Chapter 28

The lake water only reached their waists, but Shiran's flailing was too intense, leaving both of them soaked from head to toe, especially Shiran, whose dress clung tightly to her body, outlining her graceful curves.

Their breathing gradually calmed, Lingxiao lowered his head, his mind stirred by the sight of her skin like congealed fat and white jade, and he quickly turned away, only to have Shiran forcibly turn him back.

Realizing what she had done, Shiran almost wanted to bite herself to death, but she couldn't let Lingxiao see the lake water, for its reflection showed her modern self with a high ponytail, and if Lingxiao thought she had been possessed...

The consequences would be unbearable!

Lingxiao stared, confused, looking at Shiran, who hastily covered her chest, "Don't look! You, you close your eyes first!"

Lingxiao could only close his eyes slightly, eyelashes trembling, yet he did not forget to warn, "The Heart-Cleansing Lake is bitterly cold and piercing, get ashore first!"

Shiran answered with a sound, turned to walk, but remembering her master couldn't see, she naturally took his hand, "Master, I'll lead you, but you must not peek!"

His hand was suddenly taken, carrying a hint of warmth, slowly extending upward—no one had ever held his hand like this… Lingxiao's heart jumped, and after a moment he nodded, "Alright!"

"Master is really so obedient!" Shiran smiled, taking Lingxiao's hand as they walked step by step toward the shore.

The lake water was clear, ripples spreading circle after circle, breaking up the floating light and shadow across the water, Shiran lowered her head, carefully watching her feet, the person behind her followed closely, pushing the ripples forward layer by layer, the two stood silent, writing words left unsaid, turning and spreading in this lake until calm returned.

Lingxiao couldn't see, so his senses grew sharper—the hand in his palm was small, warm to the touch, soft and boneless, like holding a piece of warm mutton-fat jade, he dared not squeeze too hard, fearing he might accidentally break it.

"Ah-choo!" A cold wind blew, and Shiran couldn't hold back a sneeze. Lingxiao paused, frowning, "You're not wearing the Star-Glazed Liuli Robe?"

Not wearing it! To be honest, that's battle armor! She really didn't want to part with it—normally she'd just throw on any casual clothes, but since she couldn't use the Liuli Robe, and if it weren't for the Cold Moon Long Jade Hairpin on her head suppressing the poison in her body, she wouldn't even want to wear this pin—what if it broke? She couldn't afford to compensate for it.

"Since you're not wearing it, then use a purification talisman!"

Shiran nodded, but she didn't know how, so she quietly waited for Lingxiao to draw the talisman. Lingxiao was soaked through and had no talisman paper, so he also waited quietly for Shiran to draw one in midair.

A cold wind blew past.

"Ah-choo!" "Ah-choo!"

The two sneezed in unison.

Shiran had become like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water… no, that's not right! Like a broken pot that gives up? Also not right! In short, she spoke frankly, "Master, that so-called purification talisman—I don't know how to make it!"

Lingxiao frowned, "The purification talisman is a basic rune—you… did you forget?"

Shiran "Ah… ah-choo!" Excuse me, I didn't forget—I never learned it at all! Earlier, I could react so quickly and draw it so fast, probably because I studied art since childhood, and being able to learn at a glance… well, maybe I'm just smart. Anyway, I didn't inherit much from the original host.

If I hadn't read this book and known the general plot, I would have exposed myself right after transmigrating—after all, the original host left me not a single thread of memory!

Lingxiao… this damned feeling of speechlessness is coming back again!

"The talisman paper is on the table!" Lingxiao pointed, then immediately sneezed again, "Hurry up and go, or else I'll become the first Nascent Soul cultivator in the cultivation world to catch a cold!"

Shiran took the talisman paper, Lingxiao drew two purification talismans and stuck them on both of them—sure enough, their clothes dried, not a trace of water left. Shiran happily stroked the smooth fabric, quite pleased, "Master, I've learned it—next time you get wet, I'll draw the talisman for you!"

Lingxiao was speechless… could such a thing really happen again? If I hadn't seen how violently Shiran was struggling back then, I wouldn't have jumped in, nor would I have ended up in such a sorry state.

"It's getting late—you should go back first!" Lingxiao issued the order to evict guests, "I still need to continue my cultivation!"

"Huh? Still need to rest?" Shiran puzzled, "But… Master, you sleep in this cave? It's windy on all sides—aren't you cold?"

Don't your family find you too talkative? Lingxiao helpless, "You misheard—I said I need to continue cultivating! Cultivate! Practice!"

Got it, got it! It's just sitting in meditation to draw in spiritual energy!

But Shiran still wouldn't give up, she followed behind Lingxiao, chattering, "Master, are you really alright now? I came this time mainly to make amends? I don't know if I left any wounds on you in the dream? Let me check!"

Lingxiao had a headache, calmly said, "No problem!"

"How could it be no problem?" Shiran continued, "Master, maintaining such a vast reincarnation barrier must consume a great deal of your cultivation, right? And to get out, I even… stabbed you hard with a sword…"

"Although I don't know why you go through all this trouble for no reward, we have indeed benefited from it! My fellow disciples no longer reject me as they used to—Master, on this point, I still want to thank you!"

"You… your way of thanking is rather special!" Lingxiao continued to have a headache—saying he does thankless work, is that really praise? It feels more like you're nagging him for being meddlesome!

"Hehe! Master, why do I still have the memories from last time?" This is what Shiran wonders—if she had no memory each time, she wouldn't find a breakthrough. Why isn't it someone else? Is she just more special?

Actually, Lingxiao hasn't restricted anyone's memory—maintaining so many cycles of the reincarnation barrier is no easy feat, so everyone might retain memory and find the exit. He guessed it could be Gu Yusheng, also Mei Ruoxue, but never imagined it would be Shiran.

This person only shows a little talent in talisman cultivation, and is utterly useless in other forms of cultivation.

Maybe it's an extraordinary gift! "Perhaps, it's because you're special!"

Lingxiao accidentally blurted out what was in his heart, then regretted it a little, feeling he'd been too abrupt—he is the master, how could he speak so to his own disciple…

"Ah? Really?" Shiran was overjoyed—Master said she's special! Of course, if she weren't special, how could she have transmigrated into a book? How could she have overturned heaven and earth with bare hands and lived this long?

Lingxiao lowered his head to look at Shiran—she was laughing carefree, eyes bright, smile radiant, all because of his casual praise.

Lingxiao recalled when he first met Shiran—she didn't know what method she used to kill a fox demon, getting demon blood all over herself, yet her eyes shone brightly, "Immortal, I've slain this demon—you must keep your word and take me as your disciple!"

At that time, Lingxiao didn't like Shiran—he felt her eyes were full of various schemes, her personality unpleasant, with a stubbornness that would not rest until her goal was achieved.

But when did this situation change?