Free Web NovelChapter 1950: Chapter 474: The Price of a Spell – Slowly Growing Old (Part 6)
As Yun Ya wished, Yan Song took her down to the seaside. Tonight the moon and stars were bright and clear; a half-round dusky moon spilled over the surface of the sea, rising and falling with the jagged waves, breathtakingly beautiful.
The sea breeze blew straight into their faces, the wind was very cool, and her head instantly cleared. Yun Ya struggled out of his arms, landed on the sand and ran toward the water. Yan Song hurriedly grabbed her. "Careful, you’ll catch a cold again."
"It’s fine." Yun Ya had been confined for too long, she rarely had such moments of being completely free. Her smile was incomparably radiant as she ran along the beach, waving back at him. "Brother Yan, hurry and catch me." Like an innocent, carefree child.
For that carefree smile on her face in this moment, he was willing to give up everything.
Yan Song followed behind her, watching with a broad smile.
Just then a squad of soldiers came on patrol. Seeing people by the sea, the lead man switched on a searchlight and barked coldly, "Who goes there?"
The harsh light made Yun Ya squint. Yan Song pulled her behind him and said quietly, "Don’t be afraid."
At first Yun Ya was a little panicked. She was afraid Ji Lanyi would find out—her reach was long; if she discovered Brother Yan, that would be bad. But upon hearing his low, gentle voice, her heart instantly settled.
The squad walked over. The leading soldier shone the light on Yan Song’s face. "Who are you? What are you doing at the beach this late?"
The island had a rule: after ten o’clock, people were forbidden to come to the seaside.
Yan Song had already changed his face the moment these people appeared. At this point that face was utterly ordinary, not eye-catching at all. "I’m a resident on the island. I couldn’t sleep, so I came to walk on the beach with my girlfriend. I forgot the rule for a moment, we’ll leave right away."
As he finished, Yan Song pressed Yun Ya’s head into his chest and put an arm around her to lead her away.
"Wait." The man suddenly spoke up.
Yan Song’s steps halted. The man came over and glanced at the girl nestled against Yan Song’s chest. "Raise your head."
The girl’s shoulders trembled, looking very frightened.
Yan Song chuckled. "My girlfriend’s shy around strangers, sorry to embarrass you, officer."
With lightning-fast movements he slipped a pack of cigarettes into the other man’s arms. The man paused, then, seeing the brand, his expression softened.
The rules on this island were especially strict; the smoking ban was something many men simply couldn’t bear. But a ban was a ban—how could it really be absolute? People just smoked in secret and made sure they weren’t caught. Correspondingly, cigarettes counted as luxury goods here on the island, in constant short supply among the soldiers—let alone such an expensive brand.
"Remember this lesson. Don’t you dare come wandering around the beach in the middle of the night again. If you run into some other officer, he might not be as easy to talk to as I am." The man waved them off. Yan Song said a few pleasant words, then slung an arm around Yun Ya’s shoulders and strode away.
Even after they had gone some distance, they could still hear the teasing voices of the men behind them: "Those little lovebirds probably came down here for a quickie on the beach, huh? Sounded like they were having a great time..."
Yun Ya’s cheeks flushed. She twisted his waist hard. Yan Song murmured in her ear, "Attempted uxoricide, huh."
Yun Ya shot him a glare. "You’re so shameless."
"When it comes to you, I’ve never had any shame." As he spoke, his hand groped a certain part of her body. Yun Ya let out a little cry and stomped on his foot. "You pervert."
"I only act like a pervert with you."
Yun Ya was speechless at his rascal tricks. They hadn’t seen each other for months, and somehow his skin had gotten even thicker.
"Did you notice anything off?" Once they had walked some distance, Yan Song asked quietly.
Yun Ya blinked. "You mean those soldiers?"
"Well-trained, well-equipped. I’m very curious where exactly she managed to assemble such a large army from."
"I’ve already looked into it more or less. Just waiting for final confirmation." Yan Song said in a low voice.
Yun Ya glanced at him, her gentle tone filled with resolve. "Whatever you do, I’ll support you."
Yan Song pecked her lips. "If one day it really comes to that, how will you choose?"
Yun Ya let out a cold laugh. "Naturally I’d sacrifice the family for the greater good. No—there’s no family feeling between us to begin with." If she still wasn’t dead, Yun Ya would gladly give her another stab.
Yan Song sighed, his pity for her growing deeper.
The streets at night were very quiet. Aside from the patrolling troops, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Yan Song took her circling through the air above the road. Yun Ya tugged on his sleeve and asked, "Won’t someone notice us?"
Yan Song smiled, completely confident. "No."
Yun Ya let out a breath of relief. This Divine Power really was formidable, practically a built-in cheat—she could go to heaven or down into the earth, nothing was impossible.
"Then can you conjure things out of thin air?" Yun Ya asked curiously. That’s how it worked in TV dramas, right?
Yan Song landed with her on a rooftop, wrapped her coat tighter around her and smiled. "That’s a Spell—cultivators use that." The two were fundamentally different. Divine Power was just a carrier, like holding a magical artifact in your body; whereas Spells meant absorbing the essence of sun and moon, comprehending the myriad mysteries of the laws step by step, cultivating from Foundation Establishment onward.
