NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Chapter 74: "Hmph~ Mmhm~"
"… Master… Sirin, this roast chicken is… poisoned…" Wutong, foaming at the mouth, clutched the leftover chicken butt and weakly uttered her final words.
"Blegh~ blegh!" Fu Shi stuck her fingers down her throat, trying to vomit out the bite she had just taken.
High Dimensional Observer, Now it finally makes sense! (Definitely.)
Fu Lin looked at the unconscious group, leaving only Fu Shi desperately trying to save herself. He sighed deeply and remarked, "It seems it was my fault after all. Slurp".
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"Fu Lin, Sirin and I fought for half a day without determining a winner… yet I was defeated by you…" Fu Shi stopped her actions, slumped on the ground, and looked despairingly at Fu Lin, who was eating noodles nearby.
"I didn't do it on purpose…" Fu Lin guiltily glanced at the instant noodles in his hand and muttered softly.
Seeing everyone else fall asleep after eating their fill, Fu Lin quickly finished his noodles, thoughtfully carried everyone back inside, and helped them settle down. Then, he straightened up and walked out of the room, clutching his waist.
"So exhausting… wait…"
"With Sirin and Kiana probably unconscious, does that mean I can sneak—no, take back my time-stopping pocket watch?"
Fu Lin glanced back at Sirin among the others and then cautiously approached her. After much deliberation, he decided it was feasible, so he extended his hands and started searching.
"This isn't right. I remember Kiana kept it in her chest area, but it's not there. Did I not search carefully enough?" Fu Lin looked at Kiana's disheveled clothing and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"Let me search a little more carefully."
"Mmm~"
"Hmph~ Mmmph~"
"Stop making weird noises!" Fu Lin froze, nervously watching the sleeping Kiana beneath him, fearing she'd open her eyes at any moment.
Just as Fu Lin considered retreating, Kiana seemed to sense something. She flipped over, pinning him beneath her, her half-closed eyes hazy. She murmured something incoherent and then fell silent.
"Heh heh, Fu Lin, even if you scream your lungs out, no one will save you. Just give in to me~ Heh heh heh, don't try to escape~ I'll make sure you're floating on air…"
'Crap! I've been caught! I'm doomed! I'm doomed!'
Cold sweat drenched Fu Lin's forehead as he stared at the close-up Kiana. After several minutes, ensuring she was truly asleep, he carefully wriggled free and escaped the scene as fast as he could.
"Phew~ That scared the life out of me." Fu Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead, glanced back at the small wooden house, and then headed toward a distant pond to cool down with a cold water bath.
"Ah! Crap!" A scream echoed briefly but failed to disturb the sleeping crowd inside the house.
As the sun rose, the woods on the mountainside came alive with bird calls, waking everyone from their dreams.
"Ugh, my head hurts… What happened after Sirin and the Herrscher of Sentience fought last night? I remember eating a chicken leg, and then… passing out. I think I dreamt about Fu Lin…"
Kiana shook her head, the memories of the previous night slowly surfacing. Could the figure she saw last night really have been Fu Lin?
"Hmph! So annoying!"
"Mmm~ Sirin, good morn—" Wutong rubbed her eyes, looking at Sirin, who was tapping her forehead. She suddenly felt like she hadn't woken up fully.
"You're awake. Did you see a man who looked like Fu Shi last night?" Kiana grabbed Wutong's shoulders, her expression serious.
"Last night? Last night!... Last night, I think I saw my ancestor waving at me. I almost thought I wouldn't see everyone again. Ugh… Then I don't remember anything else." Wutong, still confused by Kiana's questioning, shivered at the memory and replied with lingering fear.
"…" Kiana fell silent for a moment, then handed control of her body back to Sirin to focus on recalling the events of the previous night.
"I actually dreamed I went to hell. How ridiculous☆" Sirin covered her face with a slightly pained expression.
"Ahhh, that was such a good sleep!" Fu Shi stretched lazily, cheerfully jumping out of bed, apparently having forgotten everything from the night before.
"Morning…" Fu Lin walked into the house, looking a bit tired as he greeted everyone.
"Hah… ahem, what's with your outfit?" Fu Shi nearly burst out laughing at Fu Lin's appearance but managed to hold it in.
"New place, couldn't get used to the bed… had trouble sleeping." Fu Lin straightened his back, nervously glancing at Sirin behind him. Seeing no unusual reaction from her, he felt a wave of relief and answered with a serious face.