Sunset Forest

"Uncle Snake Lance, sorry for the trouble, but could you deliver this pouch of Gold Soul Coins and this letter to my grandfather?"

Outside the carriage, Qian Renxue handed Flender's little stash to Snake Lance Douluo. She had also thoughtfully written a letter to Qian Daoliu.

Snake Lance Douluo nodded and accepted the task. He turned to Pufferfish Douluo, patted him on the shoulder, and said,

"Pufferfish, the young master's safety is in your hands for the next couple of days."

Pufferfish Douluo thumped his chest and assured her,

"Leave it to me. As long as I'm here, no one will so much as touch a hair on the young master's head."

At that, Snake Lance Douluo prepared to leave first, to deliver the secret letter and Gold Soul Coins to the Worship Hall.

"Oh, right, Uncle Snake Lance. Make absolutely sure that Bibi Dong or her people don't discover your whereabouts."

"Understood!"

Snake Lance Douluo's figure quickly disappeared down the alley as he sped toward Spirit City to complete the mission.

After Snake Lance Douluo left, Qian Renxue and Chen Qi climbed into the carriage, while Pufferfish Douluo took the seat up front and became their driver.

"Young master, where are we headed next?"

After spending less than a day in Suotuo City, Qian Renxue already wanted to leave. That was mainly thanks to Flender.

At the question, Qian Renxue thought it over, only to realize her mind was a complete blank. She hadn't planned ahead at all, so she had no idea where to go.

So she looked to Chen Qi, wanting to hear his suggestion.

"Where to? Hmm..."

Chen Qi lowered his head and thought it over. If there was one place in the Heaven Dou Empire they absolutely had to visit, it was Sunset Forest.

Not for the Soul Beasts there, but for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well hidden within Sunset Forest.

To be honest, without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, no one from Shrek besides Tang San would have become a god.

They'd all been reborn through the Immortal Herbs they consumed, and it was only then that the gods took notice of them and let them inherit divine positions.

That showed just how important the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was. Even by the time of Peerless Tang Sect, it was still playing a role.

"Let's go to Sunset Forest."

"Sunset Forest?"

Chen Qi's answer surprised Qian Renxue. By all rights, he should have been eager to head to a city. Why was he doing the exact opposite and asking to go into the woods?

Had he been outside for so many days that his brain had broken?

"Chen Qi, are you okay? Sunset Forest is out in the wilderness. It's the place you hate most."

"People have to take a chance on themselves sometime. Like they say, the best way to overcome your fear is to face it. So I want to give it a try."

Chen Qi's reasoning was simple. If he could get his hands on the Immortal Herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his sacrifice would be nothing to worry about. At worst, he'd just have to stay home for a few hundred years.

A week later, the carriage finally reached the edge of Sunset Forest. Qian Renxue lifted the curtain and saw vegetation she had never encountered before. She was full of curiosity.

"Chen Qi! Chen Qi! What are these trees? Half red and half blue—I've never seen anything like them!"

Meanwhile, Chen Qi had buried his head as low as it would go, muttering, "I was wrong, I was wrong."

After spending a whole week out in the open, Chen Qi had overestimated his willpower. He was now on the verge of a breakdown, doing everything he could to create an enclosed space.

"Chen Qi, stop hanging your head. You were the one who suggested coming to Sunset Forest. You can't blame me."

As she spoke, she pulled Chen Qi upright. That was a mistake. The moment she tugged him up, Chen Qi was like a startled kitten, burrowing into Qian Renxue's arms.

For a moment, Qian Renxue's mind went blank. What had just happened? Who was she? Where was she?

Her face gradually flushed as she watched Chen Qi burrow deeper into her embrace, at a complete loss for what to do.

"Maybe I should just let it go. He's actually kind of pitiful."

That was what Qian Renxue thought as she prepared to endure it until it passed. Just then, Chen Qi's hands started wandering. He grabbed two round things.

Pitiful my ass!

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Qian Renxue couldn't hold back. She slapped Chen Qi several times on the spot, and the blows finally woke him up.

"Ow! Master, why are you hitting me?"

Chen Qi fell over to one side, rubbing his burning cheek.

Qian Renxue, meanwhile, blushed scarlet and quickly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

"Ding. Qian Renxue's favorability has changed. Current favorability: 650/1000."

Now Chen Qi was even more confused. What had he done? Why had her favorability suddenly dropped?

Women really were mysterious creatures.

Just then, the carriage came to a stop. Pufferfish Douluo leaned his head inside and said,

"Young master, if we go any farther, we'll officially be entering Sunset Forest. The carriage can't get through. The Soul Beasts inside would spook the horses."

Qian Renxue quickly composed herself and spoke, forcing down her embarrassment.

"Then let's get out here. We'll go the rest of the way on foot."

Pufferfish Douluo nodded, then tied the carriage to a crooked tree. They were about to continue on foot.

Just then, a green-haired man appeared from who knew where. He looked at Pufferfish Douluo and gave him a respectful salute.

"I'm Dugu Xin. May I ask what brings Your Excellency here?"

Pufferfish Douluo was surprised to see the man. They were in the middle of nowhere, and this stranger was asking what they were doing there.

Could he be a ghost?

"We're here to hunt for Soul Rings. Do you have a problem with that?"

Dugu Xin smiled at the question and shook his head.

"Of course not. I'm here to warn you that one area of Sunset Forest is shrouded in poisonous fog. Even a Titled Douluo who enters will die. Be very careful, and remember to stay away if you come across it."

Now Pufferfish Douluo was even more suspicious. There had to be something strange about a man warning them about danger for no reason.

"Fine, I'll keep that in mind."

With that, he led Qian Renxue and Chen Qi into the forest. Dugu Xin watched them leave and nodded, then headed toward another person entering Sunset Forest.

Inside Sunset Forest, Qian Renxue was nervous. She had really believed Dugu Xin's warning.

"Uncle Pufferfish, we absolutely mustn't run into that poisonous fog."

"No, we're going straight for it!"

Chen Qi took the opposite stance, determined to do as he pleased. Tell him not to go, and he'd go anyway.

"Chen Qi, have you gone mad? That poison can kill even a Titled Douluo!"

Qian Renxue was extremely worried. She thought Chen Qi had been outside too long and was starting to go completely off the rails.

"Master, hear me out. First of all, it's suspicious that he'd warn strangers about danger in there for no reason. In the law of the jungle that governs Douluo Continent, everyone wishes you dead. No one goes around trying to make sure you stay alive.

"Second, it's hard to believe anything could poison a Titled Douluo to death. A Titled Douluo's body is already at its peak. If poison could really kill one, why hasn't there been so much as a whisper about it across the land?

"Taking all that together, there must be a treasure hidden in that poisonous fog. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to send someone to spread the warning."

After hearing Chen Qi's analysis, Pufferfish Douluo nodded. He had also sensed that something was off.

He used poison himself, and even he couldn't guarantee he could kill a Titled Douluo in one go. Besides, he'd never heard of poison capable of killing one. Unless they stayed in it for a very long time—perhaps a month or two—they might run into trouble.

Otherwise, the worst it could cause was mild poisoning. And besides, they were Titled Douluos. Who didn't know how to use Soul Power to shield themselves from poisonous air?

Qian Renxue also thought it made sense. When something was out of the ordinary, there was bound to be a reason.

"Then should we go take a look?"

Qian Renxue was still a little afraid. The rumors said the poison was very potent, after all.

"Don't worry. With Pufferfish Douluo here, nothing will happen."