CHAPTER 330
Human Nature
============================================================
"Rescue me? What do you mean?"
Su Cheng was dumbfounded. Wasn't he perfectly fine?
What devilish scheme were these three little darlings cooking up now?
They'd drugged him twice before—what were they planning now?
"That's right. This place is dangerous. Master, you must leave immediately."
Seeing Dongfang Jue so earnest, Li Shiyao chimed in, choosing to trust her junior sister.
"Danger? I know it's dangerous. Isn't that precisely why I came—to handle the danger?"
But Su Cheng clearly didn't seem concerned. While this place might be dangerous for ordinary people, it wasn't dangerous for him. Besides, didn't he have Yu Lan by his side?
"It matters not. I have my ways."
Su Cheng was still putting on airs, flicking his sleeves dramatically like an emperor in a TV drama. But he would soon pay for his foolishness.
Ye Qinghan remained impassive, leaning close to Yu Lan and speaking softly.
"Elder Yulan, might Qinghan borrow your artifact?"
Yu Lan thought to herself, Doesn't Ye Qinghan have access to the Moon-Winding Pavilion's treasures?
Why come to her for a treasure?
"Borrow a treasure?"
"Qinghan heard that Elder Yulan possesses a low-grade Earth-tier Instantaneous Movement Mirror, bestowed by our Master. Might I borrow it for a moment?"
Ye Qinghan, having reached a dead end, felt an uneasy premonition, as if someone were watching her from the shadows.
Though she didn't believe her master was in danger, it was always wise to be prepared.
After all, spotting hidden enemies within this black fog proved exceedingly difficult. She had already scanned the surroundings with her divine sense.
Unfortunately, she found nothing.
And that very absence was strange in itself.
While the black mist did interfere with spiritual sense, she had still been able to detect nearby dangers during her previous encounter at Xiu Mountain.
This time, however, she detected nothing. It seemed as though, aside from the hunters Cheng Liang was currently dealing with, there was nothing else in these mountains.
Clearly, that couldn't be the case.
"Lending it to the young miss is no problem, but what does she intend to use it for?"
Ye Qinghan shook her head. She couldn't quite explain this feeling.
"Better safe than sorry."
"If the young lady has discovered something, why not inform the Sect Leader?"
"I just have a bad feeling."
"What kind of feeling?"
As Yu Lan spoke, she glanced around the surroundings, finding nothing…
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No particular sensations, no perceived danger.
"It's too quiet."
A death trap was like this—stepping into it, even in broad daylight, felt like entering a long night.
Yulan thought to herself: How could it be quiet when Cheng Liang's side was fighting so fiercely?
But since the young miss had spoken, she had no reason to refuse. She didn't believe the young miss would harm her or Chengcheng.
It was merely a small mirror, yet it possessed the power of instant teleportation. Ye Qinghan needed it to handle unexpected situations.
"Young Miss, don't overthink it. If anything happens, I'll help too."
With that, Yulan smiled as she handed the teleportation mirror to Ye Qinghan. Ye Qinghan merely smiled wryly in return.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Yu Lan, but she had experienced too many betrayals.
The family who had kindly taken her in openly, secretly plotted to trade her head for the bounty.
Even those closest to her bedside were no exception—even blood brothers had turned blades against one another. How long had Yu Lan even been with her master?
Even if Yulan truly fled in danger, Ye Qinghan wouldn't blame her.
This is only natural for humans, and the Dragon Clan is no exception.
But not her. She wanted to stand before her master and prove she was not useless.
"Thank you."
"Young Miss, you…" Yu Lan had also noticed Ye Qinghan's peculiar behavior lately. When had it started?
It seemed to have started after that day she met Ku Mu.
[Did Ku Mu say something to the young lady?]
【Chengcheng is so slow to catch on, he probably hasn't noticed yet…】
【Sigh…】
"It's fine. Qinghan has it under control. I won't cause trouble for the Master."
Ye Qinghan thought Yu Lan was worried she might go after Cheng Liang, and even tried to reassure him.
A scum like Cheng Liang had long ceased to be worthy of her attention.
If she wanted to, she could kill him anytime.
That kick Cheng Liang delivered to her master during the initiation ceremony? She'd repay it to the Heavenly Dao Pavilion sooner or later.
But judging by the looks between her master and Cheng Liang, it seemed they'd reached a truce.
She wouldn't cause trouble for her master or do anything unnecessary.
But she would find her chance.
That kick? She'd return it sooner or later.
Su Cheng's disciple showed no intention of bowing. Compared to her demeanor at the secret realm entrance last time, Ye Qinghan now didn't even bother pretending—she looked down her nose at Cheng Liang.
"Good morning~ Sister Rou'er~"
"Hello~ Shiyao~"
Shangguan Rou nodded gently at Shiyao with a warm smile. Though the girl seemed a bit clumsy, she was incredibly easygoing.
Finding another girl as easygoing as Li Shiyu within Lingxian Hall was no easy task.
"Sis Rou, why are you here? This place is dangerous."
"Then why is Shiyu here?"
"Shiyao came to protect our Master!"
"Wow, Shiyu is so amazing! She can even protect our Master!"
"Hehe, Shiyu is really formidable. She can take on five of these monsters all by herself!"
While comforting the children, Shangguan Rou was also deeply astonished by Li Shiyu's rapid growth.
This Hunter was no ordinary foe for cultivators to handle. Never mind its claws that sliced through iron like mud—its copper-hard skin and iron-like bones alone would deter most prodigies.
After all, divine techniques like the Frostblade Sword Art weren't something everyone possessed.
Relying solely on a divine sword to wear down such a beast would be more than just a laborious task.
Li Shiyao chatted away, seemingly noticing Cheng Liang's gaze.
Her small hands tugged at Shangguan Rou, pulling her good sister aside. Leaning close, she whispered conspiratorially.
"Sister Shangguan, that creepy guy over there keeps staring at you. Do you know him?"
"Um… Of course I know him. That's…" Shangguan Rou looked awkward, but she couldn't very well make a scene.
Li Shiyao was always adept at striking back after the fact, her sharp tongue best at interrupting spells.
"Even if you know him, you should still be careful. That guy keeps staring at you—he definitely has bad intentions. Better safe than sorry, sis!"
"Um, that's my master. He's not a bad person. Besides, he's not staring with ill intent—he's just worried about my safety."
Li Shiyao looked utterly incredulous, thinking to herself: Shangguan Sister's master is actually some creepy-looking guy!
"Then Sister should still be careful! Shiyu is just looking out for you! That guy probably just has his eye on your beauty!"
"Uh… Well, thank you for your concern, Shiyu~ Hehe~"
But then, Li Shiyu thought to herself~ Hehe~
"But Shiyu has also set her sights on Sister's beauty~"
Shangguan Rou chuckled: "Shiyu's little mouth is as sweet as honey~"
While they chatted here, another conversation unfolded elsewhere.
"Master Su, after traveling this far, we should be approaching the central area soon."
Su Cheng summoned his immortal artifact and briefly scanned the surroundings, finding nothing unusual.
"Almost. But something feels off—there are far fewer monsters here than usual."
"What do you mean?"
"In a wasteland of this size, there should be six or seven hunters. They divide territories, each patrolling their assigned area and expanding outward."
"If that's the case…"
============================================================