Lip makeup

Dongfang Minghui swallowed. "Little Color, I think I saw someone moving over there. Do you think it could be Seventh Sister?"

She edged cautiously toward it, terrified that The Female Lead would discover her.

"The death aura is so thick. Don't get too close," Little Color warned. Plants contaminated by death aura were doomed as well, and their ability to absorb it was many times stronger than a human's.

Dongfang Minghui had not sensed anything yet, but Little Color had already discovered that the entire Cave was filled with death aura.

That warning made her even more hesitant. After wavering for a long time, she said, "Little Color, let's go back. Seventh Sister couldn't possibly be here."

Little Color thought it over and agreed.

As Dongfang Minghui backed away, she watched that writhing mass inch toward her. Scared half to death, she pressed against the wall and hurried toward the exit.

"Ah!"

There was actually nothing behind the wall. Her foot landed on empty air, and she toppled backward. The wall was too smooth for her to catch hold of anything, and she fell helplessly.

"Little Color, help!"

Dongfang Wanyu stopped and turned around. She thought she had heard Ninth Sister's voice.

"I can sense it inside. Why did you stop? Keep going," Qing Mo urged.

Ninth Sister should have been at the inn, not here. Dongfang Wanyu reassured herself and continued deeper into the cave, following his directions.

Little Color's vine tendrils shot into the opposite wall. Alarmed, Little Color said, "This is bad. Even the walls here are contaminated with death aura. I might not last long. Can you climb up?"

Neither of them had expected an unseen precipice beneath the wall. Below lay a bottomless expanse of darkness. Dongfang Minghui looked behind her and saw eerie green points of light everywhere. The sight was terrifying.

"Little Color, you have to hold on. There are so many scary things down there. I don't want to die yet." Dongfang Minghui was close to tears. She had the unnerving feeling that some strange creature was about to bite her backside.

She struggled upward, but she had to brace her feet against the wall for leverage. Somehow, the moment she stepped on it, something sticky crawled up her foot to her calf. No matter how she kicked or shook her leg, she could not dislodge it.

Clack, clack, clack.

In the darkness, when sight failed, hearing became infinitely sharper. That was exactly what happened to Dongfang Minghui. She swallowed hard. "Little Color, what do I do? Something sticky seems to have caught my foot. And do you hear that strange noise?"

Little Color had already fallen silent.

At the cave entrance was a Skeleton Soldier that, for some reason, consisted of only a skull, without a body. The clattering had come from its upper and lower jaws knocking together as it rolled over. In the darkness, the sound was especially frightening.

Little Color watched it. The two eerie green flames in the Skeleton Soldier's eye sockets turned toward Little Color as well. Three vine tendrils stretched across the wall like lines, blocking its path.

The skull suddenly spat a dirty gray cloud at the three vine tendrils. As though alive, the smoke twisted into a clump and settled onto them. At first, it covered only a small patch, but then it spread from their tips toward the cave entrance, threatening to reach their roots.

"It hurts." Little Color conveyed the sensation directly to Dongfang Minghui.

The vine tendrils could not withdraw, or Dongfang Minghui would plunge straight down. Little Color could only use her Spiritual Power to resist the gray smoke's spread and corrosive effects.

Little Color discovered that the rot had already reached the roots of the tendrils. It spread terrifyingly fast. At last, Little Color had experienced the might of devouring power.

Below, Dongfang Minghui was still fighting the sticky substance on the wall. Once she planted her foot against it, she could not pull it free.

"Ah!"

The vine tendrils suddenly slackened, and Dongfang Minghui dropped. She was terrified, but at least both feet tore free of the wall.

One of Little Color's three vine tendrils had been completely corroded, so Little Color simply severed it.

"Hurry. I can't hold on much longer." Little Color's weak voice came from her Soul Sea.

She was frantic too. This place was horrifying. Unable to find purchase with her feet, Dongfang Minghui could only put all her hope in her hands. She clung on and struggled upward, climbing for a long time before the cave entrance finally came into view.

A pair of eerie green flames stared straight at her.

"I did everything I could, Minghui," Little Color suddenly said.

Then all three vine tendrils snapped into pieces with a series of cracks.

"Ah!"

Dongfang Minghui screamed. But that was not the most terrifying part. In her Soul Sea, she discovered a cloud of gray mist enveloping Little Color. Little Color had vanished completely inside it, and the mist seemed poised to spread and take over her Soul Sea.

