Chapter 39: Continuous Mishaps (Please Follow and Collect!)

The elixir Wang Jinglan took was probably not inferior; before long she finished her cultivation, and her spiritual power had recovered to about seventy or eighty percent.

Seeing his action, Yunhe also stood up, and Zhou Shouxin and the two others beside him did the same.

I trouble you four fellow Daoists.

Wang Jinglan appeared very courteous; after a slight bow, she said.

Fellow Daoist Wang, you're too courteous; I don't know what we should do next.

The spirit bee farmer named Chai Qinian hastily returned the salute and asked.

Yes, Fellow Daoist Wang, I observe this place; it doesn't seem to have any trace of spirit bees.

Another, somewhat older spirit bee farmer, Xue Fugui, couldn't help but speak up.

Regarding their questions and doubts, Wang Jinglan did not answer; after a slight nod, she turned to look at the silent Yunhe beside her.

Fellow Daoist Yun, what do you think?

Actually, during the journey just now, Wang Jinglan was not merely steering the green bamboo boat; she was also observing Yunhe and the three others on board.

For Yunhe, who diligently meditated and cultivated during the journey, she gave him more attention.

After all, no one looks down on diligent and hardworking people.

Me?

Yunhe startled.

He pursed his lips, clasped his fists, and said:

I also do not know.

A flicker of disappointment flashed in Wang Jinglan's eyes, but it quickly disappeared; she turned her head to look at Zhou Shouxin.

This time she didn't need to ask; Zhou Shouxin voluntarily said:

When Fellow Daoist Wang was meditating just now, I simply observed the surroundings.

After a brief pause, he continued to add:

This site faces south with its back to the north; the light is dim and the moisture relatively high, whereas spirit bees prefer light, yang, dryness and dislike dampness, making it unsuitable for nesting. Moreover, spirit bees need nectar, best from the yellow-leaf flower; when we arrived I saw some faint yellow flowers on the south-facing slope of the mountain. Thus I believe that if there truly is a spirit bee nest here, it should be on the other side of the mountain.

After hearing this, Wang Jinglan's eyes glimmered slightly.

Actually she knew there were no traces of spirit bees here, because this place deviated slightly from the location provided by the clan.

However, according to clan intelligence, the marked location might harbor a demonic beast; if they rashly landed and happened to encounter one, her insufficient spiritual power would be dangerous, so she landed on the other side of the mountain.

Moreover, through simple questioning and probing, she had already ranked the beekeeping abilities and knowledge of spirit bees of Yunhe, Zhou Shouxin and the two others in her mind.

After all, all four were introduced by Wang Steward; at the very least she needed to know whether they had ability and how much.

Wang Jinglan's expression remained unchanged; she gave a slight nod and said:

If that's the case, please trouble the four fellow Daoists to walk a bit further.

Having said that, with her sleeves fluttering, she landed before the four of them.

They proceeded along the mountain trail toward the other side of the mountain.

'Just walk like this?'

Yunhe, who was last, muttered inwardly.

'Is there no warning magical artifact, or any spirit talisman for monitoring the surroundings?'

Initially Yunhe saw Wang Jinglan's calm, composed demeanor and thought she must be experienced in the wild, but now seeing her.

'How come I feel she's a bit unreliable?'

On the way.

Zhou Shouxin continually displayed his knowledge of spirit bees, and the other two bee farmers, after overcoming their initial nervousness, also spoke freely.

For them, if they could gain the favor of this Fellow Daoist Wang and become hired beekeepers for the Wang Clan after returning, it would certainly be better than keeping bees on their own.

Yunhe also was not completely silent; he occasionally interjected a sentence or two, so as not to appear too aloof.

As they walked, they indeed found traces of bee activity.

'This flower has been pollinated; it is very likely the work of spirit bees.' Zhou Shouxin squatted before a wildflower and analyzed accordingly.

Excellent!

Wang Jinglan nodded satisfied.

'Huh?'

