Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 254 Listening to the Lan on a Snowy Night
The land of Tianshuang is high and mountainous.

Lu Xingzhou felt that its coldness might not be entirely related to any geological veins, but rather to its altitude and mountainous terrain.

The Shadow Moon Sect occupies most of the continuous mountain range outside Shadow Moon City, truly embodying the spirit of swords emerging from all peaks, far more magnificent than the current Heavenly Sword Sect.

If you want to go to a "deserted mountain in the suburbs," you'd have to go quite a distance in the opposite direction...

As they flew along the road, Ye Tinglan felt that Lu Xingzhou had lost his mind, and she was going to lose hers too.

On a freezing cold night, why would someone bother coming all this way just to get some fresh air?

But after reaching the summit, Ye Tinglan's mood improved.

The night sky was clear and utterly silent. The pine trees and rocks atop the mountain were covered in a light frost, gleaming beautifully in the moonlight. Lu Xingzhou stood by the pine tree, looking up at the frost. The young man, elegant and refined, resembled both the pine and the snow, further enhancing the picturesque scene.

Standing atop the mountain and gazing into the distance, the distant mountains were shrouded in night, like sleeping giants, while the lights of Shadowmoon City below twinkled, reflecting the stars and moon in the sky. Although these lights and houses were all mundane, they were more meaningful than when I used to look at the stars alone on the observatory.

A mountain breeze swept by, bringing a chill to the face. Yet it made the soul clearer, as if all worries had been blown away by the wind without a trace.

The wind carries the gentle rustling of the pine trees, making the mountaintop even more tranquil and pleasant at night.

This was the scene I had been pursuing, but in the daily quiet sitting at the observatory, I could hardly feel the beauty I had once sought.

Perhaps preoccupied with worries, he had no heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery before him.

Or perhaps it's simply gazing alone at the boundless night, leaving only loneliness and melancholy.

Only at this moment, though as quiet as a thousand nights, did I feel something different... perhaps simply because there was someone else beside me.

She stood on the edge of the cliff admiring the view, while he stood by the pine tree admiring her.

Her eyes held a smile, and her features were gentle.

And so the night became gentle.

They were saying the harshest things, that they would have to undergo a trial and pass, or else they would be punished... but for a full incense stick's time, neither of them uttered a single word.

Ye Tinglan suddenly felt a little flustered. She found herself enjoying the feeling of being quietly with him, as if she felt particularly at ease.

"You..." Ye Tinglan began with some difficulty, reluctantly breaking the gentle silence: "What are you looking at?"

Lu Xingzhou finally answered, "I was looking at the painting."

"What painting?"

"Listening to the Waves on a Snowy Night".

Ye Tinglan suddenly turned to look at him.

Lu Xingzhou casually looked down at Shadowmoon City in the distance: "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I don't know if he was referring to the scenery or the people.

But Ye Tinglan knew very well at that moment that the beauty he was talking about had nothing to do with Yuan Muyu.

It wasn't because he resembled Yuan Muyu, but because of Ye Tinglan.

For some reason, a feeling of ease and joy that I shouldn't have felt welled up inside me.

Ye Tinglan desperately suppressed these inappropriate emotions, trying to keep her face cold: "I said I came here for a trial, what are you wasting your time for?"

"But... I've broken through, sir."

Ye Tinglan stared wide-eyed as she watched Lu Xingzhou's aura surge and grow, breaking through from the middle stage of the fourth rank to the upper stage of the fourth rank.

He did nothing, and that's how he broke through.

Most other people would be speechless and at a loss for words, but Ye Tinglan was no ordinary person. He knew very well that this was because he had entered the Dao realm and had achieved relaxation, purification, and enlightenment of his mind.

Like her, Lu Xingzhou also had too many worries and overthinking in his daily life, which was not conducive to cultivation. The energy contained in his two immortal bones had not yet been fully digested, and because of the existence of the immortal bones, his efficiency in absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was much higher than that of others. If he could just focus on cultivating in peace for a period of time, he might be able to break through, but he didn't even have that much time.

Even if he were to calm down and cultivate, his mind would likely be filled with many thoughts; Ye Tinglan himself was like that and knew it all too well.

But just now, he experienced complete relaxation and tranquility.

Wasn't he looking at himself...?

So it wasn't lust after all...

“Sir…” Lu Xingzhou took a step closer, looking into her eyes up close: “Sir said that I would be punished for failing the trial. But I exceeded the target, so how should I be rewarded?”

Ye Tinglan instinctively wanted to back away.

Lu Xingzhou was quite tall, and standing so close, he gave off a commanding, imposing aura. Ye Tinglan, who never felt small even when facing a hundred-foot golden dragon, suddenly felt inexplicably guilty and breathless, instinctively taking a half-step back: "It's done, it's done, why are you standing so close… When did I say there would be a reward for completion? Wait, we're talking about the Alchemist Trial, what does your cultivation breakthrough have to do with the Alchemist Trial…"

Seeing his incoherent ramblings, Lu Xingzhou laughed and suddenly reached out to grab him: "Don't back down, there's a cliff behind us."

"I'm not going to die from this fall, so why are you bothering me?" Even though she said that, Ye Tinglan still didn't shake off his hand. She just turned her head slightly and pretended to look at the scenery below.

It seems as if this is considered a reward.

But His Majesty forgot that men are always greedy and will take advantage of any opportunity.

