Chapter 365 - 227: Falling into the Trap (2)

Chapter 365: Chapter 227: Falling into the Trap (2)

After walking for some time, they finally saw the outline of a town ahead. The town wasn’t large, but it was enough to make them feel at ease.

"We’re finally here," Lin Wan’Er said with a sigh of relief, a smile gracing her face.

At this hour, the small town was already fast asleep.

Fang Yue, leading Lin Wan’Er and her servant, knocked on the door of the town’s only inn.

The inn attendant was about to close up, but when an ingot of silver was tossed into his hand, the sleep-roused man immediately broke into a wide grin.

"Esteemed guests, please come in! A Top-Rank room has been prepared for you! Hot water will be up right away!" The attendant instantly became enthusiastic and was about to lead the three of them upstairs.

He glanced at Lin Wan’Er and her servant, thinking they would probably need their own space.

The attendant paused for a second, then said with a troubled expression, "There’s only one room left!"

The attendant smiled faintly. ’Judging by the looks of these three, it’s a clear case of mutual affection.’

’So, even though there were other rooms available, he said there was only one left.’

’You’ve got to be good at reading people. Otherwise, why would this gentleman give me so much silver!’

’He must be too shy to say it directly, so I have to be sharp and help him out.’

’If I can make this happen, this gentleman will definitely reward me handsomely.’

"One room is fine. We’ll stay together." Just as Fang Yue was about to refuse, Lin Wan’Er unexpectedly spoke up first.

She glanced at Fang Yue, a cunning look flashing in her eyes.

Fang Yue froze for a moment, looking at Lin Wan’Er with some surprise.

He hadn’t expected Lin Wan’Er to say that. After all, they didn’t know each other well, and for an unmarried man and woman to share a room was somewhat improper.

However, since the two of them said nothing.

He saw no reason to object.

「A moment later」

Lin Wan’Er and her servant entered the room first, with Fang Yue following behind.

The room wasn’t large, but it was cozily furnished.

A large bed took up most of the space in the room. It was covered with soft bedding and looked very comfortable.

Lin Wan’Er glanced at the large bed, a hint of shyness on her face.

Fang Yue, however, didn’t think much of it. He walked to the window, pushed it open, and let the fresh air flow into the room.

The cool night breeze brushed against his face, feeling refreshing.

He glanced back at Lin Wan’Er and her servant and found them both standing by the bed, looking a little awkward and uneasy.

"You two rest first. I’ll keep watch," Fang Yue said.

He knew Lin Wan’Er and her servant might not be used to sharing a room with him, so he decided to let them rest first.

Lin Wan’Er nodded and led her servant to the bedside. She glanced at Fang Yue and said softly, "Thank you."

Fang Yue shook his head slightly, indicating that it was nothing.

He walked to a corner of the room, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

’I know my cultivation level hasn’t directly increased,’ he thought, ’but the strengthening of my physical body and the purification of my Primordial Qi are both huge boons for my cultivation path.’

