Yang Haoyu carried only a large sword on his back. Without attendants, companions, or even a hired carriage, he walked on foot alone.
He exuded an air of a chivalrous swordsman.
Lin Qiao remembered that Yang Haoyu had said he was attending the cultivation convention in Yangzhou City for the second time, so he should be much more experienced than them.
"Maybe... we should invite him to join us?"
Luo Nanchen's face dropped. He pursed his lips, frowned, and started sulking. "Don't ask me."
Lin Qiao gave Luo Nanchen a puzzled look. Then, being quite determined, she immediately turned to Li Gusong and asked, "Hey, what do you think? Our carriage isn't crowded."
Li Gusong glanced at Luo Nanchen and then at Lin Qiao. "Well... Maybe you should decide for yourself, madam."
Lin Qiao snorted. "Fine, I'll decide for myself." With that, she lifted the curtain of the carriage. "Brother Yang, come and join us. It's still a long way to Endian Cheng Great Forest."
Yang Haoyu looked at the carriage Lin Qiao and the others were in. Although it was much more low - key than the one sent by the black market earlier, it was still of high quality.
"Thank you, madam."
His clear voice carried the unique charm of a young man. After saying that, he leaped onto the front of the carriage.
He sat side by side with Mo Xiujie on the driver's seat instead of getting inside the carriage.
But now that they had invited Yang Haoyu onto the carriage, they wouldn't have to worry about wandering aimlessly in Endian Cheng Great Forest due to lack of experience, since Yang Haoyu was an experienced hand.
Moreover, he seemed to be a reliable one.
Looking back, Lin Qiao saw that Luo Nanchen was still sulking.
Not only was he sulking, but he was also biting his lips, clenching his fists, and staring out of the carriage menacingly. It was as if his whole body was sending a message to Lin Qiao: Come and comfort me.
Lin Qiao found it funny. Why was this man so jealous?
She leaned over and whispered in Luo Nanchen's ear, "Husband."
Luo Nanchen didn't hear clearly and subconsciously asked, "What?"
After asking, he remembered that he was supposed to be angry. So he quickly straightened his posture, pursed his lips, and clenched his fists again, trying to look domineering.
Lin Qiao repeated with a smile, "Husband."
This time, he really couldn't hold it in anymore. "What does this mean?"
"It means husband. It's how we call it in my place," Lin Qiao whispered in Luo Nanchen's ear, trying to lower her voice. "Don't be angry..."
Luo Nanchen couldn't help but cough twice, and his ears quietly turned red.
Lin Qiao didn't stop there. "Husband, my lord, my dear..."
Luo Nanchen couldn't clench his fists anymore, and his menacing look had long disappeared. He deflated instantly, changing from a majestic emperor to a cute border collie. "I'm... not angry."
It seemed that all it took to change Luo Nanchen was Lin Qiao.
"Not angry?"
"Not angry."
"Really not angry?"
"Really not angry."
A mischievous thought crossed Lin Qiao's mind. She playfully lifted Luo Nanchen's chin. "Come on, beauty, give me a smile."
Luo Nanchen couldn't smile because at this moment, his lower body...
Alas, if it weren't for the other two people in the carriage...
He wouldn't have been so stiff and dared not move...
Lin Qiao had no idea what dirty thoughts were going through Luo Nanchen's mind. She just focused on teasing him. Luo Nanchen quickly grabbed her mischievous hand.
"Wait until we get back."
Lin Qiao was stunned. "Get back? Back where? After we get back from Endian Cheng Great Forest? Will you smile for me then?"
Luo Nanchen smiled. "Xiaolin, when we get back, I hope you'll still call me like this."
Lin Qiao suddenly had a bad feeling.
Luo Nanchen stared at her with dark and deep eyes, saying word by word, "When we get back, I'll make sure madam calls enough."
Lin Qiao: "..."
Oops, it seemed she had gone too far with the flirting...
When they reached the foot of a mountain, Yang Haoyu suddenly lifted the curtain of the carriage. "Sir, madam, we have to walk from now on. It's dangerous to stay in the carriage as we can't see the surroundings clearly."
The six of them got off the carriage and left it aside.
Mo Xiujie said stupidly, "Are Young Master Li and his wife not feeling well? Why do they look so pale?"
Lin Qiao turned around and was shocked to find that Li Gusong and Qu Yinghan were blushing, looking nervous and awkward. They didn't know where to put their hands and feet.
What was even weirder was that after Mo Xiujie asked, Qu Yinghan's cheeks became even redder. Although a shy beauty was very charming, this situation was a bit too strange, wasn't it?
... Wait, a shy beauty?
Was Qu Yinghan shy? Then Li Gusong must be too?
But they hadn't done anything...
Oh, she remembered. Li Gusong and Qu Yinghan hadn't done anything, but she and Luo Nanchen had.
Because these two were usually quiet and didn't draw much attention, and she had been busy comforting the sulking Luo Nanchen, she had completely forgotten that there were two other people in the carriage when she was flirting with Luo Nanchen.
... So was it the sour smell of love that made Li Gusong and Qu Yinghan so awkward?
Alas, it seemed that the two of them were having another fight.
However, Lin Qiao discovered a truth. Once people got involved in love, they would become extremely bold. Just now, she had blatantly flirted with Luo Nanchen without feeling the slightest bit embarrassed.
If it had been in the past, Lin Qiao couldn't even imagine herself doing such a thing.
The deeper they went into the forest, the less they could see the sun.
The thick black clouds blocked not only the sun but also the light. In the dark forest, it was hard to see far ahead, which made people feel even more insecure.
Luo Nanchen conjured a flame in his palm to light the way ahead.
"Ah—"
A scream came from behind. Lin Qiao looked back, but there was no sign of Qu Yinghan!
There was only Li Gusong, who was desperately looking for Qu Yinghan everywhere.
A chill ran down Lin Qiao's spine. They had just entered this damned forest, and before they had even noticed anything, one of them was missing?
Qu Yinghan was at least a cultivator of the same level as her!
Luo Nanchen quickly grabbed Lin Qiao's hand, afraid that she would disappear like Qu Yinghan.
Lin Qiao squeezed his hand back to signal that she was okay.
Li Gusong searched around but couldn't find the missing Qu Yinghan. The corners of his eyes were red, and he looked on the verge of collapse.
"Yinghan, Qu Yinghan—"
When they got off the carriage just now, Lin Qiao had seen clearly that Qu Yinghan had been following Li Gusong closely, not leaving him for a single step.
But now...
Looking at Li Gusong on the verge of collapse, Lin Qiao felt a bit sad.
Alas, fate was really playing tricks on people.
Yang Haoyu was puzzled. "This kind of thing didn't happen last year..."
Luo Nanchen said, "The most important thing now is to prevent anyone else from disappearing. Gusong—"
Li Gusong's eyes were dull, and he looked dejected. "Your Majesty, don't worry. I'm fine."
Yang Haoyu, who was still confused about the previous situation, was now even more confused. "Em... Emperor?!"