The flatbread tasted awful and was very hard to bite into.
But it indeed filled the stomach. Lu Xun was so hungry that he forced it down even it tasted so awful.
Ji Li grew up on the streets. Despite being spoilt at home, she was not a person who couldn't endure hardship. Given the current circumstances where she was being pursued by enemies, being able to eat until full was good enough for her.
But she didn't remove her veil while eating and kept her back to Lu Xun.
The sun was setting, and darkness crept in.
As expected, they would likely have to spend the night in the thick forest.
"I wonder if she would insist on practicing her Demonic Arts in the wilderness...probably not, right..." pondered Lu Xun.
The ground was too hard. He felt rather uncomfortable lying down.
Ji Li didn't utter a word as she sat cross-legged in the nearby distance, recuperating her internal energy.
Lu Xun didn't intend to escape while she was resting. As he'd said before, he considered Ji Li his mount now. After all, they shared the same destination. Besides, traveling alone could pose some difficulties should he encounter danger along the way.
Moreover, although it seemed like Ji Li was just resting, she was actually hyper-aware of her surroundings, detecting even the wind rustling through the grass. Her hearing was remarkably good.
Lu Xun kept his initial composure, not seeming at all like someone who had been kidnapped. He looked up at Ji Li who had her eyes closed and said, "Miss Ji, do you have any water?"
He was thirsty at the moment.
Had it been one of the hoodlums from the 22nd century before he crossed over, she might have retorted, "Where?"
But Ji Li didn't say a word, nor did she open her eyes. Instead, she simply tossed over the gourd that was hanging at her side.
After tossing it over, she suddenly opened her eyes. Remembering that the gourd was one she used, if he drank straight from it, wouldn't that be...uh oh!
Luckily, Lu Xun didn't seem to have the same thought, he simply opened his mouth and poured the water from the gourd into it.
Ji Li watched him, feeling a bit complex. What was this slight feeling of loss in her heart all about?
She seriously needed to cure her obsession with appearances!
In her mind, she started repeating the Mental Tranquility Technique: "Calm down, calm down, calm down..."
Suddenly, Ji Li's brow furrowed, and she made a gesture signaling Lu Xun to be quiet.
She quickly moved over to Lu Xun, an alert look on her face.
A few seconds later, Lu Xun also heard the noises around them.
Someone was coming!
"Humph! This little girl can run!" A slightly hoarse voice echoed.
From the sound of their footsteps, there should be quite a few of them.
And since their footsteps were light, they should all be people from the martial arts world who have a cultivation base as well.
Only then did Lu Xun realize, so Ji Li was really being pursued!
Kidnapping a cauldron while on the run, this girl sure had guts!
Lu Xun hid beside Ji Li, the surrounding bushes providing them some cover. He could see the tension in Ji Li's eyes. When Ji Li turned her head to look at him, she was surprised to find him as calm as ever.
On the contrary, he showed a change in facial expression for the first time when a gust of night wind blew past!
The wind was gentle, but cold.
It was a feeling he was very familiar with.
Having created countless alternate accounts and lurked near various newbie villages for years, he was very clear on where this wind was coming from and what would happen next.
He leaned close to Ji Li's ear and whispered softly, "Hold your breath, don't breathe."
Ji Li's ear itched slightly at his words, and she discreetly moved her head away. Giving Lu Xun a puzzled glance, she found his gaze steady...and rather attractive.
Ji Li did as she was told without any further thought, after all, holding her breath for a moment wouldn't kill her.
However, in just a short amount of time, she witnessed a horrifying sight!
A patch of faint black mist slowly drifted towards them, enveloping a translucent human figure within.
This creature, whose identity was unknown, looked quite silly and roughly took this form: ╭(°A°`)╮
It had hollow eyes with only a dark aura swirling around.
Ji Li broke out in a cold sweat as she opened her eyes wide, watching this illusory shadow drift towards the vicinity.
The direction it was headed was naturally towards the location of the footstep and speaking noise just a moment ago.
Soon, a barrage of noises could be heard.
They included the clash of weapons, screams, roars, and also...the sound of human bodies falling.
Lu Xun narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself, "Seems like my luck isn't bad. I've actually stumbled upon a mobile experience pack."
Once the battle over there ended, he planned to deal with this illusory shadow and see if it could boost his experience points.
After all, this was not a game, but actual transmigration. Although there was an experience bar in the panel information, who knew if killing a monster would give experience points or not?
He'll give it a shot!
As for this illusory shadow... Either a three-year-old could kill it if the method was right, or it could give him a ran for his money if he got it wrong.
This thing had troubled many players when it first appeared. Despite looking innocent and naive, it was pretty lethal.
It was not until the players found the right method, and were pleasantly surprised to find it gave quite a lot of experience points, that they officially and affectionately started calling it – the "Black Silly".
In no time, the sounds of bodies hitting the ground one after another resounded, and the group that was chasing Ji Li was likely wiped out completely.
Ji Li's eyes widened at the sight, her right hand tightly gripped the Wedding Sword, as if preparing for a formidable foe.
Given her current prowess, she had no way of killing this group that pursued her, but this illusory shadow managed to do it with ease!
"What the hell is this thing!" Fear welled up within her.
"Whoosh—" A cold wind blew again. It seemed like the group had been taken care of by the creature, as it began to aimlessly wander again, and it was even circling back.
There was simply no other way, as this creature was essentially mindless, knowing only to kill relentlessly.
Since that group of people were dead, Lu Xun decided to stop playing the lurking villain.
This was a rare "mobile experience pack", which was incredibly valuable for a new account!
He casually got up and headed towards the direction of the "Black Silly", but was promptly grabbed by Ji Li.
"Damn, this girl has quite a grip!" Lu Xun was unable to break free.
Clearly, while this girl had some martial arts training, a significant part of her overall strength was likely due to her Innate Divine Strength.
She shook her head vehemently at Lu Xun.
She was bewildered though, since Lu Xun must have heard the screams. Why was he getting up now?
Was he looking for a death wish?
Did he prefer to die than be her sacrificial artifact?
And to be honest, the 16-year-old Ji Li was a bit scared now.
"Could it be some kind of evil spirit or ghost?"
Having someone by her side would indeed make her feel a bit more secure.
Lu Xun observed the panic in her eyes and then glanced at his right arm, which was firmly gripped by her.
Although Ji Li was more fleshy in some parts, she wasn't fat at all. With a slim waist, her hands were chubby.
Her chubby little hand was gripping Lu Xun's right arm tightly, giving off a cute feel reminiscent of a kitten's paw pads.
He smiled slightly, lifting his left hand to gently pat the back of Ji Li's little chubby hand, reassuringly saying,
"Don't be afraid, it's just a ghost."
Ji Li trembled all over, feeling even more like crying.
...