A wave of warmth washed over her, but Banlan seemed to choke even more, her slightly round face turning a rosy color.
Ban Lan clung tightly to Cen Ji's clothes, wading hastily towards the other side of the river, her steps uneven, as if Cen Ji might suddenly change his mind and take the clothes back.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the woods, and Cen Ji, looking at Ban Lan's warm and contented expression, couldn't help but shiver.
*******
They hadn't gone more than a few miles when Banlan plopped down on the ground and refused to walk any further.
Cen Ji said angrily, "Mo Yin is still trapped in Crane Feather Palace. Aren't you worried?"
Ban Lan looked up, feeling wronged. "I'm in a hurry, but it's already dark, and you don't even have a torch. How are we supposed to get there..."
Cen Ji paused for a moment, then said calmly, "I don't have a tinderbox..."
Ban Lan almost bit her tongue. "My God, your bodyguard is way too 'secret'."
Cen Ji said, "Previous missions were always carried out at night. You can't always carry a torch when you're assassinating someone."
Ban Lan could only sigh and say, "Even if your night vision is better than the average person, I can't see anything."
Cen Ji really wanted to say that he had always felt she was a burden.
“So…” Cen Ji opened his mouth.
"So what?" Ban Lan looked up, though she could only vaguely see Cen Ji's silhouette.
"So... let's figure out a way to start a fire." Unable to withstand Ban Lan's direct stare, Cen Ji could only change his words and say this. In fact, he forgot that all Ban Lan saw was a dark silhouette.
Making fire by friction is not difficult for Cen Ji; the difficulty lies in not having dry wood.
Cen Ji casually rummaged around and said, "I'll go find some dead wood. You wait for me here."
Ban Lan said pitifully, "Come back soon!"
Cen Ji hummed in agreement and prepared to leave.
Ban Lan quickly added, "Promise me you won't be gone for too long!"
Cen Ji hummed in agreement again.
Ban Lan looked around at the pitch blackness and finally said timidly, "I... I'll go with you."
Cen Ji looked at her with some puzzlement: "You're afraid of the dark too? You don't seem like it." Cen Ji's gaze was as if he were looking at a man, but fortunately Ban Lan couldn't see it.
But she still caught something in his tone, so she got angry.
She felt as if her clothes, which were still a little damp, had been instantly dried out.
Sensing Ban Lan's unusual silence, Cen Ji simply took the Huaying sword from his waist and tossed it to her, saying, "Take this for self-defense." After saying that, he walked into the depths of the woods. After walking about ten steps, he suddenly stopped and couldn't help but laugh, "Just kidding, why take it so seriously?"
Ban Lan picked up a stone from beside her feet and threw it at Cen Ji, yelling, "Fuck you! Go to hell!"
*******
Finding dead wood in a damp forest is difficult. Cen Ji unknowingly walked quite a distance.
It was indeed too far, so far that he almost forgot the way back.
He struggled to make out each path he had walked, when suddenly a soft sigh reached his ears.
The sigh was as soft as a ghost, sending a chill down Cen Ji's spine. He instinctively reached for his waist, only to find it empty. He then suddenly remembered that he had just handed the dagger to Ban Lan.
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman sitting on a treetop, enveloped in the cool moonlight.
The woman's attire was exceptionally elegant; her white dress danced in the wind, and her long, black hair cascaded down her back. The white dress was of the finest quality, the finest satin gleaming especially bright under the clear moonlight. On the hem was a giant phoenix with outstretched wings, sewn with gold thread, though it appeared somewhat dull in the pale moonlight.
The woman looked down at Cen Ji, her slender waist barely a handful. The darkness blurred her features, making her every move seem even more eerie.
Cen Ji composed himself and asked, "Who are you, young lady?"
The woman said calmly, "What do you think?"
Cen Ji had a headache. He really didn't want to guess, afraid that he would guess right.
Seeing that he did not answer, the woman asked again, "Young master, why do you appear and disappear in the Azure Phoenix Forest at certain times?"
Cen Ji was truly in a bind. He had completely forgotten the saying, "The blue phoenix cannot enter, the white chess piece cannot return."
Sigh, it's best not to mess with that female demon.
Cen Ji clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "My name is Cen Ji, and I wish to cross this forest to reach Baiqi Mountain."
The woman said "Oh," and asked, "What are you going to Baiqi Mountain for?"
Cen Ji said, "Save them."
The woman asked, "Whom do you want to save?"
Cen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Someone who is very important to me."
The woman nodded slightly and said, "Is that so... You can go now."
Cen Ji was quite surprised. Rumor had it that this female demon was extremely difficult to deal with, and a fight was inevitable if one encountered her. But now she had let him go so easily. Although he found it hard to believe, if he didn't leave now, when would he?
Thinking of this, Cen Ji turned and left.
"Wait a minute."