Chapter 164: Looking to Make an Enemy?

In his moment of hesitation, Li Kuanglan said, “The instinctive agitation seems to only occur during the day, so you don’t have to worry. I am completely lucid now and know what I am saying.”

“Then do you know what I will do?”

Li Kuanglan’s voice was icy, her tone indifferent, “You can do as you please; I accept it all. Just like the previous night, let it be the same now.”

“Perhaps we can try a different way,” Qian Ye pondered. When Li Kuanglan was critically injured and unconscious, he felt at peace doing anything to save her life. But now she was awake, and to be that intimate again was indeed difficult.

“There’s no need to change, just use the method from the other night,” Li Kuanglan declared resolutely.

“But—”

“There’s no but. I don’t want to die. As for the rest, since it has already happened once, it makes no difference if it happens a few more times.”

It made a huge difference! Qian Ye thought to himself.

However, Li Kuanglan had a point. The most thorough method would ensure her safety. Both being prodigies of their generation, they had nothing to hold back once they decided.

“Alright, then your clothes…”

Without waiting for Qian Ye to finish, Li Kuanglan had already started removing her armor, soon standing naked before him, just as nonchalant as ever, not minding that every detail of her body was exposed to Qian Ye.

Qian Ye embraced her from behind, whispering, “Relax, don’t resist with your origin power.”

As the blood core began to pulse, their rhythms gradually synchronized.

The night was silent, and in the stillness, it grew colder. Cuddling together for warmth was not about intimacy, but survival. The harshness of this world truly revealed itself in the dead of night.

Inside the wooden hut, the faint blood fire flickered, casting their shadows on the walls and windows. The shadows were intertwined, merging into one. The world was too quiet, making their breaths and heartbeats clearly audible. Their breathing wasn’t in unison, Qian Ye’s becoming heavier, while hers remained light and prolonged. Even with experience, guiding her heart and vitality was just as arduous as the previous night.

Though Li Kuanglan had regained consciousness and recovered some of her origin power through a secret healing technique, her body was still severely injured, especially her internal organs, which had only healed slightly. The frigid and desolate nights of this world slowed down bodily functions and vitality, and origin power was of little use.

Seemingly sensing Qian Ye’s struggle, Li Kuanglan suddenly turned around, embracing Qian Ye face-to-face, pressing herself tightly against him. Startled, Qian Ye realized their position was as intimate as could be, just a step away from the ultimate act. If not for the cold and still night, Qian Ye might have lost control of his instincts.

Changing positions, however, did make it noticeably easier, aligning with the correct method of the previous night. Fortunately, the movement drained most of her strength, and she didn’t move afterward, allowing Qian Ye to breathe a sigh of relief.

But this was just two nights. What about the future? Even if Li Kuanglan fully recovered, she might not be able to survive the frigid nights alone. This world’s extreme environment demanded an exceptionally strong physique, something human beings, who generally excelled in origin power cultivation rather than physical training, lacked. Many powerful figures in the empire focused on secret techniques involving origin power and neglected physical training.

Yet, continuing this method would eventually lead to problems. Thinking of this, Qian Ye felt a great headache. Even if they had the chance to leave this wretched place, how should he interact with Li Kuanglan? If their experiences became known, there would be many complications. Not to mention, the Li family, for the sake of face, would never let this go. Plus, her sister was the current empress. Any fool knew not to mess with someone who could snatch the empress title from Consort Zhao.

In the oppressive silence, midnight finally passed, and the burden lightened. Qian Ye’s breathing steadied, and the blood fire burned steadily.

After an unknown period, though darkness still enveloped the land, both of them regained much of their vitality. Dawn was near.

Just then, Li Kuanglan suddenly said, “How about we do it now?”

“What?” Though Qian Ye trusted his ears, he couldn’t believe what he heard.

“You know what I mean.” Her meaning was clear this time.

“This, isn’t it a bit inappropriate?” Qian Ye tried to be gentle. Thanks to Song Zining, Qian Ye knew how difficult women could be, especially when refusing such a request. A single misstep could turn love into hate, creating a lifelong enemy.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Li Kuanglan replied with unexpected calm, her voice as icy as her sword, “Daybreak is approaching, and this damned place may not be any safer in the daylight. Perhaps we just haven’t encountered real danger yet. I don’t want to deal with controlling my instincts during our exploration. We’ll lose control sooner or later, so why not now? After all, it might be better after we do it. I’m still conscious, and I don’t want to be driven by instinct like a beast in heat.”

