"Xiangling, do you feel like someone is watching us?" Aether looked around suspiciously, then said to Xiangling.
It was completely dark now, but Aether had felt this sensation of being watched since the afternoon.
Aether had also tried to find the source of that gaze, but after searching for a long time, he still found nothing.
So much so that now, he had no choice but to ask Xiangling to see if she also felt it.
He didn't think it was his imagination. First, he rarely had illusions, and second, if it were his illusion, it would absolutely not last this long.
"Someone is watching us?" Xiangling turned her head in confusion and looked around, but the surroundings were pitch black. Besides the light from their campfire, nothing else was visible.
Xiangling really didn't feel like she was being watched at all.
"I don't feel it. Logically, there shouldn't be any danger here either." Xiangling slowly said.
Jueyun Karst was the territory of the adepti, so there were basically no particularly powerful monsters, and the camping spot they chose was also a place where ordinary monsters would absolutely not come.
So, there should be no need to worry much about safety.
"I'm not worried about safety. It's just…" Aether couldn't quite explain it. The gaze watching him seemed to have no ill intent, but the stare simply made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Every time that gaze landed on her, she felt the skin it touched burn.
The owner of that gaze seemed very aggressive.
"Hmm, if I had to say, this is the territory of an Adeptus. If there really is something watching you that we can't detect, then it's very likely an Adeptus," Xiangling mused for a moment, stroking his chin, then said to Lumine.
This was the only explanation he could come up with; if it were an Adeptus, it was entirely possible for him to be interested in a mortal and observe him from the shadows.
However, generally speaking, mortals wouldn't feel an Adeptus's gaze.
"An Adeptus?" Lumine's eyes lit up, immediately feeling it was very possible.
He only just remembered that he should be very unique in the eyes of those people. Besides, he had previously encountered two Adepti, so it was very possible for the Adepti of Jueyun Karst to be curious about him.
Just as he was about to ask Xiangling whose territory this specifically was, the gaze fixed on him suddenly vanished, followed by the cry of a crane.
Lumine jumped, immediately standing up and looking around nervously.
However, besides the sound of flapping wings, there was nothing else.
"Lumine, don't be nervous, it's just an ordinary white crane. There are many of them here in Jueyun Karst," Xiangling quickly said to Lumine.
He had even once thought about trying to catch one to taste, but most of the cranes here are protected animals by the Liyue government. If he caught one, it would violate Liyue's laws, so he gave up on the idea.
"A crane?" Lumine paused slightly. What he had just heard did seem to be a crane's cry, but the gaze fixed on him also disappeared with it. Was this too much of a coincidence?
Could it be that the Adeptus of Jueyun Karst was a white crane that had cultivated into a spirit?
--
Mt. Aocang, Cloud Retainer's abode.
A giant immortal crane descended from the sky, slowly landing in front of the abode's entrance.
Under a full moon, the crane's form slowly dissipated, and in its place appeared an intellectual beauty wearing glasses and a black, one-piece, stocking-like garment.
"Hah…" The beauty slowly exhaled. Just as she was about to enter the abode, a cool voice suddenly echoed softly.
"Master."
"Shen—Shenhe?!" The beauty was startled and quickly turned around.
Only then did she realize that her precious disciple was standing right behind her.
"You, ahem, how did you recognize this master?" Clearing her throat awkwardly, Cloud Retainer tried her best to maintain her dignity.
"Master, you transformed in front of me," Shenhe tilted his head slightly in confusion, then slowly said.
"Oh… right, that's how it is." Cloud Retainer nodded as if waking from a dream, her expression a little hard to maintain.
"Master, why did you suddenly change like this?" Shenhe's tone remained calm, but the confusion in his eyes had not lessened in the slightest.
He had never seen his master transform into a human form before; this was the first time he had seen his master like this.
Moreover, his master's current appearance was also very strange.
"I…" Cloud Retainer didn't know how to explain herself to her precious disciple for a moment.
She had only intended to go see that Damselette, even thinking of just taking a glance and returning, but who would have thought she would stay there for an entire afternoon?
She even ended up flying back immediately only when she saw that the Damselette had discovered her.
She had lived for who knows how many years, and this was the first time she had been unable to control her desires like this.
"Master, your face is so red. Are you sick?"
Cloud Retainer instinctively touched her cheek; it was indeed a bit hot.
"This master just flew a little too fast, it's nothing serious." Cloud Retainer turned away to avoid letting his disciple see his embarrassment again.
"And you, why haven't you rested yet?" Cloud Retainer was silent for a moment, seemingly having composed her mood, then slowly opened her mouth to ask.
"I can't sleep." Shenhe's brows furrowed slightly.
"Is your body uncomfortable?" Hearing Shenhe say that, Cloud Retainer immediately turned back around, looking at him with concern.
His disciple's fate was plagued by both the Loneliness Star and the Calamity Star, making his killing intent extremely heavy.
If it weren't for the Red Rope Soul-Binding technique to restrain the malevolence and killing intent on his body, with such a fate that harms both others and himself, this child might not have even been able to grow to adulthood.
"It's not exactly uncomfortable, just…" Shenhe didn't know how to describe his current situation to his master.
He had never experienced anything so strange. From earlier today until now, the inexplicable throbbing in his heart had not stopped.
It was as if something was calling to him, or as if something was guiding him mysteriously, telling him to go to a certain place and find a certain person.
After confirming that Shenhe was indeed fine, Cloud Retainer finally relaxed.
"Tonight, remember to wear your red rope when you sleep. You must not take it off privately again."
"Yes, Master…"
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