I Ran Away with the Scumbag's White Moonlight Chapter 15

Lan Luohai's silence was finally broken by Shi Jingxian's choking cough. He bent down to help the person up from the grass mat and pulled out a bottle of potion from his own embrace.

“... Huh?”

As Shi Jingxian propped himself up and sat up straight, the cool bottle's mouth was pressed against his lips.

“What is this?” he mumbled.

“Medicine.”

Lan Luohai spat out a single word.

Despite the cold and frightening expression and voice of the other party, Shi Jingxian could clearly feel the careful tenderness in Lan Luohai's actions as he fed him the medicine. The arm wrapped around his lower back perfectly shared the burden of his body, allowing him to drink the potion in the most comfortable and effortless position.

Lan Luohai stared at him without blinking, watching until he had completely finished the potion.

As the crystal bottle was moved away from his lips, Shi Jingxian pressed his moist lips together, feeling a bit surprised.

He himself was a high-level alchemist, with a thorough understanding of potions. But the potion Lan Luohai had taken out not only had no taste, tasting just like plain water, but also gave off no energy fluctuations at all.

But the strangest thing was that after finishing it, Shi Jingxian realized he had truly regained his strength.

The lingering pain throughout his body disappeared completely, and his previously weak body quickly regained its vitality. Unlike other potions that usually took time to take effect, as soon as the crystal bottle was taken away, Shi Jingxian felt he had fully recovered.

It was as if he had instantly returned to his best state.

Even high-level recovery potions needed ample time to take effect; where did this prince find such a potion with no energy fluctuations that worked so quickly?

The more Shi Jingxian thought about it, the more curious he became, but Lan Luohai had no intention of explaining. He simply said it was a high-level potion made by De Si and his team and refused to say more.

Now was not the time to discuss such matters, and Shi Jingxian didn’t ask further. However, when he realized Lan Luohai was going to carry him horizontally, he really couldn’t keep silent anymore.

“... Your Highness, the medicine is very effective; I’m fine now. I can walk on my own.”

Lan Luohai fell silent for a moment. The light in the cave was dim, so Shi Jingxian didn’t see the fleeting expression on his face that seemed to say—lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

However, Prince Lán had never been one to shy away from difficulties.

He explained lightly, “If I can’t see you, I’ll be distracted. Besides, we’re short on time.”

His gaze shifted to Shi Jingxian's right arm, and Lan Luohai's voice lowered again.

“If we separate, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do well like before…”

Shi Jingxian struggled to suppress the urge to rub his ears with his now fully recovered right hand in front of Lan Luohai.

He cleared his throat and finally compromised, saying, “Then, how about you carry me?”

At least that wouldn’t delay Lan Luohai’s movements.

Lan Luohai had no objections. He bent his knees and squatted down, exposing his back clad in a strict military uniform to Shi Jingxian.

Shi Jingxian reached out to rest his hand on Lan Luohai's shoulder, while his knee was firmly supported by Lan Luohai's hand.

In the close distance, a faint fragrance wafted into Shi Jingxian's nose.

Lan Luohai's movements were steady as he stood up, but after straightening his back, he didn’t immediately move forward.

“Hold on tight, be careful.”

Shi Jingxian replied, “Mm.”

Lan Luohai still didn’t move.

He said, “Just holding your shoulder isn’t safe.”

Moreover, Shi Jingxian's upper body still maintained a considerable distance from his back.

Shi Jingxian hesitated for a moment. He understood Lan Luohai's meaning, but if he really wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, wouldn’t that mean he was directly grasping Lan Luohai's vital point?

But seeing how insistent Lan Luohai was, Shi Jingxian thought that if Lan Luohai encountered a deadly attack, he could still help block it.

In the end, he still reached out and wrapped his arms around Lan Luohai's neck.

“... Thank you, Your Highness.”

The two of them exited the cave, and to ease the awkwardness of their current position, Shi Jingxian quickly explained his plan to Lan Luohai. The communicator on Lan Luohai was still active, and without a hint of hesitation, he quickly set up orders according to Shi Jingxian's instructions.

