012 Hug me, please.
Nan Yao looked up.
The man in the tree wore a blue robe and a jade crown, his features gentle and refined, yet his face was covered with numerous scratches—some already scabbed over, others still oozing beads of blood. He was lying prone on the trunk, straining to pick a fruit from the topmost branch. As he struggled forward, he lost his balance and tumbled down, heading straight for Nan Yao.
What should one do when a handsome, slender man with a clear, pleasant voice falls from the sky?
Nan Yao: Just don’t land on me.
So she politely took a step to the side.
With a thud, Duan Cuo crashed to the ground.
He lay motionless, covered in dried leaves and broken twigs, as if lifeless.
Nan Yao crouched down and cautiously poked him.
Duan Cuo squirmed slightly.
Nan Yao felt relieved.
Good, he’s not dead.
After struggling for a moment, Duan Cuo failed to stand up, but he stubbornly raised his hand. “I’m Duan Cuo. Who called me just now?”
The group stared at this tenacious and resilient man in silence.
Yu Chichi nudged Qi Guyuan’s arm beside her. “Who is he?”
Qi Guyuan analyzed the situation. “Well, Miss Nan Yao said she came out to find a suitable match. I think Duan Cuo might be one of her potential suitors.”
Yu Chichi understood. As a professional writer who frequented gossip forums, she believed it was better to break ten temples than ruin a marriage. “Should we try to set them up?”
Qi Guyuan thought it made sense, since as the saying goes, men slow down a woman’s sword skills. If Nan Yao and Duan Cuo hit it off, she’d likely become much more easygoing, and if her temper improved, he’d be safer too.
So he decided to act immediately. “Miss Nan Yao, look—Young Master Duan Cuo is injured and probably can’t walk. Why don’t… you carry him?”
Rule one for deepening relationships: intimate physical contact.
Nan Yao: “?”
Worried Nan Yao might not get it, Yu Chichi chimed in, “Exactly! Seize the opportunity!”
Nan Yao understood. She understood completely.
She turned to look at the two beside her, their faces etched with expressions of “I will help you find true love,” and felt a mix of emotions, realizing the task ahead was daunting. After some thought, she decided to find an excuse. “Well, you see, men and women shouldn’t be too familiar with each other.”
“Come on, yesterday someone was fighting with me over who gets to sleep near Brother Xie Diao,” Qi Guyuan mercilessly exposed her.
Nan Yao: You just had to say it.
She tried again, “Even if I agreed, I doubt Young Master Duan Cuo would be willing, given his temperament.”
However—
“Young lady.” Duan Cuo, still sprawled on the ground, raised his hand even higher. “When do you plan to carry me?”
Nan Yao: “?” Is this what all high-quality men are like?
Night fell over Demon-Guarding Mountain. The forest canopy blotted out the sky, a cold wind rustled through, and all was silent.
At that moment, everyone seemed to share an unspoken understanding, leaving this precious time entirely to the two who had just met, allowing them to communicate freely and deepen their bond.
At the center of the storm, Nan Yao glanced at Qi Guyuan and Yu Chichi.
They nodded encouragingly at her.
Nan Yao then turned to look at Duan Cuo on the ground.
Duan Cuo raised his hand even higher. “Can you carry me now?”
Nan Yao looked back at Xie Diao behind her.
Xie Diao was watching her too.
Nan Yao stood up: “Taking orders?”
Xie Diao: “?”
Nan Yao pointed at the large green puddle on the ground: “Help me carry him.”
Without even blinking, Xie Diao immediately replied: “Not taking.”
“Why?”
“Because you need to make a man devoted to you within three days.” Xie Diao said, “I can even recite the notes you wrote. Want to hear them?”
St-stop talking!
Flustered, Nan Yao stood on her toes and reached out to cover Xie Diao’s mouth.
Xie Diao’s eyes darkened slightly as he raised his hand to grip her arm, applying some force to move it away, but failed to budge it.
“You don’t understand!” Nan Yao’s face flushed red as she stumbled through an explanation, “If I’m too accommodating now, he’ll easily take it for granted. So I absolutely cannot carry him right now. Do you understand?”
Xie Diao, with his mouth still covered, calmly watched her for a moment before nodding.
Nan Yao let out a long sigh of relief and lowered her hand.
