Chapter 48: “Be Careful.” Rong Ye, Pay Attention to Me…

The Qiankun Sword shua-ed out of its sheath, repelling the ferocious sword gleams surging from the killing array, then swiftly returned to its scabbard.

At the same time, Gu Changhuai watched as Rong Ye’s figure leaped lightly like a roaming dragon, dodging the crossbow bolts stabbing from behind. The arrows whistled past Rong Ye, hurtling toward the bushes where Gu Changhuai hid.

Gu Changhuai: “？！”

Damn it!

He urgently pinched a hand seal, urging the seven or eight long arrows racing toward him to turn around and aim back at Rong Ye!

Gu Changhuai also secretly reinforced the killing array, locking the crossbow bolts onto Rong Ye to avoid any mishap of them injuring him instead.

He crouched in the bushes and observed for a while longer, his gaze settling on Rong Ye within the killing array.

Rong Ye’s expression remained unchanged as he only stared at the compass’s direction, utterly ignoring everything in the array—even sparing it no glance. The sword intent around him was enough to block it all, his movements handling it with ease. The cool detachment and aloof chill encircling him made it clear without words that he didn’t take this trap seriously at all.

So infuriating!

Gu Changhuai decided to up the difficulty for Rong Ye. He hunched over and quietly circled out from his hiding spot in the bushes, calling out, “Immortal Lord!”

Rong Ye’s eyes flicked over.

Gu Changhuai stood not far from the killing array, looking as if he’d just arrived at Water Moon Mountain. He covered his mouth in feigned shock. “Oh no! Immortal Lord! How could there be an ambush here? So dangerous!” He leaped forward, crossing the tripwires and pouncing toward Rong Ye. “I’ll save you!”

Of course, that was a lie.

Gu Changhuai figured that with Rong Ye’s aloof personality, he would definitely dodge, giving him the chance to grab Rong Ye’s… hair, then pretend to accidentally snip off a strand.

After all, what was wrong with a little attendant coming to rescue the Immortal Lord and accidentally breaking off a lock of his hair? Gu Changhuai thought to himself, I’m so clever!

No shadow demon in the Demon Realm was wiser than him!

Hearing the commotion, Rong Ye lifted his eyelids and looked toward Gu Changhuai leaping into the killing array from midair.

At that moment, Gu Changhuai had his arms spread wide, pouncing ferociously toward him—not like he was saving someone, more like he was about to devour him.

“…”

Rong Ye didn’t move, his gaze fixed.

In midair, Gu Changhuai’s robes and sleeves fluttered in the wind like a dancing butterfly. A faint smile graced his cool, strikingly beautiful face. When his ink-black eyes met Rong Ye’s, a sly glint flashed in them—he was clearly plotting something mischievous again.

Naughty thing.

A faint smile tugged at Rong Ye’s lips. He didn’t dodge; instead, he even raised a hand and effortlessly caught the leaping Gu Changhuai, encircling his waist with one arm.

His gaze swept over him. The loose Yabai Sect robes draped over the youth with his languid, radiant brows and eyes, accentuating his tall, slender frame. The waist beneath his palm was lean and fine. Cinched by the belt into an appealing shape. It was somewhat unexpected; his expression froze slightly, his long lashes fluttering in faint bewilderment.

He looked utterly pitiable.

…

Gu Changhuai was stunned. He never imagined Rong Ye would catch him.

The previous two times he’d mounted the Qiankun Sword, Rong Ye had grabbed him by the collar. Even sharing a couch to sleep had required endless pleading from him before Rong Ye agreed. So Gu Changhuai had assumed Rong Ye disliked physical contact.

But…

Gu Changhuai lowered his eyes, feeling the warm, firm palm at his waist steadying him. Rong Ye hadn’t dodged as expected.

“…” Oh no!

His hand was still clutching Rong Ye’s hair hanging down his back, but there was no excuse to snap it off now. Gu Changhuai felt awkward and released his grip, pretending to be calm.

Just then, two crossbow bolts turned around and stabbed toward them. Sensing the fierce wind, Gu Changhuai’s eyes changed as he warned, “Be careful!”

He pushed Rong Ye away and leaped into a flip to dodge the incoming arrows. Sword gleams from the killing array flew out again, and Gu Changhuai busied himself evading them with agile, graceful movements. Glancing back, he saw the arrows turning around once more! As he prepared to dodge, he caught Rong Ye’s sweeping gaze from the corner of his eye.

Deep and dark, inscrutable and somber.

Gu Changhuai abruptly paused, a fleeting sense of something off flashing through him, though he couldn’t pinpoint what was strange.

Before he could think further, the arrow blade closed in. He stood to dodge it, but in the next instant, his wrist was yanked.

Rong Ye had grabbed his wrist and tugged him lightly. The arrow’s edge grazed past his neck, bringing a chill gust of wind.

Gu Changhuai was badly startled, his eyes widening abruptly. “You…!”

Before he could speak, Rong Ye had already pulled him into a turn to evade two sword gleams. The gleams sheared off two strands of Gu Changhuai’s floating ink-black hair. They leaped again to dodge the oncoming arrows.

Rong Ye said, “Be careful.”

The exact same words, but in his faint tone lurked a barely detectable hint of amusement.

Gu Changhuai had no time to dwell on it. He looked heartbroken at the two strands of long hair on the ground, suspecting Rong Ye had done it on purpose. Feeling both guilty and pained, he could only furrow his brows, purse his lips, and sulk.

He sneaked a few glances at Rong Ye’s expression, confirming that Rong Ye hadn’t realized he’d set the trap. That only made his teeth itch with frustration.

Hadn’t he snapped a tripwire with one step earlier?! How could the mighty Qing Lian Immortal Lord fail to dismantle even a single killing array!

No!

