novelapdf Chapter 286 The Little Doctor's Trouble
Chapter 286 The Little Doctor's Trouble
The temple suddenly fell silent.
Only the blood slowly flowed back, gurgling as it seeped into the knife wound.
Jiang Mu exhaled a breath of stale air, calming the turbulent blood and qi within her body.
He raised his hand and grabbed at the air.
Tiger Vanguard's giant sword, which had fallen by the pool, flew into his palm.
He looked down and examined it closely; it was indeed a fine sword in good condition.
Jiang Mu clenched his fingers, shattering the precious sword into fragments. The fragments then transformed into a flowing liquid that seeped into his body through his fingers, slowly merging with the Blood Frenzy Blade Intent within him.
At this moment, Jiang Mu clearly felt that the sword intent that had merged into his body had become even thicker and sharper.
"These monsters are getting harder and harder to deal with."
Jiang Mu said secretly.
He looked around the dilapidated temple and strode towards the main hall at the front.
Push open the half-closed palace door.
A stench of corpses, several times stronger than that outside, wafted over.
Jiang Mu looked closely and saw that the main hall was filled with the corpses of the villagers of Shuer Village lying haphazardly.
Men, women, young and old.
Without exception, all of them had their hearts and livers cruelly ripped out, their deaths were extremely gruesome.
Jiang Mu looked carefully but did not see Chu Lingzhu and the other two girls.
"That's strange..."
Jiang Mu looked puzzled. "Those three girls don't have any supernatural abilities. Where could they have gone in this illusion sealed by black mist? They couldn't have sprouted wings and flown away, could they?"
As I was pondering this, I suddenly felt a tremor beneath my feet.
Everything around us was shaking.
Jiang Mu rushed out of the temple and looked up, her pupils suddenly contracting.
A gigantic hand made of massive rocks, its five fingers spread wide, is slowly descending from the heavens.
The stone patterns on the palm are clearly visible.
It was as if an inverted mountain was pressing down from the sky.
All the light in the world was blocked by that giant hand, and in an instant, we were plunged into complete darkness.
The roar of rocks splitting apart exploded simultaneously from all directions.
"Who is this deity?"
Jiang Mu's heart trembled violently.
He clenched his fists, fully alert, his body brimming with sword energy ready to be unleashed.
However, before he could make a move, the darkness quickly receded.
The colossal stone hand that blotted out the sky seemed to have been dragged away from above by something, and suddenly disappeared into the firmament.
The sky brightened again.
It was as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
"What's going on?"
Jiang Mu, filled with doubt, stepped out of the gate of Wohu Temple.
Then he discovered that the village outside was gone. The low farmhouses and crooked fences had all vanished.
The surrounding area is a vast, lush, and primeval mountain range.
Ancient trees reach for the sky, and vines spread like pythons.
"Where the hell did this come from?" Jiang Mu couldn't help but swear.
He closed his eyes and fully extended his divine sense.
But as soon as the divine sense left the body, it was as if it had sunk into a quagmire and could not penetrate out.
What's even stranger is that the spiritual energy in this place is very strong; you can feel the spiritual energy pulsating in your lungs with every deep breath.
But when he tried to circulate his cultivation technique to absorb the energy, his dantian and meridians seemed locked by some kind of law, unable to absorb even a fraction. "A secret realm!"
Jiang Mu opened her eyes and recalled her experience in the Fallen Soul Swamp, and suddenly understood.
No wonder!
No wonder that Tiger Vanguard went to great lengths to choose this place as his breakthrough point.
Beneath this unremarkable little mountain village outside Huzhou City lies a hidden paradise.
The imperial court was completely unaware of this.
The houses and streets he had seen in the village earlier were all cleverly arranged illusions to deceive people.
but……
Mu quickly realized a very serious problem.
He was able to escape unscathed from the Soul-Falling Swamp Secret Realm thanks to the Wu Hui Valley Jade Pendant given to him by Ye Wujun, which allowed him to forcibly teleport.
So what about here? How can he get out?
There was no jade pendant, no beacon, nothing at all.
Moreover, the colossal stone hand that blotted out the sky was clearly not there to kill him; it seemed more like it sealed off the exit of the secret realm after discovering that Tiger Vanguard was dead.
