Chapter 65: The Foot Resting on the Body

Back at their dwelling place, An Yunzhi went to check the marker she had left behind, only to find it had indeed been kicked asunder and scattered. No wonder she had been unable to get in touch with her senior sister. After resetting the marker properly, An Yunzhi offered an explanation to Lu Xiao. Lu Xiao did not blame her for keeping it a secret from him. It was a private communication marker belonging to someone else’s sect—why would she need to discuss it with him?

By now, they had already weathered half the time. Lu Xiao calculated that in another twelve days, the restrictions of this mystic realm would lift once again. If this timeframe were to be delayed further, he might not be able to return within a month. While worries certainly existed, the two of them had been living increasingly comfortably in these mountains and forests. Food was never in short supply, and the location Lu Xiao had chosen had never once been visited by ferocious beasts. In such a dead-end path, the probability of unexpectedly running into wild beasts dropped dramatically.

As the days passed, their chemistry grew stronger. During this period, a ferocious beast seemed to take notice of their vicinity, and Lu Xiao instructed An Yunzhi to remain in concealment. Utilizing the Dragon Blood Bathing Technique, he successfully lured the beast away and scattered the scent of blood further afield in another direction. The crisis they faced was resolved without expending much effort.

The weather was growing colder by the day, and with their cultivation realms suppressed even more severely, the sensation of chilliness naturally intensified. Yet, sheltered by this wooden cabin that warded off the wind and rain, it did not feel excessively cold. In certain moments, An Yunzhi even found their living conditions rather pleasant.

Lu Xiao could actually have constructed another wooden cabin for himself. Upon hearing this, An Yunzhi had scrambled for an excuse, claiming that staying together offered greater safety, thus glossing the matter over. As soon as the words left her mouth, a subtle sense of awkwardness washed over her. Uttering such a statement made her worry that Lu Xiao might perceive her as lacking self-respect. However, Lu Xiao merely nodded, seemingly accepting the rationale without question. Consequently, the two of them continued to squeeze into the small wooden cabin together.

At the very beginning, it was only after falling asleep that An Yunzhi’s feet would unconsciously drift onto Lu Xiao’s lap. Over the past two days, however, she had grown increasingly bold. Scarcely had she lain down after nightfall when both of her legs would rest directly across Lu Xiao’s lap. Small gestures abounded between them, yet during such moments, conversation dwindled to almost nothing.

Lu Xiao had felt ill at ease at first, but by now he had grown nearly accustomed to it. In the quiet stillness of the night, Lu Xiao usually forced his mind to dwell on matters related to cultivation, warning himself internally that should his progress fall short of the required standard, his spiritual bones might well be extracted. He used these thoughts to completely suppress any wandering, idle fancies.

Whether in terms of physical appearance, demeanor, status, or cultivation strength, An Yunzhi belonged to the absolute pinnacle tier of young practitioners in the Great Xia dynasty. As a disciple of the Nine Stars Palace—a supreme sect—her ability to enter this place was extraordinary in its own right. The fact that she was one of the many Nine Stars Palace disciples chosen by her sect to explore the immortal ruins here only served to highlight her exceptional nature. His acquaintance with her was purely accidental; idle romantic notions were strictly out of the question. Besides, he had already reaped substantial rewards from An Yunzhi: a complete set of the Mountains and Rivers Spear technique, along with a wealth of experiential insights that only disciples of major sects could acquire. Even if it were meant to repay the debt of saving her life, it was more than sufficient.

Pondering this, Lu Xiao gave himself another mental reminder to banish all distracting thoughts. As these reflections surfaced in his mind, his body reacted instinctively. At this very moment, Lu Xiao unconsciously shifted slightly away from An Yunzhi. Yet, the wooden cabin was only so large—just how far could one possibly move away?

Even this minuscule action did not escape An Yunzhi’s notice. The legs resting upon Lu Xiao’s lap were carefully, hesitantly retracted, and she curled her entire body inward. The atmosphere within the wooden cabin seemed to have shifted because of this tiny, subtle change...

The night passed in utter silence, though both knew the other remained wide awake.

