Chapter 44

Luo Han, hearing this, was baffled. “I study well and keep learning about new monsters. What’s wrong with that? You’re the one who’s overthinking!”
Ling Qingxiao nodded, saying, “Okay. You say you study well, but I ask you, there’s no mention of Charm Demons in the books I gave you. Where did you learn about them?”
Luo Han paused slightly. “Uh, there are so many books in the Zhongshan Library, I can’t remember from which one I read it…”
Ling Qingxiao seemed to have anticipated her response. He was already prepared for her: “Charm Demons are not considered elegant subjects, and they are not included in the library’s main collection.”
“…” Luo Han stopped, then began typing blindly, “Then how do you know about them? You seem to know everything and still accuse me?”
As expected, when a scholar meets a soldier, reason can’t be explained. Ling Qingxiao was caught off guard, and he frowned, replying, “It’s not the same…”
“How is it different?”
Ye Zinan’s eyes darted between the two of them, and he chuckled without speaking. Zou Jibai, itching to start a fight, suddenly saw trouble brewing in his team and was surprised to ask Ye Zinan, “What’s going on? Why are they fighting?”
Taking a quick glance from Ye Zinan’s head, he couldn’t imagine Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao arguing. Oh no, judging by the current situation, it seemed like Luo Han was the one picking the fight.
Ye Zinan was watching the scene with great interest when Zou Jibai interrupted. Ye Zinan shot him a reproachful look. “It’s none of your business. Don’t disturb us. Aren’t there demon beasts ahead? You go fight them.”
Zou Jibai, constantly being ignored, gave up on paying attention to the two of them and looked ahead. Although the Charm Demon had poison and its poison was rather peculiar, it wasn’t very strong. With so many well-equipped immortals around, the demon was quickly defeated.
The Charm Demon was slammed to the ground, glaring at the surrounding disciples with vengeful eyes. Suddenly, it threw its head back and let out a long, sorrowful scream, its cry haunting and chilling.
Ling Zhongyu hated that the Charm Demon had hurt Yun Menghan. When attacking, he was ruthless, sparing no mercy. Hearing the demon’s wail now, his face immediately changed.
“Not good.”
However, Ling Zhongyu was too late to react. Before he could do anything, the forest around them rustled, and mist began to rise. In the pale, milky mist, more pale, resentful Charm Demons began to appear.
Ye Zinan let out a low whistle. “As expected, these things are social creatures. Injure one, and a whole group shows up.”
Ling Qingxiao was irritated by Luo Han. Taking a deep breath, he unsheathed his long sword with a sharp sound. The surrounding cold air seemed to solidify. Ye Zinan, very familiar with the situation, quickly hid behind Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han. “The forest here is too dense for flying, so I’ll wait for you both here.”
This terrain wasn’t suitable for Luo Han either. Just as she was about to say something, Ling Qingxiao cast a binding spell around her and quickly merged into the mist ahead.
Fine, Luo Han stayed safely inside the protective barrier. The other "useless" person inside the circle was quite pleased with this arrangement and even started casually chatting with Luo Han, “See? Even when he’s mad at you, he still makes sure to protect you before leaving.”
Luo Han huffed lightly and said, “That just means he’s responsible. Come on, I’m already eighteen. It’s not like I live in a vacuum—so what if I know about Charm Demons?”
Ye Zinan shook his head slightly, hesitating as if he wanted to say something but stopped. “We Vermilions only choose one mate for life. In our clan, an eighteen-year-old shouldn’t be aware of such things.”
Luo Han was momentarily speechless. Discussing adulthood with thousand-year-old immortals was like talking to a brick wall. She gave up on arguing altogether and waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, say whatever you want. I can’t be bothered.”
While Luo Han and Ye Zinan were chatting, several Charm Demons were already being eliminated in the misty forest. Ling Qingxiao, in particular, was effortlessly taking them down—one strike, one kill. His movements were swift, his sword even swifter. The Charm Demons, known for their elusive nature, seemed sluggish and clumsy in front of him.
The demons continued to fall, and eventually, their king was enraged. From deep within the jungle, an ethereal melody suddenly drifted out. Ye Zinan’s expression shifted the moment he heard it, and just as he was about to warn Luo Han, the song abruptly turned sharp and piercing.
A powerful wave of sound crashed over everyone, causing their minds to go blank. Luo Han’s vision spun as dizziness washed over her. She immediately crushed a Clear Mind Talisman, snapping herself back to awareness. When she looked around, she realized that everything had changed.
Her surroundings were completely unfamiliar.
More importantly, her companions were gone.
