Ye Ran felt as if her world had collapsed.
The great villain before her was not only dangerous but also unpredictable. Being alone with him was no different from a lamb walking straight into the wolf’s den.
She stood frozen in place, not daring to step forward. Her eyes darted around, searching for somewhere she could keep her distance from Lu Li.
Soon, she spotted a cave not far away—not too close to the tree where Lu Li sat, but not too far either. It was at just the right distance for them to stay out of each other’s way.
The great villain was still maintaining the facade of being the senior brother and hadn’t yet revealed his true nature to her. She figured he wouldn’t willingly come near her.
If she just stayed hidden inside the cave, she was sure she could wait safely until the barrier opened.
Having made up her mind, Ye Ran immediately headed toward the cave. But just as she was halfway there, she suddenly felt an intense gaze upon her.
She turned back to see that Lu Li, who had been resting with his eyes closed moments ago, was now staring at her silently.
“Um… Senior Brother, there’s a cave over here, so I’ll just—”
“Then let’s do as Junior Sister says, and rest in the cave.”
Before Ye Ran could finish speaking, Lu Li rose to his feet and walked toward the cave ahead of her.
He had clearly misunderstood, thinking she was inviting him to rest there together.
Ye Ran wanted to stop him, but Lu Li moved quickly. Before she could say a word, he had already entered the cave, leaving her no chance to object.
Left with no other choice, Ye Ran followed him inside.
The moment she drew near the cave entrance, the weeds growing around it suddenly vanished. When she stepped inside, she saw that the weeds had been woven into a straw mat—and Lu Li was already seated upon it.
Looking more closely, he seemed noticeably weaker, his face pale.
“Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”
Ye Ran lingered at the cave entrance, not daring to approach carelessly.
Lu Li gave a slight shake of his head under her watchful gaze. “It’s nothing. I used some spiritual power to clear the weeds and suffered a bit of backlash. I’ll recover once the barrier is broken.”
His words brought a flicker of delight to Ye Ran’s eyes.
Since Lu Li was weak right now, surely he wouldn’t choose this moment to reveal his true nature.
Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, though she quickly suppressed it once she caught herself.
“Then… then get some good rest, Senior Brother.”
Her tone carried a hint of cheerfulness.
“All right.”
Lu Li’s voice was as crisp and pleasant as ever, and there was even an added trace of something bewitching about it.
With that, his taut posture relaxed. He slumped lazily against a nearby stone.
When he lifted his gaze to look at Ye Ran, the smile at the corners of his lips grew more pronounced. One hand dangled at his side, casually rubbing its fingers together.
There was no denying it—Lu Li’s face was truly stunning. So stunning, in fact, that it made people forget how dangerous he was. Especially when he was deliberately putting on an act, he looked just like a mountain spirit ensnaring hearts.
For a fleeting moment, Ye Ran felt dazed. In that instant, she even thought Lu Li suited the role of the ultimate cultivation cauldron better than she ever could.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she found herself locking eyes with him.
A wave of guilt washed over her, and she immediately looked away—just missing the flash of murderous intent that glinted in Lu Li’s eyes.
The cave fell into an eerie silence, leaving Ye Ran restless and uncomfortable.
“Senior Brother, it’s getting dark, and caves are damp and cold. I’ll go gather some firewood.”
She had finally found an excuse to leave.
“All right. I’ll leave it to you, Junior Sister.”
Lu Li’s pale face made him seem gentler than ever—almost fragile, as if anyone could do whatever they wanted to him.
“Then… I’m going now,” she said.
Ye Ran hurriedly pushed aside her chaotic thoughts and fled the cave in a panic.
But the moment her figure disappeared beyond the cave entrance, Lu Li furrowed his brows, and a trace of menace emanated from him.
He picked up a blade of grass, rolling it lightly between his fingers. Instantly, the blade transformed into a sharp projectile and shot deep into the cave.
In the blink of an eye, the giant centipede that had been lurking in the darkness, poised to strike, was pierced through. Its massive body was pinned to the stone wall, struggling in vain no matter how hard it thrashed.
Lu Li leaned against the rock, watching it writhe. Only when it had gradually lost all signs of life did he raise his hand and send a wave of spiritual power toward it. The next moment, the enormous centipede crumbled into dust.
“How boring.”
Lu Li took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped his fingertips.
His gaze shifted toward the cave entrance, and a glint of excitement could still be glimpsed in his brown pupils.
Outside, Ye Ran dawdled for quite a while before gathering some tree branches.
But she didn’t head back right away. Instead, she went to the edge of the barrier and resumed trying to contact her system.
“System, is there any way you can open this barrier?”
[Host, we systems don’t have that function. Please don’t make things hard for your poor, pitiful system.]
This time, the system finally responded—but what it said wasn’t what Ye Ran wanted to hear.
“Is it that no systems have this function, or just that you don’t?”
The cutting remark hit hard, and the only response Ye Ran received was a series of whimpering sobs.
“Fine, I wasn’t counting on you to open it anyway. But can you at least explain why you never respond whenever I call you in front of the great villain?”
[He… he’s too terrifying. I’m scared.]
The system’s voice trembled, as if recalling something.
Ye Ran was exasperated by this cowardly behavior. “How are you even more spineless than I am?”
[Host, please stop. How about I apply for some additional mental distress compensation for you?]
