Chapter 75: Oasis
When Lu Yunxi heard Shen San’s words, her heart skipped a beat. Alarm bells blared in her mind, warning her that her cover was about to be blown. It took a long moment for her racing heartbeat to finally return to normal.
She forced a natural smile and explained, “Yes, my father was a hunter. I learned archery from him when I was very young.”
“Your father?” Shen San was momentarily stunned, but his mind immediately began to spin with ideas. If I’m going to visit Master’s father, I should definitely bring a few bottles of premium wine, and maybe some…
“He passed away when I was little,” she interrupted gently, a genuine wave of nostalgia washing over her. “My mother thought hunting was too dangerous, so she never let me touch a bow and arrow again after that.” She couldn’t help but think back to the days when her parents were still alive.
Shen San’s eyes widened. The slight knot of doubt in his chest instantly unspooled. So that’s how it is. No wonder Master never talks about her past! He carefully peeked at her expression. Seeing that she wasn’t overwhelmed with grief, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Master, don’t worry. I will always stay by your side from now on.”
Lu Yunxi snapped out of her memories and caught his overly cautious look. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “That was a long time ago. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m actually doing quite well for myself now. I’ve even joined a sect.”
“Huh?!” Shen San’s eyes widened. He knew from the forums that no player had managed to unlock the sect systems yet, but to think his master was already part of one!
“Do you want to join?” she offered.
“Forget it,” Shen San shook his head, politely rejecting her kindness. “I’m used to being a solo player.”
Joining any organization meant getting bogged down with mandatory tasks and guild politics. He liked his freedom and didn’t want to bring unnecessary trouble upon himself. He played the game to relax, not to take on a second job.
“Anyway! With these extra bottles of water and this new cloak, we don’t have to be afraid of this desert anymore!” Seeing that Shen San had dropped his suspicions, Lu Yunxi happily changed the subject.
“The cloak?”
“That’s right! This Gold-quality cloak is incredible. It’s windproof, waterproof, lightning-proof, sand-proof, and it even blocks out the ambient heat. If we wear this, we won’t have to worry about the sun dehydrating us! We can take turns wearing it.”
Shen San inspected the fabric, feeling a wave of relief. He stepped forward and carefully draped the cloak over her shoulders. “Master, you should just wear it. I’m not afraid of a little sun.”
Lu Yunxi was slightly startled by the gesture, then let out a warm laugh. “Alright, then I’ll give you the staff. It wouldn’t be fair for me to hog both Gold-tier items.”
Shen San accepted the staff, examined its stats briefly, and tossed it into his inventory. “It’s got great stats—much higher attack power than my current sword. I can definitely use this in a fight.”
“Master!” Shen San shouted in panic, lunging forward to grab her.
“Don’t come over! I’m fine!” Lu Yunxi’s face paled. She yelled at him to stop, terrified he would get dragged in with her.
Quicksand—the silent killer of the desert. This was no joke! She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart. Moving agonizingly slowly, she spread her limbs, trying to maximize her surface area against the sinking sand to keep herself afloat. From the solid ground above, Shen San scrambled to find a way to pull her out.
They struggled from sunrise to sunset. Covered in grit and completely exhausted, they finally managed to heave her out of the death trap.
Lu Yunxi collapsed onto the solid earth, gasping for air, her stamina entirely drained.
“This damn desert!” she cursed between pants.
As soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, a biting wind swept across the dunes, bringing a bone-deep chill.
Her eye twitched as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Thank goodness she was wearing the Gold-tier cloak, otherwise the extreme temperature shifts would have driven her mad. But while the cloak deflected heat, wind, and lightning, it apparently didn’t come with thermal insulation.
Just as her teeth began to chatter, a thick, heavy blanket was suddenly draped over her shoulders.
Shen San’s concerned face appeared in her vision. “Master, are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed with worry.
Her face was pale and her lips were bloodless from the sudden temperature drop. But as she pulled the blanket tighter, a comforting warmth finally began to seep back into her bones.
“I’m alright,” she murmured, snuggling deeper into the fabric with a content sigh. “This is so warm.” She paused, looking up at him. “But you gave me your blanket. Do you have another one for yourself?”