She was the only one left.
This must have been the Charm Demon King's innate ability—using sonic attacks to disorient its prey, then scattering them into different locations. This way, it could remain hidden in the mist and pick them off one by one.
This creature really had a vengeful nature.
Luo Han didn’t dare to be careless. She immediately took out her command token to locate the others. Thankfully, they were also searching for her. As soon as she pulled out the celestial palace’s communication talisman, a blue light flickered on it.
Luo Han formed a hand seal to activate it, and a line of glowing blue text appeared in front of her: "Where are you?"
Blue was Ling Qingxiao’s signature color.
Luo Han looked around carefully before replying seriously: "I don’t know."
Almost immediately, more text lit up: "Any landmarks around you?"
"…There are trees. And fog."
Ling Qingxiao rubbed his forehead in frustration. Trees and fog. That was as useful as saying nothing at all.
Forget it. Instead of having Luo Han describe her location, he directly sent another message: "Stay where you are. I’ll find you."
As soon as he sent the message, Ling Qingxiao activated the tracking function on their communication talismans. A moment later, his token lit up, indicating Luo Han’s approximate location.
Luo Han replied: "Okay."
Ling Qingxiao closed the talisman and moved swiftly. He had an innate sense of direction and was quick at navigating. As he approached Luo Han’s position, his ears twitched—he picked up on an unusual sound.
The thick mist limited his divine sense, so he proceeded cautiously. The closer he got, the clearer the noises became.
Breathing.
The sound of water rippling.
Fabric rustling.
And...fragments of speech.
“Meng’er…”
Ling Qingxiao’s steps halted abruptly. It was Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan.
Ling Qingxiao recalled what had happened earlier by the lake. Yun Menghan had approached the water alone and was ambushed by a Charm Demon. The demon’s claw had left a long, bloody gash on her neck.
Charm Demons were entirely poisonous—their claws, teeth, even their blood. Any contact with them was dangerous. Normal poisons could be treated with antidote pills, but Charm Demon poison was an entirely different matter. This was why immortals avoided them at all costs, never allowing themselves to be even lightly scratched.
Yun Menghan’s wound was deep. The poison had likely already entered her bloodstream.
Inside the mist, the breathing sounds grew more erratic. It was clear that Yun Menghan had lost control of herself, desperately seeking relief from the unbearable sensation.
Charm Demon poison was sinister, but it wasn’t impossible to cure—it was just troublesome. However, from the sounds of it, Ling Zhongyu clearly had no intention of taking the troublesome route.
Ling Qingxiao inwardly scoffed. How ridiculous.
He was just about to silently retreat the way he came, avoiding both seeing and hearing what was happening. But as he turned to leave, he suddenly froze.
Something felt off.
Why did he sense demonic energy?
Was there another presence here besides Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan? A demon?
Demonic involvement was no trivial matter. Ling Qingxiao’s expression turned serious. Forget propriety—he needed to confirm whether there was a demon hiding in the mist.
As he concentrated, he suddenly became aware of movement behind him. His sharp gaze snapped in that direction like a sword, his presence radiating danger.
The intruder flinched in shock at his killing intent.
Luo Han stood five steps away, speaking in a hushed voice: “It’s me.”
Seeing that it was her, Ling Qingxiao immediately withdrew his lethal aura. He asked in a low voice, “Why are you here?”
“I followed the location shown on the talisman. Didn’t expect to actually find you,” Luo Han said. As she finished speaking, she faintly heard some noises ahead and instinctively looked forward. “Sounds like there’s someone—”
Ling Qingxiao’s expression shifted. He swiftly stepped forward and covered her eyes and ears, but it was too late—Luo Han had already heard.
She looked at Ling Qingxiao, her face full of shock and disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, she hurriedly lowered her voice: “You...you’re actually…”
Ling Qingxiao’s ears turned red. “I’m not!”
“You won’t let me look at dual cultivation manuals, but here you are secretly watching this? You—”
Ling Qingxiao, utterly embarrassed, immediately defended himself: “No! Don’t make wild assumptions!”
Their whispered argument wasn’t exactly quiet. The noise startled the people inside.
Ling Zhongyu, too caught up in his situation, had lowered his guard, but now, he suddenly picked up on the conversation outside. His expression sharpened in alertness.
“Who’s there?”
Ling Qingxiao’s heart clenched. There was no time to explain. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Luo Han and shot into the air.
Luo Han hadn’t expected him to suddenly grab her. Instinctively, she wanted to yelp, but Ling Qingxiao swiftly covered her mouth.
