My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

To Lin Ran's surprise, Fu Yuemei vaguely remembered that she had knocked him away. Lin Ran accidentally let it slip, which made the little girl cry until her eyes were red. It took a lot of effort to coax her back to peace.

After Mu Shishuang woke up, she was relatively quiet. Lin Ran carried her on her back and they set off again, barely speaking along the way.

She even seemed a little dazed, which made Lin Ran decide to have a good talk with Mu Shishuang when she had time. After all, under the interference of that pink mist, Mu Shishuang seemed to have been evoked with some unpleasant memories.

After leaving this vast swamp, ahead lies a lush, ancient forest, exuding a sense of desolation and antiquity. Everywhere you look, there are huge, verdant ancient trees and many unfamiliar flowers and plants.

"The Qianlong Secret Realm lies over there on those mountains!"

Mulan stood on a moss-covered boulder, pointing to the distant mountaintop. Bathed in the glow of dusk, the mountaintop was tinged with a deep crimson, like a matcha-flavored snow-capped peak stained with sweet strawberry jam, making one's mouth water and one's heart filled with joy.

After all, we are finally nearing the end of our journey. How could we not be overjoyed?

After discussing it, Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing decided to set up camp nearby for the night and try to reach the Qianlong Secret Realm directly the next day.

After finding a quiet and clear spot by the lake and confirming that there was no danger in the surrounding area and no danger in the water, everyone began to set up camp.

Lin Ran was also setting up her own tent. She asked Mu Shishuang for help, but the girl was so distracted while hammering nails that she accidentally hit her own hand with the hammer. She didn't even cry out in pain. After glancing down at it, she continued hammering.

This time, instead of hammering the nail into the ground, he accidentally knocked his own finger until it bled.

Lin Ran couldn't stand it any longer. He put down what he was holding, walked over to Mu Shishuang, threw the hammer aside, and coldly treated Mu Shishuang's injuries. He scolded, "Mu Shishuang, when you're working, act like you're working. You've been daydreaming and spacing out. What are you thinking about!"

Mu Shishuang looked up at Lin Ran, then lowered her head again, almost burying her face in her chest. She didn't say a word, just like a doll, without any emotional fluctuation, and simply stretched out her hands to let Lin Ran do as she pleased.

Seeing Mu Shishuang like this, Lin Ran knew that this girl's old problem had relapsed. Perhaps having learned from the previous experience, his mood was better than before. He bandaged Mu Shishuang up afterward.

He leaned close to Mu Shishuang's ear and said coldly, "Sit here quietly. I'll give you time to think. You have to tell me what's wrong with you tonight. If there's no reason, then I'll teach you a lesson."

After saying that, Lin Ran ignored Mu Shishuang's reaction and stood up to continue setting up the tent, while Mu Shishuang sat there watching Lin Ran, her eyes seemingly regaining focus...

"cheers!"

A little further from the lake, Lin Ran and her group sat around the campfire, raising their glasses and clinking them together with those around them.

Lin Ran clinked glasses with Shangguan Mengqing, a mischievous thought creeping into his mind. He couldn't help but tease her via telepathy, "How about we drink a toast together?"

“Now? Of course!” Shangguan Mengqing retorted without backing down.

This blow knocked Lin Ran to the ground on the spot. He wouldn't dare do such a thing; he was probably on his way with Meng Qing's master, who was carrying a knife.

Shangguan Mengqing had no intention of letting Lin Ran off so easily. She found a moment when no one was paying attention, subconsciously licked her lips at Lin Ran, and gazed at her with watery eyes, asking, "Really don't want to?"

Lin Ran's eyes darted away in panic. He felt his blood surging. The little monk was about to leave the mountain. Since he had two hearts, this "eighteen-year-old" young man was even more unable to resist such temptation!

He pointed vaguely to the sky and replied telepathically, "We'll talk about it next time, I have some urgent business to attend to!"

Shangguan Mengqing's eyes were full of smiles, and even the wine in her glass seemed exceptionally sweet.

……

As night deepened, the campfires in the camp went out, leaving only the tents glowing with a dim yellow light.

