Chapter 35

Upon hearing this, Xue Ming felt as if her feet were glued to the ground, unable to move. “Wait.”

Yan Yuhe stopped, turned slightly, and looked at her with calm eyes from a couple of steps away. His emotions were always subdued, but his eyes were so beautiful that even without any emotional embellishment, they didn’t seem dull, like a clear, still lake.

Xue Ming had something to say, but she suddenly got distracted when she met his gaze. She remembered what Lu Man had said earlier. Although she was indeed distracted at the time, facing Yan Yuhe now made her feel much clearer. This didn’t look like the gaze of someone in love. Xue Ming thought, isn’t it said that when you like someone, you can’t hide it in your eyes? From Yan Yuhe’s eyes, it was clear that he viewed her in a very ordinary way.

“What?” Yan Yuhe asked when she didn’t speak, his voice calm.

Xue Ming snapped back to reality, remembering she had something to say. Nervously, she asked, “Didn’t you say that passing immortals are usually found in dangerous places? If we keep going forward, won’t there be danger?”

Yan Yuhe replied, “No need to worry.”

Xue Ming thought: don’t be fooled by these four words; they have a lot of meaning. She caught up with Yan Yuhe and continued to ask, “Does ‘no need to worry’ mean there’s no danger ahead or that you can handle any danger? Is it you who doesn’t need to worry, or me?”

Yan Yuhe glanced at her, “In any case, I won’t let you die.”

Xue Ming asked, “Not die, but will I get hurt?”

Yan Yuhe, surprisingly patient at this moment, without a hint of irritation, replied, “I won’t let you get hurt either.”

Hearing this, Xue Ming felt relieved and stopped asking questions, obediently following Yan Yuhe down the mountain.

The mountain path was longer than expected. The sky was constantly ablaze with fiery clouds, painting the world in a rosy hue like a field of blooming roses. A gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness, carrying the unique scent of straw mixed with the fragrance of unknown flowers, creating a sweet and pleasant aroma.

Xue Ming gazed into the distance, feeling the vastness of the sky and the beauty of the landscape. It was a rare and stunning view. This would have been the most pleasant moment if not for being in the ghost realm and entangled with these dangers. She couldn’t help but think about where she would go after resolving these issues, what she would do in this vast world, and how she would live in the future. She glanced at Yan Yuhe, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated.

Yan Yuhe, with his keen senses, immediately noticed and asked, “What do you want to say?”

Xue Ming fidgeted with her fingers and asked, “Do you think… after you deal with Jiang Ruoming, I can still join your sect?” She thought it would be good to learn some spells for self-defense, given that the world seemed quite unstable.

“No,” Yan Yuhe replied flatly.

“Okay,” Xue Ming pouted but understood. Although those deeds weren’t hers, they were committed by the original owner of this body. Not everyone was as clear-cut about good and evil as Yan Yuhe. She stretched lazily, resting her hands behind her head, and looked up at the sky filled with fiery clouds, sighing, “The world is vast; there will always be a place for me.”

Yan Yuhe didn’t respond and continued walking for a while before suddenly speaking, “Disciples of the same sect cannot marry.”

“Huh?” Xue Ming looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant. After waiting for a while without any explanation, she tried to smooth things over, “Your sect’s rules are quite strict. In the stories I’ve read, senior brothers and junior sisters always fall in love.”

Yan Yuhe said, “I’m not interested in them.”

Xue Ming was full of questions, not understanding what he was talking about. She felt they might not be on the same page, so she laughed it off and didn’t delve deeper. They walked silently for a long time, with Xue Ming growing exhausted and her legs aching and sore. As the sun slowly set behind the mountains, they finally reached the foot of the mountain before nightfall.

As Xue Ming had guessed, a village was at the foot of the mountain. Although it didn’t look prosperous, the houses were neat, the roads clean, and the surroundings planted with unknown trees swaying in the breeze. Under the trees, elderly people chatted, and children ran around playing with small cats and dogs, creating a lively scene.

Xue Ming felt like she had entered a paradise, not expecting to see such a sight in the ghost realm. The elderly under the trees saw them and warmly greeted them, “Where have you two come from?”