"Could this also be part of the Red Umbrella Cult's plan?"
Jiang Mu muttered to himself, "If you can't kill me, then use a sealed secret realm to trap me here and kill me completely."
But why?
Why did the Red Umbrella Cult go to such great lengths to lock him up in solitary confinement?
"Luring the tiger away from the mountain..."
Jiang Mu's face darkened, and a sense of unease welled up from the bottom of his heart.
It seems that something big is about to happen in the outside world.
Meanwhile, in another part of the secret realm.
Inside the cave, water droplets dripped from the tips of stalactites onto the rocks, making a crisp, monotonous pattering sound.
The sound echoed softly within the empty cavern.
Chu Lingzhu squatted at the cave entrance, her hands supporting her chin, gazing at the completely unfamiliar mountain forest outside, her delicate brows furrowed.
"What the hell is this? One minute it's black smoke, the next it's a village, and then it turns into a deep mountain forest."
The light green long skirt was stained with some mud, but it couldn't hide the girl's clean and neat pretty temperament.
Lan Rou'er sat on a flat rock with her arms crossed.
The girl's white dress was stained with mud, and the hem was torn by a tree branch.
Her face was pale, and her lips were light in color.
Curled up in a ball, it looked like a sparrow that had been soaked in the rain, pitiful and endearing.
Besides the two of them, there were several other demon slayers in the cave, most of them with injuries. Some were leaning against the cave wall with their eyes closed, meditating, while others were biting bandages to bandage themselves.
Among them was Feng Zhishan, the newly appointed head of the Tianjiao Hall who had just been transferred from Fazhou City to replace Wen He.
Feng Zhishan was in a rather disheveled state at this moment.
His official uniform was torn in several places by the monster's claws, and a bloody wound ran across his face.
"Miss Chu, don't panic. If I'm not mistaken, this is a secret realm."
Feng Zhishan glanced at the unfamiliar forest outside the cave, his tone resolute.
"When I was cultivating at Jiufeng Temple, I was fortunate enough to enter a secret realm with my master once. The energy and laws here are extremely similar to those there." "A secret realm?"
Chu Lingzhu recalled that her master had also gone to the secret realm, and her delicate brows furrowed even more deeply.
"Aren't secret realms supposed to require special approval from the imperial court and finding the entrance before you can enter? We were just treating patients in the village, how did we end up here so easily?"
Feng Zhishan was silent for a moment, then glanced at the unfamiliar mountains outside the cave and said:
"This isn't a secret realm controlled by the imperial court. It must have been discovered secretly by the Red Umbrella Sect themselves, and it's likely that all the opportunities inside have already been plundered. They created that black mist formation simply to lure us in and trap us."
"Wouldn't that mean we're doomed?"
Chu Lingzhu stood up, her little face full of displeasure.
"Are we going to be trapped here and die? I haven't finished drying my medicinal herbs yet, I don't want to die in this godforsaken place."
Feng Zhishan shook his head and gave a confident smile:
"Miss Chu, there's no need to panic. The entrance to this secret realm is in Tree Village. Since we disappeared in Tree Village, the Demon Slayer Division will find out sooner or later that something is wrong."
"Once reinforcements arrive and open the secret realm from the outside, we can naturally get out. Hall Master Xu has already led some brothers out of the black smoke encirclement; he will definitely bring reinforcements."
He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting to Lan Rou'er sitting on the rock. He softened his voice and straightened his chest, saying:
"Miss Lan, don't be afraid. With me here, I won't let the demon harm a single hair on your head."
Although Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er are both exceptionally beautiful girls.
But for a young man like Feng Zhishan, Chu Lingzhu's lively and clever nature was something he couldn't handle.
On the contrary, it was the petite, gentle, and delicate girl like Lan Rou'er who touched his heart more.
The orchid looked as if it would break with a gust of wind.
One look at him and it would instantly evoke his protective instincts and heroic complex as a man.
Chu Lingzhu shook her head, her tone somewhat dismissive:
"Difficult. That Red Umbrella Cult has made such a big show of things, sealing off the village, setting off smoke, and exorcising demons. How could they possibly let Master Xu break out and get reinforcements?"
