Lip makeup

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

She edged cautiously toward it, terrified of being discovered by the heroine.

"What dense death aura. Don't get too close," Little Lecher warned. For plants, being tainted by death aura was also a road to certain death. Besides, plants absorbed things many times more readily than humans.

Dongfang Minghui had yet to sense anything, but Little Lecher had already discovered that death aura filled the entire cave.

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

Little Lecher thought it over and agreed.

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

"Ah-!"

There was actually nothing behind the wall. Her foot found empty air, and she toppled backward. The wall was too smooth for her to grab anything, and her body simply fell back.

"Little Lecher, save me-!"

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

"I can sense the thing 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 the guidance.

Little Lecher's vines shot into the opposite wall with a series of swishes. Alarmed, Little Lecher said, "This is bad. Even the walls are tainted with death aura. I might not be able to hold on for long. Can you climb up?"

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

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

She struggled to climb, but she had to brace her feet against the wall for leverage. Somehow, the moment she stepped against it, something slimy crawled up her foot to her calf. No matter how she kicked and shook her leg, she couldn't get it off.

"Clack, clack-clack, clack-clack, clack."

In the dark, when sight failed, hearing became infinitely sharper. That was exactly what happened to Dongfang Minghui. She swallowed dryly. "Little Lecher, what do I do? Something slimy seems to have stuck to my foot. Also, can you hear that strange noise?"

Little Lecher had fallen silent.

At the cave opening stood a Skeleton Bone Soldier that, for some reason, consisted of only a skull, with no body. Those sounds had come from its upper and lower jaws knocking together as it rolled over. In the darkness, they were especially frightening.

Little Lecher watched it. The two green flames in the Skeleton Bone Soldier's eye sockets also fixed on Little Lecher. Three vines stretched across the wall like a line, blocking its path.

The skull suddenly spat a murky gray cloud at the three vines. As though alive, the gray mist twisted into a mass and settled on them. At first, it covered only a small section, but it began spreading from the tips toward the cave opening, threatening to reach the roots.

"It hurts." Little Lecher conveyed that sensation directly to Dongfang Minghui.

The vines couldn't withdraw, or Dongfang Minghui would fall straight down. Little Lecher could only use spiritual power to resist the gray mist's spread and its corrosive effects.

Little Lecher discovered that the vines had already rotted all the way to their roots. It happened with terrifying speed. At last, Little Lecher had experienced the might of devouring power.

Meanwhile, below, Dongfang Minghui was struggling with the slimy substance on the wall. Once she planted her foot against it, she couldn't pull it free.

"Ah-!"

Dongfang Minghui suddenly felt the vines slacken, and her whole body dropped. She was terrified, though both feet finally came free of the wall.

One of Little Lecher's three vines had been completely corroded, so Little Lecher simply severed it.

"Hurry. I can't hold on much longer." Little Lecher's frail voice came from her soul sea.

She was frantic too. This place was far too terrifying. With nowhere to brace her feet, Dongfang Minghui could only pin all her hopes on her hands. She tightened her grip and struggled upward, climbing for quite a while before finally seeing the cave opening.

A pair of green flames stared straight at her.

"I did my best, Minghui," Little Lecher suddenly said.

Immediately afterward, the three vines snapped into pieces with a series of sharp cracks.

"Ah-!"

Dongfang Minghui screamed. But that wasn't the most terrifying part. What truly frightened her was discovering a mass of gray mist enveloping Little Lecher in her soul sea. Little Lecher had vanished completely inside it, and the mist seemed intent on spreading and taking over her soul sea.

How could she let that happen?

Wind howled past her ears, but she barely felt it. She released all the spiritual power she had suppressed in her dantian. Wave after wave wrapped around the gray mist in her soul sea.

At the same time, it burst multiple meridians throughout her body. Their cracking sounds were drowned out by the wind roaring in her ears.

Then came a tremendous bang, and she lost all awareness.

After seemingly hearing Ninth Sister's voice again and again, Dongfang Wanyu rubbed her brow. Something felt wrong, and her heart was unsettled. "Qing Mo, I've got what we came for."

Dongfang Wanyu had obtained a spatial ring and a handwritten journal. The journal was badly worn, with many characters missing from its entries. She planned to study it carefully after returning.

"Let's head back."

Dongfang Wanyu returned very quickly. She tidied herself up before pushing open the room's door. Inside, it was so quiet that she couldn't even hear breathing.

"Your ninth sister isn't in the room," Qing Mo said.

"That's impossible. Unless something unexpected happened, she should have slept until dawn." Dongfang Wanyu had been very precise with her strike and had controlled its force perfectly.

