Illusion

That was a very strange thing to say.

His two long legs took up the entire carriage. If she didn’t sit on his lap, where else could she sit?

Lian Qiao first pondered, then her brow furrowed. “If not here, don’t tell me… you want me to sit on your feet? Do you have to be so bullying!”

Lu Wu Jiu hadn’t expected her to think along those lines, and the words caught in his throat. “You…”

“What about me?” Lian Qiao completely misunderstood his meaning, her resentment growing heavier. “Get it straight, this time it’s you who’s having an episode, alright? I’ve already accommodated you enough, and now you’re putting on airs? Impossible, absolutely impossible! I will not lower myself to sit on your feet!”

Lu Wu Jiu pressed his brow. “…Sit wherever you like.”

Lian Qiao: ?

‘Now he’s threatening me, is he?’

“I insist on sitting on your lap. Let’s see what you can do to me. Are you going to eat me or something!”

Lian Qiao deliberately plopped down hard, like Mount Tai crashing down.

“Can you be a little lighter?” Lu Wu Jiu said with displeasure.

Lian Qiao also got angry. “How am I heavy? It’s just sitting. How painful can your knees be? Why make such a fuss?”

“Unreasonable.”

Lu Wu Jiu slightly bent his knees to cover the wrinkles in his clothes and simply closed his eyes to feign sleep.

“You’re the one who’s being ridiculous.”

Lian Qiao was also fuming.

Once the two of them were finally settled, the carriage began to move forward.

However, once it became quiet, even their breathing could be heard with exceptional clarity.

Lu Wu Jiu’s breath was noticeably hotter than usual. The warmth on her skin made Lian Qiao’s face flush. She wanted to ask him to control it a little, but then she thought, it couldn’t be helped. So she simply opened the carriage window for some ventilation.

Strangely, as the street outside flew by, not a single gust of wind came in.

Lian Qiao let out a surprised “eh” and stuck her hand out to test it again. Still nothing.

‘Impossible. No matter how stuffy it is, a carriage moving this fast should at least stir up some wind.’

Lian Qiao felt something was wrong. She decided to ask the coachman what was going on, but as she lifted the curtain, the words got stuck in her throat.

—There was no one in front of the carriage!

But if no one was driving, how was their carriage speeding through the street?

‘It must be that thing! It’s here!’

“This is bad!”

Lian Qiao grabbed the reins, but as soon as her hand touched them, the reins transformed into a sharp-nosed viper as thick as her wrist. It hissed, its forked tongue flicking out as it coiled around her arm, lunging to bite her neck.

In the nick of time, a sharp sword aura slashed from behind, instantly cutting the snake in two.

And so, the sword Lian Qiao had just drawn was stuck in her hand. She turned her head angrily. “Who asked you to help?”

Lu Wu Jiu withdrew his hand. “Ungrateful.”

As they argued, the two severed halves of the snake suddenly sprouted two new snake heads from the cuts, which shot up and bit at them.

The two immediately leaped up, breaking through the carriage, and slashed down with their swords again, cutting the two snakes.

However, immediately after, four new snake heads sprouted from the two new cuts and continued to rush toward them.

Lian Qiao was dumbfounded. “How are they multiplying the more we kill them? Is this endless?”

Seeing this, Lu Wu Jiu suddenly condensed a ball of fierce flame in his palm, then swung it out with his sword energy. Instantly, the flames spread out in all directions. The swarm of snakes scattered like sparks and were completely burned to ashes.

Lian Qiao was terrified of snakes. She hopped on her feet to avoid the charred remains. “What a vicious trick.”

Lu Wu Jiu wiped his hands. “Compared to the snakes, I think you should be looking at your surroundings.”

Lian Qiao followed his gaze and looked around, nearly cursing out loud. “No, what is going on?”

The originally empty street now had four walls rising from the ground out of thin air, building themselves up brick by brick at a visible speed, as if to trap them.

In the blink of an eye that Lian Qiao was stunned, the walls had already reached her waist.

How could she tolerate this?

She immediately leaped up, trying to fly out before the walls were complete.