They clearly intended to trap you like a turtle in a jar, but you, the turtle, ran out and called for help to dismantle the jar.
If you were the leader of the Red Umbrella Cult, what would you do?
Perhaps Master Xu has already been devoured by the demons, leaving not even bones behind.
Upon hearing this, the demon slayers inside the cave turned pale.
Lan Rou'er quickly reached out her slender white hand and gently tugged at Chu Lingzhu's sleeve, signaling him not to say anything out of line.
Chu Lingzhu pouted her pink lips and said irritably:
"That's right. They wouldn't listen to me and insisted on wandering around recklessly. Now they're going to wait here to die. Anyway, I don't think they'll succeed."
Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly came from outside the cave.
The ground trembled.
Several pieces of rock fell down from the cave ceiling with a rustling sound.
monster!
The expressions of everyone inside the cave changed drastically, and they all gripped their weapons tightly, peering out of the cave.
In the distance, amidst a vast expanse of mountains and forests, billowing dust rose into the sky, and several towering trees could be vaguely seen falling in swathes like stalks of wheat.
It looked like something enormous was moving through the forest.
The treetops shook violently, and the birds were startled and took flight in a flurry.
Fortunately, the commotion lasted for a while before the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and the forest returned to its deathly silence.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Feng Zhishan let out a long sigh of relief and forced himself to remain calm, saying:
"It seems there are still demonic creatures remaining in this secret realm. I wonder if they are raised by the Red Umbrella Sect or are native beasts of the realm. Fortunately, they are far enough away."
Chu Lingzhu stared at the dissipated dust, her bright eyes slightly narrowed.
She suddenly turned around, grabbed Lan Rou'er's wrist, and said crisply, "Let's go, it's not safe here!"
Everyone inside the cave was taken aback.
Feng Zhishan strode forward, frowning as he said:
"Miss Chu, what do you mean by this? The area where that demon is active is at least ten miles away from us, so it's impossible for it to sense our presence here. If you run out now, you'll only expose yourself."
Chu Lingzhu glanced around at the other demon slayers in the cave and coldly asked, "Are you leaving or not? If not, then wait here to die." The demon slayers looked at each other, their faces showing hesitation.
Right now, no one dares to drag their injured body out into the unknown forest.
Seeing this, Chu Lingzhu was too lazy to waste any more words and pulled Lan Rou'er to walk out of the cave.
"stop!"
Feng Zhishan stepped forward, blocking the cave entrance, his expression slightly grim:
"Miss Chu, you and Miss Lan are both ordinary people without any cultivation, and you have no idea how dangerous the secret realm is."
Since there are signs of demonic activity within a ten-mile radius, it means there's definitely more than just one in this secret realm. Running around like a headless fly is just suicide.
"At least this cave is well-hidden. As long as we conceal ourselves and lie in wait, we'll be safe. With us demon slayers protecting you, you can hold out until reinforcements arrive."
Chu Lingzhu rolled her eyes:
"Why are you so stubborn, like a mule? I'm not sure if there's danger outside, but I'm certain it's not safe to stay here. Once the monsters come looking for us, we won't even have anywhere to run!"
I need to find a completely safe place to wait for my boss to rescue me. Move aside, get out of the way.
"Where is the absolutely safe place?" Feng Zhishan refused to budge an inch.
Chu Lingzhu puffed out her chest confidently: "I don't know, that's why I have to go look for it. How will I know where it is if I don't look?"
Feng Zhishan suppressed the anger that this girl had stirred up and said seriously:
"Miss Chu, this is not a place for you to act impulsively like a young lady. I am the head of the Demon Slayer Division, and as I am paid by the imperial court, I have a duty to protect the people of Daqing."
Now, please step back obediently and don't cause any more trouble for everyone!
Chu Lingzhu's pretty face turned cold, and her usually smiling eyes were now filled with frost.
She stared at Feng Zhishan and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Are you going to let me pass or not?"
Feng Zhishan stood rooted to the spot like a pine tree, arms crossed, and said:
"Miss Chu may leave, but leave Miss Lan behind for us to protect. Whether you want to die or not is none of my business, but don't drag your friend down with you!"
