Lin Yanxi felt a blur before her eyes, and as her footing faltered, Shen Muzhou suddenly appeared and steadied her.
"Yanxi, there's miasma in the village. I'll take you out of here first," Shen Muzhou's gaze was gentle when he looked at her, his voice carrying an unusual warmth.
She paused for a moment, wondering what had gotten into Shen Muzhou, to be so suddenly gentle.
As she walked with Shen Muzhou for a while, her head grew increasingly dizzy, and she leaned on him for most of the way.
"Yanxi, if you're not feeling well, how about I carry you?" he said, taking Lin Yanxi's hand.
Yanxi. She pursed her lips. It was sickeningly sweet to hear this devilish man call her name so gently, giving her goosebumps.
Why was Shen Muzhou acting so strangely, as if something was off?
She probed, "Why haven't you been affected by the miasma?"
Shen Muzhou chuckled softly, a flicker of strangeness in his eyes as he replied, "You're a delicate young lady, of course, you're different from a man."
"Tch," she scoffed.
She didn't know who was delicate. It was him who suffered from a cold illness, always looking as if he were about to die, always wrapped in a cloak even in June.
Cold illness?
Right, he had a cold illness, always icy cold, his skin chilling to the touch with no trace of warmth.
Now, his palm was warm, just like anyone else's.
Could it be... she was also in an illusion?
Lin Yanxi realized she might have fallen into an illusion. She withdrew her hand and took a cautious step back.
Damn it, her soul ring wasn't on her hand at a time like this, and the real Shen Muzhou was nowhere to be found.
She feigned composure, managing a strained smile, "Hurry, let's go, the miasma is getting heavier."
Shen Muzhou said nothing and followed behind her. She quickened her pace, glancing back at him periodically. Once she was sure a distance had opened between them, she broke into a run.
Don't chase me, don't chase me.
She chanted in her heart, her steps unsteady, forcing herself to run as fast as she could.
"Ah." Lin Yanxi stumbled, nearly falling.
'Shen Muzhou' reached out and grabbed her, a wicked smile on his face. His once gentle eyes now held a seductive charm, like a spring breeze, so soft it seemed to stretch.
His voice was deep and magnetic. "What are you running from?"
Lin Yanxi shook off his arm, retreated a few more steps, and asked warily, "You're not Shen Muzhou at all. Where did you come from?"
He moved closer again, one hand encircling Lin Yanxi's waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace. His eyes curved into a shape that resembled blooming, captivating peach blossoms.
"I came from your heart."
Her face flushed. He was too close. His lips brushed against Lin Yanxi's ear, and his words felt like tiny insects tickling her ear canal, making her heart pound.
This Shen Muzhou, without his usual cold distance, was instead... enchanting.
No, he wasn't Shen Muzhou! Though his appearance and voice were identical, he wasn't!
She shoved him away and slapped him across the face. "Give me back the real Shen Muzhou!"
'Shen Muzhou's' expression suddenly darkened. "I am what you desire. Isn't this what you've always wished for? You don't like me when I'm bloodthirsty, so I'll be gentle with you and shed my aggression. Isn't that good? Why do you still think of that other person!"
"I don't! But I'd rather not see you! You're just a scoundrel hiding behind someone else's face!" she glared at him with disgust and turned to run.
'Shen Muzhou' closely followed behind her, the distance between them shrinking. He was only a step away from catching her.
The suffocating pressure, the feeling of being chased with nowhere to escape, made her stumble and fall to the ground.
As 'Shen Muzhou' raised a dagger, poised to stab her heart—
"Ah."
She screamed instinctively and suddenly opened her eyes, finding herself leaning against a large tree.
Sitting beside her was Shen Muzhou.
Seeing her awake, the tension in Shen Muzhou's expression eased slightly. "You're finally awake."
His lips were pressed into a thin line, his face showing his usual cool detachment. "It seems you were affected by the rattling bell and passed out. Fortunately, you're awake now. Let's leave here quickly."
It was just a dream...
She looked at him blankly. Perhaps it was the fear from her dream, her eyes welling up with tears. "I just dreamt of someone, woo woo woo, he looked like you..."
Lin Yanxi said, excitedly grabbing his hand, warm...
His hand was warm! He wasn't Shen Muzhou!
The rest of her words caught in her throat. She dropped his hand and stumbled back in horror.
'Shen Muzhou' spread his hands, sighing with feigned regret. "Pity, I still couldn't fool you."
He drew his saber from his waist, killing intent flashing in his eyes. As he raised it high to strike, a figure flashed by and took the blow for her.
It was Shen Muzhou, who had stepped in front of her, taking the sword blow on his shoulder. His tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted frame shielding her made the scene feel surreal, reminding her of the masked man who had followed her in her past life.
In her previous life, she had been relentlessly pursued, and in moments of life and death, it was that masked man who had stood before her just like Shen Muzhou.
She could barely distinguish whether this back was Shen Muzhou's or the masked man's.
The person impersonating Shen Muzhou suddenly shimmered with a mist, transforming into another stranger. He wore a black cloak, his features hidden within its depths.
"Run! It's a shapeshifting technique!" She pulled Shen Muzhou and ran deeper into the woods.
This must be the person who used curses, and the cursed energy attached to her hairpin?
In Yueyou Prefecture, besides Talisman Masters, there were very few individuals with special abilities, such as Beast Masters, Artifact Masters, and Spiritual Masters.
