Chapter 176 : Getting Through the First Night
Chapter 176: Getting Through the First Night
After gently closing the door, the two of them were completely enveloped by the red surroundings.
Inside the room, two thick red candles stood upon the table, casting an ambiguous glow over everything.
Even someone who had no particular thoughts to begin with would have felt their heart itch under such arrangements, stirred into having a few ideas.
Long Tao cleared his throat awkwardly. Beside him stood the goddess he had admired since childhood.
Although they had spoken alone before, it had always been in public places like the Scripture Pavilion.
This was the first time they had been alone together in such a private place—worse still, a bridal chamber. For a moment, he did not know where to put his eyes or his hands.
“True Person, you should go to bed first.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong.
True Person Mingzhu lifted her eyes to look at him, her gaze carrying fatigue along with a trace of embarrassment and complaint at being offended.
“Uh… I mean, you should lie down and rest first. You suffered a heavy blow today, and you’ve temporarily become a mortal body. You must be exhausted. I can sleep in the next room.”
“Mm.” True Person Mingzhu did not stand on ceremony. Her voice was thick with weariness. “I really can’t hold on much longer. But this place is too strange—we’d better not separate.” She glanced at the floor. “You can lay out bedding beside the bed. It’s not cold anyway. Take that quilt from the bed and use it as padding.”
Long Tao looked at the sky outside growing darker and, recalling the strangeness of this place, quickly nodded.
On second thought, this barely counted as sleeping in the same room as his goddess, didn’t it?
A life achievement he had never even dared to imagine—accomplished!
“I’ll fall asleep first. I’ll have to trouble you to keep watch for now. If you really can’t hold out, or if anything happens, wake me.”
“Understood. Please rest at ease.”
Soon, True Person Mingzhu’s faint yet soul-stirring snores could be heard. Under normal circumstances, even when a Golden Core True Person rested, it would be a special kind of meditation without any sound.
He was probably the only person in the past several hundred years to have heard this peerless beauty snore—her chief disciple Su Muzhi certainly never had.
However, falling asleep so quickly proved that she had indeed sunk into extreme exhaustion.
Facing a terrifying existence like Star Lord of Fate earlier, though she claimed only her Destiny Luck had been taken, judging by her earlier weakness, it was certainly not that simple.
Long Tao rose lightly, first checking whether the doors and windows were secured, then carefully inspecting the corners of the room in case anything strange lurked there.
On second thought, the strangest thing seemed to be the house itself. Setting aside everything else, who connected a bedroom—especially a bridal chamber—directly to the main entrance? Even the humblest household would not have the bedroom immediately upon entry.
Besides, there was another small door inside the room that seemed to lead to a neighboring chamber. But since True Person Mingzhu had already fallen asleep, he did not dare investigate alone.
Before long, the sky outside grew completely dark, and the room followed into pitch blackness.
Thankfully, the sound of True Person Mingzhu’s snores offered him a bit of reassurance. He did not dare imagine what kind of mental torment it would be to spend the night alone in this unfamiliar and eerie place, in a dark room by himself.
Just then, a beast’s howl rang out from the distance, as if declaring the official descent of night. It did not sound like a wolf; it was sharper and more frightening, and there was more than one.
Although, according to the Village Chief, it would be safe at night as long as they stayed inside, he still prepared for contingencies. He placed a round stool beside him, ready to use it as a weapon at any moment.
……
This unbearable first night, Long Tao endured in a state between sleep and wakefulness.
Setting aside the fact that he now possessed a mortal body, merely maintaining vigilance all night was mentally exhausting. Yet he could not bear to wake True Person Mingzhu.
Only when a clear rooster’s crow sounded outside and daylight gradually seeped in did he finally let out a breath and gently nudge the figure on the bed.
“True Person, it’s dawn.”
True Person Mingzhu’s eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing that she was awake, Long Tao’s spirit could no longer hold out. He collapsed onto the bedding on the floor and instantly fell asleep.
When he woke again, he discovered he was lying on the bed. Raising his eyes, he saw True Person Mingzhu sitting by the table, propping her chin on one hand, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips as she watched him.
“Awake?” Her voice still carried that enchanting laziness. “Your sleeping posture was much more proper than I imagined. I had prepared myself to listen to your snoring all night, but unexpectedly, you were very quiet.”
Long Tao rubbed his eyes and could not help but smile. “Really? But your snoring was rather adorable, True Person.”
True Person Mingzhu’s face flushed slightly. She coughed lightly. “Nonsense. How could I snore? Since you’re awake, get up. We need to check the neighboring room.”
Long Tao flipped off the bed in one motion and stretched. The two walked to the small door and exchanged a glance, tacitly deciding not to knock.
Long Tao took a deep breath and pushed it open directly.
Fortunately, there was nothing eerie behind the door—just an ordinary front hall with a dining table and some miscellaneous items.
After a careful inspection, aside from the oddity that the main entrance connected to the bedroom rather than this hall, there was nothing unusual.
“Let’s go outside and take a look,” True Person Mingzhu said. “If we run into yesterday’s Village Chief, perhaps we can ask for more clues.”
The two once again exited through the bedroom’s main door. Just like yesterday, the weather was clear, with Roosters Crowing and Dogs Barking, and smoke rising from the chimneys of several houses. But unlike yesterday, there were actually people on the road.
Before they could approach to speak, the figure with their back turned seemed to sense something and suddenly spun around.
The moment they saw the other’s face clearly, both Long Tao and Mingzhu froze in place.
There was no other reason—this woman was simply too beautiful.
As the peerless beauty approached gracefully, Long Tao noticed her attire was quite peculiar. It was certainly not traditional clothing of the Cultivation World, at least not the style of the Nine Radiance Realm.
Her thighs, shoulders, and lower abdomen were boldly exposed, gleaming with healthy luster under the morning light.
Her muscles were smooth and powerful, and various patterns were tattooed across her body. Long Tao found himself completely unable to look away.
Her dark red hair was equally dazzling, contrasting brilliantly with skin as warm and pale as jade.
“Asura,” True Person Mingzhu suddenly murmured when the other drew near.
“Oh? You recognized my identity at a glance?” The stunning woman smiled sweetly, her voice crisp and melodious. “Wonderful. Aside from Brother Xin, I’ve finally met someone knowledgeable in this dreadful place.”
She admitted her identity as an Asura without hesitation, smiling as she examined them. Then she suddenly stepped closer and lightly sniffed beside them, her expression turning intoxicated.
“You two… came from Uncircumvented Heaven World?”
Hearing the words “Uncircumvented Heaven World,” Long Tao immediately grew vigilant.
He naturally knew this was the name of his world, but ordinary people rarely used such a term.
For someone in this strange place to suddenly reveal their origin was far from normal—though the other party was an Asura and not exactly normal to begin with.
“Yes,” True Person Mingzhu admitted calmly, then asked in return, “How could you tell?”
“By the scent, of course.” Du Yiluo smiled radiantly. “I’ve conquered many worlds. Only people from your Uncircumvented Heaven World carry such a rich and pure fragrance of Spiritual Energy. Ah… it’s truly addictive.”
She suddenly patted her forehead and revealed an apologetic smile. “Look at me, talking away and forgetting to introduce myself. My name is Du Yiluo, a minor Vice Commander of the Blood-Pattern Legion. Although meeting in this dreadful place isn’t exactly fortunate, crossing worlds to become acquainted is still a kind of fate, isn’t it?”