Heroines, I'm Really not the Devourer
Chapter 32: Zhulan (2)

Chapter 32: Zhulan (2)

’She’s stubborn...’

He gently released her onto the bed, then stepped back slightly, crossing his arms. Zhulan, still breathless, glared at him with frustration. Far from mocking her, his expression remained unreadable.

Night had fallen by the time she opened her eyes again. The air was crisp, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves around the campsite. BaiShe sat perched on a massive tree branch, gazing at the starry sky. The moons cast a silvery light on his face, lending him an air of both mystery and distance.

"Thank you..." she whispered.

BaiShe glanced down at her briefly, nodded once, then returned his gaze to the stars.

Zhulan slowly sat up, her aching muscles protesting every movement. She watched BaiShe for a long time before finally breaking the silence.

"I still lack power..."

BaiShe raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Zhulan took a deep breath before continuing, her voice tinged with bitterness she couldn’t conceal.

"I come from a declining martial arts family. My father was a cultivator who reached the Sage level, and his strength was feared by all our rivals."

Her gaze drifted into the void as she recalled the past.

"But he was poisoned by his advisor, who was in league with our enemies. He suffered a Qi Deviation..."

She paused, as if uttering those words caused her physical pain.

BaiShe looked at her with indifference before replying in a neutral tone:

"Your personal life doesn’t really interest me..."

Zhulan clenched her fists but continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

"I sought help from my master, but being from a second-rate sect, he could do nothing."

She took a deep breath, trying to contain the emotion rising within her.

"But I must heal my father—it’s the only way..."

Her fingers tightened on the fabric of the sheet.

"And then, I heard a rumor about the Celestial Mountains and the Eternal Ruins..."

"By reaching the Lake at the heart of the mountain, I could obtain the Golden Jade Elixir..."

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She didn’t even try to wipe them away. The accumulated helplessness, frustration, and fatigue seemed to have shattered the dam she’d built around her emotions.

"I know someone from a great family like yours can’t understand..."

BaiShe sighed softly. He descended from the tree with perfect fluidity, his movement as natural as a leaf carried by the wind. He approached slowly and sat beside her. With a gesture meant to be light but sincere, he patted her shoulder.

"I do come from a wealthy lineage, but it doesn’t limit the problems we face."

She looked up, meeting his gaze. A moment of silence passed between them. She had no time to waste. If she stayed here any longer, she risked missing her chance to reach the Lake and retrieve the Golden Jade Elixir, and her father would likely die.

She stared at him for a moment in silence, her expression cold and distant, as if shielding herself from any emotion. Zhulan’s lips trembled, and in an impulsive movement, she leaned hesitantly toward him, reaching out as if to touch his face, but he pulled away immediately, breaking the contact before it could even form.

"No," he murmured firmly but without anger.

"I don’t need your pity," she replied, her breathing quickening slightly. "But if one night could convince you to help me find the elixir, then I’m willing."

Tears welled up in Zhulan’s eyes, glistening like pearls in the flickering candlelight. She lowered her gaze, her long lashes fluttering as she pressed her hands against her chest, as if to contain the pain threatening to overwhelm her.

"I... I understand," she stammered, her voice breaking with emotion. "My body... maybe it doesn’t please you. Maybe I’m not enough..."

She paused, unable to continue, but gathered her courage after a moment. "But if there’s any chance... any chance you’ll help me find the elixir, I... I would willingly give myself. Everything I have, everything I am... I would offer it to you."

Her voice was barely a whisper, but she began to undress slightly, revealing a delicate part of her breasts.

"It’s not a matter of appearance," he replied calmly.

"Then why?"

"I simply have principles."

Zhulan froze for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. She felt ridiculous, even pathetic. She had clung to a fragile hope, thinking that by offering herself, she could manipulate her fate. But in the face of BaiShe, her pride, her dignity, and even her feminine assets had been reduced to nothing.

The silence stretched on before BaiShe spoke again.

"If it’s not too far, I can help you."

Zhulan’s head snapped up, her eyes wide.

"But for now, you should meditate and recover."

She opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself immediately. Her body was still too weak to endure a grueling journey.

She slowly nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve.

"Okay..."

BaiShe stood and returned to his branch, resuming his meditative posture. Zhulan, meanwhile, slowly closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing.

The wind still blew gently, and the moons shone peacefully above them.

The path winding through the Celestial Mountains led them to a forest where the fog was oppressive. A thick mist coiled around the gnarled trees, weaving between the branches like a living entity. The air was heavy, saturated with an invisible presence, and every step seemed to draw them deeper into an unreal dimension.

Zhulan shivered. Despite the layer of energy protecting her from the cold, a strange dampness clung to her skin. The trees loomed, twisted and misshapen, their bark marked with esoteric symbols. BaiShe, leading the way, moved cautiously, his gaze scanning the shifting darkness between the trunks.

Murmurs arose. At first indistinct, they transformed into hissing whispers.

Suddenly, screams pierced the silence, echoing between the trees. Screams of pain, despair, and rage. Zhulan froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breath became erratic, and a cold sweat slid down her back.

The shadows stirred around her, stretched, distorted, took shape.

A face.

An empty gaze, a smile twisted by pain. Her father.

He reached a hand toward her.

[YOU HAVE FAILED! YOU ARE BANISHED! OUT, YOU FILTHY BITCH!]

Memories and illusions mingled with reality. She bit her tongue to maintain her rationality.

Zhulan gasped. Her mind clouded, her body reacted instinctively. She drew her sword in a fluid motion and lunged at BaiShe.