Lin Ran was on night watch again tonight. He sat at the entrance of his tent, drinking wine and looking at the shimmering lake surface illuminated by the moonlight, enjoying the tranquil beauty of the night view.

A moment later, footsteps sounded in the distance; it was Mu Shishuang emerging from Fu Yuemei's tent.

She sat down on the small stool next to Lin Ran, her posture somewhat restrained, her long hair loose, and her head lowered, making it impossible to see the expression on her face.

Lin Ran glanced at Mu Shishuang and calmly asked, "What did you see after you were trapped in the illusion?"

"I didn't see anything..." Mu Shishuang said, clutching her dress.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old? I didn't see anything!"

Lin Ran spat to the side and said helplessly, "You always keep quiet like this, never saying what's going on. How can I help you if you don't tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

Mu Shishuang said the same thing again.

Seeing that this stubborn girl, more stubborn than an ox, still gave the same reply, Lin Ran decided to strike hard. He pointed to the tent and calmly said, "Get ready!"

"it is good!"

Mu Shishuang readily agreed. She stood up, walked past Lin Ran from behind, and went into the tent.

Lin Ran: "..."

They seem really eager to get started?

Lin Ran looked a little further away, towards Shangguan Mengqing's tent. She was definitely paying attention to what was happening there, but in order to teach that wretched brat a lesson, Lin Ran had no choice but to walk into the tent with a guilty conscience.

He added soundproofing to the tent, then came to Mu Shishuang, who was lying on the bed with her head turned to one side. The moonlight from outside the window shone in, not much, but it still draped Mu Shishuang in a blurry veil.

Lin Ran raised his hand and struck without any mercy. He hit very hard, and blood even seeped out of his clothes. A burning sensation was spreading through him.

After a while, Lin Ran stopped what she was doing, took out a kettle to wash her hands, and then began to treat Mu Shishuang's injuries.

The girl remained silent, burying herself tightly in the pillow. After Lin Ran treated her injuries, Mu Shishuang got out of bed and walked out of the tent with disheveled hair.

In the past, Mu Shishuang would walk with a limp, but this time she walked very fast, as if nothing had happened. She even bowed to Lin Ran at the door and said something that Lin Ran found very strange.

"Lin Ran, thank you!"

Lin Ran: "?"

You're thanking me for this? I just treated you like that, and you're thanking me?

With Lin Ran looking completely bewildered, Mu Shishuang returned to her tent.

As soon as she entered the tent, Fu Yuemei, who hadn't slept, saw Mu Shishuang and said softly, "Sister Mu, did you come back from Master's?"

"Ok!"

Mu Shishuang nodded. As soon as she returned, she crawled into her bed, using the blanket as a pillow between her legs. She was savoring the moment she had just experienced—a moment when she felt utterly weak, like a spring vine clinging to a tree, a blissful feeling of a little bird nestled against someone...

......

146. The Dragon's Lair

The next morning, Mu Shishuang was no longer as awkward as before, and was willing to talk to Lin Ran. She was even more clingy than before.

While traveling, she clung to Lin Ran almost like a koala. Seeing this, Shangguan Mengqing felt a pang of sympathy. During a break, she kicked at small pebbles with the edge of her shoe.

Using a clever technique, he kicked the pebble to the back of Lin Ran's head.

"Hey, which little brat kicked those pebbles? Give them to me..."

Caught off guard, Lin Ran turned around cursing, but his words quickly stopped. He subconsciously looked around, screwed the lid of the kettle on, and walked to Shangguan Mengqing's side.

"Why did you kick me in the head with that pebble? Is something bothering you? Tell me!" Lin Ran said, while secretly sticking out her little finger, trying to flirt with Shangguan Mengqing.

However, Shangguan Mengqing wasn't buying it. She took a step to her left, preventing Lin Ran's scheme from succeeding. Looking at the somewhat disappointed Lin Ran, Shangguan Mengqing smiled and transmitted her voice, "What did you do with Mu Shishuang last night? Why is she such a different person today?"

Lin Ran had already guessed that this was what Shangguan Mengqing was asking. He took out the ruler he had prepared beforehand and said with a serious face, "Treat her like your own child, beat her to death, and make her obey!"

"Can you really do it?" Shangguan Mengqing asked, somewhat puzzled.

