Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 18

Chapter 18: A Sword’s Startling Appearance

Why did Yin Buran have to rub against her hand?…

Ning Ruoque had heard her footsteps long ago and quickly stood up, putting the things into her storage bag.

And she quickly retreated. “It’s nothing.”

“Then why don’t you dare to look at me?”

Ning Ruoque looked up sheepishly, glanced at Yin Buran, and then quickly looked away.

The lazy-looking Yin Buran had a faint, almost non-existent smile on her lips, looking very approachable.

But she said directly, “Are you peeking because you’re afraid I’ll get angry?”

“…”

Her little movements exposed, Ning Ruoque tried to put on a serious face. “It’s not that I’m afraid. I just don’t want you to be angry.”

Only after she said it did she realize that her words had the suspicion of making things worse.

Too much attention and worry had changed its flavor, turning it into sweet, honeyed water, pulling the relationship between the two even closer.

As expected, Ning Ruoque heard Yin Buran’s soft laughter.

Her ears first felt itchy, but after a few deep breaths, they became even hotter. She didn’t need to look to know that they were completely red.

She was a little flustered, wanting to explain but being clumsy with her words, and could only say helplessly, “Yin Buran.”

The latter had laughed enough and raised her chin reservedly. “Accompany me for a walk.”

How could Ning Ruoque refuse? She trailed a step behind Yin Buran, dutifully fulfilling her responsibility of “protecting the medical cultivator.”

However, Yin Buran suddenly stopped and tugged on Ning Ruoque’s sleeve. A step closer, and she could have grabbed her hand.

Ning Ruoque’s whole body tensed up, and she subconsciously pressed her lips together.

But Yin Buran only tugged on her sleeve, as if she hadn’t noticed her nervousness, and walked slowly into the garden.

Through the layers of flower branches, she could see Yan Lingge holding a mortar, pulled over by Qingtong to help.

Yin Buran’s tone was leisurely, as if they were just strolling and chatting. “I had Qingtong tell her that the sachet can only temporarily conceal her constitution. If the Fei Zhi goes berserk, Xu Chuo won’t be able to suppress it. It’s best if she doesn’t go out.”

“Alright.”

When Ning Ruoque returned, she had explained the earthquake to Yan Lingge and recommended that she practice basic sword techniques while cultivating.

Swinging the sword at least ten thousand times a day was the first step to becoming a qualified sword cultivator.

The two of them turned past the covered corridor, and the wind messed up Yin Buran’s hair.

She was still calm. “I’m not angry either. As you said, the situation was urgent, and you couldn’t think too much.”

She was just a little uncomfortable from being jostled.

Because Ning Ruoque was there, she didn’t bother to hide it much, subconsciously waiting for her to coax her.

But things were not as they were before.

“Don’t let it happen again,” Yin Buran lowered her eyes and turned her head away uncomfortably. “You can hold me and let me borrow your strength.”

Ning Ruoque’s lips moved slightly. She felt that the moment Yin Buran turned her head, her sleeve was also grabbed even tighter.

On a sunny winter day, the sun was lazy, and the heat it gave off was also lazy.

The not-so-dazzling sunlight fell on the flower branches, and the plum blossoms responded in kind, looking as if they were covered with a layer of frosty white snow.

In reality, it was not cold at all, this “snow.”

“Yin Buran,” Ning Ruoque called out suddenly, earning an inquisitive look.

Her gaze shifted, and she tentatively asked, a little timidly, “That… that medicine for treating the spiritual soul from last time, can you give me one?”

Afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly added, “Not to eat now.”

The situation at Brightlight Pavilion was really complicated, and she couldn’t put her mind at ease.

Sending a message by burning incense was very slow. The Fei Zhi and Xu Chuo could attack at any time, but Yin Buran had no intention of abandoning the innocent people of Brightlight Pavilion and leaving on her own.

Before a sword cultivator strikes, they should ensure that this sword strike is flawless in order to achieve their wish.

Unfortunately, her little scheme couldn’t escape Yin Buran’s eyes.

Yin Buran’s face instantly turned cold. “No. You’re definitely planning to take a risk again.”

Ning Ruoque argued, “It’s a precaution, not a risk.”

“No.”

It was still a crisp refusal, with no room for discussion.

Yin Buran walked out of the courtyard without looking back, and Ning Ruoque quickly followed.

Compared to the orderly state when they arrived, Brightlight Pavilion was now in a state of panic.

Almost everyone’s face was filled with undisguised worry and unease. The guards who usually stared at them were nowhere to be seen.

Passing by a few residences, Ning Ruoque looked around absently.

She happened to see Tang Jin standing arrogantly on a high place, directing a group of people to repair the damaged formations.

Even from several meters away, the other party also spotted her.

Then she shrank her shoulders like a frightened rabbit, and jumped down from the high platform in a fluster, walking towards Ning Ruoque.

She was still a little afraid of Yin Buran and hesitated for a moment before coming up to bow. “Venerable one.”

Yin Buran nodded slightly in response.

