149: Chapter 149 Unexpected Event, Sticky

Ye Yun's breathing became somewhat unsteady, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric of his trousers at his knees.

He took a deep breath, and then another, trying his best to calm himself down.

[Calm down. Calm down. She's just taking a bath, what's the big deal?]

But that faint, delicate fragrance drifted over with the water vapor, invading his nostrils and making his mind begin to wander.

It was the scent of her body, clear and soft, with a hint of warmth that made his heart sway slightly.

Ye Yun gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the Tai Xuan Hehuan Scripture.

Mystic Power flowed slowly through his Meridians, suppressing the restlessness in his heart bit by bit.

The sound of water came from behind him again, louder than before.

He heard her rise from the water and then squat back down, the sound of ripples echoing through the mountain forest.

Ye Yun opened his eyes and looked toward the dense forest ahead, but his gaze was empty; he wasn't really seeing anything.

Images of that day in the cave unconsciously surfaced in his mind.

She was slumped on the ground, her clothes in disarray, her cheeks flushed, her eyes misty, and unbearable moans escaping her lips...

Those images were branded into his mind like a mark, impossible to drive away.

Ye Yun shook his head violently, tossing those stray thoughts out of his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he continued to stare at the dense forest ahead.

The sound of water continued, and his ordeal went on.

...

Ye Yun sat on a Bluestone with his back to the Water Pool.

Staring at the dense forest ahead, he finally managed to calm his heart with great difficulty.

After the Tai Xuan Hehuan Scripture had circulated for several cycles, the restlessness in his heart was suppressed, and his breathing gradually returned to a steady pace.

He took a deep breath, just about to continue monitoring the surroundings.

Suddenly—

A sharp screech came from high above!

Ye Yun looked up abruptly and saw a massive black shadow diving down from above the tree canopy.

Its speed was astonishingly fast!

It was a huge Iron-feathered Eagle with a wingspan of several zhang, its iron-gray feathers glinting with a metallic luster under the sunlight.

Its sharp talons, curved like hooks, lunged fiercely toward Wen Yulan in the Water Pool!

A Rank Three Middle Stage Yao Beast, fast and with razor-sharp claws and beak, it was the most elusive hunter in the mountain forests.

Wen Yulan was leaning against the stone wall at the edge of the pool with her eyes closed.

The warm current of water enveloping her body had caused her to let down her guard.

The moment she heard the screech, she snapped her eyes open.

She saw that the massive Iron-feathered Eagle was already within arm's reach, its talons nearly touching her shoulder!

“Ah—!”

She screamed, her voice filled with terror and panic.

She instinctively tried to dodge, but movement was difficult in the water, and combined with her weakened body, she couldn't evade in time.

She could only instinctively raise her arms to protect her head and face, closing her eyes and trembling all over.

“Help me! Ye Yun!”

Her voice was sharp and trembling, piercing the silence of the mountain forest.

The moment Ye Yun heard her cry for help, his body moved before his mind could even process it.

He spun around violently, and the burning snow sword was unsheathed in an instant.

A fiery red sword light sliced through the air, slashing fiercely toward the Iron-feathered Eagle!

In the moment he turned, his gaze swept across the Water Pool and caught sight of the scene—

Wen Yulan was standing in waist-deep water, her upper body exposed, her lustrous white skin glowing with a warm radiance under the sun.

Water droplets slid down her shoulders, flowing past her delicate collarbones and over those full curves.

Further down, they vanished into the water's surface, leaving her form half-hidden.

Her long hair was scattered over her shoulders, with a few wet strands clinging to her cheeks.

It made her panicked face look all the more pitifully beautiful.

Ye Yun's pupils shrank slightly and his Adam's apple bobbed, but there was no time for second thoughts.

The burning snow sword had already struck, its sharp Sword Qi tearing through the air to slam into the Iron-feathered Eagle's talons!

“Clang!”

Sparks flew in all directions, and the Iron-feathered Eagle let out a shrill screech.

It was sent flying back by the force of the Sword Qi, one of its talons dripping with blood, nearly severed.

It performed a somersault in mid-air to stabilize its form.

Its crimson eyes stared fixedly at Ye Yun, filled with rage and wariness.

Ye Yun gave it no chance to catch its breath; with a shift of his feet, his body leapt into the air.

The burning snow sword transformed into a sky full of fiery red sword shadows, enveloping the Iron-feathered Eagle.

The Iron-feathered Eagle flapped its wings desperately, trying to escape.

But Ye Yun's sword was too fast and too sharp; in less than three moves, a single strike pierced through its skull.

The Iron-feathered Eagle's corpse plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the clearing by the pool and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Ye Yun sheathed his sword, but he didn't turn around immediately.

He stood by the pool with his back to it, his voice sounding a bit hoarse.

“It's over. You... you should get dressed first.”

There was no response from behind him.

Ye Yun's brow furrowed slightly, and he called out again.

“Wen Yulan?”

Still no response. Only the sound of water gently rippling.

Ye Yun's heart tightened; disregarding everything else, he spun around abruptly.

Wen Yulan was standing in the water, her face deathly pale and her whole body trembling; her hands were gripping the stones at the edge of the pool, but she couldn't seem to stand steady.

Her legs were shaking under the water, and her body was swaying precariously.

The recent fright, combined with her already weakened state, left her unable to even remain standing.

“My, my legs are weak...”

She looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with red and her voice carrying a sob, filled with embarrassment and helplessness.

“I can't get up...”

Looking at her in that state, Ye Yun took a deep breath and suppressed the stray thoughts in his heart.

He walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and held out his hand: “Give me your hand.”

Wen Yulan bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out, placing her wet palm in his.

Ye Yun grasped her hand; a cold, slippery sensation came from his palm, and her small hand trembled slightly in his grip.

With a forceful pull, he brought her up out of the water.

Wen Yulan was pulled entirely from the water, her wet body crashing into his embrace and pressing tightly against his chest.

Water droplets fell from her hair, shoulders, and skin, soaking the fabric of his shirt and sending a chill through the cloth.

But that chill was immediately replaced by the burning heat of her body.

She was pressed against him without a stitch of clothing.

Ye Yun's entire body stiffened.

Wen Yulan froze as well.

She could clearly feel the heat of his chest and the powerful thumping of his heart.

She could feel the scorching heat of his palm where his arm circled her waist.

Her face was buried in the hollow of his neck, not daring to look up.

Her cheeks were so hot they felt like they were burning, and even her breathing became rapid and disordered.

“I, I didn't mean to...”

Wen Yulan's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, tinged with a sob, yet she didn't dare to move.

She was afraid that any movement would cause her to touch even more places she shouldn't.

Ye Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the rising agitation in his heart.

With one arm around her waist, he used his other hand to pull off his Outer Robe and quickly draped it over her.

He bundled her up completely.

His movements were fast yet extremely gentle, trying his best to avoid letting his fingers touch her skin.

But she still trembled all over, letting out a low, soft whimper.

“Don't move.”

Ye Yun's voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a heavily suppressed restraint.

“I'll carry you up.”