Chapter 25: I Was Careless

Xing Lin stood before the tent entrance, his face veiled in backlighting, his gaze obscured by a deep, heavy shadow.

"What did you say?" His voice sounded like the evening mist—low and guttural.

Finding the air cold, Qiao Ruyi slipped into her sleeping bag, her fair face exposed. From Xing Lin’s vantage point, she looked as luminous as the moon; the curve of her brows and eyes held a flirtatious charm that made one’s heart itch.

She chuckled softly. "Are you shy? I’m not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"

Xing Lin stepped forward and sat down on the sleeping bag beside her. He looked down at her but remained silent. Qiao Ruyi shrank further into the sleeping bag and asked in a low voice, "What if there are wolves?"

"If there were wolves, would you leave your friend alone in the tent?" Xing Lin countered.

Qiao Ruyi stared at him. "Are you trying to spoil the mood?"

"So you came to find me not because of wolves," Xing Lin said, peering down at her.

Qiao Ruyi fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, she shifted, resting her head on Xing Lin’s lap.

Xing Lin’s breath hitched. He continued to watch her, but a familiar, restless heat began to rise in his lower abdomen, just as it had before—only more intense this time.

She was too close, within arm’s reach. Through the fabric of his clothes, he could feel the softness of her cheek. The cold, medicinal scent of her became a vine winding around them, gentle and impossible to shake off.

"Xing Lin..." Qiao Ruyi tilted her head slightly and reached a hand out from the sleeping bag.

Her soft, pale fingers snaked their way up along his buttons; her wrist, white as snow, was dazzling enough to make one’s eyes grow hot.

"Have you ever been with a woman?" Her gaze tangled with his, her eyes rippling, her voice soft and tender.

Yet, to ask such a question, even in the softest tone, was to imbue it with ambiguity. It was a cryptic yet blatant invitation.

Xing Lin reached out and gripped her wrist, stopping her restless movements. His eyes were dark, as if stained with ink, and his voice was hoarse. "Qiao Ruyi, where is Shengqing?"

He could see clearly that Shengqing was not on her wrist.

Qiao Ruyi’s wrist swayed, easily breaking free from his hold—he had only been gripping her loosely, after all, and let her pull away without resistance.

She scrambled most of her body out of the sleeping bag, wrapping her arms around Xing Lin’s neck until she was practically nestled in his embrace.

"I left him behind to protect Tao Jiang. She is my friend, after all; if anything were to happen, Shengqing could hold them off for a while."

Qiao Ruyi’s voice was as soft as water, her body boneless as she melted into him. Her freed hand did not remain idle, wandering from his neck to his cheek.

Xing Lin’s breathing tightened.

Qiao Ruyi giggled. "Are you blushing?" Her fingers twined around his ear. "You seem to blush quite easily."

Xing Lin remained still. "What do you want?"

Qiao Ruyi lifted her face slightly until their features were nearly touching, their breaths mingling. Her next words were ambiguous and direct: "You are so handsome; it’s only natural that I would have improper thoughts about you."

"Improper thoughts?" Xing Lin narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He grabbed her wrist again, this time with force. "Don't provoke me."

Qiao Ruyi didn't pull away; instead, she pressed closer, her red lips hovering just inches from his. She parted them slightly. "I haven't refused you, Xing Lin. You can do anything you want to me tonight."

Xing Lin’s gaze tightened, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He grabbed the back of her head with his other hand—a firm grip that held her in place—and leaned down, shifting from passive to active. "Anything? You want me to take you?"

Qiao Ruyi’s eyes shimmered like silk. "Yes."

"Qiao Ruyi, is this for Jiang Cheng'an?"

"Who it's for doesn't matter." Qiao Ruyi’s breath was sweet like orchids. "Xing Lin, don't tell me you don't have improper thoughts about me. The way you look at me is already burning."

Her lips brushed against his cheek, then settled by his ear. "Don't you want to possess me?"

Xing Lin went rigid.

Qiao Ruyi’s hand rested on his chest. She chuckled, "Your heart is beating so fast."

Xing Lin pressed his lips into a thin line, his jaw set in a sharp arc. Suddenly, he smiled. His large hand lightly cupped her slender neck, his rough thumb tracing her cheek with a ghostly touch. He stared into the woman’s face, his eyes alarmingly black.

"You're right. I've had improper thoughts about you for a long time." His smile didn't reach his eyes, and as he spoke, his other hand stealthily reached into his bag. "So, tonight is indeed a perfect opportunity!"

As he spoke, a hunting knife flashed from its sheath. In the dim light, the sharp blade cut through the air, heading straight for Qiao Ruyi’s slender neck.

The strike should have been steady, accurate, and ruthless—as it had always been. Xing Lin never thought he would miss.

