The crowd watched Ye Lanshan come and go in a hurry, none of them fully reacting. But before they could dwell on it for more than a moment, she suddenly flashed back before them, now holding a bucket of water and a ladle.
"Come, quickly give them some water to drink." Ye Lanshan personally scooped up a ladle of water, strode over, and crouched down to lift Qiu Yue's head, feeding the water into her mouth bit by bit. At that moment, she shed her ethereal, otherworldly demeanor and took on a touch of worldly warmth.
"Cough, cough." Qiu Yue coughed and slowly opened her eyes, but what met her gaze was a woman she had never seen before, her face filled with anxiety.
"You're awake, that's good." The worry in Ye Lanshan's eyes vanished, and she returned to her transcendent state.
Qiu Yue looked at the girl who gently laid her flat on the ground, exuding a misty, elusive aura, and couldn't help but feel she was seeing an illusion of Young Master Shan Luo.
"May I ask who you are?" Most of the people from Dream Red Pavilion had never seen her true appearance, so they didn't realize she was the real Young Master Shan Luo.
"I am Shan Luo." Ye Lanshan's voice was elegant yet carried a hint of authority, leaving them exchanging bewildered glances.
"Little sister, joking like that isn't funny. Everyone knows Young Master Shan Luo is a gentle, refined, extraordinary, humble, and knowledgeable man, most importantly a very handsome one, and he's standing right here. Do you really think we'd believe you're him?" Qiu Yue, having recovered a bit on the ground, found her claim somewhat amusing.
"You mean like this?" Ye Lanshan murmured an incantation, fiddled with something, and with a wave of her hand, transformed back into the appearance of Young Master Shan Luo.
"This, this..." Qiu Yue was utterly astonished. She turned her questioning gaze to Mu Xinlian, hoping he could explain what was happening.
Mu Xinlian shrugged, indicating that this was the truth—Ye Lanshan really was Young Master Shan Luo, and he was merely her stand-in.
"Now, I have something very important to tell you." Ye Lanshan's expression turned grave, her face etched with worry. The others naturally understood this was no trivial matter.
"What exactly happened?" Everyone grew serious.
"I've been put on the wanted list by the Holy Land and the Moon Kingdom. From today on, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all to bear with me a little longer. Hide here for now, and when I find the right moment, I'll let you out." Ye Lanshan felt a mix of frustration and resentment.
Yet her anger was directed at her own lack of strength, unable even to protect her own family.
"This space is rich in both profound energy and spiritual energy, which will surely double your cultivation efficiency. I hope that when I release you, you'll have the power to stand with me against the entire Holy Land."
She took a deep breath, her eyes bright as she looked at them. At this point, all she could do was hope to grow stronger quickly—and ensure her forces did too.
"Master, rest assured, we'll become so strong that even the Holy Land won't dare to act against us lightly." Qing Dai smiled gently, a resolute glint in her eyes, her heart aching for Ye Lanshan.
She was still just a child, yet she had to bear so much pressure, struggling to survive in the cracks.
Though at first, Ye Lanshan had threatened them like a joke, forcing them to swear a heavenly oath for their lives, she had treated them well ever since. After all this time together, Qing Dai had come to see her as a pillar of support, as family.
But now, Qing Dai saw not only resentment and worry in her eyes but also a deep sense of powerlessness and a craving for strength—the kind needed to defeat the Holy Land. If Ye Lanshan truly needed a blade to clear her path, then becoming that blade was not out of the question.
"Hmph," Fu Tian snorted coldly, his eyes icy as he spoke bluntly: "What? Weren't you so confident at the start? The Holy Land makes just a slight move, and you're already scared? Let me tell you, I'd rather charge into the Holy Land's camp and die fighting than skulk around like a coward anymore."
"Grandfather," Fu Feng shot him a worried glance, wanting to say something, but in the end, only his lips moved without a word.
"Fine, if you're so eager to fight the Holy Land to the death, then go ahead. I won't stop you. But Fu Feng, I'm keeping him here."
Ye Lanshan, already emotionally unstable, felt her temper flare even more at Fu Tian's provocation.
Perhaps it was as her master said—she lacked composure. Though she could handle all kinds of social interactions with ease, even outsmarting the sharpest minds, she still fell short in that one area.
Despite her cultivation and insights giving her a faint, ethereal, and elegant immortal air, her lack of composure led to all sorts of moods. Unlike the orthodox cultivation sects, who were meant to be admired from afar without being sullied.
Of course, her master was even more eccentric, like an old child full of quirks. The thought of her master brought a faint smile to Ye Lanshan's lips, and the fire in her heart subsided by half.
"Go ahead, then. Do you think I'm afraid of them? Don't assume everyone's a coward like you." Fu Tian continued to provoke her.
"Since you're so determined to go, I'll let you leave right now." Ye Lanshan stared at Fu Tian with a heavy gaze, unsure why a fire kept burning inside her today, making it hard to control her emotions.
In truth, saying it was easy, but actually letting him go was no simple matter. Outside the Dark Hall, a layer of hidden guards stood watch, and with her strength, she couldn't break through.
In the end, she had the Dark Lord send him out. But before he left, she stuffed him with many transmission talismans and briefly explained how to use them.
Ye Lanshan lay on the grass in the space, stretching out her hand as a wave of helplessness washed over her.
Fu Feng sat down beside her, a deep look in his eyes. He pursed his lips before finally speaking: "Actually, Grandfather doesn't look down on you. He deliberately provoked you to let him out."
"I know." How could Ye Lanshan not see through such a clumsy scheme? But what choice did she have? She could clearly see the determination in Fu Tian's eyes to leave.
At best, they were just partners in cooperation. Since he already had a plan, could she really stop him?
"Then why did you still let Grandfather go?" Fu Feng was taken aback, swallowing the secret he was about to reveal. He wanted to know why Ye Lanshan, having seen through his grandfather's scheme, still allowed him to leave.
"Our relationship is merely one of cooperation. He has his own forces, and now that he's no longer within the Moon Kingdom's borders, the Holy Land will overlook him because of my situation. It's only natural for him to have his own plans at this point..." Ye Lanshan said calmly, but before she could finish, Fu Feng interrupted.
"No, you're wrong," he said, each word deliberate and serious. "Grandfather isn't doing this for himself. He left for you."