Lan Rou'er hurriedly and timidly spoke:
"Master Feng, Lingzhu wouldn't harm me. If she says this place isn't safe, then it must be. You...you should listen to her." Seeing that even the delicate Lan Rou'er had been "brainwashed," Feng Zhishan felt an even stronger sense of responsibility.
He proudly raised his chin and declared in a resounding voice:
"Miss Lan, do not be afraid. I, Feng, have been cultivating the Dao since childhood, for over ten years. Although I have only been with the Demon Slaying Division for a short time, it has been at least two and a half years. I have handled numerous major cases involving demons, and I know what is right and wrong!"
An older demon slayer, who was resting against the stone wall nearby, noticed the tense atmosphere and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over:
"Master Feng, although Miss Chu is not a cultivator, she often accompanies Master Jiang on missions, so her experience is no less than ours. Her concerns are not unreasonable. How about this, I'll take two brothers out to scout around and see if there are any signs of demonic activity nearby. If there are, we can move on later."
He meant well.
After all, everyone in the Demon Slayer Division of Huzhou City knew about the relationship between Chu Lingzhu and Jiang Mu.
This newcomer, Feng Tang, has really offended people. It might be difficult to handle when Jiang Mu returns.
"No!"
Feng Zhishan interrupted the other person, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"I've said it before, everyone must stay here. Sending people out to scout ahead without knowing the dangers outside will only attract monsters. This is a military order!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Zhishan suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
The Chu Lingzhu in front of him suddenly turned into several double images.
He staggered back a few steps, his legs gave way, and he sat down heavily on the ground, his eyelids closing as if filled with lead.
"Master Feng! Master Feng!"
The demon slayers nearby were startled and quickly went to help him up.
Chu Lingzhu capped a small black medicine bottle in her hand, put it back into the small medicine pouch at her waist, and waved to the other demon slayers, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, he'll be back to normal in a little while. I'm controlling the dosage to ensure there are no aftereffects."
What about you? Who else is planning to come with us?
The crowd looked at the fourth-realm expert sleeping soundly on the ground, then at the delicate, seemingly uncultivated young girl in front of them, and exchanged bewildered glances.
You, an ordinary person, managed to defeat a master of the fourth realm.
Is that correct?
Chu Lingzhu glanced at them: "I'll ask one last time, who's planning to come with us?"
No one dared to utter a sound.
Chu Lingzhu sighed, took out another red medicine bottle from her medicine pouch, and casually tossed it to the older demon slayer who had been mediating the fight: "Take this. If the demon really comes, just throw this at it."
Whether I can help you or not depends on your own luck.
After saying that, she took Lan Rou'er's hand and walked out of the cave without looking back.
Lan Rou'er was pulled along by her, and she looked back at the people in the cave with a hint of apology in her eyes.
None of the demon slayers inside the cave dared to step forward to stop them.
Are you kidding me?
A fourth-level hall master was easily knocked out without even seeing when the drug was administered.
Are these remnants of a defeated army going up there because they're tired of living?
Sure enough, not long after Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er left, Feng Zhishan slowly woke up.
He opened his eyes, sprang to his feet with a somersault, and scanned his surroundings warily.
"What just happened? Why did I faint?"
The older demon slayer coughed, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Hall Master Feng... just now, Miss Chu used drugs to knock you unconscious, and then left with Miss Lan."
Feng Zhishan was completely stunned.
I?
He was drugged and knocked out by a little girl?!
Seeing the strange expressions on the faces of the demon slayers around him, he had no choice but to believe them.
Feng Zhishan's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth as he said:
"Since that girl wants to die, then let her die out there. No one is allowed to chase after her!"
"Boom!"
Before he finished speaking, a series of dense rustling sounds suddenly came from outside the cave.
The ground then began to tremble slightly.
Everyone quickly poked their heads out of the cave to look outside, and then gasped in shock.
Outside the cave, swarms of giant insect monsters appeared out of nowhere.
Each of those insects was half a person's height, with a glossy black shell.
