Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Wen Qiao was thrilled to see Ning Yuzhou unscathed.

She rustled her leaves gently, examining him carefully from head to toe. He seemed to be in perfect condition with all his limbs intact. Apparently, the monster beast hadn't harmed him.

Just as she was rejoicing, Wen Qiao noticed Ning Yuzhou glance at the cavern and then walk straight towards her direction.

Her swaying leaves froze abruptly.

She "watched" as Ning Yuzhou approached a cluster of weeds by the side, then peered down at them from above.

Amidst the weeds, Wen Qiao was momentarily at a loss for how to react.

She was delighted to encounter Ning Yuzhou here. If she were in her human form, she would have immediately followed him to continue their cultivation journey in the Scale Platform Hunting Valley. In fact, she was glad to have come to the valley and have him as her companion, even if this unexpected transformation had occurred. She didn't regret it at all.

But now, she was in her monster form, and to cultivators, she was nothing but a vulnerable little sapling!

As a tiny, motionless, and voiceless sprout, how could Wen Qiao possibly tell Ning Yuzhou that this sapling was actually her?

And could she even tell him?

If not for her own experience of awakening, death, and transformation, Wen Qiao would never have known that a living person could become a plant seedling, that such a miraculous bloodline existed in this world. No matter how imaginative one was, they wouldn't associate a tiny sprout with a living being.

Those possessing such extraordinary bloodlines were exceedingly rare and precious. Wen Qiao had no idea what consequences would arise if news of her possessing one got out. This was why, after her awakening as a half-demon, she had carefully concealed it, not even daring to confide in Lian Yue.

As Wen Qiao was lost in thought, Ning Yuzhou crouched down, drawing closer to her.

Ning Yuzhou's proximity left Wen Qiao holding her breath, her leaves stiffening as if frozen, not even fluttering in the breeze.

Ning Yuzhou's actions left the accompanying Hidden Scale Guards utterly perplexed.

Their mission was to search for Wen Qiao's remains.

These past few days, they had been rushing through the journey, as the environment in this subterranean space was just as labyrinthine and changeable as the maze above. One misstep could lead them astray, causing them to take detours and encounter fellow cultivators who had also tumbled down from the maze above.

Unlike those seekers of treasures, Ning Yuzhou had a clear objective. He didn't pause even when encountering high-grade spiritual herbs, passing by them as if they were insignificant. Yet, after arriving here, he suddenly changed his nonchalant attitude, dashing straight for a clump of weeds in the corner. Now, he was crouching before that very patch, seemingly inspecting something intently.

Could there be some exceptionally valuable spiritual herb hidden there?

Given his focused gaze, Qianhu also dared not disturb him.

After a moment of turmoil, Wen Qiao quickly found solace.

For even though she was now a tiny, vulnerable, and helpless sprout, unable to move or speak, let alone do anything, there was no point in worrying so much.

With her thoughts cleared, Wen Qiao finally had the presence of mind to observe Ning Yuzhou. As she did, she couldn't help but be taken aback.

Ning Yuzhou was very close to her. At that moment, his expression was subdued, his handsome features devoid of the gentle warmth that Wen Qiao was accustomed to, replaced instead by a hint of aloofness and coldness.

In her memories, Ning Yuzhou was refined, courteous, and considerate, like a gentle breeze on a spring day. All the finest qualities of a man could be attributed to him, making him the perfect, caring husband in her eyes.

Despite having discovered during their time in the Lintai Hunting Valley that Ning Yuzhou was not the good-for-nothing he appeared to be, but rather a man of hidden depths and extraordinary wit, this did not diminish her admiration. In her heart, he remained an exceptional man.

Yet, at this moment, the expression on his face was so unfamiliar that it left her hesitating, wondering if this person was truly Ning Yuzhou.

As Wen Qiao's doubts grew, Ning Yuzhou reached out to her, his fingertip gliding across her leaf.

Unable to resist, Wen Qiao trembled, and the entire Miao Miao plant seemed to wilt.

With so many weeds around, why did he only touch her? Could it be that her demonic body was indeed some rare and precious spirit herb that he could identify at first sight?

Recalling how Ning Yuzhou had recognized the Youth-Preserving Flower the moment it emerged from the soil, Wen Qiao had reason to suspect this.

Ning Yuzhou gazed silently at the quivering young sprout in his hand before suddenly retrieving a jade spade from his storage bag.

Wen Qiao's leaves trembled uncontrollably as she stared at him in shock.

Ning Yuzhou could actually use a storage bag! That was an item exclusive to cultivators. Mortals without spiritual energy couldn't open a storage bag, let alone use its contents.

Wasn't Ning Yuzhou an ordinary mortal who couldn't cultivate?

He had somehow become a cultivator!

So stunned was Wen Qiao by Ning Yuzhou's sudden transformation that when she regained her senses, she realized he was using that jade spade to dig her up.

She had avoided being dug up as a spirit herb by Wen Xian and company earlier, but now it was her own husband digging her up like one.

Wen Qiao felt utterly uneasy.

Could it be that Ning Yuzhou had truly discovered that her demonic body was an incredibly precious spirit herb?

The hidden demon rabbit was in the same predicament.

The rabbit was severely injured and wasn't in a condition to fight. Witnessing the little sprout it protected being uprooted, it could no longer contain itself and leaped out from its hiding place.

Wen Qiao was intimately familiar with the demon rabbit's aura—after all, she had been licked by it so many times. Upon sensing its charge, she instantly recognized it and grew anxious, fearing that the rabbit might attack Ning Yuzhou. The entire plant trembled, attempting to warn him to be cautious.

The demon rabbit moved swiftly towards Ning Yuzhou.

