Because there was still a wound on Dong Yuner’s back, Lin Huanhuan only loosely held her, not pressing their bodies together.
Yet even so, it was enough to make Dong Yuner’s heart flutter, feeling the sweet scent wafting from the person behind her, the vitality of a young girl. She couldn’t help but think to herself:
‘So this is what it feels like to be a young miss? It’s not so different from when I used to secretly sneak into the young miss’s bed, but this is even better.’
She wanted to lean back, to truly feel the wonderful sensation of Lin Huanhuan’s chest, but was afraid of seeming too deliberate and worried she might offend her.
The pain from her wound was nothing. She was just afraid the young miss might think she was some kind of pervert, become truly wary of her, and then she’d never have a chance like this again.
Looking from behind, Lin Huanhuan thought Dong Yuner was uncomfortable or in pain and gently asked, “Am I pressing on your wound? Or do you feel unwell somewhere?”
“Oh, right, I forgot to ask earlier—how’s your wound? Does it still hurt?”
Lin Huanhuan expressed her concern, but forgot that the two were so close and in such an ambiguous posture. Her every breath landed on Dong Yuner’s tender ear and fair neck, warm and gentle, as if whispering by her ear.
Dong Yuner had just recovered herself, but was “attacked” like this again and couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, feeling utterly entranced.
Fortunately, Lin Huanhuan was focused on piloting the artifact and didn’t hear it; otherwise, who knew how embarrassed Dong Yuner would’ve been.
There was no time to savor the nearly euphoric feeling from before. Dong Yuner quickly replied, “I’m fine, really. The wound has mostly healed already; I think it’s scabbed over. There’s probably just some lingering internal injuries that haven’t fully healed yet.”
“But it shouldn’t be much—at most, I’ll need a few more days of rest, and soon I’ll be able to take care of you, Miss.”
At first, Lin Huanhuan nodded, but when she heard “soon I’ll be able to take care of you, Miss,” her brows knit slightly: “Rest a few more days. I can take care of myself. Focus on recovering first.”
Dong Yuner immediately knew the young miss misunderstood, but she also understood—it was because the young miss cared for her that she’d react this way. Otherwise, why would she bother?
She couldn’t help but smile and quickly explained, “After all, it’s my duty. Taking care of you is what I’m supposed to do. I’ve already felt guilty for taking these days off because of my injury. So once I’m healed, of course I want to get back to it right away.”
Lin Huanhuan recalled what she’d said the first time they met. Her pretty face turned slightly red; even if it fit her character, such domineering words still made her a bit embarrassed.
Above the mountain forest, two elegant figures flew closely together on the same artifact, soaring through the sky and gliding among the sea of clouds.
After flying another one or two hundred li, Lin Huanhuan’s face darkened slightly: “Those worthless scum are on our trail again. We’ll need to go down and handle them. Be careful, Yuner.”
After Dong Yuner responded, “Alright,” the artifact quickly descended, and Lin Huanhuan held Dong Yuner and leapt down.
“Take care of yourself. I might not be able to watch over you all the time, so stay alert. I’ll be right by your side.”
After giving quick instructions, Lin Huanhuan pulled out her folding fan.
At that moment, a group of cultists rushed forward—looking even more spiritless and, compared to yesterday, reduced in number.
Lin Huanhuan counted the heads and thought, ‘Only about a dozen left. If they attack a few more times, they’ll be wiped out completely.’
With that thought, she charged straight into the fray.
Dong Yuner watched anxiously. She wanted to call out a reminder, but worried it might distract Lin Huanhuan, so she could only silently pray for her, eyes scanning warily around to guard against being ambushed and causing Lin Huanhuan more concern.
The fight was a bit tough for Lin Huanhuan. Though there were fewer enemies than yesterday, their assault was much fiercer.
‘Damn, are they really the kind that grows stronger after getting battered, like leveling up in a game? But this isn’t some game, and even if it were, I should be the one getting stronger, not them!’
With Dong Yuner behind her, Lin Huanhuan didn’t dare get entangled, afraid she’d be attacked. She swiftly took down two, scattered the rest, grabbed Dong Yuner’s hand, and escaped into the distance.
She’d already run out of qi-restoring pills, and after that fierce battle, her dantian was nearly drained—she couldn’t fly much farther. Lin Huanhuan had no choice but to dive back into the forest, hoping the complicated terrain would slow their pursuers.
As soon as they stopped, Lin Huanhuan immediately began meditating to recover.
It didn’t take long before another wave of attacks came—again and again, the cycle repeated.
By noon, Lin Huanhuan was covered in fresh wounds, breathing raggedly, her spirit flagging.
Dong Yuner saw all of this and was inwardly anxious.
She pondered carefully for a while before analyzing, “Miss, something isn’t right.”
“Those cultists—we’ve fought them before. Their combat skills are terrible. They often charge together and bump into each other, and when they cast spells, they don’t care if their own people are nearby—sometimes they even hit themselves.”
“You could say they’re just a bunch of farmers who just put down their hoes and got roped into being cultists at the last minute.”
“But judging from these latest attacks, their discipline and fighting experience have improved a lot, and they seem completely fearless—totally different from before.”
“So, I suspect that Iron-Faced Messenger or another Foundation Establishment expert is commanding them from behind. Cold-blooded, ruthless—anyone who tries to escape gets killed. That’s why they’re acting like this.”
“That makes some sense.” Lin Huanhuan nodded, panting, and asked, “So, what are you trying to say?”
Before Dong Yuner could reply, she gave a stern warning, “If you dare say something like, ‘It’s too dangerous. You’ll have a better chance without me—leave me behind and I’ll hold them off for you,’ then don’t blame me for what I do!”
“I’ll take off my socks and stuff them in your mouth. Don’t you regret it.” Lin Huanhuan threatened fiercely.
Dong Yuner pressed her lips together. She didn’t really mind, but now wasn’t the time, so she obediently stayed quiet.
Seeing this, Lin Huanhuan snorted coldly. The reason she’d reacted so strongly just now was, of course, because… she’d actually thought the same thing a moment ago.
‘Damn heart demon, can’t you just quiet down for a bit?!’
She cursed inwardly, but the heart demon still tempted her.
‘Anyway, Dong Yuner said it herself. So what if you leave her behind? It’s her own choice—she can’t blame you. Leave her here, recover your qi quickly with a fast-slow rhythm, and you’ll escape in no time.’
Lin Huanhuan pinched her thigh hard, suppressing the heart demon. Suddenly, she remembered the latter half of what the heart demon said—something about a way to rapidly recover her qi.
‘Will that really work?’
Following the method described in the second half of the heart demon’s advice, she circulated her qi for one cycle, and suddenly found her recovery speed had increased by half.
‘It really works!’
‘So this is how you’re supposed to use a heart demon!’