But the Japanese were mostly short and good at jumping, which didn’t match the man before her, arousing Lu Shan’s suspicion. However, she had never seen a Japanese person before, and her knowledge was limited to books and rumors, so there might be some error.
Thinking this, Lu Shan gently patted Ye Xiaobei’s shoulder, signaling him to follow, while walking toward those few people who exuded an ominous aura.
Coming closer, Lu Shan found the man’s figure increasingly strange. Although his limbs were very long, his torso was unexpectedly small, with narrow shoulders that didn’t match his somewhat overly long neck at all, as if it had been forcibly stretched.
Sensing something amiss, Lu Shan held her breath and focused, lightly stomping the ground as she tested the man. He wouldn’t fall. If he were an expert, it would be different. If he were just an ordinary person, he would probably be pushed into a stumble.
However, to Lu Shan’s surprise, her invisible force sank like a stone into the sea, disappearing without a trace, yet the man’s figure was completely unaffected, like a phantom standing there that couldn’t be touched, startling Lu Shan. She stopped the equally confused Ye Xiaobei and pulled him back together. Anyway, staying away was always the safest choice.
However, just as Ye Xiaobei approached behind the man, the jade pendant on his neck suddenly flickered, the intertwined yin-yang fish alternately bright and dim, glowing with a faint light, making his chest feel cold. He subconsciously reached out to touch it.
At the same time, the man turned his head without warning, along with the woman and young child beside him. The family of three all had ashen faces, dull eyes, staring straight at them, with pale skin reflecting the moonlight, devoid of color.
Although Lu Shan was also frightened, she knew a thing or two about such supernatural matters. She still had enough composure to protect Ye Xiaobei while secretly activating a secret technique. In the shadows behind her, a crow-like ink mass stirred.
After a brief standoff, the man suddenly grabbed the tachi at his waist and fiercely drew it. A streak of blood red spread from the blade, dyeing the colorless moonlit night scarlet. Then, like a primal wild dog, he pounced at the two, his movements without any hesitation.
But his straining hands and feet still looked strange, with occasional odd twists, as if the joints had separated on their own, and only a thin layer of skin glued his limbs together.
Lu Shan felt a chill of disgust, a look of aversion appearing on her pretty face. She decisively drew her sword and slashed at him, the blade infused with internal energy aimed directly at the man’s path, ready to slit his throat when he approached.
Just at the moment of contact, the man’s body twisted weirdly again, as if invisible threads were pulling his limbs, forcibly altering his trajectory. He bypassed Lu Shan and went straight for Ye Xiaobei, at a speed even more astonishing than before.
Under Lu Shan’s horrified gaze, he charged straight at Ye Xiaobei, the blade of his blood sword thrusting toward his chest. Seeing it about to pierce, Lu Shan was anxious, but the man had no shadow, making it difficult for her ultimate technique to work. For a moment, she was at a loss.
However, the man’s target was not Ye Xiaobei, but the jade pendant on his chest. The moment the blade tip touched the pendant, the snow-white yang fish shattered, also blasting the man’s blood sword to pieces. Under the impact, Ye Xiaobei was sent flying backward and lost consciousness.
The man, now weaponless, seemed agitated. He clutched his head and howled in pain, then rushed toward the silent town, disappearing in an instant. Only then did Lu Shan hastily hold Ye Xiaobei and check his condition.
Lu Shan knew a little about medicine. She hurriedly rolled up Ye Xiaobei’s sleeve and gently placed her slender fingers on his wrist, quietly feeling his pulse.
After a moment, Lu Shan’s eyes widened. Not believing it, she switched to the other hand, but the result was the same.
“Pulse imbalance? How is that possible…”
Lu Shan looked conflicted at the unconscious Ye Xiaobei. After a moment, she steeled herself and pressed her hand on his chest. In another moment, her expression turned extremely complicated.
She sat there stunned for a long time before coming to her senses. She lifted Ye Xiaobei onto her shoulder and headed into the town.
“Chief, if you keep looking out the window like that, won’t you see something dirty?”
Su Mu gently placed her slender finger on her lips, making a shushing gesture, then continued observing. She had just vaguely felt an unusual fluctuation. Tonight, there should be some fun to watch.
“Chief, I think we should still have some reverence…”
Listening to Qing’er’s worried voice, Su Mu reached out to rub her head while continuing to watch with interest.
Sure enough, before long, she saw what she had been curious about. She saw the slender black-haired girl carrying another yellow-haired girl of similar age, walking quickly toward the inn.
Although Lu Shan had matured a lot, Su Mu quickly recognized her and clicked her tongue in wonder.
‘Is it because of the dream world? Mi Xian can develop this well too? Such a pity… Wait, could the one on her shoulder be Lemon?’
Shortly after, Lu Shan talked to the innkeeper on night duty and went upstairs with Ye Xiaobei. However, she didn’t go to the first-class third floor but stayed in the second-class quarters, seemingly not wanting to attract attention.
Su Mu curiously extended a silk thread along the floor gap toward Lu Shan’s room to investigate. But just as the thread was about to exit the floorboard, it suddenly attracted Lu Shan’s attention. Helpless, Su Mu had to cut the thread.
‘Pretty sharp… I wonder how strong she is.’
Due to the special nature of this dream world, what determines strength is not just the strength of magic power, but more importantly, the “level of lucidity.” Someone like Su Mu, who was almost fully lucid, could exert her strength quite completely in the dream world. Her strength was indeed good. Other than Tang Nai, perhaps no one could surpass her.
But even so, Lu Shan had detected the anomaly, showing that others were far more restricted in comparison.
However, Su Mu was still very curious about the situation. After all, according to Tang Nai, Lemon was the one she had swapped and sent to Heavenly Origin Mansion.
After thinking for a moment, Su Mu chose the most straightforward method. In bed, cover the blanket, sleep peacefully, and ask face-to-face after waking up tomorrow. After all, many times, the simplest and most straightforward method is the most effective.
The next day, it was Qing’er who woke Su Mu up.
Su Mu rubbed her eyes, groggily took the porridge and took a sip, then immediately frowned.
“This plain porridge has no flavor…”
“Chief, plain porridge… is supposed to have no flavor.”
Su Mu looked at the light breakfast Qing’er had chosen and sighed helplessly.
“Qing’er, next time buy something flavorful. We’re not yet at the age of health preservation.”
Upon hearing this, Qing’er tilted her head in confusion.
Su Mu thought about it carefully, then began listing dishes on her fingers.
“Simple things, like roast duck, pig trotters, bear paws, something like that. They’re good.”
“Those aren’t suitable for breakfast…”
Upon hearing this, Su Mu raised her slender eyebrows, making Qing’er’s heart tighten. She lowered her voice and spoke meaningfully:
“Qing’er, don’t be bound by common sense. Many times, what’s important is what you want to do, not what you should do. So… what’s around here…”
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