Chapter 73: Western Fantasy (Conclusion)

Chapter 73: Western Fantasy (Conclusion)

The next day, as expected, the snow began to cease, but the wind still howled strongly.

Early in the morning, Lu Nian was awakened by a knock on the door.

"Get up," the young man urged impatiently at the door, "It's a three-day journey to Yalan. We need to leave this morning."

Breakfast was already prepared. Lu Nian, still yawning, drowsily spread jam onto her bread. She looked around to find an unusually lavish breakfast, including items like the purple forest fruits found only in dense woods, roasted migratory bird meat, and smoked beef. It seemed more like a grand lunch rather than a breakfast.

She feasted heartily, and in between bites, she asked, "Why is there so much food today?"

Qin Si replied, "Lunch will be quite late."

Or perhaps, not at all.

After all, halting midway through the deep forest could escalate the dangers, especially as his condition deteriorated further, making him worry about his ability to protect her.

Qin Si arranged for a horse-drawn carriage to take them to the edge of the dense forest. There, they would switch to horseback. He planned to escort her through the most perilous part of the journey before finding Yabo, a colleague from his university days in the capital, to accompany Lu Nian to her home in Yalan City.

As they disembarked from the carriage, they were met with the sight of a pristine snow-covered forest. Much to his surprise, Lu Nian, usually so docile and obedient, did not create a scene or refuse to go back home.

He could only presume that her ordeal outside had made her appreciate the comforts of home.

He chose not to dwell on other possibilities.

After all, witches were merely creatures of forest legends, unseen and indistinguishable from humans. They blended seamlessly into human society, unrecognizable unless they chose to reveal their identity. Non-aggressive and perhaps even symbiotic with humans, they remained a silent presence amongst the populace.

Lu Nian wrapped her arms around his waist, gently pressing her cheek against his rigid back in a quiet gesture of affection.

The young man's eyelashes fluttered, his voice drifting back to her over the wind, asking, "How did you manage to come here?"

Lu Nian replied with buoyant enthusiasm, "I hid in a merchant's returning cargo truck, amidst the goods. They were bringing a large shipment of furniture to my family."

It seemed like something she could accomplish.

Although the snow had ceased, Qin Si draped her with thick scarves and outer garments. Swathed like a small ball in layers of his clothing, which carried his scent, she looked around and felt quite pleased.

She clung to his waist tightly, inhaling deeply, and relished the warmth and protection he provided. Though she wasn't really susceptible to the cold, even enjoying barefoot walks in the snow during winter, she reveled in his tender care.

Despite Qin Si choosing the safest route, the journey remained challenging, thankfully devoid of vampires but occasionally interrupted by isolated monstrous creatures.

He shielded her diligently, sensing some irregularities.

The encounters were too infrequent.

Compared to his previous passage, the number of creatures encountered was shockingly low, and all of them were of lower rank, with no developed consciousness.

Lu Nian obediently and cleverly stood behind him.

The forest creatures were capable of mutual sensing, with vampires and witches being the upper echelons of the forest hierarchy. These lower-order creatures usually avoided their territories. This time, she deliberately suppressed her presence,

to a point where even Qin Si couldn't detect it, yet some higher-order creatures retained a basic instinctual awareness.

Along the way, Lu Nian found her affection for him deepening.

She couldn't possibly let him go or allow him to commit a foolish act of suicide, she contemplated.

During the day, she embraced his waist contentedly, while he fended off all enemies and prepared their meals, asking nothing of her but to eat. At night, he stood guard vigilantly, foregoing sleep.

Lu Nian suggested they could sleep together, a proposal that was summarily rejected without consideration before she even finished speaking.

She pouted in disappointment, calculating silently in her mind.

It wouldn't be much longer before the infection consumed him completely.

At that moment of utmost weakness, when he would be powerless and delirious, unable to resist the allure of fresh blood, she didn't believe she would fail to seize the opportunity.

The young witch was brimming with confidence, anticipating her imminent first success.

They passed through the forest smoothly like this. The dark-skinned man was already waiting at the exit early.

