Chapter Forty-Two: The Lost World (Part Two)

"Has that shameless woman run away? Boo hoo hoo."
"Can you stop crying?"
"If you drive her away, I won't cry—boo hoo hoo."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Wu Yue looked perplexed. "Anyway, she really has gone. Vanished."
"Boo hoo hoo."
"I thought you said you’d stop crying." Wu Yue frowned, watching Li Suizhu sob endlessly. Where had the proud and imperious little princess of old gone?
"You’re scolding me! Boo hoo hoo!" Li Suizhu’s tears flowed even more uncontrollably.
Wu Yue stood up abruptly and said coolly, "If you keep crying, I’ll leave." Truth be told, Wu Yue was not one to pity delicate beauties. In fact, when he first got together with Li Suizhu, though he hadn’t thought of killing her for treasures, he did strongly consider using her as bait or as a stepping stone.
"For the sake of you driving her away, I’ll forgive you this time!" Li Suizhu instantly regained her royal bearing.
It was useless.
"No, it was you who drove her away," Wu Yue said, his gaze tinged with surprise.
"Me?" Li Suizhu was baffled.
"That’s right." Wu Yue appeared almost certain.
"Am I really that capable?" Though reluctant, Li Suizhu voiced the question.
"Look! Ren Ruyi!" Wu Yue suddenly called out.
"Again? Didn’t she leave?" Li Suizhu twisted her head and glared fiercely, but found nothing.
"Haha, just teasing, don’t take it seriously." Wu Yue suddenly realized he was a bit confused. "Alright, alright. You must be hungry. There are some households over there, let’s go get something to eat," he said.
Li Suizhu couldn’t help but look over. Indeed, several houses loomed faintly in the darkness, chimney smoke curling up, though it seemed oddly discordant in the night sky.
"Just as expected," Wu Yue said as he reached out and caught an unknown little insect in his hand. "This bug is highly poisonous—quick, kill it!"
"Why don’t you do it yourself?" Li Suizhu stepped back a few paces—she was, after all, just a young girl.
"I’ve been poisoned—I can’t move. You must will it dead!"
A quarter of an hour passed.
"Have you thought about it yet?" Wu Yue was growing impatient.
"Are you sure you’re poisoned?" Li Suizhu eyed him suspiciously.
"There’s a wild rabbit over there—catch it for us to eat," Wu Yue sighed.
Just as expected, Li Suizhu gently reached out and caught a gray wild rabbit, though Wu Yue could swear there hadn’t been one there a moment ago!
"I think I understand now—you seem to be able to control this place, as if you’re its master," Wu Yue mused.
"Really? Then let it rain now! Pouring rain!" Li Suizhu demanded.
A gentle drizzle began instantly, though it was clearly far from a downpour.
"It seems to relate to the depth of your intent."
The rain grew heavier.
"I’m soaked! Stop!"
Suddenly, the moon and stars shone bright again—such strange weather. Li Suizhu, now radiant with pride, seemed like a lofty white swan—though perhaps a hungry one, given her slender figure that seemed to silently complain.
Wu Yue released the rabbit and began pondering all the oddities of their journey. He concluded that there was an eighty percent chance this place was not the Garden of Longevity—such a sacred place would not accept a master so easily. Ren Ruyi was probably an impostor. More importantly, even Li Suizhu before him could possibly be fake, Wu Yue thought, lost in contemplation.
Yet Li Suizhu’s patience had run dry. She snapped, "Why did you let it go? I want to eat!" Her stomach growled in perfect accord.
"Such a cute bunny, and you actually want to eat it!" Wu Yue said unexpectedly, surprising both himself and Li Suizhu.
"I want to eat! I want its head, skin, bones!" Li Suizhu was mortified, then angry. Her stomach had growled—in front of him, no less. Would he mock her? Surely he would. Oh, what to do? How vexing! What’s a fairy princess to do?
"Cultivators can get hungry?" Wu Yue asked.
"Heh, are you mocking my low cultivation?" Li Suizhu replied coolly, though she looked rather adorable.
Wu Yue didn’t notice her change; or perhaps he wouldn’t have cared even if he had. He thought about asking about fasting pills, but decided against it. No point in pointless conversation, after all.
"There are people over there, aren’t there? Let’s just go eat at their place," Wu Yue suggested.
"That’s fake!" Li Suizhu said, puffing with anger.
"So, she can’t conjure living people. If that’s the case, what’s up with Ren Ruyi? Things are growing more and more mysterious."
"Fine, let’s eat the rabbit then." Wu Yue spread his spiritual sense, finding it heavily suppressed—not even one percent of normal. Still, it was enough to catch a few rabbits.
Thus, the classic scene unfolded.
Beneath the night sky, a solitary man and woman. Talented gentleman, beautiful lady. A campfire, roasting meat.
But that was only a summary.
The full story went like this: When the seventh rabbit began to emit the aroma of burnt meat, Wu Yue paused in silence, then said, "Why don’t you try conjuring one?"
"I can’t!" Li Suizhu answered crisply, with a resolute refusal. Her eyes glowed a hungry shade of green—according to her later, it was a sign of extreme hunger.
The twelfth rabbit.
It smelled delicious, and looked tasty too.
Li Suizhu hesitated briefly, then wolfed it down. Afterwards, she glanced sheepishly at Wu Yue.
Wu Yue smiled magnanimously. "It’s alright, I don’t need to eat," he said, then kept his gaze fixed on Li Suizhu.
Li Suizhu lowered her head—was she shy? Touched? Or just warmed by his kindness?
"Are you feeling alright?" Wu Yue asked with genuine concern.
Suddenly—
"Wu Yue!" Li Suizhu leapt at him with a ferocity reminiscent of a wolf. More or less; each had their needs.
"Alright, alright, get down."
"No, I won’t."
"I’ll tell you a story."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I don’t want any childish tales."
"Absolutely eighteen plus," Wu Yue promised solemnly.
Li Suizhu’s curiosity was piqued.
Soon, shrieks echoed through the night. After a while, Li Suizhu’s cheeks were flushed.
"I want more, I want more!"
"Here you go, here you go. Just ghost stories, after all."
Far away, in a new thicket, the same familiar figure appeared—a tiny person with a smug face, occasionally flashing a cold glint. "Heh, I don’t fear your strength—I fear you have no weaknesses. Fragile mortals, indeed."
Elsewhere, another white-robed figure darted about ceaselessly—it was none other than Ren Ruyi…