Adorable Creature Attacks!

Mo Bai did not expect Jia Qizhe to dodge the jade flute, he thought he would have at least tried to block it. He looked up and their eyes met, Jia Qizhe's eyes almost looked like they were smiling. He had fallen into a trap. Mo Bai brushed past Jia Qizhe and rushed to Gu Qingyu's room. When he opened the door, Mo Bai saw Gu Qingyu staring at the jade flute in her hand, completely stunned.

"...Yu'er." He called softly.

Gu Qingyu raised her head and handed him the jade flute. "Mo Bai, this should be yours, right?"

Mo Bai reached over and took it. "Yes, sorry, I didn't control the strength just now, I don't know why it suddenly took off." His voice was apologetic and tender.

"It's okay, just be careful next time." Gu Qingyu spread her hands as she dropped the subject. 

When Mo Bai took the jade flute, he saw the bloody cut on Gu Qingyu's palm.

"Yu'er, you have a scratch." It was a statement.

"It's just a small cut, it doesn't matter..." She clapped her hands nonchalantly to illustrate her point. But before she could even finish her sentence, Mo Bai grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. His slender fingers lightly touched the cut. The cut gradually closed without a trace. 

"It's amazing." She praised him sincerely. Mo Bai held onto her hand until the cut closed completely.  

"Go to bed." Mo Bai stroked Gu Qingyu's head and smiled lovingly. The glowing moon seemed to complement his gentleness, the light showered over him, and his hair shined with a silvery glow. 

She only came back to her senses when Mo Bai coughed slightly. She looked away, her cheeks had a light pink blush. "Yeah, I'm going to sleep, see you."

After Mo Bai left, Gu Qingyu had an intense urge to slap herself. 

I know he's really dreamy, but he was right in front of me! I was swooning over him right in front of his face! 

She sat on her bed with a 'plop', and looked up out of habit. Yan Zun was floating in the air, as usual. 

I have really gotten used to his ghost-like behaviour. This is really a terrible habit. 

She pouted as she slipped under the covers, pulled the blanket over her head, and soon fell asleep. 

 

The next morning

The sunlight happened to hit her right in the face. The bright light stung her eyes, and she squeezed her eyes shut again. She sat up, sorted out her clothes, and looked at herself in the mirror— My face is okay, and my clothes are clean. But there goes my hairstyle, after just one night of sleep. 

She fiddled and pulled her hair in all possible directions, but she could not style her hair in the same way that Jia Qizhe had done for her yesterday.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. Gu Qingyu answered without thinking, she shouted as her hands covered her hair, "Who is it?"

That person opened the door and entered her room. A blue robe, it was Jia Qizhe. She half-tumbled and half-darted to her bed and covered her head with the blanket. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to brush out your hair." Jia Qizhe laughed and walked over, his hand reached out and was about to pull away the blanket. 

She grabbed onto the blanket with her life. "Go away! Just go! I can do it myself!"

Miraculously, Jia Qizhe did not get upset. Instead, he grinned at Gu Qingyu. That smile distracted her. And in that moment, Jia Qizhe yanked away her blanket. Before she realised, she was already seated in front of a mirror. Jia Qizhe held a wooden comb in his hand and was slowly brushing out the knots and kinks in her hair. Gu Qingyu watched him blankly through the mirror, the sight made her heart pound against her ribcage.

The devious, proud, and incredible Hero Jia is brushing her hair! Her heart was about to stop. 

 

Once he was done styling her hair, Jia Qizhe looked at her reflection with satisfaction and nodded. "Hm, not bad. Time to get breakfast." Gu Qingyu got up and followed Jia Qizhe to the door. When she opened the door, she saw Mo Bai's hand was suspended in midair. Her hands turned clammy in an instant and she looked at Jia Qizhe, hoping he could offer some explanation. However, she underestimated Hero Jia. 

He did not explain anything. He shot her a flirtatious smirk instead, and stroked her head. "Let's go, breakfast is waiting."

Gu Qingyu was shocked. Mo Bai froze, his hands slowly lowered. "Yu'er, breakfast is ready."

He didn't say much, nor did he let Gu Qingyu explain. He was never someone that would seek out trouble anyway. Gu Qingyu nodded and fled out of her room, leaving Jia Qizhe and Mo Bai behind. 

 

Half an hour later, Jia Qizhe and Mo Bai entered the dining room together. Jia Qizhe rubbed his elbow while Mo Bai massaged a spot on his head. Gu Qingyu could tell that they fought, but she nodded. At least they did not go for the face this time.

She approached the duo and handed each of them a bottle of medicinal oil. Qi Wan and Qi Yichen looked at them with a surprised look. On the other hand, Xie Zang waved and beckoned Gu Qingyu. "Come here and eat, Kitten, or the food will go cold soon."

"Alright!" She stuffed the medicinal oil into their hands, gave them a look of 'I understand', and sat back into her seat. Jia Qizhe readily accepted the medicinal oil and tucked it into his sleeve. Mo Bai slipped the bottle into his sleeve as well. 

 

They resumed their journey after that meal.  Gu Qingyu kept a relaxing pace and asked, "Xie Zang, where are we going?"

"Scenic locations." Xie Zang smiled, his vague answer heightened the suspense. 

"So how long do we have to go?" Gu Qingyu asked curiously again.

"At this pace, about an hour more." Xie Zang replied as he nodded, he seemed to have his mind elsewhere. 

Gu Qingyu also nodded and took out a handful of sunflower seeds from her sleeve.

