Chapter 38

This was a scene that deeply shocked Xue Ming.

She had seen it before, the bodies hanging from the locust tree and under the eaves; she knew Jiang Ruoming was responsible for all of this. But seeing it for the third time in front of this tree, she still couldn’t adapt. Her heart felt as if it had been struck hard, aching dully, and even her breathing became difficult.

This tree was much larger than the previous intertwined locust tree, almost growing into a towering giant. The bodies hanging from it resembled drooping branches, and if one didn’t get close, they might not have been able to see clearly. It was unclear whether the ominous energy of these bodies nourished the tree, but its leaves were greener than those of ordinary trees.

Xue Ming’s gaze swept across the familiar faces she had seen in the village: the warm-hearted elderly, the lively children, the hardworking young people—a place she once thought was a paradise, now long destroyed. Everyone’s blood had been drained, giving rise to this sinister tree.

“Jiang Ruoming…” Xue Ming felt her body trembling. An indescribable anger and fear surging from the depths of her heart eroded her rationality.

Yan Yuhe gazed at the swaying bodies hanging from the trees and said softly, “What you heard from that old woman today is incomplete. Years ago, Jiang Ruoming came to this village and set up a Gathering Yin Array at the graveyard. A heavy rain caused a collapse here, and the villagers came to investigate. They discovered the strange entrance and intended to fill it with earth.”

At this point, Yan Yuhe’s words matched what Granny Ma had told Xue Ming, but the story then took a turn. He said, “But a Yin Gathering Array was set up here. Once you enter this area, the array will harm you. Many villagers came to fill the hole, and they all perished on that day. Jiang Ruoming killed the remaining people.”

Hearing this, Xue Ming finally understood why the Passing Immortal existed. An entire village of people had disappeared without a trace, all dying within a few days. How could this not be considered a dangerous place? That’s why they built the Passing Immortal to block the mountain path. From the moment they entered, Yan Yuhe knew that everyone they saw had actually been dead for a long time.

Xue Ming suddenly remembered something Yan Yuhe had said the previous night, “Living people have attachments. After death, they are unwilling to leave and remain in the world. It’s the most normal thing.”

She suddenly understood and, stunned, said, “So, they don’t even know they’re dead? That’s why they keep living here day after day?”

Yan Yuhe nodded slightly, confirming her thoughts. Xue Ming’s feelings were indescribable, mostly filled with sadness. These people had forgotten their deaths and continued living here, dreaming of a future they could never reach. It was incredibly tragic and pitiful to think about.

Yan Yuhe took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and casually tossed it onto the tree. When it touched the trunk, a flame instantly ignited, and soon, the whole tree, as if doused in gasoline, was engulfed in rapid, spreading fire.

The wind rose, fanning the flames, burning along the many branches. The corpses that had hung there for who knows how many years caught fire instantly, turning the tree into a tree of flames in no time.

Yan Yuhe led her to a place where the heat was less intense. Watching the fierce fire illuminate the entire graveyard like daylight, Xue Ming’s face grew warm and flushed from the fire. Amidst the crackling sound of burning, she seemed to hear faint cries.

Turning back, Xue Ming saw a crowd standing at the firelight’s edge. Granny Ma stood at the front with some kids and other villagers around her. Their bodies were semi-transparent and barely visible, and they seemed to be waving at Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe, smiling as if expressing gratitude.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Xue Ming was deeply moved and speechless for a while, choosing to stay silent like Yan Yuhe. After a moment of quiet, she suddenly asked, “If you knew this was all an illusion, why did you bring me to play in the village today?”

Xue Ming had noticed Yan Yuhe’s peculiarity early on. He seemed to have a strong sense of purpose and seldom idled around. Upon discovering the presence of the Yin Gathering Array, he would have logically destroyed it immediately. But when Xue Ming suggested going to the village’s west side this morning, he said there was no rush.

Yan Yuhe turned to look at her, his eyes shining with the reflection of the fire. “You like this place,” he said.

Xue Ming’s heart skipped a beat. After a moment of being dazed, she softly said, “Yes, I do like it.”

Since traveling to this world, she has only felt relaxed and comfortable. Her mood has greatly improved, and she feels like she is in an isolated paradise where all worries are temporarily dispelled, making her desire to live there forever.

Looking into Yan Yuhe’s eyes, Xue Ming suddenly understood his intention. Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked dazedly, “So you thought I liked it here, and that’s why you specially brought me to play for a day?”

Yan Yuhe remained silent, gazing at the burning tree. The firelight illuminated his features, casting a bright glow on his handsome face and softening his usually cold expression. Xue Ming suddenly realized that Yan Yuhe was indeed a gentle and romantic person. Though he didn’t express it obviously, she wanted to see into his heart through these subtle gestures.

He wouldn’t leave this village harmed by Jiang Ruoming, but he was willing to delay its destruction for her liking.

Xue Ming’s mind flashed with scenes she had previously overlooked, and remembering Lu Man’s words, she felt she understood something. Her heart pounding wildly, she nervously clenched her fists, and her palms sweating. She looked at Yan Yuhe’s profile, hesitated for a long time, and finally gathered the courage to ask, “Yan Yuhe, do you… like me?”

Upon hearing her words, Yan Yuhe slowly turned his head. The fire soon burned out, and the light gradually faded, leaving only the bright moon and Yan Yuhe’s lantern for illumination. His face was no longer clear, and his eyes were no longer bright, appearing dim and uncertain.

In a soft voice, he asked, “What is ‘like’?”

