Chapter 45: Both Mother and Daughter (Part 1): You Clearly Enjoyed It Part 2

Qin He said, “Both of you, stop! Shan Shan, tell me—how do you deal with orchid praying mantises?”

Shang Shan swung from a vine and landed beside them, running abreast. “Ah… uh! Let me think!”

Fu Li laughed haughtily, who knew why. “You don’t even know? The neck!”

Shang Shan yelled, “No stealing my answer! It’s my question! The neck—and the eyes!”

The mantises’ bodies were clad in near-impenetrable armor. Only the eyes and neck were softer, vulnerable to blades. But they knew this too and guarded those spots carefully. Attacking them required breaking the outer defenses first—not easy.

Shang Shan said, “Maybe we find a place to hide first!” She spat fire again. As the flames faded, she coughed a few times. Too much in a short time—her throat was starting to feel dry, hoarse, and sore.

Being chased relentlessly would eventually exhaust one’s stamina. If she couldn’t come up with an idea before then, she would be caught up to by the mantis and sliced in half with a single blow.

Qin He didn’t stop running. She sheathed her sword, sent sword light flying with her right hand, and pulled out the map scroll from her pouch with her left. With a flick, she unfurled it, her gaze rapidly scanning the map for a suitable hiding spot.

Shang Shan searched for another figure. Before long, she looked up and spotted the black-clothed woman leaping lightly between the tree trunks. Her expression was calm and composed, her long hair whipping about. Sensing the gaze, she looked down as well, her eyes dull and lackluster, as if veiled in a faint haze.

Seeing that she had no intention of helping, Shang Shan withdrew her gaze and asked the person beside her, “Where are we going?”

Qin He shook the scroll and tucked it back into her robes. “About seventy or eighty li ahead, there’s a waterfall and a deep pool. Let’s hide there first.”

Though Fu Li was displeased, Shang Shan had stopped making a fuss, so she naturally said nothing. With the urgent situation at hand, they needed to find a place to rest first.

The three shot through the forest like cold arrows.

Mu Qian Tan channeled some spiritual power into her feet. Compared to the somewhat disheveled flight of the three juniors, she appeared far more composed and leisurely, even having the spare energy to observe the appearance of the demon beasts pursuing them and chat with Li Biyuan.

‘As expected, it’s mantises. The plot has gone off the rails. The last time this happened was at Prosperous Joy Workshop.’

Li Biyuan frantically flipped through her book, the pages rustling. ‘Exactly. At Prosperous Joy Workshop, the pipa demonized early. Here, the mantises have appeared ahead of schedule, and there’s even Fu Li, who’s completely unrelated to the plot. What’s going on? I’ve followed the original story step by step, so why has it still derailed!’

Mu Qian Tan said, ‘Let’s just watch and adapt. This side quest hasn’t ended yet. Maybe it’s just the process that’s a bit different.’

Li Biyuan said, ‘That’s all we can do. You need to keep a close eye on them. In the original story, one mantis nearly exhausted those two. With two now, it’ll be even harder to deal with. Don’t let anything happen to them for real.’

Mu Qian Tan made no comment.

The group raced onward toward the deep pool and finally broke through the forest after about the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, spotting a bright open area ahead.

Atop a cliff of moderate height, a waterfall like a white silk ribbon cascaded down with a roaring crash, smashing into a bottomless dark pool and churning up piles of white foam.

The pool was vast, its surface rippling outward from the base of the waterfall until they faded at the edges, leaving the water still and profound.

The increasingly furious mantises, unable to catch up, closed in on their heels, their sharp forelimbs whistling through the air as they prepared to shred them to pieces.

Faced with imminent crisis, and though the pool might harbor demons as well, they had no time to think further. They all plunged into the water and swam desperately toward the center.

The pool water was bitingly cold, making them shiver uncontrollably, their skin stung by ice spikes. Enduring the chill, the four swam far enough before looking back.

The mantises didn’t enter the water. Instead, they spread out along the shore, their antennae swaying front to back as they paced slowly. It seemed they planned to wait patiently for them to emerge from the cold, then strike.

Now soaked to the bone in the pool, their body heat steadily drained away. Given enough time, they’d cramp up or exhaust themselves and drown—not to mention whatever dangers lurked in those dark depths. They couldn’t afford to drag this out.

This had only delayed the attack temporarily, but it had backed them into a corner.

Li Biyuan said, ‘Hmm… are you going to reveal your identity now?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t think so. Head to the waterfall behind you. This kind of place is a classic hidden treasure spot in novels. Check behind it; there might be a way out.’

Mu Qian Tan turned to look at the waterfall.

Her wound, soaked in the cold water, had its blood vessels frozen, staunching the bleeding. Fu Li released her grip on it, her pale lips trembling as she snorted, “If I weren’t so badly injured, how could I end up being chased like this? I’d have subdued those two demon beasts long ago.”

Shang Shan said, “All talk. When they were chasing you earlier, were you injured then? You just weren’t a match for them.”

Fu Li snapped angrily, “You!”

“Shut up.” Mu Qian Tan finally spoke. “We’re in the middle of this, and you’re still bickering.”

The plot had already deviated, forcing her to intervene personally, which was annoying enough. She couldn’t ignore their constant quarreling anymore.

Shang Shan fell silent, half-submerging her face in the water and blowing bubbles.

Fu Li instinctively bristled at the rebuke, but she realized that though this woman was merely plain-looking and unremarkable in appearance, she possessed an extraordinary bearing—clearly no ordinary person. Having grown up in privilege and met many experts and heroes, Fu Li had a good eye for people.

But then she thought again: they were all in this trial, so the most noble among them would be young scions from major clans or sects. The strongest one—no, she hadn’t fought her head-on yet, so she couldn’t admit it—was currently soaking in the pool beside her, quite formidable. So who was this woman giving her such a strange feeling?

