392 Snow Velvet Flower
Jiang Huai ultimately didn’t let Su Qingyi have her way.
The fox girl below, failing in her attempt to act shamelessly, finally pinched Jiang Huai’s cheek with her slender fingers in frustration. Jiang Huai closed his eyes, preparing to fall into a deep sleep, but then felt a slight tickle on his cheek.
It was Su Qingyi, gently brushing her tail back and forth across his cheek. Jiang Huai didn’t dislike the feeling; instead, he found it quite comfortable. Gradually, he drifted into a deep sleep, falling into a dreamland.
Once Jiang Huai was fast asleep, Su Qingyi slowly leaned down, her delicate pink lips getting closer and closer. Watching Jiang Huai’s slightly trembling eyelashes with each breath, a cunning smile curved her lips.
But just as she was about to touch his lips, Su Qingyi suddenly froze for a moment.
A moment later, she stood up again, leaning against the cold stone wall. The desire to kiss Jiang Huai vanished completely at that instant.
She turned her head, gazing out at the ink-black darkness beyond the cave. Gradually, she became lost in thought, her long eyelashes slowly drooping.
…
Rain fell on the mountains, and the forest was shrouded in mist.
When Jiang Huai woke up, the outside of the cave was enveloped in a thick fog, making the world seem sluggish. The cave was slightly chilly, but the fox girl’s tail was warm.
He suddenly sat up from Su Qingyi’s lap. Su Qingyi was looking at the mist outside the cave, her profile cold and beautiful, as white and lustrous as warm jade. Noticing Jiang Huai getting up, she turned back. “Let’s wait for the fog to dissipate before we go exploring. The dense fog makes it much more dangerous than usual.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Huai took out some food he had prepared earlier and set up a small pot to start cooking. Before cooking, he glanced at Su Qingyi and asked if she wanted to eat some too. Su Qingyi gently shook her head, so he sat by the pot alone, busy with his cooking for a while. Gradually, a fragrant aroma filled the entire cave. Su Qingyi looked at the stewed chicken and mushrooms in the pot, her small, delicate nose twitching slightly.
Jiang Huai stewed a whole chicken and ate it heartily with the rich chicken soup. Su Qingyi watched him with longing eyes nearby, not saying a word, just staring at him intently. It wasn’t until Jiang Huai picked up his chopsticks, scooped a bite, and brought it to her lips that her eyes suddenly brightened, and she took a bite.
Then Jiang Huai shared a pair of chopsticks with her, and the two of them ate all the chicken and mushrooms in the pot, not even leaving a drop of soup.
…
After the fog cleared, the sky was overcast, and the two continued exploring the secret realm for the entire day. Today, Su Qingyi had killed two ferocious beasts at the tenth level of Void Refinement, and during the battles, she had managed to master the fifth level of the Overlord Art. By the time night fell, they still hadn’t found the Snow Velvet Flower.
Su Qingyi had also not received any messages from the fox girls, which meant that no one had encountered it yet.
Returning to the cave, Jiang Huai was slicing thinly cut beef. He stared blankly at the鸳鸯 pot simmering. Su Qingyi was also lost in thought, but when she came back to her senses and looked at Jiang Huai, the light in her eyes couldn’t help but prompt her to ask softly, “There are only two days left, and we still haven’t found the Snow Velvet Flower. Aren’t you even a little worried?”
“Worrying is useless,” Jiang Huai said with a helpless smile. He picked up two small bowls, prepared the dipping sauces, gave one to Su Qingyi, and coincidentally cooked a slice of beef for her, placing it in her bowl. He then said, “There’s no point in rushing, no need to be anxious.”
Su Qingyi was momentarily speechless. She realized that this was clearly something Jiang Huai was looking for, yet she was more anxious than him at the moment. But perhaps Jiang Huai’s unhurried demeanor had a strange infectious quality. She picked up the slice of beef with her chopsticks and brought it to her lips.
The snowflake-shaped beef seemed to melt in her mouth, tender with a faint milky fragrance. Jiang Huai had dipped it in the clear broth, and the light sweetness and the aroma of the grease mingled in her mouth. She tilted her head slightly, looking at Jiang Huai. “Is all Human Clan cooking this delicious?”
“Not all of it, but my cooking is very delicious.”
Jiang Huai’s tone was somewhat proud. He placed the stacks of sliced ingredients aside and began to explain the cooking times to Su Qingyi. Su Qingyi listened quietly. It started raining again outside the cave, and the two of them kept cooking meat slices in the cave, occasionally chatting about random things, until Su Qingyi suddenly realized in a moment that the atmosphere was truly warm and cozy.
In the past, she had explored many Monster Clan secret realms, each time with her nerves on edge, as if every gust of wind and every blade of grass was an enemy. But now, being with Jiang Huai, this inexplicably harmonious and warm atmosphere made her instinctively indulge. Her tense nerves had relaxed at some unknown point, and this inexplicable sense of ease made her particularly awkward.
She shouldn’t… indulge like this.
Once she relaxed, once she started to crave the current lazy comfort, she would begin to feel unwilling, to suffer. Last night, the moment she prepared to secretly kiss Jiang Huai, she had suddenly realized this problem.
Su Qingyi shook her head, trying to clear her mind, but Jiang Huai was still putting food into her bowl.
“The shrimp paste is ready, eat it before it gets tough.”
She angrily picked up a piece of shrimp paste and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks bulging again. The fox tail behind her was held high, swaying unconsciously, and her snow-white fox ears twitched along. She seemed to be in a good mood until Jiang Huai spoke, “Oh, right, tomorrow I plan to go to the third area by myself.”
Su Qingyi was stunned and suddenly looked up at Jiang Huai in front of her. But Jiang Huai said it so naturally that she looked at him in confusion. “Why alone?”