The cave was a safe zone that Lan Luohai had specifically sought out. After walking for a while, they gradually encountered scattered Liechiguo. Shi Jingxian remembered Lan Luohai saying to “deal with the Liechiguo” and specifically reminded him to avoid conflicts with them to prevent any intelligent plants from holding grudges.

However, to Shi Jingxian's surprise, as they entered the densely dangerous area, the surrounding vines still didn’t disturb them much. This was completely unlike the previously aggressive Liechiguo; to exaggerate, it was as if they were being controlled to take a detour.

If it weren’t for repeatedly confirming with the now eighth-level Lan Luohai that there were no other people around, Shi Jingxian would have suspected someone was tracking them nearby, planLiechiguoning to ambush them.

With the disturbance of the Liechiguo gone, thanks to Lan Luohai's strength, their journey was exceptionally smooth. However, Shi Jingxian noticed that Lan Luohai, who was steadily carrying him, seemed to be hiding some irritation.

At first, he thought he was overthinking it, but after several branches that came to pick a fight were dealt with in a nearly brutal manner, Shi Jingxian finally confirmed his thoughts.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“What’s wrong?” Lan Luohai thought he had discovered something in the surroundings, “Is there danger?”

“No, I meant you, Your Highness.” Shi Jingxian said, “You seem to be in a bad mood?”

Lan Luohai fell silent for a moment. Since Shi Jingxian was being carried, he couldn’t see his expression, only feeling the throbbing of the blood vessels in his neck under his arm.

After walking for a while, Lan Luohai suddenly spoke.

“I didn’t expect you to get hurt.”

“It was an accident; I didn’t expect it either.” Shi Jingxian replied.

“I could have protected you.”

Lan Luohai's voice grew lower, almost murmuring. His tone was filled with an indescribable emotion.

“I could have.”

“...?”

Shi Jingxian felt a bit strange.

“Why do you think that, Your Highness? My injury wasn’t caused by you.”

Moreover, the awakening of his healing ability required toxin stimulation; otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked extending his arm out.

Lan Luohai didn’t speak again, but he still looked somewhat gloomy.

Shi Jingxian comforted him a few more times and shifted the topic to Yuan Xiao, which barely helped lift his spirits.

As they chatted, Shi Jingxian increasingly felt that Lan Luohai occasionally had a bit of a childish temper. He didn’t seem as composed and unflappable as he appeared on the outside, nor was he as hard to approach as others said.

What puzzled Shi Jingxian even more was that he found himself soothing Lan Luohai... surprisingly adept at comforting him.

Like him, the restorers all came from the mother planet, Nuòyǎ. The people of Nuòyǎ had long lifespans, but correspondingly, their reproductive capabilities were very low. Minors on Nuòyǎ were extremely rare; it was almost to the point where the birth of a newborn would lead everyone on the planet to celebrate together.

Due to Shi Jingxian's own orientation, the tasks he took on were all about same-sex relationships. Whether on Nuoya or the task planets, in Shi Jingxian's limited memory, he didn’t recall ever having experience in comforting children.

So... where did this inexplicable sense of familiarity come from?

Shi Jingxian was puzzled, but soon, Lan Luohai received a reply from his subordinates.

Just as he turned off the communicator, Lan Luohai's shoulders suddenly tensed.

Shi Jingxian also sensed the situation not far away.

To prevent Lan Luohai from getting distracted again, he leaned closer to his ear and whispered softly, “Northeast direction, I’ll stay quiet; be careful.”

For some reason, as he spoke, Lan Luohai's back became even tenser.

It wasn’t until Shi Jingxian began to suspect whether there was something else nearby that Lan Luohai slowly relaxed.

His concealment ability was extremely strong; even carrying another person didn’t affect him. Coupled with his ability to mask his energy, until the two could clearly hear the conversation coming from not far away, they remained undetected by the others.

Standing not far away was a group of A country people under Yuan Xiao, with a slightly thin man at the forefront scolding three subordinates who dared not raise their heads.

Shi Jingxian took a glance and recognized that those three were the injured people he had treated not long ago.

And the man at the forefront was another alchemist under Yuan Xiao, Fan Pai.

“Where is Ji Xuanran? Why haven’t you found him yet?!” Fan Pai's voice was unceremonious. “He was surrounded by so many Liechiguo; where else could he run to? Are you all useless, letting a dead man slip away?”