Qian Ye was deeply troubled and tried to comfort her, “Don’t worry. It’s just because of your injuries. Once you recover, you’ll overcome this. Besides, I’m here, and I’m quite adapted to this place. I’ll help you control your instincts during the day.”

Li Kuanglan stared into Qian Ye’s eyes, asking, “Why are you refusing me?”

Sighing, Qian Ye said, “Indeed, few could refuse you, but I already have a lover. Under any circumstances, I don’t want to betray her.”

“Is it Ye Pu?”

“Yes.”

“Are you planning to fully join the Evernight side?”

“Of course not.” With a self-mocking smile, Qian Ye added, “Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether I go or not. The empire doesn’t need me. ‘Different hearts must diverge’ is not just an empty phrase.”

“The empire doesn’t need you, but we do. Besides, the military’s past actions created a mess that hasn’t been cleaned up yet.”

Smiling, Qian Ye replied, “I suppose I am that mess.”

Li Kuanglan’s hand slowly slid across Qian Ye’s back, “This mess of yours, no one seems to be able to clean up.”

“Kuanglan, it’s not dawn yet.”

Casually, Li Kuanglan asked, “Do you want to make an enemy out of me?”

“…Of course not.”

“In my opinion, your control during the day might be even worse than mine. So, why not do it now? Do you need an excuse to ease your conscience?” Li Kuanglan’s words were as sharp as her blade.

“Well, let’s cross that bridge when we get there. We should try our best until the last moment, right?” Qian Ye sighed.

“It’s futile anyway,” she said, though thankfully, she didn’t take further action, letting Qian Ye breathe a sigh of relief.

The long night finally passed, and dawn arrived. They separated and dressed. The atmosphere between them grew subtly more complex after that night.

With sufficient food and water, exploring the surroundings became the top priority. With some time before hunting, Qian Ye inquired about the Maelstrom and how to return.

“The Maelstrom is a world, a vast one, confirmed by many predecessors. Each time the passage opens, it leads to the same area. From there, we and the Evernight experts explore, seeking our own fates, gathering resources, and waiting for the next passage to return to the empire.”

“So, we return the way we came? But our entrance passage is gone.”

Nodding, Li Kuanglan also looked helpless, “This is probably the true danger of the Neutral Zone passage—it’s discontinuous. It only extends to the Maelstrom during this time, but there are still many breaks along the way. Passing through those breaks is like wandering in the void.”

“How can we be sure this is the Maelstrom?”

“There’s no way to confirm, but this should be the Maelstrom. We just don’t know which part.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“My sister and many empire geomancers calculated that this passage leads only to the Maelstrom.”

Qian Ye hadn’t expected Empress Li to be skilled in geomancy, but given the Li family’s renown in the empire for geomancy, it wasn’t surprising for her, as the family’s most outstanding figure, to have such proficiency.

Frowning, Qian Ye asked, “How do we return, then?”

“Two ways: tear the void and return the same path.”

To Qian Ye, this was impossible. Tearing the void and opening a spatial passage was a power reserved for supreme domain lords, and the discontinuity of the passage made it a non-option. Having experienced it, Qian Ye knew navigating within the spatial passage was almost impossible.

Thankfully, Li Kuanglan continued, “The other way is to find the empire’s outpost in the entrance area and wait for the next passage to open.”

That seemed feasible, but finding the outpost was the challenge.

Cutting a piece of wood, Li Kuanglan drew a map, explaining, “This is the Maelstrom’s terrain, recorded by our Li family. If we’re lucky and reach the mapped area, we’ll find the outpost.”

The map looked bizarre, with mountains, valleys, and rivers twisted, unlike common terrains in the empire or Evernight. Though densely marked, it was indecipherable to Qian Ye, with no familiar landmarks.

But Qian Ye had seen similar maps. He took out a scroll and handed it to her, asking, “What do you think this is?”

Unrolling the scroll, Li Kuanglan’s surprise grew, “Tiansun Grassland! Isn’t this the Maelstrom map held by the Song family? No doubt, the Tiansun Grassland is the Song family’s core asset. Without its steady production, they wouldn’t be so rich.”