While the few people were gathered around a flower analyzing it, Yunhe gazed toward the woods to one side.

He immediately placed his hand discreetly on his waist.

The next moment.

Aoo!!

A commotion suddenly rang out, and a wild wolf about half a person's tall, covered in brown-gray fur, leapt out of the forest.

The sudden change caused the two bee farmers squatting on the ground to tense up.

Swish—

But before the wolf could approach, a flash of bright silver light flickered past; the wolf's ferocious expression froze on its face as it heavily collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

No problem.

Wang Jinglan's tone remained calm as she said to Yunhe and the three others.

Hum—

Then, as she spoke, a four-foot middle-grade magical artifact flying sword circled at her side.

Obviously, that wolf just now was directly slain by this flying sword.

And that wolf was not an ordinary beast; faint undulations of demonic power could be sensed on its body, though it had not reached first‑grade demonic beast level, yet among ordinary mountain beasts it was still a tyrant.

Wang Jinglan was not surprised by the two bee farmers' nervous reaction.

The spirit bee farmer has long resided in the Fang Market Safety Zone, inherently inept at combat and even lacking combat experience.

One can smash a wall of a thousand gold, yet cannot help but lose one's voice when breaking a cauldron; one can fight a fierce tiger, yet cannot help but change color at a swarm of bees.

Sudden situations always make people feel tense instinctively.

What's more, this is in these mountains and forests.

It was Yunhe's composure that made her involuntarily think more highly of him by a few points.

Of course, it was only a slight increase in estimation.

However, after dealing with that wild wolf, pairs of scarlet eyes appeared again in the shadows of the forest.

Wolf pack!

"Go!"

Wang Jinglan gave a light chuckle.

Driving Sword, light dance; the sword light was flustered.

For a moment, the wolf pack, awed by the danger of the flying sword, dared not act rashly.

"We're surrounded!"

After the initial fright, several people were no longer tense.

If a lone cultivator fell among the wolf pack, there might be danger, but with so many cultivators, they need not fear; the wolves are not demon beasts.

Zhou Shouxin produced a long saber that is a low-grade magical artifact, giving off a hint of the aura of brandishing a sword while mounted.

"Aoo—"

Suddenly, a long howl came.

The restless wolves around immediately became agitated.

Immediately afterward, it was as if they had received some command.

They began the surprise attack.

"It's the wolf king!"

Xue Fugui shouted instinctively.

But as soon as his words fell, Wang Jinglan leapt forward, quickly locking onto the wolf king's position by following the sound.

The wolf pack's wolf king was indeed a demon beast, but its cultivation base was not high, only an early-stage first-level demon beast; facing the oncoming Wang Jinglan, were it not for the wolf pack's protection and their desperate resistance, it likely could not endure even a breath.

Meanwhile, as Wang Jinglan directly approached the wolf king, the remaining wolves finally lunged at Yunhe and the others.

"Bang!!"

Zhou Shouxin took the lead, and with one saber strike cut the wild wolf in half.

Chai Qinian, Xue Fugui, and Yunhe also promptly cast spells; the wolves' assault posed no threat to them.

Once Wang Jinglan dealt with the wolf king, the wolf pack would naturally retreat.

"Aoo—"

As expected.

With a whimper from the wolf king, the wolves' blindly charging momentum stalled; full of apprehension, they glanced at Yunhe and the others before retreating.

Soon, Wang Jinglan returned, her clothes unstained by a trace of blood.

Her fair face slightly flushed, she panted lightly, appearing somewhat excited.

I suppose she has stayed too long in the Wang Clan Market, rarely having experience in outdoor combat.

After all, with her sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivation base, plus a high-quality medium-grade flying sword, dealing with an early-stage first-level wolf king still required that much time.

"Daoist Friend Wang's swordsmanship is superb!"

"Thanks to Daoist Friend Wang."

Xue Fugui and Chai Qinian immediately stepped forward to flatter.

