Chapter 199: Fright
Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy
Ning Qingxue quickly reached their previous campsite. It was an open space, midday, yet Ning Qingxue felt a chilling presence.
She shivered involuntarily; the dead silence prickled her skin. She recalled the birdsong from their last visit, but now, only silence remained. Were it not for Ye Mo, she would never return.
She cautiously approached the campsite. The sky ditch loomed nearby; the large hole remained unchanged, unmarked. However, a sudden, icy feeling washed over her, as if something tried to grasp her.
Terrorized, Ning Qingxue froze. The area ahead seemed to blur. The Evil Repellent Charm near her chest radiated warmth, quickly dispelling the chill.
Ning Qingxue heard a sharp scream—the same scream from that day. The icy feeling vanished, as did the tingling. The misty environment cleared.
“Is it really useful?” Ning Qingxue instinctively touched the charm. Though unsure what transpired, she suspected it was connected to the charm.
The sky ditch remained, but the fear was gone. Ning Qingxue took a deep breath and continued, avoiding the hole.
A shoe appeared before her, startling her. She quickly sidestepped it. A military shoe—from the rescue team?
Ning Qingxue dared not linger. She felt constantly watched, though the presence hesitated to approach, likely due to the Evil Repellent Charm. She didn't delay, running towards the cliff.
After running several kilometers, Ning Qingxue discovered her clothes torn. Yet, that subtle feeling of being watched persisted.
She spun around, her skin tingling again. Nervously, she stared at a spot, sensing its presence. The feeling was strange, illogical, yet her experiences had shattered her disbelief.
Clutching the Fireball Charm, she faced her perceived watcher, waving the charm and declaring, “I don’t care what you are, but if you dare approach, I will burn you with this fireball. And my husband will eradicate your soul later.”
Ning Qingxue's words were bravado. She doubted her perceptions, perhaps merely scaring herself, but it was all she could do.
The icy feeling seemed to linger, yet it also seemed wary of Ning Qingxue's words, slowly receding.
Ning Qingxue felt the chill vanish, immediately turning and fleeing. Despite her heavy bag and obstacles, she ran several kilometers in one breath before dropping her bag and gasping for air.
The icy feeling's disappearance and the return of birdsong brought relief. She wondered if she'd imagined it, but perhaps unexplainable things existed. After resting, she applied cream to her skin, now marked and scratched.
After resting, Ning Qingxue surveyed her surroundings. A valley, a small stream nearby—poetic, yet Ning Qingxue felt only heightened vigilance. If not for Ye Mo's proximity, she might have collapsed.
She drank water and repacked. As she rose, a black shadow darted toward her—too fast to react.
Thump! The shadow struck an unseen barrier, thrown into the stream. It quickly scrambled out, staring at Ning Qingxue with terror, then fled.
Had the stream not splashed, it would have seemed a mere illusion.
Ning Qingxue realized the fleeing creature resembled a feral monkey. Instinctively, she glanced at her bracelet. Another bead shattered.
Another bead lost, without venturing far. She didn't know how long the Evil Repellent Charm would last. She'd used it once, thankfully possessing two. Without them, she might have perished multiple times.
Sweating, she dared not stay, quickly running toward the cliff. She felt fortunate; had she not learned the charms' use from Ning Hai, she wouldn't have survived.
…
Twice ambushed, Ye Mo remained cautious. Danger lurked everywhere. He feared not attacks, but venomous bites; without medicine or access to his chi, such a bite would be fatal.
A thorny bush blocked Ye Mo's path. Visibility was poor, his spirit sense unavailable. He knew not what lay within, but retreat was impossible without clearing a path.
Death was inevitable either way; he cared little and hacked at the bush with his sword.
He admitted Bian Po's sword was exceptional. The formidable thorns fell like hay.
Carefully hacking a path, Ye Mo didn't know the bush's extent, but after more than half an hour, he reached the other side—a cliff face.
The cliff face appeared wide. Ye Mo envisioned creating a hidden alcove, concealed by thorns, where he could recover after finding food.
Despite exhaustion and dizziness, hope spurred him onward.
As he finally hacked through, a buzzing sound arose. Ye Mo discovered dozens of giant wasps, hidden within the thorns.
Each wasp was fist-sized. A sting would likely be fatal, and dozens charged him. Ye Mo's sword became a blur of strikes.
Though his skill couldn't match Bian Po's, creating a whirlwind of blade images was easy; his weakness was the impediment.
Soon, every wasp lay dead.
Ye Mo coughed, instinctively scanning his surroundings. Only wasps remained. Relief washed over him, his legs trembling, near collapse. He braced himself with his sword.
A putrid stench emanated from behind. Ye Mo knew instantly—his greatest fear, an anaconda, had struck. He only sensed it upon smelling the stench.
Ye Mo lunged forward, swinging his sword. Weakness overcame him; he could barely wield his weapon, his previous efforts draining his strength.
In a flash, a cold stench, and the coil constricted him. The snake didn't bite, but constricted him, attempting to suffocate him.
Ye Mo felt himself suffocating, his head spinning violently. He knew that fainting meant death.
He bit his tongue, spitting out blood. He forced his weakened body to twist the sword, levering it outward.