Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

Another day has passed.

Deep within the Dead Swamp, on a slightly elevated, relatively sparsely vegetated patch of hard ground, several campfires struggled to burn in the damp air, dispelling some of the chill and darkness.

Disciples from the Qingyun Sect, Tianyin Temple, and Fenxiang Valley finally gathered here.

Tianyin Temple was led by Faxiang and Fashan, while Fenxiang Valley was led by Li Xun and Yan Hong. Together with Xiao Yicai and the Qingyun group, more than twenty people gathered here, around several bonfires. The atmosphere was neither too lively nor too tense, carrying a subtle feeling of temporary companionship, mutual wariness, and forced cooperation.

Xiao Yicai and Faxiang spoke in hushed tones a little distance away, discussing their next route and the dangers they might encounter.

Fa Shan was honest and simple-minded. He sat next to Zhang Xiaofan, and the two chatted casually.

Zeng Shushu tried to get closer to Lin Jingyu to talk, but Lin Jingyu was holding the Dragon-Slaying Sword, closing his eyes to rest, and ignoring him completely.

Zeng Shushu felt awkward and pouted. His gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed on Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, who were standing close together. He wanted to make a joke, but then he remembered his hair that had been cut off a few days ago and silently swallowed his words.

Wenmin sat by the fire, holding a twig in her hand, unconsciously poking at the firewood in the fire, her gaze occasionally drifting towards Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi.

Tian Ling'er sat in the shadows a little distance from the fire, hugging her knees. She stared blankly at the leaping flames, her face expressionless and her eyes vacant, lost in thought.

Song Daren sat not far from Tian Ling'er, seemingly on guard, but his gaze kept inadvertently sweeping over Wen Min.

Li Xun also sat by the fire. He had changed into a clean robe and combed his hair meticulously, trying to maintain the demeanor of an elite disciple of the Incense Valley.

But his gaze kept drifting involuntarily to the other side.

Lu Xueqi sat there, and even in this filthy and treacherous Dead Swamp, even just sitting, she was still dazzlingly white, as cold and aloof as a lonely moon that had mistakenly fallen into the mud.

And nestled in her arms, leaning against her, was that…

Li Xun frowned.

Jiang Xiaochuan was leaning against Lu Xueqi's shoulder, muttering soft complaints under his breath, his voice tinged with weariness and a touch of coquettishness:

"...This godforsaken place is never quiet. During the day, the mosquitoes are horrible. If you hadn't protected me, I would have been bitten to death... And the water is disgusting to look at and smells awful... The trees are ugly too, all bared and menacing, trying to scare anyone... I can't sleep well at night either, it's damp, and there's some kind of noise going on, it's creepy..."

His complaints were trivial and utterly unseemly, making him seem less like a accomplished cultivator and more like a spoiled young master who had suffered misfortune after going out.

Lu Xueqi quietly held him, one arm around his waist and the other gently patting his back, as if soothing a fussy child.

She lowered her head slightly, her profile illuminated by the firelight, her features soft and almost unreal. A faint smile played at the corners of her lips, her gaze lowered, fixed on the soft, fluffy hair of the person in her arms. Her gaze…

Li Xun had never seen such a gaze in a woman's eyes before—a gaze so tender it could melt hearts, so focused it was as if the whole world had shrunk to just the person in her arms. It was a complete acceptance, embrace, and even… doting.

As Li Xun watched, a strange anger inexplicably rose within him.

He knew Lu Xueqi. Who didn't know Lu Xueqi of Xiaozhu Peak? She was exceptionally talented, aloof and elegant, like ice and snow, like a plum blossom in winter, an unattainable fairy in the clouds.

But what is this fairy doing now?

She was hugging a man, listening to him ramble on and on about trivial matters, and she seemed to enjoy it all!

What's so good about this man?

He looks so frail, and his cultivation level... is Jade Purity Realm? That's about it. What makes him so special?

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, raising his voice with obvious sarcasm:

"Junior Brother Jiang, you have quite the airs. All along the way, you've either been protected by Junior Sister Lu or been complaining incessantly. This Dead Swamp is dangerous; we're here to train and seek opportunities, not to sightsee and indulge in romance. With your attitude, do you mean you can't move an inch without Junior Sister Lu?"

His voice was loud, and the surroundings immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at him, then at Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi.

Jiang Xiaochuan was complaining when he heard this and stopped. He lifted his head from Lu Xueqi's shoulder, looked at Li Xun, and blinked, seemingly still not having reacted to this sudden provocation.

He was about to speak when Lu Xueqi, who was holding him, spoke first.

She didn't even look up, her gaze remaining fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan's face. She merely frowned slightly, her voice clear and cold, like ice beads hitting the ground, carrying undisguised annoyance:

"It's none of your business what I'm talking to my husband about."

"..."

A deathly silence.

A spark burst from the campfire.

Everyone was stunned, including Jiang Xiaochuan.

He stared in astonishment at Lu Xueqi's expressionless profile, so close to his own. He... he thought this was the first time he'd ever heard Lu Xueqi utter the word "fart"? Although her tone was icy, the meaning behind her words...

Li Xun's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He pointed in this direction and stammered, "You, you..." for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.

He never expected Lu Xueqi to say something like that...

Such vulgar, direct, and utterly unforgiving words!

Where is that aloof and elegant fairy now?

Zeng Shushu bit her lip hard, her shoulders trembling violently, her face flushed red, and she was about to burst out laughing when Lin Jingyu glared at her fiercely, which made her barely hold back.

Fa Xiang and Xiao Yicai exchanged a glance, both seeing the embarrassment and helplessness in each other's eyes.

Tian Ling'er looked up at Li Xun's discomfitured expression, then at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was being protected in Lu Xueqi's arms and looked completely innocent. Amidst the bitterness in her heart, there was also a faint, extremely faint feeling of satisfaction that she herself was unwilling to admit.

At least, Lu Xueqi would protect him like this.

After a long while, Jiang Xiaochuan finally came to his senses, looked at Li Xun, whose face was flushed, blinked, and put on an expression that was both enlightened and somewhat innocent:

"Brother Li is right, I really can't live without my wife."

He spoke frankly, even leaning closer to Lu Xueqi for a more comfortable position, then looked up at her and asked in a drawn-out tone:

"Madam, I'm useless. I can't live without you. What should I do?"

Lu Xueqi looked down at him, a faint ripple melting into the icy depths of her eyes, and calmly replied, "I'll take care of her."

Everyone: "..."

The atmosphere froze awkwardly.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt that this awkward silence wasn't good, so after thinking for a moment, he sat up straight from Lu Xueqi's lap, and then...

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he reached into his pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out something...

The tent was neatly folded and made of thick fabric, followed by soft bedding, pillows, and even a small, comfortable-looking fur mat.

The Qingyun group was already used to it, and Wenmin even helped spread out the mats.

The disciples of Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley, including Faxiang, Fashan, Li Xun, and Yan Hong, were all dumbfounded as they watched Jiang Xiaochuan pull out these things as if by magic.

Is this... an adventure in the Death Swamp, or a picnic?

Jiang Xiaochuan had no intention of explaining, nor did he bother to.

He quickly found a relatively flat and dry spot near the fire, set up the tent, and laid out the mats and bedding. The Qingyun members tacitly moved over to make room for him, and no one asked any questions.

After finishing, Jiang Xiaochuan pulled Lu Xueqi to her feet and nodded to the others:

"We'll rest now, and everyone should get some rest as well. Thank you for keeping watch."

After saying that, he pulled Lu Xueqi into the tent and closed the curtain.

The group of people outside were left looking at each other in bewilderment, speechless for a long time.