Escape?
Xu Yuan's footsteps halted abruptly, and he turned in disbelief to look at the colossal Buddha head, its eyes dimming gradually in the darkness.
Some details he had overlooked earlier surfaced in his mind, and Xu Yuan felt as if he suddenly understood something.
Reality was not like anime or movies, where an enemy who could kill you in a sneak attack wouldn't just pose and wait for you to notice him.
Yet this colossal Buddha, after reaching his side without making a sound, had not attacked him immediately, choosing instead to take action against the woman in black only after he had hidden at the edge of the temple hall.
The rain outside the temple continued to patter down, and inside, the air seemed so cold it could freeze.
Third Young Master...
Xu Yuan looked down at his own frail body and let out a long sigh.
The Buddhist statue's address, the condition of this body, and the events that had just taken place led him to a vague conjecture about the world he had traversed into.
It was too similar.
The events that just transpired were almost identical to a scene in a 2.5D pixel-style game he had once played, "Cangyuan Chronicles."
The colossal Buddha, the ruined temple, the brocade-clad young master, and the ice-cold woman in black.
Only, what was experienced in the 2.5D pixel style had been directly converted into a first-person real-life perspective, whose vast difference had prevented Xu Yuan, who had just traversed, from associating the two.
However, now the Buddha's mention of "Third Young Master" suddenly awakened him.
He had become the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's household.
That very Third Young Master in "Cangyuan Chronicles," who in twenty-five world lines had been killed in twenty-five different ways—the most tragic Third Young Master.
But realizing this, Xu Yuan's previously tight heart relaxed slightly, and he looked ahead.
Time seemed to slow for a moment as rainwater sliding off the eaves sparkled in lines of silver against the darkness.
His eyes, accustomed to the dark, could vaguely make out the graceful figure approaching him.
The woman's footsteps were light, yet clearly audible.
The darkness in the temple spread swiftly as the chill wind howled through the rainy night.
Finally, Xu Yuan's gaze met the woman's limpid eyes shining in the darkness.
"You are..."
A voice as calm and gentle as water resonated from the darkness.
Just from the sound of it, one could imagine it belonged to a handsome, refined young man.
This Third Young Master's body should be quite appealing.
With these scattered thoughts, Xu Yuan continued to speak:
"...Ran Qingmo?"
Before he had finished speaking, a trace of cold light flickered quietly across the woman's serene eyes.
And as Xu Yuan saw that chilling glint in her eyes, he relaxed completely.
He had guessed correctly; this was indeed the world of the game.
The situation in front of him fell in line with the plot he knew, and Xu Yuan instantly recalled that this ice block's objective was to capture him, not to kill him.
Because she needed him to "persuade" his soon-to-be warmongering BOSS father.
Regardless of how he might die later, at this moment, the immediate threat to Xu Yuan's life was lifted, and the pressure plummeted.
After several seconds of eye contact,
The cold light in the woman's eyes faded bit by bit as she turned away, her tone indifferent:
"Follow."
Xu Yuan realized she was preparing to move and escape.
The bodies outside and the "Spiritual Buddha" inside the temple were all underlings of his father's, and though the woman had not left a single survivor with her sword, it was clear that this place could no longer serve as a refuge.
However, even though she intended to leave, Xu Yuan absolutely could not just follow her.
Depending on the player's choices, the game "Cangyuan Chronicles" could lead to many different endings, and in several of these, the original body, playing a minor antagonist, died en route to being kidnapped by this big ice lump.
Although these deaths were glossed over in the game, he indeed died.
So Xu Yuan stood still, watching her dark silhouette, his voice as clear and calm as possible:
"Mr. Ran, do you realize what you are doing?"
"Mr. Ran" was the respectful address given to Ran Qingmo by the main characters in "Cangyuan Chronicles."
```
"......"
Xu Yuan's sudden speech seemed to catch the black-clad woman off guard.
She stopped in her tracks, and her tranquil yet sharp gaze swept over him, raising goosebumps on Xu Yuan's skin behind her.
She did not speak, merely standing quietly in the dark and looking at him.
Feeling the gaze of this 'Big Ice Lump' wasn't pleasant, Xu Yuan recalled the game plot over and over in his mind, confirming that she wasn't supposed to kill him at this point in the story.
She repeated,
"Keep up."
Xu Yuan maintained his composure, enunciating each word:
"You won't kill me."
Ran Qingmo casually summoned a thick and long wooden stick from the ground.
Holding the stick, she stood in place, quietly staring at Xu Yuan.
"......" Xu Yuan.
He took a deep breath and followed behind the woman.
Xu Yuan pretended to be calm and spoke softly,
"Mr. Ran, capturing me is meaningless."
Ran Qingmo still said nothing, carrying a sword in one hand and the wooden stick in the other, silently walking toward the outside of the temple.
Xu Yuan strived to keep his voice level,
"People like my father won't change their decisions based on whether I live or die."
Ran Qingmo finally spoke softly, her voice still light,
"What are you trying to say?"
Outside the temple, the rain continued pouring, hitting the eaves and creating a series of ripples as it splashed into puddles.
Hearing her finally speak, Xu Yuan quickly replied,
"Of course, I'm talking about your reason for capturing me."
Saying this, he gave a slight smile,
"Mr. Ran, you're capturing me to save the forty thousand disciples of the Sword Sect..."
Buzz————
Before he could finish, time seemed to freeze within the temple.
A sudden and deadly chill escalated, and a gust of wind exploded outward from the woman, causing Xu Yuan's robe sleeves to flutter loudly!
An immense, invisible pressure emanated from her silhouette hidden in the darkness. Just by standing there, it nearly brought Xu Yuan to his knees.
Xu Yuan staggered back two steps, his hands clenched tightly within his wide sleeves, and he steadied himself by grasping a wooden pillar.
The woman's aura in the darkness sent chills up his spine.
Caught off guard by this unexpected event, Xu Yuan couldn't understand why Ran Qingmo would react so strongly to his words.
In a flash,
His mind raced through the game's plot, and Xu Yuan realized he might have said something wrong.
For him, a "player," the Prime Minister destroying the Tianyuan Sword Sect was expected knowledge.
But for the people of this world, this plan was probably still in the making, a secret within secrets known only to his stepfather and a few of his most trusted subordinates.
At this point in time,
The head of the Sword Sect was still the revered State Preceptor of the Dayan Empire, and still the old friend of his Prime Minister father after many years of collaboration.
For the Prime Minister to destroy the Sword Sect was something that even the sect's head might not believe if spoken aloud.
Despite being the legitimate third son of the Prime Minister, someone well-versed in the vices of luxury at this point in time would not possibly be aware of such a secret.
Cold sweat trickled down his face.
He was doomed.
At this moment, Ran Qingmo had fully turned around, her eyes glowing blue in the darkness, and as she walked toward Xu Yuan, she drew the blade in her hand:
"How do you know?"
```