Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 257 I can’t help myself
"Boom!"

With a single sword strike, a deafening roar echoed as mountains crumbled.

The giant golden Buddha finger was severed by a single sword strike. Monk Zhao En coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face ashen, and quickly summoned a magical artifact to disappear into the distance.

The Buddha's light vanished, and the scene of dark mountains returned. A mountain peak was collapsing in front of us, causing a landslide and sinkhole.

Ye Tinglan cleaved a mountain in two with a single sword strike!

It also severed the Mountain and River Formation that Zhao En had used to steal Qi.

The abyss-like mountain valley was filled in, and the stolen vital energy returned in strands, almost visible to those skilled in observing energy.

Amidst the landslide and tumbling rocks, Ye Tinglan weaved through the debris, heading straight for Shadowmoon City. She had no intention of chasing Monk Zhao En; her mind was entirely focused on Lu Xingzhou's condition—he shouldn't have the strength to contend for the Qi Meridian; the price he would pay would be immense!

In the central square of Shadowmoon City, Lu Xingzhou lay unconscious on the ground, his face ashen.

A group of high-ranking members of the Shadow Moon Sect rushed in, their faces filled with terror. In truth, none of them knew what had happened; they had inexplicably discovered Lu Xingzhou severely injured and unconscious. If this little puppy of the Heavenly Yao Holy Master were to truly be harmed here, the entire Shadow Moon Sect would suffer a terrible injustice.

Si Han was helping Lu Xingzhou up, and before he could even check him, Ye Tinglan's angry voice came from the air: "Get out of the way!"

Ye Tinglan descended from the sky, pushed Si Han aside, and hugged Lu Xingzhou in her arms.

Si Han: "..."

Ye Tinglan examined it briefly, then pursed her lips tightly.

Generally speaking, arbitrarily altering the feng shui energy flow will have a backlash. Ye Tinglan had previously warned Lu Xingzhou that the reason Maha failed was partly due to the backlash of fortune. However, this backlash is not physical, but rather affects one's luck, which may lead to future setbacks.

However, this time it was Zhao En who changed the Qi Meridian, while Lu Xingzhou was protecting it. This might actually lead to him having stronger luck and receiving a certain degree of blessing from the national fortune of Tianshuang Kingdom.

This is a good thing.

However, the price was the depletion of his soul and the drying up of his soul sea, making him look like a dead person at first glance. His soul power simply could not withstand it. If it weren't for the four-corner formation, which allowed the first-grade experts of the Shadow Moon Sect to suppress the four directions, he would not have been able to do it at all.

Ye Tinglan pried open his mouth, took out a pill, and stuffed it inside.

Si Han watched from the side, his heart bleeding. He recognized it as the Yaochi Creation Pill from the Tianyao Holy Land, a divine medicine for restoring the soul. As long as a person's soul hadn't been completely destroyed and there was still a breath of soul fire remaining, it could stabilize the soul fire and pull the person back from the brink of death.

The value of just this one pill could be enough to buy a small country, and it's being used so casually on a male concubine... Does this injury really require such a high-level medicine?
It's hard to say...

However, perhaps because of its high level, the elixir, which normally "dissolves instantly in the mouth," didn't have that effect here. The pill slipped out of his mouth as soon as it was put in. Ye Tinglan tried to close his mouth, but could only keep the pill in his mouth, unable to swallow it.

Ye Tinglan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "No matter what method you use, immediately abolish the technique that the demonic monk taught you to control the bone dragon. Even if it means sacrificing your cultivation, do it for me. I will return in a few days to check. If I find that anyone still retains evil techniques, the Shadow Moon Sect can forget about sitting in the royal court!"

Si Han trembled with fear: "Your Majesty, what happened this time..."

"You fools were tricked into practicing heretical methods, undermining the royal lineage and allowing your royal power to be seized and plundered. If it weren't for Lu Xingzhou's desperate protection, your royal aura would have dissipated." Ye Tinglan's beautiful eyes flashed with murderous intent: "I don't care what you're like, if you've failed to live up to Lu Xingzhou's sacrifices, then this royal court is better off not existing!"

Si Han bowed: "We understand."

"Immediately mobilize the entire nation to search for clues about that wicked monk. He is currently severely injured; once discovered, there is no need to report back—kill him without mercy!"

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan said no more, and disappeared with Lu Xingzhou in her arms.

When no external brain is available to offer advice, Ye Tinglan regains the dignity and vigilance befitting the Holy Lord of Tianyao.

She was also suffering from internal injuries at the moment, so her outward anger would be less likely to arouse suspicion. Meanwhile, Lu Xingzhou was in extremely poor condition, and being on Shadow Moon Sect territory, she might not be able to protect him properly if Si Han harbored ill intentions. Therefore, she simply refused to let Si Han arrange for her to find a place to heal, and moved elsewhere herself.

But is this anger really just for intimidation?

At least in Si Han's and others' minds, her reason for standing up for her man couldn't be more genuine.

Only after they had been gone for a long time did Si Han finally let out a sigh of relief, muttering through gritted teeth, "Gu Zhanting has gone too far in bullying me!"

Yes, if the sorcerer monk's methods contained the intention to disrupt the Heavenly Frost King's aura, then Gu Zhanting's actions, with their multiple objectives, were even more obvious.

An elder responded, "This further demonstrates that Gu Zhanting has connections with some ancient beings, and the implication behind this is..."

“Gu Zhanting has been secretly plotting to suppress Tianyao Holy Land, and now he’s about to bring it into the open… This is also why the Tianyao Holy Lord wants to turn around and support us.” Si Han glanced in the direction Ye Tinglan had left and said in a low voice, “In any case, the Tianyao Holy Lord helped us quell the internal strife, and Lu Xingzhou helped us suppress the royal aura. I, Si Han, appreciate this favor.”

