rest a bit longer? But it’s not safe here; I know a safer place where there’s not only a clean and comfortable big bed but also a Siye Society guardian. Can I take you there for a good rest?”
Nanling Yaohua felt a surge of resentment; she originally wanted to give Lu Yibei a piece of her mind and scold her, but seeing her concern and eagerness made her soft-hearted.
But she’s caring about me; what else can I do? Of course, I have to forgive her!
After a silent sigh, Nanling Yaohua scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Lu Yibei’s neck.
In her view, such a posture typically only had the option of being princess-carried.
However…
Lu Yibei seemed completely unaware of her thoughts, one hand wrapping around her thigh, throwing her backward with ease, then his arms dropped, clutching her waist in a highly distorted position similar to side-hugging a basketball, lifting her up.
Nanling Yaohua, “???”
Before she could recover from the shock, she was carried by Lu Yibei, heading toward the door.
Her head was pointed forward as if to crash into the city gate…
I’m sorry, Xiao Hua! Lu Yibei thought as he gazed straight ahead, his steps unwavering.
That’s right, it was intentional; the ambiguous embrace felt a bit heavy, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready…
——
“Creak—!”
The light sound of the door hinges turning faintly came from the small courtyard. After waiting for a long time, a somewhat drowsy Shen Baiwei immediately perked up, focusing on that back room; the moment her vision captured the figure of “Calamity,” her eyes widened.
In her line of sight, Calamity “carried” Nanling Yaohua forward in a peculiar posture.
From her impression, such a pose only appeared when workers were transporting mannequin figures in department stores.
“……”
What exactly… was she doing? Carrying a corpse? But that young lady seemed alive, or she might be a companion?
Forget it, that’s not important!
You can’t guess Calamity’s thoughts; you wouldn’t get it even if you tried! Shen Baiwei thought.
She had clearly written in her notebook regarding Calamity, “Behavior is different from the norm.”
She shook her head vigorously, forcing herself not to think about the deeper meaning of Calamity’s actions, squinting at Calamity once more before quietly leaving her hiding spot and swiftly approaching the two.
Since Calamity had already exited from that back room, armed with spell formulas like a nuclear-bomb-proof bunker, it meant her opportunity to approach Calamity… had arrived.
