Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 244 What kind of beast are you?
Ye Tinglan is not Long Qinghuang.

Lu Xingzhou had sensed a deadly intent emanating from Long Qinghuang many times, but not from Ye Tinglan, even though she was currently filled with shame and indignation.

All she wanted was a way out.

Strangely, Lu Xingzhou, who could usually find a hundred ways to save face at any time, suddenly found his mind blank and confused. After a long while, he casually said, "Thank you for saving me again, sir."

But the hand around her waist didn't move at all.

Ye Tinglan seemed oblivious, remaining seated with a somewhat complicated expression.

To say that he was saved wouldn't really be accurate.

She also wanted to leave this place, so naturally she needed to fight the Xuan Snake, and at most she was just carrying a burden. But this fourth-rank burden was really not one to be taken advantage of. Whether it was the pre-battle preparation, or poisoning the snake to lure it, or finally poisoning it and even blasting open the snake's mouth... he was actually a semi-main force in the coordinated battle.

Although without this burden, and without needing to distract him, Ye Tinglan could have won much more easily and wouldn't have been in such a sorry state, nor would he have needed Ye Tinglan as a key player, it must be admitted that this was indeed a joint operation.

He has always wanted to prove this point, hoping to gain an equal perspective, rather than a condescending one.

They even tried to downplay the man's identity, labeling him a "spy."

Why do we want this perspective...?

Ji Wenchuan's words resurfaced in my mind: He's pursuing you.

Ye Tinglan was in a state of confusion. This was the most direct approach she had ever experienced in her life, and now she was being so intimate with her "pursuer," making her feelings even more complicated. She was even a little afraid to listen to Lu Xingzhou speak, fearing that he might say something lewd, something she couldn't kill but couldn't—it was incredibly troublesome.

Please stop talking...

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Lu Xingzhou say from behind, "What are you thinking about, sir?"

The voice was very close, and the breath brushed past my ear again, making me feel hot all over.

Ye Tinglan said coldly, "When are you going to let go?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't loosen his grip, muttering, "Sir, wouldn't it be easy for you to break free?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't know what he was doing. He didn't usually get an erection so easily at the sight of a patch of white skin, especially after a battle, when he wouldn't have the leisure for that. But today, he couldn't control himself. Instead, he held her tightly, unwilling to let go, even though he knew that continuing like this would lead to a fight... but he just couldn't let go.

Even their breathing became heavier.

Ye Tinglan's breathing also started to become strange, and she slapped him on the shoulder with her backhand: "Let go!"

But when he struck down with his palm, he felt his own body go limp, and he was horrified.

what happened?

She also felt a surge of heat rising within her, and the more Lu Xingzhou held her, the weaker she felt, her desire rising.

Both of them were well-informed and experienced, and at that moment their eyes widened as they finally remembered a question.

When it finally escaped from the snake's mouth, it had injured the black snake; the saliva splattered on it was bloody.

Could this blood have an aphrodisiac effect? ​​Yes, it's a sub-dragon species; dragon blood often has this effect.

It was only a small amount, I didn't notice it until we were hugging like this, and that triggered it...

Lu Xingzhou was speechless. When the little white-haired girl first fell victim to the little demoness's charm, he'd said, "Who would carry such an antidote around all the time? You might not even encounter one twice in your entire life." But not long after, Gua Mei was tricked by a succubus, and A Nuo solved the problem on the spot with a concoction. Now, he and Ye Tinglan were both affected by dragon blood—who would be the concoction expert?
Who said you wouldn't run into them a few times? It's happened three times in just six months!

This is top-grade dragon blood! Even a tiny bit would have terrifying effects. If they were soaked through, they'd probably both be drowning in a sea of ​​desire by now.

Lu Xingzhou searched through the ring for a long time, but he really didn't have this kind of medicine on hand. He did have the antidote, but was this poison? He could only ask, "Does the sir have this kind of antidote with him?"

Ye Tinglan: "...No."

"What should I do?"

The situation is even more tragic. Ye Tinglan had been protecting Lu Xingzhou with her body, so much so that she was more contaminated, while Lu Xingzhou only got a tiny bit splashed. Now, her desire is even stronger than Lu Xingzhou's; the human instincts that she had suppressed her entire life through celibacy are now surging back in a powerful counterattack.

She clearly still had the strength to stand up, but she felt so weak and limp in the man's arms that she didn't want to move. She didn't know if she was really weak or if she was just making an excuse to cling to his embrace.

His hands were wrapped around his waist, and he no longer felt agitated. Instead, he secretly hoped that the man would move a little... He had been abstaining from sex his whole life, going against his nature, and when it finally erupted, he was more passionate than ever before.

Otherwise, there would be no need to keep telling him to let go; he would have stood up long ago.

You're asking me what to do now that things are like this? Who am I supposed to ask?

Ye Tinglan was filled with shame and indignation, and also with a fear she had never felt before.

What if he really does something reckless...?
His hot breath had already landed on her bare shoulder, and she could feel his suppressed desire. His burning lips kissed her shoulder, and Ye Tinglan couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm," tilting her snow-white neck back with a somewhat dazed look in her eyes.

But Lu Xingzhou made no further move for a long time.

Ye Tinglan didn't even know whether she should yell at the greyhound, "Why don't you move already..."