Not knowing how to respond, Xue Ming looked at Yan Yuhe, who calmly said, “We are a married couple returning to our hometown to visit relatives. My wife is unwell, so we would like to stay here for a few days.”

Seeing his calm demeanor, Xue Ming tried not to show any embarrassment, hiding her blushing ears. She then pretended to be in pain, leaning against Yan Yuhe’s arm and sighing, “Oh, I feel so unwell~”

Several elderly people were very enthusiastic and immediately got up to arrange to lead the two of them. Among them, an old widow named Ma, who had lost her son in an accident early on, had a vacant room for the two to stay temporarily. After hearing this, Xue Ming felt sad and thanked her repeatedly. She whispered to the old widow, “Granny, we won’t stay for free. My husband comes from a wealthy background, so when you ask for compensation, ask him for more.”

Granny Ma smiled and said, “I clean that vacant room every day. It’s just sitting there empty, so it’s no problem for you to stay. I don’t need any compensation.”

Xue Ming thought it was only a polite remark and followed Granny Ma into the house. Upon entering, she saw it was a small household with a courtyard. The main room faced the door, and the room for her and Yan Yuhe was behind it, next to the kitchen. The courtyard had chickens and a tabby cat, which scattered in all directions upon seeing strangers, making the place lively.

Granny Ma led them to the room, saying, “My son’s old clothes are in the wardrobe, all clean. Young man, you can wear them for now. I’ll borrow some clean clothes for your wife elsewhere. We haven’t had outsiders in our village for a long time. Since you are here, it’s fate. I live alone in this house and feel quite lonely. If you don’t mind, you can stay for a few more days.”

Yan Yuhe thanked her indifferently, not too warm or cold to her enthusiasm.

Xue Ming responded with a smile, “How could we think that way? We’re just glad you don’t find us troublesome.”

Granny Ma said a few more things, informing them where to fetch water, wash up, and eat before turning to leave. She said she would go borrow clothes for Xue Ming.

Xue Ming closed the door, and the room suddenly darkened. Yan Yuhe lit the candle on the table.

The house was indeed well-maintained, looking quite tidy with no dust on the table. The room wasn’t large, with a bed against the east wall. It wasn’t as grand as a canopy bed, just a simple wooden bed, narrow enough that while it could fit two people, any slightly relaxed posture would feel cramped.

The dim candlelight illuminated Yan Yuhe’s face as he sat silently by the table. Xue Ming walked around the room, then sat beside Yan Yuhe, whispering, “How many days are we going to stay here?”

Yan Yuhe replied, “Let’s see how things go first.”

So far, Xue Ming hadn’t felt any danger in this place. She began to think that perhaps the village was inhabited by many evil spirits that came out to hunt at night, or maybe the place was cursed. In any case, it shouldn’t be as peaceful and serene as it appeared on the surface.

With these thoughts, Xue Ming couldn’t sit still and began meticulously inspecting the items in the room, fearing that something strange might be hidden or that some unnoticed formation might be set up. Yan Yuhe sat quietly, watching her busy herself.

Granny Ma soon returned, knocking on the door to deliver the clothes she had borrowed for Xue Ming and some food.

After thanking Granny Ma, Xue Ming took the items into the room. Seeing that Yan Yuhe didn’t point out any issues with the food, she sat down and started eating. There was some noise outside, and it was unclear what Granny Ma was busy with. After a while, she knocked on the door again, bringing a large wooden tub. She said it was used for soaking in hot water to keep warm in winter. It had been set aside during the summer, and she had cleaned it and was now bringing it for Xue Ming to use for bathing.

Xue Ming, now more suspicious, smiled and thanked Granny Ma. After closing the door, she turned to Yan Yuhe and asked, “Why is Granny Ma so kind to us? Could there be a catch? Isn’t there a saying that unsolicited kindness often hides ill intentions?”

Yan Yuhe shook his head, stood up, and removed his outer robe, revealing a long shirt with tied sleeves underneath. He asked her, “Do you want to bathe?”

Covered in dirt and having sweated a lot while descending the mountain, Xue Ming immediately replied, “Of course.”

