Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 16: The Pure White Lotus of the Demon Sect

“Brother Shen Yu, can we come back and stay for a few more days in the future?” An Ran asked reluctantly, gazing at the small courtyard where she had stayed for several days.

The courtyard was no longer as simple and plain as it had been at first. Now there were two beaded lounge chairs under the tree, a grape arbor and a swing on the west side. The once-abandoned water tank was now filled with fish and lotus flowers, and the entire courtyard seemed full of vitality and life.

“Sure, if we get the chance, we’ll come back and stay for a few more days. If you really don’t want to leave, we can stay a bit longer.”

Seeing An Ran’s reluctance, Shen Yu couldn’t help but feel bad for her. He thought about suggesting they stay for a few more days, even though it was a bit tricky. Still, it wasn’t completely impossible.

“No, there will definitely be another chance in the future. We should focus on the important matters first.”

Though An Ran was tempted, she knew they couldn’t delay any longer. Several groups of people had already come looking for Shen Yu, and each time their expressions grew more severe. She knew the situation was becoming more critical.

She couldn’t selfishly indulge her preferences, especially knowing how much Shen Yu was sacrificing for her. Last night, she had noticed bloodstains on the stone steps outside the door, and the sounds of fighting had grown louder. She had heard it all, even though Shen Yu never mentioned it, so she pretended nothing had happened.

“You’re such a good girl, Ran Ran. I promise you, we will definitely return soon,” Shen Yu said, his determination strengthening as he saw how sensible An Ran was.

Because An Ran hadn’t stayed at Jianhai Manor, many of the righteous sects had accused her of fleeing with the manor’s treasures. They demanded that the demon sect hand over the stolen goods, threatening to raze the sect if their demands were not met.

When the demon sect leader, Shen Mie, heard this ridiculous accusation, he couldn’t help but laugh. How could An Ran have stolen their worthless trinkets? It was absurd. The demon sect had everything they needed, and even if An Ran had taken something, it would have been a favor to them.

Shen Mie completely ignored Jianhai Manor’s demands. After all, even if the righteous sects united, they still wouldn’t be a match for the demon sect.

Meanwhile, the troublemakers coming after Shen Yu were mostly sent by Qin Yuan, who wanted to capture An Ran. The number of people he sent kept increasing, making it more difficult for Shen Yu to handle. No matter how skilled he was, dealing with so many people every day was exhausting.

“Ran Ran, are you ready? It’s time to set off.” Shen Yu snapped the reins, urging the horse-drawn carriage forward.

Riding a horse would have been faster, but Shen Yu was worried An Ran would be too tired, so he chose the carriage instead. As for potential dangers along the way, Shen Yu wasn’t concerned. The demon sect had already sent people to escort them, and they only needed to reach Yong City, which was seventy or so miles away—just a two-day journey. If they hurried, they could even make it in a day and a night, but Shen Yu didn’t want to rush. He wanted to go slowly for An Ran’s sake.

“Brother Shen Yu, do you want to take a break? You’ve been driving for such a long time. We should have hired a coach earlier, so you wouldn’t have to work so hard,” An Ran said, feeling a bit bored. Although she had bought many strange trinkets during their stay, it was no fun playing alone without someone to accompany her.

“I’m not tired. You should have something to eat. I’ll drive a bit longer, and we’ll rest once we reach the front. We’ll continue the journey tomorrow,” Shen Yu replied.

He wanted to spend time with An Ran, but he didn’t trust any of the coachmen, worrying they might be used against them, which would cause unnecessary trouble.

“Alright, but at least have something to eat with me. You must be hungry by now.”

An Ran suddenly poked her head out of the carriage, offering some pastries to Shen Yu. Feeling too bored, she decided to join Shen Yu outside to keep him company while he drove the carriage, so she wouldn’t be so lonely.

“If you’re feeling bored, come join me up here and help me drive the carriage. I don’t like sweets, so you can eat them yourself. I’ll just watch you,” Shen Yu said, his heart warmed by An Ran’s concern. He wasn’t fond of pastries, so he gently declined her offer.

“No way! You have to eat a couple of pieces. Please, just keep me company, Brother Shen Yu…”

An Ran was not the type to give up easily. A simple refusal wasn’t enough to dissuade her. She persisted with her sweet and playful voice, determined to get Shen Yu to accept.

“Alright, alright, I can’t say no to you. I’ll eat two pieces, but the rest is for you. How about that?” Shen Yu sighed, helpless against An Ran’s insistence. Still, he made a point to establish his boundaries, knowing he couldn’t spoil her too much.

An Ran’s childish antics were both amusing and endearing. He couldn’t help but laugh at her exaggerated expressions of triumph as she passed him the pastries. Her delight was evident, and Shen Yu found her company increasingly enjoyable.

While An Ran and Shen Yu enjoyed their journey, things were far less peaceful on Qin Yuan’s side.

