Chapter 88: A New Female Lead Appears - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

### Chapter 88: A New Female Lead Appears Just as Chen An was about to reply, he suddenly felt an ominous shadow looming over him. Looking up, he noticed that Luo Cong An had somehow approached without his knowledge. A fleeting, imperceptible red glow flickered in her eyes. Feigning ignorance of this, he subtly changed the subject. After a brief conversation, Chen An obtained the answers he sought and rose to take his leave. As he neared the door, a woman's gentle reminder echoed from behind him. "Remember to come back in seven days. I'll be waiting here for you. By then, I will take you over." The voice was unexpectedly soft, as if deliberately concealing something. After the young man left, Luo Cong An stood in the courtyard, motionless for a long time. A faint, feeble voice sounded in her mind. "I already told you someone is pursuing us. We need to hurry up!" Seeing that she still hadn't moved, the voice grew more insistent, even carrying a hint of pleading. "Trust me, or you will regret it..." A subtle tremor passed through Luo Cong An's eyes. Her hand, resting at her side, briefly clenched before suddenly releasing. --- The next day. Chen An was, as usual, basking in the sun in the small courtyard. With endless time on his hands, he found himself unsure of how to spend it. Two knocks on the door interrupted the silence. Chen An turned his head in mild surprise, looking toward the door. At midday, his roommates should all be in class. Even if one of them returned, knocking wouldn't be necessary. "Come in." At his invitation, the door opened, and a familiar young girl entered. Today, she wore her hair in a high ponytail, a style Lin Jing Qiu often sported since arriving at Longhu Mountain. Her attire was simple and unremarkable. She carried a notebook and pen in her hands. Spotting the youth lounging in his chair, she waved enthusiastically and called out crisply, “Chen An.” Seeing someone he wanted to see greatly improved his mood. Chen An squinted slightly, his eyes opening a bit wider. “What brings you here?” Lin Jing Qiu approached and, hearing his question, she let out a small hum of dissatisfaction. "Why are you just like my mentor? The first thing you ask when I come is whether I have a reason to visit, as if I can't just drop by without one." Chen An nodded. “You're right, so what brings you here?” Lin Jing Qiu pouted and gestured to her notebook. "I've got some questions for you." Suddenly raising her voice, she added, “Aha! I knew you were skipping class. Couldn't find you in any classroom.” Chen An did not object, “These classes aren't useful to me, so there's no need to attend.” He glanced at her. “And you're skipping too.” At this, Lin Jing Qiu chuckled, “Actually, I've learned most of the foundational knowledge my mentor teaches, so she told me to focus on my own practice.” Pausing, she continued, "Chen An, do you understand formations?" “A bit.” Her eyes lit up at his response, convinced she had been right to think so. After all, to her, Chen An seemed capable of anything. She knelt beside the chair and opened her notebook, brows furrowing in frustration. “I’ve been attending the formations class, but there are lots of difficult parts I don’t understand.” She felt proud of her clever excuse; it seemed perfectly reasonable, much better than openly admitting she just wanted to see him after several days. “If you have questions, why not ask the teacher?”   “Mentor Meng is quite stern. I wanted to ask you first, to see if you knew…” A hint of coquettishness crept into her voice. Chen An remained in his position, unmoving. “Ask away,” he replied. Though his tone was flat, it inexplicably put Lin Jing Qiu at ease. In the small courtyard, one asked questions while the other answered. Chen An's responses were like sharp swords, cutting straight through the confusion, neatly resolving the issues she faced. “So impressive…” Even though she knew of Chen An's brilliance, Lin Jing Qiu couldn't help but praise him. Once again, she felt the gap between her and Chen An. --- Eventually, maintaining some sense of propriety, she left after her questions were answered. However, the courtyard door soon opened again. Standing outside was a figure. A woman, like a finely sculpted work of art. Her head was slightly bowed, the black dress she wore seemingly absorbing light, her exposed skin so pale it appeared almost translucent. Most astonishing was that the woman's feet, appearing to touch the ground, were actually hovering slightly above it. Barefoot, her skin eerily white like the rest of her exposed flesh. The black dress wasn't particularly long, revealing her legs wrapped in deep black markings, akin to sheer stockings. Dark red luminescence flowed across the patterns on her legs, exuding an anxious aura. Her every move conveyed a forbidden allure. Chen An furrowed his brows and sat upright. Since returning to Lanxing, his always indifferent expression changed for the second time. The first was due to meeting the dangerous and unreasonable Luo Cong An, requiring him to take her seriously. This second instance was due to the unprecedented sense of peril this woman in front of him evoked. Even with just a glance, an onslaught of negative emotions seemed to rush forth. Rage, desire, fear— a myriad of sensations bombarded his mind. Were it not for his steadfast composure, any ordinary person would have been overwhelmed to madness by this aura. The entangled wickedness somehow felt familiar to Chen An. Involuntarily, he glanced in the direction of Luo Cong An's residence. In that instant, as he looked back, the once silent, hovering woman abruptly raised her head. Blood-red light shimmered in her eyes. In a heartbeat, twelve enormous black wings unfurled from her back. Blotting out the sky, they plunged the entire scene into darkness. The negativity radiating from the woman seemed to peak at this moment. She was like a manifestation of extreme darkness and emotion. In Chen An’s widened pupils, her rapid approach reflected. He wished to evade, but her speed was overwhelming. In his peak state, dodging would've been easy. But as he was, he was far from strong enough. The collision was inevitable. Yet no anticipated pain followed. Instead, a curious softness and tranquility enveloped him. She had gently yet forcefully embraced him. The woman spoke, her voice trembling slightly. “Priest, do you not remember me?” Chen An remained silent. He wondered, had he seen this scene somewhere before? (Chapter ends here)