She glanced at Mu Shishuang, who was sitting in the camp with Fu Yuemei and the others in the distance. She had a feeling that, given Lin Ran's personality, she would never do such a thing.

This guy is just soft-hearted; once a woman shows her soft side, he's completely captivated.

Facing Shangguan Mengqing's suspicious gaze, Lin Ran confidently replied, "Of course I could bring myself to do it, but it was just a punishment, and then I would heal her injuries..."

"Old man, you're quite thoughtful!" Shangguan Mengqing said, giving Lin Ran a deep look.

"of course!"

Lin Ran puffed out her chest, brandishing the ruler in her hand, and described to Shangguan Mengqing, "I did the same thing when I was training Yue Mei and the others. As the saying goes, the ten fingers are connected to the heart, so hitting the palm of the hand really hurts..."

"I know your training plan is excellent... Keep going!"

Shangguan Mengqing turned around, preparing to leave. If she continued to listen to Lin Ran, this talkative fellow might go on for days.

But Shangguan Mengqing had only taken a few steps when she was about to pass a clump of low bushes, which were almost up to her chest. She was caught off guard because she knew that Lin Ran would not harm her.

But as the rustling of leaves began, a gust of wind came from behind, accompanied by a low, sharp sound of wind breaking.

Shangguan Mengqing was thinking of taking out her Autumn Rain Sword to block the attack, but from her perception, the force was really weak. She hesitated for a moment and then got hit.

"Snapped!"

A clear voice sounded.

Under Shangguan Mengqing's veil, a large pink blush immediately spread across her neck, and an unusual feeling gradually spread throughout her body. She subconsciously let out a soft moan, which, though very faint, reached Lin Ran's ears, and he felt that he couldn't take it anymore.

This was the first time he had heard it while he was conscious. He had been unconscious the last time, so how could he have perceived anything?

Such subtlety, charm, and allure—who could resist?

After a moment, Shangguan Mengqing turned back to look at Lin Ran with murderous intent in her eyes. Her eyes were watery and tinged with a hint of embarrassment and anger. She looked at Lin Ran calmly and asked, "Do you like it?"

"It's...it's alright..." Lin Ran scratched his head awkwardly, realizing he had gone a bit too far this time.

Shangguan Mengqing is angry about this.

What does "It's okay" mean? Does it mean you don't like it?

"Um, I like it... I really like it..."

"Then tell me why you like it so much? You old man, you know, there's a cause for every effect. So what's your cause?" Shangguan Mengqing looked at Lin Ran calmly, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes. She clearly liked Lin Ran's current predicament.

"I...I'm lustful, I crave your body, I like you!"

Lin Ran poured out her heart, then scrambled out of the woods in a disheveled state and crawled back to the camp.

"A rare display of honesty from an older man."

Shangguan Mengqing laughed, her stunningly beautiful face beneath the veil blossoming into a radiant smile. Unfortunately, this picturesque scene was obscured by the veil, and no one could appreciate it.

……

After everyone gradually returned to the camp, Lin Ran waved his hand and continued on his way.

According to Mulan, once you cross that mountain and see the rugged terrain inside, you'll find the Qianlong Secret Realm.

During their journey, Fu Yuemei suddenly came up to Lin Ran from behind and asked curiously, "Master, we were just discussing that there's hardly anyone along the way. If we reach the secret realm first, can we take the initiative and go straight in?"

Hearing Fu Yuemei's somewhat naive idea, Lin Ran smiled gently, rubbed Fu Yuemei's head, and explained, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. The academies that discovered this secret realm all timed it perfectly. Even if they're a little slow, as long as they're not too slow, they can still make it in time for the unsealing."

"Our early arrival was a matter of chance, but it gives you plenty of time to rest!"

It took quite a bit of time to get from the Qin family's Azure Dragon City in the former state to the vicinity of the former Dragon Secret Realm, but by making good use of the fact that the secret realm was not yet unsealed, they could adjust their condition and Yue Mei and the others would have a slight advantage.

Led by Mulan, the group arrived at a cliff face, more than fifty meters high. The cliff was quite smooth, and there seemed to be flowing mountain water at the top, which made the climb even more difficult.