Then Lu Xingzhou said with difficulty, "I've thought of something..."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

Lu Xingzhou shakily pulled a piece of root from his ring: "This is...this is a byproduct I dug up in a small secret area near Qingli's ice house when I first arrived at Frozen Moon Cold River...It has...it has purifying effects...It's only grade four and hasn't been refined, I don't know if it's enough...Try eating it first, the key is the purification...Take some antidote along with it, and it should be..."

She could feel Lu Xingzhou's trembling voice, extremely reluctant... Ye Tinglan looked at the root offered to her red lips with a strange expression, and even wanted to laugh a little.

One drink and one peck, could it be a predestined decision.

But he actually did it... She slowly took a bite; the root was bitter, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Just like my mood right now.

Her mind cleared up considerably, and she took out a few antidote pills from her ring and ate them. She also put one into Lu Xingzhou's mouth.

Lu Xingzhou touched his lips with her slender fingers and pursed her lips to kiss him.

Ye Tinglan gave him a look that seemed both angry and resentful, but simply withdrew her hand without saying anything more.

The atmosphere fell silent as the two silently absorbed the medicinal effects, guiding the purifying properties of the roots and stems to cleanse their blood.

It had little effect on Lu Xingzhou; the fourth-grade root was not potent enough, and the antidote pill was ineffective. But it worked on Ye Tinglan. Who was she? With just a little external force, she could expel all the restlessness that shouldn't be in her blood.

Just as Lu Xingzhou could no longer restrain himself and tried to continue kissing her neck, Ye Tinglan opened her eyes and easily spun away from his embrace. Lu Xingzhou pouted and missed his kiss, his eyes filled with resentment.

She then touched his brow with her slender finger, and a cool sensation entered his heart. Lu Xingzhou paused there, and his eyes gradually cleared.

Ye Tinglan looked down at him with his arms crossed, while Lu Xingzhou, sitting in his wheelchair, looked up to meet his gaze.

After a long while, Ye Tinglan suddenly laughed: "Regret it?"

"Ok?"

"Why apply medicine if there's nothing wrong?"

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, stood up, took out another robe from his ring, and wrapped it around her: "It would be a real regret if you forgot you had the medicine."

His movements were so natural, just like a husband draping a coat over his wife.

Actually, even if he hadn't touched the medicine, Ye Tinglan would have been able to break free on her own sooner or later, and someone would have died then. But by touching the medicine, his impression of Ye Tinglan improved dramatically, and his favorability towards her skyrocketed.

With mutual attraction and physical intimacy, a man's position in a woman's heart is no longer the same as before.

Ye Tinglan didn't refuse his offer of the robe anymore, but just looked at him quietly: "Haven't you been lustful towards me for a long time?"

"Hey, that's not lust, it's the pursuit of a virtuous lady by a gentleman."

"Admit it?"

Lu Xingzhou remained silent for a moment, then hummed in response.

"Because I resemble Yuan Muyu?"

Lu Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "I had already gotten the idea before I even saw what you looked like. What does it have to do with her?"

"You can be lustful just because you don't know what she looks like?"

"...Don't you know that wearing a veil makes you more alluring?"

"I don't know your appearance, I don't know your identity, and I'm even your mentor. To have lustful thoughts about all this, what kind of beast are you?"

Lu Xingzhou scratched his head but didn't answer.

Even such a beast is a hundred times better than the answer "because he looks like Yuan Muyu." If it were really because he looks like a fish, he'd probably be thrown into the lake to feed the fish by now. Even if he had designs after seeing his appearance, the suspicion of being attracted by Yuan Muyu's resemblance is impossible to clear, so it's better to have designs on while he's wearing a veil. Look, the gentleman is scolding, but he's even smiling a little.

Ye Tinglan tightened her outer robe, took a few steps toward the lakeside, and looked at the dark lake surface: "You know I come from the Tianyao Holy Land."

Lu Xingzhou said, "So what? Not everyone in Tianyao Holy Land is a Taoist priest. You're not the Imperial Preceptor Tinglan Zhenren... Does she have to care about her junior sister's marriage?"

Despite having a bellyful of complicated emotions, Ye Tinglan almost burst out laughing at these words: "Her... she really cares."

Lu Xingzhou said, "One day, a man will take care of her."

Ye Tinglan was silent for a moment: "She is a nun."

"I don't care who she is, you're not her."

Ye Tinglan hadn't expected that denying his identity would backfire so badly, leaving her both amused and exasperated, unsure how to respond for a long time. She had originally intended to persuade him to abandon such inappropriate thoughts and to interact normally, but what excuse could she offer now?
Master and student? He immediately accused you of being a female spy, that you were teaching for ulterior motives, and that you didn't acknowledge your teacher.

He figured it out long ago.

Finally, he simply said, "Your feelings will never be answered, so why waste your time?"

Lu Xingzhou hadn't expected this answer: "Does that mean you agree to me pursuing you?"

Ye Tinglan hesitated for a moment, then simply said, "Whatever. Who can tell you what to do?"

After saying that, he seemed to feel ashamed of his words, and immediately turned to the side of the black snake's corpse, directly using the technique of changing the subject: "Its whole body is full of good stuff, do you need anything?"

"Give me some of your blood for alchemy, I don't need anything else, you can keep it... my ring isn't big enough."

"Whom do you want to harm by giving me your blood?"

"...I didn't even harm those who were easily within my grasp, so who else could I harm? This is just the research mindset of an alchemist encountering medicine."

Ye Tinglan's eyebrows shot up: "Who are you calling someone easy to get!"

“?” Lu Xingzhou was dumbfounded.

Is this the case for all women, regardless of their status or position?

(End of this chapter)