I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 7

“You, let me go!”

“Keep your voice down, unless you want to attract others.”

Li Baiying moved with the swiftness of the wind, her figure nearly blurring into an afterimage as she closely trailed the spirit fox.

They crossed grasslands and squeezed through muddy tunnels. The little creature seemed intent on exhausting her, deliberately leaping over uneven, pitted terrain.

In a moment of carelessness, one of her feet sank into a swamp, and she almost couldn’t pull it out.

“That fox really holds a grudge!”

With no other choice, Li Baiying swallowed a Light Body Pill and once again channeled her energy. A faint red glow dissolved the mud into water, allowing her to free herself.

Unconsciously, her grip shifted from pulling to carrying Qin Yixiao on her back. The young girl, knowing she couldn’t break free, resignedly clung to her shoulders, her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying her inner turmoil.

“Swish!”

Pushing aside weeds tall enough to conceal a person, they found the spirit fox standing before a pitch-black cave entrance, idly scratching the ground with its tiny paws.

“Why did you stop?” Li Baiying finally caught her breath, carefully examining the cave. “Is the treasure inside?”

In response, the fox gave her a disdainful, almost human-like glance, flicked its tail, and settled nearby to feign sleep.

“Put me down!” Qin Yixiao seized the opportunity, punching her shoulder hard.

“Mm, alright.”

Li Baiying quickly released her hold, and the girl, caught off guard, nearly tumbled to the ground. Flustered, Li Baiying reached out to steady her, only to be met with an annoyed glare.

“Let’s go in.” Qin Yixiao brushed her hand away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, whether from anger or something else was unclear. “The treasure you’re after is inside.”

“Wait a moment.”

Li Baiying pulled a small bottle from her pocket, shook out one pill each of yellow, purple, and green, and swallowed them. Noticing the girl’s curious gaze, she opened her palm.

“Just in case.” After all, she was only a second-level trainee martial artist and didn’t have many impressive life-saving techniques, so she had to rely on pills.

“…I have some too.”

As if sharing the same thought, Qin Yixiao hesitated for a moment before also taking out a small bottle. To her surprise, Li Baiying didn’t even look at it and directly took one pill to consume.

“Aren’t you afraid I might poison you?”

“Not at all. We’ve just been through life and death together, I trust you wouldn’t do that to me.” After stating her reasoning confidently, Li Baiying added, “Stay hidden and wait for me,” then strode boldly into the dark cave.

“What life and death together…”

Qin Yixiao muttered under her breath, a mix of embarrassment and irritation, but obediently found a bush to conceal herself. The fox also snuggled up, nestling in her arms and chattering noisily.

“Hmm, Fei Yun, you deliberately led her to a den guarded by a Shadowless Bear?” Understanding the spirit fox’s meaning, the girl’s expression grew serious. “But that’s a spirit beast even innate martial artists find troublesome…”

Unaware of all this, Li Baiying continued groping her way forward in the darkness.

Strictly speaking, this was her first independent treasure hunt. She had strongly pleaded with her mother before, but her requests were either rejected on the grounds that she hadn’t undergone bone testing yet, or her mother would stage a poorly-concealed, small-scale treasure hunt, all to dissuade her.

Now, this was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove herself.

Thinking of this, she felt the energy in her dantian stirring restlessly, eager to leap into action.

Drip, drip.

Suddenly, a faint noise came from several dozen meters behind her.

A martial artist’s senses were exceptionally sharp, so Li Baiying immediately suppressed her aura upon detecting it. Among the pills she had taken was one specifically for concealing one’s presence. Combined with her technique, she now stood like a motionless rock, blending seamlessly into the stone wall.

“Is there really something in here?”

“Absolutely, young master. That red-furred fox was left by the previous sect leader. I heard it’s extremely rare.”

“Tch, once the time is right, I’ll definitely ask Father to give it to me. Such a precious spirit beast, how could it be in the hands of a good-for-nothing?”

“But since the fox is nearby, Miss Qin must be around too.”

“She’s just a useless waste. What trouble could she possibly cause? Does she think she can play the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? Don’t make me laugh!”

They seemed certain that the cave was empty, speaking with unrestrained arrogance.

Learning that Qin Yixiao was safe for now, Li Baiying breathed a slight sigh of relief. But then, she suddenly recognized the overbearing voice, it sounded remarkably similar to that tall disciple she had defeated on the arena platform.

Afterward, she had inadvertently learned about his background: he was the son of the current head of the Qin family, notoriously arrogant by nature, yet lacking in talent and indifferent to cultivation, a complete fool.

What concerned her more was the other, calmer voice beside him, which clearly belonged to someone older.

If this person possessed genuine skill, she might be in for a tough battle.

Tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps passed by her. By the light of their torches, Li Baiying finally got a clear look at them.

Standing beside the tall disciple was a thin, stunted young man who appeared malnourished. His features were unremarkable, almost ugly, yet his cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Novice Realm. The calluses on his hands suggested years of weapon practice.

“This guy is clearly past the age limit for entering the secret realm. The Qin patriarch must have used some underhanded method to sneak him in.”

She instantly deduced that this man served as both an enforcer and a bodyguard for the tall disciple, likely a hidden trump card.

This could get tricky.

She wasn’t confident she could escape unscathed in this situation. When she had faced Qin Zhili one-on-one earlier, she had managed to win by exploiting her opponent’s underestimation. But against someone older and far more experienced, she had no certainty of deceiving them.

Though she enjoyed a challenge, that didn’t mean she was eager to throw her life away.

Watching the two gradually advance deeper into the cave, Li Baiying couldn’t help but feel restless. Was she supposed to stand by and let them walk away with the treasure? Or should she wait for the moment they succeeded and let their guard down, then launch a surprise attack?

Countless thoughts raced through her mind. Just as she hesitated, an earth-shattering roar erupted from the depths of the cave, its echoes painfully reverberating in her ears.

“Ah! A spirit beast! How is there a spirit beast here?!”

“Young master, be careful! That’s a Shadow-Stalker Bear, it specializes in ambushing in the dark and is extremely troublesome. Whatever you do, don’t stay still!”

“I don’t care! Hurry up and deal with it, or I’ll report you to Father for failing to protect me!”

A bear that hides in shadows?

Li Baiying held her breath and focused intently, listening to the fierce clashes and the tall disciple’s blustering yet hollow commands from within. Her mind had never been more active.

Perhaps she could seize this moment to ensure her rival would no longer be able to contend for the treasure. And while she was at it, she could teach this trash-talking fool a proper lesson on Qin Yixiao’s behalf.