Everyone was speechless, even though they had somewhat gotten used to her snacking habits.

 

An hour later

Gu Qingyu grew skeptical at the sight of the wasteland before her. But when she thought about the events that happened yesterday, she was convinced that things were not as they looked on the surface. Xie Zang watched as the gears in Gu Qingyu's head turned, he couldn't help but smile and nod. "Just as expected, clever Kitten."

"What? what?" Qi Wan was beside Gu Qingyu, he leaned in to join the conversation. 

Gu Qingyu ignored Qi Wan and leaned into Xie Zang's side. "Where's the switch?"

Xie Zang laughed heartily at her question. "Who told you that there was a switch?"

"Huh? There's no switch?" Gu Qingyu could not believe her ears. 

Xie Zang scoffed, "Switches are far too simple and low-class for my liking."

He raised his hand, clapped twice and the ground beneath them began to shake. 

"Earthquake? Or..." Gu Qingyu immediately held onto Qi Wan and spoke with self-preservation as her top priority. "Qi Wan, my friend! I think if anything happens later, you should endeavor to save me at all costs! "

"Then what about me...?" Qi Wan swallowed weakly, and a giant hole opened up right below them. In an instant, Qi Wan threw out his ribbon, wrapped Gu Qingyu in a tight bundle and pulled her towards him. He held onto her tightly and both of them fell into the hole. They kept falling, and falling, and falling through the air, they had fallen into an abyss. Gu Qingyu squeezed her eyes shut as the wind rushed past them. In the darkness, Qi Wan whispered gently into her ear, "Boss, I'm here."

I know you're here, I know you would never leave me. 

 

When she opened her eyes again, Gu Qingyu realised that she was lying on something. Above them was a white and clean sky. The grass plains around them extended past the horizon. A castle stood in the middle of the plains, flowers and vines covered its walls. Gu Qingyu froze at the sudden change in scenery. She looked around her, everyone was gone. Something was moving behind her… 

She screamed and jumped up, that thing turned out to be Qi Wan. Qi Wan pushed himself up with one hand and rubbed his head with the other hand. "Dammit, that hurts."

"Well, thank you, knight in shining armour." She stretched out her hand. 

He grabbed her hand and pulled himself up, while muttering under his breath, "Knight in shining armour? More like a human cushion... Well, it takes someone extraordinary to protect you."

He turned around and exclaimed when he saw the castle in the distance, "This is the final destination for our sightseeing trip? Boss, do you know what's going on? Where's everyone else?"

Gu Qingyu smiled bitterly. "I don't know, I just woke up too."

"Let's go to the castle first!" Qi Wan removed the ribbons that tethered Gu Qingyu to him and smiled. "It's really solid."

"Yeah, I think we should remain tethered actually, or you won't even realise when you get lost." Gu Qingyu pulled the ribbon and began their walk. 

Qi Wan almost stumbled. "Boss, slow down! You think you're walking a dog?"

"So you figured it out?" Gu Qingyu looked at Qi Wan in surprise, "That's clever."

Qi Wan kept his mouth shut. I have nothing to say at this point.

"Okay, let's go!" Gu Qingyu pulled the ribbon again and walked forward.

Qi Wan struggled to keep up. "Slow down, slow down!"

 

Halfway to the castle, the ground beneath them shook again.

"Is it going to collapse again?" Gu Qingyu grabbed the ribbon nervously. 

"This doesn't feel like the frequency just now..." The two of them huddled together. "It seems that there is something coming up..." As he finished his sentence, a huge flower burst out of the ground. Its petals opened, grabbed Qi Wan and threw him into the air. Qi Wan immediately pulled out a sword and sliced the ribbon between the two of them, allowing Gu Qingyu to escape.

"Piranha plants?" Gu Qingyu yelled as she stared at the sentient plant. At full height, it stood close to 6 meters tall. "Qi Wan! Are you ok?"

"Run, Boss! To the castle!" Qi Wan's voice was muffled and broken up, he sounded strained. 

"Bullshit! How can I leave you!" Gu Qingyu immediately waved her hand, and the Soul Chain appeared, circling her. 

"Soul Nails!" Gu Qingyu clenched her teeth and summoned that weapon. A few nails appeared in her hand.

Gu Qingyu tossed the Soul Chain, and the chain stabbed into one of the Piranha plants' vines.

Without hesitation, she stepped on the chain and ran all the way up. Using her cat demon powers, she avoided any attack from the man-eating flower. When she got closer, Yan Zun possessed her body, she leaped up and landed on the flower. 

She chanted a spell and the Soul Chain quickly ensnared the piranha plant. She threw the Soul Nails into the flower, and at the moment, a huge, dark purple hexagram pattern appeared at the foot of the piranha plant. Gu Qingyu's fiery red robe danced around her as the spell activated. A few big black hands appeared in the six-pointed star, it grabbed and dragged the piranha plant straight to hell. The piranha plant wailed and spat out Qi Wan. Qi Wan watched in a complete daze and was about to be trapped by the spell as well.

"Stop watching! You're going to die!" Gu Qingyu yelled angrily, the chain in her hand stretched out, wrapped around Qi Wan, and helped him land safely to the ground. 

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I guess that means the leisure sightseeing detour has ended, just why would Xie Zang do this?  Meanwhile, the conflict between Jia Qizhe and Mo Bai has worsened, just what does that mean for the team as a whole? Also, shoutout to cowbun for the lovely comments. I see them and I'm very touched, thank you!