The only possibility was that something had gone wrong.

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

"Could Ninth Sister have woken up by herself?"

For some reason, she suddenly recalled those 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 also put him to sleep to keep him from getting 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 come help me find Ninth Sister. She's missing."

They searched outside but found nothing. Everyone said they hadn't seen a young woman leave the inn. Besides, it was the middle of the night. Who would have been idle enough to wander outside?

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

Situ Hao sighed. Before coming, he had promised the old man that he would protect Qian Minghui. Yet in such a short time, he had already lost her.

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

She couldn't exactly say it was because she had imagined hearing Ninth Sister's screams last night.

"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 sounds she had heard last night really had come from Ninth Sister, and that Ninth Sister must have encountered some danger.

Without realizing it, she quickened her pace.

Situ Hao followed closely, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry too much. Maybe she found a Love Flower Seed somewhere, and that's why she hasn't met up with us yet."

"Let's hope so."

When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a patch of gray-black grass. Everything around her was silent and empty. Her entire body throbbed with pain, and she couldn't 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 wasn't quite the same.

More frightening still, she could barely move a single finger. The slightest movement brought pain that tore through her heart and lungs.

"Someone, please save me." Dongfang Minghui moved her lips, only to discover in horror that she couldn't even make a sound. This time, she truly stood nine chances of death against one of survival.

"Little Lecher."

Dongfang Minghui looked into her soul sea. Little Lecher still seemed entangled with the gray mist, probably unable to save even itself, much less help her.

Reduced to this state, Dongfang Minghui couldn't help grumbling inwardly. She had known that opposing the heroine would never end well. See? All she had done was follow the heroine, and she had fallen from such a ridiculous height. Good heavens, it hurt so much.

Next time, she absolutely wouldn't listen to Little Lecher.

Otherwise, the consequences would surely be worse than having her body smashed to pieces.

Unable to move, Dongfang Minghui stared ahead with a lifeless expression, feeling she had nothing left to live for. She could only hope someone would suddenly descend and rescue her from this fire and flood.

The two searched Death Valley without finding her. Instead, they encountered a flock of man-eating crows, a terrifying black mass that filled the sky. With no other choice, they hid inside a cave.

Dongfang Wanyu searched the cave carefully. At last, she found a Skeleton Bone Soldier's skull on the ground, along with a short piece of vine that hadn't yet been corroded.

"Stop looking. That's a vine from her bonded magical plant. She definitely came here," Qing Mo interrupted. "Your ninth sister is first-rate 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. But who knows what happened along the way?"

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

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

"Have you gone mad? 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 discovering her secret.

Dongfang Wanyu ignored Qing Mo's concerns entirely. She handed the severed vine to Situ Hao. "Something has happened to Ninth Sister. This is a vine from her contracted magical plant. She must have come here yesterday, but for some reason, she disappeared."

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 didn't dare imagine what would become of Dongfang Minghui if she had been tainted by it.

"Yes. This death aura can devour all things. Any living thing it touches meets only one end. We have to find her as soon as possible." Dongfang Wanyu wanted nothing to do with Qing Mo's reasoning. Perhaps Ninth Sister hadn't discovered anything at all.

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

Dongfang Wanyu remembered it clearly: yesterday, she had heard Dongfang Minghui's cries in three different places, and the sounds had gradually grown weaker.

She retraced her earlier route, stopping at one spot, then another. In the end, she returned to where she had found Little Lecher's vine.

"This spot."

Dongfang Wanyu searched inch by inch around that spot. Finally, she found marks on the wall where vines had pierced it.

"A branch punched through this? Minghui's magical plant seems pretty powerful," Situ Hao said in disbelief. But then he thought it over and immediately fell silent. If she had vanished despite having such a powerful magical plant, that was hardly good news.

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what circumstances would have made Ninth Sister's contracted magical plant pierce the opposite wall.

For leverage?

Fragments of the devoured magical plant lay scattered on the ground. Their trail vanished at another wall.

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

Dongfang Wanyu studied 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. "The cave wall? What's there to look at?"

Dongfang Wanyu ignored him and reached out to brush the wall gently. Unexpectedly, its surface gave way inward. She instantly snatched her hand back.

"Whoa, are you all right?"

Situ Hao had witnessed her hand nearly being swallowed by the wall, and it startled him.

"The secret is here. We have to go in ourselves. Perhaps we'll find her." Dongfang Wanyu seemed to understand now. This wall was actually an illusion, though what lay behind it remained unknown.

"All right. Let's go."

