The vine-like chains, as if finding something to cling to, coiled tightly around Yun Miao, constricting relentlessly and making it difficult to breathe.Yun Miao tried to break free, but the Green Vine Lock only wound around her faster. She felt her Spiritual Power becoming a "nutrient" for the lock, feeding it and making it even more tenacious.The sensation of her chest being squeezed grew increasingly intense. Yun Miao was deprived of the ability to breathe, and the oxygen stored in her lungs was rapidly depleted. Almost instinctively, she began coughing uncontrollably.However, Yun Miao soon felt the chain pulling her come to a halt.The sound of metal clashing rang out not far from her body, traveling along the chain, through her skin, and into her ears via her bones.Yun Miao, whose consciousness had begun to blur, suddenly snapped awake. With great effort, she turned her head toward the source of the vibration.In her blurred vision, a young man in black robes knelt on one knee, his high ponytail swaying lightly in the air from the motion. In his hand, the Black Iron Candle Dragon Sword pinned the chain that held Yun Miao firmly to the ground, while the dark red tassel on the hilt swayed incessantly in the air.Then, Xie Jue leaped up, his hands moving deftly as a longbow, similar in material to the Black Iron Sword, appeared in his grasp. The bowstring twanged, and an arrow formed of spiritual energy shot through the air, heading straight for the Jade-faced Fox standing opposite the circular platform, who was controlling the chains.The chain from the Jade-faced Fox’s sleeve was pinned to the ground by the Candle Dragon Sword, unable to move. Seeing the arrow’s fierce approach, the fox had no choice but to release the chain and dodge sideways.Without the pull from the chain in the Jade-faced Fox’s sleeve, Yun Miao, still tightly bound by the Green Vine Lock, began to fall from the air.Seeing this, Xie Jue quickly put away his bow and flew upward. He tilted his head and shouted, "Candle Dragon!" In response, the Black Iron Sword, which had been pinning the chain, flew toward him. With one hand, Xie Jue caught the falling Yun Miao, pulling her into his embrace, while with the other, he grasped the Candle Dragon Sword and swung it to sever the vine-like chains of the Green Vine Lock entwined around Yun Miao. The moment the Green Vine Lock was cut, the part wrapped around Yun Miao dissipated.Surprisingly, the "vines" did not coil around them again as before, allowing Xie Jue and Yun Miao to land safely.However, as soon as their feet touched the ground, a beam of green light erupted beneath them, spreading rapidly in all directions and merging with the other lights that had appeared earlier.Yun Miao, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of oxygen into her lungs, coughed violently in Xie Jue’s embrace for a while. Once she had finally caught her breath, she noticed the fully formed circular Formation beneath their feet out of the corner of her eye.Glancing around, Yun Miao realized with surprise that the two of them had landed precisely at the center of the altar.A sense of foreboding rose in her heart. She quickly reached out and tugged at the fabric on Xie Jue’s shoulder, warning him, "Xie Jue, be careful."But before Yun Miao could finish her words, countless green ice shards shot toward them from all directions.Xie Jue had just lowered his head at the sound of her voice when an ice shard came flying straight toward his face.Yun Miao immediately reached out to push aside Xie Jue's drooping head, but the ice shards were too swift. Despite her quick reflexes, one still grazed Xie Jue's face, leaving a bloody mark.Xie Jue reacted swiftly as well, brandishing the Candle Dragon Sword in his hand to continuously block the incoming ice shards for both of them.But when he tried to turn around, he found his body as if nailed in place, unable to move his feet at all.Yun Miao seemed to notice this anomaly too. She furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at the bloody mark left by the ice shard on Xie Jue's face.Suddenly, the Jade-faced Fox's earlier words, "I've been waiting here for you for a long time," resurfaced in Yun Miao's mind.She hadn't understood the meaning before, but now, in light of the current situation, it dawned on her."Perhaps this place has been a trap from the very beginning."—A trap set specifically for her."Indeed, the Bone-Stripping Array was set for you the moment you stepped into the underground of this ancestral hall."As soon as Yun Miao finished speaking, as if to confirm her words, the Jade-faced Fox reappeared not far from them, neither too close nor too distant.The Formation on the altar began to close in around them like a net, ready to envelop them both.Yun Miao followed the sound of the voice, her gaze landing on the Jade-faced Fox in the distance.Bone-Stripping Array?But what does this fox demon want with her bones?"Did you deliberately orchestrate these events to lure me to Peach Blossom Village?""Not exactly," the Jade-faced Fox raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "That was a deal made with their ancestors. I'm merely collecting a bit of interest.""As for you, consider it an unexpected gain."With that, the Jade-faced Fox's gaze met Yun Miao's eyes without any attempt to conceal his intentions.Yun Miao did not shy away, meeting his gaze head-on without flinching."What about my senior brother?""This little Cultivator you're asking about?"The Jade-faced Fox shifted his gaze, tilting his head toward a certain direction. With a wave of his hand, a young man with tightly closed eyes appeared beside the stone wall. Then he turned back, looking at Yun Miao with a hint of provocation."Don't worry, he's not dead. I just borrowed a bit of his Spiritual Power. I have no interest in him. The one I'm interested in is you."Yun Miao wanted to ask more, but seeing the magic array about to close completely, she summoned the Unbound