Escape the Miaojiang Villain - Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Gusheng Valley-A Pat on the Head
Tu Lingxiang looked at him glumly, unable to understand how he could be so full of sarcasm all day long. It was clearly because he had targeted her and mocked her for smelling like a fox that she walked away, yet now he made it sound like she was avoiding him.
She walked back to his side, her head hanging low as she muttered under her breath.
Lian jing, however, tugged at a lock of her hair and asked, “How on earth did you fall into the water that day?”
She had almost forgotten about it until he brought it up.
She replied, “I don’t know what happened that day either. All of a sudden, an invisible force lifted me up and threw me down into the Baiyue Pool.”
Lian jing’s gaze swept across their surroundings. In a short moment, he locked onto his target and said in a deep voice, “There aren’t many people here who hold a grudge against you.”
“Hardly anyone here knows me. If there’s a grudge, it’s against you,” Tu Lingxiang said in a muffled, resentment-filled tone.
Lian jing kept his eyes fixed on that person and said, “Since there’s a grudge, go get your revenge.”
Steward Ma stepped onto the arena stage and began explaining the rules of this final trial to everyone.
“Everyone, for this final trial, we will be competing in finding a Gu. To marry the Miao King’s daughter, even if you don’t know how to use Gu, you must at least know how to find one. As you all know, there is a valley in Miaojiang called Gusheng Valley. It contains many strange and peculiar Gu insects, some of which have lived for over a thousand years. What everyone needs to find today is a butterfly Gu covered in blue markings.”
“The first person to bring this Gu back to the stage will be the winner of this marriage recruitment assembly.”
Finally, Steward Ma added a word of caution, “There are countless Gu creatures inside Gusheng Valley. Everyone, please be extremely careful.”
Someone asked, “Is there a time limit?”
Steward Ma replied, “That butterfly is not easy to find. The time limit is seven days.”
“Seven days? That long?” The person clearly didn’t believe the butterfly could be that difficult to locate.
“If there are no further questions, please follow me to Gusheng Valley.”
For this trial, each contestant was allowed to bring only one assistant inside.
Since Tu Lingxiang went, Huo Xin could not go.
Tu Lingxiang had a deep memory of this part of the plot.
Originally, it was the male lead who found the butterfly first, but Lian jing secretly sabotaged him.
The butterfly flew away, and in the end, Lian jing reaped the undeserved benefit.
She still couldn’t figure out how Lian jing wanted her to help him.
It couldn’t possibly be to hold back the male lead, right?
All ten contestants wore number placards. Steward Ma struck a gong, and the crowd began to disperse, making their way into the valley.
Although they had been to Gusheng Valley once before, it had been at night, and they hadn’t seen the canyon clearly. Only today did they truly get a clear look at it.
The canyon was magnificent and carved by nature’s wondrous craftsmanship. The steep cliffs looked like the Milky Way cascading from the nine heavens, their upper reaches shrouded in hazy clouds and mist.
Standing in this narrow valley, Tu Lingxiang felt as tiny as an ant.
“Young Master, let’s go too.”
Lian jing stood in place, looking up at the sky without taking a step.
Only after hearing her voice did he start walking forward.
The two entered the canyon. The gorge split into several different directions, each path deep and secluded. They picked a direction at random.
As they walked, Tu Lingxiang asked, “Young Master, we’re already here. Are you still unwilling to tell me how exactly I’m supposed to help you?”
Lian jing was clearly in a bad mood, looking like he didn’t want to bother with her at all.
“Why talk so much nonsense? Besides searching for the Gu, what else did I bring you here to do?”
“Just searching for the Gu?” Then why make it sound so solemn and important?
“Hurry up and search.”
Tu Lingxiang thought he was going to find a spot to lie down and sleep like he did in the first trial. She quickly grabbed his sleeve to stop him from leaving.
“Young Master, you have to stay with me! I don’t dare go alone. There are so many Gu creatures in this valley. If I get bitten to death, won’t that ruin your grand marriage plans?”
He suddenly raised his hand and patted her head, saying, “Little Slave bell, rest assured. This Young Master will stay right beside you this time.”
Tu Lingxiang was instantly stunned, her heart skipping a beat. Lian jing actually patted her head! Such an intimate gesture couldn’t help but make her earlobes flush red.
She lowered her eyes to hide the panic in her gaze.
What on earth did Lian jing mean by this? Was it intentional, or unintentional?
If it was intentional, he was far too wicked. If it was unintentional, one could only say his ability to charm people effortlessly was truly top-tier.
