Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mysterious Woman

“Ah…” Lu Zhe stretched lazily and climbed up from the ground. He glanced at the pile of dry twigs and leaves beneath him, scratched his head, and made his way to the nearby stream to wash his face.

Scooping up a handful of water, Lu Zhe looked at his reflection. A rather handsome face stared back at him from the water, still carrying a trace of youthful innocence. This was Lu Zhe.

Splashing his face with the cold creek water, he washed away his fatigue. No matter the season, Lu Zhe always insisted on using cold water to wake himself up, to keep drowsiness at bay, and to ensure he remained energetic throughout the day.

After washing his face, Lu Zhe took a towel from his storage ring, dried himself, then turned and walked into the forest behind him.

He wasn’t here in the woods for any particular reason other than to find breakfast. Old Ye had vanished mysteriously again after leaving him with a cryptic remark; that had been two days ago. Usually, Lu Zhe would cultivate while Old Ye ventured into the mountains to find food. But now, with Old Ye gone, he had to fend for himself.

Deeper in the forest, Lu Zhe casually eyed the fruit on the trees, and once he was sure it was edible, he leapt up and picked the fruit swiftly. If the tree wasn’t so massive, Lu Zhe would have liked to punch it down and use it as a bed, sparing himself the discomfort of sleeping on twigs and leaves.

Fruit in hand, Lu Zhe jumped down, crouched on the ground, and began to eat.

When he finished, he stood up, surveyed the dense forest around him, a faint smile flickering on his lips. He quickly stripped off his shirt and coat, stowed them in his storage ring, gathered spiritual energy into his legs, and with a swift movement, vaulted onto a branch. He smiled, then began leaping swiftly from tree to tree.

Part of the reason Lu Zhe bounced among the branches was to train his control over spiritual energy. But he also relished this feeling of being close to nature, letting himself go wild and free.

He swung through the trees like a monkey, sometimes shouting for the sheer joy of it, startling flocks of birds into flight.

Laughing, Lu Zhe swung from a vine, enjoying himself thoroughly. Suddenly, as he landed on a tree, about to leap again, something caught his eye below.

Curious, he slid down and approached for a closer look. What he saw was a person—a woman.

She wore a pale blue dress, stood about five and a half feet tall, her long black hair disheveled across her shoulders. A phoenix hairpin lay not far from her head. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her figure graceful with elegant curves, and an air of nobility radiated from her, making her seem untouchable.

At this moment, she was lying on her side, eyes closed, breathing evenly, as if asleep.

Lu Zhe stared in a daze. When he snapped out of it, he blushed, scolded himself inwardly, and patted his head.

He crouched down and quietly moved closer. When he was about two feet away, he picked up a twig and gently poked her.

Once, twice, three times… Just as Lu Zhe was starting to wonder if she was dead, the beautiful woman suddenly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were dark and bright, clear as water, deep and enigmatic. The delicate arch of her brows enhanced her beauty even further.

She rubbed her eyes lightly, then opened them wide, glancing around. When she spotted Lu Zhe, she started in fright, took two steps back, pressed herself against a tree, and, her voice tinged with fear, exclaimed, “Who—who are you? Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”

She glanced at her own attire, hurriedly clutched her clothes tighter, and cried out in panic, “What did you do to me?”

At her words, Lu Zhe remembered that he had taken off his shirt and coat earlier for ease of movement. With a flick of his ring, a flash of white light, his shirt appeared in his right hand.

He quickly put it on, looked at the frightened woman, and held out his hands. “I mean you no harm, don’t be afraid. I haven’t done anything to you. My name is Lu Zhe. What’s yours?”

The woman was taken aback, then gave Lu Zhe an odd look, making him feel uncomfortable.

He glanced at himself, wondering if he’d put his clothes on wrong, but they were fine. “What is it?” he asked, puzzled.

The woman asked cautiously, “You—you’re Lu Zhe?”

Lu Zhe nodded. “Why, do you know me?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“What’s your name?” Lu Zhe asked with a gentle smile.

“I—I’m Dieyu,” she replied, still wary.

“Dieyu? That’s a lovely name.” Lu Zhe smiled and offered his hand.