Ling Qingxiao truly lived up to his half-dragon heritage—his steps left no trace on the snow, and even while carrying someone, he landed on the treetop without the slightest disturbance. Only the breeze from his robes sent a few petals drifting down.
Luo Han’s eyes widened in astonishment, but Ling Qingxiao kept a firm hand over her mouth, silently warning her to stay quiet.
At that moment, Ling Zhongyu had already appeared at the spot where they had just stood. His robes were slightly disheveled as he lingered beneath the tree, scanning his surroundings with a slow, calculating gaze.
Luo Han, looking down, could see Ling Zhongyu clearly. She was so nervous she nearly stopped breathing. He looked truly suspicious, yet Yun Menghan had completely lost her senses. In just this short time, she was already panting in distress.
Her breaths were weak yet rapid, and just hearing them made Luo Han’s face flush. She snuck a glance at Ling Qingxiao, whose expression remained perfectly composed—his skin was pale and flawless like jade, dignified as ever—except for the faint red tint creeping up his ears.
Tsk, what an act.
The tree they were hiding in was covered in delicate white blossoms. Petals fluttered down onto Ling Qingxiao’s robes, making him appear even more like a refined gentleman, his white robes standing out against the snow.
In the end, the male lead’s concern for the female lead outweighed his suspicions. Ling Zhongyu soon turned away to find Yun Menghan. She must have been struggling unbearably because as soon as she got up, she lunged straight at Ling Zhongyu. The impact sent them both crashing against the tree trunk, shaking the branches and sending a cascade of petals falling.
White petals rained down on Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao. Luo Han carefully refrained from making a sound and pointed first at the scene below, then at herself and Ling Qingxiao, before finally making a questioning gesture.
Were they just supposed to wait here like this? That didn’t seem right.
Ling Qingxiao understood her meaning, but he was equally mortified. Who could have predicted things would unfold like this?
At first, he had hesitated and chosen not to leave. Then, Luo Han arrived, and to avoid Ling Zhongyu, he had no choice but to take her with him up into the tree. But who could have foreseen that Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan would...get entangled right beneath them?
Now, even if he wanted to leave, he couldn’t.
Ling Qingxiao’s entire body had gone stiff. He hadn’t realized earlier, but now he was acutely aware of how close he and Luo Han were. The treetop offered little space, and they couldn’t risk making any noise. They had to press closely together to stay hidden. What’s more, to stop Luo Han from making a sound earlier, Ling Qingxiao had covered her mouth—his hand was still resting against her face.
Even through the veil, he could feel her soft breaths brushing against his palm, tickling like the touch of a feather.
His fingers tensed unnaturally. Fortunately, he was used to maintaining an icy composure, so keeping a calm expression wasn’t difficult. Ling Qingxiao forced himself to appear unbothered, though his arm had gone so rigid he could barely move.
Just then, he noticed Luo Han sneaking a glance downward. Perhaps a fallen petal had blocked her view, because she shifted slightly to the side.
Ling Qingxiao was both mortified and exasperated. Without hesitation, he reached out and covered her eyes.
Luo Han immediately pried his hand away, her gaze full of indignation.
What was this? So he could look, but she couldn’t?
Ling Qingxiao didn’t need words to understand her meaning. He shot her a sharp glare, warning her not to fool around or peek at things she shouldn’t.
Fine...Luo Han reluctantly turned her gaze upward, staring at the drifting petals instead. But she perked her ears up.
She wasn’t shameless enough to watch, but listening might be even more...interesting.
A while later, Ling Qingxiao noticed Luo Han hadn’t blinked for a long time and realized the problem. He was so furious he couldn’t even speak. Luo Han, realizing she’d been caught, blinked innocently at him.
Sure, she could keep her eyes shut. But sounds...those weren’t under her control, right?
Ling Qingxiao’s expression was ice-cold, his gaze sharp. He silently mouthed: Close your eyes.
Luo Han reluctantly obeyed. Darkness enveloped her vision, making her feel uneasy. Just as she shifted slightly, she felt something cool and warm cover her ears.
Ling Qingxiao had pressed his hands over them.
…For a moment, Luo Han didn’t even know what to say.
To completely prevent her from cheating, Ling Qingxiao even used a hint of spiritual energy. All she felt was a soothing warmth over her ears—everything else was utterly silent.
She huffed inwardly, finding this whole thing boring. Ling Qingxiao was probably seeing something like this for the first time. His own ears had turned red, yet he insisted on controlling her, neither letting her look nor listen.
…So naive. If they actually talked about these things, who knew who’d be teaching whom?