On the contrary, Ning Ruoque observed Tang Jin’s complexion and asked casually, “Have your injuries healed?”

Tang Jin coughed briefly a few times. “It’s nothing.”

She suspected that this rogue cultivator named “Ning Man” was more than just at the Spirit Induction realm.

Especially the sword technique she used when she stopped her. There wasn’t a single superfluous movement. She didn’t look like a newly-entered sword cultivator at all.

She looked left and right. There was no one around, so she lowered her voice and spoke.

“Senior Sister Xu seems to be very angry. She has sealed off the entire Brightlight Pavilion, not allowing anyone to go down the mountain, and has also requested all disciples who are out training to return.”

“You should be careful recently.”

What she didn’t mention was that when Xu Chuo gave this order, her smile was abnormally stiff, with a mask-like eeriness.

She turned her head away and said fiercely, “That matter… I misunderstood you. I’m sorry.”

“Also, thank you.”

If Ning Ruoque had chosen to protect herself instead of helping to suppress her, she might have already been decapitated.

As the last word fell, Tang Jin’s ears were red enough to bleed.

She bowed again and tripped over a small stone as she hurried back.

Ning Ruoque found it amusing. But when she turned around, she heard Yin Buran let out an ambiguous sigh.

“So popular?”

“…”

A numbing sensation, like an electric shock, ran down Ning Ruoque’s spine. She wasn’t guilty, but she was inexplicably nervous.

She only dared to grumble to herself that Yin Buran was still more popular.

In the early years, when Ning Ruoque was still traveling around, Yin Buran’s good name had already spread throughout the entire cultivation world.

The number of people who liked her, openly and secretly, was unknown. The people who tried to curry favor with her could have worn out the steps of Azurefall Creek.

It was just that Yin Buran ignored them all, which led to the rumor that she was devoted to the Dao.

Since she was devoted to the Dao, how could there be a story of her being fated to be with her for three lifetimes?

After walking a short distance, Yin Buran tugged on Ning Ruoque’s sleeve again and made a request without any politeness, “I want to go back to Brightlight Tower and take a look.”

Ning Ruoque frowned. “No, it’s too dangerous.”

Yin Buran insisted, “I suspect there’s a secret room inside.”

Ning Ruoque still refused righteously, “No.”

Both of them were stunned.

So familiar. It was just a replica of their previous conversation, only with their positions reversed.

Ning Ruoque was about to explain that she didn’t mean it.

Who would have thought that Yin Buran would suddenly stop in her tracks, her eyelashes trembling lightly, as if she couldn’t believe Ning Ruoque’s reaction.

Ning Ruoque quickly tried to remedy the situation. “No, I didn’t—”

“Hand.” Her words were cut off by Yin Buran.

Her eyes were calm, without any emotion, which made Ning Ruoque’s heart ache, but she still extended her right hand as she was told.

Ning Ruoque thought that if Yin Buran gave her medicine, she would just return it.

But in the few breaths that her heart tightened, it was not a pill that fell.

Yin Buran grabbed her stiff hand, raised it higher, level with her ear.

Then she tilted her head and easily pressed her face into her palm.

She first squinted her eyes and rubbed against it, paused for a moment, then looked at Ning Ruoque with her radiant eyes and rubbed against it again with a sense of attachment.

So obedient that it didn’t seem real.

Ning Ruoque’s pupils suddenly dilated.

Her right hand was most used to touching the hilt of a sword. Its material was hard, leaving a thin, indelible callus at the base of her fingers.

She had long been accustomed to this coldness and could only feel at ease when holding a sword.

But Yin Buran’s cheek was soft.

The touch was delicate, with a bit of flesh, as if it could be crushed with a little force.

Her breath was gentle, and it was very itchy when her lips inadvertently brushed against her palm.

Although it was a little cooler than her palm, she felt as if she had been burned.

Burned, but she didn’t pull her hand back.

Yin Buran took the initiative to rub against her palm.

Ning Ruoque felt as if she had been sealed by her right hand, her whole heart numb and tingling, unable to speak.

Until Yin Buran let go of her hand, tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear, and then looked up at her.

Ning Ruoque’s lips moved, her eyes dazed. “You.”

And then there was nothing more.

She felt that her right hand was no longer her own. The soft touch and moist breath still lingered on it.

Her sword hand, for the first time in hundreds of years, was so harmless.

So strange. Why did Yin Buran have to rub against her hand, and look at her with such a focused gaze?

Yin Buran turned and walked away. She naturally followed, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of Yin Buran’s side profile.

When Yin Buran coldly dismissed the guards blocking the way, her fingers curled slightly, naturally grasping at nothing.

By the time she came back to her senses and calmed down, Yin Buran was heading towards the completely damaged and unusable mountain path.

She said with a blank expression, “I want to go up.”

Yin Buran highly suspected that Ning Ruoque’s spiritual soul was still there. How could she be so dazed and silly all the way, not quite normal.

Just as she was about to go up and check, the person in front of her suddenly leaned over.

In the blink of an eye, she was swept up by the waist.