How could she let that happen?

Wind howled past her ears, but she scarcely felt it. She released all the Spiritual Power she had suppressed in her Dantian, sending wave after wave into her Soul Sea to surround the gray mist.

At the same time, that power ruptured several meridians throughout her body. Their cracking could not compete with the wind roaring in her ears.

Then came a deafening bang, and she lost all sensation.

After seeming to hear Ninth Sister's voice several times, Dongfang Wanyu rubbed her brow. Something felt wrong. Her heart was unsettled. "Qing Mo, I have what we came for."

Dongfang Wanyu had obtained a Spatial Ring and a handwritten journal. The journal was badly worn, and many words in its entries were missing. She intended to study it carefully after returning.

"Let's head back."

Dongfang Wanyu returned at great speed. Only after straightening herself up did she push open the room's door. Inside, it was so quiet that she could not even hear breathing.

"Your Ninth Sister isn't in the room," Qing Mo pointed out.

"That's impossible. Unless something unexpected happened, she should have slept until dawn tomorrow." Dongfang Wanyu had been precise, with excellent control over the force she used.

The only possibility was that something had gone wrong.

Dongfang Wanyu checked the bedding. It was already cold to the touch, without a trace of warmth. All the signs in the room suggested that Ninth Sister had walked out on her own.

"Could Ninth Sister have woken up by herself?"

For some reason, she suddenly remembered the repeated screams in the cave.

At that thought, Dongfang Wanyu immediately went to knock on Situ Hao's door. Then she remembered that she had put him to sleep as well so he would not get in her way.

"Wake up. Situ Hao, wake up." Dongfang Wanyu poured a cup of cold water straight onto his face.

Situ Hao jolted awake and sprang out of bed.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing that he wore only his underclothes, Dongfang Wanyu turned her head away. "Get dressed and help me look for Ninth Sister. She's missing."

They searched outside but found nothing. Everyone said they had not seen a young woman leave the inn. Besides, it was the middle of the night. Who would wander outside for no reason?

The screams from the Cave kept echoing in Dongfang Wanyu's mind. "Could she have gone to Death Valley alone?"

Situ Hao sighed. Before they left, he had promised the old man that he would protect Qian Minghui. Yet in no time at all, he had lost her.

Ignoring him, Dongfang Wanyu headed straight for Death Valley. Situ Hao followed. "How do you know she went to Death Valley?"

She could hardly say it was because she had imagined hearing Ninth Sister scream the night before.

"We've searched the entire town. If she didn't go to Death Valley, where else could she be?" Dongfang Wanyu was anxious too. She feared that the voice she had heard last night really had belonged to Ninth Sister, and that Ninth Sister had been in danger at the time.

Without realizing it, she quickened her pace.

Situ Hao stayed close behind and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry too much. Maybe she found Passion Flower Seeds somewhere, and that's why she hasn't rejoined us yet."

"I hope so."

When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a patch of gray-black grass. Everything around her was silent, with nothing in sight. Her whole body hurt, and she could not move. She had probably been badly injured in the fall.

Little did she know that she had drawn all her Spiritual Power into her Soul Sea to resist the gray mist. Now her Spiritual Power was completely gone. It resembled the first time she had exhausted it, yet it was not quite the same.

More terrifying still, even moving a single finger was difficult. The slightest movement brought agonizing pain.

"Someone, please save me." Dongfang Minghui moved her lips, only to discover in horror that she could not even make a sound. Her chances of surviving were slim indeed.

"Little Color."

Inside her Soul Sea, Little Color still seemed tangled up with the gray smoke. Little Color probably could not even save itself, much less help her.

Reduced to this state, Dongfang Minghui could not help grumbling inwardly. She had known nothing good would come of going against The Female Lead. All she had done was follow her, and now she had fallen from that ridiculously high place. Good grief, it hurt so much.

Next time, she absolutely would not listen to Little Color.

Otherwise, the consequences would surely be even worse than being smashed to pieces.

Unable to move, Dongfang Minghui stared ahead with a lifeless expression, utterly bereft of hope, wishing someone would suddenly appear and rescue her from this misery.

The two searched Death Valley but found no one. Instead, they encountered a flock of man-eating crows, a terrifying black mass. With no other choice, they took shelter in the Cave.

Dongfang Wanyu searched the Cave carefully. Eventually, she found a Skeleton Soldier's skull on the ground, along with a short piece of vine tendril that had not yet been corroded.