But she dodged his blade.

The edge barely grazed her neck. With a nimble twist, she slipped aside, leaving Xing Lin’s strike to hit empty air. Qiao Ruyi darted to the tent entrance, appearing to hover in mid-air; her lower body seemed to dissolve into black sand, her form flickering between solid and ethereal.

She covered her mouth and sneered, "Boss Xing, you have such a cruel heart."

With that, she turned and lunged for the door, instantly transforming into black sand and slipping out of the tent.

Xing Lin would not let her escape. With a swift flick of his wrist, he sent his hunting knife flying in hot pursuit.

At that exact moment, the tent flap was pulled back, and the firelight illuminated Qiao Ruyi’s silhouette. Not expecting a knife to fly at her, she dodged nimbly; the blade grazed her neck. Had it been a millimeter closer, it would have severed her throat.

The sharp wind of the blade sliced off a lock of her hair, which fluttered to the ground.

It was this lock of hair that triggered her rage.

This black sand was truly insufferable. Not only did it masquerade as Xing Lin to cause trouble, but it used his knife to cut her hair—did it know how hard it was to grow long hair these days?

As the fire flared, Qiao Ruyi shouted, "You low-class scum, you're asking for death!"

Her figure struck at Xing Lin like lightning.

Without his knife, Xing Lin blocked her attacks, trading blows. But as he deftly parried her fist, he realized that the person before him wasn't the black sand. "It’s me! It’s Xing Lin!"

"I'm hitting you precisely because it's you!" Qiao Ruyi didn't waste her breath. She didn't want to waste her own energy, so she performed a clean flip, snatched up the hunting knife, and charged again.

She didn't even want to waste her own blood. Thinking that this fellow had injured her beloved hair, she decided to beat him senseless first.

The hunting knife was meant for Xing Lin’s use; others couldn't easily wield it, mostly because it was too heavy for anyone without proper skill to hold steady.

Qiao Ruyi, however, wielded it with fluid grace.

The cold light of the blade pierced the darkness, accompanied by a whistling sound, aiming straight for his throat.

Xing Lin gasped, sidestepping. The knife grazed his neck, cutting off a few strands of his own hair.

"Qiao Ruyi—"

Before he could finish, she attacked again. Xing Lin raised his arm to block her wrist; with a loud *clang*, the knife was knocked to the ground.

The two had collided with equal force, and both retreated half a step.

"I am not the black sand!" Xing Lin said, concise and to the point. "I am Xing Lin!"

But how could Qiao Ruyi believe him after what had just happened? She sneered, "And I’m your mother, you shameless thing!"

Hitting someone in the face was bad, but hair was a woman’s second face.

Qiao Ruyi spun to attack again, snatching the knife back. Her moves were fast and fierce, cold light flashing everywhere. Unable to explain, Xing Lin could only parry and retreat, his defense growing heavier with each exchange. She left no room for mercy.

Finally, when Qiao Ruyi delivered a vicious knee to his chest, Xing Lin’s eyes sharpened. He stopped retreating. He quickly caught her wrist, twisted it to use her own momentum against her, and dropped low to sweep her legs.

Qiao Ruyi vaulted into the air, but the moment she landed, he was upon her. They engaged in close-quarters combat, every blow hitting flesh. After several rounds, Xing Lin finally found an opening, locked her knife-wielding hand, and pinned her to the ground.

She struggled violently, striking backward with her elbow, but he held it down with his knee, his other hand firmly pinning her down.

"Can you listen to me now?" Xing Lin asked, panting, his hot breath falling against her ear.

Unable to struggle free, Qiao Ruyi stopped fighting and gritted her teeth. "How am I supposed to listen when you’re pinning me down like this?"

"I'll let you go if you promise not to use the knife again," Xing Lin whispered.

Qiao Ruyi nodded.

Sensing she had relaxed her tension, Xing Lin loosened his grip.

He regretted it the very next second.

He was immediately thrown over Qiao Ruyi’s shoulder, his back slamming into the ground.

Xing Lin was caught completely off guard; he hadn't expected her to counterattack the moment he let go, before she had even stood up. It was clear her combat skills were exceptional—no wonder Shen Que had hired so many bodyguards only to end up looking like a bruised pig himself.

Even he had fallen for it.

The impact was heavy; the girl didn't know the meaning of restraint, or perhaps she simply didn't intend to be gentle.

Qiao Ruyi seized the initiative, mirroring Xing Lin’s earlier move by pinning him to the ground. She sneered, "Not bad. For the black sand to evolve into someone like you, it’s quite impressive."

She grabbed the hunting knife, the sharp edge resting against Xing Lin’s throat.