Xie Diao quickly spoke: “Show weakness, give him gifts, make him jealous.”
Aiya!!
Fuming, Nan Yao jumped up and again covered Xie Diao’s mouth, her voice rising in pitch: “Didn’t you say you understood? Why are you still reciting it? Why?”
At this moment, Nan Yao resembled a little purple bird whose feathers had been plucked, flapping angrily on the ground—small and unable to defeat the big dog that pulled her feathers, only able to furiously peck at its paws in frustration.
Amusement glimmered in Xie Diao’s eyes as he slowly raised his right hand, making a swearing gesture as if promising he wouldn’t continue.
Hesitantly, Nan Yao lowered her hand slightly.
Xie Diao: “Home-loving good man…”
Nan Yao covered his mouth again: I won’t believe you anymore! Damned villain!
But what Nan Yao didn’t expect was that while she was desperately defending her dignity, her two sidekicks were secretly launching a sneak attack.
Somehow, Yu Chichi and Qi Guyuan had crept up beside her, each grabbing one of her arms, pulling her away from Xie Diao toward Duan Cuo while earnestly advising—
“Stop interacting with Brother Xie Diao. You should talk more with your future soulmate.”
“Exactly! If Duan Cuo suspects you’re fickle, you’ll lose your chance.”
“Right, stay away from Brother Xie Diao to find love.”
Nan Yao: Why are you two so enthusiastic?! Don’t you have your own lives?!
Xie Diao watched Nan Yao struggling as if being kidnapped, his smile gradually fading. His eyes darkened slightly before he turned away without a word.
Thus, Nan Yao found herself once again beside the large green “puddle.”
The three of them stood surrounding Duan Cuo.
Duan Cuo: “So is anyone going to carry me now?”
…Half an incense stick’s time has passed, how come you still can’t stand up by yourself?
Could it be that after hearing someone might carry you, you just decided not to move at all?
Nan Yao looked at Qi Guyuan: “You do it.”
Qi Guyuan refused righteously: “I don’t take orders. I’m very wealthy.”
Nan Yao drew her sword.
Qi Guyuan: “Order accepted.”
Then, this crown prince muttered complaints while dutifully bending down to hoist Duan Cuo onto his back, huffing and puffing as he carried him.
How did it come to this? A dignified crown prince like himself actually reduced to such circumstances.
Yu Chichi let out a “Wow” and quickly pulled out her Book of Wishes:
Looking at Qi Guyuan who was enduring hardship without complaint, Nan Yao sheathed her sword.
Indeed, using violence to solve problems was much more convenient.
Xiao Huang felt this wasn’t right: “You’re becoming increasingly lacking in Savior mentality now.”
After experiencing a series of absurd events, Nan Yao was already fearless: “Keep talking and I’ll deal with you too. I’ve already turned dark.”
Xiao Huang: “?”
Duan Cuo, lying on Qi Guyuan’s back, frowned slightly. He was indeed handsome, but his face was excessively pale, giving him a somewhat sickly beauty vibe. He coughed lightly twice and struggled to open his eyes: “Thank you, young warrior. Someday I will surely repay today’s kindness with a thousand gold.”
Though coerced, Qi Guyuan didn’t forget to play matchmaker for Duan Cuo and Nan Yao: “Don’t thank me. It was this purple-clad young lady who begged me to help you.”
So Duan Cuo turned to look at Nan Yao, very sincerely: “Thank you, young lady. Someday I will surely repay today’s kindness with a thousand gold.”
Nan Yao thought for a moment: “You can give it now.”
Duan Cuo: “…Let’s talk about it another day.”
Moving forward, they were about to officially enter the Demon-Guarding Mountain territory.
Qi Guyuan stopped walking.
Ahead, dark energy swirled like a giant dome descending from the sky, enveloping the Demon-Guarding Mountain. Even before approaching, they could sense the hidden dangers surging within that dark energy.
“Young Master Duan Cuo, with your current condition… are you sure you want to enter?” Yu Chichi hesitated.
Duan Cuo lifted his head: “I must enter. I just… came out from here.”
Hearing this, Qi Guyuan couldn’t help but ask curiously: “What exactly happened inside?”
“Dead souls. The mountain is almost entirely filled with the dead souls of those who perished in Demon-Guarding Mountain but cannot return to their homeland. Originally these dead souls wouldn’t attack people, but recently a strange power has been permeating Demon-Guarding Mountain. Those with weak wills, influenced by this power, can lose their minds and even attack their companions.”