"There's no need to keep examining it. That came from her bonded demon plant. She really was here," Qing Mo interrupted. "Your Ninth Sister is exceptional at finding people. Have you forgotten how she could always find you in the Purple Demon Mountains? After waking up yesterday, she must have followed your trail here. We just don't know what happened along the way."

Dongfang Wanyu frowned at the corroded, withered vine tendril. If even Ninth Sister's demon plant had ended up like this, she must be in grave danger.

"Qing Mo, is there any way to find her?"

"Have you lost your mind? If she followed you here, she must have discovered something about you. Do you want your identity exposed and the entire Seven-Colored Continent hunting you down?" To Qing Mo, Dongfang Minghui's sudden disappearance was the greatest blessing. At least Wanyu would no longer have to worry about someone learning her secrets.

Dongfang Wanyu ignored Qing Mo's concerns and handed the severed tendril to Situ Hao. "Something happened to Ninth Sister. This came from her Contract demon plant. She must have been here yesterday, but she disappeared for some unknown reason."

Situ Hao took one look. "This is Death Aura."

Death Valley was already a terrifying place, and Death Aura was the nightmare of everyone on the Seven-Colored Continent. Situ Hao did not dare imagine what would happen if Dongfang Minghui had been contaminated by it.

"Yes. Death Aura can devour all things. Any living thing contaminated by it meets the same end. We have to find her as soon as possible." Dongfang Wanyu had no interest in Qing Mo's reasoning. Perhaps Ninth Sister had discovered nothing at all.

They searched inside the Cave for a long time, even venturing into its depths, but found nothing.

Dongfang Wanyu remembered clearly that she had heard Dongfang Minghui's cries at three different places yesterday, each cry fainter than the last.

She retraced her previous route, pausing at one spot, then another. In the end, she returned to where she had picked up Little Color's vine tendril.

"This spot."

Dongfang Wanyu searched the area inch by inch. Finally, she found marks where vine tendrils had pierced the wall.

"A branch pierced through this? Minghui's demon plant seems pretty powerful," Situ Hao said in disbelief. Then he thought better of it and fell silent. If she had disappeared even with such a powerful demon plant, that was hardly good news.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what situation would have made Ninth Sister's Contract demon plant pierce the opposite wall.

To gain leverage?

The ground also bore traces of the demon plant's devoured fragments. Those traces ended at another wall.

"Did you find anything?" Situ Hao asked as he watched her shift her position inch by inch.

Dongfang Wanyu examined the wall. "The trail ends here. Ninth Sister must have been standing in this spot when she attacked the opposite wall."

Situ Hao looked back and forth in confusion. "A cave wall? What's so interesting about it?"

Ignoring him, Dongfang Wanyu reached out and gently felt the wall. Unexpectedly, the surface gave way, and she immediately pulled her hand back.

"Whoa! Are you all right?"

Situ Hao had witnessed the wall nearly swallowing her hand and was startled.

"The secret is here. We have to go inside ourselves. We might find her." Dongfang Wanyu seemed to understand. This wall was actually an illusion, but what lay behind it remained unknown.

"All right. Let's go."

They moved one after the other, but the moment Dongfang Wanyu stepped forward, she found herself suspended in midair.

"There's an abyss below."

That single step sent her plunging downward. Perhaps because she had prepared herself, she drew a longsword from her storage space and drove it into the wall, slowing her descent.

"Qian Wanyu, are you all right?" Seeing her fall, Situ Hao tried to grab her but was too late. He immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Don't come down yet. I'll see how deep this place is first."

Dongfang Wanyu gauged the depth, then noticed something wrong. The sword embedded in the wall had turned pitch-black, and the discoloration was almost at the hilt.

"This little realm contains immense devouring power. It perfectly complements your Dark-Type Spirit Power. This is a blessing bestowed by heaven," Qing Mo said, unable to contain his delight.

Dongfang Wanyu felt no delight at all. Watching the dark power devour her longsword, she brought out her Water-Thunder Whip. Its far end had a barbed hook that could anchor it to the wall. She also channeled lightning into it. When the devouring energy in the wall encountered the lightning, it seemed to try to contend with it.

She descended rapidly, yet even after traveling a considerable distance, she still could not see the bottom.

She simply withdrew her Long Whip and leaped down.