They moved one after the other, but the moment Dongfang Wanyu stepped through, she found herself suspended in empty air.

"There's an abyss below."

That single step sent her plunging straight down. Perhaps because she had prepared herself mentally, she took a longsword from her spatial storage and drove it into the wall, slowing her descent.

"Qian Wanyu, are you all right?" Seeing her fall, Situ Hao tried to catch her but was too late. Naturally, he stopped before stepping through.

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

Dongfang Wanyu gauged the distance, then noticed something wrong. The sword embedded in the wall had turned pitch-black, and the darkness was about to reach its hilt.

"This little realm contains immense devouring power, perfectly suited to your dark-type spiritual power. This is a blessing bestowed on you by heaven," Qing Mo said, unable to contain the delight.

Dongfang Wanyu felt no delight at all. As the dark power devoured her longsword, she brought out her Water-Thunder Whip. The other end had a barbed hook that could anchor to the wall. She also channeled her lightning power into it. Upon encountering the lightning, the devouring energy on the wall seemed eager to contend with it.

She descended rapidly, yet even after traveling a great distance, she saw no end.

She simply withdrew her whip and leaped straight down.

"Help-!" Dongfang Minghui lay facedown on the ground, seeing nothing but darkness before her. She tried sensing her surroundings, but there seemed to be no spiritual energy whatsoever. Never mind spiritual energy-she couldn't even see a blade of grass.

Her stomach growled, but Dongfang Minghui had no heart to care. She was close to despair. Almost sixteen hours had passed since her fall, and she had yet to see so much as a ghost of anyone.

It was hard enough to encounter people in Death Valley, let alone after falling from such a ridiculous height. There probably wouldn't be a second person foolish enough to jump down from above.

"Little Lecher, 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. With her grievous injuries, she was already half-dead. The second was to be devoured directly by death aura, probably leaving her a skeleton.

However she thought about it, every path led to death.

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

Dongfang Minghui tried to shout, but unfortunately, her throat wouldn't cooperate. After two faint gurgles, she abandoned the idea of crying for help altogether.

Seeing Little Lecher fighting the gray mist tirelessly in her soul sea, Dongfang Minghui felt she shouldn't drag Little Lecher down at a time like this. Didn't she still have her spatial storage?

"Out."

A heap of bottles and jars appeared in orderly rows before her. Dongfang Wanyu tried to reach for them, only to discover that her arm seemed broken. Forget moving it-even shifting it brought pain that pierced her heart.

She ran her tongue over her lips, opened her mouth, and strained her neck until she could catch the mouth of a porcelain bottle between her teeth. After spitting out the stopper, she sniffed it. It was ordinary spirit medicine for replenishing energy. Throwing caution aside, she gulped down all ten pills inside.

A stream of spiritual energy traveled through her veins before settling in her dantian. Dongfang Minghui simply dragged the other bottles and jars over with her teeth and swallowed anything edible. Watching the spiritual energy flow through her meridians, she immediately circulated her spiritual power and drew it all into her soul sea.

The gray mist 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 lively and bright. 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 Dongfang Wanyu hard in the heart.

A pair of feet suddenly stopped before her. Dongfang Minghui thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She struggled to lift her head, then saw an icy face.

The porcelain bottle in her mouth clattered to the ground. She gaped foolishly, struggling to form the words, "Seventh Sister."

Dongfang Wanyu saw her dry, cracked lips move twice. No explanation was needed; she knew those two words had to be "Seventh Sister." Then she saw Ninth Sister's overwhelming hurt spill into tears that fell one after another.

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

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

Qing Mo sighed. "She fell from such a great height. Her legs and arms are broken, and all her internal organs have been knocked out of place. It's a miracle she's still alive."

For the first time, Dongfang Wanyu was utterly at a loss. She didn't know what to do. "Then what should we do?"

"Isn't Situ Hao a Light Element Spirit Master? Light Element 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 a little water and gently wiped Dongfang Minghui's face. Once the grime was cleared away, a small face pale with pain emerged. She lifted Ninth Sister's chin herself and fed her a little spirit liquid.

Dongfang Minghui sniffled in embarrassment. She had finished crying. The moment she saw the heroine, she had felt so terribly aggrieved that her tears had fallen uncontrollably.

"Don't speak. I'll bring Situ Hao here. He'll definitely be able to treat 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 growing unfocused. She felt the strength sustaining her about to vanish. Her vision went black, and she fainted.

"Enough useless talk. Hurry and see how to treat her."

When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes again, she looked dazed. Above her head seemed to be the inn's bed curtains. She blinked, then blinked 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 felt as though she still couldn't quite speak.