Mu Qian Tan ignored her thoughts and turned to the waterfall. “How about we check behind it? I’ve heard that waterfalls often have cavities behind them.”

Though puzzled by the suggestion, they were already in the water and couldn’t climb out now anyway. Without objection, they slowly swam over.

The closer they got, the louder the waterfall’s roar became, until they couldn’t even hear each other face-to-face. They fell silent. Upon reaching the base, the current pushed their bodies back, the massive force splashing water everywhere and forcing their eyes shut.

Qin He shouted, “We need to hold hands to get through!”

There were no footholds beneath their feet, and the waterfall’s impact was so strong it could knock someone out. If swept into the deep pool’s depths, it would be a matter of life and death. They had to link hands so that if anyone lost consciousness, the others could pull her back, maximizing everyone’s safety.

Qin He’s shout was infused with spiritual power, audible to the others.

Most of them weren’t close, so they hesitated at first. But with the terrifying waterfall right there, its force plain to see, even the boldest would lose half their courage.

Considering their own safety, they reluctantly joined hands.

“…” To avoid standing out, Mu Qian Tan didn’t refuse. True to her decisive nature, she didn’t hesitate either—directly grasping the left hand extended toward her, which wavered uncertainly.

Her first reaction was relief: no aversion, after all, it was just holding hands.

Immediately after came a clear sensation: softness.

It made sense. No matter how rowdy she was on a normal day—climbing mountains, diving into seas, biting recklessly—she was still just a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl, naturally soft.

As Mu Qian Tan gripped her hand, the other girl seemed to freeze for a moment before gripping back with slightly more force. Her five fingers left marks on the back of Mu Qian Tan’s hand, gripping hard as if afraid she’d be swept away by the water.

Normally, the girl’s palm would be scorching hot from her bloodline, but chilled by the pool, it was now as cold as ice, just like Mu Qian Tan’s own.

Yet two equally cold hands clasped together somehow felt warm to each other.

They gathered spiritual power above their heads and charged forward in one go.

A heavy pressure hit their heads for an instant, their ears ringing briefly. When they opened their eyes again, a pitch-black cave gaped in the cliff wall ahead, like a massive eyeball silently watching the newcomers.

There really was space behind the waterfall!

The cave interior was smooth and clean, with no stench of blood, suggesting no ferocious beasts lived there. It was perfect for resting. The four climbed ashore one by one.

Mu Qian Tan steadied herself in the cave. The other two were already inspecting the interior, but her hand was still tightly held. She said, “Let go already.”

Shang Shan snapped back to reality like from a dream and immediately flung her hand away. Cupping it to her chest without looking at Mu Qian Tan, she slipped off to the side.

The cave was deeper than expected. Qin He walked a few steps inward, but it was pitch black ahead, nothing visible. She drew her sword, its light illuminating a short stretch, but still no end in sight. She gave up and returned to the entrance.

Fresh from the pool, even with spiritual power protecting them, they shivered from the cold. Fortunately, there was some straw piled in the corner by the wall. They gathered it, laid it out, and lit it to warm themselves.

Shang Shan was about to eat her rations when Fu Li pulled out a cube-shaped object first. She flipped open the lid, shook it a few times to reignite the spark, and used it to light the straw pile. She added a few white stones, and the flames instantly swelled.

Shang Shan couldn’t help but ask, “What is that?”

Fu Li glanced at her sideways. “You’ve never even seen this? It’s an igniter and combustion stones.”

Shang Shan said, “It’s normal not to have seen it. I’ve seen things you haven’t.”

Sensing another argument brewing, Qin He intervened promptly. “Not now. Save your energy.”

After the chase and the swim, they were all worn out. No one spoke further as they sat around the fire, waiting for it to dry their clothes.

Mu Qian Tan happened to sit across from Fu Li. Glancing up inadvertently, she took in the sight. The girl’s pale golden hair spread a hazy glow in the firelight, like overexposure in a camera, framing her emerald eyes that sparkled like deep, crystalline gems.

Li Biyuan suddenly said, ‘I’ve thought this for a while: she looks like a foreigner.’

From head to toe, she wore all white robes cinched at the waist with a golden belt. Delicate white ankles bore circling silver chains. Her facial features were sharply defined—high brows, deep eyes—exuding an exotic wildness everywhere. Her long, narrow eyes made that green hue even more brilliantly luminous, echoing the ornament on her pointed forehead.

It was a beauty utterly different from the female protagonist’s. Even splattered with blood and dirt, she stood out strikingly, her style clashing with everyone else’s. Mu Qian Tan said, ‘Why can’t she be from an ethnic minority?’

Li Biyuan said, ‘Are there blonde ethnic minorities in the country?’

Mu Qian Tan said, ‘Yes.’

Li Biyuan said, ‘Really? But even if there are, they probably aren’t active in the Central Plains. She’s beautiful, sure, but seeing a blonde in a world of all black hair and eyes feels off.’

Mu Qian Tan said in exasperation, ‘We were just chased by two mantises, and you didn’t find that strange?’

After a long silence, Li Biyuan said, ‘Fair point.’

As their clothes gradually dried by the fire and warmth returned, Qin He relaxed a bit before furrowing her brow in thought about countermeasures. Along the way, she recalled what had sparked this mess—the Spotted Cicada King’s sudden death.

“It hadn’t started fighting over the hive yet when you woke us up, right?” Qin He asked, confirming her memory from that morning.

But before an answer came, she looked up involuntarily toward Shang Shan. The girl was hugging her knees, kneading her left hand nonstop, her eyes vacant, lost in thought.

Black hair clung to her neck and cheek, accentuating her warm, jade-like skin, with a faint flush behind her ear. Was she sick?