They emerged continuously from the hillsides, from the forests, and from the cracks in the rocks; the entire ground within sight was covered with writhing black carapaces.
At this moment, only one thought remained in the minds of Feng Zhishan and all the demon slayers.
That little female doctor was right after all!
In the dark and deep forest, Chu Lingzhu led Lan Rou'er through the woods, their steps uneven.
The girl held up her skirt with one hand, and with the other hand she would occasionally take out a handful of grayish-white powder from the sachet at her waist and sprinkle it in the weeds where the two walked to cover up the scent of strangers.
Occasionally, when passing by some tree trunks, she would take out a knife and carve a hidden mark on the bark.
Lan Rou'er clung tightly to her, glancing warily around as she whispered timidly, "Lingzhu, are Hall Master Feng and the others in danger staying in that cave?"
"So what if he dies? What does it have to do with me?"
Chu Lingzhu didn't turn her head; she carved another mark on the tree bark with her knife.
"I'm not a demon slayer, and I don't receive a salary from the imperial court, so why should I care about their lives?"
I've explained everything clearly to them; whether they listen or not is their business. Besides, we're just ordinary people; it's not easy for us to even take care of ourselves in this godforsaken place.
Lan Rou'er lowered her eyes upon hearing this, her expression somewhat somber: "I wonder where Brother Jiang is now, and whether he can find us..." "Don't worry, the Dong family is like dogs, they have a keen sense of smell."
Chu Lingzhu put away her knife, turned around, and gave Lan Rou'er a bright smile.
"Even if the boss can't find us for a while, we'll definitely survive. What are you afraid of with me here? When have you ever seen me fail?"
Lan Rou'er pursed her lips and nodded slightly, but the worry between her brows did not disappear.
Chu Lingzhu saw this and her smile faded a bit. She turned to look at the woods ahead and muttered to herself, "Right now, the most troublesome thing is that girl, Duanmu Li."
I told her not to wander off, but she insisted on scouting. Now look what happened—she's gone in circles and gotten herself lost.
A moment later, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from behind.
Interspersed with heavy breathing and the crisp sound of branches breaking.
Chu Lingzhu's heart tightened, and she immediately pulled Lan Rou'er to hide behind a giant tree that was so big that it would take two people to hug it.
He poked half his head out to take a look.
The visitors turned out to be Feng Zhishan and his group.
At this moment, however, the once stubborn leader of the Tianjiao Hall had completely lost his composure.
He was covered in dust, his hair was disheveled, and his face showed fear and embarrassment.
The number of demon slayers who escaped with him was also less than half of what they had been in the cave.
They were all injured and looked dejected.
Seeing Chu Lingzhu and her companion emerge from behind the tree, Feng Zhishan was first taken aback, then his face turned a deep shade of purple, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes. Chu Lingzhu glanced behind him, frowning as she asked, "Why are you the only ones left? Where are the others?"
"Miss Chu...they are dead..."
The older demon slayer spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone filled with endless regret, "I should have listened to Miss Chu and left that cave sooner."
Everyone else was also extremely annoyed.
As Feng Zhishan listened to his subordinates' words, he felt a burning pain in his cheeks.
It felt as if I had been slapped a dozen times in public.
He suddenly looked up, staring coldly at Chu Lingzhu, and demanded sharply, "I'm asking you, how did you know the demon would appear there?!" "I don't know, I just relied on my intuition."
Chu Lingzhu shrugged and said...
"Besides, anyone with a brain can see that the place is inherently unsafe."
A huge cave suddenly appears on a perfectly normal hillside; it's clearly not a natural formation. It must be a lair tunnel dug by some kind of monster. They dug their nest there; they'll come back sooner or later.
"What's the difference between you squatting there and squatting in someone's living room waiting for the host to come home for dinner?"
"You one!"
Feng Zhishan was so speechless by these words that he almost vomited blood.
He snorted coldly and turned his face away. "It was just good luck. Just because you guessed right once doesn't mean you can guess right every time." Suddenly, he turned back, his tone abruptly hardening, with a hint of command.
"Now, as the head of the Demon Slayer Division, I order you to stay close to us. This secret realm is fraught with danger. If you dare to drug me again, don't blame me for being rough with you, girl!"
intuition?