"Situ Hao said you need to rest properly for a while. We'll help you ask around about the Love Flower Seed."

Dongfang Minghui lay helplessly in bed. She examined her soul sea with her inner sight and suddenly discovered that the gray mist inside it had vanished.

"Little Lecher?"

A seedling appeared in her soul sea, stretching out two tender branches and waving them at her twice.

Dongfang Minghui didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It's over. Little Lecher has regressed from human form to its original form, and even that has reverted to its infancy.

"Little Lecher, are you all right?"

The seedling drooped its tender branches, listless. Clearly, this incident had dealt it a devastating blow.

Dongfang Minghui had no idea how to comfort it. She sighed. This is what happens when you go against the heroine. I told you not to go, but you just had to investigate.

Well, look at you now-back to square one overnight.

"Little Lecher, let's just cultivate steadily and stop entertaining all those wild ideas." Dongfang Minghui couldn't help sighing. "Oh, right. Did you disperse that cloud of gray mist?"

Little Lecher was utterly dispirited. It stood motionless in her soul sea, playing dead.

How could death aura be dealt with so easily? If Situ Hao hadn't handled it, then the heroine 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 sleeping face did she relax. Sitting beside her, she stared blankly at that peaceful 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 had treated Minghui, Wanyu had stood beside them, watching him set her limbs back into place. She never wanted to recall those sounds again.

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

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 open the door, 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. This whole ordeal really gave me a fright." Situ Hao had thought something was wrong with his abilities. Hearing Dongfang Wanyu's explanation, his heart finally settled back into place. "Here are two bottles of spirit liquid. Her spiritual energy is completely depleted, so give her this to replenish it for now."

Dongfang Wanyu accepted 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, too, so let's not bring it up again."

"I'll head next door. Call me if anything comes up."

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.

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

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

Dongfang Minghui didn't even remember what had happened the previous night. After a day of rest, she felt much better.

"Seventh Sister, I feel much better. Can I go out for a walk?"

Naturally, Dongfang Wanyu wouldn't refuse her request.

And so the two of them walked along the town's main street. There weren't many vendors calling out their wares. The town had few inhabitants to begin with, and the passersby glanced curiously at them once or twice.

"Ninth Sister, your face keeps getting prettier. Look, they're all watching you."

In the sunlight, Dongfang Minghui's face looked even paler, with not a trace of color on her lips. Her former liveliness was gone, as was that radiant, spirited air. Dongfang Wanyu couldn't help wondering whether this trip to Death Valley had been right or wrong.

Spotting a vendor hawking rouge and powder, she casually picked out one or two items. "I'll take these."

Dongfang Minghui stood at a distance, watching the heroine choose things. A faint smile curved her lips. Even the heroine is starting to care about looking pretty.

"Ninth Sister, try putting this on." Dongfang Wanyu placed two little boxes of lip rouge in her hands and urged her with a smile, "Try it."

Dongfang Minghui was dumbfounded. So these things had been bought for her.

Under the heroine's repeated insistence, Dongfang Minghui quickly applied some right there in the street. Afterward, she asked with a smile, "Seventh Sister, do I look pretty like this?"

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

Dongfang Wanyu couldn't help raising her hand and gently rubbing the corner of Minghui's lips.

Both of them froze.

Dongfang Minghui stared at her with round, wide eyes. Dongfang Wanyu wiped away the excess rouge at the corner of her mouth. That brief touch had felt like an electric shock, sending a tingling numbness from her hand all the way to her heart.

"You do." Dongfang Wanyu clenched her fist and turned away. "Ninth Sister, we should head back. You still need plenty of rest."

Dongfang Minghui put the two boxes of lip rouge into her spatial ring and followed the heroine leisurely back to the inn. She spent the rest of her time resting in bed.

"Little Lecher?"

Whenever she lay in bed alone, she would examine her soul sea. After drinking spirit liquid for several days, she found that not only was her spiritual energy recovering well, but the little sapling in her soul sea was also growing rapidly.

"Looks like I still need to find you some 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 clue about the Love Flower Seed. You know that's the whole reason we came here. Do you think we could take Minghui to have a look tomorrow?"

"No." Dongfang Wanyu rejected him without a second thought. "You know her condition better than anyone. At least let her rest for five full days before we discuss it."

