A hand gently rested on her shoulder…
“Qing-Tang!”
Jiang Yijie’s usually gentle and calm voice carried a trace of panic as he hurried over in quick strides, helping Lu Qingtang up from where she had fallen.
Feeling the lingering pain in her body and the despair and fear that had nearly overwhelmed her, Lu Qingtang exclaimed with relief, “Big Brother Jiang!”
Lu Qingtang glanced behind Jiang Yijie and, noticing that Su Lingyao and Jiang Xunbai were nowhere in sight, she couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother Jiang, where are Sister Su and Second Young Master Jiang?”
Jiang Yijie’s expression grew more serious. “I haven’t seen them either. Before the white mist descended, A-Yao was right beside me. I was distracted for a moment, and by the time I regained my focus, A-Yao had disappeared…”
Lu Qingtang nodded. It seemed the main group’s experience was similar to hers—they had all been deceived by the eerie camellia tree. However, as demon hunters, their awareness of the natural world was stronger than hers. They had regained their senses on their own, while she had been awakened by Jiang Xunbai.
In an instant, the white mist had suddenly appeared, causing them to lose their sense of direction and wander aimlessly.
After confirming that Lu Qingtang was unharmed, Jiang Yijie said, “I came from that direction. There’s no one there.”
Lu Qingtang followed his pointing finger and realized that the direction he indicated was actually behind her. Yet, she had been walking toward where Jiang Yijie and Su Lingyao were originally. Had their positions shifted, or had they been walking in the wrong direction all along?
Lu Qingtang followed closely behind Jiang Yijie. This time, she took out several Fu Zhi (Talisman Papers) in advance, just in case. Earlier, the vines had attacked so swiftly that she hadn’t had time to use the talismans Jiang Xunbai had given her before being ensnared.
With someone by her side, Lu Qingtang felt much more at ease. She even began to ponder the likelihood of completing Task Three.
The probability of completing Task Three was quite high. It seemed as if fate was on her side. All she needed to do was stay with Jiang Yijie for an hour and find an opportunity to give him the sword tassel.
As she thought about it, Lu Qingtang began to feel that the current situation wasn’t so bad after all. She continued to follow closely behind Jiang Yijie.
Lu Qingtang and Jiang Yijie walked for a long time, unsure of how far they had traveled, yet there was still no sign of Jiang Xunbai or Su Lingyao.
Lu Qingtang couldn’t shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was constantly fixed on them. No matter where they went, the sensation of being watched followed them like a shadow.
She whispered, “Big Brother Jiang, do you feel like someone is watching us?”
Jiang Yijie paused at her words. After a moment of silence, he praised, “Qing-Tang, your intuition is sharp. We are undoubtedly trapped in a formation.”
Lu Qingtang understood now—it was a formation. And since it was a formation, the one who set it must still be somewhere, observing their every move.
No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than the ground suddenly trembled. Jiang Yijie cried out in alarm, “Qing-Tang, be careful!”
In the next moment, numerous vines emerged once again from the thick white mist, lunging straight toward Lu Qingtang and Jiang Yijie. Jiang Yijie’s sword swiftly left its sheath, its gleaming blade slicing through the vines. Lu Qingtang grabbed a handful of Fu Zhi and threw them forward without even looking. A loud explosion echoed as the talismans detonated mid-air, sending roaring flames toward the vines. The pungent smell of burning filled the air.
The vines near Jiang Yijie were reduced to fragments, and they managed to escape this round of danger. Lu Qingtang gasped for breath, her heart racing wildly.
Fortunately, the Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) given by Jiang Xunbai was incredibly powerful, and just one or two sheets were enough to repel those vines.
Lu Qingtang guessed, “Big Brother Jiang, is there a vine demon underground?”
Jiang Yijie nodded. “To be able to trap a vine demon within a formation and make it serve his purposes—this person who set up the formation must have quite a background.”
Lu Qingtang’s face showed concern. If the male lead thought so, the formation must be truly formidable.
Jiang Yijie smiled again and reassured her, “Qing-Tang, don’t be afraid. No matter who set up this formation, A-Xun will definitely be able to break it.”