However, the higher she leaped, the faster the walls rose.

Lian Qiao gritted her teeth and used all her strength to shoot upwards, but the walls instantly shot up even higher.

In a flash, both sides were already a hundred feet high.

But no matter how high or low, the black walls always remained level with her, as if it were intentional.

Lian Qiao finally exhausted her strength and had to fly back down.

As soon as she landed, the walls also receded, finally stopping at the height of a normal courtyard, boxing them in like a tall cage.

“What is this damn thing?”

Lian Qiao refused to believe it. If she couldn’t fly out, then she could at least break it, right?

However, when she struck with all her might, the wall didn’t budge. Not only did it not move, but after a moment, it reflected back an equally sharp sword aura in the exact same way.

Lian Qiao was caught off guard. After all, it was her own sword move. She could never be stronger than herself. So, despite using all her strength, she still couldn’t dodge it. In the nick of time, the back of her neck was suddenly lifted, and she heard a deafening whoosh as the sword energy passed dangerously close.

It almost grazed her face!

Lian Qiao patted her cheeks with lingering fear. “To be able to strike at such a beautiful face, this must be an ultimate evil thing!”

Lu Wu Jiu raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he had heard such a novel definition of “ultimate.”

Lian Qiao added with fear, “Hey, this strange thing is so evil, why aren’t you doing anything? Don’t tell me you’re trying to reap the rewards without doing any work?”

Lu Wu Jiu said blandly, “Do something? This is an illusion. Are you trying to exhaust yourself to death?”

Lian Qiao was confused. “What illusion?”

Lu Wu Jiu was sparing with his words. “The Kongtong Seal is, in the end, a seal. Since it’s a seal, do you know what it’s used for?”

Lian Qiao wasn’t stupid. She replied, “A seal is of course for stamping. But what does that have to do with an illusion?”

Lu Wu Jiu said coolly, “How is it not related? You said it yourself, stamping. Then, what is the relationship between the stamped impression and the seal itself?”

Lian Qiao pondered for a moment, then had a revelation. “You’re saying that from the moment we got on the carriage, we entered an illusion that the Kongtong Seal ‘stamped’ based on this town? So this wall is like a seal. Whatever you do to it, it will ‘stamp’ it back in its original form and reflect it? No wonder I couldn’t fly out no matter what, and almost got hurt by my own sword move!”

Lu Wu Jiu’s thin lips pursed slightly. “Not too stupid.”

Lian Qiao was angry. “Hey, can you speak properly?”

Lu Wu Jiu ignored her, just pressing his brow, his expression not looking very good.

Lian Qiao had almost forgotten. Only half an hour had passed, and the Love Gu’s effects hadn’t been resolved yet. No wonder he didn’t have the energy to argue with her.

But this person was very stubborn. He would rather lean against a conjured chair to rest than open his mouth and ask her to come over.

So Lian Qiao also turned her head and pretended not to notice.

Just as she was about to investigate a way to break the illusion, a mist suddenly rose from thin air within the illusion, spreading out and obscuring the clouds and moon.

Lian Qiao rubbed her eyes. Through the flowing mist, she saw that Lu Wu Jiu, sitting on the chair, had turned into a plaque, leaning against the chair.

She was stunned. She rubbed her eyes again, walked around in front of him to confirm again. Yes, it was indeed a plaque.

Lian Qiao was dumbfounded. “You, you, you, how did you turn into a plaque?”

Lu Wu Jiu seemed a little tired, his eyes not even open. “What nonsense are you spouting all day?”

Lian Qiao listened with wide eyes as the familiar cold tone came from that “plaque,” even the impatient tail end of the words was exactly the same. She was in disbelief. “Really! There are even four glittering golden words written on it—’Number One Under Heaven’.”

Lu Wu Jiu probably found it too absurd and finally opened his eyes.

Who knew that when he saw the Lian Qiao before him, his gaze paused, and the words of reprimand were instantly stuck in his throat.

Lian Qiao leaned in. “Why aren’t you talking? Don’t tell me I’ve changed in your eyes too?”