"Daoist Friend Wang, we should leave."

Yunhe, however, stepped forward with a furrowed brow.

He interrupted their flattery.

Killing so many wild wolves, the bloody smell is now strong; adding to the previous commotion, do you really think the demon beasts in these mountains and forests feel nothing?

Hearing this, Wang Jinglan's expression turned solemn, and she nodded, saying: "Exactly!"

"Finding the beehive is urgent."

Although Xue Fugui and Chai Qinian were displeased at being interrupted by Yunhe, they did not dare oppose Wang Jinglan's meaning, and promptly responded.

Yunhe, however, let out a soft sigh in his heart.

"How sensitive demon beasts are to the smell of blood!"

Possessing a demon beast body, he knows best the reaction speed of demon beasts.

Even in places where odor spreads slowly underwater, demon beasts can react; let alone here in these mountains and forests.

"However, if it were a mid-stage first-level demon beast, with Wang Jinglan's cultivation base and magical artifact, she should be able to handle it, right?"

He immediately shouted:

"Daoist Friend Wang, southwest direction, be careful!"

No sooner had the words fallen.

"Hiss—"

Then a giant python half a zhang thick appeared, opening its foul-smelling huge mouth, shooting out from the dense forest at great speed!

"Clang!!"

Fortunately, with Yunhe's reminder, Wang Jinglan still reacted, her flying sword slightly blocking the python's mouth, quickly pulling back to create distance.

This shows she still has some combat awareness.

When fighting demonic beasts, you must keep your distance; otherwise, once a demonic beast gets close, with their powerful bodies, in the absence of any protective measures, even a Qi Refining cultivator might not be able to withstand a single blow.

The giant python was blocked, its ferocity intensified; after letting out a long roar, it lunged forward again.

Wang Jinglan's expression turned icy; she slapped her storage bag and formed a seal with one hand.

A bright silver small shield appeared before her, quickly expanding—a medium-grade defensive magical artifact, the Dark Silver Shield!

Bang!!

The giant python slammed its head into the shield, and the sound startled the birds in the forest into flight.

The sudden change left everyone unable to react.

When they came to their senses and felt the python's fierce demonic aura, their faces stiffened and beads of sweat appeared.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I, Zhou, will help you!"

Zhou Shouxin gritted his teeth and grabbed a low-grade magical artifact.

Yunhe flipped his palm, and the Golden Killing Sword flew out as well.

From the wolf pack, to the wolf king, to this mid-first-stage giant python, there are certainly more demonic beasts in these mountains; the bigger the commotion and the longer it lasts, the more likely we are to get stuck in a swamp of beast sieges.

Yunhe decided to help Wang Jinglan end the battle quickly, without revealing too many of his trump cards, to avoid complications.

Just that

"Boom—"

The ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled.

Yunhe's expression changed drastically; he immediately retreated.

Danger arises from within!

Bang!!!

"No—" Chai Qinian stared wide-eyed and cried out.

A foul-smelling mouth burst from the ground, biting him cleanly in two.

Immediately after, a black, chain-like tail shot up from the ground on the other side, its tip bearing a few golden threads, piercing Xue Fugui's chest.

What burst from the earth was, in fact, a giant scorpion!

Its stinger hung upside down, it stood on six legs, its pincers clanged, and its demonic aura ran rampant.

It lay across between Yunhe and Zhou Shouxin on one side and Wang Jinglan on the other.

A pair of pitch-black eyes fixed intently on Zhou Shouxin, who wielded a knife.

A late-first-stage demonic beast—the Golden Silk Black Carapace Scorpion!

"Damn it!"

Yunhe couldn't help but curse inwardly.

His Red Pattern Spirit Bees spread throughout the surroundings, giving him some advance warning of any movement.

Only the underground was neglected in his vigilance.

He immediately slapped a Swift Travel Talisman onto himself and turned to run.

This beehive—whoever wants to look for it, look for it!

(End of chapter)