The great demon needed to seize the initiative!

Gu Changhuai’s eyes suddenly firmed with resolve. His hidden fingers pinched a seal, fully activating the crossbow bolts. Over a dozen arrows shot straight toward Rong Ye in unison, icy and relentless!

Meanwhile, he cried out “Ah!” in feigned terror, abruptly wrapping both arms around Rong Ye’s waist and burying his face in Rong Ye’s chest. Whimpering, he said, “What do we do, Rong Ye? This array suddenly got stronger. Are we going to die here? Immortal Lord, you have to protect me!”

Rong Ye: “…”

His gaze flicked down, passing over the silly demon’s hair. Two plum blossom jade hairpins were exposed under the dappled light, glinting faintly.

Of course, he also saw the silly demon’s fingers sharpen into silver claws in an instant, secretly snipping a strand of hair from behind his back and palming it.

As if afraid he’d notice, the demon even lifted his eyes to stealthily watch his expression—long lashes quivering, ink-black pupils pure and clear, as if they could only reflect his own image.

Naughty.

Yet obedient.

Rong Ye’s eyes abruptly darkened. He averted his gaze, and the Qiankun Sword unsheathed once more. Icy sword intent erupted in an instant, bringing heavy pressure.

The long sword swept through like a roaming dragon, shattering the killing array, destroying the crossbow bolts, and clearing everything around them before returning to its scabbard.

Meanwhile, the two strands of Gu Changhuai’s hair on the ground, severed by the sword gleams, quietly fell into Rong Ye’s hand.

Gu Changhuai remained oblivious, furtively stashing Rong Ye’s lock of hair away and plotting to pair it later with a letter full of flattery for Han Ya to deliver to the Demon Venerable.

However…

Gu Changhuai blankly scanned their surroundings. Wherever the sword wind had passed was empty—the tripwires, overhead crossbows, all cleared away. Even the ground weeds had vanished, blown who-knows-where. Only the original trees stood intact.

Whoa!

The killing array was broken.

Gu Changhuai pulled away from Rong Ye’s embrace. He’d been too focused on stealthily taking the hair to notice how Rong Ye had dismantled it, but clearly, nothing remained now. He still organized his words and said with a beaming smile, “Immortal Lord, you’re so amazing!”

His tone was earnest, but insincere.

Rong Ye gave a low acknowledgment, then turned wordlessly and continued deeper into the mountain forest, following the compass’s guidance.

Having completed his task, Gu Changhuai felt quite pleased and followed closely, feigning surprise. “To think someone set a trap in these deep woods. Good thing your cultivation is profound, Immortal Lord, or we’d have been stuck here.”

He paused, then recalled Rong Ye’s gaze while dodging arrows. Puzzled, he asked, “But since you could break the killing array so easily, why did you watch me charge in? Dodging those arrows was exhausting.”

At that, Rong Ye glanced sideways at him. His low voice echoed slowly in the quiet forest. “I thought you liked it that way.”

“…” Gu Changhuai guiltily looked to the sky. “Oh.”

What bad intentions could a shadow demon charging into a killing array have? Just to snag a lock of hair to show loyalty to the Demon Venerable and dispel his suspicions.

The process had a few twists, but the result was good. He deliberately lagged a few steps behind Rong Ye, placing the letter and hair together for Han Ya with a glance. The crow vanished from his side at once.

At the same time…

The surrounding air seemed to condense with cold, making Gu Changhuai shiver involuntarily. Puzzled, he looked up. The sun hung high, its light filtering through branches and leaves into dappled shadows on the forest floor.

Strange.

Why was it so cold?

He pulled his outer robe tighter and turned, only to meet Rong Ye’s gaze. Amber depths dark and cold, sword intent swirling around him, exuding a bone-chilling frost—like that first glance when Gu Changhuai had peeked from behind a tree. Cool and distant.

Though Rong Ye’s face remained expressionless and silent, Gu Changhuai instantly realized—Rong Ye was angry. And it felt odd.

…Who had provoked him?

What the hell was this mood?

That piercing stare set off alarm bells in Gu Changhuai. Had Rong Ye figured out he’d set the trap? Or discovered his identity? That would be bad!

He coughed unnaturally twice, his voice shrinking without confidence as he probed cautiously, “…Immortal Lord, why aren’t you happy?”

Rong Ye withdrew his gaze. His low, husky, cold voice betrayed no emotion as he turned. “Figure it out yourself.”

With that, he headed deeper. The compass needle steadied; Water Moon Mountain’s fog was thick, shrouding most of the forest even in daylight. Soon, Gu Changhuai could only see Rong Ye’s dark cyan figure half-obscured by mist.

Figure it out himself?

Figure out what?

Gu Changhuai frowned in confusion, racking his brains.

But this reaction from Rong Ye probably meant he hadn’t figured it out. Then why the sudden anger? Was he upset about being left waiting too long?

Convinced he’d pinpointed the issue, Gu Changhuai hurried to catch up and grabbed Rong Ye’s sleeve with a smile. “Don’t be mad anymore. Next time, I definitely won’t keep you waiting so long. I can’t do without you.”

Rong Ye continued forward without a word, not shaking off Gu Changhuai’s grip on his sleeve.

“Rong Ye, are you even listening to me?” Seeing Rong Ye ignore him, Gu Changhuai began muttering softly, dropping the “Immortal Lord” and calling repeatedly, “Rong Ye, Rong Ye, Rong Ye, Rong Ye…” Pay attention to me.

Before he finished, his mouth was suddenly covered. Gu Changhuai blinked dazedly at Rong Ye, who had halted abruptly and muffled him. His long lashes fluttered lightly.

Hm? What was this?

In his view, faint helplessness crept onto Rong Ye’s handsome, aloof face. He said lowly, “Shh—quiet. Listen.”