"You still have requests for me?" He clapped the youth's shoulder with a hearty laugh.

He noticed the petite girl beside him. "Your woman?"

Qin Si, "No."

"A friend's younger sister."

Lu Nian, "?"

Not even his sister, but a friend's?

The little girl had been holding his coat hem, hiding behind him. Ya Bo reached out to her with a bright, enthusiastic smile, flashing pearly teeth. "Your hair color is so beautiful."

Lu Nian let him pull her along, seeming perfectly happy to chat with him.

"Goodbye." That was all she said to Qin Si before leaving without a backward glance.

Qin Si watched as Ya Bo took her onto the carriage. The mark on the back of his hand throbbed more intensely with searing pain. He pursed his lips tightly, standing far away - his straight, slender figure was like a lone pine in the wind.

Their acquaintance had been so brief, yet when he thought back on every detail of their time together, it felt as if he had known her for ages already from the moment he first saw her.

Indeed, it had all just been his own foolish delusions.

Still, the corners of his lips quirked up slightly in a mocking arc.

He wouldn't be alive much longer anyway.

After a long while, the youth finally turned and headed back the way he had come, without resting.

The mental relaxation made him finally unable to keep going.

He could no longer make it out of these woods.

There was a small cabin in the forest for travelers to rest. Due to the recent awful weather, traffic along this route had sharply declined.

He closed the door behind him and drew out the silver dagger from its sheath.

Disposing of a vampire was troublesome, but not difficult for him. He took off his shirt, bare-chested - his broad, smooth back was completely covered in intricate blood-red markings, still spreading.

He just had to wait for the marks to creep over his nape and activate the sealing spell, then cut his own throat with the dagger - it would all be over.

His life had been fleeting and meaningless. At the end, there was an unrequited romantic interest.

Moonlight of unknown hour rose, scorching as flames.

He picked up the small dagger.

Everything is on the verge of beginning, and equally nearing its end.

The sound of the blade slicing through skin did not resonate.

The door had been opened at some unknown point, the dagger slipped from his grip, flying directly into her hands. Lu Nian caught it, gently caressing the sheath, a curve gracing the corners of her lips.

He was exerting every ounce of his strength to restrain himself, devoid of any remaining energy to reclaim it.

“Why have you returned?” The anger in the young man’s voice was barely contained, the corners of his eyes turning red as he looked at the petite figure that suddenly appeared at the cabin door, his first reaction was to voice this question.

“I just wanted to come back and see.” Lu Nian, holding the dagger, replied nonchalantly.

That night, the blade had already been stained with her fresh blood. She seized the opportunity to cast a minor curse through it as a medium.

Initially, given Qin Si's personality, he would never allow anyone, apart from those destined to die under this blade, to touch this personal weapon. He had been utterly careless with her.

He obviously had finally caught on.

The young man’s expression had morphed completely into a kind of cold and lifeless stillness, “Do whatever you wish.”

Take him back for research, or call others, claim the bounty, and incidentally let them all witness his disgrace before death.

Lu Nian slowly approached.

He was restrained by his own sealing magic, fully transformed into the visage of a vampire. Due to the forced endurance, his lips were bitten through, with beads of blood slowly seeping out, deepening the hue of his originally pale lips. His initially handsome, cool, and icy appearance now faintly exuded a few shades of lascivious charm.

She said softly, “I can offer you my blood, I don't mind.”

"Are you insane?" He looked up, voice hoarse, clinging to his last shred of sanity.

"I'm not a human, you know," Lu Nian said. "I am a witch, and my home was originally in this forest. Strictly speaking, I'm kin to vampires."

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a stretch of fair skin on her arm, generously offering, "Where would you like to drink from?"

Suddenly, Lu Nian realized that this wasn't right; according to what she had learned, enticing a man this way seemed incorrect. She hurriedly lowered her sleeve, flustered, attempting to remove her outer garment. However, she was wrapped in the clothes that Qin Si had given her, and amidst her frantic efforts, she couldn't manage to untangle herself.