Situ Hao spread his hands. "I'm not asking her to harvest it. I just want to take her to have 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 that the matter of the Love Flower Seed had the two of them running in circles with anxiety. She continued resting at her leisure, though the next day she found an opportunity 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 noticed that her complexion was rosy and her lips had turned crimson again. "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 Dongfang Minghui had contracted Little Lecher, a magic plant, she had utterly lost touch with the meaning of thrift. Anything containing spiritual energy was wolfed down by Little Lecher.

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

She had said one day, yet when she checked the next morning, all five bottles of spirit liquid were empty.

The little sapling in her soul sea had grown into a large tree.

"Does that mean you'll be able to take human form next?" Even turning into a little child would be better than being a tree that couldn't speak.

The sapling couldn't talk, but Dongfang Minghui could tell it seemed deeply dejected.

"Keeping just you fed is enough to bankrupt me, Little Lecher." She suddenly felt that her little companion ate far too much.

The sapling swayed slightly, looking a little guilty.

Five days later, while Dongfang Wanyu was downstairs, Situ Hao immediately slipped into Dongfang Minghui's room. "Minghui, I need to talk to you."

Dongfang Minghui was surprised. Seeing his hurried expression, she knew it must be something important. "Go ahead."

"Here's the thing. You've been recuperating these past few days, so I haven't brought up the Love Flower Seed. While you were resting, I explored the area around Death Valley and found a peculiar spot. I'd like you to come 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 great deal."

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

Dongfang Minghui shrank back. The heroine's temper was no ordinary thing once it flared, and she had no desire to bear the brunt of it. While the two of them talked outside, she polished off 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 take a look. See? I've recovered really well. Besides, with you there, I won't be afraid."

What she meant was that, with the heroine's protagonist halo around, hehe, she would surely turn misfortune into good fortune instead of nearly breaking her neck like this time.

But words spoken without intent could land in a listening heart.

Dongfang Wanyu gazed into her bright eyes and murmured, "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course." She nodded without hesitation.

"In that case, I'll tell Situ Hao. We'll go have a look tomorrow."

Dongfang Wanyu suddenly stood as she spoke.

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

Dongfang Minghui watched them head toward Death Valley, following the same route she had taken when she sneaked out that day. This time, however, Situ Hao and Dongfang Wanyu didn't go to that cave.

She couldn't help letting out a relieved breath. Even the sight of Skeleton Bone Soldiers haunted her now.

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

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

From the miscellaneous notes she had found in the cave earlier, Dongfang Wanyu had learned that Bone Soldiers were indeed controlled by Necromancers, and that they were divided into ranks. The Bone Soldiers they had encountered at the inn probably belonged to the Intermediate Bone Soldier rank, since they could control their necromantic power.

But Situ Hao had most likely crippled them.

Dongfang Wanyu thought it was a shame. Simply erasing their undead soul marks would have allowed her to make them obey new commands, giving her useful support in future battles.

"Perhaps. But they're in the shadows while we're out in the open, so we might as well watch and wait." Dongfang Wanyu smiled. "Don't worry. From now on, your Seventh Sister will stay by your side without leaving you for a single step."

Dongfang Minghui's eyes shifted slightly, but she couldn't conceal the smile on her face no matter how she tried. Grinning like a little fox, she wondered when the heroine 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 their pace slowed as they walked?

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

The moment Situ Hao heard that, he refused to let it slide. "Hey, hey, little Minghui, you can eat carelessly, but you can't speak carelessly. What if I meet a girl I like someday? If you say that, won't she run away?"

"Hahaha, if she runs away, you'll deserve it. Who told you to dig your own grave?"

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

"Enough, you two. Stop fooling around." Watching them banter, Dongfang Wanyu found herself rather displeased. She reminded him, "Situ Hao, you've been here before. How much farther is that place?"

Situ Hao immediately grew serious. "Once we get around this mountain, we'll find an opening halfway up the mountainside, just big 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 Flowers bloom so brilliantly because they're watered with blood. If it's growing on a mountain... that just doesn't seem to fit."

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

"Let's leave aside who's right or wrong for now and go take a look."

The three of them promptly crossed a mountain and headed toward the spot Situ Hao had indicated.

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

Halfway up, she lashed out with her long whip, anchoring one end firmly above the cave entrance. She set Dongfang Minghui down. "Crawl a little farther inside first, then wait there for me."

After saying that, she brought Situ Hao up as well. The opening was only about large enough for a girl's frame. Someone like Situ Hao had to bend over and curl himself into a ball to squeeze through.

Only then did Dongfang Wanyu put away her whip and bend down to crawl inside.

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

Situ Hao was left speechless. How could we possibly run into such a coincidence?

Still, the opening really was very narrow, putting them at a disadvantage.

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

"Ah-!"