"And our secret one..."

“The Ice Prison Sect is not entirely of one mind with us. They have their own pursuits, and what they seek is not worldly gain. If this matter is found out by the Holy Lord of Tianyao, then we must act decisively.”

…………

In a small town hundreds of miles away from Shadowmoon City, there is a private inn.

Ye Tinglan placed Lu Xingzhou on the bed, gently smoothed the messy hair at his temples, bit her lower lip, and stared intently at his pale sleeping face.

In fact, she might not have lost this battle even if Lu Xingzhou had risked his life to help her.

She has many secret weapons and trump cards that she hasn't fully used yet.

Of course, Zhao En may have other tricks up his sleeve; no one knows until the very end.

It's certain that without Lu Xingzhou's help, she wouldn't have only suffered these internal injuries. Even if she had won, she would have been severely injured, perhaps like Gu Zhanting, with injuries that would take years to heal, greatly hindering her future prospects. Now, however, there are no more future troubles.

None of that matters. What matters is that in that instant, a moment of vulnerability was awakened within her, and the thought of someone helping her flashed through her mind. But just then, Lu Xingzhou's image descended like a bolt from the blue, landing precisely on that moment, as if stepping into her heart.

He kept saying, "Sir, don't work so hard, I can share the burden."

Originally, everyone scoffed at him, thinking that a mere fourth-rank man had no right to share the burden with the number one Heavenly Yao Saint Lord. They would be lucky if he could just lend a hand.

But from offering suggestions to breaking the ice barrier, to devising a plan for the heavens, and then playing a crucial leading role in two consecutive battles, step by step, he proved that his words were not empty boasts or empty talk to gain favor.

Until this time, when he was risking his life... he wasn't even sure if he needed to, he was just doing what he felt he should do.

"You'd risk your life for Shen Tang?"

But in fact, he had never risked his life for Shen Tang; the one who truly risked his life was for Ye Tinglan.

"Fool..." Ye Tinglan gently stroked his handsome face, her eyes filled with a tenderness she herself couldn't see: "You had such thoughts before even revealing your face... isn't that just lust at play? Why would you do that for a little lust?"

But at this moment, looking at Lu Xingzhou's sleeping face, her heart was beating faster than ever before, and she thought he was really handsome.

Is this also due to lust?
During the battle with Zhao En, Ye Tinglan vaguely knew a very critical problem, but she didn't think about it in detail during the battle—she easily dispelled Zhao En's illusion, but Zhao En had never seen Lu Xingzhou. The "little lover" that appeared in the illusion was not a face that Zhao En had created, but a reflection of Ye Tinglan's own deep thoughts.

This means... if she has a lover in her heart, it is this face.

The object of the Holy Lord's romantic affections is this face.

In that moment of intense anger, my first thought was to just strangle him...

Ye Tinglan gently stroked Lu Xingzhou's neck with her slender hand and pursed her lips.

His neck was twitching, and he was swallowing unconsciously in his unconscious state. Unfortunately, what he was swallowing was not medicine, but saliva.

The Jade Pool Creation Pill was still in his mouth, not yet swallowed; the pill was too large.

There are actually many ways to get him to swallow, such as cutting it into a few pieces for him. Or, if you want to be more forceful, just use a chopstick to push it down his throat.

But ever since they were in Shadowmoon City, Ye Tinglan hadn't thought about these plans, and it's likely that Si Han and the others watching from the sidelines hadn't considered them either.

The first thought that comes to everyone's mind is to kiss her and push their tongue in.

It can only be said that the influence of the novel is greater than people imagine... Ye Tinglan took people away, at least 80% subconsciously, to find a secluded place to gossip.

Now that things have come to this, Ye Tinglan remembered that there were many other methods, but using her tongue to push the object out was the least reliable one.

Before she knew it, Ye Tinglan suddenly realized that she had moved closer to him, her fragrant lips less than an inch away from his dry, chapped lips.

Her breathing quickened, and she paused slightly.

I was thinking to myself, if he were awake and I gave him a choice, he would definitely say "I want a reward" or "I want a kiss," right?

If he actually makes a request, then we won't be close.

He doesn't know this right now... while he's unaware.

What's wrong with Your Majesty tasting a little puppy?
Their lips drew closer and closer, finally touching lightly.

Touching the cracked, dry skin, Ye Tinglan trembled all over, an electric current exploded in her mind, and her heart pounded wildly.

There are so many ways to do it, so why did it still turn out like this without me even realizing it...?

A subconscious thought was vaguely rising, but I dared not think about it too much.

What does it mean to be unable to control one's emotions?

That's it.

It turns out there really are some things that are beyond our control. When the time comes, we always find countless reasons to justify ourselves.

Since they had already kissed, Ye Tinglan decided to go all the way and pried open his teeth, inserting the pill with her tongue.

The pill went down her throat smoothly, without getting stuck. Ye Tinglan quickly separated herself, sat up straight, and found that Lu Xingzhou was still unconscious.

She breathed a long sigh of relief. At least no one saw it; he didn't know.

Not knowing is the same as nothing happening.

Anyway, he's already been given the reward he wanted, so if he wants anything else after waking up, that's it.

Plan passes.

Ye Tinglan clenched her small fists, about to stand up, when suddenly she felt dizzy and her lingering injury flared up. She took several deep breaths, then sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, closed her eyes, and began introspective meditation.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xingzhou, who was in a coma, opened his eyes.

Although he was unconscious, he was actually conscious... The warm touch on his lips at that moment still lingers in my memory.

(End of this chapter)