After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by a Crazy and Beautiful Villain - Chapter 49

The Expedition to Mount Donghuang

The next day, early morning.

Due to her biological clock, Song Linlin naturally opened her eyes very early. She squinted and looked around. The room’s windows were closed, but light still filtered through the gaps.

The thick mattress, the spacious area, the unfamiliar decor, and the cold, soft feeling in her arms—it was then that Song Linlin belatedly remembered she had run away from the sect.

As for the feeling in her arms, Song Linlin noticed someone else lying beside her. Seeing that signature silver-white long hair, she knew exactly who it was.

Their current posture was intimate, their bodies pressed together. Evidently, Song Linlin had slept embracing Chi Qianning all night.

Since Chi Qianning’s body was completely buried under the blanket, Song Linlin couldn’t see her face. Clutching the other’s cold body, and with her own mind not fully awake, Song Linlin genuinely couldn’t figure out why she was holding the other person, and so expertly at that.

She tried to pull out one hand and then lifted the blanket from Chi Qianning’s head. As the blanket was lifted, the exquisite and beautiful face beneath slowly emerged. Receiving such a close-range beauty shock first thing in the morning, Song Linlin stared blankly at Chi Qianning. Immediately after, the person opposite opened her eyes, revealing those red pupils.

The red eyes also looked at Song Linlin. It wasn’t until her eyes met Chi Qianning’s that her consciousness gradually cleared, and the final memories of last night slowly became sharp.

It turned out that Song Linlin had forcefully hugged Chi Qianning to sleep all night, and she seemed to have even kissed Chi Qianning on the cheek…

This made Song Linlin, who was now looking at Chi Qianning up closely, feel a bit awkward. She averted her gaze, which had been fixed on the other person, and finally withdrew the arm that had been holding her all night.

Song Linlin’s arm felt a little numb. Ignoring these small details, she quietly moved over to the empty space beside her, putting some distance between herself and the person opposite, and then climbed out of bed.

Quickly putting on her shoes, Song Linlin went to wash up.

By the time she returned to the bedside after washing, Chi Qianning had also gotten up. Song Linlin took the initiative to go and wake up Zhang San.

The three sat in a noodle shop. After finishing her breakfast, Song Linlin began to consider where they could go to gather information. Zhang San next to her was still burying her head in her second bowl of noodles.

The extra second bowl was naturally taken by Zhang San after Chi Qianning showed no interest in eating such food.

“Are you done eating?” Song Linlin propped her head on one hand and asked Zhang San idly.

Zhang San put down her bowl and wiped her mouth. “I’m full. Where are we going next?”

“I don’t know,” Song Linlin shook her head frankly. Although they were supposed to find out about the Purple Mist Leaf today, Song Linlin was completely unfamiliar with this Yunxin City and didn’t know where to start.

Zhang San looked at Song Linlin dumbfounded. She had thought the other person would definitely know where to inquire about such things, but it turned out Song Linlin was clueless too.

Finally, Song Linlin scratched her head, thinking hard for a while. “How about we just go find someone at an apothecary and ask? They often deal with various herb collectors; maybe they know something?”

Zhang San nodded vaguely. Since the three of them couldn’t think of any better solution right now, they might as well try it out.

“Okay!”

Walking out of the noodle shop, Song Linlin found an apothecary that looked quite large. She peered inside. There were only two or three scattered customers inside, so going in to ask questions shouldn’t interfere with their business.

Song Linlin was afraid Zhang San might be too clueless and say the wrong thing if she went, and asking Chi Qianning seemed utterly impossible. In the end, she had to go herself.

Song Linlin walked into the store and headed toward the counter. A middle-aged man was standing there. His attire was distinctly different from the other shop assistants, suggesting he was likely the manager of this apothecary.

Seeing Song Linlin approach, the man assumed she was there to buy medicinal herbs. He put down what was in his hand and asked, “Miss, are you in need of any herbs?”

Song Linlin shook her head. She pondered her words for a moment but decided to be direct. She spoke straight out: “Manager, could you possibly tell me where I can find the Purple Mist Leaf? Of course, I will give you spirit stones!”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man raised his eyebrows. He carefully examined Song Linlin, guessing she must be a cultivator. After a few seconds of thought, he said, “I do know a place with information about the Purple Mist Leaf, and you don’t need to give me spirit stones.

“However, if you manage to obtain the Purple Mist Leaf, would you be willing to sell the surplus to me then?”

He was thinking very clearly. The herb collectors he partnered with couldn’t get the Purple Mist Leaf from that location, and the fact that the herb was there wasn’t a secret; he wasn’t the only apothecary owner who knew about it.

Since that was the case, he might as well let others try. If they failed, he would suffer no loss anyway.

“Oh?” Song Linlin was surprised by his generosity and quickly nodded. “I can do that!”

