The instant the figure descended, Cutie slipped beneath the hem of her skirt. With a thought from Jiang Lu, Cutie smoothly entered the space.
As for Chi Li, it remained outside. Everyone from Medicine King Pavilion had seen Chi Li before, so there was no need to hide it. It also conveniently explained where the flower in her hand had come from.
The others wondered why Jiang Lu had stopped. Could it be that her spiritual power had run dry? At once, concerned gazes turned toward her.
They saw a striking scarlet figure leap lightly and land steadily on Jiang Lu's shoulder.
A red... little bird? Or a chick?
As everyone wondered, they heard it chirping. Did little birds chirp like that?
"Master, the Ghostly Charm Flower is here."
Chi Li took the Ghostly Charm Flower from the storage pouch on its body. In an instant, an enormous, bewitching purple flower appeared. It was more than twice Chi Li's size, blooming quietly atop Jiang Lu's shoulder.
Its petals were layered and intricate, their color deep and splendid. The moment it bloomed, a faint yet extraordinarily strange fragrance slowly spread outward, silently shrouding the surroundings.
Jiang Lu slowly withdrew the ball of light from her palm, then raised a hand and guided a thread of gentle spiritual power to steadily support the Ghostly Charm Flower, moving it before her.
She extended a slender, fair forefinger and lightly touched the soft, lustrous purple petals.
The vortex of spiritual energy circling and gathering overhead slowly dispersed at a visible rate, returning to calm.
Then, an even stranger scene unfolded.
The Ghost-Head Bees that filled the sky, savage and restless only moments ago, had been beating their wings with a thunderous hum as they launched wave after wave of attacks at them.
Yet now,