Yan Yuhe pushed the door open without saying another word and left the room. Curious, Xue Ming followed him and saw him drawing water from the well in the courtyard. He filled the large tub, which reached his knees, drawing water seven times. Then he lifted the tub effortlessly, though the muscles in his arms subtly showed through his sleeves. He carried the wooden bucket into the room and poured it into the large bathtub, the water splashing loudly.

Xue Ming stood by and watched, noticing how focused Yan Yuhe was on his task. She suddenly realized that he was preparing the bathwater for her.

Xue Ming was startled by this realization, her heart beginning to race. She felt a subtle, lingering sense of intimacy in the air, even though she and Yan Yuhe hadn’t exchanged any words.

Yan Yuhe knew many spells. Although he was just a cultivator, his abilities were almost god-like among ordinary people. He could probably conjure a couple of paper figures to handle the bathwater or even use a spell to clean his body without water. Yet, for some reason, he chose to do it himself.

Xue Ming stood dazed by the door, watching Yan Yuhe draw another bucket of water and carry it to the kitchen. She quietly followed him and saw him lighting a fire with wood, pouring the water into a large stove to heat it. He sat on a small stool nearby. Knowing that Xue Ming was peeking from the kitchen door, he turned to see her peeking with only half her head and a pair of bright, black eyes showing.

Yan Yuhe said, “No need to boil it so it won’t take long.”

Xue Ming replied blankly, “Oh.”

Despite the kitchen light being on, the environment still seemed dim. Yan Yuhe sat on a small stool, his posture upright yet inexplicably cute.

Moonlight shone at the door, mostly falling on Xue Ming, with a small part reaching into the room, casting Xue Ming’s shadow long enough almost to touch Yan Yuhe’s feet.

“The ghost realm didn’t exist from the beginning,” Yan Yuhe suddenly spoke in the quiet, his voice slow. “Those wandering spirits, after escaping the capture of the underworld officials, gathered together and gradually expanded their territory, with many mortal towns being drawn in.”

Xue Ming asked, “How did they notice?”

“Not seeing the sunrise naturally made them realize something was wrong,” Yan Yuhe said. “Mortals also continue to live in the ghost realm, but they can no longer see the morning sun.”

He stood up, saw that the water in the pot was starting to steam, tested the temperature with his hand, and then began to pour the water into the tub. Amid the splashing water, he continued, “It’s perfectly normal for the living to have attachments and for their spirits to remain in the world after death.”

Xue Ming pretended to understand and responded before returning to the room with Yan Yuhe. He mixed the hot water, and the steaming bathwater was ready. Then, Yan Yuhe took the bucket and left the room.

Xue Ming glanced at the closed door, then quickly undressed and slipped into the wooden tub. The water was a bit too hot, immediately turning her skin red, but it was very effective in relieving her fatigue. She didn’t feel like getting out, so she gritted her teeth and endured it. Once her skin adjusted, she began to enjoy the bath.

Yan Yuhe prepared the bathwater himself, which Xue Ming found surprising and satisfying. She didn’t know where the feeling came from but enjoyed it immensely. After soaking until her hands were wrinkled, she reluctantly climbed out, dried herself off, and changed into the clothes Granny Ma had brought.

The clothes were typical of the countryside, without many complicated buttons, so Xue Ming dressed quickly. She let down her long hair, which had gotten wet, to let it dry. She opened the door, intending to deal with the bathwater herself, but saw Yan Yuhe standing against the wall outside. She didn’t know how long he had been waiting there, and his sudden presence startled her, making her heart race.

Hearing the noise, Yan Yuhe turned his head. His gaze fell on Xue Ming, whose face was slightly flushed. Her eyes were as bright and dark as fresh grapes, and her long hair draped over her shoulders, revealing a fair neck that had turned a charming pink from soaking in hot water for so long. She was startled, a hint of panic in her eyes, and stammered, “You… you were at the door the whole time?”

Yan Yuhe straightened up without answering, instead asking, “This place is heavy with yin energy. Do you feel any discomfort in your back?”

Xue Ming was taken aback. She had almost forgotten about her back. She hadn’t felt anything significant while bathing, but she felt a slight heat on her back after the bath and being cooled by the night breeze.