Chapter 13: Traveled through time again? [2/2]

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the marketplace.

At the edge of Yingran’s vision, a group of people hurriedly ran over, each ducking into alleys before standing still.

The marketplace cleared out, and Yingran wondered what had happened.

In Yiwang Continent, even when imperial officials came, they wouldn’t clear the streets, as it would disrupt people’s lives.

She poked her head out to look.

She saw the gates of Yunshui County wide open, and a group of people wearing navy blue and gold-trimmed robes, each slightly different in style but clearly from the same sect, entered the city.

The leader had red hair and a broad face, his eyes gleaming with intensity, exuding a commanding presence.

He wore beast-hide clothing faintly emanating a fierce aura, riding a lion-elephant beast as large as an elephant.

The lion-elephant was clad in battle armor, with skulls hanging from it.

Those skulls were fresh, adorned with demonic patterns, all belonging to demon cultivators.

Yingran didn’t dare look too long and quickly shifted her gaze aside.

Flanking the beast were five individuals in robes, each with an impressive presence.

Even the older ones among them had an extraordinary bearing, clearly indicating their high cultivation.

Behind the beast, a formation of disciples marched like an army, roughly estimated at three hundred strong.

The beast’s steps on the stone-paved streets seemed to shake the earth with every stride.

The overwhelming pressure from this group left the marketplace’s people breathless, looking up at them in awe.

Yingran noticed another group of yellow-robed officials running from the direction of the Mysterious Office—Dou Ming and Guan Yi among them.

Dou Ming stepped forward, saluted, and said something, but Yingran, too far away, couldn’t hear clearly.

She only heard the man on the lion-elephant beast, his voice like a booming bell: “After all these days, you still haven’t found any trace of Zhou Tuya and the others?”

A woman in a blue-flowered dress with snowy trim, her appearance cold as ice, stepped forward and said, “They’re already dead.”

Yingran’s heart sank.

Dou Ming and Guan Yi were stunned, unable to fathom who could instantly kill twenty-five cultivators.

But they didn’t know that in Yunzhou, this was not unusual.

Let alone killing twenty-five in an instant—killing hundreds or thousands was possible for someone strong enough.

Dou Ming and Guan Yi bowed, apologizing for the matter.

The woman turned her face away, refusing to accept it.

The burly man on the lion-elephant beast scanned the county with a scornful sneer:

“The people of your Yiwang Continent are all useless.”

In the evening, Xu Liling came to pick up Yingran.

Yingran told him she wouldn’t go to work anymore.

Xu Liling: “It’s getting hotter anyway; stay home to avoid the heat.”

Yingran nodded, leaning against him. Thinking of the Yunzhou cultivators she saw entering the city that afternoon, she frowned slightly and told him about it.

“The Yunzhou cultivators are so arrogant, but from the reactions of Lord Dou and the others, they must be very powerful. That lion-elephant had so many demon cultivator skulls hanging from it.”

Suppressing her worry, Yingran suggested calmly, “Huaizhen, I calculated today—we’ve saved up fifty spirit stones. How about we move? To a quieter place.”

Xu Liling pondered, “I have some spirit stones here too, enough to go to Sujing.”

Yingran: “…Probably scavenged from those Yunzhou cultivators’ corpses, right?”

“Keep your money for emergencies. We’re not going to Sujing—it’s too far, and it’s inconvenient for me to visit my parents.”

Mainly, if they went to Sujing and Xu Liling’s case came to light, wouldn’t they be walking into a trap?

Xu Liling: “Where do you want to move?”

Yingran: “I don’t know much about other places. Shall we ask someone tomorrow?”

Xu Liling: “I’ll get you a map of Yiwang Continent tomorrow.”

Yingran smiled, “Great.”

They finalized plans to move.

At home, Xu Liling went to the kitchen to cook, while Yingran returned to the main room to continue embroidering an unfinished belt.

Little Yellow hadn’t eaten for days, lying by the door, still digesting its last meal.

Big Flower sat with its back to Little Yellow, its face practically buried in its food bowl.

The two critters hadn’t fought much these past few days.

Big Flower, having heard Yingran say Little Yellow wasn’t an ordinary dog, was wary it might pull something sneaky.

As the sunset faded and the night sky draped with stars,

smoke curled from chimneys, and candlelight warmed the house.

Yingran and Xu Liling finished dinner, sent Little Yellow and Big Flower to their beds, and bathed before going to bed.

Yingran lay beside Xu Liling, hugging him.

Xu Liling wrapped one arm around her waist, the other resting on her abdomen. “Your period’s over?”

Yingran nodded drowsily, “Mm.”

Xu Liling lowered his head, kissing her brow and cheek lightly. “When did it stop?”

Yingran: “I noticed this morning.”

Xu Liling brushed his lips against hers.

Yingran, half-asleep, opened her eyes slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, entwining with him.