’I should take this opportunity to properly consolidate my cultivation base.’

~~~~~~

「As the night deepened,」

Just then, a figure rose quietly and stealthily. A sweet, heady fragrance wafted to Fang Yue’s nose. He frowned slightly and opened his eyes.

He saw that Lin Wan’Er had somehow come to his side. She was wearing a thin nightgown that revealed her slender collarbones and fair skin, looking particularly alluring under the moonlight.

"Fang, are you tired?" Lin Wan’Er asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Fang Yue felt a fragrant breeze as Lin Wan’Er’s soft body pressed tightly against his back.

He could clearly feel Lin Wan’Er’s curvaceous figure and the faint, sweet scent emanating from her, which made his heart stir for a moment.

But Fang Yue quickly regained his composure. He gently pushed Lin Wan’Er away, turned around, looked into her somewhat hazy eyes, and said in a low voice, "Lin Wan’Er, snap out of it."

Pushed away by Fang Yue, a trace of loss and confusion flickered in Lin Wan’Er’s eyes. She didn’t seem to be fully lucid, still immersed in some kind of emotion.

"Nooo, I like you..."

Lin Wan’Er’s voice held a hint of coquettishness and willfulness; she clearly wasn’t ready to give up.

She moved closer to Fang Yue again, gently wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest.

"Lin Wan’Er, do you have any idea what you’re doing?"

Fang Yue’s voice carried a serious, warning tone. He didn’t push Lin Wan’Er away completely, but he didn’t return her embrace either.

He could feel the softness and warmth of Lin Wan’Er’s body, but right now, his mind was filled more with composure and rationality.

’The Lin Wan’Er right now seems a little different.’

’She’s like a completely different person from the one I saw during the day.’

A sliver of doubt rose in Fang Yue’s heart, and he couldn’t help but recall the various circumstances since he’d met Lin Wan’Er.

’The daytime Lin Wan’Er, while a bit willful, was definitely not the type to lose her head over a man.’

’Yet now, she seemed to have transformed, full of seduction and a faint trace of danger.’

He gently gripped Lin Wan’Er’s wrist, pulled her away from him, and then stood up.

He stood up, walked over to Lin Wan’Er, and gently shook her shoulders. "Lin Wan’Er, wake up! Look at me, who am I?"

Being shaken by Fang Yue seemed to bring Lin Wan’Er back to her senses a little. She looked at him blankly, taking a long moment before recognizing him. "Fang? What are you doing here?"

Seeing that she finally recognized him, Fang Yue breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time became even more certain of his suspicion: Lin Wan’Er’s state just now was definitely not normal.

"What happened to you just now? Was something wrong?" Fang Yue asked.

Lin Wan’Er rubbed her eyes, still seeming a bit confused about the situation. "I don’t know what happened... I suddenly felt really dizzy, and then... and then I don’t remember anything."

Hearing this, Fang Yue’s brows furrowed. This situation was clearly highly unusual.

He suspected Lin Wan’Er might have been drugged or subjected to some kind of mental attack.

’Could this be related to that strange Black Shadow?’

Doubt filled Fang Yue’s mind as he began to carefully recall the Black Shadow he had encountered in the catacombs, and those whose minds had been controlled.

’Could it be that Lin Wan’Er was also affected in the same way? But she never entered the catacombs, so how could she have been influenced?’

He looked at Lin Wan’Er and saw that she was now completely lucid, staring back at him with a baffled expression.

"Lin Wan’Er, do you feel unwell anywhere? Or any other strange sensations?" Fang Yue asked.

Lin Wan’Er carefully checked her body and then shook her head. "No... I feel fine now, just a little dizzy still."

Seeing this, Fang Yue knew he probably wouldn’t get any more clues from her. He decided to let her rest for a while first to see if her condition would improve.

"Lie down and rest for now. I’ll keep watch here," Fang Yue said.

Lin Wan’Er nodded and obediently lay back down on the bed. She seemed completely unaware of what had just happened and showed no further abnormalities.

Fang Yue, however, did not let his guard down. He sat by the bed, keeping an eye on Lin Wan’Er’s condition while he cultivated.

Time passed, second by second, and the night grew deeper. Lin Wan’Er’s breathing gradually evened out; she had clearly fallen asleep.

Seeing this, Fang Yue also breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up, preparing to get some fresh air by the window.

However, the moment he stood up, a powerful wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him. His body swayed, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Fang Yue was shocked and quickly circulated his Qi to resist the dizzy spell.

He whipped his head around to look at Lin Wan’Er, only to see her with her eyes closed, a bizarre smile on her face.

A chill instantly ran down Fang Yue’s spine. He realized he had probably fallen for it too.

He forced himself to muster a breath of Qi, trying to dispel the dizziness while rapidly retreating to a corner of the room, staring warily at Lin Wan’Er.

Lin Wan’Er slowly opened her eyes, sat up, and looked at Fang Yue with a gaze full of mockery and provocation.

"Who... who exactly are you?"

Fang Yue asked in a low voice, knowing that the Lin Wan’Er before him was definitely not the real one.