“Don’t worry, Master, I have spares in my inventory. If you’re still cold, just say the word and I’ll pull out a few more.” Shen San kept talking as he began setting up their fabric tent for the night.
Watching his tall, dependable figure work in the dim light, Lu Yunxi felt a sudden wave of total relaxation wash over her. Exhaustion claimed her, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Shen San, however, didn’t sleep. He stood guard outside the tent for the entire night.
The next morning.
“Oh my God! Shen San, your eyes!” Lu Yunxi gasped, taking a startled step back when she saw the massive, dark bags under his eyes.
She realized instantly that her foolish apprentice had stayed up the entire night to keep watch.
“You idiot, why would you do that?” she scolded softly, shaking her head in helplessness. She grabbed his arm, dragged him into the tent, and forced him onto the mat. “Go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
Shen San gave a groggy nod and passed out the second his head hit the pillow.
After that ordeal, the two of them stayed at the campsite, taking turns resting for several days to fully recover their stamina before continuing their grueling journey.
“Master, look! There’s an oasis ahead!”
Shen San, who had lost so much weight from the desert trek that he looked practically skeletal, lit up with wild excitement. He tossed his staff aside and sprinted toward the green patch on the horizon.
Lu Yunxi was startled. “Hey, don’t drop your staff! What if you hit another quicksand pit?!” she yelled, hurrying after him.
When she finally reached the edge of the oasis, she knelt and hesitantly reached out to touch the surface of the small lake. As the cool, wet liquid ran over her fingers, she let out a loud, joyous laugh.
It was a real oasis! Not a mirage!
“Master, look! There are actual green plants here! Let me see if they’re edible!” Shen San rushed forward, looking entirely prepared to throw himself face-first into a cluster of giant cacti.
“Wait!”
Startled by his reckless dive, and desperate to stop him from turning into a human pincushion, Lu Yunxi lunged forward, grabbing his clothes and yanking him back with all her might.
Starved, dehydrated, and physically drained, Shen San had zero balance. The force of her pull sent him toppling backward, and he crashed heavily on top of her.
They tumbled into the sand in a tangled heap.
Lu Yunxi blinked, stunned by the sudden weight pressing down on her. Shen San’s face was magnified in her vision, pressed directly against hers. She felt a startling, soft pressure—their lips were locked together.
From her angle, she could see his eyes go wide, sparkling with shock.
A wave of flustered panic washed over her. She raised her hands to shove him off, but because she was so exhausted, her push lacked any real force. It felt less like a shove and more like a soft, tentative touch against his chest.
Far from being pushed away, Shen San’s entire body went rigid, his muscles seizing up completely.
Finally, his brain rebooted.
His eyes widened to the size of saucers. He scrambled backward in an undignified flurry of hands and feet, desperately trying to put distance between them.
Even though they were now sitting just an arm’s length apart, an invisible, gaping chasm seemed to have opened up between them. Shen San’s face burned furiously. He stared fixedly at the sand between his knees, observing it with such intensity you would think a rare flower was blooming from the grains.
Seeing how absurdly nervous he was, Lu Yunxi’s own panicked heartbeat slowly began to settle.
Isn’t there a saying for this? she thought. As long as you aren’t embarrassed, the other person will absorb all the awkwardness.
After a long, suffocating silence, Yunxi was the first to act. She stood up, brushed the sand from her clothes, and walked over to the cacti, carefully slicing off a small piece with her knife.
“Shen San, do you want to try some?” she asked. Holding her hand under the slice to catch any dripping juice, she pinched the green flesh and held it out toward him.
Seeing her approach, Shen San flinched and practically scrambled backward. Catching the surprised look on her face, he realized he was overreacting.
He let out two weak, awkward coughs. “M-Master, I can do it myself.”
“Alright,” Yunxi said, completely unfazed. “This cactus is covered in thorns, so be careful when you harvest it.” She brought the sliced piece to her own lips, deftly avoiding the sharp needles as she sucked out the sweet, hydrating juice.