Xue Ming felt the intense gaze of those calm yet possessive eyes, making her whole body hot. Her heart felt like it would jump out of her throat. As a girl who had struggled to find part-time jobs to survive during school, never thinking about love or romance, Xue Ming had zero experience in matters of the heart. She didn’t know whether to say a few ambiguous words to lighten the mood or to continue confessing and asking directly.

If Yan Yuhe ended up saying, “You’re overthinking it, being self-indulgent,” she would be utterly embarrassed and lose her face completely.

Biting her teeth, Xue Ming decided she couldn’t continue questioning. Maybe she should just say something to brush it off. She couldn’t tell if Yan Yuhe genuinely didn’t understand or was pretending not to, perhaps giving her a way out.

When she was about to brush off the topic, Yan Yuhe suddenly moved, reaching out his hand. Xue Ming was startled, instinctively wanting to dodge, but he only placed his hand on her head. She felt her hair move slightly as if he had picked something out, then held it up for her to see.

A piece of grass had stuck to her hair when she had been sleeping earlier. There was some in her hair and behind her ears, which Yan Yuhe gently brushed off with his fingers.

By the time he withdrew his hand, Xue Ming’s ears were already red, as if they had been boiled. She stammered, unable to speak. Yan Yuhe said, “A few months ago, while I was still on the mountain, my junior brother drew a lot for me.”

Xue Ming scratched her itchy ear and asked casually, “What kind of lot?”

“A marriage lot,” Yan Yuhe replied. Xue Ming thought to herself that his junior brother lacked perception, wondering why he would think of drawing a marriage lot for Yan Yuhe, who seemed completely uninterested in romance. She held back from saying anything and asked, “What did the lot say?”

“It said my red matchmaker star is active, and good things are coming soon,” Yan Yuhe said.

Xue Ming fiddled with her fingers and quietly asked, “Is it accurate?”

“I didn’t believe it at first,” Yan Yuhe said.

“And now, do you believe it?” Xue Ming asked.

Yan Yuhe looked at her without continuing. Initially, he didn’t believe his junior brother’s lot, and he even punished him by making him copy scriptures and kneel in reflection. He quickly dismissed it as a joke. But on the day Xue Ming stumbled and fell in front of him, he suddenly thought of that lot for some reason.

As he spent more time with Xue Ming, talking, interacting, and growing closer, Yan Yuhe increasingly believed there was some truth to the lot, realizing he had wrongfully punished his junior brother.

However, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason and stared at Xue Ming without speaking.

Xue Ming felt awkward and annoyed with Yan Yuhe’s reserved nature. She didn’t understand why he didn’t continue, feeling his words were full of hints. After a long wait without a response, Xue Ming couldn’t hold back and asked, “So, do you like me or not?”

Yan Yuhe asked in return, “What difference does it make?”

Xue Ming said, “It makes a big difference. If you don’t like me, once all this is over, I’ll naturally go find my ideal husband and live with him.”

As soon as she said this, Yan Yuhe’s face darkened, and he said, “You want to start something and then abandon it?”

“You can’t say it like that,” Xue Ming replied. “When were we ever together? How can it be called starting something and then abandoning it?”

Yan Yuhe said, “You and I have been intimate.”

“I didn’t expect you to have such a feudal mindset. That was just for survival. There were no other living people here, so I had to rely on you for yang energy,” Xue Ming said. “Since we’re talking about this, let’s be clear. If you don’t like me, our relationship will end once we leave here. You can’t tell anyone about us exchanging yang energy, so it doesn’t affect my reputation or chances of finding a suitable husband.”

These words truly angered Yan Yuhe. His thin lips pressed together, forming an unhappy line, and he looked at Xue Ming with dark eyes.

Seeing his worsening expression, Xue Ming secretly laughed, finding it quite amusing. “But if you like me, that’s a different story.”

Yan Yuhe’s gaze paused, and the cold, gloomy aura seemed to dissipate, making his face look beautiful again. He asked, “How is it different?”

Xue Ming noticed these subtle changes and thought there was no need to ask for an answer. Everything was clear. Yan Yuhe was not someone who would easily express feelings of love. Perhaps his mind had been focused on slaying demons and cultivating, not involving romance. That’s why he had recently been so serious about reading those romance novels, not for entertainment but for learning.

Though emotionally reserved and calculating, he was still young and didn’t hide his emotions well, making it easy for Xue Ming to see his heart. She thought it was fascinating that someone like Yan Yuhe, who appeared to be an ice block, could change when love touched him, appearing vibrant and colorful.

Hiding her racing heart and red ears, Xue Ming stepped forward, took his hand, interlacing their fingers, and smiled, “If you like me and I have feelings for you, we can be together and date.”

“Dating means we try living together. If we find it suitable and our feelings deepen over time, we’ll get married. If not…”

“We are suitable,” Yan Yuhe interrupted, holding her hand firmly. “Only you and I are the most suitable in this world.”

Xue Ming couldn’t help but laugh, feeling as if her heart had been filled with honey, sweet and overwhelming. She was amazed by the wonder of love. Just earlier, she hadn’t thought about liking Yan Yuhe; she was only about relying on him after leaving to learn and survive in this world. But now, everything about Yan Yuhe seemed likable.

The warmth and dryness of his calloused palm felt like it was pouring endless honey into her heart, filling it completely and sweetly.

Thinking about how Yan Yuhe had fallen for her without her noticing made Xue Ming want to laugh out loud. Being liked felt like a natural stimulant, keeping her brain constantly excited and making her giggle foolishly.

Yan Yuhe’s usually cold eyes also showed a rare brightness. Though his expression didn’t change much, there was a hint of a smile, showing his good mood.