"Su Ying, you've got some nerve, bullying our junior sister again while I was away!" Ping Qingyun thought she had bullied Su Ying.
The scene frightened Ling Xian so badly that her little face turned deathly pale. "Senior brother, you've misunderstood. I was teleported into a tree, and falling out of it scared me. Senior sister didn't bully me."
"What? You fell? Are you hurt?" Ping Qingyun dropped his sword, grabbed Ling Xian by the shoulders, and turned her this way and that, his face full of concern.
"I'm fine. I'm not hurt." She awkwardly took a step back. "Senior brother, I really am fine."
Ping Qingyun turned his furious gaze on Su Ying again. "Su Ying, you knew our junior sister's cultivation was low. Why didn't you catch her? Were you deliberately waiting for her to fall so you could laugh at her?"
Su Ying was speechless. She complained to the system in her mind: [I'm doomed to be cannon fodder. The female lead is so incompetent she takes a tumble, and somehow I still get blamed. What a miserable life.]
[Host, you'll get used to it. You'll get used to it.]
When Su Ying remained silent, Ping Qingyun glared viciously at her. "Fellow disciples should care for one another. Just look at you! What has your jealousy of our junior sister turned you into?"
"Senior brother, please stop. I fell, but you can't blame senior sister. She was going to save me, but I fell before she could get her flying sword ready. Still, senior sister was very kind. She cushioned my fall, so I wasn't hurt." Seeing that he was about to fight Ling Xian, Ling Xian hurriedly spoke up.
Ping Qingyun froze. She had even cushioned her fall?
"Put your sword away. If you keep throwing baseless accusations at a fellow disciple, don't blame me for asking Master to settle this when we get back." Su Ying glanced at the sword on the ground, then turned and walked away.
Her expression was as calm as drifting clouds in a light breeze, but inwardly, she kept complaining to the system and cursing Ping Qingyun and Ling Xian. Meanwhile, she burned a talisman to locate Chu Yu.
The Unbounded Forest posed little danger to cultivators like them, who already had a solid foundation, but for a newcomer like Chu Yu, its dangers could be fatal.
That was why Su Ying had to find Chu Yu quickly.
Hidden in the shadows, Chu Yu saw the talisman's ashes drifting toward him and snorted coldly.
Although Su Ying cultivated during her midday breaks, the support of her spiritual root still gave her a certain talent for spells.
He stepped out of the shadows and called timidly, "Senior sister..."
Seeing him approach unharmed, Su Ying smiled. "Junior brother, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, senior sister. It's so eerie here. Is this the Unbounded Forest?" Chu Yu feigned fear, looking as pitiful as anyone possibly could.
"Yes, junior brother, this is the Unbounded Forest. But don't be afraid. Master and the others have already eliminated almost all the top-tier spirit beasts here. As for the remaining high-tier spirit beasts, you have us, so there's no need to be afraid of those either. Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Ling Xian cut in before Su Ying could answer.
Su Ying had no words.
[How did I never notice what a fake little innocent the female lead was before?]
[Host, haven't you always thought she was a fake little innocent during your previous missions?] the system asked in confusion.
[She seems even worse now,] Su Ying mercilessly complained.
"Thank you, senior sister," Chu Yu said, but he still walked over to Su Ying.
Seeing this, the system told Su Ying, [Host, it seems the female lead's bewitching charms have no effect on young fellow cultivator Chu Yu.]
[Mm, I'm very pleased.] Su Ying secretly gloated, though her expression remained cool. "We're still on the edge of the Unbounded Forest. We'll need to go farther in to encounter high-tier spirit beasts. Let's go."
She took the lead, silently praying that Ling Xian wouldn't cause trouble later.
She really didn't want to be anyone's cushion again.
"All right, senior sister." Chu Yu followed her.
The farther they went, the thicker the forest's miasma became.
Su Ying stopped and frowned.
"Senior sister, what's wrong?" Chu Yu stood beside her, sensing that something was amiss.
How could a place like this have miasma in broad daylight?
"There's danger ahead," Su Ying said.
Ping Qingyun snorted coldly. "The Sect's grandmasters have already cleared this place out. What danger could there be?"
"Then why don't you go in first?" Su Ying gestured for him to proceed.
Looking at the miasma, Ping Qingyun suddenly hesitated. He had never heard of miasma in the Unbounded Forest. The foot he had just stepped forward with immediately drew back.
Seeing what a coward he was, Su Ying's heart blossomed with delight. [Who would've thought our senior brother was such a coward?]
[Host, I've detected poison in the miasma. Do you need Detoxification Pills?] the system asked instead.
[How many points do they cost?] Su Ying asked.
[Thirty points each.]
Su Ying penny-pinched. [I've barely completed any missions, and you're already asking me for thirty points? That's like taking my life! And I'd have to buy two at once. How many points do I even have? No deal.]
[Host, wouldn't you need four?] the system asked.
[Why should I care whether those two live or die?] Su Ying gazed at the miasma, feeling troubled. [They don't have trial missions anyway. All that matters is that my handsome young fellow completes his mission.]
[Then are you going to pass through the miasma now?] the system asked.
[Scan it for me,] Su Ying instructed inwardly, intending to check what was inside first.
[All right. Please wait a moment, Host.]
Su Ying said nothing, simply gazing silently at the miasma. Having a system was wonderful. It could scan the area for her free of charge.
It could identify everything within a one-kilometer radius.
It was practically a telescope!
Even better than a telescope!
Chu Yu's expression turned strange. The system had this function too?
If he could claim it for himself, wouldn't he be invincible under heaven?
But how could he transfer this system from Su Ying to himself?
A thought suddenly struck Chu Yu. If he took Su Ying's spiritual root and ate it, would the system transfer to him?
Damn it, I want this system so badly! What am I supposed to do?
After a while, Su Ying and Chu Yu heard the system speak at the same time: [Host, the scan shows that this miasma was released by a creature called a Mist Beast. Exposure to the miasma is harmful to humans. Mild cases cause unconsciousness; severe cases cause suffocation.]
[Holy crap, what level is this Mist Beast?]
[The scan places it at high-tier level three. Host, this beast is no match for you. If you obtain it, you can also leave the Unbounded Forest quickly and finish the side mission. You won't have to get hurt again,] the system replied.
[Give me two Detoxification Pills,] Su Ying said without hesitation.
[Yes, Host.]
Two Detoxification Pills instantly appeared in Su Ying's hand.
She turned around and swallowed one under cover of a yawn, then looked at Chu Yu. "Junior brother, open your mouth."
"Senior sister?" Chu Yu looked puzzled, but he obediently opened his mouth, knowing Su Ying wouldn't harm him.
Although the miasma ahead could do little harm to him, he was currently a "low-tier" cultivator and needed his senior sister's protection.
Su Ying swiftly slapped the pill into his mouth.
"Senior sister, what are you carelessly feeding our junior brother?" Ling Xian's expression suddenly changed, and she abruptly demanded an answer.
Before you continue