Bamboo Casket Chapter 60: A Maiden's Secret Thoughts

Lu Yun sat cross-legged in the courtyard, paying no mind to Shuize, who was watching him secretly from the dark.

Every word Luo Ze had spoken echoed in his mind. Lu Yun frowned, constantly simulating them within his visions, yet he always felt it lacked a sense of thorough fluency.

Felling no further need to continue the simulation, Lu Yun slowly rose and walked over to a rockery.

"Lady Shuize, there is no need to hide anymore."

From behind the artificial stone, Shuize timidly poked her head out, gazing at Lu Yun with her large eyes.

Lu Yun gathered his thoughts and said, "I believe you were simply too impulsive just now, Lady Shuize. The truth is, I already have a woman I love, and I will not seek another. In my hometown, to fall in love with someone means to be entirely devoted to them, otherwise, it is merely toying with that person's affections."

Shuize blinked her eyes, looking rather dazed.

Lu Yun sighed. "You are a wonderful person, Lady Shuize, but I am not worth your affection."

"You are worth it," Shuize suddenly said. "You are very capable."

"Capability does not represent everything. When liking someone, one must value their moral character above all else..."

Lu Yun felt somewhat at a loss, truly not knowing what else to say.

This was his first time encountering such a situation, which made him appear rather...

Dazed.

Of course, Lu Yun himself would never perceive it that way.

Shuize burst into a giggle, then took brisk steps to come to Lu Yun's side. "Alright, I understand. You already have someone you love, and I will not pester you any longer. But in the future, you must not treat me like a stranger!"

"Never. Brother Anluo's sister is my sister."

Lu Yun let out a breath and offered his promise on the spot.

Shuize pressed her lips together and brushed past Lu Yun.

"I'm going to rest now. You should hurry as well; it's getting late."

"Alright."

Lu Yun replied softly, turned around, and walked back to his room.

What Lu Yun did not know was that Shuize glanced back at him once more, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

...

"Sister, why are your eyes a bit red?"

Early the next morning, Anluo watched as Shuize hurried out of the residence and asked curiously.

Shuize paused her steps, turned around, and snapped at Anluo, "You woodenhead!"

With that, the young woman left the estate, her destination unknown.

Anluo stood frozen in place for a long while before reaching up to touch his own nose.

"Am I really that dense?"

"Let's go, Brother Anluo."

Lu Yun pushed open his door and said to Anluo, "Aren't we supposed to meet the people from Tianju City today?"

"You truly don't need to come along, Brother Lu. I can handle a trivial matter like this," Anluo waved a hand dismissively. "Just stay here at the manor."

"How can I do that? To be honest, I'm quite eager to meet those four siblings from Tianju City myself. Let's get going."

Lu Yun had no intention of remaining at the estate; he genuinely wanted to see those four individuals.

The talisman-wielding soldier had given him a very peculiar feeling, leading Lu Yun to surmise that Tianju City was backed by a supreme sovereign demon proficient in the art of talismans.

Yet which sovereign demon was known for talismans?

Lu Yun did not know, which suddenly filled him with a trace of regret.

He really should have read those web novels more carefully back then!

Seeing that Lu Yun had made up his mind, Anluo stopped trying to persuade him. He merely instructed Old Guang, who was sweeping the courtyard: "Uncle Guang, keep an eye on my little sister. She just ran out; if she hasn't returned by late tonight, go look for her."

Uncle Guang nodded in assent.

A suspicion arose in Lu Yun's heart.

Perhaps his words from the previous night had been somewhat hurtful; it was inevitable that Shuize would feel sad upon hearing them.

"By the way, Brother Lu, am I really dense? Just now, Shuize actually called me a woodenhead. That girl is getting more and more unruly!"

Anluo suddenly recalled his younger sister's parting insult and turned to Lu Yun for validation.

Lu Yun's lips twitched slightly. "Not at all..."

"Hahaha, I knew it! How could I possibly be dense? I, your lord brother, am brilliant beyond compare, and my social skills are absolute perfection!"

Anluo felt a momentary annoyance that he had even doubted himself because of a single remark from his little sister.

As the foremost prince of the White Plain Kingdom, his interpersonal finesse was unquestionably top-tier.

Lu Yun remained silent.

...

Shuize had once again made her way to the most heavily guarded Golden Casket Stone Chamber of the Changxing Kingdom, where she began to comb through intelligence archives.

She was indeed heartbroken, but she had no intention of wallowing in her sorrow.

A young woman pampered by the Luo Ze family since childhood, she had never been weak-willed.

Faced with Lu Yun's rejection, she could accept it with grace.

Shuize had no wish to damage the relationship between Lu Yun and Anluo; last night's behavior had already crossed the line.

Though Lu Yun had not said much and had even offered her a graceful way out, Shuize knew her boundaries well. From now on, she would likely actively avoid him.

After flipping through several ink-stained documents, Shuize found herself unable to read any further.

It filled her with agitation.

So the young woman simply slumped over the wooden table, letting her mind drift back to the sword strike with which Lu Yun had saved her in Qianjing City, and the dashing ease with which he had intercepted Yuan Bai...

Before she knew it, her mind was entirely filled with Lu Yun's figure.

In the desolate wilderness of the world, certain matters were remarkably simple. Falling in love could happen in the span of a single glance; if you found someone pleasing to the eye, you could become cultivation partners.

Of all this, Lu Yun remained completely unaware.

"Calm down, Shuize. You are merely harboring an obsession because he didn't accept you. Calm down! You must calm down!"

Shuize abruptly straightened up and lightly slapped her own cheeks.

Yet the very next moment, the young woman puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

"But... I really am quite sad."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Who would have thought a woman of the Luo Ze family could ever look like this?"

A gloomy, sinister voice suddenly echoed within the quiet depths of the Golden Casket Stone Chamber.

Shuize snapped back to her senses, instantly gripping a dagger as she demanded in a cold voice, "Who is it?!"

The Golden Casket Stone Chamber consisted of three tiers in total. The first tier was a deceptive barrier, while the second tier was guarded by three fifth-realm cultivators and a sixth-realm pure sword cultivator. For this person to have reached this place meant...

They were at least at the seventh realm!

"Hehehe, who am I?"

The interior of the chamber plunged into sudden darkness as the burning candle flames were gradually swallowed by an ink-black void.

Shuize gripped her dagger with white knuckles and instinctively took a step back.

A hand rested heavily upon her shoulder.

"You should have already read my dossier, so how could you possibly not know who I am?"

Shuize whipped around and slashed with her blade, but struck nothing at all.

"Are you afraid?"

The voice murmured softly, "Rest assured, I won't kill you. Instead, I will torment you until Anluo agrees to my demands..."

Upon hearing those words, Shuize immediately pressed the edge of her dagger against her own throat.

"You want to use me to coerce my brother?"

A flash of resolute determination crossed her eyes.

"In your dreams!"

The intruder had never expected Shuize to take such a drastic step. By the time he manifested his true form to stop her, it was already too late.

In the dim, flickering candlelight, Shuize caught a clear look of the man's face.

"It's you, Puzuo!"

Puzuo watched step by step as Shuize's vital aura faded, watching the hatred in her eyes slowly lose its luster.

Not until he sensed that the young woman's life force had completely vanished did Puzuo slowly grasp his sword and approach her side.

Shuize's eyes remained wide open, filled with everlasting resentment in death.

Yet Puzuo remained exceedingly cautious; fearing she might be faking her demise to trick him, he raised his blade.