None of these abilities would involve royal disputes. If the balance of power between the five kingdoms were broken, it would lead to endless contention for supernatural abilities and wars between the five nations.
Curses were by no means something ordinary people could contend with. Now that they had appeared in the palace, it meant the balance between the five nations had been shattered.
Shen Muzhou let her pull him along. As Lin Yanxi took his hand, a chill spread through her entire body.
She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.
The figure in the black cloak quickly caught up. Shen Muzhou pushed Lin Yanxi aside and blocked the black-cloaked figure's fatal strike with his sword.
"You can't beat him, he's a curse master!" Lin Yanxi shouted anxiously.
The black-cloaked figure chuckled evilly. Black smoke rose from his hand, carrying a black curse seal. In the next instant, the smoke lunged towards Shen Muzhou.
As the black smoke attacked, she urgently warned, "Left!"
Hearing her, Shen Muzhou dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding the cursed attack.
The black-cloaked figure stared at her. "You are indeed a Talisman Master. But why is there no Talisman Master aura about you?"
Only Talisman Masters could see the black energy condensed by curses.
Shen Muzhou took off his soul ring and returned it to Lin Yanxi. "You go first, I'll handle this."
Shen Muzhou held the soul ring in his hand and presented it to Lin Yanxi. She hesitated. This soul ring was something she desperately wanted to get back, to sever all ties with Shen Muzhou and end their association.
But under these circumstances, how could she accept it with peace of mind?
"You..." she began, but trailed off.
The black-cloaked figure emerged from the mist, mockingly saying, "Death is upon you, and you still have time for sweet nothings? Since neither of you wants to leave, why don't you kneel and beg me? Perhaps my heart will soften, and I'll mercifully allow you to..."
"Die together! Hahaha."
Lin Yanxi no longer hesitated. She took the soul ring from his hand, a cold smile curling her lips. Her bright eyes swept over him disdainfully. "Alright, let's see who dies first!"
The moment spiritual energy surged into her body, she formed hand seals, conjuring the Wuxiang Curse. Her gaze was as sharp as a sword, as if trying to pierce into his bones.
"Still!"
The immobilization curse was cast upon the black-cloaked figure. Lin Yanxi smirked triumphantly and looked at Shen Muzhou.
The black-cloaked figure glanced at the restraint on his body and easily strained himself. The immobilization curse immediately dissipated into the wind.
He chuckled lightly, a hint of surprise in his arrogance. "Is this all your Talisman Masters are capable of?"
Lin Yanxi and Shen Muzhou exchanged glances. A flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "This is just our most basic technique. Now, let me show you something impressive!"
She held her breath, forming hand seals. The black-cloaked figure's smile vanished, and he watched her warily, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The power of a Talisman Master was not to be underestimated.
She thrust her hand forward. The black-cloaked figure instinctively raised his arm to block, but nothing happened. By the time he realized it, Lin Yanxi had already grabbed Shen Muzhou and fled.
"Don't you have more advanced techniques?" Shen Muzhou asked.
"Oh, there are plenty of advanced techniques, but I only know the immobilization curse. When you can't win, running away is the highest-level technique."
Shen Muzhou put his arm around her waist, his toes lightly touching the ground as he leaped several meters across the treetops. Lin Yanxi clung tightly to the fabric of his clothes. As she pressed close to him, her gaze fell upon the wound on his shoulder.
It seemed deep, and blood was still trickling out with his movements.
As they landed, a chilling rattle of bells sounded once more.
The little girl, resembling a paper effigy, seemed to have expected them. She stood there, shaking her bell, chanting, "Shake the bell, ding dong, the bride wants to wear colorful clothes; Quanjing Village, good water, traps you once you're here~"
"Found you!" A grotesquely exaggerated smile stretched across her face. Her childish voice sounded ethereal and eerie.
"Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling."
Shen Muzhou's dark, deep pupils began to cloud over.
Oh no, he was falling into an illusion again.
Lin Yanxi turned his face towards her. "Look at me. Focus on me. Don't be fooled by her."
Shen Muzhou's vacant gaze landed on her. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, as if washed by water. Her long lashes fluttered, making her eyes appear even more lively. A stray strand of hair brushed against her fair, delicate cheek.
Her rosy lips were luscious and moist, her teeth as white as jade. She looked like a tender bud adorned with morning dew, captivating and delicate.
"Lin Yanxi." His hand unconsciously reached out to caress her cheek. Struggling, he forced himself to regain clarity, gritted his teeth, and pushed her away. "You leave quickly. I'll hold them off."
He drew his long sword from his waist and pointed it at the little girl. The black-cloaked figure suddenly appeared, engaging him in a fierce battle.
Shen Muzhou feigned a frontal assault, then flashed to the black-cloaked figure's back. His movements were incredibly fast, each strike lethal. His fighting style was aggressive, and despite the black-cloaked figure's mastery of curses, he sustained several bleeding wounds.
Without his curse abilities, the black-cloaked figure would have surely died under Shen Muzhou's swordplay.
He became even more enraged. "Two useless fools, I'll kill you as easily as crushing ants!"
The black-cloaked figure's fingertips gathered black energy, forming a Bagua disk in the air. Shen Muzhou's sword shattered before the dark cursed energy.
Shen Muzhou glanced back at Lin Yanxi. "You leave quickly, I can handle this."
He was a man who rarely smiled. In this moment of crisis, he actually offered a faint smile as he looked back, trying to reassure her.