fierce battle
Chapter 41
I watched helplessly as Lan Feiyu ran over to help Yuanzi, grabbing "Mu Qing" from behind and trying to hold her arms, which were like two venomous snakes. But she was clearly out of strength. "Mu Qing" just swayed her shoulders and shook her twice before easily throwing Lan Feiyu to the ground. I heard the "thud" when she landed and was startled. I managed to lift my upper body, but when I tried to get up again, my arms started trembling involuntarily.
Lan Feiyu fell to the ground and it took her a while to get up. She knelt on the ground and stood up again. Her body seemed to sway slightly. She paused for a moment before taking another step.
I was extremely anxious. The situation for the kite facing the enemy seemed to be getting worse. The hot spring pool was shrouded in mist, making visibility extremely limited. However, "Mu Qing" seemed to have the ability to "see through the clouds and get the sun," and was completely unaffected. On the other hand, the kite had to deal with the mist and the high temperature it brought, while also being unable to get close to the "medicine man." She was struggling to move around, and her sword had lost much of its power.
Just then, the "medicine man's" arms, like vines, crossed and lashed out at Yuanzi again. Yuanzi dodged one, but was still tripped by the other. She stumbled and almost fell into the hot spring pool.
Lan Feiyu pounced again, this time trying to attack the "medicine man's" feet. This was better than grabbing its body directly, but only if Lan Feiyu were another Yuanzi, or at least if she had a weapon. With nothing, Lan Feiyu could only use her hands to hold back the "medicine man's" steps, allowing Yuanzi to catch her breath, but she was thrown off by the "medicine man" a few times and fell to the ground again.
"Mu Qing" did not lose her ability to think due to the mutation. She still cleverly realized that she had to deal with the kite first. Even though Lan Feiyu was struggling at her feet, she did not look at her and continued to approach the kite.
As she responded, Iris retreated into the hot spring pool.
As I watched her actions, a sudden inspiration struck me. I remembered what Yuanzi had told me before: that one must soak in specific hot springs, and that some pools could leave no trace of one's body. Almost instantly, I understood what Yuanzi was planning to do.
At this moment, Lan Feiyu got up again, this time her legs were visibly trembling. I endured the pain in my chest and shouted at her desperately, "Don't go any further, it's no use!"
At the same time, I gritted my teeth and stood up in one go.
This time, my loud shout not only made Lan Feiyu and Yuanzi look at me, but even "Mu Qing" glanced at me. Not only did she glance at me, but after "she" lashed Yuanzi twice more, "she" actually abandoned Yuanzi, changed direction, and came towards me!
I felt a chill run down my spine. I wasn't much better off than Lan Feiyu; in fact, I was more seriously injured, soaked to the bone, and even slower at escaping.
With a shout, Yuanzi leaped forward, sword in hand, blocking "Mu Qing's" path. "Mu Qing" swatted at her two "vines" like she was shooing away flies, but she seemed distracted compared to before. Yuanzi seized the opportunity, spotting an opening, and rolled to "Mu Qing's" feet, forcefully slashing her sword at "her" waist—
With a crisp "crack," the sword in the kite's hand broke in two.
At this moment, I really can't describe the shock in my heart. Yuanzi obviously didn't expect that after finally being able to effectively attack "Mu Qing", this would be the result. Her movements obviously faltered, and she was hit squarely by the "vine" that "Mu Qing" followed up with. Her body was also thrown back and flew up, sliding on the ground.
But Yuanzi was different from Lan Feiyu. As soon as she stopped sliding, she sprang up almost immediately, still holding the broken sword tightly in her hand.
Unfortunately, I no longer had time to care about her. "Mu Qing" was slightly hindered by the kite, and then she chased after me like a shooting star. I knew that something was wrong, so no matter how uncomfortable I was, I had to desperately push my legs and run into the pool.
I hoped that Iris could understand my intentions as well as I understood hers, and tell me which pool was the place she was going to lure the "medicine man" to his death. At this moment, I was running at full speed and had no time or strength to turn around and talk to them.
The heavy, hurried footsteps of "Mu Qing" grew closer and closer. I could even catch a glimpse of those already deformed five fingers floating near my cheek out of the corner of my eye. I was so terrified that my hair stood on end, but thankfully my knees didn't buckle. Just then, I heard Yuanzi's voice finally come from behind: "Zhao Xi, to the west!"
West!
I took a deep breath, turned around abruptly, and ran wildly westward. "Mu Qing" was hot on my heels, I don't know what part of me she was attracted to...
However, this was the wilderness, the ground was uneven, and the white fog was thick, so it was not suitable for running. I had run westward for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when I suddenly felt my foot trip and fell to the ground. Fortunately, I was quick enough to catch myself with my hands in time, so I didn't fall flat on my face.
