The Demon Venerable Is Delicate and Charming (GL) Chapter 41

Zhang Wu’s body was handled quickly. After a short rest and some tidying, they continued deeper in. The road down the mountain was much steadier. Many demons sensed that the aura of their leader had vanished and hid one after another. When everyone stepped onto flat ground, it felt oddly unreal.
The scenery beyond Beiluan Mountain was completely different. From here, it looked much more alive, yet the silence around them seeped into the bones. Even stepping on the soil felt empty. Ahead was only one road whose end could not be seen. The barren ground seemed to hold countless footprints, making hearts tremble as if this were the road to the Yellow Springs.
Li Lingjiang turned her gaze to a place hidden behind a withered tree. Her eyelashes trembled, then she naturally looked away. Yin Wu stood beside her, and the blood bead at her waist flashed as if in response.
“Are we not setting out now?” A voice, not very loud, came from the crowd and instantly pulled Li Lingjiang back to herself. This was a territory they had not entered before. They knew nothing about what lay ahead.
Wen Si also looked at Li Lingjiang. With his eyes, he signaled for the others to stop making noise.
“Is there a problem?” He sharply sensed that the atmosphere was not right, and his voice was very low.
Li Lingjiang’s right hand hung at her side while her other hand rested before her abdomen. She paused for a long while without speaking. Her fingers curled slightly. “There is no problem. Let us go.”
Yin Wu looked at her. They were very close. Whether on purpose or not, the back of the young immortal’s hand brushed Li Lingjiang’s now and then. One was burning hot, the other icy cold. Each touch made the senses expand without limit.
“My Lord, why do you think Lord Feng Luan and the others agreed to come to No-Return Mountain?” Yin Wu tried to find a topic.
Li Lingjiang finally shifted her gaze a little, leaving a fraction of it on Yin Wu. The two of them had again fallen behind the crowd, so there was no fear others would hear.
“Because they need to atone.” Li Lingjiang looked at Wuzhi’s back, her lips moving slightly. “Betrayal and killing were all committed by them, one by one. Otherwise, no one would be willing to step into these muddy waters.”
Yin Wu seemed to notice something strange. Lowering her head, she kept glancing over Li Lingjiang’s arm. She continued the conversation. “Is Lord Ling Xin here for that reason too? I thought he came for you.”
Li Lingjiang inhaled, then slowly breathed out. For no clear reason, she felt the cold air grow heavier. “I hate deception.”
The answer did not match the question, but Yin Wu understood clearly. She listened without concern and did not take it to heart. She only comfortingly squeezed Li Lingjiang’s hand. The gesture was very bold.
But Li Lingjiang did not have time to pull away. She turned slightly and barely avoided it. Without panic, she moved her arm and looked straight into Yin Wu’s eyes.
“Yin Wu,” she suddenly called. “My arm has been hurting for a long time.”
Yin Wu froze. In the next second, she pressed her lips together and swallowed a breath. “What happened? I actually did not notice.”
Li Lingjiang kneaded her aching shoulder and looked as if she did not want to talk much. “I helped someone without thinking and pulled it by accident. The bone is not hurt.”
The young immortal reached out to check, then froze in midair, not knowing where to start. She was so angry she could not speak. “You-”
Li Lingjiang directly lifted a finger and gently pushed her hand away. “Yin Wu, I could have ignored everything, stood aside, and watched coldly. But that is not me. I am still alive. As long as I have a breath left, I should be worthy of myself. It is not that I never considered my body’s condition. I simply did not expect I had fallen to this point.”
Her tone was very flat, as if she were describing something unrelated and calmly telling herself the truth without any feeling mixed in.
Yin Wu studied her. Only then did she belatedly realize how much thinner Li Lingjiang had become. Li Lingjiang seemed unable to summon interest in anything. Even when she breathed, she was tired.
Only with Yin Wu did she sometimes show a little life. Yin Wu raised one brow. She savored Li Lingjiang’s thoughts and felt a strange sense of success. It was as if this person, who should have stood high above, had fallen among so many people and landed precisely beside her.
Yet this was also what Li Lingjiang still owed her.
Yin Wu twisted the corner of her robe. She fell a small step behind Li Lingjiang and made her footsteps especially heavy, so anyone could hear someone following behind.
Li Lingjiang turned her head only a little. Her beast ears stood upright, clearly listening to the small noises Yin Wu deliberately made. Instead, some relaxation appeared between her brows. She knew some words, once spoken, would quietly change certain relationships. But after thinking carefully, she seemed to have nothing she could not let go of.
If it was Yin Wu, she would feel happy.
The people in front probably felt they had survived a hard fight, and the air was filled with joyful laughter. Li Lingjiang slowed a little and followed at a moderate distance. She was always paying attention to tiny changes. Suddenly, a warm presence tangled around her.
Every time Yin Wu came close, it was not on sudden impulse. On the contrary, Li Lingjiang knew each time and prepared to respond. Yet she still could not help shrinking slightly. The young immortal’s whole body was like fire. Li Lingjiang lifted her shoulder a little and tilted her head to look.
