Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

Chapter 360 Lü Liang's Good Fortune

Cheng Mo led Lü Huan and Xia He to a small grove of trees outside the village.

The night wind rustled through the treetops, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a silvery-white patchwork on the ground.

Cheng Mo found a clearing in the middle of the woods, took out the food pouch from his pocket, and gave it a gentle shake.

Lü Liang appeared out of nowhere, lying on the ground, still unconscious.

Cheng Mo squatted down and patted Lü Liang's face: "Wake up."

Lü Liang slowly opened his eyes, sat up from the ground, looked around blankly, and asked, "Where am I?"

Then he saw Lü Huan, Cheng Mo, and Xia He, and quickly backed away: "What are you doing? I'm warning you, I'm a member of the Quanxing, and there are many of us in the Quanxing!"

Cheng Mo chuckled, "Those Quanxing people are all having tea at the local tea shop right now, do you want to go too?"

Lü Liang's face turned pale instantly. He looked at Cheng Mo, then at Lü Huan, his lips trembling as he squeezed out a sentence: "Xiao Huan, what's wrong with you?"

Cheng Mo ignored him and turned to Lü Huan: "Huanhuan, have you thought it through? Are you going to keep your Double-Handed Sword?"

The woods quieted down, and even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves became clear.

Lu Huan remained silent for a long while before speaking: "The Dual-Hand Technique was something my great-grandmother learned, and I still want to keep it. But that memory—I simply can't face it."

She looked at her hands, palms outstretched, moonlight shining on the lines of her palms.

"Every time I use my double-handed technique, those memories come flooding back. My great-grandmother's fear, anger, and despair crawl into my mind like worms. I know those aren't my memories, but I can't control them."

Xia He walked over and put her arm around Lü Huan's shoulder.

Lü Huan leaned against her and continued, "Brother Cheng, I—"

Cheng Mo waved his hand and continued, "I know you don't want Lü Liang to see those memories too, so you're stuck in a rut."

Lu Liang, completely bewildered, couldn't help but interject, "What are you all talking about? Xiao Huan, why did you arrest your whole family? Are you crazy?"

Lü Huan sighed and turned to Cheng Mo: "Brother Cheng, you misunderstood. I think Brother Lü Liang can handle it. I'll help him erase his memory later."

Lu Liang had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, and he kept backing away: "Hey, hey, don't talk to yourself like that! What memories? What endurance? Explain yourself clearly first!"

Cheng Mo gave Lü Huan a thumbs up: "Well then, Huanhuan, begin your performance."

Lü Huan nodded and walked towards Lü Liang.

Lu Liang turned and ran, but as soon as he took a step, a wall of earth suddenly rose up from the ground and blocked his way.

Lü Liang leaned against the earthen wall: "You can't do this! I'm your brother!"

Lu Huan walked up to him and whispered, "Brother Lu Liang, don't be afraid."

Lü Liang shook his head frantically: "I'm not afraid! I just don't want to know! Please don't tell me!"

Lü Huan reached out and pressed his forehead.

A blue hand rose from the palm, its five fingers clearly visible, and gently pressed on Lü Liang's temple.

The stream rushed in.

Lu Liang's body tensed abruptly, his eyes widened, his pupils contracted sharply, and his mouth opened, letting out a muffled groan.

Blue flames swirled around his head, seeping into his temples, between his eyebrows, and the back of his head.

Lu Liang's face turned from white to red, then from red to purple. Veins bulged on his forehead, and the veins on his temples bulged like earthworms. His body began to tremble, first his fingers, then his arms, and finally his whole body shook.

Before long, red flames erupted from Lü Liang's body.

Crimson flames rose from Lü Liang's chest, as thick as flowing magma, spreading across his body and covering his arms, torso, and legs.

The red flames grew thicker and brighter, illuminating the surrounding forest in a crimson glow.

What followed was a torrent of tears.

Tears streamed down Lü Liang's face, welling up in his eyes and dripping onto the ground. His lips trembled, his teeth chattered, and suppressed sobs escaped his throat.

Lu Huan smiled with relief, her eyes reddening and tears welling up.

