Chapter 249:
After adding the seasonings, the flavor came alive. Su Yingxiu personally picked up a skewer of grilled fish, tasted it, and said with a face full of intoxication, “It’s truly delicious!” Then she took another skewer and handed it to Lu Yun: “Try it.”
Lu Yun thanked her, took the fish, and gently bit into the slightly charred, flavorful fish skin. The tender and fresh fish meat melted in his mouth, making him feel incredibly nourished, as if the physical and mental exhaustion of the past few days had lessened considerably.
Lu Yun ate four or five fish in one go before stopping. He looked at Su Yingxiu somewhat embarrassedly. She had grilled eight fish in total, and he had eaten more than half, yet he still felt unsatisfied.
“Take them.” Seeing Lu Yun rarely show the expression a young man should have, Su Yingxiu couldn’t help but smile faintly. She handed over the two small fish she had planned to enjoy herself to Lu Yun.
“You eat them. I’m full.” Lu Yun pretended to decline shyly.
“Alright, I know you’re not full yet.” Su Yingxiu smiled and stuffed the skewer into Lu Yun’s hand, laughing, “Girls eat little, so don’t worry about it.”
Ever since discovering the Treasure Vault, Su Yingxiu’s attitude toward Lu Yun had changed somewhat. She no longer teased and flirted with him with words from time to time; instead, she seemed bored and desolate, as if she had some bad premonition.
Lu Yun naturally noticed this change too. The grilled fish in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor. He swallowed it in a few bites and said, trying to make conversation, “I didn’t expect you to carry seasonings.”
“Don’t think that being revered as the Saintess means I’m living in glory.” Su Yingxiu smiled mockingly, “But in the eyes of the Imperial Court, this Saintess of mine is just a bandit leader who must be eliminated. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be caught and beheaded, so naturally I have to enjoy the present.”
“Enjoy the present?” Hearing Su Yingxiu’s heartfelt words, Lu Yun felt an inexplicable empathy, a sense of shared misery arising in his heart. Don’t think that his current status was noble and his future boundless, like fresh flowers on brocade and the rising sun in the east. But his true identity and what he had to do were all the most dangerous deeds in the world; once leaked, he would surely die without a burial place.
So this feeling of living on the edge, dancing on the tip of a knife, was something Lu Yun truly understood the most.
“Mm…” Su Yingxiu nodded and focused on dealing with the last skewer of grilled fish in her hand. She ate very carefully. The small fish’s meat was sweet and delicious, but the only drawback was too many stray bones. Su Yingxiu patiently spent a long time picking out the stray bones from the fish meat one by one before putting it into her mouth and closing her eyes to savor it.
Compared to her, Lu Yun was simply like a cow chewing peonies.
After finishing tasting the last grilled fish, Su Yingxiu cupped some river water to wash her face and rinse her mouth. Once everything was settled, she smiled at Lu Yun and said, “Alright, I’ve enjoyed it.” Su Yingxiu’s beautiful eyes swirled with a hazy glow, shining brightly in the darkness, as if they could see through people’s hearts. “Since you’ve had the thought to kill me, why not do it now.”
“…” Hearing this, Lu Yun’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected that his deeply hidden killing intent had still been detected by Su Yingxiu.
“So I’m that easy to see through?” Lu Yun didn’t quibble and gave a bitter smile as he looked at Su Yingxiu: “When did you figure it out?”
“I saw you staring at the Water Pool all along.” Su Yingxiu smiled faintly: “There are two caves under the Water Pool. We just explored one of them, so you’re naturally preparing to check the other Cave Entrance.”
“Correct.” Lu Yun nodded, looking at Su Yingxiu expressionlessly.
“But actually, you know too. Going down this time is just to scout it out. With your own power alone, it’s impossible to escape alive.” Su Yingxiu continued.
“Of course. Something even a Grandmaster couldn’t accomplish—how dare I overestimate myself?” Lu Yun said with a bitter smile.