Annoyed, she threw the scarf she had managed to remove onto the ground, exhaling deeply. In the moonlight, a large patch of her nape that was revealed gleamed like polished jade.

Before she could continue, she uttered, "Ah."

The force was excessive, causing a delayed prickling pain to radiate from her nape.

That night, a heavy snow began to fall once again, blanketing the city.

The young man's slightly long black hair fell forward, covering his eyes. Motionless, he nestled his head in the crook of her neck, his breath gentle and slightly ticklish there. He seldom displayed such a languid and unguarded demeanor, resembling a beast that had finally found its way home.

Lu Nian felt a surge of abundant magical energy coursing throughout her body.

Her fingertips gently grazed the man's black hair, toying with it. His long eyelashes cast downward as he continued to hold her closely.

In this moment of contentment, Lu Nian suddenly recalled what he had said earlier.

He would rather die than become a vampire.

"You can't abandon me," Lu Nian said with a pitiful expression. "Now, if you die and leave me behind, what will I do? I'm going to become a widow."

He had managed to regain some composure, but upon hearing this word, the tips of his ears silently turned a deep red, leaving him unable to rebut.

Lu Nian was quite unrestrained in his presence now, presenting a stark contrast to his usual self and his demeanor when transformed into a vampire.

"I can help you," Lu Nian stated.

"It's actually an illusion spell that makes others see your old appearance," she explained casually.

"Then every week, like earlier..." She continued, "You can live normally like everyone else!"

Forming a covenant with a witch often came with many benefits - they could fulfill many wishes for the covenanted person.

However, in exchange, the covenanted had to devote their heart and soul to the witch for the rest of their life.

The man's voice was still slightly hoarse. "...Every week?"

"That's already very seldom," Lu Nian huffed, reluctantly telling the truth. "But later on, it can be relaxed to once a month or even once a year."

"But," she quickly added, "You can't betray me. If you betray me, I can unilaterally annul the covenant. Then you'd have to commit suicide again."

The girl's eyes were big and round, clear and clean in the moonlight.

He smiled silently, arms tightening around her slightly as his lips curved up.

Lu Nian sat up straight. "Let's travel the world together in the future!"

She mumbled, "The illusion spell may work on ordinary people, but probably not if you want to return to the Knights."

The bigger reason was actually—

He was going to marry her!!

She certainly didn't dare blatantly linger around the imperial capital under the bishops' watch.

The outside world was vast - she had always wanted to go out and see it, but only for one person. Plus her magic was powerful but her body was even frailer than an ordinary girl's. She had no experience or ability to survive out there, and could not defend against attacks or ambushes.

"You have to protect me," she sniffled, pleading pitifully.

Now, they both held the same status.

However, what set him apart was that even without the use of magic, his swordsmanship alone could secure him a prominent position outside, and he could adequately protect her.

He picked up the coat and scarf that had fallen to the ground, wrapping her carefully in them, his eyes downcast, "...Mhm."

Was that a sign of agreement?

Lu Nian nestled comfortably in his arms, squinting her eyes contentedly, basking in the meticulous pampering.

"As expected, women from our clan excel in bewitching men," Lu Nian boasted with an air of triumph, "In the past, we had an elder who was extremely skilled at it, bewitching ninety-nine men throughout her lifetime..."

His expression darkened, his grip tightening unconsciously.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." Lu Nian exclaimed in pain.

"This is my first time venturing out!" she assured him fervently, "You're the only one for me, there's no one else..." she couldn't finish her sentence.

Before she could finish, her words were swallowed by a kiss that was filled with possessiveness, a kiss that was both fierce and violent.

"You won't be able to leave me for the rest of your life," the girl said with a teasing smirk, her nose crinkling, "You need the potion I provide."

"I won't leave," he murmured, holding her closer in his embrace.

Perhaps, he had fallen even deeper under the spell of a potion called love.

It was love at first sight for him, a mesmerizing enchantment, seemingly a destined connection transcending lifetimes.

Ancient Times Side Story