bookbashuk Chapter 1292 Alice is here?
Chapter 1292 Alice is here?
The Plague lowered its head meekly and hissed softly at Silky.
Unexpectedly, Silky slowly shook her head, refusing Shao Yun's offer.
She moved her left hand, which was still functional, and explained, "No, thank you for your kindness, but I don't want to experience the feeling of broken limbs again."
"The hands and feet formed by the power of the abyss may look different from ordinary people, but they are very convenient to use and can better match the abyssal energy in my body, so there is no need to go through the trouble of rebirth."
For her, the power of the abyss was already a part of her body, and forcibly reshaping her limbs with other powers would only make her feel uncomfortable.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Shao Yun did not force her, but simply nodded and looked her over carefully.
"Are there any other wounds that you need me to treat?"
Skirk shook her head again and refused, saying, "No need. Your medicine has already helped me a lot. I can handle the rest of the minor injuries myself."
"Moreover, how can one grow strong without experiencing wind and rain? This little pain is nothing compared to the days spent struggling in the abyss."
Seeing that Sikerk had refused repeatedly, Shao Yun stopped trying to persuade him.
He extended his hand to Skykirk and said, "In that case, let's go back to the ranch and rest first."
"By the way, can you get up now? Don't hold me back. I'm eager to get home to see my lovely, sweet, and soft wife. She must be getting impatient."
With the faint sensation that had just returned to her lower limbs, Sikerk, supported by Shao Yun, slowly stood up, her body weak.
When Shao Yun turned and walked towards the Tianqi horse "Famine," it seemed he intended to ride back to the pasture.
Skork frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Wait a minute, do you want to ride a horse?"
In her opinion, although riding a horse is faster than walking, it is still not very efficient for the distance from Longjupo to the pasture.
Shao Yun turned to look at Silky and asked, "Otherwise what? Do you really want to walk back step by step with these legs that have just regained feeling?"
"Then we probably won't even reach the ranch entrance by tomorrow morning."
Skirk ignored his teasing, and simply raised her left hand slowly, waving it gently at the open space in front of her.
In an instant, a pitch-black rift appeared out of thin air, with a thin amount of abyssal energy surging within it, forming a stable teleportation portal.
On the other side of the door, the familiar outline of a ranch could be vaguely seen; it was the home that Shao Yun longed for day and night.
“Going through the Abyss Portal will be faster; we’ll be at the ranch in less than a second.” Skirk withdrew her hand, her tone turning cold again.
Shao Yun stared in astonishment at the abyss portal that suddenly appeared before him, his eyes widening and his mouth slightly agape.
"What the hell! You can open Abyss portals too? I thought only my brother-in-law (Kong) and the Abyss Cult had that ability!"
Silky glanced at him expressionlessly, maintaining her aloof demeanor, and patiently explained:
“Your brother-in-law (Kong) shared the Abyss Network with me before. It has a clear location, so opening the portal is very simple for me.”
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun immediately felt a pang of jealousy and retorted sarcastically, "My brother-in-law has been doing well lately too!"
"You have time to share the Abyss Network with me, but not time to prepare a dagger to open a portal for me. So, I, your 'family,' am not as important as a little girl you've only known for a short time?"
Silky looked completely bewildered by Shao Yun's inexplicable complaint, but she didn't delve into it. She simply waved to Shao Yun, signaling him to quickly enter the portal.
"Let's go, the portal won't last long. By the way, where's Dain? Isn't he coming back to the ranch with us?"
Shao Yun thought about what she said for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively and answered truthfully, "After returning to the Nata ground, he separated from me, and I don't know exactly where he went."
"Let him go. He's a grown man, and he won't get lost. With his strength, no one in Teyvat can easily hurt him."
……
As Shao Yun followed Silky into the abyss portal, the scene before him instantly changed.
The familiar scent of grass and the gentle breeze from the pasture wafted over, and the vast expanse of grass shimmered with a vibrant green luster under the sunlight.
Everything was peaceful and beautiful; the "Garden of Eden" that he never tired of looking at was right before his eyes.