Boat again. She nodded to Xie Jue, withdrew from his embrace, and the previously weak look on her face vanished in an instant.The Unbound Boat in her hand was now wielded with such skill that it became a blur, and all that could be seen was the Formation shattering continuously under her sword."Quick Snow Clear Sky—Formation, break!"The net-like Formation shattered at Yun Miao's feet as if torn apart.As soon as the Formation broke, Yun Miao charged straight toward the Jade-faced Fox with the Unbound Boat in hand, while Xie Jue went to check on the young man's condition.Seeing Yun Miao charging with her sword, the Jade-faced Fox hastily turned to evade, but the sharp blade in Yun Miao's hand still pierced through his shoulder. Crimson blood dripped onto the Unbound Boat, then unexpectedly flowed along the blade toward Yun Miao.Before Yun Miao could react, the blood surged toward her hand gripping the hilt, stained her skin, and seeped into it, disappearing without a trace.Yun Miao stared at the bizarre phenomenon before her, raising her eyes as if seeking answers, but an overwhelming wave of dizziness swallowed her whole."Clang—"Yun Miao’s vision suddenly went dark, and her entire body fell backward. The Unbound Boat in her hand slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground.In the moment of dizziness and blurred vision as she collapsed, Yun Miao caught a glimpse of a figure rushing toward her.She knew that figure was Xie Jue.An inexplicable sense of relief spread through her mind, and Yun Miao no longer struggled, allowing her heavy eyelids to close.Yet in that moment, she clearly felt as if something missing within her was slowly being filled.It was a void she hadn’t even known existed./A gentle, warm touch fell upon Yun Miao’s face, like a delicate feather from a bird landing on the calm surface of a mirror-like lake, stirring faint ripples.Feeling the gradually intensifying warmth on her face, Yun Miao’s brows and eyes twitched slightly as she struggled to open her eyelids.Before her vision fully cleared, Xie Jue’s enlarged face appeared before her. He held a cloth soaked in hot water and wrung dry, gently wiping her face.Yun Miao seemed momentarily dazed, blinking as she quietly gazed at the lower half of the man’s face, where a slender jawline curved gracefully downward.On his neck, the faint mark she had accidentally left was still visible, though it had already formed a thin scab. Though not a serious injury, it stood out against his fair skin.Yun Miao’s gaze lingered on Xie Jue’s neck for a moment, as if recalling something. She lifted her eyes to look at the wound on his face, only to unexpectedly meet his downward gaze.“Miss Yun, you’re awake?”The man seemed surprised that Yun Miao had awakened at this moment, flustered as he straightened up, still clutching the cloth he had used to wipe her face.“Mm.”Yun Miao slowly sat up and looked at Xie Jue.Perhaps she had slept for too long, as her throat felt dry, making it difficult to speak.But the next moment, as if hearing her thoughts, a teacup was brought to her lips. With a slight movement of his wrist, the tea moistened Yun Miao’s lips.Yun Miao took two small sips, the warm tea flowing down her throat and easing the discomfort from her prolonged slumber.However, after drinking from Xie Jue’s hand twice, Yun Miao felt it was somewhat inappropriate and reached out to take the teacup from him.“Thank you,” Yun Miao said after drinking most of the tea. She looked back at Xie Jue, her thoughts clearing as numerous questions surfaced in her mind. “How long have I been asleep? Where is my senior brother? How is he?”The curve of Xie Jue’s lips stiffened slightly, but his tone remained unchanged. “You’ve slept for a full day. Your senior brother is fine—he’s resting next door. Should I call him over?”As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Jue made as if to turn and leave the room.“No, no need. I’ll go find him myself later.”She had nothing urgent to discuss at the moment and hurriedly spoke to stop him.Yet she didn’t realize that her words carried a different meaning to him.“Is your senior brother very important to you?”Xie Jue’s question slipped out almost involuntarily.Though Xie Jue’s voice was not loud, Yun Miao heard it clearly and answered naturally, “Of course he is.”“He and I are fellow disciples.”The latter part of her sentence clearly went unnoticed by Xie Jue, leaving only the word “important” echoing in his mind.He averted his gaze, inexplicably unable to look at the expression on Yun Miao’s face at that moment.“Oh,” Xie Jue nodded somewhat dejectedly, took a few steps forward, and reached out to place the now-cool cloth back into the basin on the bedside cabinet. “The water’s cold. I’ll go pour it out.”“Xie Jue.”Watching Xie Jue turn to leave, Yun Miao quickly called out to him again.Along with Yun Miao’s voice came the faint sound of movement.Hearing this, Xie Jue halted his steps and turned back toward the bed, nearly bumping into Yun Miao, who was now only a step away from him.“What… happened?” Though they didn’t collide, the water in the basin Xie Jue was holding inevitably sloshed out, dampening Yun Miao’s clothes. As a result, Xie Jue’s question faltered slightly, his gaze snapping back from the distance to focus on the person before him. “Are you all right?”Yun Miao didn’t seem to mind the large wet patch on his clothes, his gaze fixed intently on Xie Jue’s neck.Seeing this, Xie Jue was about to ask something else.But before he could speak, Yun Miao’s fingertips had already landed on the thin scar on his neck.Almost instinctively, Xie Jue tried to step back.“Don’t move.”Yun Miao’s voice quickly stopped him, and Xie Jue obediently stayed still, allowing Yun Miao to continue.As Yun Miao spoke, his breath brushed against Xie Jue’s neck, causing Xie Jue’s Adam’s apple to bob slightly. His gaze on Yun Miao deepened.
Chapter 12
Mistakenly Believing I Was Given the Substitute Lover Script