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"Weren't you guys schemed against by Zou Wu, who snatched a Rare Grade spirit plant from you?"

Ning Ning held the Zhuohuo Sunflower in her hand, spinning it gently. "Once he personally delivers a Rare Grade spirit plant to us, we'll just say goodbye to him."

He Zhizhou scratched his head, seemingly having snapped out of his madness and finally acting a bit more normal. "But how did you conjure that other Chaoyang Flower just now? And as for the spirit plants he sends later, how can you be sure we'll definitely find them in Xiaochong Mountain?"

"That flower was already in the furnace; I thought it looked nice, so I just tossed it in. As for Zou Wu's spirit plants, he keeps most of his belongings at the camp. Whatever he carries on him must be something he picked nearby recently—are you really worried we won't be able to find it?"

She explained with great patience, "And this furnace. Aren't we staying in the secret realm for two days and two nights? I specifically brought it along to cook food."

"I have a question, too!"

Xu Ye had finished crying, though he was still a bit dazed. "What if he never gives us a Rare Grade spirit plant and just keeps using Heaven Grade ones to take advantage of us here? What should we do then?"

"Hmm."

Ning Ning smiled and nodded. "There are plenty of ways to make him voluntarily hand over a Rare Grade one."

Ning Ning never expected to encounter a familiar face on the slope where the Zhuohuo Sunflowers were in full bloom.

The Zhuohuo Sunflower resembled a sunflower and had a very unique characteristic.

If the surroundings were pitch black with no light, its petals would gradually fade to white. Only when exposed to light would the entire plant turn a rich, flame-like red.

This spirit plant was not considered rare, and because its color was so conspicuous, she hadn't needed much effort to find the patch of Zhuohuo Sunflowers.

The midday sun felt like a Flowing Fire Formation, and the vibrant petals of the Zhuohuo Sunflowers looked as if they had been stained with blood, so exquisite they didn't seem like a scene from the mortal world. Ning Ning was in the middle of picking one—

When, amidst the faint, fragrant scent of the flowers, she caught a whiff of blood.

The young girl paused slightly and followed the scent forward.

Lying in the midst of the brilliant, sunset-red flowers was a youth dressed in red.

He seemed to have been attacked; his brow was tightly furrowed on a face as pale as paper, and his long, beautiful eyes were shut tight, showing no signs of waking.

His red robes were submerged in the flowers, and there were marks of sharp teeth biting into his arms and chest, revealing skin as white as jade beneath, marred by spots of blood.

Yet, that stunning face was even more alluring than the flowers.

It was Rong Ci from Niguang Island.

"...Rong Ci?"

Ning Ning cautiously took a step toward him. The faint fragrance and the scent of blood surrounding the youth coalesced, inexplicably creating a sense of decadent beauty.

Seeing that he didn't react, she moved softly, slowly crouching down beside Rong Ci, and reached out to check his breath.

Her finger was just about to rest beneath his delicate, straight nose when a sudden breeze brushed past.

Flame-like flowers swayed in the wind, carrying a dreamlike, heady fragrance. Ning Ning's eyes were caught by the breeze, and as she squinted slightly, she saw a petal drift down before her eyes.

The petal floated by in silence. When she looked up at him again, she was met head-on by a pair of obsidian-like eyes.

Rong Ci was truly a genius among the younger generation of Charm Cultivators; not only was he born with a face of natural allure, but the way he looked at people was also incredibly captivating.

His eyes were the most beautiful feature on his face. The upward curve of his lids always held a faint, lingering smile and a sense of seduction, as if his pupils were filled with water, rippling with shimmering light under the sun.

Ning Ning felt a bit embarrassed by his undisguised gaze and shifted her focus to the wounds on Rong Ci's body. "Your injuries look quite serious."

"Ran into a Demonic Bear and had a bit of a scuffle. It's nothing to worry about."

Rong Ci curled his lips with indifference, seemingly intending to force himself up. However, he had barely stood halfway before the sudden tearing of his wounds turned his face pale, and he let out a low, sharp intake of breath.

His body then tilted forward uncontrollably, landing right in Ning Ning's arms.

No, that wasn't "uncontrollable."

This guy was absolutely doing it on purpose.

"It seems I won't be able to walk."

Rong Ci was actually still smiling, his voice languid, like a piece of candy waiting to be unwrapped. His breath landed against her neck. "Miss Ning Ning is a righteous cultivator; surely you wouldn't just leave me to my own devices, would you?"

His warm breath carried a fragrance, like a fuzzy little paw scratching at her, and a soft hand slowly climbed up her spine.

Ning Ning had never had such intimate contact with a boy her own age. She was so startled that she held her breath on the spot, her earlobes burning hot.

"I have medicine in the cave where I'm staying. You—you put your hand down, and I'll take you with me."

Her voice dropped several octaves. "Even if you're injured, you can't... do this."

She paused, then added with zero conviction, "Men and women should keep their distance."

An undisguised laugh reached her ears.

Deep down, her inner self was screaming wildly: Help! What kind of cliché dialogue is this, the kind only found between a demoness and a righteous hero!

All in all, she ended up bringing Rong Ci into the cave where she was temporarily staying with He Zhizhou and Xu Ye.

If one didn't get the antidote for poisonous mushrooms, the symptoms could last for several days. He Zhizhou, that great Buddha, hadn't fully recovered yet, and upon seeing Rong Ci, he widened his eyes in surprise. "Whoa, Ning Ning, how did you pick up a Zhuohuo Sunflower that's even bigger than you?"

Xu Ye was slightly more clear-headed. He had been in the middle of coaxing his right arm—his "daughter"—to sleep, but upon seeing Rong Ci, he immediately frowned. "Why is someone from Niguang Island here?"

Niguang Island, much like the Haoran Sect, did not have a particularly good reputation.

"Rong Ci is injured and has nowhere to go. I brought him here to take shelter for now."

Ning Ning seemed to have no such concerns at all. She settled the youth in the corner of the cave and took medicine from her bag to hand to him.

"He has nowhere else to go? He is the most favored disciple to have entered from Niguang Island!"

Xu Ye gave a cold snort. "You have obtained the Heaven Heart Grass now; there is no telling how many people are coveting it in the shadows. There is no need to bring back a fellow of such unclear origins—are you in such a hurry to die?"

"Heaven Heart Grass?"

Rong Ci smiled ostentatiously, his striking, beautiful eyes filled with mockery and coldness. The act of smiling likely tugged at the wounds on his body, causing him to knit his brows and grit his teeth. "What, in the eyes of the Wanjian Sect, is it a foregone conclusion that my Niguang Island would engage in underhanded, thieving behavior?"