If everything depends on intuition, then these demon slayers who have cultivated for ten years might as well give up on cultivation altogether and just rely on their intuition to slay demons! What a ridiculous farce!
He was, after all, a prodigy. With his background from the Nine Peaks Temple, he was always looked up to wherever he went.
The pride in one's heart is not so easily dispelled.
Chu Lingzhu's beautiful eyes widened in surprise:
"Are you out of your mind? How I choose to escape is none of your business! You're so nosy, worrying about how others try to survive!"
Feng Zhishan's face was ashen, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
"Boom!"
Just as tensions were about to rise, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled.
Immediately afterwards, a deep and violent roar of a demonic beast exploded from the distant mountains and forests, causing the leaves on the trees overhead to fall in a rustling sound.
Everyone's expression changed drastically, and their hands holding the knives trembled.
This is clearly a powerful demon.
Chu Lingzhu's face also turned pale.
She listened intently for a moment, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering twice, then suddenly grabbed Lan Rou'er's wrist:
"Rou'er, let's get out of here quickly."
"Miss Chu, where are you going?" a demon slayer asked hurriedly.
Chu Lingzhu continued walking without turning her head, saying, "Go back to the cave we just left. Anyone who wants to come can come, and if not, that's fine too." Go back to the cave?
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Feng Zhishan stepped forward and blocked her path, spreading his arms wide, his voice almost a shout:
"What nonsense are you spouting, you crazy girl? We just escaped from there by the skin of our teeth. That place is now the lair of poisonous insects and monsters."
If we go back the way we came now, wouldn't that be like a lamb entering a tiger's den? Do you have a death wish?!
Although the other demon slayers didn't speak, the fear in their eyes showed that they shared the same thought.
I've seen people courting death, but I've never seen anyone so eager to feed a monster.
Chu Lingzhu was too lazy to argue with him and pulled Lan Rou'er to the side.
Feng Zhishan was finally enraged.
He reached out and grabbed the girl's shoulder, while covering his mouth and nose with his other hand, afraid that the girl was playing some kind of sleeping potion again.
But as soon as his fingers touched Chu Lingzhu's shoulder, a sharp pain shot through his fingertips.
Feng Zhishan gasped in pain and abruptly pulled his hand back.
I looked down.
A tiny thorn, as thin as a cow's hair, was stuck in the pad of his finger.
It looks exactly like a bee's stinger.
Immediately afterwards, a numbing sensation spread rapidly from his fingertips along his arm, and within a few breaths, the right side of his body lost sensation, leaving him unable to move.
Chu Lingzhu turned around and smiled sweetly:
"The effects of the medicine will dissipate on their own soon, and it won't harm your body. Master Feng, please calm down here and soak up some sun." After saying that, he pulled Lan Rou'er and disappeared into the dense forest.
The other demon slayers stood still, looking at the two women who had gone far away, and then at Feng Zhishan, who was frozen in place with half of his body unable to move. None of them could move their legs, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.
This is the second time.
The hall master of the four realms was taken down again.
Feng Zhishan watched helplessly as the two graceful figures left, and he cursed loudly in anger.
The journey was fraught with danger but ultimately safe.
Chu Lingzhu led Lan Rou'er back along the marked path they had made, carefully avoiding the medicinal powder she had scattered on the ground, and occasionally adding new marks with her hands. When they returned to the cave, the scene at the entrance was exactly the same as when they left.
The rubble was scattered, with no trace of any demonic activity.
Lan Rou'er stood at the cave entrance, looked around at the empty hillside and silent forest, then at the dark cavern, and couldn't help but say, "Lingzhu, you're amazing! How did you know it was safe here?"
"Is that even a question? It's just a guess."
Chu Lingzhu said casually.
Lan Rou'er let out a soft "ah," blinking her watery eyes with a puzzled look on her face.
Chu Lingzhu straightened up, patted the dirt off her hands, and explained to her:
"Think about it, when those few escaped from here, normally there would definitely be monsters chasing after them, right?"
But none of the traps we left along the way were triggered, and the medicinal powder wasn't trampled away, which means those monsters weren't chasing us at all. Why weren't they chasing us?
