Chapter 18: (18) Intertwined Fingers

Isn't that precisely why he became interested in her, why he took her as his disciple out of curiosity, and brought her back to the Ghost Fiend Palace?

He admired her for being this way, yet he also felt a pang of heartache for her.

"Lingxue, what exactly have you been through? Do you know how much it hurts my heart to see you like this?" Ye Luoxuan held Leng Lingxue tightly, his eyes filled with distress as he looked at her and spoke softly. Looking at Ye Luoxuan, Leng Lingxue’s heart warmed instantly. In the countless nights she returned to in her dreams, it was because he was by her side that she was able to sleep peacefully until dawn.

Her reliance on him had already exceeded her own expectations. Yet, she did not dislike this feeling, simply because the person who made her feel this sense of dependence was him.

"Actually, it was nothing—just slaughter and blood," Leng Lingxue said with a faint smile, recounting everything from her past in an incredibly indifferent tone, as if these were not things she had experienced herself, but rather the experiences of someone else. It was precisely this indifferent tone that made Ye Luoxuan’s heart ache even more.

Only someone who had truly been tempered by hardship and had completely frozen their heart could recount the bloody events of their past with such indifference and calm. Even though it was just a short sentence, Ye Luoxuan could grasp the inhuman scenes that lay behind Leng Lingxue’s words.

"Master, I am truly fine. Besides, I have a powerful master like you now; Lingxue already feels very happy. To be able to come to this world, and to be able to meet you—I am already content." Feeling the bloodthirsty, icy aura radiating from Ye Luoxuan, Leng Lingxue felt a warmth in her heart. She reached out, placed her hand over his, and spoke softly and affectionately.

Feeling Leng Lingxue’s hand and hearing her words, Ye Luoxuan’s body trembled slightly. This was the first time Leng Lingxue had said such things to him, and the first time she had acknowledged her feelings. Ye Luoxuan gripped her hand tightly, their fingers interlacing.

Their hearts drew even closer.

And that year, she was fourteen, and he was twenty-two.

On a road as the sun set, a plain-looking carriage was traveling. There was no one driving the carriage, yet it galloped forward accurately and without error.

However, the interior of the carriage was a world of its own. High-grade white animal fur covered the entire carriage, making it soft and comfortable. A table made of sandalwood emitted a faint, lingering fragrance, and the bookshelf to the side was filled with all sorts of books, a dazzling array that left one’s eyes spinning.

On the small table sat hot tea, still curling with steam, and some exquisite snacks. On a soft couch covered in plush, noble sable fur, a graceful figure was leaning quietly, holding a book and turning the pages from time to time. Her ink-black hair was styled into a simple bun, and the jade pendant originally used to tie her hair was now hanging at Leng Lingxue’s waist, so beautiful that one could not look away.

Outside, the sun was blazing and the heat was sweltering, but inside the carriage, it was incredibly cool—it was as if the two were different worlds.

Beside her, Zimei was gently fanning Leng Lingxue. This time, when leaving the Ghost Fiend Palace, she had only brought Zimei along; after all, Zimei was not only a member of the Ghost Fiend Palace but also the Palace Master of her Wansha Palace.

"Audacious! Do you know who is inside this carriage? You band of robbers actually dare to waylay this carriage—you truly have grown tired of living."