A white toad suddenly dropped from a tree onto Qu Xiangxiang’s shoulder. She froze, shrieked, and flicked it off with the hilt of her sword—only to hear Mu Hanzhang’s furious voice: “Qu! Xiang! Xiang!”
Turning, she saw the ugly white toad squatting right on top of Mu Hanzhang’s head, bulging eyes glaring, croaking defiantly.
The grotesque toad against Mu Hanzhang’s handsome, furious, restrained face was such a stark contrast that Qu Xiangxiang stiffened. Maybe she should just end herself here and now.
“Get it off!” Veins bulged at Mu Hanzhang’s temple; he nearly lost control enough to drag her down with him.
Qu Xiangxiang grimaced and once more flicked the toad away with her sword hilt. It landed on the ground, croaked twice in protest, then hopped off into the grass.
“I…” Qu Xiangxiang looked at Mu Hanzhang’s face, dark as charcoal, and hesitantly tried to comfort him. “Look on the bright side—at least it didn’t land on your face.”
Mu Hanzhang: “…Qu Xiangxiang. From now on, don’t speak to me again.”
Because of this “little” incident, Qu Xiangxiang’s heart, already lodged in her throat, nearly burst out.
In the original novel, the male lead’s trip alone to find Soul-Losing Grass wasn’t described in detail. It only said he spent a day and night on the mountain, returned to Cangxuan Mountain in tattered clothes, injured hands and feet, handed the grass to Elder Bai Shu, and then collapsed unconscious for three days and nights. So even though Qu Xiangxiang had read the book, she had no idea what they would encounter in the back mountain.
She sighed silently. Her “cheat” seemed half-activated. She only wanted to survive—why was it so hard?
Head drooping, she trailed after Mu Hanzhang. Suddenly, faintly, she heard a woman crying.
“Did you hear that?” she couldn’t help asking him. “Someone’s crying.”
Mu Hanzhang, impatient: “So what?”
“Don’t you think it’s strange?”
“Wasn’t that white toad strange enough?”
Qu Xiangxiang: “…” Truly a villain male lead—he held grudges like no other.
“Ah! No! Help!” The woman’s cries grew louder. Mu Hanzhang suddenly strode toward the sound.
Qu Xiangxiang was surprised. She thought his temperament wouldn’t allow him to meddle in such matters.
When they arrived, they saw a giant Kui bird stretching its long, sharp beak toward a stranger woman’s neck. Qu Xiangxiang gasped. Though she sensed something was off, she still whipped out Zhuoyue and struck at the bird.
The bird was huge, but fortunately not very strong. It took the heavy lash, shrieked, and shot off like an arrow.
Strange. Kui birds fed on carrion—why attack a human?
She helped the pale, terrified woman up, about to ask questions. But the woman bypassed her, bowed to Mu Hanzhang, and said pitifully: “This humble girl, Jinxi, thanks the young master for saving me.”
Qu Xiangxiang: “?”
So this was the legendary male lead halo? Wasn’t it a bit too ridiculous?
Mu Hanzhang didn’t accept her gratitude. He asked bluntly: “What was your purpose in luring me here?”
Perhaps from fright, Jinxi’s tears brimmed, her pale face all the more pitiful. “I don’t understand what the young master means.”
Mu Hanzhang sneered, drew his sword, and pointed it straight at her throat. “Speak. What are you really?”
Terrified, Jinxi looked at Qu Xiangxiang with streaming tears. “Miss, save me.”
Qu Xiangxiang withdrew Zheyue, drew her own sword, and stepped forward.
This foolish woman—Mu Hanzhang’s hand trembled on his sword. He knew he shouldn’t…
“Qu Xiangxiang?” He stared in shock as she pressed her blade against Jinxi’s waist.
“Kui birds only eat carrion,” Qu Xiangxiang wrinkled her nose. “Which grave did you crawl out of?”
Jinxi glanced pitifully between them, then suddenly let out a shrill laugh. Foul energy burst from her body, blasting them both several yards away.
Qu Xiangxiang hit the ground hard. Ignoring the pain, she scrambled up, sword in hand—only to freeze in horror.
Jinxi’s delicate face was melting. Her features cracked like a spiderweb, dissolving into foul black water. Her hands rotted even faster, until white bone showed, scraps of flesh dangling loosely, ready to fall.
Qu Xiangxiang nearly vomited. This was more terrifying than any horror movie.
“I heard there’s a half-demon here with sealed spiritual roots. I’m tired of constantly needing new bodies. With demon blood, his flesh should resist decay. I thought to be gentle, but since you’ve seen through me, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Black mist slithered like a snake toward Mu Hanzhang’s feet.
“Careful!” Qu Xiangxiang cried.
Mu Hanzhang tried to leap away, but the mist bound his ankle, dragging him straight to Jinxi’s feet. She loomed over him in her rotting body, triumphant. “Hah. You can’t escape.”
Qu Xiangxiang’s sword hand trembled. What to do? She couldn’t defeat this monster.
Wait! She remembered—her elder brother Qu Weiran had given her a talisman pouch when she set out. She should have it with her. She threw down her bamboo satchel, frantically rummaging.
Found it!
She pulled out a fire talisman, bit her finger, smeared blood on the paper, and hurled it at the foul corpse.
“Fire—come!”
Flames roared to life. Jinxi hadn’t expected this. She shrieked as the blaze consumed her. It was a literal cremation on the spot.
Qu Xiangxiang grabbed her pack, stumbled to Mu Hanzhang, and hauled him up. “Let’s run!”
“Trying to run?” Qu Xiangxiang hadn’t expected the corpse to be so resilient. A whip of fire, shrouded in black energy, lashed toward them like a vicious ghost. “Then we’ll perish together!”
“Damn!”
In that split second, a strange demonic wind rose. Mu Hanzhang halted, his long black hair whipping in the gale, his dark eyes turning blood-red.
“Formation—open!” His hands formed seals, carving a violet barrier around himself and Qu Xiangxiang, blocking the fire whip outside.
Mu Hanzhang’s gaze was sharp as blades. With a forward thrust of his hands, the violet barrier erupted with immense force, driving the whip back toward Jinxi.
“Ahhh!”
Her scream of agony echoed through the forest. Qu Xiangxiang knew—it was finally over.
“Mu Hanzhang!” She caught his collapsing body. “Are you alright?”
But Mu Hanzhang had already lost consciousness.
Looking at the scratches on his face from the branches when the black energy dragged him, Qu Xiangxiang realized—his demonic aura had begun to awaken.