“That’s more like it.”
Ye Ran found the system’s habit of shelling out money at every turn very much to her liking, and it even eased some of her fear of Lu Li.
Seeing that enough time had passed, she took the branches she’d gathered and headed back.
When she returned, Lu Li was leaning against the stone wall with his eyes closed, looking as though he had fallen asleep.
Asleep, Lu Li appeared even more harmless. The slightly pale tint of his lips added a touch of frailty, making him look just like the legendary Sleeping Beauty.
Ye Ran couldn’t resist sneaking a few extra glances. But just then, Lu Li happened to open his eyes, catching her red-handed.
“S-senior Brother, I’ve brought back the firewood. I’ll start a fire right away.”
Ye Ran immediately averted her gaze and nervously set the wood down.
Since spiritual power couldn’t be used inside the formation, she was fortunate to have picked up two flint stones on her way back.
As a child in the countryside, Ye Ran had often used flint stones with her sister to start fires. Though many years had passed since then, the familiar motions allowed her to get the fire going quickly.
“The fire’s ready. You can rest easy now, Senior Brother.”
“I’ve already rested for quite a while. It’s getting late now, so why don’t you rest instead, Junior Sister? I’ll keep watch.”
With that, Lu Li slowly stood up, intending to offer the straw mat to Ye Ran.
The movement startled her, and she quickly stopped him. “No need! I’m wide awake. I don’t need to rest. You’re injured, Senior Brother, so you need rest more than I do. I’ll keep watch.”
Ye Ran wasn’t worried about Lu Li’s injury—she just didn’t dare sleep in his presence.
The trauma from that love letter incident a few days ago still loomed too large in her mind.
She was afraid that if she fell asleep, Lu Li might do something unspeakable.
Her intense reaction caused a flicker of excitement to surface in Lu Li’s eyes, yet the smile on his face only grew gentler.
He yielded to Ye Ran’s wishes and sat back down.
“In that case, I’ll leave it to you, Junior Sister.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I love keeping watch. Just rest assured, Senior Brother.”
Ye Ran’s joy was written all over her face. She gave Lu Li a reassuring glance, then found a corner and sat down on the ground.
Lu Li, in turn, leaned back against the stone wall and slowly closed his eyes.
By now, darkness had fallen. The crackling flames pushed back the chill and illuminated the entire cave.
Propping her head up, Ye Ran watched the dancing firelight and suddenly felt as if she had been transported back to her childhood.
Back then, at her grandmother’s house in the countryside, winter meant gathering around a fire for warmth.
Grandmother would sit by the fire mending clothes for her and her sister, while the two of them huddled together, waiting for the sweet potatoes roasting in the embers.
It had been far too long since she’d experienced those blissful, secure days—so long that they felt like a lifetime ago.
Ye Ran couldn’t help but look up toward the cave entrance.
The night was beautiful, dotted with countless stars that looked remarkably like the night sky over her grandmother’s countryside home.
She scooted closer to the cave entrance, settling down right at the threshold to gaze at the stars.
A moment later, Lu Li—who had seemed to be asleep—opened his eyes again.
Seeing that Ye Ran had moved from inside the cave to the entrance, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
He sat up straight and quietly observed her.
He had deliberately lured Ye Ran into the barrier.
He was giving her a chance—a chance to kill him.
That was why he had intentionally used his spiritual power in front of her, inviting the backlash, to make Ye Ran feel more at ease about making a move.
Her earlier excitement upon learning about his backlash, and her volunteering to keep watch, all pointed to ill intentions.
But now, watching Ye Ran sitting at the cave entrance, a trace of doubt emerged in Lu Li’s eyes.
That had been the perfect opportunity to strike—yet she hadn’t made a move.
Had she seen through his act, or was she after something else?
Lu Li’s eyes darkened, and his fingers, which had been lightly rubbing together, went still.
As if struck by a thought, he raised his hand and opened his palm. A book appeared in it.
It was the book Ye Ran had found.
Lu Li lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes falling on the characters “cultivation technique” on the cover.
This wasn’t his book.
Ye Ran’s reaction back then had been strange, so he had taken the book to see what she was really up to.
He glanced at Ye Ran sitting at the cave entrance, then opened the book.
The instant he saw what was inside, a flicker of surprise crossed Lu Li’s face, quickly replaced by a mocking smile.
How utterly foolish.
A thousand years ago, countless people had approached him, trying to tempt him into falling for them, only to kill him when his guard was down.
Men and women alike, using every trick imaginable.
None had succeeded.
Compared to them, delivering a book of erotic illustrations straight to him was nothing short of stupidity.
Meanwhile, Ye Ran, still sitting at the cave entrance, was growing drowsy.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, she felt a chill at the back of her neck. She jolted awake, sitting bolt upright.
Behind her came the sound of pages turning.
She couldn’t resist glancing back into the cave.
There sat Lu Li, somehow already awake, silently flipping through a book on the straw mat.
The sight stirred something in Ye Ran’s heart.
Just as expected of the great villain—even injured, he never skips his studies.
Wait. Studies?
Something clicked in Ye Ran’s mind. She stared hard at the book in Lu Li’s hands.
Recognizing the all-too-familiar cover, her eyes flew wide in disbelief.
The great villain was looking at the porn book—right in front of her!!!
Leave a Reply