Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 17: The Pure White Lotus of the Demon Sect

After all, she had ten years of internal power, though she barely knew how to use it. However, her sense of perception was highly developed, so even though she couldn’t pinpoint the person’s exact location, retreating immediately was the wisest choice.

“Brother Shen Yu, the branches here are too damp to use. It seems like our plan to grill fish is going to fail,” An Ran said as she withdrew, not wanting to alert the hidden observer. This also served as a coded message to Shen Yu, indicating that something was wrong.

This was one of the signals they had agreed upon earlier—if she mentioned failure, it meant danger.

“Then come back, Ran Ran. I’ll see if the branches over here are any better,” Shen Yu responded quickly, understanding her hint. He asked her to return so he could investigate elsewhere.

“Okay, but I think I’d feel safer if I stay with you, Brother Shen Yu,” An Ran said after some thought.

She figured it would be safer to stay close to Shen Yu rather than remain alone.

“Alright, I can never refuse you,” Shen Yu agreed, thinking it was indeed safer for her to stay by his side.

They walked around the woods together but found nothing suspicious. An Ran was puzzled, she was sure her senses hadn’t been wrong. The only explanation was that there were people nearby, but not many—just not enough to dare reveal themselves.

Feeling reassured, they resumed their plan and began grilling the fish without worry.

“Brother Shen Yu, grill it a little more. I like it crispy—it’s more flavorful that way.”

“Brother Shen Yu, your cooking is the best. The flavor is just perfect.”

“Brother Shen Yu, the fish from this lake is so delicious—fresh and tender.”

“Brother Shen Yu…”

As the night deepened, An Ran’s cheerful voice echoed by the riverside, praising Shen Yu and the grilled fish nonstop. Anyone listening would think the fish was the most delicious meal ever.

The hidden observer, tasked with keeping an eye on them, initially thought it would be an easy job. However, listening to An Ran constantly rave about the fish was pure torture. As a trained shadow guard, he could go days without eating, but An Ran’s constant praise made him curious and hungry, wondering just how delicious the fish could be.

“Brother Shen Yu, I’m full, but we still have so much left. It would be a shame to waste it. How about we coat it with mud and bury it in the fire? We can slow-cook it overnight and eat it in the morning.”

An Ran hated wasting food, especially after the effort of catching the fish. This way, they wouldn’t need to cook breakfast the next day. She felt very clever for coming up with such an efficient idea.

“Sounds good to me. I’ll take care of it. You go ahead and rest,” Shen Yu said.

He didn’t really care about wasting food, but since An Ran didn’t like the idea, he was fine with slow-cooking the fish as she suggested.

“Okay then. Brother Shen Yu, make sure you rest after you finish,” An Ran said as she obediently climbed into the carriage to sleep. Even though she’d been resting in the carriage for most of the journey, traveling was still exhausting. Soon after, Shen Yu finished preparing the fish and buried it in the fire. He then returned to the carriage.

Once Shen Yu entered the carriage, the night fell completely silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects.

Just then, a shadowy figure emerged from the nearby forest, moving stealthily towards the now-extinguished fire pit rather than the carriage.

“I want to see just how delicious this fish can be to make her praise it so much,” the figure muttered as he crouched by the fire pit and began digging up the fish Shen Yu had buried.

“Brother Shen Yu, shouldn’t we stop him?” An Ran whispered softly as she peered outside from Shen Yu’s embrace, watching the intruder unearth their fish.

Seeing their fish being taken but not moving to stop it, An Ran was a little confused.

“Wait a bit longer. There should be more than one person. Let’s see if others show up. If you want more fish, I’ll catch it for you later. These ones will serve as bait,” Shen Yu replied.

From his experience, it was unlikely that only one person was on surveillance duty. If they moved now, the other one would escape, and Shen Yu wasn’t about to let any loose ends slip away.

“I don’t mind losing the fish. It’s all for me anyway, so I’m not upset,” An Ran said.

She wasn’t particularly upset about the fish, just a little worried that Shen Yu was being too cautious. But her concerns were quickly proven wrong when another figure appeared from the woods. However, this one didn’t head for the fire pit but instead made his way towards the carriage.

“Brother Shen Yu, is he going to attack us?” An Ran asked, a little scared. It was her first time facing such a situation, and fear began to creep in despite her trust in Shen Yu.

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

Shen Yu gently stroked her head, pulling her closer to reassure her. An Ran nodded, staying quiet. By now, the second man had reached the carriage, but he didn’t do anything. He simply paused for a moment before heading toward the fire pit as well.

“You greedy pig! You didn’t even save some for me,” the second man, dressed in black, complained as he approached the first man, who was already munching on the fish. He kicked him hard.

“Fifth Brother, do you really think I wouldn’t save any for you? Look, I didn’t even touch the biggest one!”

The man, seeing the black-clad figure approach, immediately handed him the largest fish, fawning over him in an attempt to appease him.

“Now that’s more like it. You’re really risking your life for a bite to eat, huh? Have you forgotten that the last few groups were killed by that Shen Yu? And yet, here you are, boldly stealing fish to eat. You’re really trying to get yourself killed,” the man, referred to as Fifth Brother, scolded the fish-stealing man, despite accepting the fish.