"Help!" Dongfang Minghui lay facedown on the ground, seeing nothing but darkness ahead. She sensed her surroundings and found that there seemed to be no spiritual energy whatsoever. Never mind spiritual energy—she could not even see a blade of grass.

Her stomach growled, but Dongfang Minghui had no mind to spare for it. She was nearing despair. Almost sixteen hours had passed since her fall, and she had yet to see a single soul.

It was difficult enough to encounter anyone in Death Valley, let alone after falling from such a ridiculous height. Surely no second person would be foolish enough to jump down from up there.

"Little Color, I think we're both going to die here this time."

One way to die was starvation. Without Spiritual Power, she was no different from an ordinary person. On top of that, she was badly injured—half-dead even if she was still breathing. The second was to be devoured by Death Aura, which would probably leave her nothing but a skeleton.

No matter how she considered it, every path led to death.

"Whoever the hell saves me this time, I'll marry them."

Dongfang Minghui tried to shout, but her throat failed her too. After a couple of gurgles, she abandoned the idea of calling for help entirely.

Seeing Little Color persistently battling the gray smoke in her Soul Sea, Dongfang Minghui felt she should not drag Little Color down at a time like this. Didn't she still have her storage space?

"Out."

A heap of bottles and jars appeared in neat rows before her. Dongfang Wanyu tried to reach for them, only to discover that her arms seemed broken. Forget moving them—even shifting them slightly brought piercing pain.

She licked her lips, opened her mouth, and strained her neck until she could catch the neck of a porcelain bottle between her teeth. Spitting out the stopper, she sniffed it. It contained ordinary spiritual medicine for replenishing energy. Without a second thought, she gulped down all ten pills inside.

A stream of spiritual energy traveled through her veins before settling in her Dantian. Dongfang Minghui simply pulled over the remaining bottles and jars with her teeth, swallowing anything edible. Watching spiritual energy course through her meridians, she immediately circulated her Spiritual Power and drew it all into her Soul Sea.

The gray smoke instantly shrank.

Dongfang Minghui saw it and realized there was hope.

When Dongfang Wanyu found her, she saw her lying motionless, covered in blood, both arms bent backward. Her face was so blackened that her fair little features were unrecognizable. Only her eyes remained bright and lively. She was desperately biting a porcelain bottle, her lips covered in blood, yet still trying to pour pills into her mouth.

That pitiful sight struck her hard in the heart.

A pair of feet suddenly stopped before her. Dongfang Minghui thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Struggling to lift her head, she saw a face as cold as frost.

The porcelain bottle in her mouth fell to the ground with a clatter. Her mouth hung foolishly open as she struggled to form the words. "Seventh Sister."

Dongfang Wanyu watched her parched, cracked lips move twice. No explanation was needed; she knew those words had to be "Seventh Sister." Then Ninth Sister looked utterly aggrieved, and tears began falling one after another.

"It's all Seventh Sister's fault. Don't cry."

Dongfang Wanyu tried to pick her up, but the moment she touched her, Dongfang Minghui cried out even more miserably. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

Qing Mo sighed. "She fell from such a height that she broke her legs and arms and displaced all her internal organs. It's a miracle she's still alive."

For the first time, Dongfang Wanyu was at a complete loss. She did not know what to do. "Then what should we do?"

“Isn't Situ Hao a Light Type Spirit Master? Light Type Spirit Masters should have healing skills. Get him to treat her.” For the first time, Dongfang Wanyu regretted not having Situ Hao follow her down earlier.

She poured out some water and gently wiped Dongfang Minghui's face. Once the grime was gone, a little face pale with pain emerged. She lifted her chin herself and fed her a little Spirit Liquid.

Dongfang Minghui sniffled in embarrassment. She had finished crying. The moment she saw The Female Lead, she had felt so terribly wronged that her tears had fallen uncontrollably.

“Don't speak. I'll bring Situ Hao here. He'll be able to heal you.” Dongfang Wanyu stroked her head.

Two hours later, Situ Hao and Dongfang Wanyu appeared together.

“Minghui, how did you get yourself into such a terrible state?” Situ Hao could hardly believe it.

Dongfang Minghui blinked, unable to speak. Her eyes looked a little unfocused. She felt the force sustaining her begin to fade, and her vision went black as she passed out.

"Enough talking. Hurry up and see how you can treat her."

When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes again, she was a little dazed. What looked like the inn's bed curtains hung overhead. She blinked once, then again, and suddenly came fully awake.

