Chapter 103: The Ancestor’s Belated Rebellious Phase (30)

Ling Qiong’s dagger proved very effective, quickly leading them to a way out. The vines pursued from behind, keeping their distance for fear of being struck by the dagger. Although the vines dared not act rashly at the moment, another problem arose. It seemed they were endlessly circling, unable to find an exit. Every direction looked exactly the same. Ling Qiong stopped, leaning against a tree trunk, puffing out her cheeks as she blew air. “I’m not moving anymore, I’m exhausted.”

Lou Xingluo glanced back at the vines still trailing them, poised to attack at any moment, and said, “There must be a formation here trapping us.” Ling Qiong found a clean spot to sit and agreed with Lou Xingluo’s conclusion. “On this continent, formations generally serve one of three main purposes aside from teleportation: defense, offense, and concealment. But it seems all three are present here...” Suddenly, Ling Qiong asked, “Are you knowledgeable about formations?”

Lou Xingluo’s train of thought was interrupted. “I’ve studied them a little.” Ling Qiong pressed, “Can you use them?” Lou Xingluo was puzzled but answered, “I know a bit.” A faint smile played at Ling Qiong’s lips as she cupped her face with both hands, eyes shining with delight. “That’s wonderful.” Lou Xingluo was completely baffled by her intentions but decided to set it aside and focus on finding a way out.

“To escape, we must break the formation. The best way is to find its core.” “Then let’s find it,” Ling Qiong said. Lou Xingluo shook his head, “It’s not that simple. Look around.” The entire forest was shrouded in identical vines, masking the whole area. Now that he thought about it, the cocoons they saw at the entrance were strange too. They could see them when they entered, but after the vines attacked, the cocoons disappeared. It seemed they were deliberately lured inside.

Ling Qiong had guessed she might cross paths with the male lead, Yan Weishan, again, but she hadn’t expected it so soon. After Lou Xingluo suggested searching for the formation’s core, Ling Qiong revisited the card she had drawn. She noticed, among the lush, vibrant vines, a small, unremarkable, withered yellow grass on the ground. While all other plants flourished, this one seemed oddly out of place.

Since something was suspicious, they decided to investigate. When she found the grass, Yan Weishan suddenly appeared, aiming for the same plant as Ling Qiong. “Watch out!” Lou Xingluo leapt forward, shielding Yan Weishan. Yan Weishan struck at Ling Qiong’s direction with a palm, forcing the three to scatter. Ling Qiong spun down just as the vines rushed in. Swish, swish, swish—the cold gleam of her dagger flashed, and the dying vines fell away.

The vines retreated swiftly, vanishing back into the dense thicket. The withered yellow grass stood silently beneath the flourishing leaves. “What are you doing here?” Yan Weishan’s gaze lingered on the dagger in Ling Qiong’s hand before shifting to Lou Xingluo standing nearby. Clearly, Lou Xingluo held little interest for him, and his eyes soon returned to Ling Qiong.

Yan Weishan had heard from Ling Qiong about the possibility of resurrection but did not fully believe it. He had researched extensively, though the available information was incomplete. Still, some of the records aligned with what she said. Regardless of truth, he had to try. Yet now she appeared here...

Ling Qiong pressed the dagger’s tip with her finger and glanced sideways at him. “Why, Immortal Weishan, aren’t you working hard to save your disciple? What are you doing here? Is your precious disciple no longer important?” Yan Weishan narrowed his eyes and pointed at the withered grass. “Don’t you know what this is?”

Ling Qiong’s eyes flicked, and she straightened confidently. “Of course I know.” “What is it?” “It’s—” she blurted the name on the card, “Jade River.” At first, she was just bluffing... Wait. Jade River? Jade... grass! Damn it, wasn’t this the very thing she had previously faked to get Yan Weishan to search for, the key to reviving the female lead? She had skimmed through some books at Yuelu Manor, full of strange names. Back then, she randomly picked some grand-sounding ones to fool him. Who could have expected this would lead to a collision here?

Her predicament deepened. Ling Qiong’s eyes darted twice before suddenly pointing behind Yan Weishan. “What’s that?” The place was unsafe; Yan Weishan instinctively looked back. Just as his head turned, he realized something was wrong and quickly swiveled back. Ling Qiong already held the small grass, retreating to a safe distance. Yan Weishan’s face darkened instantly. “You want to...” His body trembled. A shaking sensation radiated from the ground. The vines, like a receding tide, withdrew, revealing the forest’s true form. Something moved beneath the earth.

Ling Qiong took two steps toward Lou Xingluo but before grabbing him, her foot suddenly gave way. Darkness swallowed her whole. She could only feel the rushing wind against her face as she fell.

Suddenly, Ling Qiong’s wrist tightened, and she was caught in someone’s arms, a hurried heartbeat thumping in her ear. She looked up but could see nothing in the darkness. “Lou Xingluo.” “I’m here.” Ling Qiong exhaled, clutching Lou Xingluo’s waist. The next moment, they landed on the ground. Lou Xingluo was beneath her; she was unharmed.

“Cough, cough...” Ling Qiong covered her mouth and nose, coughing as dust choked her. A heavy thud nearby indicated Yan Weishan had also fallen. Holding her breath, Ling Qiong quickly pulled the little one closer. Lou Xingluo was bewildered by the sudden tug but eventually propped himself up. “Are you hurt?” “No.”

Voices echoed in this place, suggesting a spacious area. A firelight gradually brightened. Lou Xingluo held a lit tinderbox, illuminating their surroundings faintly; the darkness still obscured everything else. Yan Weishan stood not far away, his usually handsome face now clouded with gloom. “Yueluo Zhu, what are you trying to do?” She had suddenly appeared here and was competing with him for the Jade River. Who would believe this was a coincidence? He was sure she had told him about it...

Ling Qiong’s tone was innocent. “Come on, be reasonable. Even if you pulled the grass first, we would have fallen anyway.” How was she supposed to know there was a trap? Had she known, would she have touched it? Yan Weishan was speechless. Pulling grass? Jade River? That was... Yan Weishan’s expression changed repeatedly. “What do you want the Jade River for?” Ling Qiong answered softly, “I just want to leave... that’s all.” Her plain and simple reason left Yan Weishan momentarily speechless. Though he thought Ling Qiong’s method of uprooting the Jade River was reckless, he could not deny it was likely the culprit behind their current predicament.

—End of chapter—

Ling Qiong: The male lead came to send me money, throwing flowers~~

Little Fairy: The darling sent me tickets, throwing flowers~~