Chapter 69

Shi Ran sat cross-legged on a large stone, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, her brows tightly knotted. How could she quietly pluck the threads of fate without startling the Heavenly Way or revealing her own foreknowledge, given Luo Changfeng's destined ending? Her thoughts were in turmoil, like a tangled skein with no end to be found.

Ah———!

A short, sharp cry suddenly shattered the evening's tranquility, like a stone tossed into a dead pool, instantly shattering Shi Ran's reverie.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Shi Ran jumped up as if by reflex, her heart leaping to her throat; she instinctively lunged toward Luo Changfeng a few steps away and seized his arm, voice tense and urgent: "What's wrong, senior brother? Is there a demon? Where is it?" Her eyes swept like a searchlight, vigilantly scanning the gloom, spiritual power already faintly flowing at her fingertips.

"Damn you!" Luo Changfeng was taken aback by her sudden hard grab and rapid-fire questions; the neat haystack he'd just arranged fell into disarray again. He flicked his finger, giving Shi Ran a light snap, and said, "Hiss, be gentle—this is my arm, not a lifeline; besides, was that me calling just now? You don't distinguish between men and women!" He rubbed his arm, looking speechless.

At that moment, from the shadows at the other end of the forest, footsteps gradually sounded; only to see Qi Chengshuang half-supporting, half-embracing the slightly pale-faced Ruan Xinli as they walked out.

The faint light outlined Ruan Xinli's slender figure; she still clutched tightly to Qi Chengshuang's sleeve with one hand, as if it were her sole reliance.

Seeing it was them, Ruan Xinli's pale face quickly flushed with a thin blush, full of embarrassment; her voice soft yet trembling slightly from lingering fright, she gave an embarrassed smile and said, "Sorry for startling everyone just now—a black mouse suddenly darted out; I thought it was a panic-inducing demon rat, wasn't on guard, and got scared."

As she spoke, Ruan Xinli slightly lowered her head, embarrassed; her long lashes fluttered like the wings of a startled butterfly, making some people feel heartache.

Qi Chengshuang's gaze swept coldly over Shi Ran; his eyes clearly conveyed "making a fuss over nothing, ill-intentioned, stirring up trouble," etc., and his thin lips uttered the four blunt words: "Making a mountain out of a molehill!"

This accusation is utterly unreasonable, utterly inhumane; the nameless fire of worry for Luo Changfeng that had been building in Shi Ran's heart was instantly ignited by Qi Chengshuang's unreasonable displaced anger. Her almond eyes widened, she pointed at her own nose, and her voice suddenly rose: ", Qi Chengshuang! What do you mean, Qi Chengshuang!? I'm making a mountain out of a molehill!! I didn't say a word; can't you use an idiom? If you can't, just shut your mouth!" Her chest heaved with anger, like a bristling little beast, all her spines standing on end.

"You!" Qi Chengshuang's brows knit tight; obviously provoked by Shi Ran's retort, his whole body was wrapped in a chill that kept others at bay, and he was about to retort.

At that moment, a slender hand lightly tugged at his dark cuff; the force was slight yet carried an unignorable soothing meaning—it was Ruan Xinli. She slightly lifted her head, facing Qi Chengshuang, and gave an extremely slight shake of her head; her clear, limpid eyes held a pleading and peace-seeking meaning.

A jaw-dropping scene appeared; the moment Qi Chengshuang's anger met Ruan Xinli's gaze, it vanished as if swept away by an invisible spring breeze. Even his usually stern handsome face saw the corner of his mouth lift, tracing a faint arc; though the smile was slight and fleeting, it was like the first ray of sunshine breaking through ice, shocking and moving.

"........." Luo Changfeng's mouth slightly opened, forgetting to close it.

"........." Shi Ran was as if immobilized by a binding spell, her eyes wide and round.

Shi Ran even instinctively stretched out her hand extremely slowly, and on Luo Changfeng's injured metal she dug her nails fiercely into a small patch of flesh, then twisted hard, asking, "Does it hurt… does it hurt?"

"Ah—, hiss!" Luo Changfeng, unprepared, sucked in a cold breath, nearly jumping on the spot, his features all scrunched together: "You, you why are you pinching me?"

"It hurts…… then it's not a dream……" Shi Ran murmured, slowly withdrawing her hand, her gaze still locked on Qi Chengshuang's face, which had returned to its stern look, as if that faint smile had never appeared. The two locked eyes, each seeing the same shock and disbelief in the other's— the one known for his icy demeanor and sharp tongue, who scolds heaven and earth and Shi Ran, nicknamed "Qi Disdain", actually… could smile? And toward Ruan Xinli?

This impact was harder to digest than the ten big rats that had just darted out.

After a brief silence, Ruan Xinli also seemed to feel a hint of unease from the strange atmosphere. She steadied her mind, gently broke free from Qi Chengshuang's tentative support, stepped forward, and toward Luo Changfeng and Shi Ran performed a solemn bow, posture graceful, voice soft yet clear: "Just now the situation was dire; thank you, Senior Brother Luo and Junior Sister Shi, for your timely aid in saving my life. Such great kindness, I, Ruan, keep it in my heart; words cannot repay it. In the future, whether you have any… difficult ailments or need medicinal pills for recuperation, please feel free to come to Spirit Medicine Peak to find me; I, Ruan, will surely do my utmost."

Her words were sincere, carrying a healer's unique promise; she emphasized the words "difficult ailments" with particular solemnity—both a promise and a clever way to dispel the earlier awkwardness.

Shi Ran and Luo Changfeng also hurriedly returned the bow; Luo Changfeng, to ease the awkwardness, revealed the red mushroom hut he had set up behind him: "Look, this is the new… uh, no, overnight… well, it's the mushroom hut; we'll make do for a night and rest properly."

Luo Changfeng spoke with difficulty, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead; he really says whatever comes to mind, worried that Ruan Xinli might be displeased, he glanced up—well, they hadn't even noticed this at all.

Ruan Xinli followed behind Qi Chengshuang, looking like a little bird leaning on a person; even her voice sounded as if specially processed: "Senior Brother Qi, when did you two meet?"

"Senior Brother Qi, is your injury fully healed?"

"Senior Brother Qi, would you like something to eat? I have food in my cosmos bag."

"Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Qi," Luo Changfeng rolled his eyes; fortunately Ruan Xinli didn't take a liking to him, or he'd be annoyed to death.

Shi Ran pursed her lips, quietly took out food from her cosmos bag and ate two bites. She wasn't very hungry, so she sat down to cultivate her breath. Over the past few days, she didn't know whether it was the effect of the pill or being in the secret realm, but she always felt that spiritual energy filled her body, and she needed to properly sort out her meridians.

The four spent the night in silence, and early the next morning, deep in the forest came the roar of beasts, intermingled with the sounds of swords and blades.

The four exchanged a glance and decided to go investigate!