“There’s a Moon Poison Scorpion inside Mount Donghuang. A good amount of Purple Mist Leaf grows in its cave,” the middle-aged man said slowly. Seeing Song Linlin’s face drop after hearing this, he added with a chuckle, “Of course, that Moon Poison Scorpion is not easy to deal with. If you are not strong enough, Miss, there’s no need to force it.”

Song Linlin could only manage a nod, offer a few words of thanks, and then walk out of the apothecary. Zhang San and Chi Qianning were waiting outside. Seeing Song Linlin appear, Zhang San immediately ran over and asked expectantly, “How was it? Did they tell you?”

“They did tell me…”

Song Linlin now understood why that person so easily told her where to find the Purple Mist Leaf. It was simply because the Moon Poison Scorpion was too difficult to deal with. They couldn’t get it themselves, so they didn’t mind telling others.

“The item is inside Mount Donghuang. There’s a Moon Poison Scorpion in the mountain, and the Purple Mist Leaf is in its cave,” Song Linlin said.

The Purple Mist Leaf itself is a poisonous herb, and the Moon Poison Scorpion is a famous toxic creature. The possibility of the Purple Mist Leaf being in its cave is very high.

“Ah?” Zhang San had certainly heard of the Moon Poison Scorpion. If she went with her grandfather, she wouldn’t be afraid, but now she felt a little cowardly and could only stare blankly at Song Linlin.

Song Linlin noticed Zhang San staring at her. She stepped back two paces and asked in return, “Why are you looking at me? Do I look very formidable?”

If they were to truly encounter a Moon Poison Scorpion, Song Linlin would definitely be the first to drag the others and run. She wouldn’t dare try to scheme against it.

“Then should we just forget it? Should we look somewhere else?” Zhang San didn’t insist. She was only at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm, which was even lower than Song Linlin’s cultivation.

“It’s not impossible,” Song Linlin lifted her chin, signaling Zhang San to look at Chi Qianning, and whispered, “Go ask Lin Qianqian. If she is willing to go, then there should be no problem.”

Zhang San turned her head to look at Chi Qianning. The other person was standing leisurely under the shade of a tree. She clearly disliked the sun. Hearing the two others mention her, she also turned her head toward Song Linlin and Zhang San.

Looking at her like this, Zhang San immediately felt that it was very reliable. Song Linlin didn’t look like much of a fighter, and while Lin Qianqian was quiet, just standing there instinctively made people afraid to approach her. Only Song Linlin constantly went over and clung to her.

Before Zhang San could speak, Chi Qianning spoke first, faintly: “Let’s go, to Mount Donghuang.”

The sooner they went to Mount Donghuang, the sooner the matter was resolved, the sooner they could return. Otherwise, these two would probably run off to play somewhere again. Chi Qianning agreed so readily simply because she didn’t want to follow them running all over the place.

Mount Donghuang was some distance from Yunxin City. At the foot of the mountain was Donghuang Town. The most convenient way to get there was by water, so the three rented a boat by the lake.

The boatman rowed the oars at the stern while Song Linlin sat at the bow with a fishing rod. Zhang San, still finding everything novel, squatted by the boat’s edge, leaning over to look into the lake. “I don’t see any fish, though. Can you even catch any fish, Song Linlin?”

Song Linlin grabbed Zhang San by the collar and dragged her back from the edge of the boat. This child was troublesome as soon as they left the door. “Be careful you don’t fall into the lake if you keep looking.”

She couldn’t swim. If that happened, she would have to rely on the boatman to save Zhang San.

Song Linlin looked at Zhang San with an expression as if she were an idiot and shook her head. “Fish are definitely in the lake. It would be strange if you could see them on the surface.”

The three had to stay on the lake for a day. They wouldn’t reach Donghuang Town until noon the next day. They had to spend the entire day on the boat.

As dusk approached, Song Linlin looked at the fish being cooked in the pot. None of them were ones she had caught, despite sitting on the bench all afternoon and catching nothing.

The boatman’s wife was adding various seasonings to the pot. She was also the one who had caught the fish. Zhang San squatted next to the pot, watching her movements with eager eyes.

After finishing this dinner, the boat had a second level, but sleeping there was definitely not as comfortable as in an inn. Zhang San was not picky about the location; she fell asleep sitting in a chair. Song Linlin, however, held Chi Qianning’s arm and leaned on her shoulder, dozing for the night.

Noon.

Song Linlin was the first to step off the boat, standing on the shore, extending her hand to help Chi Qianning, who was about to descend. The other’s fingers rested on her palm, the familiar cold touch. After Chi Qianning stepped down, Song Linlin then pulled the last one, Zhang San.

Looking at the small town before them, they could see the large mountain behind it in the distance. Perhaps because there were many monsters on the mountain, most of the town’s residents made a living by fishing, and the riverside was the busiest area.

The town was small, and there were few outsiders here. Finding a decent inn would likely be impossible. Song Linlin decided to go up the mountain to pick the Purple Mist Leaf today and take the boat back to Yunxin City tomorrow morning.

It would be good to finish the serious business now so they could spend a few more days enjoying Yunxin City before returning to the sect.