Chapter 94: Cefrola 10

It seems the sister she befriended today is still a rather poor one. From now on I'll have to look out for her more, so she won't get bullied.

"If you want to have feminine bearing," Qiu Yi slapped Ye Xi'an on the back and said, "Straighten your back first; when something happens you must not show fear, even if you're scared you can't let others see it."

"Our feminine conduct reflects the family's dignity; if you are assertive, even if other families are stronger, they'll have to think twice before moving against you."

"But if you haven't fought yet and show cowardice—trembling like a turtle hiding behind the males as you did before, or trying to run away—your family will be despised; any clan that sees you could step on your head."

Qiu Yi spoke from experience; she's walked this road all the way, and she wasn't born aloof, but after facing many situations, people naturally change.

"What if you don't dodge or run and get accidentally hurt?" she asked, but she has no special abilities to rely on, so she can only depend on Bao Jing and the others for protection or teleport away.

Qiu Yi squinted, pondering how to explain to Ye Xi'an, but after several attempts she still couldn't find the words: "Oh, it's not that you shouldn't dodge. When you avoid harm, you should show that you're using the males as shields, not hiding behind them for protection. Do you get it?"

"Um, what's the difference between the two?"

"Forget it, you're still young and don't understand what's normal; you'll get it eventually."

Qiu Yi raised her hand, glanced at the time, and said, "It's getting late, let's head back. Night is falling soon, and we don't know if new Mutant Vines will appear here."

"Back where?" Ye Xi'an's expression flickered with confusion—surely not back to Zhu Shen Xing, right?

"Of course back to Zhu Shen Xing. By the way, my key was swallowed by a Mutant Vine into its belly; I'll hitch a ride on your spatial gate in a moment."

Ye Xi'an suddenly thought of something: "You posted the mission to find help—was it to rescue someone, or because you can't return without a key?"

"Um…" Qiu Yi was a bit embarrassed: "Both, I guess—half and half. No more talk, let's go; something will definitely happen here tonight."

Without waiting for Ye Xi'an to reply, Qiu Yi began ordering her males to pack up. A few of the males glanced at the still‑hanging companion; the companion's face was completely pallid, showing a trace of remorse, yet they still obeyed Qiu Yi and withdrew their hands.

Ye Xi'an saw them truly preparing to leave and felt it still wouldn't work. After all, it was her careless acceptance of the mission that left no reinforcements; if they left now, Zi Zhen would be doomed.

"No, Qiu Yi, hold on, I think we can still…" try.

Unfortunately Ye Xi'an's words came too late; the moment the three lowered their hands, the unbound vines regained their vigor, frantically siphoning the beasts' internal energy. Soon, an empty piece of clothing fell from the air, clattered at Ye Xi'an's feet, still stained with dried blood.

The next second, the garment spontaneously ignited, turning to ash—Futu, the beastman beside Qiu Yi, used Fire System Ability, also ensuring Zi Zhen was completely taken care of.

Ye Xi'an's whole body went rigid, her gaze blank as she stared at the ash on the ground; the wind blew, scattering even the remaining cinders.

In just those two seconds, Ye Xi'an watched a flesh‑and‑blood beastman turn into dust and vanish before her eyes?

In an instant, she felt a bolt of lightning strike her Heavenly Spirit Cover, and she was completely incapacitated.

It's over—looks like I caused trouble again. How do these people just die so easily!

"Qiu Yi!"

Ye Xi'an called out to Qiu Yi; she now felt deeply guilty and wanted to confess everything to Qiu Yi. If Qiu Yi truly couldn't forgive her and prepared to act, she would teleport away with Bao Jing and the others.

"I have something to tell you."

"We'll talk when we get back; night is falling," Qiu Yi said. She's taken many missions and has encountered sudden mutations in planetary flora, fauna, or other creatures.

Mutations are unpredictable; no one knows what forms those organisms will take, and she dislikes fighting unprepared.

"Xiao Xi," Qiu Yi, walking ahead, let her sleek black waves bounce lightly, turned back with a charming smile, looked at Ye Xi'an, and, though her smile was faint, sincere, said, "You don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

"I don't mind."

"Then let's go."

Ye Xi'an hesitated; she had come to this planet and done nothing yet, and looked at Ji Jiangci: "Going or not?"

Ji Jiangci didn't want to leave; after all, he came to earn money and upgrade his abilities, and missing this opportunity after only an afternoon would be a loss.

Although they didn't spend any spatial fees, they wasted time.

"Don't be greedy, let's head back first," Lin Zhi Jing, who knows the horror of mutations better than anyone, said, noting that two high‑risk incidents had already occurred here and that any mutated plant could become these blood‑sucking vines.

"Yeah, dear," Yi Yang thought the place was too dangerous; if trouble arose and they couldn't protect the wife, it would be disastrous.

"Alright, let's go," they said, noting that even if the remaining green mountains weren't short of firewood, this trip wasn't a total loss—after all, they'd met a rich older sister.

Ye Xi'an made her decision, leaving Ji Jiangci with nothing more to say.

Just as the group was about to leave, two Mutant Vines, having finished digesting their recent meal, spotted other food nearby preparing to flee, so they uprooted their roots from the ground; the roots below, like octopus tentacles, flexibly surged toward Ye Xi'an and the others.

As the massive vines moved swiftly, the small stones on the surface trembled lightly, and a deafening sound of heaven and earth cracking echoed behind them.

Ye Xi'an felt the ground beneath her suddenly shake, as if some huge creature were running across the earth.

She whirled around, her pupils snapping shut—those two Mutant Vines were actually moving on their own, their sky‑blocking branches exuding an evil aura and a suffocating pressure as they rushed toward her.

The roots' surfaces were covered with dark‑red veins that pulsed like blood vessels, emitting a bizarre vitality.

When the vines drew near, a tentacle sliced down from mid‑air toward Ye Xi'an's face.

She instinctively stepped back, but the vines were faster; the roots flashed like black lightning, closing in on her head in an instant.

At that hair‑trigger moment, Bao Jing wrapped one hand around Ye Xi'an's waist, a pair of massive wings unfurled from behind him, angling sharply to dodge the vines' attack and soaring into the air; Bao Jing lowered his head and soothed, "Don't be afraid."