Chapter Nine: The Hunt Begins

Chapter Nine: The Hunt Begins

For as long as he could remember, this was the first time Ye Bai had ever entered the room of an unfamiliar girl, and his heart was inevitably a little tense. As soon as he stepped into the beautiful woman's room, a delicate fragrance greeted him; it was reminiscent of roses, yet laced with a hint of orchid, not as overpowering as the heavy perfumes of overly made-up women, but carrying a subtle allure. Upon closer inhalation, the orchid's cool, elusive scent lingered—like the faint, frosty fragrance that clings to a young maiden.

The beautiful woman entered first and seated herself on the edge of the bed, while the other two took the chairs beside it. This room, being part of the Guard Post, was as bare as Ye Bai’s own had been—without decoration, without any of the feminine touches he’d imagined: no plush toys by the pillow, no pink hues, nothing. Yet the scent in the air somehow put him at ease.

“Let’s introduce ourselves,” the woman began, watching Ye Bai and his companion from her place on the bed. “My name is Wang Mi. The rest, I’ll explain in a moment.”

“Ma Xiao,” the young man replied, frowning, as if irritated by her scrutiny.

Ye Bai, however, was unfazed. In fact, he thought it rather delightful to be observed by a beauty, so he quickly added, “Ye Bai.”

All three were clever enough to stop at their names. They knew that divulging too much information could sometimes lead to disaster.

“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Wang Mi rose from the bed, picked up a pen from the desk, and approached the map on the wall. “A couple of days ago, I saw a Guardian Wood Beast near the Seven-colored Miasma Trees. I believe you both know why this beast can traverse the toxic fog—it carries a Guardian Wood Flower within its body. I only need that flower. It suppresses poison in the beast, but for humans, it merely strengthens the foundation; it’s not especially valuable as a medicine. Judging by your stable foundations, you two don’t need it. So, after we kill the beast, you can have anything valuable from its body and whatever treasures it brings out from the miasma.” She marked a spot on the map as she spoke.

Ye Bai saw that the place Wang Mi indicated was at the entrance facing the mid-slopes of the Ghostwood Mountains, within the Magic Valley—a place well-suited for both ambush and counter-ambush. Seeing both Ye Bai and Ma Xiao nod, Wang Mi swallowed to moisten her dry throat.

“Last time I saw the Guardian Wood Beast, I managed to mark it. It returns here around four in the afternoon every day. I’ve scouted inside; there are only its cubs. I didn’t venture deeper, not wanting to be discovered.”

Wang Mi then produced a more detailed map of the Magic Valley, covered with her own annotations. Clearly, she had done her homework.

She pointed to the valley floor with her pen. “Someone will need to prevent the cubs from escaping. Ma Xiao, that will be your task. The two of us will wait on opposite sides of the valley for the Guardian Wood Beast’s arrival and kill it together. That’s all I have to say. Do either of you have anything to add?”

Ye Bai and Ma Xiao exchanged a glance. She’d already planned the operation; what more could they say? Both shook their heads. In truth, plans meant little—when the time came, it would all depend on whose strength prevailed.

Wang Mi smiled faintly. “Then it’s settled. Go prepare yourselves. We meet tomorrow at one in the afternoon. Here’s to our success.”

Sitting on his own bed, Ye Bai pondered Wang Mi’s words. The cave she hadn’t fully explored needed to be carefully marked; who knew what might emerge from it? The terrain on both sides of the valley was also uncertain.

Time passed slowly at the Guard Post. Eventually, the three of them set out for the Magic Valley. Their outfits were nearly identical—camouflage bodysuits. Interestingly, Wang Mi seemed less voluptuous today than yesterday; perhaps she had bound her chest, or perhaps she’d padded it previously. No one spoke. They walked in single file, each stepping into the footprint of the one before, as disciplined as a trained military unit.

Ye Bai lay prone in the agreed spot. Ma Xiao and Wang Mi were also in position, making their final weapon checks.

Suddenly, a noise reached his ears—the ground trembled as the massive Guardian Wood Beast approached. Ye Bai glanced across the gorge at Wang Mi, who looked back and gave a nod.

Thud, thud, thud.

The tremors grew stronger as the beast neared the Magic Valley. Ye Bai could almost see its crimson eyes. From within the valley came the cries of the cubs, followed by a scream.

The Guardian Wood Beast paused in its steady march, then clawed the earth with its forefoot, its scarlet eyes almost entirely eclipsing the black, and let out a piercing howl before charging into the gorge.

As the beast drew near the ambush, dust billowed behind its massive frame. Ye Bai and Wang Mi rushed down from either side, Ye Bai wielding a magnetized blade coated with green wormwood, while Wang Mi drew a blue soft sword from her waist—a weapon Ye Bai had always assumed was decorative. She wielded it with practiced ease, swiftly closing in on the beast.

With the momentum of her leap, Wang Mi soared high, her sword raised above her head, as graceful as a butterfly in flight. Suddenly, the sound of flesh being sliced rang out—the soft sword struck the Guardian Wood Beast’s head, and blood erupted forth.

Ye Bai arrived just then, but he did not strike at the head. Instead, he swung his particle blade horizontally at the beast’s leg joint. Yet, since the beast contained the Guardian Wood Flower, he doubted the wormwood would have much effect.

The wounded beast flew into a frenzy, white vapor spurting from its nostrils, crimson eyes flashing, its throat bulging as if regurgitating something.

With a sickening splatter, the beast spewed a pool of black liquid from its mouth. Because Wang Mi had attacked its head, the venom shot toward her. She failed to dodge and was splashed. Her waistcloth was instantly corroded, but she reacted quickly, slicing away the affected fabric with her soft sword before it could touch her skin.

Where the black liquid splattered, the ground sizzled, and nearby vegetation withered and rotted.

After spraying its venom in defense of its cubs, the Guardian Wood Beast tried to charge back into the valley. Ye Bai caught a glimpse of Wang Mi’s tawny skin and a flash of white beneath where she’d cut away her clothing—but now was no time for admiration. Stopping the beast was all that mattered.

He lunged, aiming to slash the beast’s other leg joint with his particle blade, while Wang Mi moved to block its path.

From deep within the Magic Valley, a furious roar echoed, followed by a terrible scream.