As Duan Cuo spoke, his expression turned serious: “And these dead souls are even more affected—they constantly attack travelers, trying to seize their bodies and replace them.”
“If it’s so dangerous,” Nan Yao asked, “why do you still want to go back in?”
Duan Cuo sighed: “I was gathering herbs recently and got trapped there. Besides me, there are dozens of others still in the mountain. There’s a Blessed Tree inside that can protect everyone from this power and the dead souls’ attacks. But… our remaining supplies can’t sustain us anymore. I’m most familiar with Demon-Guarding Mountain, so I had to risk coming out to find food and water for them.”
Hearing this, Yu Chichi couldn’t help but admire: “Brother Duan Cuo is truly a brave and kind-hearted person.”
Duan Cuo: “You flatter me.” Then he added to Qi Guyuan, “Alright, carry me in now.”
Qi Guyuan: “…” Damn, I want to be praised too.
He really wanted to drop Duan Cuo on the ground and make him crawl in himself, but considering Duan Cuo had just established this noble image of self-sacrifice to save the people, abandoning him now would make him, the crown prince, seem utterly immoral.
So Qi Guyuan gritted his teeth and carried Duan Cuo on his back as he stepped into the mist.
Yu Chichi followed closely behind.
Nan Yao watched their retreating figures and seemed to remember something. She lowered her head to rummage through her Spiritual pouch for the “Guide to Capturing High-Quality Men,” but just as she pulled out a corner of it before she could fully retrieve it, Xie Diao lifted her up by the scruff and carried her into the mist.
“Close your eyes!” Duan Cuo reminded them. “You must not open them, or you’ll be affected by those Dead Souls. The reason I made it out successfully was because I’m familiar with the terrain and felt my way out with my eyes closed the entire time. These Dead Souls will create illusions, making you recall the memories you least want to remember. As long as you keep your eyes closed, you won’t be deceived.”
Hearing this, everyone closed their eyes.
“I’ll guide the way for everyone,” Duan Cuo said.
The wind in the forest howled like ghosts wailing, leaves rustled noisily, and a chilling dampness crept up from their feet.
With their eyes closed, the strange sounds around them became even clearer.
Duan Cuo was right—the moment they stepped in, countless Dead Souls caught the scent of fresh life and swarmed around them, emitting eerie and mournful cries.
The sound drilled into their ears, shooting straight to the crown of their heads, filling their hearts with anxiety and irritation.
Nan Yao felt countless scenes flash before her eyes. Vaguely, she seemed to see that sorrowful past she least wanted to recall—
“I had saved up three years’ worth of New Year’s money and hidden it under the bed, but Nan Yuqing, who was searching everywhere for her lost earring, found it. Nan Yuqing said, ‘I’ll deposit it in the Spirit Stone Vault for you to use when you grow up and start a family,’ and then took it all away.”
Wahh!
This Murderous Intent Energy truly lived up to its reputation!
Qi Guyuan was also in agony: “I saw the scene of my father being captured and my elder brother being killed.”
Yu Chichi was equally sorrowful: “I saw my master being controlled, turning his sword against me.”
Nan Yao: “My money’s gone, wahh.”
“…” The group fell silent for a moment before asking expectantly, “Brother Xie Diao, what did you see?”
“Huh?”
Xie Diao said, “I didn’t close my eyes.”
…What.
You don’t have to close your eyes?
Nan Yao secretly opened one eye and saw the Dead Souls enthusiastically lunging at Xie Diao, fervently trying to possess him. But before they could even touch a single strand of his hair, they were counterattacked by a powerful surge of Spiritual Power, spontaneously combusting and turning to ashes in an instant.
Crackle, pop.
Sparks erupted around Xie Diao.
It was like thousands of mosquitoes fearlessly throwing themselves at an electric mosquito swatter.
Xie Diao looked at Nan Yao and the others fumbling around like blind men groping an elephant, his expression full of utter disdain.
…Da-damn it.
The cheater’s gone on a killing spree!!
Nan Yao deeply resented such cheating behavior, so she said, “Can you carry me? I want to keep my eyes open.”
Author’s note:
The only reliable man—Xie Diao.