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The voice rang beside its ear, laughter in its tone, unhurried and leisurely. It was like thunder exploding, rattling its very heart and lungs.

Hearing her voice, the Human-Faced Scorpion felt as if a ghost were circling the stone walls. It nearly dropped dead on the spot:

"Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"

Human-Faced Scorpion: I'm ○.

Fuck, why?

Are you sick in the head?! That's its line! Is this funny? Huh? You think this is funny, you stinking Sword Cultivator?!

The ghostly female voice drew closer and closer, like a needle stabbing its eardrum. The cave's echoes made it even more bizarre and terrifying.

The Human-Faced Scorpion was going insane.

It was so weak, pitiful, and helpless. What on earth had it done to deserve being ground to dust by fate like this?

Running around at random would only give away its position, so the Human-Faced Scorpion decided to hide behind a boulder. It sat there, quiet as a mouse, listening to that increasingly enthusiastic string of "Where are you, where are you, where are you?" and swallowing a mouthful of bitter tears.

That Sword Cultivator had no heart.

She was talking without even pausing now, changing her pitch in all sorts of ways like she was singing.

But the moment it let its attention wander, the continuous voice abruptly stopped.

In the silent, dark space, everything seemed especially eerie and frightening. It couldn't help shivering.

A cold breeze suddenly swept through the cave, which should have been still as a stagnant pool.

Without warning, a faint warmth brushed over the base of its ear.

Then came a whisper pressed close to its ear, almost spoken right into it. It was like a demon's murmur, a call from Cthulhu: "Found. You."

She'd used exactly the same tone it had. They could've been twins.

Could anything be more terrifying?

The Human-Faced Scorpion turned its head, expressionless, and came face-to-face with a smiling girl.

That smile nearly sent it straight to the grave.

"Sorry to intrude without warning. Please forgive me."

Ning Ning was so close that her eyes were curved with her smile. When she spoke slowly and softly, her tone was gentle and bright: "I won't kill you. I just want to know where the Heaven Heart Grass is."

Pah.

That stinking Sword Cultivator was so devious and ruthless. Even if it died, even if it threw itself off a cliff, it would never tell her a single thing!

The Human-Faced Scorpion was just about to refuse when she continued, "Could you tell me? Pretty please, beautiful big sister?"

Human-Faced Scorpion: ...

D-damn it!

For the sake of that sweet tongue of yours...!

Chapter 14

Ning Ning had never intended to kill it in the first place.

Many Spirit Beasts and Demonic Beasts in the Xiaochong Mountain Secret Realm attacked humans indiscriminately, but when all was said and done, they were only defending their territory and driving out intruders.

As far as they were concerned, the cultivators who suddenly appeared were the ones being unreasonable.

So unless she was in a life-or-death situation, she didn't plan to strike a killing blow.

After Ning Ning heaped a torrent of praise on the Human-Faced Scorpion, it turned out to be surprisingly pleased. It gave an awkward snort, then not only pointed out the cave's exit but also marked the Heaven Heart Grass's location on Ning Ning's map so she could find it.

Only after leaving the ghastly, sickly green cave did Ning Ning truly enter Xiaochong Mountain.

The cave was halfway up the mountain. From there, she could see layer upon layer of mountain ranges all around.

The sky, clouds, mountains, and water were a leisurely sweep of green, above and below. In the distance, mist veiled the green hills like delicate brows. Nearby, birds sang amid fragrant flowers, while orioles chirped all around, carrying the faint scent of leaves.

The spot the Human-Faced Scorpion had pointed out was close to the cave. In less than half an incense stick's time, Ning Ning arrived at her destination.

It was a small nook by the cliff, hidden behind a boulder. The rock pressed tightly against the mountainside, leaving only a narrow gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Vines and branches covered the gap, making it hard to spot unless you looked carefully. If you pushed the plants aside and peered through, you would see nothing but a very narrow patch of open ground on the other side.

Most people would lose interest at the sight, never imagining that if they passed through the gap and looked to the right, they would find a spirit plant growing in the corner behind the boulder. It was pure white from root to tip, with four heart-shaped leaves.

The Heaven Heart Grass, said to have a leaf capable of curing every illness.

What Ning Ning hadn't expected was that when she lifted the thick vines beside the boulder, she would hear an unfamiliar female voice from behind it.

The voice was very soft. Whether from fear or nervousness, the speaker's words trembled slightly. "Senior, someone in my family is gravely ill. Without the Heaven Heart Grass to save them..."

Before she could finish, a bright, bold voice cut her off without a shred of courtesy. "I've heard that excuse plenty of times. Instead of going to all that trouble to deceive me, you'd better think about how you're going to answer this couplet."

There were actually two people in such a hidden place?

Suspicious, Ning Ning poked her head through.

Sure enough, two figures stood behind the boulder.

One of them looked familiar: Yun Duanyue, the woman from Liuming Mountain who never spoke to strangers. The other woman looked to be in her twenties. Her features were plain, but she had an otherworldly bearing. She leaned against the stone wall behind her, smiling faintly.

Sensing a stranger's presence, they both turned around at the same time.

Yun Duanyue was like a startled rabbit. After an extremely brief glance, she immediately lowered her lashes. The other woman, however, acted like the master of the place and laughed boldly. "Are you here for the Heaven Heart Grass too?"

When Ning Ning nodded, she immediately beamed. "I am the spirit of this stone. I've kept the Heaven Heart Grass company for a hundred years. If you want to take it, you'll have to ask me first."

She didn't seem to be refusing outright, so Ning Ning knew there was a chance. She promptly asked, "What do you mean, Senior?"

"This wretched place is dreadfully boring. In all these years, the only thing from the human world I've come across is this copy of Nianhua Dui that someone left here."

The spirit of the stone was pleased by her cooperation and lifted the corners of her lips. "I've read couplets for years, but never found anyone to match them with. Today, I'll give you the first line, and you answer. If you can match it, I'll hand over this plant. I won't make things difficult for you; I won't insist on proper tonal patterns or deep poetic meaning. As long as the characters fit, that'll do. How about it?"