"Brother Lü Liang, I knew it, only you could bear this memory."

Lu Liang stood motionless, the red qi flames still burning on his body. His eyes were wide open, tears streaming down his face, his expression contorted as if someone were choking him.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "Ah—Xiao Huan! You're so awful!"

Lü Liang squatted on the ground, clutching his head, and wailed loudly. His cries echoed through the woods, startling a flock of birds that were roosting there.

Xia He walked over, ruffled Lü Huan's hair, and said with a smile, "I never thought our little Huan would have such a cunning side."

""

A slight smile appeared on Lü Huan's lips, but the sadness in her eyes was undeniable.

The woods fell silent, save for Lü Liang's sobs echoing in the night wind.

Lu Liang cried his heart out, his face covered in tears and snot. He squatted on the ground, curled up in a ball, and his crying went from wailing to sobbing, from sobbing to whimpering. Finally, his voice grew softer and softer, and he slumped to the side and fell asleep against the tree trunk.

Cheng Mo checked and shook his head: "She really is asleep."

Xia He clicked her tongue twice: "How can a child fall asleep after crying like that? This kid is really carefree."

Lu Huan sat down next to Lu Liang, hugged his knees with both hands, rested his chin on his knees, and waited quietly.

The three waited in the woods for about fifteen minutes. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating Lü Liang's face. His eyelids twitched, his brows furrowed, and his body jerked violently, springing up from the ground.

"ah--!"

Lu Liang yelled, his eyes wide open, his pupils dilated, and he gasped for breath, the beads of sweat on his forehead glistening in the moonlight.

Lü Huan tilted her head and looked at him: "Brother Lü Liang, are you done?"

It took Lü Liang a while to catch his breath. He wiped the tears and snot from his face with the back of his hand. After seeing those memories, Lü Liang understood why Lü Huan had done everything. That's why he knew why Lü Huan helped him awaken the Dual Hands.

"I—I'm fine." He took a deep breath, his breathing gradually becoming steady. "I'm alright, Xiao Huan. Do you need me to erase your memories now?"

Lü Huan nodded and leaned his forehead closer.

Lu Liang reached out and pressed his hand on Lu Huan's head, then glanced at Cheng Mo standing beside him.

Cheng Mo was puzzled: "No, why are you looking at me? Can I help with this?"

Lü Liang took a deep breath, and a blue hand rose from his palm to massage Lü Huan's head.

Lu Huan's breathing became rapid, his brows furrowed slightly, his lips pursed, and his hands gripped his trouser legs, his knuckles turning white.

The blue Qi hand scratched and clawed inside Lü Huan's head. After about fifteen minutes, Lü Huan's breathing gradually calmed down, his face regained its color, and his clenched fists relaxed.

Lü Liang withdrew his hand, took a step back, and asked somewhat nervously, "Xiao Huan, how do you feel?"

Lü Huan blinked, her eyes clear: "Brother Lü Liang, thank you."

Lu Liang breathed a sigh of relief, deflated like a punctured balloon, and plopped down on the ground, forcing a smile: "Now it's your turn to help me erase my memories."

Lü Huan nodded, walked up to Lü Liang, and placed her hand on his head.

Lu Liang suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, Xiao Huan, how come you still have memories? It shouldn't be like this—"

A blue Qi hand rose from Lü Huan's palm. His voice trailed off, and before Lü Liang could even process what was happening, the sadness in his eyes faded away like ink being washed away by water, turning into a blank expression.

He blinked, looked at Lü Huan, then at Cheng Mo, then at Xia He, and scratched his head: "Xiao Huan? What are you doing here? Where is this?"

Lü Huan withdrew her hand: "Brother Lü Liang, how are you feeling now?"

Lu Liang looked down at his hands, then touched his head, feeling as if something was missing, yet also as if nothing was missing: "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

Lü Huan's eyes curved into crescents: "Brother Lü Liang, it's normal to feel dizzy. You just had a nightmare, and you screamed so loudly."

Lü Liang scratched his head: "Nightmare? What nightmare? I don't remember it at all!"

Lü Huan laughed even harder, revealing two small tiger teeth: "It's a nightmare, so it's normal not to remember it."