Chapter 126: Gift of Medicine

Oh, for heaven's sake!

The misunderstanding involving those persistent sounds had left a deep impression on him. Now, every time he returned, he seemed to hear the woman's voice, steady and persistent, like the approach of spring through the cold. It always made him want to prick up his ears and figure out what was going on, but he could never make sense of it. Who could understand this frustration?

Goddammit, there are people nearby! This is worse than the place of exile, isn't it?

Every word she spoke was like that of a woman waiting for her husband to return home. Was this still the Border City Lord who wanted to kill people?

He vaguely remembered the Border City Lord, dignified and poised, standing outside the inn on that rainy night. She embodied gallantry, nobility, and decisive ruthlessness all at once.

He barely recognized her in this current, demure demeanor. He spoke his mind, but Bian Weiying continued to act as if he weren't there. After a brief recovery, Shi Chun set out again with Wu Jinliang.

They still went to the same old spot. They still ambushed groups of monsters and slaughtered them, then, having enraged them, they fled.

They would return, rest, and once recovered, they would go back and do it again.

With all this coming and going, Bian Weiying never asked where they were going or what they were doing.

Why they possessed Wind Scales, why they could move freely in places where they couldn't see their own hand in front of their face—she was curious about many such questions. But she never mentioned a word, never asked. She only expressed concern when they returned and reminded them to be careful when they left.

When she was alone in the darkness, she was still a little scared.

The darkness here was different from the outside world; it was truly too dark, so dark that no light could be seen. It was a darkness that felt like it could swallow everything, as if abysses were everywhere, making her hesitant to take a single step, and she feared unknown tentacles emerging to drag her into the abyss.

When no one was around, she didn't even dare to reach out and touch anything. She would pull her legs up, hug herself, and lean against the stone wall, waiting silently, concentrating and calming her mind, hoping Shi Chun would return soon.

After slaughtering monsters in one location more than ten times, day and night, Shi Chun and his companion visited again. As Wu Jinliang was about to reach for his money pouch and prepare for combat, Shi Chun urgently reached out and stopped his hand.

"Why aren't we fighting?" Wu Jinliang asked curiously.

Shi Chun stared down and slowly said, "They're here."

Below, countless monsters were densely spread across the ground, flickering with dense blue light. Their numbers this time were terrifyingly high, far exceeding any previous encounter.

Wu Jinliang immediately lowered his voice and asked, "The red-glowing ones have appeared?"

Shi Chun stared at the three red flickering dots triangularly arranged within the monster horde on the ground. "There's more than one," he said, "there are three!"

Wu Jinliang gasped. "What do we do? We only saw one before, meaning the three might not usually be together. Which one should we track?"

"The biggest problem is that these monsters can't communicate, so we can't figure out their patterns," Shi Chun mumbled, deep in thought. After pondering for a while, he suddenly declared, "No more guessing. Time is limited. Let's try various methods one by one. First, we kill one and see what happens."

Wu Jinliang didn't care; as long as Shi Chun said it was okay, he agreed. "Alright." Shi Chun quickly maneuvered the Wind Scales and turned around. This time, instead of descending to attack, he flew to a nearby hilltop. He put Wu Jinliang down and said, "Wait for me here."

Wu Jinliang quickly cried out, "No, don't! An extra person means more help!"

Shi Chun replied, "This time it's different. There are many more monsters, and those red-glowing ones are commanding them. I'm worried there's some formation waiting for us. If we get caught in it, I might not be able to look after you in time."

Wu Jinliang gave a dry laugh. "If I'd be a burden, then just forget I said anything. First, help me check if there are any monsters around."

Shi Chun scanned his surroundings, then leaped up again. Countless scales flew from his hands, enveloping him and carrying him into the air. He was becoming increasingly skilled at maneuvering the Wind Scales.

Wu Jinliang couldn't see anything and listened intently.

Upon reaching the sky above the target location, Shi Chun retracted the Wind Scales and dropped vertically towards the primary target.

Although he didn't create any light this time, he was discovered by the monsters before he even landed.

"Ooo-woo-ya-ya..." The sound of horns blared, and the horde of monsters stirred.

Shi Chun disregarded everything, drew his blade in mid-air. As he slammed into the target monster, "Boom!" the Demon-Slaying Blade emerged. With one strike, it blasted a large hole in the target monster's head.

He also fell into the bloody hole. "Boom!" He delivered another blow. Finally, he saw the red-glowing object, snatched it up, and swiftly sprang out.

The moment he appeared, he realized that this group of monsters was indeed vastly different from before. Upon detecting the attacker, they immediately disregarded everything and swarmed forward like a tide from all directions, leaping into the air to pounce. He darted out through a brief gap in their surrounding attacks. If he had been a moment slower, he would have been surrounded. Fortunately, he had sensed the abnormality early and left Wu Jinliang behind.

As soon as he sprang out of the encirclement, he manipulated the Wind Scales in mid-air, making an arc turn. He darted through the countless pouncing attacks and swiftly swept through the air.

The entire process was extremely brief. Unlike his previous deliberate provocations, this time, he acted like an assassin carrying out a kill, striking true with one blow and retreating instantly.

"Ooo-ding-ming..." The horn calls resonated with an unprecedented intensity.

Countless monsters chased the assassin like towering waves.

However, the difference in flying speed between them and the Wind Scales was too great; they couldn't catch up at all.

Shi Chun, looking back, sheathed his blade. He swept over a hilltop and, with a convenient move, scooped Wu Jinliang up.

Wu Jinliang, nearly startled, asked, "Did it work?" Shi Chun grunted.

