148: Chapter 148 Bathing in the Pool

The scarred man's expression changed abruptly, and he looked up sharply, his eyes filled with despair and madness.

He gritted his teeth, wanting to lash out in a counterattack, but just as he moved, a fiery red sword light had already slashed across his neck.

Fresh blood spurted out; the scarred man widened his eyes, clutching his throat as his lips moved a few times.

He fell to the ground with a thud, never to get up again.

Ye Yun sheathed his sword, not even glancing at the corpses, and turned to walk back to Wen Yulan.

Wen Yulan stood where she was, looking at the corpses covering the ground, then looked at Ye Yun, her eyes filled with shock and relief.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that a thousand words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say anything at all.

Ye Yun glanced at her and said indifferently,

"Let's go."

Wen Yulan nodded, following behind him, her gaze falling on his upright back.

A sense of security like never before welled up in her heart.

With him there, she was afraid of nothing.

...

The two continued to venture deeper, traveling through the dense forest.

Sunlight filtered down through the layers of branches and leaves, spreading mottled light and shadows across the ground.

Ye Yun walked in front, his gaze scanning the surroundings vigilantly, searching for traces of the Iron-backed Azure Bear.

Wen Yulan followed behind him, her footsteps somewhat unsteady, yet she gritted her teeth and kept up, not uttering a single complaint of fatigue.

After traveling for about another half an hour, the trees in front suddenly became sparse, and the air held a bit more humid moisture.

Ye Yun pushed aside a cluster of bushes, and the view before him suddenly opened up.

A naturally formed water pool appeared before them.

The pool was not large, about two or three zhang square, and the water was crystal clear, shimmering with a faint emerald hue.

Steam curled above the water's surface; it was clearly a hot spring.

The edge of the pool was covered with smooth pebbles.

A few unknown wildflowers grew tenaciously in the crevices of the stones, blooming with small white petals.

The surroundings were surrounded by dense shrubs, forming a natural barrier that isolated this place from the outside world's clamor.

The sound of flowing water and the swirling mist made it seem like a paradise away from the world.

When Wen Yulan saw this pool, her steps faltered, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes.

Immediately, it dimmed again, and she lowered her head, her cheeks quietly flushing.

She bit her lip, her fingers unconsciously twisting her sleeves, appearing as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Ye Yun noticed her abnormality and turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"

Wen Yulan opened her mouth, then closed it again, the blush on her cheeks deepening.

She kept her head down, not daring to look at him, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, stuttering.

"I, I..."

Seeing her embarrassed state, Ye Yun had already guessed a little.

He did not rush her, just watched her quietly, waiting for her to speak.

After a long while, Wen Yulan finally summoned her courage, her voice as light as a spider's thread in the wind.

"I, I haven't bathed for several days... My body feels very uncomfortable. Could I, could I wash here?"

After she finished speaking, her cheeks were red enough to drip blood, and even her earlobes were tinged with pink; she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

She kept her head down, staring intently at her own toes, not daring to look at Ye Yun's reaction.

Ye Yun was slightly stunned, his gaze falling on her involuntarily.

That large black outer robe wrapped around her slender body, the collar slightly open, revealing a section of pearly white collarbone.

Her hair was somewhat messy, with a few stray strands sticking to her cheeks, bringing a touch of dishevelment, yet it could not hide her stunning beauty.

Her skin shimmered with a warm, moist luster in the morning light, and even through the robe, one could see those exquisite, undulating curves.

He subconsciously swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, then he averted his gaze, coughed lightly, and said indifferently,

"Go ahead. I will keep watch for you and won't let anyone approach."

Wen Yulan raised her head, her eyes filled with gratitude and shyness, and she nodded quickly, a hint of joy in her voice.

"Thank you!"

Ye Yun turned around and walked to the other side of the water pool, sitting on a blue stone with his back to the pool.

He drew the burning snow sword from his side and stuck it into the ground beside him.

His gaze scanned the surrounding dense forest, extending his perception to its maximum range.

A rustling sound came from behind him.

It was the sound of fabric rubbing, soft and subtle, exceptionally clear in the quiet mountain forest.

Ye Yun's ears pricked up involuntarily, and his heartbeat quickened a little.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his heart, his gaze fixed intently on the dense forest in front, not daring to turn back.

"Do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper..."

But the sounds still drilled into his ears, impossible to block out.

He heard the sound of the robe slipping off, heard the sound of her gently stepping into the water, and heard the sound of the rippling water.

He also heard her let out a satisfied sigh.

Ye Yun's Adam's apple bobbed again.

...

Wen Yulan stood by the edge of the pool, with her back to Ye Yun, her fingers trembling as she untied the ribbons of her robe.

The black outer robe slipped off, revealing her skin, as white and smooth as jade.

The morning light spilled onto her, casting a soft halo over her.

Those exquisite, undulating curves were as perfect as a sculpture in the light.

Her shoulders were rounded, her collarbone delicate, and her waist was slender, fitting within a single grasp.

Further down were the rounded, perky curves, and her legs were long and straight.

Every inch exuded a heart-stopping beauty.

Wen Yulan looked down at the marks on her body that had not yet completely faded, and her cheeks flushed again.

Those marks were left by him.

She bit her lip, quickly taking off the rest of her clothes and folding them neatly on the blue stone by the pool.

Then she stepped cautiously into the water.

The warm spring water washed over her ankles, calves, knees, and up to her waist.

She crouched down gently, letting the spring water submerge her shoulders, immersing her whole body in the warm spring water.

She let out a satisfied sigh.

"Mm..."

The fatigue and soreness accumulated over these past few days dissipated bit by bit in this warm spring water.

Wen Yulan leaned against the stone wall of the pool, her long hair spreading out on the water's surface like ink-colored silk.

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

After a while, she opened her eyes, her gaze drifting involuntarily toward Ye Yun's direction.

He was sitting on the blue stone with his back to her, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

The burning snow sword was stuck beside him, its blade shimmering with a fiery red luster in the sunlight.

His back was broad and steady, giving one an indescribable sense of security.

Wen Yulan looked at him, a complex surge of emotions welling up in her heart.

There was shyness, there was a fluttering heart, and there was a trace of an indescribable joy.

She lowered her head, cupped a handful of water, and gently poured it over her shoulders.

Water droplets slid down her smooth skin and disappeared into the water's surface.

The sound of flowing water and the swirling mist. She washed her body, her movements gentle and slow.

Yet her gaze never left that back.

Ye Yun sat on the blue stone, his gaze fixed on the dense forest in front.

But his ears were failing him, capturing every single sound coming from behind.

The sound of water, the sound of splashing water, and the occasional soft sigh she let out.

Every sound was like a feather, gently scratching at the tip of his heart.