“But there’s one thing you’re stronger than my Ancestor Master,” Su Yingxiu said softly: “My Ancestor Master was isolated and without aid, but you can seek help from seven or eight Grandmasters. See if working together can create a miracle.”
“…” Lu Yun didn’t speak, but the look in his eyes toward Su Yingxiu had become extremely sharp. Clearly, Su Yingxiu had completely guessed his thoughts…
“If you want to turn back and seek help from those Grandmasters, you’re very likely to run into my Master.” Su Yingxiu looked at Lu Yun with full understanding: “Putting yourself in my shoes, you definitely wouldn’t want me, who knows too many of your secrets, to return to my Master’s side.”
“Correct.” Lu Yun nodded, not denying it. Whether it was the secret of his assassination attempt on Xiahou Lei or the secret of the Treasure Vault, none could be leaked!
“You’re not one to hesitate or show woman’s mercy. You must have already made your decision by now.” Su Yingxiu spoke calmly, then smiled freely: “Don’t worry, as a ghost I won’t haunt you. Who made me unskilled?”
“…” Lu Yun never expected that the one who understood him best was this demoness from Taiping Dao. Su Yingxiu had basically guessed right; he had indeed made his decision.
“I’ll ask one question.” After a moment of silence, Lu Yun looked at Su Yingxiu: “If the roles were reversed, how would you choose?”
“Of course I wouldn’t bear to hurt my husband.” Su Yingxiu smiled sweetly, then mocked herself: “Unfortunately, I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch.”
“I understand.” Lu Yun nodded. Seeing that Su Yingxiu was still sitting upright opposite him without any intention of getting up to fight him, he couldn’t help but ask strangely: “Since you’ve decided I want to kill you, why aren’t you moving at all?”
“My husband’s martial arts are much higher than mine. Even if I struggle desperately for a while, I can’t escape defeat and death.” Su Yingxiu smiled faintly as if seeing through him: “Since that’s the case, why struggle in vain? Better to ask my husband to be gentle and not let me suffer external injuries.”
“Then as you wish.” Lu Yun nodded, slowly raising his palm. Su Yingxiu sat motionless opposite him; killing her would be as easy as pie…
Su Yingxiu could see the white light on Lu Yun’s hand growing brighter, knowing that even if she wanted to escape now, it was too late. She finally closed her eyes in resignation, waiting for the final moment.
With a ‘boom’, Lu Yun struck out with his palm. The violent palm wind churned the nearby river water up to a height of several feet. Water droplets hit the Cave Ceiling, turning into fine raindrops that poured down.
Su Yingxiu opened her eyes and found herself unharmed. She let out a long breath of relief and pounced joyfully toward Lu Yun, exclaiming with a flower-like smile, “I knew my husband couldn’t bear to part with me!”
Lu Yun hurriedly blocked Su Yingxiu’s arms as they wrapped around him. The Saintess gave him a charming sideways glance: “Don’t worry, I didn’t hide silver needles in my hands this time…” As she spoke, she playfully pushed Lu Yun: “You rascal, acting so convincingly—you scared me to death just now!”
“I just changed my mind at the last moment.” Lu Yun said expressionlessly: “Compared to things like the Treasure Vault or secrets, I want more to resolve the hidden danger in my own cultivation method.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry, leave it to me.” But the Saintess knew this wasn’t Lu Yun’s entire true thought. What made Lu Yun change his mind at the last moment must be very complex reasons from multiple aspects. She looked at him coquettishly: “As soon as we get out, I’ll help my husband resolve the issue with the cultivation method. If… my husband can’t wait, we can start now too. I listen to my husband.”
Lu Yun’s face heated up. He glared at Su Yingxiu: “No more nonsense!”
“Yes, yes, as you command.” The Saintess smiled and agreed, then said softly: “Don’t worry, I won’t tell my Master the secret of the Treasure Vault.”
“Mm.” Lu Yun nodded. He had truly made a great resolution to decide to spare the Saintess’s life. And his decision wasn’t based on wishful thinking, but on his deep consideration.