His hands roamed her body, his face buried in her neck, leaving a trail of warmth.

Yingran tugged at his belt, but he caught her hand, stopping.

Yingran let out a confused “Hm?”

Xu Liling: “Give it a couple of days. It’s not good for your body right after.”

Yingran pushed him lightly. “Then why are you teasing?”

Xu Liling nibbled her ear, his voice low: “Testing if you’re still willing.”

Yingran paused, recalling the last time when he’d been too rough, and she’d gotten upset. She realized he was worried she might have lingering resentment.

As if she would.

Yingran teased with mock seriousness: “If you do that again, I won’t be willing.”

Xu Liling paused, chuckled softly by her ear, and patted her. “Sleep.”

Yingran knew she was dreaming again.

Before her, bodies were piled across the ground.

Beneath her feet, the earth oozed sticky black-red liquid.

On this boundless battlefield, countless cultivators and demons were still locked in slaughter.

Fresh, mangled corpses kept piling up with every passing moment.

When Yingran first dreamt of this scene a few days ago, everything was still blurry.

She was like a bystander, watching the world through a thin veil.

But today, everything suddenly became startlingly clear.

The bloodshot veins in the murky eyes of the corpses, the mingled stench of fresh and rotting flesh in the air, the roars of cultivators and demons, the cold sound of blades piercing bone and flesh…

All of it felt overwhelmingly real.

It consumed all her senses.

Another cultivator was struck down by a demon, crashing before her with a gust of wind and a dull thud, unleashing a thick, nauseating stench of blood.

From not far away came a demon’s wild laughter: “The Demonic Path is eternal!”

“Ah!”

Yingran screamed, stumbling back, repeating to herself in her mind:

This is a dream, just wake up, wake up and it’ll be fine!

Ever since she saw Xu Liling slaughter the Yunzhou cultivators that day, these nightmares had begun.

She always thought it was just the shock, that it would fade with time.

But the dreams were growing more vivid.

The demons and cultivators around her heard her cry and turned to look at her in unison.

She heard a demon sneer: “Oh? A mortal woman’s soul here…”

A cultivator shouted in panic: “Run!”

Yingran didn’t understand what was happening but instinctively obeyed the cultivator and fled.

She glanced back and saw the situation devolve into chaos again, with cultivators and demons clashing, slowing the demons pursuing her.

But while the demons there were held back, more came from other directions.

This battlefield was teeming with too many demons and cultivators.

More and more eyes locked onto her, and in that instant, she felt like prey fleeing through a pack of beasts.

Demons shouted: “Hahaha… a mortal soul!”

“Eat her!”

“Eat her to strengthen our demonic might!”

Cultivators exclaimed:

“How could a mortal woman’s wandering soul be here?”

“Who brought her in?”

“Run! Hurry and run!”

Yingran wanted to run faster, but the ground was littered with corpses and soaked in blood-soaked mud.

Each step she took, she either tripped over a body or got stuck in the mire.

“Wake up, wake up!”

Yingran ran, slapping her cheeks.

She hoped Xu Liling, sleeping beside her, would wake her, but she knew it was impossible.

She had asked him before—when she had these nightmares, no matter how much she screamed in the dream, her body remained peacefully asleep.

A demon, laughing maniacally, leapt in front of her, raising a giant hammer.

Yingran stumbled back, and just as the hammer was about to fall, a cultivator blocked her, shouting: “Run east! Outside the east city gate, there’s our Mysterious Path’s stronghold!”

Yingran thanked him, looking around frantically for the east gate.

The place was too vast, stretching endlessly without any buildings, making it impossible to tell directions.

Suddenly, amidst the sprawling battlefield, she spotted a familiar figure.

He stood amid a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, his black hair loose, his tall frame imposing. His indigo-gold Confucian robe fluttered, stained with blood, his jade-pale skin and saintly face smeared with crimson, adding a touch of menace.

It was Xu Liling.

The Xu Liling she had been holding before she fell asleep.

Yingran’s panicked heart found an anchor, and she ran toward him in fear: “Huaizhen!”

Her voice wasn’t loud.

Yet, in that instant, every demon and cultivator froze, staring at her in shock.

The battlefield fell silent.

Xu Liling’s wrist, adorned with 108 bone beads, transformed into a blade, cutting down a swath of enemies, blood raining down.

Hearing her voice, he turned.

A woman in a delicate pink-green dress, light as a bird, ran toward him.

Her eyes, fixed on him, were filled with trust and relief.

Utterly out of place in this bloody, filthy battlefield.

Xu Liling’s lips curled into a mocking smile, his eyes swirling with demonic intent, his right eye a vivid scarlet, as if dripping blood.

With a flick of his wrist, the bone beads shifted from a blade into a long spear.

He raised the spear and lunged straight at her.

Yingran froze, staring in disbelief as he and the spear closed in on her.