CHAPTER 38
Quickie
LUO FAN
As we journeyed further northwest, the landscape grew increasingly barren, signaling that we were nearing the border of Wun. The first time we traveled here, we had stopped in Qushan. This time, however, Ruan Yanjun had chosen a different route, convinced that my enemies would be lying in wait there.
Qushan was the essential resting point for travelers heading to Kan Empire. Stocking up on supplies was crucial before facing the vast, unforgiving deserts, and the town provided everything in abundance. It was only natural that those who sought my life would expect me to pass through there.
But Ruan Yanjun had seen through that and had contacted a group beforehand to guide us across the inhospitable desert where very few people dared to cross.
I exhaled as a bead of sweat trickled from my forehead down the side of my face. Even under the shade of the carriage, with the window open, the heat was suffocating, and my clothes were already damp with sweat. I couldn't fathom how the men outside, trudging on foot with heavy boots, managed to endure this relentless heat.
Though I was born and raised in the Kan Empire, most of my life had been spent atop a cold mountain where wearing a coat was essential in the early mornings and nights.
Despite my lingering anxiety about approaching the capital, I was eager to reach our destination. The town of Guidao lay further north, where even at the height of summer, the temperature was far more tolerable. The sooner we arrived, the sooner I could escape this oppressive heat.
I heard Ruan Yanjun scoff. He had been sitting silently beside me, never uttering a word of complaint. I couldn't help but wonder how he was managing in this unbearable heat.
I glanced at him, noticing how relaxed he seemed, reclining lazily with his long legs stretched out in front of him. "Lord Ruan, how can you not be bothered by this heat?" I asked.
"I don't feel it," he responded calmly.
I frowned and leaned in to get a closer look at his face. Unlike me, he wasn't sweating at all, and there was an odd, cold air emanating from him.
He reached over with a handkerchief, gently wiping the sweat from my face. I meant to pull back, but the chill of his fingers, brushing lightly against my skin, stopped me. They felt as cold as winter's frozen water.
"How do you do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" he asked as he pulled his hand off my face.
I was tempted to grab his hand back and press it all over my face and neck. "Make yourself cold."
"It's a trick of a higher level dark core bearer."
I recalled something I had read in a book once which stated that centuries ago, dark core bearers could choose between mastering fire or ice. Most opted for fire, and as a result, practitioners of ice became so rare that they eventually vanished. Another reason for its extinction was that ice cultivation had been outlawed across all five empires, following a horrific event in history that was blamed on the devastating power of ice cultivation.
I had not expected that the great Ruan Yanjun had chosen the forbidden skill. "Why did you choose ice over fire?"
He smirked. "I'll tell you about that later. If you can't bear the heat, move closer to me. I don't really mind sharing my coldness with you."
I was tempted. For the first time, I wanted to press my body against him to get a share of his coldness, but I resisted the urge. I must not fall for his wicked tricks once again.
"I'm fine," I lied.
He chuckled. "Alright. It's amusing watching you struggle with the heat anyway."
I looked away while he stared at me. When I wiped the sweat off my forehead again, he laughed.
"A-Fan, why do you choose to suffer instead of cuddling with me? What's wrong with our bodies pressed together?"
"Please, don't say things like that," I pleaded. He had always been shameless, and I had grown used to the chill his teasing brought. But now, his words were becoming more and more direct, and it left me blushing more often than not.
"Alright." He sighed. "It breaks my heart to see my A-Fan suffer, so let me ease your suffering instead."
He raised his hand and a wave of cold mist filled the carriage. The relief was overwhelming as if I had been transported to a completely different place.
"Close the window so the cold doesn't escape," he ordered.
I quickly shut the window and inhaled the frigid air, feeling its coolness seep into my bones. "Thank you," I murmured, not daring to look at him.
He chortled. "I'd rather you thank me with a smile."
I turned away from him.
There was no way he was getting any of that from me.
He sighed again. "Ah, my A-Fan is really stingy. After all that I've done for him, he won't even give me a single smile. Life is indeed cruel for a devil like me."
I almost rolled my eyes. "Where are these men taking us?" I asked to change the subject.
"To their hideout?"
I frowned. "Hideout?"
"Haven't I told you that those men are members of a rebel group called the Silverblades?"
I gasped. I had heard about that notorious band of bandits. Many times, they had attacked essential establishments in the capital of Danhar before, trying to incapacitate the thriving economy. They had also robbed merchants and travelers heading for Kan Empire to weaken outside connections. No wonder they knew this part of the desert too well.
"Of all people, why did you seek this group of bandits for assistance?" I asked.
"Bandits?" He laughed. "Is that how you refer to your uncle's gang?"
"My uncle?"
"Isn't Luo Boqin your uncle? The younger brother of your deceased father Luo Zhong?"
I froze.
Of course, I remembered. I was five when I was sent to Frost Mountain, but I had never forgotten my uncle's name.
But how did he end up becoming a member of a rebel group?
"Are you sure he's a member of the gang?" I asked.
"A-Fan, he's not a member. He's their leader."
The more that I was frozen shock.
Could it be that it was the reason why I was being hunted down? Because my relative is a hardened criminal and the government had decided to eradicate his entire clan as punishment?
"How did you get affiliated with my uncle?" I asked.
He smirked. "I told you. I have connections."
"Please be more specific."
"A-Fan, be patient. You'll know everything in time."
I sighed. Every time I asked him a question, his answers were always vague and elusive. He kept telling me to be patient, and that the answers I sought would come soon. But my patience was wearing thin.
"How is he?" I asked.
"Who?"
"My uncle. Is he doing fine?"
"Of course. He's the leader of a gang. He must be sleeping on his mountain of gold right now."
I took a deep breath. Hearing about a relative of mine had my heart pounding in excitement. "Are we going to meet him?"
"Don't you want to?"
"I do."
He smirked. "Don't worry. He's as eager as you are to reunite with you."
Before I could respond, the carriage lurched to a sudden stop, nearly throwing me forward. Then, the cry of the men outside pierced the air.
"Ambush!"