Although the righteous sects had given a reason to attack the demon sect, many factions were unwilling to act. They preferred the current balance, knowing that starting a conflict would lead to casualties that would take years to recover from. Despite the demon sect’s reputation for ruthless killing, many of these factions were not exactly innocent themselves.

Moreover, many of them had business dealings with the demon sect in secret. Unless it was a matter of life or death, why would they risk such a messy and unrewarding venture?

In their past life, they had only united against the demon sect because the sect had launched a unilateral attack, destroying several of their outposts. The righteous sects had no choice but to retaliate. The demon sect, in turn, had been provoked because they had kidnapped An Ran, using her as leverage. Seeing her mistreated had infuriated the demon sect, and they struck back with full force.

In this lifetime, things were completely different. An Ran was perfectly fine, and the accusation that she had stolen some treasure from them was actually a way of giving them face. So why would they even bother making a move? They were too lazy to care.

The righteous sects, on the other hand, thought, It’s not even our stuff that was stolen. Why should we set our sects back by decades for the sake of another sect’s property?

They would have to be out of their minds to do such a thing. As a result, Jianhai Manor’s invitations to unite in a crusade against the demon sect received very few responses. In fact, apart from a few sects that had tried to ally with the demon sect but had been rejected, no one else even bothered to reply.

Jianhai Manor had already made a grand declaration, representing all the righteous sects in challenging the demon sect. But now, with so few responses, they were in deep trouble.

They kept thinking of ways to capture An Ran, but every plan hinged on catching her. Yet, none of the people they sent had returned, leading to a massive loss of manpower and influence.

Still, they continued to invest more resources, like gamblers thinking one more bet might turn things around. But each failure only dragged them deeper, until they were at the brink of ruin, unwilling to turn back.

“Father, what should we do now? The only family that has agreed to help is the Zhao family. Everyone else is either waiting and watching, or they’ve outright refused,” Qin Yuan asked his father anxiously.

“How should I know? If you had kept a closer eye on that girl An Ran, none of this would have happened!”

His father was equally anxious, but what could they do? They had already poured much of their family fortune into this, yet there was still no progress.

Some people had advised him to give up and apologize to the demon sect, hoping they might be forgiven. But if they did that, how would Jianhai Manor ever stand on its own in the martial world again?

After all, it was they who had caused the trouble, and they would be the ones apologizing. The entire martial world would think they were afraid of the demon sect, weak and cowardly. Jianhai Manor wouldn’t just lose face—they might even face extermination.

As they fretted over how to catch An Ran before she returned to the demon sect, An Ran and Shen Yu had already stopped by a lakeside to set up camp for the night.

“Brother Shen Yu, look at that big one! Get that one! You’re such an amazing fisherman!” An Ran exclaimed excitedly.

After stopping by the lake, An Ran had the sudden craving for grilled fish and suggested they have it for dinner. Seeing her excitement, Shen Yu decided to catch a few fish for her before nightfall. An Ran supervised from the side, while Shen Yu dutifully caught the fish she had her eyes on.

In no time, they had caught more than a dozen fish, each weighing over a pound.

“Alright, Brother Shen Yu, that’s enough! I’ll clean them, and you can start the fire,” An Ran said, satisfied with their haul.

“The water is cold, so let me handle the cleaning. You can gather some dry branches and grass while I clean the fish, and then I’ll start the fire.”

Shen Yu insisted on handling the dirty work, not wanting An Ran to do it. He figured collecting firewood would keep her busy and happy, as he knew she wouldn’t be pleased if she didn’t have something to do.

“Alright, I’ll go gather lots of branches and grass!” An Ran agreed cheerfully.

She thought that catching and grilling the fish herself would make it taste even better in the end.

“Go ahead, but don’t go out of my sight. Stay away from the deeper parts of the woods, okay?”

Shen Yu suddenly felt uneasy about letting her gather firewood alone. He couldn’t change his mind now, so he warned her not to wander too far.

“Okay, I’ll stay near the edge of the woods and won’t go in too deep,” An Ran replied, fully aware of the danger surrounding them. She knew that people were after her, though she couldn’t figure out why. If she knew, she would’ve gladly changed whatever it was about herself that attracted their attention.

As she walked towards the edge of the woods, An Ran couldn’t help but think that she must be necessary for the plot to progress, like a character in a story. Otherwise, why did people keep coming after her, as if she were the monk Tang Sanzang?

Just as she reached the edge of the woods, An Ran felt something was off but didn’t think much of it at first. She bent down to pick up some branches, but after gathering four or five, she had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.

When she turned to look, she saw nothing, but her suspicions grew. So, she deliberately stood still for a while, and soon she felt the gaze on her again.

Realizing something was wrong, An Ran quickly retreated, hurrying back to find Shen Yu and tell him about the situation.