I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

It seems that this is really the case...

Because the religious order explicitly forbids clergy from having too much contact with the spirits, Phoebe was able to spend time with Benny and the others in private.

“That…that’s only because Benny and the others are my family.” Phoebe mustered her courage, but her voice was a little weak, as if she was trying to bolster her own courage. “It’s different from other situations.”

“What’s different?” Duanmu Yan rubbed his chin, squinting as he observed the girl. “Alright, let’s leave Benny and the others aside for now. But what about the other creatures? I saw you with my own eyes over at Bank Street, acting all familiar with a bathtub dog. And Miss Margaret’s Bake, you were quite close to it too, weren’t you?”

"..."

The girl blushed and stammered for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence.

"So, Phoebe, you don't want the monks to know you're close to Sheng Hai, do you?" Duanmu Yan's lips curled into a wicked smile. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "If you don't want the monks to find out what you've done, you'd better come and keep me company tonight."

"Huh?" The girl was stunned for a moment, looking slightly frightened.

"I meant dinner." Duanmu Yan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Phoebe, are you thinking about some weird things with your little head?"

"I-I didn't!"

The girl hurriedly denied it, but her flustered tone and evasive eyes clearly betrayed her.

"Alright, it's settled then." Duanmu Yan's tone was firm, giving her no chance to object. "Don't eat that laurel salad tonight. I'll take you out for a nice meal."

“But…” Phoebe still hesitated.

“There are no ‘buts’,” Duanmu Yan replied decisively. “This is an invitation from family. Are you suggesting that Phoebe should refuse her family’s invitation?”

family?

The word made the girl pause slightly, like the embers of a fire burning out in the darkness, flickering with a warm light that warmed her heart as well.

"So, Mr. Duanmu still remembers everything?"

"I thought he didn't take it to heart."

Phoebe pursed her lips slightly, as if she had made up her mind, and then a relieved smile appeared on her face: "Then... this will be the only time!"

Seeing that she agreed, Duanmu Yan couldn't help but smile slightly: "Well, as a reward, I'll let you rub Abu's face today, how about that?"

"But Abu... will it agree?"

"Don't worry, Abu is easy to talk to. As long as you bribe him with enough food, he'll do anything."

The afternoon sun gently spilled into the church courtyard, bathing everything in a soft, warm golden light.

Occasionally, one can hear the melodious sound of bells coming from afar.

Duanmu Yan and Phoebe sat side by side on the bench, enjoying this rare moment of comfort and tranquility.

A gentle breeze caressed their hair, bringing them a sense of comfort.

Suddenly, Duanmu Yan heard a very faint snoring sound beside him, like a kitten quietly purring.

He turned his head slightly and realized that Phoebe had fallen into a deep sleep, leaning on his shoulder.

Her long eyelashes drooped gently, casting two small shadows on her cheeks, and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"She's actually asleep?" Duanmu Yan looked at the girl's adorable sleeping face and smiled faintly. "She really has no defenses against me at all."

Perhaps it was the girl's peaceful drowsiness that infected him, or perhaps it was because this tranquil afternoon was the perfect time for a nap, but Duanmu Yan felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

Without realizing it, he gradually closed his eyes, leaned slightly towards the girl, and they leaned against each other, falling into a deep sleep in the warm sunlight.

……

……

At this moment, a gentle breeze carrying a hint of coolness gradually rose, lightly brushing against Duanmu Yan's face, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"It's so cold."

Duanmu Yan subconsciously wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, but his mind was full of doubts.

Normally, Laguna shouldn't experience such a temperature drop at this time of year.

and……

Why is the wind so strong?

Duanmu Yan raised his hand and touched his nose. Stimulated by the cold wind, his sleepiness was gradually dispelled. He slowly opened his eyes, and the world around him gradually became clearer.

But the sight before him made his eyes widen instantly, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.

This is no longer a church courtyard!

It's Sonora!

Duanmu Yan instantly became much more alert, all his nerves tensing. He tried to get up, but stopped abruptly halfway through the movement.

He noticed that Phoebe, who was beside him, seemed to have been caught up in this unknown event and was now quietly leaning against him, still fast asleep.

Phoebe?

Why did Phoebe come in too?

Volume 1: Chapter 138 Phoebe's Daydreams

This towering structure, suspended high in the sky, is undoubtedly Sonora.

But why...

Why did we arrive here without any warning?

Even Phoebe came in?

Could it be that, unconsciously, it resonated with the stone slab?

Duanmu Yan was puzzled and had no clue what to do.

However, now that we're already here, we can't let this opportunity go to waste.

"Phoebe, wake up, wake up..." Duanmu Yan gently nudged Phoebe, who was still fast asleep.

