A Shocking Dream

"Gee! Gee! Gee!" It was midday, the sun high in the sky, its glare blinding. Qin Ruoyu, galloping for days, finally reached the foot of Qiuluo Mountain. Dense trees intertwined with a profusion of weeds, making the path up impossible to find. It was a stark contrast to the mountain covered in maple leaves he had seen that day. He rode his horse slowly around the base of the mountain, trying to find the way in. However, the sight of everything within the mountain inexplicably intimidated him, even considering not climbing the mountain at all. But he wouldn't give up. He was certain Lin Bingshuang was within. He glanced around cautiously, confirming that no one was around, and then he shouted at the top of his voice, "Miss Lin, I'm Qin Ruoyu. I need to see you!" He called out repeatedly, but still no one answered. The scorching sun scorched the earth, leaving him thirsty. Qin Ruoyu knew that shouting like this was not a solution. Even if Lin Bingshuang heard him, she wouldn't easily see him. He thought for a moment and was about to change his words when a fragrant aroma hit his nose and he passed out.

"Water, water..." Qin Ruoyu cried out unconsciously, his mouth dry and his throat throbbing with thirst. A moment later, a stream of icy, clear water flowed down his throat, like long-awaited sweet dew. He swallowed it down with a swift swallow, barely choking. He coughed violently, his consciousness gradually returning. He opened his eyes to see a stunningly beautiful face.

She had a delicate oval face, soft and delicate features, eyes like water, yet with a hint of coldness, and skin as creamy as cream, a pink tinge in her snow-white skin, as if it could be squeezed to life. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, and she wore a white dress that gave off a sense of clarity and transparency. Her delicate figure, like a snow-white orchid at the bottom of a deep valley, exuded a sense of alienation and loneliness. Qin Ruoyu lost himself in the sight of the woman before him.

Seeing him suddenly open his eyes, Wan Wan was startled. She frantically took back the handkerchief she had been using, clenched it in her palm, and stood up.

"Big brother, long time no see"

When Qin Ruoyu was distracted, a woman in pink stood in front of the woman in white and said with a smile:

The woman in pink has a pretty face, a pair of lively eyes as pure as water, soft eyelashes fluttering, delicate features, pink lips under her upturned nose, and fair skin like a freshly peeled egg. Her long black hair is loose, and the pink color makes her skin look light pink. A pair of dimples are evenly distributed on both sides of her cheeks. When she smiles slightly, the dimples appear and disappear on her cheeks, which is very cute.

"you……"

Qin Ruoyu regained consciousness, but he could not remember who the two people in front of him were.

"I told you he'd forget us, sister, you didn't believe me just now. Big brother, I'm Yuanyuan, and this is my sister, Kankan. We met a year ago—oh, a year and eight months ago." Yuanyuan said this. Qin Ruoyu then remembered the two little girls he had met that day. He hadn't expected that after not seeing them for over a year, the little girls had grown up to be so beautiful. The elder sister was flawless and pure, while the younger sister was bright and charming, innocent and full of life, truly stunning. Kankan, in particular, was truly captivating.

Kanan seemed to sense the intense gaze of Qin Ruoyu sizing her up and down. She frowned slightly, turned around and walked out of the room. Qin Ruoyu withdrew his gaze and looked at Yuanyuan. "It's been a long time since we last met. You and your sister have changed a lot. I can't recognize you."

"Brother, you have changed a lot. If I hadn't seen the jade pendant you carried with you, I wouldn't have recognized you. Okay, you pack yourself up. Master said that if you wake up, she will take you to see her." After Yuanyuan finished speaking, she also walked out of the house.

Master? Qin Ruoyu pondered carefully. It was the woman who had recognized his identity. She seemed to know me. Qin Ruoyu walked to the window and looked out at the scenery. It was summer, and the lush green mountains and forests stretched as far as the eye could see. Surrounded by mountains and forests, nothing else could be seen. Was this Qiuluo Mountain?

"Is big brother okay?" Yuanyuan's crisp voice came from outside the door.

"Okay." Qin Ruoyu answered, opened the door and walked out. Maybe he could learn something from Yuanyuan. He looked around, but did not see Kankan. He was about to ask, but felt that it was too abrupt, and Qin Ruoyu did not say the words that were on his lips. Observing the scenery along the way, Qin Ruoyu became more and more certain that this place was not Qiuluo Mountain. This should be a valley surrounded by mountains. Could it be that this place is close to Qiuluo Mountain? How did they find him? Thinking of this, Qin Ruoyu tentatively said: "Miss Yuanyuan, have you always stayed in Qiuluo Mountain and never come down the mountain?"

