"Is he unconscious?" Ye Lanshan couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart—it was somewhat uncomfortable, a sensation unfamiliar to her. Yet, no matter the reason, she wouldn't allow her plans to be derailed. It seemed that once the plan was complete, she would have to go over there and take a look.
"As I recall, you and he are supposed to be enemies. Would you really be so kind as to tell me news about him?" Ye Lanshan spoke calmly, not forgetting the adversarial relationship between the two.
"Enemies? For now, he and I are temporary allies. But as for you, I'm growing more and more curious." Mo Ran acted as if he had never done anything to her before, appearing before her with such reckless and sinister charm, truly infuriating.
"Curious about me? Too bad I'm not curious about you." Ye Lanshan shed her gentle and refined exterior, her eyes growing increasingly indifferent, her aura turning colder. Though it was the heat of summer, it felt like the chill of winter.
"Wings of Carnage." "Flying Fire Meteor."
Mo Ran's sinister smile remained unchanged as he calmly countered Ye Lanshan. After all, he was the young master of the Demon Sect; the earlier fight had held back some strength. Now, going all out, Ye Lanshan found herself barely able to hold her ground.
"Watch out!" Seeing Ye Lanshan about to be struck, Sikong Feihe's eyes widened in fury, and he charged forward without a second thought.
"Pfft." Forgetting to use mystical power in his panic, Sikong Feihe shielded Ye Lanshan with his body, spitting out blood before collapsing weakly.
Frowning, Ye Lanshan quickly shoved a pill into his mouth. Fortunately, Mo Ran had pulled back at the last critical moment; otherwise, she would have been looking at Sikong Feihe's corpse.
The grudge seemed to be deepening. Should he really keep guarding her for Ye Yutian? Even his subordinates were getting restless now. Mo Ran's eyes swept over the swaying branches in the tree—aside from the slight rustling, no one could prove anyone had been there.
"For sparing him today, I'll let you off this once. If I see you again, don't blame my dagger for being merciless."
Ye Lanshan had clearly noticed the faintly moving branches. She knew Mo Ran must know something, but she didn't expect him to tell her.
"Am I being shown the door? Too bad no one can order me around. Besides, that guy Ye Yutian told me to protect you well. If something happens to you while he's unconscious, I'll be the one suffering."
Mo Ran spoke with such sinister charm, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. Clearly, he didn't like it either, but he had no choice.
"If you want to follow, then follow. But I advise you not to meddle in my affairs, or I guarantee you'll die a miserable death."
Ye Lanshan's eyes lacked the sharpness to kill, but their cold indifference was even more chilling. How cold-hearted must someone be to wear such an expression?
Mo Ran shrugged nonchalantly. He had no interest in her affairs. If she weren't Ye Lanshan—the one Ye Yutian cared for, Sikong Kuang's disciple, and a divine-grade alchemist—he wouldn't bother. Cold, unlovable, and always slipping out of his control. Interesting, maybe, but not fun at all.
Yun Di had been watching everything from the sidelines. It wasn't that he didn't want to stop it, but he lacked the strength. If he couldn't even handle a Demon Sect young master, how would he ever face the Holy Land?
And then there were those unpredictable lunatics from the Sunset Mountain Range, lurking in the shadows. A seed of desire to grow stronger, to become powerful, took root in his heart, sprouting into a towering tree.
If he grew stronger, he wouldn't hold Ye Lanshan back. If he grew stronger, he could be her support. If he grew stronger, he'd be worthy of standing by her side. Yes, someone as weak as him didn't even deserve to be her friend.
In the dead of night, no one noticed a figure sneaking out of the Medicine Madness Courtyard, heading toward the most brutal forbidden area of Medicine Valley. It was said that within it lay something that could make someone strong quickly. True or false, it was worth a try.
Hmm, isn't that Uncle Yun Di? What's he doing at the forbidden area? Cang Zhu, who had come here to train, watched with curious eyes as Yun Di stepped inside.
Little did he know, this was all spurred by Ye Lanshan and the Demon Sect young master. And because of this push, Ye Lanshan would gain a future great general—a right-hand man.
The night, especially when clouds obscured the moonlight, was the best color to hide sin. Branches trembled without wind, and faint, blurry shadows appeared on the ground.
A door opened silently and swiftly. Inside, the room was pitch black, with only the faint sound of breathing from the bed—steady and peaceful.
The shadow approached the bedside, a disguised dagger swinging fiercely at the person in bed. With a thud, blood spurted out. The person on the bed went still, their breath fading. Satisfied, the shadow sheathed the dagger, nodded to the others outside, and prepared to retreat.
But just then, a soft laugh came from the bed. The person they thought was dead slowly sat up.
Dressed in light blue, barely visible in the darkness, the shadow's pupils contracted in disbelief. How was this possible? The dagger had clearly struck her neck, and they had felt her breath vanish. How was she suddenly alive again?
Unfortunately, they had no time to find out. The light blue figure, seemingly slow but actually swift, grabbed one of them by the neck.
Morning came, the sun just rising, everything peaceful and serene. No one noticed the undercurrents of the night. In the bright sunlight, sin seemed to hide away. The courtyard, which should have been littered with bodies, had returned to its original state, showing no signs of the assassins who had come in the night.
Ye Lanshan yawned lazily. This languid demeanor was even more genuine than her gentle and refined facade.
"Shan Luo! Shan Luo!" Liu Chunsheng ran into the courtyard, her face flushed from the exertion. Without pausing, she tried to open Shan Luo's door.
"What's wrong? What's got you so worked up?" Ye Lanshan greeted her with a warm smile.
Liu Chunsheng, captivated by the almost unreal beauty of that face, unconsciously held her breath. What could she do when the man she had her eye on was so outstanding? Only strive to catch up with him.
One could only imagine Liu Chunsheng's expression when she found out Ye Lanshan was a woman—utterly devastated.
"Assassins came last night." Mo Ran suddenly appeared on the wall. Though the scent of blood was faint, he could still detect it.