"Finally back." Shao Yun took a deep breath, his nerves, which had been tense for a long time, completely relaxed, and even his steps became lighter.
He looked up at the Apocalypse Horse "Death" standing not far away, waved to it, and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Now, continue your mission of protecting the ranch."
Upon hearing his command, "Death" raised its head and let out a soft hiss before quietly walking into the shadows near the pasture and disappearing once more.
Having settled the arrangements for "death," Shao Yun eagerly headed towards the villa, shouting loudly into the house as he went:
"Ying, Paimon, Shenhe, Ningguang, and Yuanshang, we're back!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the living room door creaked open, and Ying was the first to run out.
Wearing a "sharpshooter girl" outfit, her eyes lit up with surprise when she saw Shao Yun, and all her worries turned into a sense of relief.
Shao Yun opened her arms wide and shouted excitedly, "Ying, have you missed me? I've missed you so much!"
Ying could no longer hold back her tears of joy. She rushed forward and hugged Shao Yun tightly around the waist like a swallow in its embrace, burying her face in his chest.
"Honey, you're finally back! I was so worried, I kept wondering if you were hurt..."
Shao Yun gently patted Ying's back, soothing her emotions tenderly, while affectionately pinching her cheek and wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"I'm perfectly fine, not hurt at all, don't worry."
"But Skirk isn't doing well. It looks like she'll be staying with us for a while. She's a bit weak and needs to rest."
Upon hearing the words "weak constitution," Ying immediately peeked out from Shao Yun's embrace, looked up at Shao Yun's face with concern in her eyes, and asked in confusion:
"What does 'weak constitution' mean?"
Seeing this, Silky took a step forward, nodded slightly to Ying, and calmly added and introduced her situation.
"Actually, I was seriously injured. My master, the Extreme Evil Rider, shot me through the spine with an arrow. I was going to die."
"Luckily, your husband appeared in time and gave me a bottle of healing medicine, which saved my life. Although I can stand up now, I still need a long time to rest and fully recover, so I may have to trouble you."
After hearing the description of Siker's injuries, Ying immediately let go of Shao Yun's arms, stepped out of his embrace, and quickly stepped forward to carefully support Siker's arm.
“You’re so badly injured, why are you standing outside in the wind! Let me help you to rest. There’s a room available, it’s well-lit and quiet, perfect for recuperating.”
Silky looked at Ying's profile, which was so close to his.
Sunlight shone on her face, making her eyes sparkle with undisguised kindness.
This sudden warmth startled her, and the words "No need to trouble yourself" that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down for some reason.
She nodded slightly, her voice softer than before: "No... okay, thank you..."
(Jade: Sister, you have to trust my judgment!)
With Ying's help, she led Silky into the room first, and the two figures quickly disappeared behind the door.
Just as Ying was helping the weak Sikerk into the house and settling her in, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked Shao Yun's path.
It was Yuan Shang, looking completely flustered, with shifty eyes as if he had stolen an empty shoe insole...
"Mr. Shao Yun, wait a minute! There's something I must tell you, it's extremely important!"
Shao Yun was startled by his sudden action and looked him up and down.
Yuan Shang's hair was messy and his clothes were askew; he looked like he had rushed over in a panic.
"What's the rush? Did you lose the cattle on the ranch? I've told you so many times, don't just focus on studying light novels, you have to keep an eye on the livestock too."
Yuan Shang shook his head vigorously and explained anxiously:
“It’s not about the livestock! It’s much more serious than the lost cow! It’s about Alice… she came here while you were away from the ranch!”
"Alice?" The smile on Shao Yun's face vanished instantly.
Immediately afterwards, he began to look around, as if to confirm whether Alice was still nearby, then gritted his teeth and used his sense of humor to curse:
"I bet this woman isn't here to wish me a happy birthday, is she?"
Ever since the ambush at Wuwang Slope in Liyue, their relationship has plummeted to rock bottom.
Her sudden visit was definitely not that simple.
Yuan Shang pursed his lips, his expression becoming extremely complicated, as if he had something difficult to say.
