Meanwhile, Yuchi Mengxing and Youqin Jingheng—the two unfortunate souls who had been swept away together by the teleportation talisman—were standing in their new surroundings with equally blank expressions.
Neither of them spoke.
For several long seconds, they simply stared ahead.
Then— they slowly looked down.
The ground beneath their feet was dark, damp, and covered in a thin layer of murky water.
A faint grayish mist drifted above the surface, while twisted dead trees rose from the swamp like skeletal hands reaching toward the sky.
There was no birdsong.
No rustling of small animals.
Not even the chirping of insects.
The entire place was unnaturally silent.
Dead silent.
Youqin Jingheng stared at the lifeless swamp before them, then slowly turned his head toward Yuchi Mengxing.
“…Is your teleportation talisman always this random?” His expression was indescribable.
He didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if the teleportation had shifted just a little farther forward.
They might have appeared directly in the middle of the swamp.
At that point, forget escaping from the assassins— the two of them might already have become pickled vegetables soaking in mud.
Yuchi Mengxing fell silent.
“…” After a moment, she straightened her back and forced herself to look perfectly calm.
“My cultivation isn’t high enough.” Youqin Jingheng raised an eyebrow.
“So?” “When cultivation isn’t enough…” Yuchi Mengxing paused solemnly.
“…luck makes up the difference.” Youqin Jingheng: “…” What kind of explanation was that?
Yuchi Mengxing, however, maintained a perfectly serious expression.
“If it didn’t drop you directly into the swamp and drown you, you should already be thanking the heavens.” “And you’re still complaining?” Her tone sounded completely reasonable.
As though the teleportation talisman dumping them beside a poisonous swamp was somehow something worth celebrating.
But inside— Yuchi Mengxing had already lost her mind.
Holy crap!
Holy crap!
HOLY FREAKING CRAP!
Of all the places she could have been sent to— why here?!
Why did it have to be this godforsaken place?!
Yuchi Mengxing knew exactly where they were.
And that was precisely why she wanted to cry.
This place was infamous.
A poisonous swamp.
Not only was the air filled with toxic miasma, but according to what she knew, a particularly troublesome magical beast lived somewhere within it.
The Demon-Winged Toad.
Yes.
A toad.
A poisonous toad.
And, for reasons Yuchi Mengxing would never understand— it could fly.
Just imagining the scene was enough to make her scalp tingle.
A giant poisonous toad flapping through the air— and launching itself straight at her face.
“…” No.
Absolutely not.
Yuchi Mengxing felt goosebumps rise all over her arms.
Who came up with something this disgusting?!
Was being poisonous not enough?
Why did it need wings?!
Were ordinary toads no longer terrifying enough?!
She drew in a sharp breath.
The joking expression on her face faded slightly as she became unusually serious.
Then she turned toward Youqin Jingheng.
“Hey.” Youqin Jingheng looked at her.
“What?” Yuchi Mengxing stared at him for a moment.
“What cultivation level are you at?” Youqin Jingheng blinked.
He clearly hadn’t expected such a sudden question.
But Yuchi Mengxing wasn’t really waiting impatiently for his answer.
Because now that the immediate danger had temporarily disappeared, she finally had the chance to take a proper look at the boy beside her.
And the more she looked— the stranger her expression became.
Hey…
Why does this little brother look so much like a girl?
His skin was ridiculously fair and smooth, almost like fine jade.
His face was delicate, with a perfectly shaped jawline, and those peach-blossom eyes were even more outrageous.
They curved beautifully at the corners, naturally carrying a hint of charm even when he wasn’t smiling.
His nose was straight and refined.
And his lips— Yuchi Mengxing stared.
They were soft and glossy enough to look as though he had just applied lip gloss.
“…” Seriously?
Was this reasonable?
Yuchi Mengxing quietly looked him up and down.
White skin.
Delicate features.
Peach-blossom eyes.
Glossy lips.
And that slender figure…
If she hadn’t already heard him speak— and if he weren’t deliberately lowering his voice— she would have genuinely thought the person standing beside her was a pretty young lady!
Good grief.
If you hadn’t deliberately lowered your voice, this grandaunt would’ve thought I had a little sister following me around!
Youqin Jingheng noticed the increasingly strange way she was staring at him.
His brows furrowed slightly.
“What are you looking at?” “Nothing.” Yuchi Mengxing immediately looked away.
Absolutely nothing.
She was merely questioning the fairness of the heavens.
Some men were born looking rough and heroic.
Others— apparently received the beauty package meant for women.
Youqin Jingheng gave her a suspicious glance but ultimately answered her earlier question.
“Mid Yellow Rank.” His tone was completely serious.
Yuchi Mengxing’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Oh!” She nodded.
Her expression remained surprisingly calm.
Very calm.
Almost too calm.
Youqin Jingheng suddenly had a bad feeling.
And sure enough— the next words out of her mouth nearly made him cough up blood.
“There’s a Demon-Winged Toad living in this swamp.” Youqin Jingheng paused.
Yuchi Mengxing continued matter-of-factly.
“It’s probably around a fifth-rank magical beast.” “…” “So if it appears later, you can deal with it.” “…What?” Yuchi Mengxing looked at him as though this arrangement couldn’t possibly be more reasonable.
“I’m only at the peak of the Profound Rank.” “I haven’t even reached the early Yellow Rank yet.” She spread her hands.
“So obviously I can’t beat it.” Youqin Jingheng stared at her.
Yuchi Mengxing blinked innocently.
Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something important, she reached into her bag.
“But don’t worry!” Youqin Jingheng’s expression eased slightly.
At least she had some conscience.
Maybe she had some kind of weapon— or another powerful talisman— or perhaps— Yuchi Mengxing pulled out a pill.
“I have a Miasma-Dispelling Pill!” Youqin Jingheng: “…” Yuchi Mengxing placed the pill directly into his palm with an extremely serious expression.
“This can help resist the poisonous miasma.” “…” “There.” She even nodded encouragingly.
“Good luck.” Then— before Youqin Jingheng could react— Yuchi Mengxing moved.
Whoosh!
She retreated several meters in one breath.
By the time Youqin Jingheng processed what had just happened, she was already standing a safe distance away from him.
Hands empty.
Expression innocent.
Face completely serious.
As though she had just made the most logical tactical arrangement in the world.
Youqin Jingheng slowly lowered his head.
He looked at the pill in his palm.
Then he looked at Yuchi Mengxing several meters away.
Then— he looked back at the pill.
“…” For a moment, he felt a tightness in his chest.
He almost coughed up three liters of blood on the spot.
What kind of teammate did this?!
She had casually assigned a fifth-rank magical beast to him— stuffed a pill into his hand— and then immediately ran away?!
Youqin Jingheng had lived for thirteen years.
And today— for the first time in his life— he discovered that apparently, this was also a perfectly valid way to treat a teammate.