Why did you always let yourself get hurt?

Gu Yi walked at the front, with Xie Wenyun following behind him, carrying Jiang Lingzhou on his back. Lin Yuan brought up the rear.

The four of them moved slowly.

"Senior brother, are you tired? Why don't I carry Junior Brother Jiang instead?"

Gu Yi saw that Xie Wenyun's forehead was covered in sweat. After carrying Jiang Lingzhou all this way, he seemed to be struggling.

"No need. I can manage!" Xie Wenyun smiled at Gu Yi to reassure him.

Lin Yuan followed them in silence, showing no intention of helping.

Since Lin Yuan was injured too, Gu Yi let it slide. Worried that Xie Wenyun might not keep up, he did not walk very fast and frequently diverted some spiritual energy to support Jiang Lingzhou's bottom, sharing the burden.

It was not that Gu Yi cared so much. The main issue was that Jiang Lingzhou's father doted on his son. If anything really happened to him, given how fiercely protective his father was, he would probably come and make trouble at the Tianmu Sect for months before letting the matter rest.

Seeing Gu Yi pay Jiang Lingzhou so much attention and fuss over him along the way, Xie Wenyun looked unhappy.

Remembering the protective amulet he had inadvertently seen hanging around Jiang Lingzhou's neck only made him feel more stifled.

Back when Gu Yi had first joined the Tianmu Sect, their master had called the two of them over and given each of them a protective amulet, telling them to keep it close to their bodies.

Of the two amulets, one was white and one yellow. He had the white one, while his junior brother had the yellow one.

He had always worn it around his neck, never taking it off, even when bathing. For a time, he had even secretly delighted in being able to wear something that matched his junior brother's.

But he had never imagined that the yellow amulet would appear around Jiang Lingzhou's neck.

His junior brother's concern for Jiang Lingzhou was genuine, and he also carried the jade pendant Jiang Lingzhou had given him.

His junior brother had not even pushed Jiang Lingzhou away when Jiang Lingzhou kissed him. At first, Xie Wenyun had not believed it.

But now that even the amulet his junior brother wore against his body had been given to Jiang Lingzhou, what reason did he have not to believe it? Perhaps his junior brother had feelings for him too and simply did not want to say so yet.

His junior brother's engagement was fake. If he really liked someone else, Xie Wenyun could only wish them well and continue being his senior brother.

But why did it have to be Jiang Lingzhou...

"Look over there!" Gu Yi's voice interrupted Xie Wenyun's thoughts.

They looked where he indicated and saw a vine demoness standing silently in the gap between two mountains.

She had a seductive figure, and her long, cascading hair wound downward like vines, seemingly entwined with an eerie aura.

Her eyes were like bottomless pools, gleaming with a mysterious, dangerous light. A single glance into them was enough to send a chill down one's spine.

"Nothing but a bunch of stinking men!"

The vine demoness languidly stretched the countless thick vines coiled around her body. They writhed as though alive, flailing wildly with rustling sounds.

"But no matter. It's been so long since I've had a taste of a human. You're all reasonably handsome, so why not stay and serve me?"

Gu Yi summoned his sword and gripped it tightly, his heart giving a jolt. She actually saw that I was a man?

This demon absolutely cannot be allowed to live!

"Save your breath, you ugly monster! You want us to stay? Dream on!"

At Gu Yi's words, the demoness's face twisted, and she let out a sinister laugh. "You dare call me ugly? Do you think you can escape so easily? My flowers will plunge you into endless suffering."

Gu Yi glared at her. "Why are you so overdramatic? 'Endless suffering'-blegh!"

The demoness thrashed her vines in fury, the fluorescent glow of her flowers flickering even more eerily. "I'll kill you all!"

With that, the vine demoness attacked first.

She lashed out with countless vines, sending them surging toward Gu Yi and the others like raging waves. Gu Yi's gaze instantly sharpened. Gritting his teeth, he swiftly raised his sword, its blade ringing crisply as it struck the vines.

Lin Yuan's brows knitted tightly as he watched the demoness's every move. He leaped nimbly about, dodging the vines' attacks.

The demoness's flowers also began to take effect, spraying great clouds of highly poisonous pollen.

Gu Yi hastily covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, a flicker of disgust crossing his eyes. He quickly channeled his spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier in front of him. "Senior brother, come here!"

At his words, Xie Wenyun set Jiang Lingzhou down inside the barrier beside Gu Yi. "I'll deal with her!"

Gu Yi had wanted to say that he would fight the demoness, but Xie Wenyun had already darted out, so he said nothing more.

The demoness controlled her vines to attack from every angle, leaving Lin Yuan and Xie Wenyun struggling to fend them off.

Several times, the vines nearly coiled around their bodies, but Lin Yuan always managed to deftly sidestep the attacks at the crucial moment.

Xie Wenyun spun swiftly, his robes flying and his sword flashing.

Just as Lin Yuan tried to close in on the demoness and deliver a fatal blow, one of her flowers suddenly shot out a poisonous thorn.

It came from a tricky angle, heading straight for the unconscious Jiang Lingzhou nearby.

Gu Yi's pupils abruptly contracted. He swiftly leaned sideways and, without time to think, caught the poisonous thorn with his bare hand.

"Junior brother!" Xie Wenyun watched the thorn pierce Gu Yi's palm in an instant.

Gu Yi gave a muffled grunt. Fuck, this demoness was vicious! Even the barrier hadn't stopped her!

A trace of anger appeared on Lin Yuan's face, and he immediately swung his sword at the demoness again.

The demoness roared and lashed out with her vines once more. Seizing the opening, Lin Yuan plunged his sword into the ground beneath her feet, unleashing a powerful shock wave.

The powerful impact struck the demoness's body. She cried out in pain, the light around her gradually dimming.

"Take the flower off her head! It can neutralize the poison!" Xie Wenyun shouted to Lin Yuan as he rushed toward Gu Yi. Reaching his side, he seized his hand. "Junior brother! Your hand..."

"Senior brother... it's just a minor injury. It won't kill me."

Gu Yi knew this demoness was most likely a Lovevine Demon, which was why he had dared to catch the poisonous needle.

Naturally, he also knew that the center of the flower on her head could neutralize the poison.

As Xie Wenyun watched Gu Yi withdraw his hand, he felt increasingly miserable. His junior brother had even caught a poisonous needle with his hand for Jiang Lingzhou's sake. What more was there to say?

Gu Yi, however, was watching Lin Yuan finish things off a short distance away. Lin Yuan deftly cut the flower off the demoness's head, reached them in a few leaps, and held it out to Gu Yi, his tone full of displeasure. "I told you to be careful. Why do you always let yourself get hurt?"

And for someone else, at that.

Gu Yi merely twitched the corners of his mouth without speaking.

He did not want to get hurt either, but Jiang Lingzhou was unconscious. He could hardly let an injured man catch a poisonous needle.

Lin Yuan snorted coldly and tossed the flower Gu Yi had yet to accept at Xie Wenyun. "Hurry up and have him eat it. Let's get out of here!"

He still had to find his Gu Yi. He had no time to waste here with these people.

He had thought Gu Yi might be here, but now it seemed he had been mistaken.

Gu Yi was hiding from him. How could he show himself so easily? He would probably have to find Gu Yi's Life Lamp and make Gu Yi come to him of his own accord.