Lu Qingtang nodded and continued on the path with Jiang Yijie to search for Jiang Xunbai and Su Lingyao. They walked through the white mist for an unknown length of time until Lu Qingtang heard the system’s voice in her consciousness: 【Congratulations, Host. Task Three progress: 0.5. Please keep up the good work.】
Lu Qingtang widened her eyes. Had she already spent an hour with Jiang Yijie?
Gradually, her legs began to ache and grow weak. The physical and mental exhaustion outweighed the joy of reaching half the progress in Task Three. Listlessly, she trailed behind Jiang Yijie, not daring to let her guard down completely. Who knew if something might suddenly appear behind her?
As if her fears had summoned it, the moment the thought crossed her mind, a hand gently rested on her shoulder.
Lu Qingtang’s heart leaped, and her body reacted instinctively. She flung the Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) in her hand backward, jumped forward a few steps, and screamed, “Ahhhhh! A ghost! Ahhhhh!”
Only the rustling of the wind against clothing could be heard, and at the same time, a teasing, amused voice came from behind her: “Miss Lu, you really know how to return a favor, using the Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) I gave you to throw at me.”
Lu Qingtang spun around and saw a figure moving lightly through the white mist behind her, effortlessly dodging the talisman she had thrown.
She immediately breathed a sigh of relief but couldn’t help feeling a flicker of annoyance. “Jiang Xunbai, you scared me to death! You walk as silently as a ghost.”
Jiang Xunbai approached and saw Lu Qingtang’s pale face and the thin layer of sweat on her forehead—clear signs that she had been frightened. He apologized, “Sorry, Miss Lu…”
Lu Qingtang waved her hand weakly. “…It’s fine.”
At least Jiang Xunbai’s arrival was a good thing.
“A-Xun, why are you alone? Have you seen A-Yao?”
Jiang Yijie’s voice carried a hint of worry. Su Lingyao was the only one separated from the group. Although he knew her cultivation level was high and she could likely escape unscathed from any demons, this formation was full of dangers, and she was not skilled in formation techniques.
Jiang Xunbai shook his head. “I’m alone.”
Jiang Yijie fell silent for a moment before instructing Jiang Xunbai, “A-Xun, you’re quite proficient in talismans and formations. I’ll entrust Qing-Tang to you. Protect her well, and the two of you go ahead to find a way to break the formation… A-Yao is missing, and I need to look for her.”
Without waiting for Jiang Xunbai’s reply, he headed off in a certain direction. Jiang Xunbai parted his lips as if to speak but ultimately said nothing.
After a moment of distraction, Jiang Xunbai said to Lu Qingtang, “I sensed a faint trace of the formation’s core earlier and was heading straight for it. Let’s go and break the formation now.”
Lu Qingtang followed Jiang Xunbai without hesitation. While sensing the faint fluctuations from the formation’s core, Jiang Xunbai glanced at Lu Qingtang, who still held her body rigid. The corners of his lips lifted as he asked, “Are you hungry, Miss Lu?”
Lu Qingtang thought she had misheard. How could Jiang Xunbai ask such a question in such a perilous situation?
As if anticipating her thoughts, Jiang Xunbai chuckled lightly. “No matter the time or place, filling your stomach is most important. Miss Lu might not be very sensitive to time, but if I calculated correctly, we’ve been trapped in this formation for nearly two hours. It’s long past mealtime.”
His inexplicable words strangely eased Lu Qingtang’s tense body and mind. With this relaxation, she realized she was indeed somewhat hungry.
Before she could speak, Jiang Xunbai handed her an oil-paper-wrapped roasted chicken leg. When she took it, it still retained a warm temperature. She couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Can your storage bag keep things warm?”
Jiang Xunbai said with feigned seriousness, “Miss Lu is truly brilliant to have guessed it.”
Lu Qingtang unceremoniously took a bite of the roasted chicken leg. Her fondness for Jiang Xunbai’s storage bag was growing stronger.
After eating her fill, the panic in Lu Qingtang’s heart subsided somewhat. She felt that Jiang Xunbai possessed a peculiar magic—as long as he was present, as long as he bickered with her, her heart would settle considerably.
Seeing some color finally return to Lu Qingtang’s face, Jiang Xunbai shed his frivolous expression, his voice tinged with seriousness. “Be careful, Miss. We’re about to reach the formation’s core.”