"Thanks, Shanling..." Qingyuan spoke, her voice deep and subdued.
"Even though I don't know if you really violated the rules just for fun back then, I'll believe whatever you say."
After hearing her words, the two didn't respond immediately. Yong Shanling felt a twinge of loneliness seeing their lack of response.
"Let's enter through the small gate. The main entrance is too ostentatious," Qing Sui finally said.
Following Qing Sui's instructions, the three spent a long time searching before they found the small gate. Then they heard a long ringing sound and immediately hid without hesitation. Qingyuan then came out and stood beside them.
"This is the illusion bell. Only when it rings can they transform into human forms."
"Is it a good time to go in now?"
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, a boy squatted beside Yong Shanling. His words made Yong Shanling quickly retreat to Mu Yijie's side.
"Who are you!"
A hint of fear welled up in Yong Shanling's heart. How could someone hide behind her without her noticing? Looking at the smiling boy in front of her, she didn't underestimate him.
"Ling'er?"
The boy let out a soft laugh.
"Can I call you that?"
"Who on earth are you?"
Yong Shanling racked her brains but couldn't recall ever seeing this boy before. The fact that he knew her name gave her the creeps.
"We've never met before, though."
The boy still kept smiling. Even without a response from her, Qingyuan frowned and looked at him.
"You can read minds."
"Ah, this elder sister is right. But why does the name Qingyuan sound so familiar?"
"Who are you?" As soon as Yong Shanling finished speaking, she placed her wooden sword on the boy's neck, her face filled with unwavering solemnity.
The boy wasn't scared or panicked by her action. Instead, he calmly and unhurriedly moved the wooden sword away from his neck.
"Ling'er, you can't be so impulsive. Haven't you noticed? You're already surrounded."
Yong Shanling immediately turned her wooden sword in other directions, but there was nothing except the three of them.
"You lied to me?"
"Hahaha, you're too serious, Ling'er."
"Ling'er isn't someone you can call casually," Mu Yijie said, looking at the boy in front of him with obvious displeasure.
"As an ordinary person, you don't even have the chance to talk to me. You should thank Ling'er, Mu Yijie."
"The barrier..."
"Sorry, you can't set up the barrier here."
Before Ye Sen could start setting up the barrier, the boy in front of them interrupted him. For some reason, the boy's expressions when looking at the two men beside him were completely different.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Han Chu."
"You transformed from a dolphin, right?" Qing Sui suddenly appeared, crossing her arms and looking at Han Chu.
"Hahaha, elder sister is really amazing. But I can't read what elder sister is thinking. It's so strange."
"Elder sister must have met someone recently. You've been thinking about this person for a long time, unable to let go or forget..."
Hearing what he said, Qing Sui was momentarily stunned. Her concentrated mind, typical of whales, was usually unreadable, but why was he so strange?
"Elder sister Qing Sui is very powerful, but there are too many things holding you back."
"Elder sister, he usually uses words to distract your attention and then tries to read your mind."
"Elder sister Qingyuan, it's no fun when you say it like this."
Han Chu pouted and looked at Qingyuan with a hint of grievance, as if she had broken his toy. His expression was really endearing.
"So, what on earth are you here for?"
Yong Shanling looked at him indifferently, her eyes filled with boundless coldness. It seemed that this forest was full of terrifying things. It wouldn't be surprising to lose one's life here if one wasn't careful.
"Well... I'm not sure either. But I just passed by and heard some noise nearby. I came over to take a look and saw you guys there."
"Are you a student from the New Style Hall?" Ye Sen asked suspiciously.
"No, I'm a teacher. You guessed wrong, Ye Sen."
"For the New Style Hall to let a kid who's only been around for a hundred years be a teacher, that's really a joke," Qing Sui said, fanning herself and sneering at Han Chu.
But Han Chu didn't get angry. Instead, he still kept smiling. His eyes kept wandering towards Yong Shanling. Finally, Mu Yijie stepped in front of her. Seeing this, Han Chu's smile grew even wider.
"Elder sister, you don't know how to provoke people properly. For example, if you want to hurt someone, you have to use something that can really hurt them."
A mischievous smile played on Han Chu's lips: "For example, like this..."
He suddenly appeared in front of Yong Shanling, leaned down, and kissed her rosy lips. Yong Shanling didn't resist. She just stood there motionless, with an expression on her face that was a mix of indifference and shock.
He kissed her lips lightly and gently. Then he was suddenly grabbed and pulled away. A fist landed on his face. This sudden kiss was like a storm, catching everyone present off guard.
After the punch, everyone came to their senses. Mu Yijie grabbed Yong Shanling. A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes, as sharp as a dagger. His tightly closed lips clearly showed his anger. The air around them dropped to an extremely low temperature.
Mu Yijie was like a demon from hell. Qing Sui, who had been fanning herself, froze in place. She couldn't help but think, "This is a master."
"Thank you for the compliment," Han Chu suddenly looked at Qing Sui and smiled.
Then everyone turned to look at Qing Sui, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"Cough, I didn't say anything."
"This is one way to provoke people, Ling'er. You don't mind, do you?"
Yong Shanling then rushed forward with her wooden sword: "After we leave this beautiful world, you can go and repent to the Great Emperor."
Facing Yong Shanling's fierce attack, Han Chu still dodged easily. Suddenly, a stone appeared under his feet. He stumbled and almost fell. Yong Shanling stabbed at him with her wooden sword, and it easily penetrated Han Chu's abdomen.
"Ling'er, you're so cruel," Han Chu said with a smile, looking at the wooden sword in his abdomen, which then turned into fragments and scattered on the ground.
Suddenly, Han Chu's voice came from the tree: "Ling'er, elder sisters, see you again if we're fated."
Everyone looked at the place where Han Chu was. They watched as he waved and turned into a puff of smoke, disappearing from their sight.
"He... is so scary. He's really disgusting," Qingyuan said, looking at the place where Han Chu disappeared with a look of disgust.
"It hurts..." On the other side, Mu Yijie was frantically wiping her lips. His face was cold. Seeing Yong Shanling looking uncomfortable, he finally let go and carried her on his back.
"This was an accident, Uncle. I didn't know he would rush up like that."
"Yeah, let's go find the ultimate spiritual beast first."
Mu Yijie didn't even look at her. He just stared straight at the torii. Qing Sui walked over to her and gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Men are like this. And Han Chu's actions just now were too extreme. Next time we meet him, elder sister will definitely teach him a lesson."
"If you want to laugh, just laugh. It's so fake to hold it in," Ye Sen said, giving her a disdainful look.