Before he finished speaking, Shi Jingxian sensed a sudden surge of killing intent in front of him.

Even though he couldn’t see Lan Luohai's front, Shi Jingxian hadn’t forgotten the blood-red eyes he had seen in the cave before. He quickly reached out and gently pinched the shoulder of the person.

Fortunately, Lan Luohai was not a reckless person. Before his aura spread out, he had already hidden his energy presence. Until Shi Jingxian reminded him to rein in his emotions, he hadn’t been discovered by Yuan Xiao's people.

On the other side, Fan Pai was making new moves. He ordered the three fake injured people to get lost and then took out a handful of crystal stones, facing the air and chanting incantations.

Before long, several extremely thick Liechiguo vines began to creep in from a distance. Fan Pai's face immediately showed satisfaction.

Shi Jingxian, quietly hidden not far away, sensed Lan Luohai's silent surprise and gently squeezed his shoulder again.

Yuan Xiao had already mastered the ability to communicate with high-level plants—this was evident, which was why the Liechiguo could hide among the injured to find Shi Jingxian.

Soon, Yuan Xiao, leading the A country team, walked out from the woods. They were unscathed, standing beside the fierce and thick Liechiguo, which made it even more eerie.

Fan Pai respectfully bowed to Yuan Xiao, “Marshal, the Liechiguo is ready to enjoy a feast everywhere.”

Yuan Xiao, sitting on his horse, showed no change in expression, as if he had anticipated this. He only asked, “Where is Ji Xuanran?”

Upon hearing the name Ji Xuanran, a flicker of distortion flashed across Fan Pai's respectfully lowered face. But he quickly adjusted his emotions and replied, “He was captured by the Liechiguo; I haven’t yet asked them about his whereabouts.”

Yuan Xiao looked down at him, his expression gradually growing colder.

Fan Pai's straight back began to bend, and obvious cold sweat appeared on his forehead. But he still maintained a respectful posture, gritting his teeth and remaining silent.

Yuan Xiao slowly said, “Was he captured, or did he escape?”

Fan Pai suddenly took a deep breath, as if he had been suffocating for a long time and could finally breathe again, gasping violently.

He reported in a stammer, “Yì Hào and the other three saw him being attacked by the Liechiguo, but the fight was too intense, and they couldn’t communicate with the Liechiguo, so they lost track of him in the end.”

Yuan Xiao listened expressionlessly, noncommittal.

Fan Pai wanted to say something more, but he suddenly saw Yuan Xiao turn his head.

He immediately became alert and shouted loudly, “Who’s there? Come out!”

The bushes rustled, and soon, a tall figure pushed through the obstruction and walked out.

Fan Pai's eyes widened in shock. “Ji Xuanran!”

He said fiercely, “You’re still alive?!”

Ji Xuanran covered his mouth, unable to suppress a couple of low coughs.

Yuan Xiao coldly asked, “Who else?”

Ji Xuanran coughed for a while before hoarsely saying, “Cough, cough, it’s the person who saved me earlier.”

He frowned, looking disapproving. “They just heard what you said.”

Fan Pai was suddenly startled and hurriedly looked at Yuan Xiao.

Yuan Xiao's expression remained unchanged: “Six people, the highest ability is only sixth level. What, is your savior that weak?”

“Come here,” he called Ji Xuanran like summoning a pet. “Come back here obediently, and I’ll spare your life.”

It was more effective to let blood flow while still alive.

Ji Xuanran's face was pale, looking as if he might collapse at any moment, but he still gritted his teeth and refused Yuan Xiao's words.

“Yuan Xiao, you actually made a deal with intelligent plants, framing ability users to die for nothing... You’re not worthy of being my marshal; I will definitely tell the core country about this...”

Fan Pai, seeing him stubborn, sneered, “Still want to report? You think you have that much power?”

“Everyone else has been fed to the Liechiguo; what do you think will happen if you know about this? Do you think anyone will believe you if you speak out, huh?”

Compared to Fan Pai's arrogance, Ji Xuanran's voice was very low.

“Not just me; they all heard it.”

