Chapter 46: A Horde of Demons in Wild Dance 39

After leaving Green Mountain City, the three continued their journey toward Spirit Mountain.

Along the way, Shen Xiao became much more silent, often gazing into the distance lost in thought, making it impossible to discern what was on his mind.

Shi Xianyu’s mood gradually sank. As the saying goes, it's easy to go from simplicity to luxury, but hard to return to simplicity from luxury. At the Xu residence, there was food and drink aplenty, even bathwater was heated and delivered by servants. Now, once again traversing mountains and entering a period of hardship, the contrast was stark.

Lin Yuan noticed her gloominess, and from then on, every day when he went out to scout the road, he added a new task: finding places where Shi Xianyu could bathe.

On the fifth day after leaving Green Mountain City, the weather was especially hot. Shi Xianyu could smell the faint scent of sweat on herself and suspected that if she didn’t bathe soon, she might truly become a salted fish.

Dirty as she might be, it was hard to avoid such things while traveling. Yet the two men beside her remained fresh and clean, making her feel particularly... She had even sniffed Lin Yuan, who only carried the fragrance of grass and trees, with no trace of unpleasant odor.

She truly had to thank Shen Xiao for giving her the Hundred Spirit Fruit, which cleansed some of the accumulated impurities in her body. Otherwise, in this weather, not bathing for five days would have been impossible—she’d have soured in two or three.

Riding atop the sheep, Shi Xianyu stroked its thick neck wool, inwardly lamenting: what kind of world is this, even the sheep are cleaner than me.

Lin Yuan returned from afar carrying a large tree leaf, strode up to Shi Xianyu, and held the broad leaf to shield her from the sun. “There’s a waterfall ahead,” he said.

“Really?” Shi Xianyu’s spirits instantly rose. “It must be cool beneath the waterfall, I want to go!”

Shen Xiao gave a faint smile and said gently, “Traveling under the blazing sun is certainly taxing. Let’s rest beneath the waterfall for a while.”

With all three in agreement, they changed direction and headed toward the falls.

Shi Xianyu was full of excitement, repeatedly asking if the waterfall was far, if it was big, if she could bathe beneath it, if there were fish in the water, and if the fish could be eaten.

Lin Yuan replied: not far, big, yes, yes, must catch.

Shen Xiao was uninterested in such matters, observing their surroundings carefully and reminding them, “There’s something unusual here, likely some monster nearby. Be careful when you go.”

Shi Xianyu and Lin Yuan answered readily.

Upon arrival, Shi Xianyu found the waterfall not particularly high, but the water was abundant and the surroundings clean, which pleased her greatly.

She took out clean clothes from her bundle to prepare for a bath. Her original belongings had long since been burned, and this set of clothes was made anew for her by Lady Xu.

Lin Yuan went into the nearby woods and found a sturdy long branch, then returned, eyeing several black fish in the shallow water, hoping to catch some for Shi Xianyu to eat.

Seeing this, Shen Xiao knew their break would be lengthy and found a dry, flat spot. As usual, he built a fire for roasting fish later.

Smack!—

Not far away, Lin Yuan struck the water’s surface with his stick, sending up a spray of water.

But once the water calmed, not a single fish was in sight.

With Lin Yuan’s skill, such an outcome was rare. He frowned slightly, paced along the shore, and aimed at another spot with fish, raising his branch again.

But the moment he lifted it, the black fish darted away, vanishing instantly.

The fish here were unusually alert; without a net, they seemed nearly impossible to catch.

Standing by the bank, Lin Yuan felt troubled. If he couldn’t catch any fish, what would Shi Xianyu eat? While living at the Xu residence, she’d had two meals daily, snacks at noon, fruit in the afternoon, and sometimes flower tea at night—a rough count meant at least five meals a day.

She hadn’t eaten properly these past few days, and Lin Yuan truly worried she might starve.

He gripped the branch and pondered… Fish only hide in deep water. If he could strike harder, sending force through the surface to reach the depths, couldn’t he stun them?

With that thought, he turned back to the woods, fetched a thicker branch, and returned to the water’s edge—fish scattered, but Lin Yuan paid them no mind. He used all his strength, swinging the branch down onto the water.

Boom!

The splash soared nearly six meters high! The fish hiding deep were jolted by the force, flying into the air and raining down around them.

Shen Xiao watched the lively fish scattered about, curling his lips helplessly. “Come back, that’s enough.”

Lin Yuan’s expression remained stern, fixed on the unsettled water. “I can’t return yet.”

He sensed something beneath the surface, disturbed by his strike and now swimming toward the shore.

Shen Xiao noticed it too, but as the creature’s demonic aura was far less than Lin Yuan’s, his furrowed brow gradually eased, and he resumed his meditation.

Underwater, a black shadow slowly surfaced.

At first glance, it looked like a wooden bridge rising from below, but closer inspection revealed its true form—rough, hard scales, powerful limbs, vertical pupils, and a gaping maw aimed straight at Lin Yuan!

From its appearance alone, one could tell this monster possessed tremendous strength and a terrifying bite.

Lin Yuan leapt onto its back, gripping the branch and stabbing at its neck! The stick pierced through thick algae and mud, striking the impenetrable scales, and snapped instantly!

Displeased, Lin Yuan frowned, and as the water beast thrashed its tail, he jumped back onto the bank.

Shen Xiao drew the sword from his back and tossed it over. Lin Yuan caught it, and as the monster lunged with its jaws wide, he plunged the blade into its throat!

Twisting and thrusting deeper, he pierced the vital organs.

The water monster died instantly!

Lin Yuan deftly withdrew the sword, blood spurting forth, then went to the water’s edge to clean it before returning it to Shen Xiao.

Though the creature’s demonic aura was faint, its size was impressive. Lin Yuan took out a dagger, circled the beast, and found the scales on its back too hard to cut. He finally chose the leg, sliced off a piece of thigh, skinned and removed the sinews, cut it into chunks, and skewered them on branches to roast alongside the fish.

This dagger was, in fact, a gift from Shi Xianyu. He wasn’t sure what it was made of—less handy than his claws—but as his first present from her, he cherished it.

He wanted to give her something too, but what would be suitable?

Lin Yuan felt a pang of regret—he was indeed too careless, never having thought to prepare a gift for her. It was truly an oversight.

Just then, Shi Xianyu returned from her bath.

From afar, it was clear her steps were light, her mood excellent. Her long hair was still damp, cheeks rosy and healthy, and when she waved, her sleeve slipped to her shoulder, revealing snowy skin that flashed before his eyes—

“I heard a huge commotion—does that mean there’s fish to eat?” Shi Xianyu asked happily.

Lin Yuan smiled and nodded, raising his skewer. “Let’s marinate it, then roast it.”

Shi Xianyu stared at the meat in his hand, then glanced at the massive creature beside him and gasped in shock!

“Heavens.” She stared wide-eyed at the slain beast. “I was too far earlier to see clearly—I thought it was a log! What is that?... Is it a crocodile? Or a prehistoric giant crocodile?”