144: Chapter 144 Wen Yulan: You... are not allowed to open your eyes.

Inside, apart from a few scattered Medicinal Pills and xuan stones, there was also an identity token.

Qingfeng Sword Sect, Han Ming.

The middle-aged man tossed the Storage Pouch back onto the corpse, stood up, and his gaze fell upon the footprints remaining on the open ground.

The footprints were messy, yet one trail vaguely pointed toward the depths of the dense forest.

He looked along that trail, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"So, he really is here."

The man muttered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of certainty and murderous intent.

"The girl pointed in the right direction. Killed the Yao Beast, killed the person from the Qingfeng Sword Sect, and took a woman in that direction. Kid, you won't be able to run."

His figure flickered, transforming into a gray afterimage as he sped off in the direction Ye Yun had taken.

Under the moonlight, his figure grew distant, quickly vanishing into the depths of the dense forest.

Meanwhile, Ye Yun was leaning against the stone wall of the cave, holding the sleeping Wen Yulan in his arms, completely unaware of the impending crisis.

The embers of the campfire gradually cooled, and the night grew deeper.

Only the occasional roar of a Yao Beast from afar echoed through the vast, empty mountain forest.

...

It was unknown how much time had passed; the embers in the cave had completely extinguished, leaving only a profound darkness.

The moonlight had long been obscured by clouds.

Only a few slivers of silver light, occasionally leaking through the gaps in the branches, cast mottled shadows on the ground.

Wen Yulan's eyelashes trembled slightly.

The moment her consciousness returned, the strangeness in her body surged forth first.

Her whole body felt as if it had been taken apart and put back together; she felt weak and sore, and a dull ache emanated from between her legs.

She subconsciously furrowed her brows and tried to turn over, only to find that she couldn't move at all.

A strong arm was wrapped around her waist, pinning her firmly against a warm chest.

She woke up instantly.

Memories of the previous night flooded back like a tide.

The pursuit, the Yao Beasts, and Han Ming's twisted face.

That strange powder, that unbearable, burning heat.

And... and the warmth of the palm of the youth before her when he had picked her up.

Wen Yulan's cheeks flushed a deep red, the blush spreading from her cheeks all the way to her ears and neck.

Even her exposed shoulders were stained a delicate pink.

Her body went rigid; she even forgot to breathe, her mind turning completely blank.

"I... I and he..."

She lowered her head and saw that she was only covered by a black outer robe, underneath which she was completely bare, wearing nothing at all.

The outer robe hung loosely on her, rising and falling gently with her breath, revealing a large expanse of fair, glowing skin.

Her shoulders, collarbone, and chest were covered in ambiguous marks of varying depths.

Red and purple, they were densely packed and shocking to the eye.

These had been left by the youth before her.

Wen Yulan's cheeks were flushed so deeply they seemed ready to drip blood, and her heart pounded wildly, as if it were about to burst from her chest.

She bit her lip, her eyes filled with panic and shyness; she didn't even dare to steal a glance at the youth beside her.

"How could this happen? I guarded my purity for over twenty years... and just like that... just like that, I gave it to a youth whose name I don't even know."

Wen Yulan had lived for twenty-three years and had practiced in the Qingfeng Sword Sect for many years, her heart set on the Dao, never paying heed to the pursuits of those male Disciples.

Han Ming had pursued her for two years, and she had never even let him touch her hand.

Yet now, she had awakened in the arms of a strange youth, her body covered in the marks he had left behind.

Shame, panic, vexation, and a trace of an indescribable, fluttering sensation.

These emotions intertwined, making her whole body burn; she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

She quietly raised her eyes and stole a glance at the youth beside her.

Ye Yun's eyes were closed, his breathing long and steady; he seemed to still be fast asleep.

The firelight had long since extinguished, and the cave was dim, yet she could still clearly see his features.

His sword-like brows slanted toward his temples, his nose bridge was high, and his thin lips were slightly pursed.

In his sleep, the sharpness and composure he usually possessed were absent, replaced by the refined handsomeness of a youth.

His arm was wrapped around her waist, his palm pressed against the skin of her side, warm and firm.

Wen Yulan stared at his face for a moment, and her heartbeat quickened by another beat.

She quickly averted her gaze, not daring to look again.

"I... I must get up. I cannot stay like this..."

She took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart, and tried to break free from his embrace.

But her body was as soft as water, and every inch of her muscles ached.

Especially her waist and legs, which were so sore she couldn't muster any strength.

Gritting her teeth, she pressed her hands against the ground and tried to sit up.

But just as she lifted herself slightly, her arms went weak, and she fell back, landing heavily on his chest.

Ye Yun let out a muffled groan, his brows knitting slightly.

Wen Yulan froze in terror, not daring to even breathe, fearing she would wake him.

She held her breath and waited for a few moments. Seeing that he hadn't awakened, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and began to struggle again.

This time, she had learned her lesson; she moved extremely lightly and slowly, like a clumsy cat, inching her way out of his embrace.

However, her body simply would not obey; with every movement, a wave of soreness would radiate from there, making her unable to help but bite her lip.

She twisted her waist, rubbing against his body, and finally managed to prop up her upper body, but her legs were too weak to support her, and she slid back down.

She tried to prop herself up again, only to slide back down once more.

Time and time again, each time she pressed tighter and rubbed more suggestively.

Ye Yun's breathing changed.

Wen Yulan froze.

She could clearly feel that something was slowly reviving and Awakening.

Her cheeks burned so hot they felt like they were smoking, and even her ears turned completely red.

She froze there, not daring to move a muscle.

Just then, a low voice came from above, tinged with hoarseness and helplessness.

"How much longer are you going to keep moving?"

Wen Yulan shuddered and snapped her head up, meeting Ye Yun's smiling eyes.

He had opened his eyes at some point and was looking down at her.

His eyes held a hint of amusement, along with a trace of suppressed intensity.

"Ah!" Wen Yulan shrieked, quickly covering her face with her hands, wishing she could curl into a ball.

"You... you mustn't look! Close your eyes! Hurry up and close your eyes!"

Ye Yun was amused by her appearance, but he did not make things difficult for her; he obediently closed his eyes and said calmly,

"Fine, I won't look."

Wen Yulan peeked through her fingers and, confirming that his eyes were closed, she let out a slight sigh of relief.

However, she still dared not move, remaining stiff in his arms like a frightened rabbit.

After a long while, she summoned her courage, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"You... you are not allowed to open your eyes..."

"Mm."

She gritted her teeth, pressed her hands against the ground, and tried once more to stand up from his embrace.

But her body was truly too weak; as soon as she propped herself up, her arms trembled, and she sank back down.

Wen Yulan hurriedly grabbed Ye Yun's lapels to steady herself, but her fingertips happened to press against his chest, allowing her to clearly feel his powerful heartbeat.

Her face turned red again, and she scrambled to let go.

But the more she panicked, the clumsier she became, rubbing against him several times in the process.