"I'm actually still alive."

“Ninth Sister, don't dwell on it. It was Seventh Sister's fault. From now on, I won't let you face danger alone,” Dongfang Wanyu promised solemnly.

Dongfang Minghui opened her mouth. She still seemed unable to speak properly.

“Situ Hao said you need plenty of rest for a while. We'll help you ask around about the Passion Flower Seed.”

Dongfang Minghui lay sprawled on the bed. Looking inward at her Soul Sea, she suddenly discovered that the gray mist inside it was gone.

"Little Color?"

A seedling appeared in her Soul Sea, extending two tender branches and waving them at her.

Dongfang Minghui did not know whether to laugh or cry. We're done for. Little Color has regressed from Humanoid Form to plant form, and even that form has reverted to a seedling.

"Little Color, are you all right?"

The seedling let its tender branches droop, utterly listless. Clearly, this incident had dealt Little Color a heavy blow.

Dongfang Minghui did not even know how to offer comfort. She sighed. This was what happened when you went against The Female Lead. She had told Little Color not to go, but Little Color had insisted on investigating.

And now all that progress had gone down the drain.

"Little Color, let's just focus on cultivating properly and stop getting ideas." Dongfang Minghui could not help sighing. "Oh, right. Did you scatter that cloud of gray mist?"

Little Color was completely dispirited, standing motionless in her Soul Sea and playing dead.

Death Aura could hardly be dealt with so easily. If Situ Hao hadn't handled it, The Female Lead must have.

Dongfang Minghui decided to play dumb and pretend she knew nothing. She closed her eyes and began to rest.

Only when Dongfang Wanyu saw the smile lingering on her face in sleep did she feel relieved. She sat nearby, staring absently at that sleeping face. Every so often, she recalled how pitiful Minghui had looked at the bottom of the cliff, and an inexplicable discomfort stirred in her heart.

When Situ Hao treated Minghui, she had stood beside him and watched him put her limbs back into place. She never wanted to remember those sounds again.

"Don't you think you're paying her too much attention?" Qing Mo suddenly asked.

Dongfang Wanyu pressed her lips together. "Qing Mo, I'm not in the mood to discuss this with you."

Just as their exchange ended, Situ Hao pushed the door open, carrying two bottles of Spirit Liquid. “This isn't right. Why hasn't Minghui woken up yet?”

"She woke up, but then fell asleep again," Dongfang Wanyu explained.

“She finally woke up. She really gave me a fright.” Situ Hao had thought something had gone wrong with his treatment. Hearing Dongfang Wanyu's explanation finally put his mind at ease. “Here are two bottles of Spirit Liquid. Since she's lost all her Spiritual Power, give her these to replenish it for now.”

Dongfang Wanyu took them and glanced at them. "Thank you."

Situ Hao looked a little embarrassed. “Don't be so formal. I'm partly responsible for what happened to Minghui, so let's not bring it up again.”

"I'll be next door. Call me if anything happens."

Dongfang Wanyu nodded.

That night, Dongfang Minghui woke three times. Each time, her eyes were vacant and she showed no awareness. Dongfang Wanyu fed her the Spirit Liquid in portions, then let her go back to sleep.

She only told Situ Hao about it the following day.

"Her reaction is most likely a result of the severe trauma. Take good care of her for a while, and she'll recover. The important thing is to make her feel safe enough that she doesn't have to be so afraid."

Dongfang Wanyu nodded repeatedly, committing Situ Hao's words to memory.

Dongfang Minghui did not even remember what had happened the night before. After a day's rest, she felt much better.

"Seventh Sister, I'm feeling much better. Can I go out for a walk?"

Naturally, Dongfang Wanyu would not refuse her request.

And so the two walked along the town's main street. There were few vendors calling out their wares. The town itself had few residents, and passing pedestrians would give them a curious glance or two.

“Ninth Sister's getting prettier and prettier. Look, they're all watching you.”

Under the sunlight, Dongfang Minghui's face looked even paler, her lips devoid of color. Gone was her usual lively spirit, along with that radiant energy of hers. Dongfang Wanyu could not help wondering whether this trip to Death Valley had been right or wrong.

Spotting a vendor selling rouge and powder, she casually picked out a couple of items. "I'll take these."

Dongfang Minghui stood some distance away, watching The Female Lead choose things. A small smile curved her lips. The Female Lead's starting to care about looking pretty, too.