However, due to its injuries, its speed was slightly slower than its peak condition. It was promptly intercepted by Quanshu, who was on high alert nearby.

Quanshu slashed his sword, sending the white figure pouncing at Ning Yuzhou flying. As the white figure crashed into the mountain wall and tumbled down, he couldn't help but freeze in astonishment upon recognizing its appearance.

A demon rabbit?

In the cultivation world, rabbits were typically considered low-level demon beasts, possessing low bloodline ranks and minimal lethality. Even with the nourishment of heaven-defying treasures, their bloodline ranks couldn't achieve significant breakthroughs, rendering them insignificant to cultivators.

But this particular demon rabbit...

Quanshuo clearly sensed the intense malevolence emanating from the demonic rabbit, its blood-stained red eyes glaring at them with an eerie chill. Instinctively, he felt a sense of danger. Fortunately, it was severely injured, significantly weakening its power and combat effectiveness.

Nonetheless, Quanshuo remained vigilant, holding his sword horizontally in front of him to guard against any further ambushes from the demonic rabbit.

Realizing it was no match for Quanshuo, the rabbit, furious that the little sprout it had been protecting had been taken away, stomped its feet and let out a menacing hiss at Ning Yuzhou.

Ning Yuzhou remained unperturbed, carefully digging up the small sprout with its surrounding soil and planting it in a white jade flower pot.

Wen Qiao looked from Ning Yuzhou to the demonic rabbit that had risked its life to protect her, feeling a strange sense of gratitude.

This companion beast was indeed quite diligent in its role.

After transplanting the little sprout into the flower pot, Ning Yuzhou stood up and coldly regarded the hopping demonic rabbit.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a pill bottle, poured out a thumb-sized spirit pill, and a fragrance of the pill permeated the air.

The enraged rabbit paused in its actions, its red eyes fixated on the spirit pill in Ning Yuzhou's hand. Its three-leaf mouth slightly parted, drool dripping down, a sight that made Wen Qiao avert her gaze in discomfort.

The demonic rabbit found itself in a dilemma.

On one side was its beloved Miao Miao, and on the other, the enticing spiritual pill. How was it to choose?

Ning Yuzhou smiled slightly and tucked the pill away. He said nonchalantly, "I remember you. In the maze above, it was you who injured Ah Chuo."

The demon rabbit stared at him with its innocent red eyes, as if it had no idea what he was talking about.

"Ning Yuzhou, where's Ah Chuo's storage bag?" Ning Yuzhou asked.

The demon rabbit continued to look at him pitifully and innocently.

Ning Yuzhou remained unmoved and spoke calmly, "My sense of smell has always been extraordinary. When I entered this place, I detected the lingering scent of a medicinal pill in the air, one that was refined by a Ning Clan alchemist."

Upon hearing this, Qianshous finally understood.

So His Highness had come here due to the scent of the spiritual pill. As for the spirit plant Ning Yuzhou had transplanted into the flower pot, it was likely some kind of spirit herb, and a high-grade one at that, considering it was guarded by a powerful beast.

The demon rabbit started to panic. It was severely injured and couldn't defeat these cultivators. Now, not only had its little Miao Miao been taken away, but it was also being forced to give up its spiritual pill?

Unfortunately, circumstances were stronger than the rabbit. Reluctantly, the demon rabbit dragged out its hidden storage bag when faced with the threat to its life.

At first glance, Qian Shou recognized that this was indeed Wen Qiao's storage bag.

With this realization, he also understood that it was this demonic rabbit who had taken away Wen Qiao's corpse on that fateful day. Back then, the rabbit hadn't been injured and moved at an incredible speed. Under such velocity, Qian Shou could only discern that it was a rabbit-like demonic beast, hence he couldn't be entirely sure.

After all, in the Holy Martial Continent's "Compendium of Demonic Beasts," there were no rabbit-type beasts as powerful as this one, capable of snatching a corpse right before his eyes.

The storage bag was stained with blood, its seals having been released due to the owner's demise, making it appear filthy.

Qian Shou took the storage bag from the reluctant gaze of the demonic rabbit and presented it to Ning Yuzhou.

Ning Yuzhou didn't mind its dirtiness as he received it, holding it in his hand and studying it with an enigmatic expression. This left Wen Qiao puzzled, unsure of what was going on with him.

After a moment, Ning Yuzhou put away the storage bag and fixated on the demonic beast, his gaze filled with unmasked killing intent.

The demonic rabbit let out a low groan, its ears perked up, and its fluffy body tensed in instinctive defense against Ning Yuzhou's murderous aura.

Wen Qiao sensed the killing intent too. She had never imagined that such a gentle man could harbor such animosity, clearly intent on killing the rabbit. After all, the demonic rabbit had guarded her for several days, warding off other beasts that sought to claim her, ensuring she remained unharmed. As such, Wen Qiao didn't wish for Ning Yuzhou to take its life.

In that moment, Wen Qiao vigorously shook the leaf, disregarding the need to conceal her identity. Her only thought was to draw Ning Yuzhou's attention first.

Fortunately, her efforts paid off as Ning Yuzhou actually looked down at her.

Wen Qiao shook the leaf towards him once more.

Ning Yuzhou gazed at her with an inexplicable expression. He reached out and gently stroked the fragile leaf, then said to Qianshu, "Let's go!"

Did that mean he wasn't going to kill the rabbit?

Qianshu was surprised, unsure why Ning Yuzhou had changed his mind. After all, this demonic rabbit was responsible for Wen Qiao's death, had taken her corpse, and seized her storage pouch. Any one of these deeds warranted death.

But he didn't inquire further, choosing instead to follow Ning Yuzhou as they departed.