Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1659 - 1652: Unable to Control My Emotions

Chapter 1659: Chapter 1652: Unable to Control My Emotions

After being snapped at by Tangmo, Fulajie’er immediately shut her mouth and fell silent.

Though it may have been said in anger, Fulajie’er’s reaction exposed a hint of her true feelings—she couldn’t bear to leave Luo’er. If she weren’t in her current spiritual form, she would undoubtedly be Tangmo’s strongest rival.

Everything they’d gone through along the journey—Fulajie’er couldn’t forget. Nor could she forget what kind of person Luo’er was.

She had seen Luo’er cry, seen him laugh, seen him lose his mind in anger, and seen him calmly analyze a chaotic situation.

No one is perfect, and Luo’er was far from a saint. His flaws were glaring and numerous, but just like a flawed jade doesn’t lose its radiance, Luo’er’s qualities effectively overshadowed his shortcomings.

Setting aside his personality, what made Luo’er most captivating was—still his personality. Truly, like a gentleman as serene as water, his temper was gentle yet principled, resolute yet compassionate.

A person like Luo’er, regardless of whether he was a man or a woman, would be widely adored. If he were a woman, Cheng Ziang and Hu Daoke would probably have already fought themselves bloody over him.

"What do you want from me? Are you planning to cling to me all day today?" Luo’er asked helplessly, forcing himself to remain patient.

"Just use that tone you had earlier to talk to me. Say anything—insult me if you want. Will you? Pretty please," Tangmo said with an eager, expectant look.

"Fine, as you wish. Afterward, no more pestering, alright?" Luo’er sighed in resignation.

"Mhm! I promise!" Tangmo nodded enthusiastically, excitement lighting up her face.

Luo’er took a deep breath and cleared his throat lightly. Closing his eyes, he remained silent for a long time, seemingly searching for the right mood. When he finally opened them again, his gaze turned cold yet pristine, descending upon Tangmo like a sovereign looking down from above. His thin lips moved slightly before he coldly declared in a voice as frigid and ethereal as the winter wind, "Incomprehensible! Now step back!"

"I’m dead..."

Tangmo’s body shuddered, and she dramatically clutched her chest before falling backward in mock faint. Her eyes glazed over while a silly, wide grin spread across her face—as if she were so blissful that a droplet of saliva was about to trickle from the corner of her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Luo’er asked with concern.

"No, no, I’m fine..."

Blushing furiously, Tangmo stammered, but halfway through her words, her body trembled as if possessed, then abruptly went limp. An indescribable sour scent began wafting through the carriage.

When Luo’er caught a whiff of this aroma, his face subconsciously flushed, though he had no idea why. All he could do was look at Tangmo, sprawled in the carriage, with genuine concern.

"I-I’m fine..."

Gasping for breath, Tangmo discreetly adjusted her garments, tucking part of them behind her.

"I just insulted you once—did it really warrant such a reaction?" Luo’er sighed and asked, his expression one of bemusement.

"No, I’d love for you to insult me every single day," Tangmo murmured as her eyes fluttered shut, an expression of pure contentment washing over her.

"What kind of preference is that?" Luo’er looked at her with worry, placing his hand gently on her forehead to check if she was feverish or delirious.

But the instant his hand touched Tangmo’s skin, she let out a soft and enticing moan, then opened her eyes to gaze at Luo’er with unrestrained affection.

"Hug me," Tangmo whispered, opening her arms wide and speaking in a tone as tender as silk.

"Alright..."

Luo’er sighed helplessly, reluctantly wrapping his arms around her. The moment he did, Tangmo clung to him like an octopus.

"Luo’er, I..." She tightened her grasp on him, her body squirming as if trying to rub her scent onto him.

"What is it?" Luo’er asked softly.

"For you... No, never mind..." Mid-sentence, Tangmo’s cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she abruptly buried her face into Luo’er’s chest, greedily inhaling the scent of him.

"You’re acting a little strange today, aren’t you?" Luo’er scratched his head and asked.

"Women sometimes can’t help themselves on certain days. Animals feel the same, but it’s usually an annual thing for them," Tangmo replied, her breathing shallow and uneven.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, really. Luo’er, we’ll always, always be together, right?" Tangmo gently shook her head and asked softly.

"I..." Luo’er hesitated.

"Even a hundred years from now," Tangmo murmured.

