In the dense, hazy fog, within the depths of a forest where light and shadow dappled the ground, a young scholar with the grace of winding mountains and rivers emerged from the gloom, holding a horse lamp.
His eyes lowered slightly, he offered a faint smile, and his gentle, ethereal aura—like flowing water and faint mist—stirred even the rugged guards accompanying Danyang Princess.
This ability to captivate both men and women had no particular reason behind it.
It was simply that Yan Erlang had managed to reach them, indicating he had broken through the "ghost wall."
Moreover, as a native of Lingnan, Yan Erlang could likely navigate this deep forest with ease—the same forest that had trapped the princess and her party.
Amid the collective relief, Yan Shisheng approached Mu Wan Yao. He wasn’t truly strolling leisurely, after all—he was just an ordinary scholar.
Under Mu Wan Yao’s cold gaze, she observed that although the scholar before her appeared composed, his lapel, sleeves, and collar were speckled with fine grass fragments.
He had trudged laboriously through the mountains, clearly no more at ease than they were!
Mu Wan Yao watched him coldly.
Yan Shisheng studied her for a moment, then bowed deeply in formal greeting:
“This humble scholar pays respects to Your Highness!”
Your Highness!
The expressions of those around shifted once more.
Mu Wan Yao’s own expression changed instantly, her guard rising sharply against Yan Shisheng. The dagger she had been clutching was swiftly drawn, and as Yan Shisheng straightened from his bow, he was shoved back two stumbling steps, the blade now pressed against his neck.
Guard Fang and the others cried out anxiously, “Your Highness!”
If Yan Erlang were killed, no one would lead them out of this place!
Mu Wan Yao paid them no mind. Keeping the dagger at Yan Shisheng’s throat, she demanded tersely, “How did you know I am the princess?”
The horse lamp in Yan Shisheng’s hand fell to the ground, its flickering light casting shadows over them both. Mu Wan Yao gripped Yan Shisheng, scrutinizing his face clearly.
Long lashes, fair skin. His demeanor was elegant and profound, and in the firelight, he took on an eerie, mountain-spirit beauty.
For a moment, Mu Wan Yao felt strangely dazed.
She heard him sigh wryly, “Your Highness, surely you don’t think your prolonged disappearance would go unnoticed by everyone?”
Their eyes met again.
Mu Wan Yao’s hand trembled slightly as he grasped it, and he gently moved the dagger aside. Her lips twitched, and though her sleeve-covered hand pushed him away, she did not press further—
Yan Shisheng explained that everyone had been searching for the princess, and he had merely been fortunate enough to find her.
All the guards—those carrying the wounded, those holding tea trees—came to thank Yan Shisheng, regarding him as their savior on this night.
Only Mu Wan Yao remained aloof. Her face pale, her expression icy, she dismissed her initial hostility and refused to even glance at Yan Shisheng.
So arrogant.
Yan Shisheng called out helplessly from behind her, “Your Highness, wait!”
Mu Wan Yao’s body alternated between chills and fever, her mind foggy. She, too, was unwell and had no desire to waste time on pleasantries with Yan Shisheng. When he halted her as she walked ahead and approached her, she remained expressionless.
Beautiful yet indifferent.
Like a radiant rose blooming before an abyss of wind and sea, she admired her own beauty in solitude, sharing it with no one.Yan Shisheng crouched before her as Mu Wan Yao took a step back. She watched him reach out and pluck a plant she had been stepping on. Not just that one—he remained crouched and proceeded to pull out many similar plants around them.
The plants reached knee-height, neither fully grass nor tree, with leaves that spun like windmills on their own. These plants went unnoticed by most in the forest, yet Yan Shisheng, kneeling at Mu Wan Yao’s feet, pulled them out without hesitation.
Mu Wan Yao asked curiously, “What are you pulling?”
Yan Shisheng replied gently, “Bewitching grass.”
He looked up at her and said, “Didn’t Your Highness say you encountered a ‘Ghost Wall’? I’ve been thinking about it and had a suspicion. Seeing these plants confirms it. This ‘bewitching grass’ can confuse the mind, making people circle the same area without realizing it, unable to escape. What’s called a ‘Ghost Wall’ is mostly caused by them.”
“Elders here say that if you encounter bewitching grass in the wild, you must never take chances. You have to cut it down.”
Mu Wan Yao was startled, and those behind her murmured in astonishment. They hadn’t expected Lingnan to hold so many strange phenomena—even a small, ordinary-looking plant could ensnare them.
Mu Wan Yao glared resentfully at the uprooted grass, her expression dark.
Yan Shisheng glanced up at her and suddenly smiled. “There’s another legend here: bewitching grass only appears when it encounters a great beauty.”
Mu Wan Yao froze.
Still crouched at her feet, his hands soiled with dirt, he gazed up at her. “Your Highness must be a peerless beauty, to have captivated this ‘bewitching grass’ so deeply that it couldn’t bear to let you go and insisted on following you.”
Mu Wan Yao’s face, initially icy, softened as she met his eyes. Hearing him use the grass to compliment her beauty, she struggled to maintain composure but finally couldn’t hold back—a soft laugh escaped her.