At the hour of Chen, the sky began to brighten. Following his usual routine, Lu Xiao peered through the ventilation gaps to survey his surroundings thoroughly. Only after confirming it was safe would he push open the wooden door and step outside. Speaking or acting rashly could easily expose one's position.

Everything had been normal previously, but today Lu Xiao spotted something amiss.

"There are ferocious beasts on the outer southern perimeter. I will go draw them away. Be careful." Lu Xiao spoke swiftly and in a low voice. An Yunzhi instantly tensed up and nodded in acknowledgement. The strange tension from the previous night evaporated instantly, replaced by the gravity of the pressing situation.

Seeing Lu Xiao gently push open the door of the cabin, An Yunzhi hastily handed him her long sword.

"To protect yourself."

Lu Xiao initially intended to refuse, but seeing the grim expression on An Yunzhi’s face, he accepted the blade. Once martial cultivation realms were suppressed, the employment of weaponry was bound to be affected; yet, precisely because the realm was suppressed, the assistance a weapon provided became all the more crucial.

Executing the Spirit Wind Movement, Lu Xiao sped off into the distance. An Yunzhi had no idea how Lu Xiao accomplished these feats, but he possessed a remarkable knack for luring away ferocious beasts, swiftly neutralizing crises every single time. Those beasts possessed extraordinarily sharp senses, and given that she had previously been injured, tracking her should have been effortless. Yet, throughout that entire period, not a single wild beast had ever approached. Ironically, it was only now, after she had fully recovered, that beasts were appearing again.

At this moment, employing the Spirit Wind Movement, Lu Xiao headed northward. Once he had traveled a short distance, he activated the Dragon Blood Bathing Technique once more. Auras of blood permeated the surroundings, and Lu Xiao spattered the scent of blood in a wide circle. Relying on this method, luring the ferocious beasts away was a simple matter; the thick, pungent odor of blood would rapidly capture their attention, completely overwhelming any other traces they might have picked up previously.

Executing all of this still consumed a considerable amount of his energy. With his realm suppressed, the sustained exertion required by the Spirit Wind Movement and the Dragon Blood Bathing Technique was more than he could bear for long periods. While carrying out these actions, Lu Xiao remained completely unaware that a pair of eyes was watching him from a hidden spot, observing everything he did.

When he finally returned to their dwelling, more than two hours had passed.

An Yunzhi had already prepared food for Lu Xiao and handed it to him. Having caught a few extra fish earlier, she had roasted them until they were quite dry, allowing them to be preserved for a little longer.

Just as he reached out to take the food, a human figure suddenly appeared not far ahead. Encountering people in a place like this was even more alarming than running into ferocious beasts. Lu Xiao swiftly set the food down, passed the sword back to An Yunzhi, and picked up the wood-chopping saber instead.

An Yunzhi had initially worn a grave expression as well. However, the moment she clearly recognized the newcomer, a radiant smile bloomed across her face, and she dashed forward eagerly.

"Sister Ruan!"

Seeing An Yunzhi running toward her at a brisk pace, Ruan Xian’s face likewise broke into a smile. She reached out, caught An Yunzhi in her arms, and embraced her tightly.

"As long as you're safe. I've been worried sick about you this entire time." While offering words of comfort in her opening sentence, Ruan Xian's tone shifted to gentle reprimand in the next.

As she spoke, Ruan Xian’s gaze drifted toward Lu Xiao.

"This person... seems to be the one Junior Sister gave the flatbread to?"

Hearing Ruan Xian’s words, An Yunzhi smiled and nodded. "If not for encountering Junior Brother Lu, I truly wouldn't have known how to escape those ferocious beasts. I suppose giving away that meat bun was Heaven's way of rewarding me."

An Yunzhi proceeded to introduce Lu Xiao to Ruan Xian, recounting several recent events and speaking highly of him throughout. Lu Xiao could easily perceive that Ruan Xian held no particular fondness for him, her eyes still tinged with a measure of guarded wariness. An Yunzhi perceived this as well, which was precisely why she spoke so many words in Lu Xiao's defense.