"Yes!" Luo’er nodded firmly.

"Hehe, wonderful. You’re mine now—I’ve already left my scent on you," Tangmo said with a silly, satisfied laugh.

"Are you sweating or something? Why do you smell a bit sour?" Luo’er asked as he leaned in to sniff her fair neck.

He’d grown used to such intimate gestures, finding nothing inappropriate about them. On the contrary, Tangmo wished for nothing more than for Luo’er to approach her like this.

"Remember this scent well, okay? Someday, when you recall this moment, it’ll surely bring you much joy," Tangmo whispered charmingly, her breath warm and teasing.

"Someday..."

Luo’er let out a faint sigh, unwilling to imagine what the days ahead with Tangmo might hold.

The carriage slowly entered the township under the escort of the militia. This place was called Tianguan Town—not a name that sprang from the Qi State villagers but one that had been passed down through the centuries, its history spanning more than a thousand years.

Tianguan Town lay nestled between Qi State’s mountains and plains, occupying the first valley plain encountered after entering the mountains from the plains. Guarding the route from Qi State to Hua State, Tianguan Town was a critical stronghold to conquer if an attack on Hua State from Qi State was to succeed.

Yet, living up to its name, Tianguan Town was as impregnable as the heavens, defying conquest time and again.

Approximately three kilometers east of Tianguan Town lay the Tianguan Fortress. Truly, it was a bottleneck where "one man could hold the pass against ten thousand." Among all the fortresses of Kyushu, none were harder to take than this one.

Even cultivators struggled to overcome its steep cliffs and towering walls, often relegated to hurling insults and challenges from the safety of the valley below.

When the Qi State villagers were driven up into the mountains, the Anxiang family seemingly overlooked the presence of Tianguan Town, allowing the displaced villagers to occupy Kyushu’s most formidable fortress.

Because of this fortress, the Anxiang family’s attempts at extermination had ended in utter failure time and again. Beyond losing their troops, they’d suffered significant casualties among their elite cultivators, weakening their cultivation forces considerably.

Such a fortress naturally became a prime target for the Imperial Court. Yet, due to interference from opposing factions in court politics, the conquest never succeeded.

This time, however, the Wen Family Court finally had its way, successfully dispatching officials to establish governance over Tianguan Town on behalf of the court.

This court-appointed official was a bold man indeed. Though he appeared a simple scholar, he ventured into this barbaric land without soldiers or cultivators to guard him, bringing only a few attendants. Whether he was brave or merely foolish was anyone’s guess.

Yet, according to Bahàn, this man was remarkably adept at governance. He collaborated with the farmers to build irrigation systems, open new farmland, and bring order to Tianguan Town. Over time, the locals abandoned their hostility and mistrust, choosing instead to follow his commands and support the court’s initiatives with growing cooperation.

The convoy arrived beside a farmland plot, where a group of people stood, intently listening to a young man speaking before them.

Upon noticing the convoy, someone called the young man’s attention. Startled, he hurriedly trudged over to the roadside, cleaning the mud off his boots as he went. With a puzzled look toward Bahàn, he asked, "Bahàn, who are they?"

"Ah, Lord Magistrate, these are..." Bahàn glanced back, then answered decisively, "These people come from the west, claiming to be some kind of delegation... saints, or something..."

"Delegation... saints..." The young man’s eyes lit up with excitement as understanding dawned.

Ecstatic, he rushed to the carriage, bowed deeply, and greeted them with reverence, "This humble servant, Baiyang Yu, pays respects to the saints and the honored Manor Lords."

"He actually knows us..." Watching Baiyang Yu’s deferential actions, Cheng Ziang squinted in thought.

It seemed that the Advance Team’s fame within the Dongsheng Court was not negligible. The local state officials and military officers they’d encountered earlier had all recognized them, and now even a mere town magistrate appeared to be familiar with their names.

Baiyang Yu bore the Baiyang surname. As per the Advance Team’s understanding of Kyushu, unless something unexpected had occurred, Baiyang Yu was likely from the prominent Baiyang Clan of Fangzhou. Following the principle of "state clans not serving their own states," he had been sent to serve as an official in Qi State.

Nevertheless, for someone of a prominent clan, his official position seemed unusually low. After all, the Advance Team had previously encountered Luzun Hong, a County Magistrate, and even a commander who originated from common folk.