Fan Pai scoffed, “They? Who? Those six people? Don’t worry; they’ll soon become the Liechiguo's side dish.”

After saying that, he turned to look at Yuan Xiao. After receiving permission, Fan Pai quickly picked up the crystal stones in his hand and began chanting the unfamiliar language again. The Liechiguo quickly responded, glaring hungrily at Ji Xuanran...

And the hundreds of astonished ability users that appeared behind him.

Fan Pai's hand trembled, and the crystal stone fell to the ground, rolling away.

Yuan Xiao tightened the reins, immediately entering a state of readiness.

He growled, “Ji Xuanran!”

Shi Jingxian, who had coughed a couple of times, finally straightened up and turned to give the best view.

His voice was calm, “I said, they all heard it.”

The ones appearing behind Shi Jingxian were not the six people he mentioned, but all the ability users that Yuan Xiao had deliberately led to the Liechiguo thicket to die!

In addition to the vast army of the core country, even the ability users from B country and C country were present. After hearing Shi Jingxian's plan, Lan Luohai immediately ordered the core country's army to split up and rescue the ability users in various places before returning to him.

Under the energy barrier released by Lan Luohai, the core country's army and other summoned elite ability users... all clearly heard the entire conversation.

Many of them had already engaged in a life-and-death battle with the Liechiguo. If it weren’t for Lan Luohai's coordination and rescue, they would have truly become the meals of the Liechiguo, just as Fan Pai had said.

The fear of narrowly escaping death mixed with the anger of discovering the truth; these ability users had trusted Yuan Xiao so much before, but now they hated him just as much. Many of them had already gritted their teeth and raised their weapons, wanting to demand an explanation from Yuan Xiao.

Yuan Xiao had no intention of fighting.

He tugged the reins, intending to lead the team to retreat.

“Block him! Don’t let him escape!”

“Charge!!”

“Catch that damn marshal!”

The outraged ability users quickly reacted, and the angry crowd surged like a tide. The first to bear the brunt was Yuan Xiao's brown horse, with numerous attack spells aimed directly at the horse's legs, looking as if they would throw him off.

“Get out of the way!!”

A sharp voice cut through the noise.

The thick Liechiguo swung back into action, forcing the crowd back half a step. Fan Pai, who had picked up the crystal stone again, looked disheveled, using the Liechiguo to threaten the ability users from getting close.

His plan had indeed interrupted everyone’s attack, and the scene became chaotic again.

“Marshal! Hurry and go!!”

Fan Pai shouted loudly, using the Liechiguo to intimidate the crowd.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar and hated figure.

Ji, Xuan, Ran...!

Fan Pai's eyes widened, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, but disregarding it, he began chanting the communication spell again, forcibly directing the Liechiguo to charge at the not-so-distant Ji Xuanran.

Capture him, kill him, and offer his corpse to the marshal! That way, he could gain the marshal's favor and become the only one...

Fan Pai fantasized, almost laughing out loud.

But before his smile could form, a chill suddenly spread through his chest.

“... Huh?!”

Severe pain radiated out, and Fan Pai looked in disbelief at the silver blade that had pierced through his chest.

“No...”

He opened his mouth in terror, but could only emit meaningless screams.

His defeated body was nailed to the thick Liechiguo, and the injured Liechiguo thrashed wildly, tearing his wound into a more horrific sight. The blood gushing out stimulated the Liechiguo, which, smelling the scent, quickly found the flesh pinned to the wound, opening countless fruits with sharp serrated edges, and literally tore Fan Pai apart.

The tragic screams lingered for a long time, and this bloody scene made the agitated crowd quiet for a moment.

As they retreated to avoid the Liechiguo's attack, they instinctively looked at Lan Luohai, who had raised his hand to release a water blade, directly impaling Fan Pai.

Not far away, the man stood tall, expressionless.

Unlike his usual noble and cold demeanor, at this moment, although he still had no visible expression, he exuded a strong aura of brutality and bloodlust that made anyone who looked at him shiver.

Those azure blue eyes, colder than the sharpest blade, looked without warmth at the Liechiguo that was crazily feeding.

There, Yuan Xiao, who had been thrown off, had just stood up beside the dead horse.