We've gotten so used to holding hands, can that still be considered a reward?
Caught completely off guard, Ye Tinglan was suddenly pulled by a strong force, stumbling to the side and falling directly into the man's arms. "You!" Ye Tinglan quickly pushed him away, angrily saying, "Don't push your luck!"

Lu Xingzhou blinked and honestly said "Oh," indicating that he had admitted his mistake.

In truth, I had a better idea of ​​what was going on.

What kind of cultivation does this gentleman possess? His reaction is at the microsecond level... No matter how unprepared or caught off guard, if she is unwilling, his instantaneous reaction is enough to make her completely unmoved by his pull.

But she could actually be pulled.

This means that she herself didn't have much resistance to begin with, and by the time she realized she should resist, it was already too late.

Ye Tinglan glared at him, her magnificent chest heaving with anger: "What on earth are you thinking about all day long!"

Lu Xingzhou once again revealed his pitiful puppy-like eyes: "There's nothing special... When a disciple breaks through, other people's masters would hug and encourage him."

"You..." Ye Tinglan was speechless. It's true that other people's masters often hug their disciples to encourage them when they succeed, and this also happens between female masters and male disciples.

But most of those relationships are because they were raised from a young age, and the intimacy is like that of true family, without any ulterior motives.

Are you Lu Xingzhou?

Lu Xingzhou muttered pitifully, "I get tired too."

Those four simple words softened Ye Tinglan's heart.

Despite appearing invincible in the eyes of others, I am actually very tired inside.

And what about him?
That little bit of spiritual practice, how much thought it involved. Just a few months ago, he was in a wheelchair, simply a disabled person.

Even so, she still smiled and said that she felt sorry for her husband and wanted to help share the burden.

Another pull came at his hand, but this time Ye Tinglan broke free and wasn't moved at all. Just when Lu Xingzhou thought it was hopeless, she took the initiative to pull him closer.

The hand hovered over his back for half a second before finally hugging and patting him, whispering, "Don't think too much... Mr. has been through this all these years, so you don't need to worry about him too much. You should take better care of yourself and rest more when you have nothing to do."

After saying that, they separated and took a step back: "Especially some people who clearly have nothing to do, but whose minds are still desperately focused on how to take advantage of women. If you're not tired, who is? You might as well exhaust yourself to death."

You know all that, but you still offered yourself up for free, didn't you?

Ye Tinglan seemed to see what he was thinking, and finally turned her head and said, "In the Xuan Snake Secret Realm, if you want to be frivolous, you can get more... This reward is from that time."

After saying that, he turned and walked down the mountain peak: "I've looked at the mountain peak, and there's nothing worth mentioning about it. If you really have some interest in alchemy trials, then find a high-quality herb in the mountains. Alchemists never return empty-handed from the mountains. I'll be leaving now. As long as I'm here, I can tell you're not in the mood for anything important."

Lu Xingzhou watched her beautiful figure disappear into the depths of the mist, the fragrance of her body still lingering in his nostrils, and the soft touch still remaining on his chest.

Compared to the passive situation caused by snake venom in the secret realm, the gentleman's proactive embrace was even more touching.

What reward? If you get it once, why wouldn't you get it a second time?

Lu Xingzhou was in high spirits and almost hummed a tune as he leisurely entered the forest.

It's true that alchemists never return empty-handed from the mountains. It's not a rule, but rather an occupational hazard, so it's natural.

Arriving in a foreign mountain range they had never been before, they would obviously find plants and strange beasts that were not seen in the Great Qian Dynasty. If a pill refiner did not have the desire to hunt and collect special crops, then what kind of pill refiner would they be?

Lu Xingzhou didn't have much love or enthusiasm for the alchemist profession, but he was a normal alchemist who had studied for more than ten years and was quite good at it; he really did have occupational hazard.

With a heart full of joy, he ventured into the mountains and searched for half the night. He actually found several kinds of high-grade medicinal herbs, including a kind of cinnabar grass that was very suitable as an auxiliary material for his custom-made Grade 3 Breakthrough Pill.

There's also a herb called Yin Yingcao, which is suspected to have a promoting effect on the Soul Banner Black Flame, but it's uncertain and we need to think about it.

Lu Xingzhou had a very fruitful harvest, and despite being covered in dust and dirt from trekking through the mountains, he happily returned the way he came.

But as he walked, his expression changed slightly.

The way we came wasn't like this.

maze?

Some areas are natural mazes, and it's easy to get lost if you wander in unauthorizedly.

However, Lu Xingzhou himself was an expert in formations, and he could tell at a glance that this was not a natural maze, but a man-made one.

They took out the wheelchair and tried to fly upwards, but found that they still couldn't fly out.

This is a kind of dimensional illusion; one cannot escape it, and it is not easy for outsiders to come in and find one.

This is the array that Ye Tinglan set up outside after I entered the mountain... What is she trying to do? A sudden punishment?
No, that's not Ye Tinglan's nature.

This is more likely a form of protection. It prevents outsiders from easily discovering Lu Xingzhou, and it also keeps him in line, preventing him from venturing out or taking any risks.

Lu Xingzhou's thoughts sank, and he immediately recalled his previous conversation with Ye Tinglan—besides the Demon Emperor and Gu Zhanting, were there any other enemies who could threaten Ye Tinglan? Ye Tinglan indicated that they generally wouldn't encounter any.

But it seems her jinx has worked; she appears to have truly encountered an enemy!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: It's been added... *sobs*
(End of this chapter)