With her laughter, the tension among the group dissolved.
After clearing the “bewitching grass,” they resumed their journey and found they were finally breaking free from the bewitching circle, able to move forward. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they were saved. Truly, they needed a local guide.
Now, Yan Shisheng led the way holding the horse lamp, followed by the princess, and then the guards.
Everyone was in better spirits.
Mu Wan Yao walked behind Yan Shisheng, watching as they escaped the looping path, her mood much improved. In her relaxed state, physical exhaustion washed over her. As she followed him, her foot suddenly weakened, and she nearly stumbled.
Mu Wan Yao inwardly cursed her luck, but a hand reached out to support hers.
Startled by the touch, she flinched and pulled back.
Yan Shisheng didn’t withdraw his hand, keeping his palm open. Seeing her retreat, his cheeks flushed slightly, but he simply lowered his gaze to her.
The wild forest was silent, no one speaking.
They stared at each other.
Unaware guards behind them called out curiously, “Yan Erlang? Your Highness?”
Mu Wan Yao didn’t speak, but she extended her hand, allowing Yan Shisheng to hold it. His hand then slid up her arm to support her elbow. Steadying her this way, he prevented her fall.The two turned their faces away from each other, walking in silence without a word. Only the concealed sweat in their palms and their bodies inadvertently bumping into one another due to their lack of coordination betrayed the ulterior motives hidden in their hearts.
Yan Shisheng kept his head lowered, intently watching the uneven ground.
Mu Wan Yao raised her gaze, studying the mist drifting through the void with earnest focus.
The scenery ahead gradually cleared as they emerged from the maze of fog under Yan Shisheng’s guidance.
Catching sight of the faint, flickering lights at the foot of the mountain, Mu Wan Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes, soft and flowing like a clear lake, held a lazy tone as she murmured, “Daring to touch my hand—this is an act of insubordination.”
Yan Shisheng replied quietly, “I was saving you.”
Her voice carried a hint of laughter. “Even so, it’s still insubordination.”
Yan Shisheng said, “Then once we are safe, Your Highness may punish me.”
Mu Wan Yao smiled ambiguously. “Do you think I’m a fool? If you become my savior and I speak of punishing you, what would others think of me? Do you imagine it’s easy to be a princess returning home after a Peace Marriage?”
Yan Shisheng was taken aback.
Lowering his gaze, he whispered, “To speak intimately when the acquaintance is shallow is a grave mistake. Your Highness should not share such private words with me.”
Mu Wan Yao turned her hand and firmly grasped the one he was already supporting her with. Startled, he stiffened as she leaned in, her beautiful eyes drawing near, strands of fragrance drifting toward him.
Clasping his hand, she said with a playful smile, “I insist on speaking. Yan Shisheng, don’t think you can evade this.”
Yan Shisheng’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, puzzled by her meaning.
But before he could ask, the princess went limp and collapsed into his arms. Panicked, he dropped the lantern in his hand, fumbling to catch the princess as she slumped against him.
In his haste, he failed to steady her properly. Instead, he ended up holding her as they both tumbled to the ground. Yan Shisheng barely managed to wrap an arm around her shoulders, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Cries erupted from all directions: “Your Highness!”
Amid the flickering torchlights, Yan Shisheng looked up and realized they had already left the desolate area. Below, several guards with lanterns were searching, and the princess’s sudden collapse had drawn their immediate attention as they hurried toward them.
It was clear: while Yan Shisheng had been focused on the path, Mu Wan Yao had spotted the rescuers. Only after seeing them did she allow herself to collapse with relief.
Pitiable was Yan Shisheng.
Sitting on the ground holding her, her face pressed against his neck, her breath brushing his throat and Adam’s apple, he found himself embracing warmth and softness, yet his entire body was rigid, filled with the helpless frustration of having been set up.
Yan Shisheng whispered, “Your Highness? Are you truly going to do this? If you collapse like this, others will think I’ve done something to you. Isn’t this just inviting misunderstanding? Where are you unwell, Your Highness? Can you hold on a little longer?”
He shook her arm, urging her to wake up. The crowd closing in from all sides made Yan Shisheng increasingly anxious.
Meanwhile, Danyang Princess, nestled against his neck with her eyes closed in contentment, curled the corner of her lips. The more he shook her, the more mischievous she felt, intent on teasing and tormenting him.
She scolded, “Stop your noise!”
Her forehead pressed against his neck, where his skin had grown feverish from the agitation, and she felt a warm breeze brushing over her hair.A smile graced her lips, and the last words she uttered before losing consciousness carried a hint of allure and mischief: "I just want to torment you. Who told you not to take me to find the white ox tea tree's location, forcing me to search for it myself?"
"You deserve it!"
Pressed against her ear, Yan Shisheng finally spoke with a mix of frustration and exasperation: "I'm the one who just saved you!"
Of course, he could scheme against her, but Danyang Princess was, after all, a willful princess.
Mu Wan Yao, cradled in his arms, had already fallen unconscious and could not respond to him. Yan Shisheng looked up at the bewildered guards closing in from all directions. After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh, knowing he had some explaining to do.
OpenNovel