Phoebe frowned her pretty brows, showing no sign of waking up, still immersed in her dream.

"I slept soundly..."

Duanmu Yan sighed helplessly and gently pinched the girl's soft cheeks.

After a while, Phoebe slowly opened her eyes, sat up from the bench, and her eyes were still a little dazed.

She rubbed her eyes, her voice muffled: "Mr. Duanmu, what's wrong? I don't know what happened... I suddenly feel so sleepy, and I even had a dream."

"A dream?" Duanmu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Hmm.” Phoebe nodded slightly, as if she hadn’t yet noticed the unusual surroundings.

A complex emotion flashed across the depths of her iris-purple eyes like a shooting star.

"I think I dreamed of the fish, but it looked very different from the ones I usually see. It didn't have any fish-like features."

Phoebe spoke softly, muttering to herself as she recalled the scenes from her dream.

But as soon as she woke up, the once vivid dream gradually blurred like the receding tide, until finally only a galloping horse galloping freely in the high sky remained in her mind.

Why is this happening?

The girl didn't know.

But she always felt...

I felt a little uneasy.

"Am I not devout enough?" The girl frowned, looking puzzled. "Why is the Lord of the Year like this in my dream?"

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yan was stunned for a moment.

Phoebe actually dreamed of the true face of the Lord of the Year?

Is it...

She was able to enter Sonora this time because her pure and unwavering faith in Imperado resonated with the stone tablet, suppressing the frequency of Leviathan, which allowed her to come here again.

Duanmu Yanxi moved his lips, considering whether to tell Phoebe the truth about Mingshi and Suizhu.

“Phoebe, I…”

But the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Perhaps, now is not the time.

Phoebe has a devout and gentle heart, and as a clergy member of the order, she has always spared no effort in helping others.

She had a tragic past, and her faith, like a beacon in the darkness, became the pillar of her soul, supporting her to this day.

If you were to tell her now that the faith she has always upheld has been tainted, wouldn't her hard-won spiritual world collapse instantly?

People need faith for various reasons—and once faith collapses, the consequences for an individual are devastating.

Phoebe looked at him with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong, Mr. Duanmu?"

"Take a look around first."

Duanmu Yan ultimately swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Phoebe needs time to process all of this.

And Sonora was the perfect opportunity.

Rather than telling her directly, it would be better to...

Let her try to accept it herself.

That way, my emotions won't break down so much.

"around?"

Phoebe looked around as instructed, and her iris-purple eyes suddenly trembled.

"Where are we?"

The familiar church courtyard is nowhere to be seen.

Before my eyes, a tall tower hangs upside down in the sky, completely defying all the laws of gravity in the world, floating steadily in the high heavens.

“It’s Sonora.” Duanmu Yan looked up, his gaze following the completely upside-down corridor, his tone calm but with a hint of solemnity.

In the middle of the corridor, a river flows quietly, its water following its predetermined course, showing no sign of overflowing.

“Sonora?” Phoebe’s eyes widened slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her face. Her gaze instinctively drifted to the buildings in the distance. “Why do I feel like these buildings all have a monastic style?”

The familiar color scheme and unique patterns are exactly the same as those of the Mercury Cathedral.

Phoebe had been in the order for so long that she was very familiar with these details and there was no way she could have made a mistake.

"It seems so."

As Duanmu Yan listened to her explanation, he examined the buildings more closely and found that their style was very similar to that of the Buddhist order.

Could this be the former site of a religious order?

“Those three towers…” The girl frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on the tower in the center, and murmured to herself, “I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before… Could it be that I’m remembering them wrong?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Phoebe suddenly felt her feet leave the stone path beneath her feet, and her whole body felt light and airy.

When she came to her senses, she realized that she was falling uncontrollably towards the sky!

Phoebe paused slightly, then looked at Duanmu Yan: "Hey, what's going on?"

Just like her, Duanmu Yan was falling uncontrollably upwards.

"I don't know either." Duanmu Yan didn't hesitate at all, grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her tightly into his arms. "But Phoebe, hold on tight!"

"Well!"

This sudden intimate contact made Phoebe stiffen, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

In the end, however, the girl chose to obey Duanmu Yan's words, gripping his clothes tightly with her hands, burying her face in his chest, gently closing her eyes, and nervously awaiting the impending impact.

"Sniff..."

"This scent is so comforting. I wish I could hold Mr. Duanmu like this forever."

"Wait, what am I even thinking about?"

"Phoebe, you are a priest of the Hidden Sea Order, you mustn't forget your place! How could you have such disrespectful thoughts towards Mr. Duanmu?"

"By the Lord of Ages, please forgive my offense..."