The mountains were lush and green, dotted with wildflowers.
Sunlight streamed through the dense foliage, casting streaks of golden light.
Mu Qingyao led Mo Chou and Mo You through the verdant landscape. They had resumed their original appearances, and Mu Qingyao’s face was stern, her brows furrowed like autumn leaves, her pupils flashing with a sharp chill.
Within these mountains, dangers lurked everywhere, but to her, they were child’s play. As a staff officer in the army, she had been forged in the fires of wilderness combat.
Though layers of miasma filled the forest, they could not deter her. The three of them were currently chewing on a type of wild grass called Yue Lan Hua. This grass not only protected against the miasma’s poison but also against snake venom. If bitten by a poisonous snake, it would prevent the poison from reaching the heart immediately.
“Miss? This forest is so gloomy, it’s quite frightening.”
Even those with courageous hearts trembled in such an eerie and ominous place. When had they ever been in a vast, deserted forest?
Mo Chou and Mo You looked pale, their faces washed out by the dappled sunlight, their lips tightly pressed, betraying their extreme nervousness.
“It’s alright. If you’re scared, you might as well keep a sharp eye on your surroundings.”
As Mu Qingyao spoke, a willow branch shot out with a swish, striking a high branch three meters away. A snake was coiled in mid-air, impaled on the branch by Mu Qingyao. Its tail was still writhing, and drops of venom fell.
Mo Chou and Mo You’s faces turned even paler.
“Miss.”
“Let’s go,” Mu Qingyao listened intently, her expression suddenly grave. She waved to the two behind her.
Someone had entered the mountain. Because of the silence of the forest, the moment someone entered, the animals would start to flee. If you listened carefully, you could hear the panicked footsteps of wild beasts.
“Someone has entered the mountain. If I’m not mistaken, it must be Changsun Yin.”
“Ah, Changsun Yin actually followed us in,” Mo Chou exclaimed, her eyes widening like copper bells.
In the distance, a wild boar with blood-red eyes was glaring at them furiously. This was the domain of beasts; when humans trespassed on their territory, they would become ferocious.
Actually, wild boars were not terrifying in themselves. It was the eerie and frightening location that amplified people’s fear, making them seem dreadful.
Mu Qingyao glanced at the wild boar and sternly ordered Mo You, “Go, deal with it.”
“Yes, Master,” Mo You, upon hearing her master’s command, remembered the child in her mistress’s womb, which had seemed unstable these past few days, causing her pain several times. They could not afford to let the child face any more danger.
With a fierce roar, she attacked with her crescent shovel. A powerful silver light shot out, initially disorienting the wild boar, leaving it bewildered. Then, she plunged the shovel in. The wild boar let out a muffled grunt and collapsed, motionless.
Mo You became excited, looking at Mo Chou.
“So these things are not that scary.”
“Yes, the creatures in this forest are not frightening. As long as you two are determined, there is nothing you cannot overcome. But you must conquer your fear. If you don’t perceive them as frightening, they won’t be as intimidating.”
“Yes, Miss,” the two women finally felt a bit better. The three continued forward, following the direction of the sunlight. They had no idea where Wúqíng Valley was and could only proceed by feel.
The mountain was vast, stretching endlessly, one peak connected to another, with rolling hills, silver cascades, and splashing water.
White clouds drifted in the sky, eventually dissolving into wisps of smoke.
They walked from morning until evening, the entire mountain bathed in the red glow of sunset.
They ate wild fruits when hungry and, when thirsty, tore off a piece of bark and squeezed out some water to drink. The water in the mountain streams was often poisonous and undrinkable.
Just as the three were about to despair, they discovered an endless swamp. It stretched as far as the eye could see. One wrong step and one would be trapped, unable to climb out, like falling into an abyss.
In the dark mud, clusters of red flowers bloomed, swaying gently in the breeze, opening and closing with extreme allure.
Qingyao looked closely and saw that each flower resembled a mouth, constantly opening and closing, as if beckoning for delicious food.
They were man-eating flowers.
She hadn’t expected man-eating flowers to grow in this swamp.
Man-eating flowers were carnivorous plants. Once a person fell onto them, layers of vines would coil around them, devouring them bite by bite.
They were the most cruel plants in existence, unexpectedly growing in a swamp, blooming so fragrantly and exquisitely. One could only imagine how many dry bones lay within this swamp.
Wúqíng Valley. This must be Wúqíng Valley.
Was it truly so heartless? Were human lives as insignificant as withered vines in its eyes? Did she truly have to enter? But if she didn’t, would there be any place for her in this world? Must she abandon her pride and return to Xián Yuè?
Qingyao’s heart plummeted, and she let out a loud cry.
No, she would rather be buried in this swamp than return.
She lowered her head and looked carefully at the man-eating flowers. From a distance, they appeared like a magnificent tapestry, beautiful yet intricately arranged. Viewed as a whole, they formed an Eight Trigrams formation. It turned out this swamp had a hidden mechanism. Therefore, not all these man-eating flowers were truly man-eating; some were decoys. As long as the path was followed correctly, they could cross the swamp and enter Wúqíng Valley on the other side.
Qingyao felt a surge of joy, as if she had seen hope. She looked more closely. Fortunately, she had studied the Eight Trigrams diagram in the past and knew how to navigate such formations.
This was truly a way out when all seemed lost. Qingyao felt a sense of relief, and every cell in her body became active, as if shouting.
Once I enter Wúqíng Valley, no one will be able to make me leave. Heartless, I shall see if you are truly heartless or not. Can you truly watch a mother and child perish?
Just as Mu Qingyao was about to tell Mo You and Mo Chou about the directional diagram, a rustling sound came from behind.
A cold, somber voice rang out, “Well, well, after all my efforts, I’ve finally caught you. You’d best come back with me. This swamp is a bottomless abyss, and you have no other way out. If you return with me, perhaps there’s still a chance for survival.”
Changsun Yin spoke with a devilish charm, his eyes flashing with a burning light.
Truth be told, a woman like her, even he was now captivated. She had traversed the miasma-filled forest without changing her expression.
His own entourage had been reduced to mere remnants; several had perished on the journey, sliding into the ravines.
If she was willing to cooperate with him, he could guarantee their lives, provided she married him.
“Bah,” Mu Qingyao’s expression turned icy, and she glared at Changsun Yin with utter disdain. She had detested this man from the very beginning, and there was also a matter she found perplexing.