Winter Melon lowered her head slightly, her gaze softening as she glanced sideways at Lin Luoyu sitting across from her.
In her eyes, Lin Luoyu's expression remained as calm as ever, though occasional micro-expressions of wariness would flicker across her face.
The only ones traveling with them now were Watermelon, herself, and Lin Luoyu's junior brother. Who the wariness was aimed at went without saying.
It couldn't possibly be aimed at Cui Hao, who was outside driving the carriage, could it?
A person cloaked in righteous aura was different from a pure, simple good person. She was a tricky one.
When someone has their guard up, the right move is not to bother them — especially not to try to win them over.
No matter whether your intentions are good or bad, in the eyes of someone with their guard up, every action looks like preparation for some evil deed.
Playing as harmless as possible was the best strategy.
What's more, she didn't actually need to win Lin Luoyu's approval.
She only needed to manipulate Cui Hao — that somewhat chatty Cui Hao would then seek out this good-person Senior Sister himself.
Winter Melon withdrew her gaze and glanced at the young man slumped in the corner, only half his body remaining.
The young man had one hand and one foot. His abdomen had also been severed nearly in half.
He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, resting, doing his best to suppress the extremely troublesome blood qi within him.
Forget it — at least his life was saved.
Watermelon had truly traded his life to give her a chance to escape. In such a critical moment, someone willing to risk his life for you would also save you again next time.
Right now, Winter Melon needed precisely such a person.
Winter Melon's line of contact with her superiors was not two-way. It was one-way.
Only when those above sent someone to contact Winter Melon could she report her progress and the things she needed. Watermelon had no way to directly contact those above.
The advantage of this method of contact was secrecy. Even if she were caught, it wouldn't compromise the safety of those above.
In short — if she pulled off the mission, Winter Melon was a capable operative. If she botched it, she was a discarded pawn.
So for Winter Melon to make contact, she had to let those above know that she was neither dead nor captured.
For that, she relied on the experimental rule crystal she still kept in her possession.
As long as this item continued to be properly advanced, naturally someone from above would come to confirm the situation.
And she had to be as fast as possible.
Winter Melon's right hand reached to her left forearm, sensing the [Life Gate] that only she could perceive.
She hadn't fought so desperately just to build a prosperous age that didn't include her.
To pull off this matter, her only leverage was Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu.
After all, the rule crystal in her possession had already been seen with Li Xingtian's own eyes.
With those above unwilling to show their faces, only the deterrent power of a renowned orthodox sect could make them hesitate — too wary of consequences to lay a finger on her.
Complex emotions rose up. Winter Melon worked hard to suppress them.
Emotion made people irrational. It made them show flaws, do the wrong things, say the wrong words.
Suddenly, the sound of the door curtain being pulled aside rang out.
Cui Hao half-reclined as he slid back inside, his gaze circling around before locking onto the silently sitting half-Watermelon.
He asked with concern, "How are you doing? Better?"
Watermelon quickly nodded and spoke. "Nothing serious now. Thanks for your help, Fellow Daoist."
Cui Hao stared at Watermelon for a moment, then spoke with a slightly more serious tone.
"I have a question that's a bit offensive. I don't know if I can ask you?"
Winter Melon's gaze seemed calm as she looked over, but inwardly she grew a bit tense — could it be that this Cui Hao was only pretending to be easy to fool?
Watermelon's expression was steady as he nodded. "It's fine. Go ahead and ask."
Cui Hao gently rubbed his chin, brow slightly furrowed, and asked.
"If you only have half a body, do you feel like your body's gotten lighter?"
Watermelon was stunned at his words. What kind of question was that? Wasn't that a bit too offensive?
Winter Melon's expression slightly crumbled. She withdrew her gaze, suddenly feeling that there must be something wrong with her own brain — to have actually thought Cui Hao would ask anything serious.
Watermelon could only extend his remaining left hand and wave it a bit.