But as soon as I slowed down, as you can imagine, I was immediately overtaken by "Mu Qing". Her slippery, cold hands, like snakes, wrapped around my neck and coiled around it several times. I had no time to be afraid. I grabbed the strange thing tightly with both hands, trying to stop her.
It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
The thing was incredibly strong. No matter how disgusted I was, I kept pinching and scratching at the snake's hand, hoping that "she" would loosen her grip, but it was all in vain. "She" lifted me up as I struggled desperately, and I was forced to lift my feet off the ground while I was almost completely out of breath.
She brought me close, and I saw a pair of bloodshot eyes. Unlike what I had imagined, they were not lifeless like dead fish, but filled with evil, hatred, and bloodlust.
Am I really going to die at the hands of this monster? No, the tears welling up in my eyes intensified my resentment. I gritted my teeth and used all my strength to pull on the "vines" that bound me.
"Xi'er!" Lan Feiyu called out to me urgently. She had arrived even earlier than Yuanzi. She rushed to "Mu Qing" and pounced on her without hesitation, using all her fists and kicks.
Watching her clumsy movements, I knew it was futile, yet I was deeply moved.
"Mu Qing" seemed to have finally been provoked by Lan Feiyu's indomitable spirit, freeing up one "hand" while grabbing at Lan Feiyu with the other.
Lan Feiyu reacted quickly, rolling away to dodge the attack and brushing past the "snake vine," before heading off into the distance.
My heart leaped into my throat. "Mu Qing" loosened her grip on me, and "she" carried me, still suspended in mid-air, as she chased after Lan Feiyu.
Just then, Yuanzi, who had disappeared just moments before, suddenly appeared behind "Mu Qing". Grabbing the broken sword, she pounced on "Mu Qing" just like Lan Feiyu had done, and then hugged "Mu Qing"'s shoulders. However, her strength and skill were far superior to Lan Feiyu's. While she tightened her grip on "Mu Qing's" upper body, she used her waist to squeeze her legs up and straddled "Mu Qing's" back.
"Mu Qing" let out the scream that had terrified me last night. She stopped chasing Lan Feiyu, but still didn't let go of me. She kept shaking her body, causing me, who was extremely unlucky, to spin in the air. Although she no longer tightly bound my neck, I was still no better off. Being shaken around by "her" made me dizzy and lightheaded, and I felt like I was going to vomit bile.
The kite tightly gripped "Mu Qing," and she also used her arm to choke the monster's neck. In the midst of the standoff, I vaguely saw Lan Feiyu return, shrinking below. I don't know what she did, but suddenly, "Mu Qing" let out a series of desperate screams, and the "vines" wrapped around my neck finally loosened. Moreover, with a flick of her wrist, "she" threw me onto "her."
Instinctively, without thinking, I grabbed whatever I could hold onto, stopping my fall. When I regained my senses, I found myself face to face with those crimson eyes again!
A thought suddenly struck me, and without hesitation, I formed my five fingers into a claw and stabbed at "Mu Qing's" left eye with all my might!
"Mu Qing's" scream was deafening. "She" began to tremble wildly, and I could no longer hold onto "her". I was thrown to the ground. When I got up and looked back, I saw that Yuanzi was still on "Mu Qing" and was stabbing "her" eyes repeatedly with the broken half of the sword in her hand.
Despite being a monster, the blood she spurted was still bright red and glaring, unlike the purplish-black skin of her body.
I was horrified by what I saw, my ears filled with desperate screams and cries. I wanted to turn away and cover my ears, but then I saw Lan Feiyu lying at "Mu Qing's" feet. I was also afraid that Yuanzi couldn't handle it alone, so I stumbled to my feet again and pulled Lan Feiyu, who was bleeding from her mouth and hands and had already fainted, aside. I didn't have time to look after her either, so I could only quickly wipe away the blood.
Just as I was lamenting my lack of weaponry, I suddenly saw the upper half of Yuanzi's sword at "Mu Qing's" feet. I immediately understood where the blood on Lan Feiyu's hand came from. I quickly dodged "Mu Qing's" wildly whipping "vines," went forward to pick up the sword, and because I was bent over, when I stood up again, I glanced up and saw that "Mu Qing" was dripping blood.
I suddenly realized that the method Lan Feiyu used to hurt "Mu Qing" was extremely vulgar. However, that spot, like her eyes, was a rare vulnerability for "Mu Qing" who had become a monster.
Looking up at "Mu Qing," who was still locked in a stalemate with the kite, I gripped the broken sword with both hands. The sharp blade cut my hands, and the pain made me abandon my soft heart. I mustered my courage, hardened my heart, slid to "Mu Qing's" side, and plunged the broken sword into "her" lower body!
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