Chapter 1712
by 林方方Chapter 1712 The Last Method
On the deserted gravel path, a carriage slowly moved forward.
In the dim carriage, Jialan leaned on Lin Qiye’s shoulder, her gaze passing through the curtains fluttering in the breeze, staring at the vast, brilliant starry sky, lost in thought.
“Qiye.”
“Hmm?”
“How long have we been traveling?”
“About a year, I suppose.”
“A year… why does it feel like half a lifetime?” A reminiscent look appeared in Jialan’s eyes. “The scenery I’ve seen this past year is more than all my previous time combined… and more exciting than all my past experiences.”
Jialan raised her head, and in the darkness, those beautiful eyes blinked at Lin Qiye.
“Thank you for bringing me out.”
“If you’re thankful, does that mean I don’t have to pay you today?”
“No way!”
Jialan glared at him with puffed cheeks, reaching out to pinch Lin Qiye’s arm hard. He played along, grimacing before breaking into a sheepish smile.
Jialan snorted and rested her head back on his shoulder.
The carriage fell silent.
“Qiye, I want to go back.”
After a long while, Jialan’s soft voice sounded again.
Lin Qiye’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why?”
“We’ve been traveling for a year now. Although we’ve seen many beautiful sights, I’m getting tired… I want to return to Chang’an, rest properly, and also… I miss Chang’an’s steamed buns.”
Lin Qiye’s body swayed slightly with the rocking carriage. He didn’t answer, his gaze passing through the swaying curtains in the wind. After a moment, he said:
“Look, there’s a beautiful lake ahead.”
Jialan paused, lifted the curtain to look outside, and exclaimed with delight:
“There really is! Such a big lake…”
“Shall we stop and take a look?”
“Yes, let’s.”
The carriage slowly stopped by the lake. Lin Qiye helped Jialan down from the carriage. A vast lake lay like a mirror on the earth, with countless stars reflecting on its surface, rippling like scattered silver with the gentle breeze.
After admiring the view for a moment, Lin Qiye gathered some firewood from nearby, while Jialan took out a tea set from the carriage. The two worked together with practiced ease, leisurely brewing tea in the evening breeze.
As the hot water poured over the tea leaves, a fragrant aroma spread by the lakeside. The two leaned against the carriage wall, gazing at the starry sky, feeling completely relaxed.
“If you find the journey too tiring, we can stay in one place for a few days,” Lin Qiye said seriously after a while. “There are still many places we haven’t visited yet – Badong, Changsha, Guiyang…”
“We can visit those places in the future,” Jialan said matter-of-factly. “What, after we return this time, you won’t take me out again?”
Lin Qiye’s body trembled slightly. He stared silently at the cup in his hand, saying nothing.
“Besides, there are some things I need to think about on my own when I get back…”
“What things?”
Jialan glanced at Lin Qiye, a blush appearing on her cheeks in the darkness. She turned away: “I’m not telling you!”
That blush in the darkness couldn’t escape Lin Qiye’s eyes. His eyebrows raised, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth…
Just then, a deep rumbling sound slowly came from above the clouds.
Jialan and Lin Qiye’s expressions changed simultaneously as they looked up at the sky.
“Here they come again…” Jialan’s lips pressed together.
“They just won’t leave us alone!”
A sharp look appeared in Lin Qiye’s eyes as he gripped the Ama-no-Murakumo sword that slid from his sleeve, releasing a wave of killing intent!
For over a year, the Mi-Go’s arrivals had been perfectly regular. No matter where they were enjoying themselves, the two always had to hurriedly find a desolate place to deal with these annoying Mi-Go, all joy and leisure coming to an abrupt halt.
“This one seems different?” Jialan stared at the churning clouds with confusion. “Those clouds… they look like an eye?”
The words flashed through Lin Qiye’s mind like lightning. He jerked his head up to see a space-time vortex slowly flowing in the dark clouds, stirring the surrounding clouds, like a terrifying giant eye.
Lin Qiye’s pupils contracted sharply!
He certainly recognized that space-time vortex. A year ago, when he had just obtained [Causeless Cause] and [Predetermined Effect], the [Key to the Door] had reached through such a vortex across the river of time, attempting to erase him on the spot… Now, it was trying to act again??
How could this be? Who was its target?
Lin Qiye’s hair stood on end. He positioned himself in front of Jialan, his eyes fixed on the rotating space-time vortex, the Ama-no-Murakumo sword gripped tightly in his hand.
But unlike last time, after the space-time vortex appeared, it didn’t form storm clouds. Instead, it seemed to search the ground like an eye, as if confused… After a moment, its gaze swept over where Lin Qiye and Jialan stood, passing over Lin Qiye’s body, pausing briefly on Jialan, before that terrifying presence gradually dissipated.
As the space-time vortex slowly faded and a batch of Mi-Go flew down from the clouds, Lin Qiye finally relaxed after confirming that the [Key to the Door] hadn’t acted, though cold sweat had formed on his brow.
This time, there were only nine Mi-Go, which seemed almost like child’s play compared to their previous overwhelming numbers.
Lin Qiye easily slaughtered these Mi-Go with the Ama-no-Murakumo sword, but his expression remained extremely grave.
“Qiye… what was that thing?” Jialan still hadn’t recovered from the terrifying presence of that eye, her face somewhat pale.
“It has become aware…” Lin Qiye murmured.
“Aware of what?”
“The causality I concealed.”
Jialan had been involved in the incident at the ruined temple, so she naturally understood Lin Qiye’s meaning. She stood stunned for a while before tentatively asking:
“Is it because of… me? Is it because those Mi-Go have been following me that it noticed?”
Lin Qiye slowly closed his eyes without speaking.
“What should we do?” Jialan asked anxiously. “Qiye, can you hide me like you hid them?”
“If I could do that, I would have done it long ago,” Lin Qiye sighed. “But the causality between the [Immortality Pill] and theGram system is extremely difficult to conceal. At least I can’t do it yet.”
Jialan’s face turned extremely grim. She frowned in thought for a moment, then directly pulled a short dagger from her waist, transferred [Immortality] onto it, and thrust it violently toward her abdomen!
Lin Qiye grabbed her wrist with lightning speed, frowning as he spoke:
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t ruin your plans because of me,” Jialan said resolutely. “If it can’t be hidden, then destroy it!”
“You want to refine yourself back into a pill?!” Lin Qiye took the dagger from Jialan’s hand and angrily said.
Jialan pressed her lips together, her eyes full of stubbornness as she looked at Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye took a deep breath to calm himself. “Actually, there might be another way…”