"Ninth Sister, try putting this on." Dongfang Wanyu placed two small pots of lip color in her hands and urged her with a smile, "Go on, try it."

Dongfang Minghui was stunned. The cosmetics had been bought for her.

At The Female Lead's repeated urging, Dongfang Minghui quickly applied some right there on the street. Once she finished, she asked with a smile, "Seventh Sister, do I look pretty like this?"

The color was still a little uneven at the corner of her mouth.

Dongfang Wanyu could not help raising her hand and gently rubbing that corner of her lips.

Both of them froze.

Dongfang Minghui stared at her with wide, round eyes. Dongfang Wanyu wiped away the excess lip color at the corner of her mouth. That brief touch had felt like an electric shock, sending tingles through her hand and straight into her heart.

"It looks good." Dongfang Wanyu clenched her fist and turned away. "Ninth Sister, we should head back. You still need more rest."

Dongfang Minghui put the two pots of lip color into her Spatial Ring and followed The Female Lead slowly back to the inn. She spent the rest of the time resting in bed.

"Little Color?"

Whenever she lay alone in bed, she would look into her Soul Sea. After drinking Spirit Liquid for several days, she found that not only was her Spiritual Power recovering well, but the little sapling in her Soul Sea was growing quickly, too.

"Looks like I'll have to find you more Spirit Liquid or medicinal herbs."

The little sapling swayed happily, clearly agreeing with her.

Dongfang Minghui decided to ask Situ Hao another day.

Situ Hao deliberately drew Dongfang Wanyu outside. "I went to Death Valley today and found a lead on the Passion Flower Seed. You know that's what we came for. Do you think we could take Minghui to have a look tomorrow?"

"No." Dongfang Wanyu refused without hesitation. "You know her condition better than anyone. Let her rest for at least five days before we discuss this."

Situ Hao spread his hands. "I'm not asking her to harvest it, just to take a look."

"Still no." Dongfang Wanyu's tone left absolutely no room for negotiation, putting Situ Hao in a difficult position.

Dongfang Minghui had no idea the two were fretting over the Passion Flower Seed. She continued resting at her leisure, though the next day she found a chance to ask Situ Hao to stay behind.

"Situ Hao, do you have any more of that Spirit Liquid you've been giving me every day?"

Situ Hao observed her rosy complexion and the crimson color that had returned to her lips. "I do, but what do you want it for?"

"Hehe, I have a use for it, of course."

Situ Hao left her five bottles outright. "Use it sparingly."

Ever since contracting with Little Color, a demon plant, Dongfang Minghui had completely forgotten what it meant to be sparing. Little Color wolfed down anything containing spiritual energy.

"I'll put them in the storage space. Help yourself, but you can't drink them all in one day."

Despite that warning, she discovered the next day that all five bottles of Spirit Liquid were empty.

The little sapling in her Soul Sea had grown into a large tree.

"Does this mean you'll be able to take Humanoid Form next?" Even turning into a small child would be better than being a tree that could not speak.

The sapling could not speak, but Dongfang Minghui could tell that Little Color seemed very dejected.

"Keeping you fed alone is going to bankrupt me, Little Color." She suddenly felt that her companion ate far too much.

The sapling gave a small sway, looking a little guilty.

Five days later, Situ Hao took advantage of Dongfang Wanyu going downstairs to slip straight into Dongfang Minghui's room. "Minghui, I need to talk to you."

Dongfang Minghui was surprised. His hurried expression suggested it was something important. "Go ahead."

"Here's the thing. You've been recuperating these past few days, so I haven't mentioned the Passion Flower Seed. While you were resting, I explored the area around Death Valley and discovered an unusual place. I'd like to invite you to take a look."

"No." Dongfang Wanyu kicked the door open and objected, still carrying Dongfang Minghui's dinner.

Situ Hao was growing impatient, too. "Qian Wanyu, why are you against it? Minghui's health has already improved a lot."

Dongfang Wanyu set down what she was carrying and grabbed Situ Hao. "Let's go outside and have a proper talk."

Dongfang Minghui ducked her head. The Female Lead's temper was no small matter, and she had no desire to bear the brunt of it. So while the two talked outside, she ate every last bite of her dinner.

"Seventh Sister."

"Have you had enough to eat?"

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "Seventh Sister, I actually think Situ Hao is right. We're only going to have a look. See how well I've recovered? Besides, with you there, I won't be afraid."

