"They're really persistent. I want to see what they're up to." Ye Lanshan's face darkened as she realized she might have fallen into another trap.
"Miss, I apologize for my earlier rudeness, but these mountains are dangerous. Why don't we travel together and look out for each other?" the middle-aged man said. "I also have a map of the Sunset Mountains. It's only a rough sketch, but it marks all the important spots. If you don't mind, please accept it as an apology for my earlier discourtesy." He stared intently at Ye Lanshan, afraid she might refuse.
But Ye Lanshan flashed a bright, innocent smile, quickly grabbed the map, and clutched it tightly. "Sure! We're not familiar with the terrain anyway, so we'd just be searching blindly. With this map, finding things will be much faster."
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, unable to believe that the cold, icy woman before entering the mountains and this girl who seemed like an innocent child were the same person.
Ye Yutian's expression shifted slightly, clearly surprised by this side of Ye Lanshan.
Yun Di, however, was unfazed. Having seen Ye Lanshan act many times before, he knew her skills were so polished they were practically flawless. Still, one thing puzzled him: how had she conjured up another Shanluo Gongzi to bid them farewell when she was clearly the one in disguise?
The middle-aged man's eyes flickered, and he burst into hearty laughter. "We've known each other for a while now, but I still don't know your name. May I ask what it is?"
"My name is Luo Yunlan, and this is my brother Luo Jiangyun. As for this one..." Ye Lanshan hesitated, unsure how to introduce him.
"I'm her fiancé, Mu Shan." Ye Lanshan stared at him in disbelief, opening her mouth but unable to refute him.
Seeing she didn't object, Ye Yutian's mood inexplicably lightened.
"So you're all family. I'm Chu Tiankuo—just call me Brother Chu." The middle-aged man didn't introduce the others, only giving his own name.
Ye Lanshan gave him a long, unreadable look that left Chu Tiankuo puzzled.
That night, the fire crackled loudly as a group of people sat around it, chatting noisily without a care in the world, as if they weren't afraid of a sudden beast attack. Even while roasting meat, they couldn't stay quiet, making the scene lively.
In contrast, Ye Lanshan and her companions sat silently nearby, like two extremes.
Amid this atmosphere, someone crept close to Chu Tiankuo and whispered, "Is this really okay? They don't seem easy to fool. If they find out, we're done for."
"Relax. The boss said we just need to lead them to where the phoenix sleeps. Even if they suspect something, they won't be able to escape. This is our last job. Once it's done, we can go home and stop living in fear." Chu Tiankuo leaned wearily against a tree, a sense of desolation and guilt toward Ye Lanshan weighing on him.
"Yeah, after this, our hands won't be stained with blood anymore." The other man closed his eyes, a hint of mockery flashing in them—whether at himself or others, it was unclear.
"Heh, you really think the boss will let you go? How naive." An old man opened his eyes and snorted coldly, but his voice was too soft for anyone to hear—except Ye Lanshan and her group.
In the dead of night, when everyone was sound asleep, Ye Lanshan suddenly opened her eyes. She crept up quietly, knocked out the guard from Chu Tiankuo's group, and fished a talisman from the extinguished fire pit.
"What's this?" Ye Yutian asked curiously, seeing the yellow paper she'd pulled from Chu Tiankuo's belongings. He'd seen similar talismans before, during their expedition to the Primordial Demon Forest, but the patterns were different.
Ye Lanshan couldn't explain there. She gestured for him to follow her far away from Chu Tiankuo's group and whispered, "This is a listening talisman. It records everything said nearby."
She infused the talisman with spiritual energy, and Chu Tiankuo's conversation, even the old man's words, played back clearly in her ears.
"Our goal here is the phoenix. Even if it's a trap, I have to go. But I wonder what the Dark Lord thinks." Ye Lanshan fell silent for a moment after hearing their words, then lifted her head with unwavering determination, as if nothing could shake her resolve.
Ye Yutian sighed softly, his voice losing its cold edge. "I feel the same. I want to see what their real aim is."
"Oh, by the way, why did you tell Chu Tiankuo you're my fiancé?" Ye Lanshan was about to head back to sleep when the thought struck her.
"This..." Ye Yutian thought the matter had passed, but her sudden question caught him off guard. He smiled bitterly but answered honestly, "Ye Lanshan, I have feelings for you."
Ye Lanshan looked him up and down, her mood souring. "I thought the Dark Lord, though ruthless, was a man of devotion. But it turns out you're fickle, falling for anyone you see. What a disappointment."
Ye Yutian watched her retreating figure, feeling a strange sense of grievance for the first time. I haven't done anything. That was my first confession. How did I become a fickle playboy?
The next morning, Ye Yutian pulled Ye Lanshan aside just as she woke up. Before she could snap, he hurriedly explained, "I truly have feelings for you. That was my first confession ever. How am I a playboy?"
"Hmph, you're good at pretending. If Shanluo Gege hadn't told me you once liked someone and were struggling to win her over, I might have believed you." Ye Lanshan pulled her clothes from his grip, her gaze cold and even tinged with disgust.
Ye Yutian tried to explain, but she cut him off: "What, are you going to say the person I liked back then was you? I don't remember us meeting before that."
This time, Ye Yutian was truly at a loss for words. He couldn't very well tell her he was Ye Yutian himself—even if he did, she wouldn't believe him.