He opened his mouth, but then swallowed his words, leaving only the sentence: "Ms. Alice left a long time ago, she didn't stay on the ranch for long... But..."
"But what?" Shao Yun was annoyed when he saw him hesitate. Why did everyone only say half of what they wanted to say?
He raised his hand and patted Yuan Shang's head, urging him on:
"Just say what you have to say, stop being so coy! Look at Shen He, he's always straightforward, much more decisive than you! Tell me quickly, what exactly did she do?"
Urged on by Shao Yun, Yuan Shang finally gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and told the whole story of what had happened while Shao Yun was away.
"I know you just defeated the Evil Knights, and I don't want to spoil the atmosphere of your triumphant return, nor do I want to create any unnecessary suspicions that would make everyone uncomfortable."
"But... when Alice came, she did talk to Miss Ying alone for a while, and no one knew what they talked about."
As he said this, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of the house, clearly indicating that he was also uneasy about this "secret conversation."
Upon hearing the words "had a private chat," Shao Yun's heart tightened, and he subconsciously licked his lips. His previously relaxed expression instantly turned fierce, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
"Did Ying encounter any danger while she was talking to her? Did Alice touch her inappropriately or say anything threatening?"
His biggest worry was that Ying would be wronged or hurt when he wasn't around.
He had learned about Alice's methods from those torture instruments. If Ying was coerced into anything, he would definitely not let it go!
Yuan Shang shook his head vigorously and said firmly, "No!"
Shao Yun's expression softened slightly, but he was still not completely at ease and asked again, "What about my daughter? Did Alice get close to her or try to harm her?"
In his heart, his wife and children were the bottom line; as long as they were safe, everything else could be resolved gradually.
Yuan Shang continued to shake his head, his tone even more resolute.
"No! Her Highness was playing with Miss Shen He on the second floor at the time; Alice didn't even go inside the house."
After confirming that his wife and children were safe, Shao Yun finally felt relieved, and his expression returned to its usual gentleness.
If that's the case, then everything is much easier... Maybe Alice has reformed and is here to exchange parenting experiences with Ying?
He patted Yuan Shang on the shoulder, his tone much more relaxed.
"Okay, I understand. Since there's no problem, there's no need to be so paranoid."
Yuan Shang nodded, but couldn't help asking another question:
“Okay, I understand. But, Mr. Shao Yun, I still have a question. Aren’t you curious?”
"Your Highness...why didn't you tell me this immediately, but instead chose to keep it from me for the time being?"
As soon as he asked the question, he realized that he might have crossed a line, and subconsciously shrank back, not daring to look Shao Yun in the eye again.
Seeing Yuan Shang's somewhat overstepping actions, Shao Yun was not angry, but calmly and objectively reminded him:
"This is between my wife and me, so you don't need to worry about it. First of all, thank you for telling me these things, so I can be at ease."
"Secondly, I trust Ying; there must be a reason why she didn't tell me right away. Maybe she felt the matter wasn't important, or maybe she wanted to find a suitable time to explain it to me in detail."
"So, what you're saying now is a bit too much."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang immediately realized that he did indeed sound like a "whistleblower," and quickly lowered his head, his voice becoming somewhat flustered.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to sow discord, I just felt this matter was a bit strange, and I was worried that you were being kept in the dark..."
Seeing this, Shao Yun didn't want to embarrass him too much, so she softened her tone and put on a show of "giving a big stick and a sweet date".
"It's okay. I know you're doing this for my own good, worried about problems in the family. I appreciate your kindness."
"But Ying and I have known each other for so long, and the trust between us can't be shaken by a small thing..."
"Like I said, if she wants to tell me something, she will tell me sooner or later; if she doesn't want to tell me, it's just some trivial matter."
He paused, pointed towards the cattle pen in the pasture, and changed the subject.
"I guess she'll reveal what they were talking about when everyone sits down to eat dinner together."
"Stop worrying about these trivial things and get to work! Go check the fence over there in the cattle pen, make sure the cattle don't actually escape."
……