After a long time, Lu Wu Jiu finally responded faintly, “…Yes.”

It was the first time Lian Qiao had encountered such a thing. Her head was about to explode. “What is going on? Why have we both changed in each other’s eyes, and into such strange things?”

After a moment of contemplation, the “plaque” spoke. “It should be because of this illusion. This illusion is generated by the state of mind of those within it. Like stamping, it will transform the people it encounters into what you currently desire most from them. You have too strong of a fixation on being ‘Number One Under Heaven,’ so in your eyes, I naturally became this. If you don’t believe me, look at that horse—”

Lian Qiao glanced over. The horse was leaning in and nibbling at her skirt, as if it thought she were a giant blade of grass.

Of course, the horse she saw had also transformed into a Pegasus, with wings growing from its ribs, the kind that was said to be able to fly to the ninth heaven in legends.

Lian Qiao held her forehead. This illusion was too bizarre. Wasn’t this just externalizing one’s desires for others!

Especially when it was pointed out by Lu Wu Jiu.

She did indeed covet the “Number One Under Heaven” title he had stolen from her, but thinking was one thing. For this “Number One Under Heaven” to manifest as a plaque and stand so vividly before her was still a bit embarrassing.

Lian Qiao rubbed her nose, then became curious again. “So, what words do you see me as?”

Lu Wu Jiu pursed his lips, his tone flat. “Nothing.”

Lian Qiao was annoyed. “Are you afraid to say it?”

Lu Wu Jiu averted his gaze. “Can you stop overthinking?”

How could Lian Qiao let him go? “Although you’re pretty good in other areas, my water control technique is second to none. Let me guess, what you want most from me right now is ‘Water Control Technique,’ right?”

Lu Wu Jiu was unmoved. “No.”

“Then… is it ‘Sect Master’s Position’? I’m also going to be a rotating Sect Master in the future. Don’t tell me you’re already coveting it so early?”

Lu Wu Jiu seemed to have a headache, and there was a trace of irritation in his headache. “I said no. It’s nothing important.”

Lian Qiao couldn’t guess and was very frustrated.

However, on second thought, Lu Wu Jiu’s reluctance to say might be because he saw good words, like “likeable” or “more popular.”

After all, Lian Qiao was widely recognized in this area!

He must be jealous, and embarrassed, which was why he wouldn’t say it.

Lian Qiao was secretly pleased. So she magnanimously forgave Lu Wu Jiu’s evasion, and even felt so cheerful that she took the initiative to walk over.

“Your Love Gu hasn’t been resolved yet, has it? How about this, I’ll be kind and continue to sit in your lap to help you resolve it.”

After all, Lu Wu Jiu was now a plaque in her eyes. What was the big deal about sitting in the lap of a plaque!

However, this plaque was very unwilling, coldly spitting out a few words. “No need.”

Lian Qiao hummed and hawed. “Why be so stubborn? If you die, I’ll die too. But… you’re a plaque leaning against a chair in my eyes right now. It’s too long, I can’t sit on it. Lean up a bit, so I can sit on you face-to-face. It’ll be perfect for me to lean back and rest.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Wu Jiu refused even more decisively. “No.”

Lian Qiao was puzzled. “You’re a plaque in my eyes, and I’m a plaque in your eyes. What’s the problem with two plaques stacking on top of each other? Why are you being so difficult?”

Lu Wu Jiu’s expression was cold, his crossed hands tapping idly, the veins on them slightly bulging.

Because the Love Gu was acting up, what he wanted most from her right now was not “Water Control Technique” or the like. So in his eyes, Lian Qiao was not actually a plaque. In fact, she was herself, and for some reason, her clothes were thin, like flowing mist.

Therefore, her suggestion was simply unbearable to look at.

Lian Qiao was still pressing him. Lu Wu Jiu had a terrible headache, but he couldn’t say it out loud.

He closed his eyes, only to say in a hard, cold tone, “No means no.”

This thoroughly annoyed Lian Qiao.

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Fine, a plaque is getting cocky, is it? Today, I insist on sitting. Not only will I sit, I’m going to sit on your face!”