Tu Lingxiang, stay clear-headed! Stay clear-headed! she constantly warned herself in her mind.
“Young Master, then let’s go,” she said, looking up.
Lian jing withdrew his hand, and the two continued walking deeper into the valley. The mountain road was narrow with protruding rock walls, flanked by colorful wild flowers. The valley air was fresh and pleasant, and sunlight scattered across the steep cliffs.
In the distance, a figure in white could faintly be seen walking ahead.
That figure was Baili Xi.
Tu Lingxiang knew where that butterfly was, but getting there required taking a long detour. In fact, the best plan was to follow Baili Xi, because the first person to find that butterfly would definitely be him.
After all, he was the male lead.
However, Lian jing would certainly never agree to that.
Yet in the next second, Lianjing spoke up, “Walk faster. Catch up with him.”
“??”
Strange.
Lian jing was getting weirder and weirder.
“Young Master Baili!” she shouted aloud, and Baili Xi ahead turned around.
When they drew near, Lian jing said, “Brother Baili, regarding what happened that day, I haven’t thanked you yet.”
Baili Xi, dressed in white, carried himself with extraordinary grace like a gentle breeze.
With a long sword slung across his back, he looked like the purest touch of white in this valley.
After thinking back for a moment, he said, “Are you referring to jumping into the Baiyue Pool to save Miss Ling? A trivial matter, not worth mentioning. As long as Miss Ling is fine, that’s all that matters.”
That day, he had saved Sang yue from the demon beast. Sang yue had repeatedly urged him in private not to mention her entering the underground palace. Though puzzled, he had agreed.
“My Little Slave bell doesn’t think so. She regards you as her savior and even said she wants to treat you to a meal,” Lian jing said with a faint smile.
But to Tu Lingxiang’s ears, it sounded purely sarcastic.
He was mocking her for ordering dishes for Baili Xi that day.
Baili Xi laughed, the warm sunlight casting a glow over his face that made his smile even more radiant.
“Miss Ling, there’s really no need to be polite. That day, your Young Master also jumped into Baiyue Pool immediately. It’s just a pity he was tangled up by the demon beast and delayed for a bit; otherwise, the person who found you would have been your Young Master.”
Tu Lingxiang glanced at Lian jing beside her, then looked back at Baili Xi and said, “Yes, you are both Ah Ling’s saviors.”
She then asked, “Young Master Baili, where are you going to search for the Gu? Can we go with you?”
“Of course. I plan to search near the flower patches up ahead.”
And so, they ended up traveling together with Baili Xi.
Lian jing and Baili Xi walked ahead while she followed behind alone. Watching the two of them exchange casual conversation every now and then, she felt the atmosphere growing increasingly bizarre.
What was there for romantic rivals to chat about?
The two men were of similar height, making it hard to tell who was taller, while she behind them was significantly shorter.
The narrow path in the canyon blocked her view, so she could only lower her head and look at the wildflowers along the way.
After walking such a long way, they hadn’t seen a single butterfly, let alone a blue one.
By midday, the scorching sun hung high in the sky. She found a large canna leaf in the mountains and held it over her head to shield herself from the sun.
Lian jing glanced back at her, his eyes seeming to say: You only care about yourself and don’t care about me at all?
She quickly raised the large green leaf toward his head. However, because he was simply too tall, the leaf kept tilting downward and slumping against his face.
Annoyed, Lian jing pushed her away.
“Go, go, go.”
“Alright!”
She smiled and held the leaf back over her own head, more than happy to be spared from serving him.
Seeing this, Baili Xi ahead asked with a smile, “By the way, Miss Ling, how many years have you been with your Young Master?”
Just as Tu Lingxiang was about to answer, Lian jing answered for her, “Three years.”
After saying that, he added, “Though this girl is foolish. Even after following me for three years, she still doesn’t know how to take care of people.”
“…”
Tu Lingxiang refused to admit she was foolish and retorted, “How so? It’s clearly because Young Master is too hard to serve.”
Lian jing turned back to glare at her, his eyes looking as if they were launching ice blades.
“Miss Ling, where is your hometown? Your accent sounds a bit like our Jiangnan region.”
Hearing this, Tu Lingxiang wondered: Is Baili Xi suspecting my identity? If so, that would be wonderful.
“My hometown is Suzhou.”
“Suzhou? I’m from Suzhou too! Miss Ling, where in Suzhou is your home?” Baili Xi asked in surprise.
The ice blades flying from Lian jing’s eyes were already nearly freezing her to death.