Either they're too lazy to pursue it, or they're too afraid to pursue it. It's unlikely they're too lazy to pursue it, so it must be that they're too afraid to pursue it.
Can you guess why they didn't dare to chase after them?
"Oh...I understand!"
Lan Rou'er's big eyes lit up, "They're afraid of you!"
"Snapped!"
Chu Lingzhu bent her slender, white fingers and tapped Lan Rou'er's smooth forehead with a crisp sound.
"..."
Lan Rou'er covered her head, tears welling up in her eyes, looking aggrieved.
"You're so stupid!"
Chu Lingzhu poked her forehead in exasperation, "What are you afraid of? I haven't even shown my true power yet."
Didn't you hear that monster's roar just now?
This indicates that a terrifying demon or beast king has awakened and is active in the vicinity.
So, all the monsters were scared away!
The most dangerous place is often the safest. This cave is now empty; as long as that great demon doesn't wander over, it's actually the safest place.
"I see, Lingzhu, you're amazing!"
Lan Rou'er looked at her best friend with admiration, her adoration evident in her expression.
Chu Lingzhu, however, showed little sign of pride; instead, she sighed with a worried expression.
"Sigh, that makes sense... but the problem is that a powerful demon is roaming around nearby, which makes things very difficult."
"If the boss doesn't hurry up and follow the marks to find us, we'll either be eaten by monsters or starve to death here."
She rummaged through her bundle and pulled out two hard, cold sesame cakes, trying to make the best of a bad situation:
"Forget it, if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. It's not worth starving to death. Let's bake a sesame seed cake to fill our stomachs first."
As she spoke, she found some dry, withered branches and leaves near the cave entrance, took out a tinderbox from her bosom, and blew on it to light it.
The firelight leaped up, dispelling the chill in the cave.
Chu Lingzhu used her small knife to cut two clean tree branches, skewered the sesame cakes together, and placed them over the fire to slowly roast.
Soon, the aroma of flour mixed with the roasted scent of sesame seeds filled the narrow cave.
It also created a rare sense of warmth amidst the chaos of the world.
Two girls sat side by side by the fire, holding hot sesame cakes in their hands and nibbling on them.
Lan Rou'er was scalded and kept breathing out hot air.
Chu Lingzhu stared intently at the flames as she ate, a few sesame seeds still stuck to her lips.
Not long after, a series of unsteady footsteps came from the woods.
The demon slayers returned, panting heavily.
The only difference was that Feng Zhishan was being held by two demon slayers, one on each side, with his hair disheveled and plastered to his face.
A long gash was cut open in his abdomen by a sharp blade.
The haphazardly wrapped bandages inside were half-soaked in blood.
The group stopped in their tracks when they saw the bright firelight inside and the two women eating sesame cakes beside it. Feng Zhishan looked up, moved his chapped lips, and his gaze lingered on the golden-brown sesame cakes for a moment before he said nothing and was silently helped to sit down against the cave wall.
"Miss Chu, we are truly grateful to you."
The experienced and composed demon slayer, his face still showing lingering fear, stepped forward and bowed deeply to Chu Lingzhu, saying with tears of gratitude, "We just encountered a group of crazed demons in the forest. Fortunately, you scattered some medicinal powder along the way, which allowed us to hide and conceal our scent. Those demons couldn't find us halfway through their pursuit."
That's how we managed to escape with our lives.
The other demon slayers looked at Chu Lingzhu with the same heartfelt awe and gratitude.
It was as if I were looking at a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering.
The last trace of contempt that had been felt before because she was just an ordinary little girl with no cultivation was gone.
It was long ago slapped away by the merciless blows of reality and vanished into thin air.
Chu Lingzhu tore off a crispy piece of baked flatbread and handed it to Lan Rou'er. She got up, walked to the cave entrance, peeked outside, and said calmly:
"Alright, stop flattering us. With that great demon's aura keeping us in check, it's safe for now."
"You all just stay here quietly and stop wandering around. We'll only be truly safe when Jiang Mu comes looking for us." Feng Zhishan leaned against the stone wall, his eyes turning cold upon hearing this.