One hand was kneading her shoulder, pressing the pressure points with just the right strength. Yin Wu’s adjusted breathing was behind her ear. The young immortal whispered, a little timid, “My Lord, I will knead it for you.”
She stretched out her other hand. In it was a pill, though its color was much darker than before. “Take this first. Your body still needs proper care.”
Yin Wu’s technique seemed practiced, and her strength was not small. Her movements were not offensive. Li Lingjiang actually felt much better. Lowering her eyes, she accepted the pill. From above, one could see her trembling eyelashes and the instant softness when she raised her eyes.
Li Lingjiang smelled the pill. There was not much change. She stared at it for a few more seconds before Yin Wu scratched her head in embarrassment. “I did not control the heat well.”
The young immortal awkwardly avoided her gaze. Li Lingjiang paused, then swallowed it. She said, “I ate it.”
Li Lingjiang still had some resistance in her heart. The end of her words always lifted a little. Her tone was flat, yet it somehow gave the illusion of obedience. In truth, the person she had been in the past could slaughter an entire war-torn land alone.
Recently, she had noticed Yin Wu liked staring at her. Or rather, it had become much more obvious lately. Li Lingjiang turned her head. “Let us not speak of this. Do not knead my shoulder while we walk. It draws too many eyes.”
“All right.” Yin Wu obediently put her hands behind her back. She pressed her lips into a smile and lightly swayed beside Li Lingjiang.
The barren road grew wider the farther they walked. The scenery on both sides grew more withered, revealing wounds everywhere. The atmosphere gradually tightened, and the group suddenly stopped at one place.
Li Lingjiang panted briefly. She endured and moved the arm that had been aching for three full hours. The journey had left the whole team low on strength.
Ahead was a forest. It did not grow especially well. In fact, it already showed signs of yellowing and dying. The forest was not large. They could easily see the end and the scenery beyond. Yet no one looked happy. Everyone spoke in low voices about what trap might be hidden in this forest that had suddenly blocked the road.
“It feels so creepy. What if we go in and cannot come out?”
“Bah, bah, bah. What nonsense are you saying? It is only a short path. We just need to cross it.”
After saying that, the person swallowed without noticing and shrank a little as he looked toward Wen Si.
“But it looks like none of them are sure either.”
“Shh, lower your voice. Do not let others hear…”
“…”
Ling Xin stopped. He tentatively lifted a foot and stepped inside. After standing there for a while, nothing happened. He crooked a finger. Feng Luan and Wuzhi also walked in. Nothing changed, as if this were only an ordinary forest.
They walked inside casually, but in truth they were secretly testing it.
Li Lingjiang noticed something strange. She brought Yin Wu over and raised her head to look around the small forest. With doubt on her face, she met Ling Xin’s eyes.
No problem.
She frowned and glanced from the corner of her eye at Wen Si waiting behind her. She tucked her hands into her sleeves. “Do we set out now?”
The sky was not too dark yet, and the road could still be seen. Her words clearly pushed Wen Si into the highest position, which would also make the others worry less.
If they chose to rest, their progress would be too slow. No one knew what would happen if they delayed.
Wen Si clenched his hand. “Set out.”
“Wait!” Before his words had fallen, Tang Wusuo ran over with his copper coins in hand.
Li Lingjiang asked, “What is it?”
“I cast an omen just now.” Tang Wusuo looked as if it was hard to speak. He bit his teeth hard. “If we go, there will be a great disaster.”
He spoke very quickly. “The omen is very inauspicious and very hard to break. I am wondering if we should prepare first. Otherwise, if something sudden happens, all of us will be caught off guard.”
He did not lower his voice, so many people heard him clearly. Some did not believe him and thought he was being mysterious on purpose. “Tang Wusuo, are you sick? Everyone is already scared enough, and you are still stirring people up. What do you mean?”
“Exactly. Do you not know whether your broken omen is accurate or not? Usually, you only say nice things. Why are you changing your words now?”
“Are you afraid? Is that why you are thinking of ways to delay us? If you really do not want to go, leave by yourself. Do not hold us back!”
“…”
Mockery rose all at once. Tang Wusuo’s face turned bright red. He stammered, unable to speak, and could only look to Wen Si for help. “Senior Brother-”
Wen Si also looked troubled. After a pause, he said, “We cannot stop because of your words alone. Wasting too much time is not good. Even if there is danger, it is our destined fate.”
Tang Wusuo froze. He looked at the angry companions behind him, then turned his gaze to Wen Si, who did not trust him at all. He blinked. After meeting Li Lingjiang’s eyes for one second, he looked away.
The copper coins in his palm clattered as he rubbed them messily. He murmured, “No solution, no solution. So it is my fault.”
As if remembering something, Tang Wusuo turned in defeat and walked step by step back into the crowd.
Li Lingjiang watched him the entire time. She was somewhat surprised, yet not surprised. She said dully, “It is the fate in the omen. This is the one who was chosen.”
“My Lord.” Yin Wu suddenly stopped Li Lingjiang, who was about to walk in. “You said…”
Li Lingjiang paused and turned her head, lifting one brow. The young immortal stood in place with a faint smile. Li Lingjiang gave a confused “Mm?”
“Is that omen accurate? Could it not be because he himself is also present?”