When the snake’s mouth opened, it was as large as Chu Liangyu’s face, and its breath billowed right at her.
Chu Liangyu frowned and quickly held her breath. ’I can’t believe this thing has bad breath...’
In her desperation, Chu Liangyu grabbed the remaining half of the snake’s tail and shoved it straight into the snake’s mouth.
GAG...
It was as if she’d stabbed it in the back of the throat; the snake began to dry heave.
Chu Liangyu had been ruthless. The tail must have already reached its stomach.
"My apologies, my apologies. I really didn’t mean it."
Chu Liangyu seized the opportunity to escape the green snake, scrambling down the tree with incredible speed.
*Pfft...*
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she heard a stifled laugh.
But it vanished as quickly as it came, as if it had never been there at all.
Chu Liangyu had no time to wonder who it was. Fog had begun to roll into the forest, where visibility was already poor.
’Great. Now I can’t see a thing.’
This meant she was in even greater danger. Chu Liangyu calmed herself and headed toward an area where the fog seemed thinner.
"I don’t know what was going through her head, to use a method like that."
Xiong Xianhui materialized, glanced at the still-retching snake, and felt a pang of sympathy for it.
Shaking his head, he began searching for Chu Liangyu’s figure again.
Only then did he belatedly realize that fog had rolled in at some point, and Chu Liangyu was already long gone.
’It only took a moment. How did she disappear so quickly?’
Chu Liangyu had borne them so many children; it was impossible they would actually make her pay with her life over a single cub.
’If I really did that, those people...’
Cold sweat broke out on his back. With a heavy heart, Xiong Xianhui’s only thought was to find her first.
[Ding—Tradeable item detected!
Item: Ancient Green Lotus
Value: Vajra Golden Body Technique, Bronze Short Knife (grows with the owner’s power)
Trade Origin: Ancient Martial World]
’These rewards are pretty practical. It’s like they were tailor-made for me.’
’But where is the Ancient Green Lotus?’
The fog around her was so thick it felt tangible, and Chu Liangyu couldn’t see her surroundings at all.
As if aware of her plight, a green arrow that only she could see appeared, guiding her forward.
Chu Liangyu’s eyes went wide with surprise.
She needed these things desperately. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chu Liangyu followed it.
Several times she nearly walked right into a tree, only realizing how close she was at the last second.
The fog was so thick she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. There was nothing for it; she had to be as careful as humanly possible.
Fortunately, she hadn’t been walking for long when the green arrow stopped and vanished.
It had led her to a pool of water. Due to the fog, she couldn’t tell how large it was.
In the center of the pool sat a single Green Lotus, its petals looking ethereal as they gave off a faint white glow.
It swayed rhythmically with the breeze, and a faint, elusive fragrance drifted out in gentle wisps.
Chu Liangyu took a light sniff and instantly felt her mind clear and her spirits lift. Even the gloom that had settled in her heart vanished completely.
’This really is something special.’
To get the Green Lotus, Chu Liangyu would have to swim for it.
She was only wearing the animal hide Xiong Xianhui had given her, so it was easy to slip off.
The water was cold. Chu Liangyu shivered but waited until she had acclimated before slowly swimming forward.
The only sound in the placid water was her own swimming. The Green Lotus swayed gently. As far as she could see, there was nothing else. It was too quiet.
Chu Liangyu stopped. Her instincts screamed that something was approaching—fast.
A massive dark shadow shot past beneath her, then quickly vanished into the deeper water.
The water churned, turning murky. She had no idea when the shadow would reappear.
’The Green Lotus is only three meters away. Am I really going to give up now?’
Unwilling to give up, Chu Liangyu ignored the thing in the water and swam forward with renewed speed.
When she looked up again, the Green Lotus was right in front of her, within arm’s reach.
Fearing some last-minute complication, Chu Liangyu reached for it without hesitation.
PSSSH...
A jet of water shot toward her wrist. Almost instantly, her hand went limp.
If she hadn’t reacted so quickly, her hand would have been gone.
Opposite her, the enormous head of a carp emerged, its eyes fixed on Chu Liangyu with murderous intent.
Chu Liangyu knew that the beasts of the Beast World were highly intelligent.
But she hadn’t expected this one to be guarding a treasure, keeping anyone from getting near.
"I have to get that Green Lotus. Are you sure you want to guard it with your life?"
Chu Liangyu tried to reason with it, hoping to appeal to its senses. Getting it easily would be for the best, after all.
In response, the carp rolled its eyes at her and shot out a jet of water even larger than the last.
Chu Liangyu took a deep breath and dove under the surface, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The water was murky, and her figure became a blur.
The carp sank back into the depths as well, carefully sensing for any change in the currents.
Soon, it sensed a disturbance behind it.
It opened its mouth and shot a jet of water toward the spot. A cry of pain rang out; the human had been hit.
’Another fine meal,’ it thought, swimming over eagerly.
Just as it expected, the human had passed out and was now floating on the surface.
It circled her once, then opened its mouth and swallowed her whole.
A moment later, the supposedly unconscious woman’s eyes snapped open.
The stench inside was overwhelming. She took one short breath before immediately holding it.
She shifted slightly, and the carp’s beating heart came into view.
The carp must have sensed her movements, because it began to thrash about in panic, opening its mouth wide.
A flood of water poured in, submerging Chu Liangyu’s limbs once again.
Chu Liangyu was thrown about, but she kept a death grip on the beating heart.
In the pitch-black belly of the fish, a faint golden light caught her eye.
But the carp’s struggles were too violent for her to think. As she crushed its heart, Chu Liangyu reached out, grabbed the small, pale golden orb, and pulled it with her as she escaped the fish’s belly.
The lifeless carp floated to the surface, its eyes rolled back to show the whites.
With nothing left to stop her, Chu Liangyu swam to the Green Lotus and plucked it.
The water droplets on its petals scattered, splashing across Chu Liangyu’s face.
Chu Liangyu felt instantly revitalized, and her emotions began to settle.
She had been in the water for too long and was starting to feel the chill.
She hurried back to the shore and put her animal hide back on.
[Initiate Trade?]
A panel appeared before her. Chu Liangyu examined the Green Lotus one last time, then said, "Yes."
Instantly, the Vajra Scripture Body Technique and the Bladeless Short Knife appeared in her hands.
’Vajra Scripture Body Technique... Sounds like something from a Buddhist Sect.’
’It’s not going to make me as tough as a turtle shell, impervious to all weapons, so I can just wear my enemies out, is it?’
Chu Liangyu grumbled internally as she flipped to the first page.
Well, she was half right.
Upon reaching the level of Great Success, one’s body would become impervious to blades and poisons, and possess such immense strength that a single punch could shatter a mountain.
However, each advancement required various herbs for Body Refining, and that very Green Lotus was the key ingredient needed to reach Great Success.
When Chu Liangyu read this, her expression instantly darkened.
’An Ancient Green Lotus isn’t something you can just go out and find. The person behind this trade was so calculating I could practically hear their abacus from here. Absolutely outrageous.’
’They traded something that was probably useless to them for my Ancient Green Lotus.’
’At least this upgradable Bladeless Short Knife seems more valuable than the Vajra Scripture.’