A chill ran down Xing Lin’s back. Was she really going to do it?

"I don't want to waste my blood, so let’s see if I can bleed you instead," Qiao Ruyi said, raising the blade—

"Hold your hand!"

At that moment, a figure rushed to the tent entrance, terrified out of his wits by the sight. It was Shen Que.

"My ancestor..." Shen Que approached tremblingly and snatched the knife from Qiao Ruyi’s hand.

Behind him were Tao Jiang, Zhou Bie, and Yu Renyou. They were all stunned by the scene.

***

"So, the black sand can turn into anyone?" Qiao Ruyi asked the crucial question.

After the "incident," none of them could sleep. Zhou Bie added more fuel to the fire, making the bonfire burn brighter. The group sat around the fire, trying to piece together the bizarre events.

Except for Qiao Ruyi and Xing Lin, the other four didn't know what had actually happened. They said that once they entered the tent, they felt an overwhelming drowsiness—something they hadn't expected. Deep in the desert, they were usually too wary to sleep soundly, fearing unknown dangers. They had been woken up by the sounds of fighting and rushed over, only to be horrified by what they found.

Qiao Ruyi explained the black sand's ability to imitate people. When Tao Jiang heard that the black sand had taken her form, she gulped nervously, asking repeatedly, "Was it exactly the same?"

"Like it was 3D-printed," Qiao Ruyi said, looking at Tao Jiang. "Every gesture and movement was just like yours."

Tao Jiang felt a chill run down her spine.

The black sand was far from ordinary, and this bizarre encounter made them realize the true danger they were in.

Xing Lin was silent for a long time before nodding. "Yes, the black sand can imitate people."

"Under what circumstances?" Qiao Ruyi pressed. "There must be a reason."

She wasn't stupid; the event tonight was clearly targeted at her and Xing Lin. The others had simply fallen into a death-like sleep and were only aware of it after the fact.

Xing Lin stared at the bonfire, his expression calm. "There must be a reason, but I don't know it yet."

Everyone frowned, lost in thought. Only Qiao Ruyi stared at Xing Lin, lost in her own musings.

Zhou Bie, sitting next to her, tugged her sleeve. "The black sand turned into Sister Jiang, and it was so realistic—how could you bring yourself to attack it?"

"Even if it looks like her, it isn't her. If you have to strike, you strike. Why be soft-hearted?" Qiao Ruyi replied casually.

Tao Jiang clicked her tongue. "You didn't hesitate at all?"

"None."

"Heartless," Tao Jiang sighed dramatically.

Qiao Ruyi smiled. "That thing is hard to deal with. If I were soft-hearted, it might have taken advantage and harmed all of you."

Tao Jiang nodded; that was true.

"But you..." Qiao Ruyi thought of something crucial and looked at Xing Lin across the fire. "You didn't catch that shadow?"

She had seen how he dealt with the black sand before—decisive, ruthless, and leaving no room for error.

Xing Lin didn't hide it and nodded.

Qiao Ruyi was puzzled. "Why?"

Xing Lin stared at her for a long time, making her misinterpret his gaze and glance behind herself. Nothing was there. Why was he looking at her like that?

He spoke, "The black sand turned into you, and I let my guard down."

Qiao Ruyi frowned. "I know it turned into me, but is that the point? If it can make you let your guard down just by looking like me, what happens if it turns into Shen Que or Zhou Bie? Would you just hand over your life?"

Her tone was harsh, not like she was joking.

Qiao Ruyi had only realized the truth after Shen Que snatched the knife away—that was when she finally believed the person she had beaten was indeed Xing Lin. From his reaction and his movements when he first saw her, she had realized the black sand had taken her form.

But why was that an excuse to let his guard down?

"Xing Lin, you cannot be soft-hearted," Qiao Ruyi added, her tone severe.

Xing Lin’s movement of poking the fire paused. After a long while, he said, "Okay." His voice sounded slightly dry.

The others had varied expressions. Shen Que looked at Xing Lin with concern.

Before dawn, they returned to their tents to rest, though everyone knew sleep would be hard to come by. Yu Renyou, however, was lighthearted. His logic was simple: deal with what comes. He had come to Guyang City to help Qiao Ruyi find murals; if they encountered demons or ghosts along the way, it was just part of the journey.

Except... he quietly pulled Tao Jiang aside. "Shen Que just called her 'ancestor'—does he know?"

Tao Jiang rolled her eyes, too tired to explain. "It's just his catchphrase."

Yu Renyou felt relieved. "Qiao doesn't like to expose her identity as an ancestor; I must keep her secret."

Tao Jiang was speechless for a moment, then patted his shoulder. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Qiao Ruyi absolutely hated being called "ancestor," didn't he know...