Chapter 11: Walking Alone in the Night
Luo Xue had already experienced the benefits of survival points. After maximizing her poison resistance, she could even withstand an entire Yin Breath Poison pill.
Not to mention there were other attributes on the panel, and even Luo Xue’s tragic cultivation aptitude could be changed.
“Barely There” had to be better than “Almost None,” right?
And acquiring survival points required experiencing dangerous events. Clearly, simply waiting for fate to arrive in the courtyard didn’t count.
Without survival points, she might be caught off guard when encountering similar emergencies in the future.
Like savings, without some survival points in reserve, Luo Xue felt insecure.
Moreover, now that Daoist Ziyang’s plot had finally surfaced, and Luo Xue’s numerous doubts were about to be answered, she had even less reason to sit idly by.
No matter what… it was worth the risk.
At this moment, Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya had already returned to their rooms to intensify their cultivation.
Su Yiyao was still leaning against Luo Xue, her large, apprehensive eyes staring at her.
Luo Xue looked into her eyes, recalling the unforgettable scene in the dim carriage, her gaze flickering.
“…Let’s not take Xiao Yao along for now. One less person means one less risk.”
Thinking of this, Luo Xue held Su Yiyao’s small hand and returned to their room.
At the same time, their maids followed them like shadows.
“Xiao Yao, cultivate for now.” Luo Xue gently rubbed Su Yiyao’s hair and said softly, “But don’t… be too slow. The bad guy will notice.”
Su Yiyao nodded vigorously and obediently closed her eyes.
After Su Yiyao entered meditation, Luo Xue turned to look at the two puppet-like maids, her heart sinking.
Like the two traffickers before, these maids were puppets refined by Daoist Ziyang through some method, but they still retained some faint emotions and self-awareness.
Even an ordinary person could see this after careful observation.
However, the other girls were immersed in cultivation all day long and didn’t have the energy to notice these things.
Luo Xue, on the other hand, had nothing to do since she couldn’t cultivate, so she had conducted many tests and studies on the maids.
They had no ability to monitor or communicate, nor could they report anything to Daoist Ziyang. They were just obedient puppets.
Perhaps they still retained a sliver of soul and reason, but they were mostly controlled by Daoist Ziyang.
And the command Daoist Ziyang had given them was to obey the girls’ orders.
In other words, Luo Xue could openly leave the courtyard in front of the maids; she just needed to order them not to follow.
The only problem was the trafficker guards at the door.
Over the past few months, Luo Xue had tried to leave the courtyard before.
The trafficker guards hadn’t stopped her, but they followed her wherever she went.
Seemingly protecting her, but more like monitoring her.
Luo Xue wasn’t sure if these two trafficker guards could relay information to Daoist Ziyang; she hadn’t figured out these immortal methods yet.
“Let’s try… Just like before.”
Luo Xue took a deep breath. The opportunity was rare now, and she couldn’t delay any longer.
If the guards did alert Daoist Ziyang, she would simply flee back to the courtyard.
Given Daoist Ziyang’s usual behavior, it was unlikely he would expose his true nature in front of everyone.
Of course, this was a last resort. Unless absolutely necessary, Luo Xue didn’t want to expose herself, let alone have Daoist Ziyang notice her peculiarity.
After one last glance at Su Yiyao, who was immersed in meditation, Luo Xue stood up, ordered her maids to wait in place, and gently pushed open the door.
The courtyard at dusk was as usual. Faint lights shone from the surrounding rooms, illuminating the small figures within, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The last rays of the setting sun added a touch of poetic charm to the quiet scene. Setting aside Daoist Ziyang’s unknown plot, Luo Xue actually liked the environment and life here.
She had experienced nearly ten years of harsh conditions in the apocalyptic world, struggling for survival every day. Recalling it now, it felt like a lifetime ago.
“How long will this dream last…”
Or rather, was this really a dream?
Similar doubts had crossed Luo Xue’s mind more than once.
“Forget it, let’s deal with the matter at hand first. Whether it’s a dream or not, I have to survive first.”
Luo Xue composed herself and looked towards the courtyard gate, her gaze hardening.
Sure enough, the trafficker guards, refined into puppets, stood motionless at the entrance, like two gate gods.
“These two guys are really unlucky, running into a backstabbing immortal… But, those in the trafficking business should be cunning and sly. How could they so easily believe Daoist Ziyang’s promises?”
From what she had overheard in the carriage, these two were veterans in the trafficking world, definitely not kind-hearted people.
However, regardless of their past, they were now puppets. How could mortals fight against an immortal?
Luo Xue took a handy short sword and hung it at her waist. Although without any cultivation or martial arts skills, having a weapon didn’t make much difference, but it was better than nothing.
In the blink of an eye, the sun set, and night gradually fell.
“Ten steps, nine steps…”
Luo Xue walked slowly, trying to maintain her usual pace, approaching the courtyard gate.
The trafficker guards stood still, their puppet eyes not moving at all, until Luo Xue stepped out of the courtyard gate.
“Whoosh!”
Luo Xue looked up, meeting two emotionless gazes.
The trafficker guards stared at her.
“…”
She turned and continued walking forward, the stiff footsteps following behind her.
Just like before…
From afar, one could see Zhang San and Li Si following closely behind Luo Xue, like her most loyal guards.
“Even though I know they are mindless puppets, being stared at like this still gives me the creeps…”
Luo Xue couldn’t help but feel nervous, but she focused her attention, carefully observing the path underfoot by the faint starlight.
Daoist Ziyang and Li Zining hadn’t deliberately concealed their tracks. The trampled grass guided Luo Xue as she followed their footsteps.
Luo Xue followed these tracks, venturing deeper into the mountains.
Time slowly passed, and the bright moonlight shone upon the earth, yet it couldn’t dispel the faint eerie aura emanating from Mount Ziyang at night.
The deeper Luo Xue went into Mount Ziyang, the more apprehensive she felt.
The grass on the ground became increasingly disheveled, and the surrounding trees appeared more sinister.
She looked back, but it was pitch black behind her, nothing could be seen, yet the footprints under her feet continued to stretch forward.
And…
“The puppets… where did they go?”
Luo Xue looked at the empty space behind her, her pupils constricting.
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