"I don't feel any lighter. If anything, my whole body feels strange — I still feel like my right half is there."
Cui Hao nodded with a look of pity on his face, then asked another question.
"But fortunately, you and I have both set foot on the immortal path."
"Even missing half your body, you're still probably much stronger than an ordinary mortal, right?"
"Naturally." Watermelon nodded, then quickly lied about his own cultivation.
"After all, I'm also a cultivator who just entered the Golden Core stage."
This cultivation level was just right. It wouldn't make Lin Luoyu, who was only at the Golden Core stage, feel threatened, yet it would still be appropriately useful.
"Then in that case, how about you come out and drive the carriage for a while?" Cui Hao said with a smile on his face.
"I'm only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, after all. Even if you give me one hand and one foot, I might not be able to beat you."
"Driving a carriage — you should be able to handle that, right?"
Watermelon was stunned yet again. This person really didn't treat him as half a person — it felt more like he didn't treat him as a person at all.
"Alright..." Watermelon stood up on one leg, preparing to go out and drive the carriage.
Winter Melon glanced imperceptibly at Lin Luoyu, only to find her expression calm.
She seemed to have no intention of stopping her junior brother from ordering a disabled person who hadn't yet healed to do manual labor.
Such righteous aura shouldn't turn a blind eye to this kind of thing.
Was this another probe?
Winter Melon quickly rose and reached out to stop Watermelon, who was about to drive the carriage. She looked at Cui Hao and spoke.
"He still needs to rest. If Fellow Daoist Cui is tired, just come inside and rest. Let me drive the carriage."
Cui Hao's expression showed some reluctance. He spoke with blatant double standards.
"You're a woman, and a guest at that. Having you drive the carriage is a bit embarrassing."
Winter Melon looked at Cui Hao with some surprise. This remark... could it be that Cui Hao was interested in her?
This person... had he never seen a woman in his sect before?
This was a bit too shallow, wasn't it?
Lin Luoyu pushed herself up. "Stop arguing, both of you. I'll drive the carriage."
Cui Hao's eyes went wide. "Senior Sister, that's too embarrassing."
"Stop with the embarrassment. Just let my eyes look at something worth looking at."
Lin Luoyu decisively reached out, grabbed Cui Hao by the sleeve, and pulled him bodily into the carriage compartment.
Without another word, she went outside to drive the carriage.
Cui Hao was acting quite well — playing the role of a brainless idiot to perfection.
But the performance was truly an eyesore, torturing her mind. Listening to him for even two more seconds or watching him for even two more glances was its own form of torture.
What's more, Cui Hao's current manner clearly suggested he had some additional ideas in mind. Fulfilling his wishes would also free her from him.
Lin Luoyu stepped outside the curtain to drive the carriage.
Cui Hao gave a light cough, patted his sleeve, and then sat down beside Winter Melon with great familiarity.
Watermelon cast a glance and very sensibly buried himself back against the edge.
Winter Melon faced Cui Hao's gaze with a slightly awkward smile on her face.
Cui Hao smiled back, then asked.
"Miss, my Senior Sister is a bit standoffish. She always has this inexplicable wariness toward outsiders. Please don't take offense."
Winter Melon nodded. "I've already received two life-saving graces from you both. How could I possibly take offense?"
"Oh, my Senior Sister isn't usually like this. It's just that this mission is very special." Cui Hao sighed softly.
Then his voice dropped, half-whispering, half-showing off.
"This time, what we're investigating is something the Tai Dao Sect once did at the Wuxuan Temple..."
Winter Melon froze at his words, her eyes instantly widening as she waited for what Cui Hao would say next.
But in the next moment, Lin Luoyu's angry shout came from outside the curtain.
"Cui Hao!"
That single shout cut off whatever Cui Hao had been about to say, leaving him instantly frozen in silence.
Winter Melon, for her part, did her best to maintain her expression — and to suppress the extremely shocked emotions surging within her heart.
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