They stopped again mid-journey, shaking off the pursuers. They halted in a mountain hollow, where Wu Jinliang pulled out his sandalwood gold to provide light. Shi Chun held a Bug Limit Crystal up to the light to examine it.

"Huh, is this red?" Wu Jinliang asked curiously. Under the purple flame, the color was a bit distorted, but it was still discernible that it was different from the blue Bug Limit Crystals; he could vaguely tell it was red.

Shi Chun scoffed, "Only the color is different. The size seems no different from ordinary Bug Limit Crystals."

As he spoke, he put the red Bug Limit Crystal into his Universe Bracelet. However, the crystal almost got away; it actually managed to escape from the Universe Bracelet on its own. Fortunately, Shi Chun reacted quickly and grabbed it again. He found a black pouch, stuffed the crystal inside, and only then did it truly stay put.

Wu Jinliang wondered, "What's the difference between the darkness in the black pouch, the darkness in the Universe Bracelet, and the darkness in this space? The blue ones can also move here."

"I don't know," Shi Chun replied, equally puzzled. He suddenly looked around, then once again cast a spell to control the Wind Scales, taking Wu Jinliang and swiftly departing. Below, more monsters had arrived, drawn by the light.

As soon as the two returned to the cave on Bamboo Shoot Mountain, Bian Weiying's voice immediately rang out, "Are you both back?"

Wu Jinliang: "Yes, we're back."

So Bian Weiying groped her way toward the other movement. Upon finding someone, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Shi Chun: "I'm fine. I just need to recover."

After speaking, he took a pill and sat down cross-legged. He still didn't say what he had been doing outside.

Recently, they had no shortage of pills, having acquired many from others.

So Bian Weiying also quietly sat beside him, accompanying him. With human presence, the darkness no longer felt so terrifying.

However, there seemed to be no more conversation between her and Shi Chun. Shi Chun was too busy; he would just meditate and recover when he returned, and as soon as he recovered, he would rush back out.

This time was no different. However, there was a difference. Shi Chun, who had just stood up, stopped Wu Jinliang, who was stirring at the sound. "You stay," he said. "It's nothing this time, just going to check out the situation over there."

Wu Jinliang was obedient. "If anything happens, use the parent-child talisman to contact me."

He also knew that in this environment, his help was limited, and most of the time, he was a burden.

Shi Chun leaped from the cave entrance into the darkness and flew away using the Wind Scales in mid-air.

"Sigh." Wu Jinliang sighed and sat back against the stone wall. He also gently set down the blade in his hand.

Bian Weiying's voice rang out, "He's going alone, isn't that dangerous?"

Wu Jinliang: "If it's dangerous for him alone, two people going would be useless too. I say, Senior Sister, no, should I call you Senior Sister now, or should I call you Sister-in-law?"

Bian Weiying: "Senior Sister is fake. Call me Sister-in-law, Wu."

"..." Wu Jinliang was speechless. He couldn't tease her anymore, realizing she was truly blunt. She really dared to say anything now that it was dark. He couldn't tell if she was being hypocritical or genuine.

He thought to himself, "Better not call her that too soon. If Shi Chun ever makes a move against her later, I wouldn't have the heart."

He gave a dry cough and said, "Actually, I'm a few months older than him, but he insists on being the elder, so I don't argue with him."

Bian Weiying: "Is the woman he likes from inside the place of exile, or outside?"

Wu Jinliang: "His affairs are not to be spoken of outside."

Actually, he was also wondering who Shi Chun truly liked. He had gone through all the women he could remember. Miao Yilan seemed the most likely, but Shi Chun had denied it personally and with good reason.

"Ooo-ming-ming..." Horn calls echoed in the darkness.

Flying alone in the air, Shi Chun, who was about to reach his destination, paused slightly. He then sped up, and before long, he hovered high above, looking down. His eyes gradually widened, and his face slowly filled with excitement.

Even without using his right eye, he saw the dappled light and shadows appearing on the ground. It was like many holes had appeared in the walls of a dark room, and external light was shining through them into the inner chamber. Many monsters were flying out through these holes.

Near the holes, the two red-glowing monsters were also present. From time to time, they let out "Ooo-ding" horn calls.

He only saw other monsters leaving, but not the two red-glowing monsters.

Faint sounds of fighting drifted in from outside the holes, echoing clearly in this relatively silent place.

Shi Chun didn't see anyone being drawn in through the holes, and he didn't know what was happening. His right eye's special ability had a limited duration, so after repeatedly activating it to observe for a while, he had to withdraw.

Nevertheless, the gain this time was enormous, and some of the observations confirmed his suspicions.

On the way, he spotted a lone monster. He swooped down and killed it. Then, he hollowed out its underside and crawled inside. He found a spot within where there was a monster, then moved within the monster's form, wandering back and forth in front of other monsters. He discovered that he didn't alarm any other monsters, and couldn't help but be ecstatic.

After returning to the Bamboo Shoot Cave, Shi Chun said nothing. He continued his usual routine: taking pills and meditating cross-legged.

Once his vitality, spirit, and energy were fully replenished, he stood up and called out, "Jinliang, let's go!"

Wu Jinliang felt that his voice was particularly spirited, and he didn't think much of it. He responded with an "Alright!" and stood up, grabbing his large blade.

As the two walked to the cave entrance, Shi Chun, who had activated his right eye's special ability, suddenly paused. He turned to look at Bian Weiying, who was leaning against the stone wall, seeing nothing, standing alone and listening intently.

"Spring, what's wrong? Let's go!" Wu Jinliang, fumbling in the dark, called out.