What she meant was that with The Female Lead's protagonist halo around, hehe, she would definitely turn danger into good fortune instead of nearly breaking her neck like she had this time.

But what the speaker said casually, the listener took to heart.

Dongfang Wanyu gazed into her lively eyes and murmured, "Do you really think that?"

"Of course." She nodded without hesitation.

"In that case, I'll speak to Situ Hao. We'll go take a look tomorrow."

Dongfang Wanyu suddenly stood as she spoke.

At the first faint light of dawn, the three left the inn.

Dongfang Minghui watched them head toward Death Valley along the same route she had taken when she sneaked out that day. This time, however, Situ Hao and Dongfang Wanyu did not go to that Cave.

She could not help breathing a sigh of relief. Seeing Skeleton Soldiers still unnerved her.

Noticing the change in her expression, Dongfang Wanyu slowed her steps. "Are you tired?"

She shook her head. "Seventh Sister, I'm not tired yet. I'm just afraid of seeing those Skeleton Soldiers. Do you think someone in Death Valley is ordering them to watch us? Otherwise, why would one have ambushed us on our very first day at the inn?"

From the miscellaneous notes she had found in the Cave, Dongfang Wanyu had learned that bone soldiers were indeed controlled by Necromancers, and that they had different ranks. The one they had encountered at the inn was probably an Intermediate Bone Soldier, because it could wield its own undead power.

But Situ Hao had most likely destroyed it.

Dongfang Wanyu thought it was a shame. Simply erasing their Wraith Seals would allow her to make them obey her instead, and they could be useful allies in future battles.

"Perhaps. But they're hidden while we're out in the open, so we might as well wait and see," Dongfang Wanyu said with a smile. "Don't worry. From now on, your Seventh Sister will stay right by your side and protect you."

Dongfang Minghui's eyes shifted, but she could not hide the smile on her face. She grinned like a little fox, wondering when The Female Lead had become so good with words.

And such lovely words, too.

"Hey, what are you sisters whispering about back there? Let me hear it, too." Situ Hao was puzzled. Why had they started slowing down as they walked?

Dongfang Minghui glared at him. "We're talking about how skilled you are at flirting with girls."

Situ Hao immediately protested. "Hey, hey, little Minghui, you can't just go saying things like that! What if I meet a girl I like someday? If you tell her that, won't she run away?"

"Hahaha, if she runs away, you'll deserve it. You only have yourself to blame."

Seeing this, Situ Hao immediately begged for mercy. "My dear little lady, I was wrong. Please forgive all my past offenses."

"That's enough. Stop fooling around." Watching the two banter left Dongfang Wanyu feeling somewhat displeased. She reminded him, "Situ Hao, you've been here before. How much farther is that place?"

Situ Hao immediately grew serious. "Once we go around this mountain, we'll find an opening halfway up the mountainside, just wide enough for one person to enter. I sensed spiritual energy drifting out of it intermittently."

Dongfang Minghui immediately interrupted him. "That can't be right, can it? The dean told me that Love Blossom blooms so beautifully because it's nourished with blood. If it's growing on a mountain... that doesn't really seem to fit."

Situ Hao teased her. "You seem to have forgotten that Love Blossom gains sentience once it blooms. I think it's probably hiding."

"Whether either of you is right or wrong, let's go take a look first."

The three immediately crossed a mountain and headed toward the spot Situ Hao had indicated.

The opening was halfway up the mountainside, and climbing up to it would be no easy task. Seeing this, Dongfang Wanyu wrapped an arm around Dongfang Minghui's waist and flew toward it.

Halfway up, she lashed out with her Long Whip, hooking one end firmly above the Cave entrance. She set Dongfang Minghui down. "Crawl in a little first, then wait there for me."

Then she brought Situ Hao up as well. The opening was only large enough for a girl to pass through. Someone of Situ Hao's build had to bend down and curl up to squeeze inside.

Only then did Dongfang Wanyu put away her Long Whip and bend down to crawl inside, too.

"Situ Hao, this place is so cramped. If there's a dangerous magical beast up ahead, we won't even have time to escape." Dongfang Minghui was tempting fate with her words again.

Situ Hao was left speechless. Surely we couldn't run into something that coincidental.

But the passage really was extremely narrow, putting them at a disadvantage.

Dongfang Wanyu also felt she had made a fatal mistake. "Why don't we back out first?"

"Ah—!"