"Yes." Yuanyuan's eyes lit up when she mentioned going down the mountain. She continued, "My uncle-master often took us down the mountain to the market and bought us delicious food. But every time we went down the mountain, we were blindfolded. I didn't know where to go down. Just like you, big brother, I don't know how you got here before or how you left."

Yuanyuan's words confirmed Qin Ruoyu's suspicions. This wasn't Qiuluo Mountain, but it was very close. Lin Bingshuang had called it Qiuluo Mountain to conceal the location. They had been blindfolded since they came down the mountain, so naturally they had no idea. But what sect was this? Lin Bingshuang was actually their great-uncle.

"I can't remember clearly. I only know that after I met your great-grandmaster, I... By the way, have you seen what your great-grandmaster looks like?" Qin Ruoyu took the opportunity to inquire about Lin Bingshuang.

"Of course I have seen her. My great-grandmaster is so beautiful, as beautiful as a fairy. She speaks so softly, and..."

"Ayuan." A sudden scolding came from behind. The voice was cold and serious, frightening Yuanyuan so much that her body trembled violently. She turned around and called out, "Sister." While speaking, she also stuck out her tongue, looking a little naughty.

Qin Ruoyu was still pondering Yuanyuan's words and hadn't wanted to pay attention to the person behind him. But when he heard Yuanyuan call out, "Sister," he turned. He saw Kankan, with delicate steps, approaching them. She clutched a green flute. As she approached, Qin Ruoyu called out, "Miss Kankan." Kankan didn't dare meet his gaze, only nodding in response. Then, she picked up the green flute and tapped Yuanyuan on the head. Her eyes fell gently on her face, and she said lovingly, "Master said less talk and more action. Why didn't you listen? Be careful what you say." Then, she smiled gently. This smile sent ripples through Qin Ruoyu's heart, and he felt an inexplicable feeling within him. It was a feeling he had never felt for anyone else, only for her. His heartbeat quickened as he watched her, and he could no longer hear what they were saying. He had eyes only for her, and her every word, smile, and gesture was deeply engraved in his mind. He stared at her blankly, lost in thought.

"Big brother, let's go." Yuanyuan tugged at Qin Ruoyu's sleeve. Qin Ruoyu finally came to his senses, only to find that Kankan had already disappeared. Was his behavior just now inappropriate? Would such a misbehavior leave a bad impression on her? Wouldn't she think I was... Qin Ruoyu felt more and more regretful, his face as pale as a frosted eggplant, terrible.

Yuanyuan didn't notice Qin Ruoyu's previous look or his current expression. She walked straight ahead and said, "Big brother, you must be hungry after being unconscious for the past few days. I'll take you to eat something to fill your stomach."

"How many days have I been unconscious?" Qin Ruoyu finally realized the purpose of his trip. If he didn't see Lin Bingshuang quickly, the emperor's uncle...they must have known why he came if they were willing to bring him here. Could it be that Lin Bingshuang was willing to come forward?

"Yes, you've been unconscious for three days. The time is perfect now. The senior sisters have just finished breakfast. We won't run into them if we go there now."

"Miss Yuanyuan."

"Big brother, you can call me Xiaoyuan or Ayuan. After all, I have been taking care of you for several days. Don't be so polite." Yuanyuan felt awkward when she heard Qin Ruoyu's name, so she asked Qin Ruoyu to change it.

Qin Ruoyu had no choice but to obey and said, "Xiaoyuan, can you tell me what sect you are from?"

"The Su Nu sect. Our sect is not well-known in the martial arts world, so many people don't know about it." Yuanyuan did not hide anything and told the truth.

Qin Ruoyu really didn't know. This was the first time he had heard of this sect. Seeing that Qin Ruoyu didn't respond, Yuanyuan thought he was disgusted. After all, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had seen everything. Yuanyuan continued, "Although our sect is not well-known, we never do bad things and never kill innocent people. We are all good people. Big brother, please don't send people to arrest us when the time comes."

"Heh." Yuanyuan's sudden words made Qin Ruoyu laugh out loud. He hadn't expected this girl to have such thoughts. He said, "I know you are good people. Your uncle saved my life. Why would I send people to arrest you?"