“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.

“I’m helping you up,” Lu Zhe replied calmly.

Her face flushed as red as a ripe apple. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out with her slender, delicate hand.

Grasping her hand, Lu Zhe was startled by how soft and smooth it felt. Among all the people he knew, only Xue Ling’er could compare.

With a single pull, Lu Zhe lifted her up. He hadn’t expected her to be so light despite her height. Surprised by his own strength, he accidentally pulled too hard, causing Dieyu to tumble forward, landing right on top of him. He lost his balance and fell backward.

With a thud, Lu Zhe hit the ground hard.

“Ow, ow, ow…” he groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

Looking up, he was surprised to find Dieyu lying atop him, her head pressed against his chest, eyes tightly shut, teeth clenched.

She seemed to realize something as well. Opening her eyes, she looked up and met Lu Zhe’s gaze.

Their eyes locked. Only now did Lu Zhe realize how breathtakingly beautiful she was, and a wicked thought involuntarily arose in his heart.

Blushing, he forced the thought down and whispered, “Could you get up now?”

Dieyu’s face turned crimson as she hastily scrambled off him.

Lu Zhe sat up, rubbing his head.

“Are… are you all right?” Dieyu asked softly, her voice clear and melodious.

Lu Zhe stood and looked down at her. “How did a girl like you end up here?”

Her cheeks colored slightly. “I—I got lost,” she murmured.

Lu Zhe gave her a helpless look. “If you don’t mind, come with me. I’ll lead you out.”

He turned to leave, but then realized he was now at the heart of the mountain range. Walking out would take at least a whole day. He’d only gotten here so quickly by leaping with spiritual energy, but with a girl in tow, that wouldn’t be possible. That left only one option: flying. Fortunately, his spiritual core still held enough energy to fly out of these mountains.

Lu Zhe turned to Dieyu, who stood there helplessly, glancing around and fidgeting with her fingers.

He ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t mind if I carry you, do you?”

Dieyu was startled, instinctively covering her chest. “Wh-what did you say?”

Lu Zhe sighed. “We’re trapped in these mountains. Walking out would take until tomorrow, and there are second- or third-rank beast kings here. It’s dangerous at night. Besides, I doubt you’d make it that far on foot.” He glanced at her and sighed again. “So I plan to fly us out.”

“Fly?” Dieyu repeated in shock, giving Lu Zhe another odd look. “Are you a Spirit King?”

Lu Zhe scratched his head. “Something like that. Anyway, do you mind if I carry you or not?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Dieyu seemed to steel herself. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and said, “Go ahead.”

Lu Zhe was speechless. I’m not going to do anything to you, he thought. Why act like you’re going to your doom?

Without further ado, he scooped her up in his arms and summoned his black wings with a whoosh.

He glanced at the wings. They were too large for a long journey. If he kept them at full size, he wouldn’t last. He controlled his energy output, shrinking them to about ten feet long.

Once everything was set, Lu Zhe looked up at the sky. “Hold on tight.”

Before Dieyu could reply, he soared up into the air with her.

He didn’t fly too high, keeping about thirty feet above the treetops. Glancing at the sun to find his bearings, he headed toward his resting place.

Caught off guard, Dieyu barely had time to react before they were airborne again. With nothing else to hold onto, she wrapped her arms around Lu Zhe’s neck to steady herself.

Lu Zhe paid no attention to her thoughts, eyes fixed ahead as he sped through the sky.

Watching the serious look on his face, a blush crept across Dieyu’s cheeks, fleeting as it was.

Rushing over the treetops, Lu Zhe’s passage stirred the leaves into rippling waves.

He had been flying for about half an hour. Checking his spiritual core, he found his energy was less than half full. He sped up, heading straight for his resting spot.

At last, after about ten more minutes, a waterfall came into view.

With a laugh, Lu Zhe accelerated toward it.

At the waterfall, he quickly set Dieyu down and sat cross-legged to restore his energy.

Dieyu straightened her clothes, glanced at Lu Zhe cultivating, and sat down beside him to meditate as well. Strangely, as she began, a faint red mark flickered at her brow, only to vanish a moment later.