She said, “I don’t quite remember either. When I was very young, my father moved our family to the Xiangxi area. Later, when my father passed away from illness, I sold myself to Young Master in order to pay for his burial.”
This story of selling herself to bury her father was one that Lian jing had made up for her long ago.
Just how much did he hate her dad to make up a story that killed him off?
“I see,” Baili Xi said with a trace of regret.
A moment later, he asked again, “Miss, do you wish to return to Suzhou?”
Tu Lingxiang’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Of course she wanted to go back—she dreamed of it every night! But…
She shook her head and said, “I have already sworn to serve by Young Master’s side for the rest of my life. In life, I belong to Young Master; in death, my ghost will be his.”
Lian jing was extremely satisfied with this answer and finally stopped shooting icy glares at her.
Baili Xi refrained from pressing further.
“Very well. Miss, if you and your Young Master ever come to Suzhou, you can come to Changyan Sect to find me.”
“Alright, I definitely will.”
Tu Lingxiang’s eyes dimmed.
After saying all that, Baili Xi would definitely not suspect her identity anymore.
She had missed another golden opportunity.
Perhaps noticing her unhappiness, Lian jing curled his lips into a bright, radiant smile, “Useless creature. Brother Baili wanted to redeem your freedom, yet you refused to leave.”
Tu Lingxiang thought to herself: You don’t need to display your inner delight so blatantly, do you?
Time flew by, and night fell. They searched in Gusheng Valley for an entire day to no avail. The expanse of Gusheng Valley was even larger than imagined, and the mountain paths were rugged and difficult to travel. After a full day, they probably hadn’t even covered a third of the valley.
Baili Xi suggested taking a break, so they set up a campfire in an open space.
Tu Lingxiang unfastened the water skin she carried, walked over to Lian jing, and handed it to him.
“Young Master.”
Lian jing tilted his head back, took a sip, and returned the water skin to her.
Over on the other side, Baili Xi had already skinned a wild rabbit he caught earlier and was roasting it over the fire.
“Little Slave Bell, you’re in for a treat tonight,” Lian jing started up his sarcastic tone again.
Hadn’t Baili Xi suggested resting all because of her? Wasn’t that rabbit being roasted for her as well?
“Ah Ling, are you over there?”
Suddenly, a call drifted over with the wind from not far away.
Tu Lingxiang stood up in surprise, turning to look into the dark forest.
She saw two figures, one tall and one short, walking toward them.
It was Sang qing and Sang yu.
The shout just now had come from Sang qing, who had likely spotted the firelight over here.
Why did everyone come?
Sang yu came to prevent Lian jing from finding that Gu, but why was Sang qing joining in on the chaos?
With him coming along, it would anger Lian jing all over again. She was truly worried that Lian jing might strike out at him.
Before long, the two rushed over.
Sang qing ran toward her, saying with a smile, “Ah Ling, it really is you! We’ve been looking for you guys for so long.”
Ah Ling…
Lian jing, sitting on the ground, silently repeated those two words in his mind.
Calling her so intimately.
Having only known her for a few days—what a wild fox.
“Sang qing, why did you actually come?” Tu Lingxiang was quite speechlessly amused.
This was a competition! Why was he joining in the chaos?
“I told you I’d come find you. Look, I brought you something delicious.”
He held up a food box in his hand and opened it.
Inside were various pastries with vibrant colors and exquisite patterns.
Sang yu walked over, snatched the food box from his hands, picked up one of the plates of pastries, and handed the rest back to him.
Carrying that plate of pastries, she walked over to Lian jing’s side, squatted down beside him, and said, “Young Master, these are the pastries I brought for you. Try some.”
According to the original plan between Sang yu and her, that plate of pastries should contain a sleeping drug intended to knock Lian jing out so he couldn’t go searching for the Gu.
However, Lian jing merely gave it a faint glance and said coldly, “I have no appetite.”
“Then try this one—ginger-flavored pastry, it’ll whet your appetite.”
Sang yu picked up an apricot-colored flower-shaped pastry and brought it to his lips.
“What kind of strange thing is this? I’m not eating it.”
Lian jing tilted his head back in utter disgust. It was his first time hearing of a ginger-flavored pastry; such a thing sounded terrible just listening to it.
“It’s not strange at all. This kind of pastry is specifically meant to treat picky eaters like you.”
“Pfft…”
Tu Lingxiang and Sang qing burst out laughing at the same time.
If anyone else had said those words, they probably would have been beaten up by now.
However, Lian jing had to take Sang yue and the Miao King into consideration, so he could only repeatedly tolerate Sang yu.