“Fifth Brother, see, nothing happened, right? There’s no need to worry. It’s clear that guy is head over heels for that girl. With such a fragrant beauty in his arms, his attention is all on her—there’s no way he’ll notice us,” the fish-stealing man said dismissively.

Who could maintain high alertness while holding a girl? That would be some kind of weirdo. He certainly didn’t believe there was anyone that monstrous.

Hearing the conversation outside, Shen Yu glanced nervously at An Ran, worried she might be upset. But to his surprise, she wasn’t.

“Those two have sharp eyes, haven’t they? They’ve figured it out!” An Ran smirked, clearly pleased that others had noticed Shen Yu’s affection for her.

“Brother Shen Yu, look! Even they can tell you like me,” she teased him, trying to coax an embarrassed reaction from him.

“Yes, since you already know, I won’t hide it anymore. I like you, and I want to protect you for a lifetime. Will Ran Ran allow me to protect you for the rest of our lives?”

Shen Yu seized the moment, deciding to confess his long-held feelings.

“I like Brother Shen Yu too. I’d love to be protected by you for a lifetime. But I want Brother Shen Yu to belong only to me for a lifetime,” An Ran said and found herself confessing unexpectedly, moved by Shen Yu’s sincere gaze.

Perhaps it was Shen Yu’s care and tenderness over the past few days that had already taken root deep in her heart. In this moment, she couldn’t help but express her feelings.

Shen Yu felt elated by her response, almost to the point of bursting with happiness. But he knew there were still people outside to deal with first.

“Wait here for me. I’ll take care of the people outside and be right back. Stay in the carriage and don’t peek out, okay?” Shen Yu instructed her, reluctantly leaving her side but determined to ensure her safety.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you. Be careful and come back soon,” An Ran replied. She was a bit flustered herself and didn’t stop him from handling the intruders.

The moment Shen Yu stepped out of the carriage, the two men noticed him, and a fight broke out. The battle was swift and deadly. Despite their efforts, the two men were no match for Shen Yu. One of them, the fish thief, slipped up, giving Shen Yu an opening to deliver a fatal strike to his throat. With one down, Fifth Brother was quickly dispatched with a slash to the abdomen, sealing his fate.

As Shen Yu finished the fight, he turned to head back to the carriage to pick up where they left off with An Ran. But just then, a stray arrow shot through the air, piercing his chest.

“Cough, cough… Ran Ran, don’t come out! Stay down in the carriage. I’ll call for you once it’s safe,” Shen Yu managed to say, trying to stop her from coming out and seeing him wounded. He needed to handle the hidden archer first.

But upon hearing that Shen Yu was injured, An Ran couldn’t stay put. She rushed out of the carriage. The sight of the arrow sticking out of Shen Yu’s chest filled her with rage. Her mission was to protect him, and now he was injured. She was both heartbroken and worried that failing to protect him might jeopardize the mission.

An Ran quickly examined the wound and saw that the blood seeping from it was dark—Shen Yu had been poisoned. Her expression darkened upon realizing this.

“Brother Shen Yu, don’t move. I’ll go get the antidote,” she said, about to head toward the woods.

“Ran Ran, don’t be reckless. Let me go. You won’t stand a chance against him. Please don’t rush into danger,” Shen Yu said weakly, trying to stop her. He feared she would get hurt.

“Don’t worry, Brother Shen Yu. I’ll be fine. You’ve always protected me. Now it’s my turn to protect you. Even if you kill him in your current state, you won’t survive. I won’t let anything happen to you. Please trust me this time. I’ll be quick,” An Ran said firmly, her gaze resolute.

“Alright, but be careful. Don’t push yourself too hard. If things get dangerous, run,” Shen Yu reluctantly agreed, knowing he had no choice but to let her go.

An Ran nodded and left. As she walked towards the forest, a whip appeared in her hand from out of nowhere.

Just as she neared the forest, another arrow was shot—not at her, but at Shen Yu, which infuriated An Ran even more. She quickly spotted the hidden archer in the trees and used her whip to sling a rock toward him. The man hadn’t paid her much attention initially, but after being hit by the rock, he realized An Ran wasn’t as harmless as she seemed.

After knocking him down, An Ran skillfully wrapped her whip around the man’s neck.

“Tell me where the antidote is. If you don’t, you know the consequences,” An Ran said coldly.

Meanwhile, Shen Yu had managed to suppress the poison and began making his way toward where An Ran had gone. However, before he got far, An Ran appeared, walking back toward him, her expression sour.

“Ran Ran, are you hurt anywhere?” Shen Yu asked anxiously.

“Brother Shen Yu, what should we do? He said there’s no antidote. The poison is incurable. How can I save you?” An Ran’s voice trembled as she spoke, feeling as if her world was collapsing. She had assumed it was a simple poison with an antidote, but now she was at a loss.

“Is that what he said? Don’t worry. Just because they can’t cure it doesn’t mean no one can. There’s an old eccentric in Yong City who should be able to help. So don’t panic,” Shen Yu said calmly, relieved that An Ran wasn’t hurt.

“Is there really a doctor in Yong City? Then let’s hurry!”

An Ran quickly took his hand and led him back to the carriage, her sense of urgency returning with hope.