TY Chapter 43: Shadow in the Middle of the Night

Like a prowling dangerous snake, a strong and cold hand instantaneously grabbed the neck of the dark silhouette and exerted force. Along with an alarmed shout and a pained cry, the silhouette outside was dragged into the straw cottage and thrown onto the floor. At the same time, in the deepest corner of the shadows, a black dagger melded into the shadows. Carrying an aura of bloodthirstiness and callousness, it moved in a trajectory toward the heart of the human.

In the darkness, someone was panting, seemingly the sneer of a demon, yet strangely reminiscent of despaired fear, looking forward to spilling fresh blood to quench the trembling excitement within the nightmare.

“Ah!” Someone screamed in shock, with fear and faint sobs mixed within it. In the wind, the voice trembled as a withered grass would.

The wave of darkness billowed violently, rattling the forlorn straw cottage. The treacherous sharp black dagger sliced through the darkness, pierced through the wind, penetrated through the robe and headed straight toward her chest!

His eyes were bright but frigid cold!

In this defining and tense moment, he saw the blurred features on the face and heard that scream of agony.

The darkness suddenly stilled, as though a tidal wave had solidified in midair. All sound disappeared without a trace, and at that moment, it seemed as though even the blood within their bodies have stopped flowing.

The cold and sharp dagger had penetrated through the clothes and plunged into her voluptuous chest. Just an inch deeper, and that could have been the end.

The world outside the cottage seemed to slowly recover and sound, once again, could be heard. The wind blew continuously like the tides, crashing in wave after wave.

The dagger had yet to be retracted, and she lied on the floor with her body completely cold, not daring to move in the slightest.

After an unknown duration, perhaps it might have just been an instant, yet feeling like a lifetime, the frigid sensation that was crushing her heart lifted slowly and retreated back into the darkness.

※※※

Pada! A spark of fire lit up the candle on the table.

The dim glow of the candlelight drove away the darkness, bringing a sliver of warmth to the forlorn straw cottage. When the radiance reached the ground surface, the human figure turned around. It was Ding Dang.

At this moment, she looked like a mess. Her hair was scattered around, her clothes weren’t in place and her face was frighteningly pale. She slowly sat up and looked at the man sitting by the table, as well as the dagger he grasped in his hand.

That was a black and dull dagger.

Lu Chen turned over and gazed at her quietly as well. After a short moment, he walked over and closed the door of the straw cottage.

The mournful wind quietened down instantaneously, and the chill seems to be blocked out by the door. Ding Dang’s complexion recovered slightly. She slowly climbed up from the floor, but fear still reflected in the gaze she directed to Lu Chen. After a moment, she said softly, “You almost killed me just now.”

Lu Chen was silent for a split moment before he kept the black dagger. He walked to the side, poured a bowl of water and passed it to Ding Dang. Then, with a calm voice, he said, “You shouldn’t be trying to sneak into my cottage at such an hour.”

Ding Dang lowered her head. Carrying the bowl with both of her hands, she sat on Lu Chen’s bed and slowly sipped from it.

Lu Chen walked over to the table and pulled out a stool. He sat in front of Ding Dang, not saying a word, and simply sized her up.

Other than the scare a moment ago, Ding Dang did not seem to find anything inappropriate about the situation. However, perhaps due to fatigue, the lady seemed to look a little haggard.

After a moment, Ding Dang placed the bowl by the side and said, “I was too tired and couldn’t walk to the village in such a state. Thus, I wanted to rest at your place for a moment.”

Lu Chen glanced at her and nodded his head, “Sure.”

※※※

There was bedding on top of the bed, and the blanket still carried a trace of warmth. When Ding Dang lied down on it, the thought that Lu Chen had probably lied here a moment ago flashed through her mind. Even though it may not be as comfortable as her home, it was still a place of comfort and warmth from the darkness of the night.

Standing beside the bed, Lu Chen tucked her in. Their gazes happened to meet. The radiance of the candlelight reflected in his eyes. Under the blanket, Ding Dang’s body shuddered slightly, and a sensation, as though she was about to shiver violently, engulfed her. However, a split moment later, Lu Chen walked towards the table and blew out the candlelight.

The darkness collapsed in and his figure blurred. He walked over to the side of the bed and lied on the floor.

That night, they did not speak much. For some reason, the usual jokes and teasing words were completely absent and in its place was silence.

In the darkness, after an inestimable period of time, Ding Dang’s faint voice sounded, “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet.” Lu Chen’s voice could be heard from the ground beside the bed.

After a moment of silence, Ding Dang spoke once more, “Are you cold?”

“It’s still fine, I’m not cold.”

“Don’t you want to ask me why I am acting like that, or why do I always head to the top of the mountains?”

This time, Lu Chen did not speak immediately. He allowed the silence to loom in the darkness for a moment before answering, “If you are unwilling to speak, then I won’t ask.”

Ding Dang didn’t know how to reply. For a very period of time, there wasn’t any sound in the straw cottage. Perhaps, due to the excessive silence, the sound of each other’s breathing could be heard, and perhaps, the beating of their own hearts as well.

Under the blanket, Ding Dang gradually curled up her body. She hugged her chest with both of her hands, as though she was cold. After a moment, she suddenly whispered, “I want to talk to you about some things, is it alright?”

Lu Chen, “Sure.”

“That day, the reason why I went up the mountain to the Dragon Lake was to meet someone.”

Lu Chen, “Un.”

Ding Dang, “That person was Li Ji.”

Lu Chen, “…”

Ding Dang, “I gave to him the Spirit Stones that I borrowed from you along with my savings, so that he would have an opportunity to cultivate under the Thousand Autumn Doors.”

Lu Chen, “…”

Ding Dang, “We made a promise to be together forever. He said that he possessed exceptional talent. As long as he gets a chance with the Immortal Discerning Mirror, he would definitely be accepted as a disciple under Thousand Autumn Doors. When that moment comes, he would bring me in as well, and from then on, we will cultivate toward enlightenment together as a pair of immortal couple.”

Lu Chen, “You believe his words?”

Ding Dang, “Un.”

In the darkness, Lu Chen turned his body sideways as he stared toward an unknown direction in the darkness. After a moment, he said softly, “You are tired. Sleep earlier.”

Ding Dang was silent for a moment before she replied, “Alright.”

※※※

The Immortal City was a massive city. It was where the bustle and commotion of the center continent was concentrated. In this grand city, the humans living within numbered from tens of millions. For many years, the Immortal Alliance had played the role of the dictator within this city. In the era, it was the symbol of the greatest power in the center continent. However, in truth, even the Immortal Alliance, despite being a fear-inducing massive organisation, was unable to fully control the magnificently gigantic city.

The death of the Fleeting Cloud Division’s Zhang Jiu Ping caused a massive tremor within the Immortal Alliance, even inducing the anger of several prominent and fearsome zhenjuns. However, in the giant city, the matter did not concern most of the population here.

…

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I don’t think I have expressed it well, but by dull, I actually mean that it doesn’t reflect light.

In the darkness, someone is panting, seemingly as though the sneer of a demon, yet strangely reminiscent of despaired fear, looking forward to spilling fresh blood to quench the trembling excitement within the nightmare.
It is clearly stated that the trembling excitement refers to his will to battle.

Immortal couple
I couldn’t find a good word for this phrase, but it has the idea of ‘eternal’ and ‘perfect’ couple.