“After all, it’s something I’m looking for myself, and it’s not good to put you in danger with me.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble yourself?”
“I have escape methods. My Sword Spirit is very powerful.”
The Yening Sword Spirit had accumulated a lot of power. Before leaving Tian Xuan Sect, Jiang Huai had used a Spirit Gathering Array to accumulate a lot of power for the Yening Sword. Although he couldn’t use this power himself, it was easy for the Yening Sword Spirit to carry him away. If necessary, he could hide inside the sword. Ferocious Beasts within the Seventh Realm wouldn’t be able to break the Yening Sword.
“I’m going too.”
“You are not allowed to go.”
“I am going.” Su Qingyi’s eyes once again turned cold and aloof. “Since Mother agreed to that friend to protect you in the secret realm, guarding by your side is my duty. If I let you go into danger alone, wouldn’t our Fox Clan be breaking our promise to that Senior?”
Jiang Huai was momentarily speechless and couldn’t find a way to refute Su Qingyi’s words. He finally sighed helplessly, looking at her stubborn eyes. “Alright, then if we encounter danger, we’ll flee immediately. The Snow Velvet Flower isn’t that important, no need to be so insistent.”
“What’s important to you then?”
Jiang Huai scratched his head, not knowing how to answer for a moment.
“In any case, you are definitely much more important than that Snow Velvet Flower.”
…
The next day, early morning, the fourth day in the Fan Hua Secret Realm.
“Where do you want to go?”
Su Qingyi behind him opened her eyes, lifted the quilt, her voice clear and cold.
Jiang Huai turned his head with a bitter expression. “When did you wake up?”
“I’ve always slept lightly, waking up at the slightest disturbance.”
“Okay, then… shall we set off?”
“Okay.” Su Qingyi nodded gently.
…
Sunlight shone, and all things revealed themselves.
Upon arriving in the third area, Jiang Huai and Su Qingyi’s actions became extremely cautious. The previous day they would still talk in low voices, but today they both fell silent. The third area was filled with ferocious beasts at or above the Seventh Realm. The two had to conceal their presence to the extreme to avoid becoming lunch for these ferocious beasts.
The entire third area was not large, divided into four territories, each ruled by a Demonic Beast at the fifth level of the Seventh Realm or higher. The Snow Velvet Flower preferred to grow in shaded, dark places. Therefore, Jiang Huai and Su Qingyi cautiously searched along the terrain. They finally arrived at a deep cave. On the stone wall in front of the deep cave, Jiang Huai saw a Snow Velvet Flower that had been growing for about a few years.
This was undoubtedly good news. Jiang Huai needed a Snow Velvet Flower that was over five hundred years old. Since there was one outside this cave, it was highly likely there was one inside. Both of their expressions lit up with joy. Before preparing to enter the cave, Jiang Huai pinched a talisman and released two Spirit Vision Birds. The Spirit Vision Birds were connected to his soul. After flying into the cave, they quickly saw many pairs of deep eyes inside.
Jiang Huai’s skin instantly crawled. He grabbed Su Qingyi’s hand and shared his vision with her through his soul. The cave was currently filled with a dense host of sleeping spiders. Many corpses of Demonic Beasts were wrapped around the spiderwebs, and beneath the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider hanging upside down on the spiderweb, a faintly glowing Snow Velvet Flower was growing.
The patterns on the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider were intricate. Jiang Huai counted them one by one. Clearly, its cultivation level was at the fourth level of the Seventh Realm. Jiang Huai glanced at Su Qingyi, and Su Qingyi glanced back at him.
Fourth level of the Seventh Realm. This was clearly the best news. If the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider’s cultivation level were any higher, the two of them would have to give up. After a look at each other, the two moved, and a moment later, they both entered the cave. Although they had tried their best to minimize the noise, landing almost silently, in an instant, the dense spiders in the cave crawled towards them. The Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider hanging upside down on the spiderweb now had its eight emerald eyes light up, flying towards them.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Qingyi fully activated her cultivation, her sword blade glowing. The Dao inscriptions carved on the blade lit up. This was a life-saving technique left to her by her mother. The light of her sword illuminated almost the entire stone cave. Countless spiders were severed, and emerald blood splattered on the ground. Her target was the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider, but unexpectedly, the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider easily leaped and dodged the sword. It was clearly maxed out in agility.
At the moment Su Qingyi drew her sword, Jiang Huai had already gripped the Yening Sword tightly.
Jiang Huai possessed ample experience in challenging opponents above his level. His only creed was never to delay. If a matter could be resolved with one sword strike, he would avoid a second.
He activated all his Experience Scrolls, and his cultivation level instantly rose to the second level of Void Refinement. The Mirror Flower was activated in an instant. Within the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider’s perception, it was as if the world suddenly froze for a brief moment. When it regained consciousness, Jiang Huai had already swung his sword at its abdomen.
In this sword strike, Jiang Huai gathered all his Spiritual Qi and pushed Water Moon to its limit. In a battle to the death, a slight difference in thought could lead to vastly different outcomes. Jiang Huai dared not be the slightest bit negligent or overconfident.
Emerald blood splattered. In an instant, Jiang Huai shook the blood off his sword tip. Some of the splattered blood inevitably landed on his clothes, burning small holes in them. And at that moment, the Emerald-eyed Demonic Spider fell to the ground, lifeless.
Seeing this, Su Qingyi instantly went to where the Snow Velvet Flower bloomed and plucked that flower, putting it away. She then looked at Jiang Huai beside her, grabbed his shoulder, and leaped up. Just as she was about to carry him out of the cave, a spiderweb descended from the sky.
