The banyan tree spirit's mouth fell open. "Not even in ten thousand years?"
"That's right, not even in ten thousand years! What are you waiting for? Better to act than to hesitate! Miss this chance and you won't find another like it. Now, hand over those three hundred spirit stones!"
Yao Ranran spoke with stirring conviction, extending her hand toward the banyan tree spirit.
He quickly split open his trunk and pulled out his precious spirit stones, hoarded for over three thousand years. "I believe you. You're a refiner, so you're bound to make loads of money!"
Her words filled the banyan tree spirit with such excitement it was as if freedom were just a heartbeat away.
Yao Ranran gave a sage-like nod, slipping the spirit stones into her storage pouch.
"Good. Let's go. Time to head down the mountain and earn some money."
"Yay! That's great!" The banyan tree spirit bounced three feet into the air.
From the mid-slope of Guling Mountain downward, thick black clouds churned restlessly. The air was heavy with vicious, destructive energy. No living creature could pass through. Even without knowing exactly what lurked inside, the banyan tree spirit's blood carried an instinctive warning—charging straight through was impossible.
Yao Ranran looked across at the opposing peak, gauged the distance, and found it acceptable. She had the banyan tree spirit extend a vine across to the other mountain. Holding on as if riding a cable car, she slid down to the other side.
Hu Zhongcheng and Wu Changde would never have imagined that the place most people could never escape in a lifetime—Guling Mountain—was crossed by Yao Ranran in just a single day.
In truth, the black clouds also had a flight-restricting effect. When they had escorted her here, they carried special tokens that resisted that effect.
Yao Ranran, however, had stumbled down purely by chance.
The banyan tree spirit followed just a step behind.
"Finally, we're down the mountain!" Yao Ranran spread her arms wide, embracing the scenery below.
The banyan tree spirit flared his nostrils, frowning. "The scent these companions are giving off is… strange."
Hearing him, Yao Ranran glanced around. The area was lush and green, with nothing out of place.
"Senior Brother Wu said there's a village ten li away. Let's head there."
Overjoyed, she ran toward where the village should be.
The banyan tree spirit, eager for freedom, quickly shook off his unease and chased after her.
"Jie jie jie… a living cultivator, and a tree spirit. Such a feast!"
From the thick undergrowth, a black shadow chuckled with eerie delight.
In broad daylight, the sound was chilling.
"Huh? This village looks deserted… The beams are crawling with spiders." Yao Ranran stopped before a house, scanning her surroundings.
White spiderwebs stretched across every corner. Occasionally, some hapless insect would blunder into the strands, only to be swiftly cocooned.
The banyan tree spirit trembled. "So strange… It's so cold here. No sign of human life. Not at all like a place where people live!"
Yao Ranran gave him a look. A tree being afraid of an empty village was an odd sight indeed. Still, the place did feel wrong. "Let's go to the next village. Maybe everyone here moved away."
"Yes, yes. I feel it's getting colder. Let's hurry!" The banyan tree spirit nodded like a pecking chicken.
Yao Ranran turned, only to meet the gaze of a black shadow looming behind him. It had two eyes and a mouth with sharp fangs, staring at her with malice. No wonder he felt cold—such a large mass of ghost mist clinging to his back would chill anyone.
"Back!" Yao Ranran shouted, grabbing the banyan tree spirit and hurling him into the house.
A skunk pouch slid from her sleeve into her palm. She squeezed it, sending a thick greenish mist straight into the ghost mist's face.
The shadow sneered—
"Jie jie jie… yue—!"
It recoiled instantly, retreating ten feet.
"Spirit weasel poison… you treacherous woman!" If the ghost mist had a face, it would have turned dark as ink.
Inside, Yao Ranran held the door shut, tense.
This world felt far too real.
The banyan tree spirit poked a vine through the door crack. When he saw the ghost mist outside, he froze. "W-what is that thing? When did it appear?"
He looked up at Yao Ranran—and felt strangely calm.
Her expression was serene, unshaken, as if the ghost mist outside were nothing worth noting.
Then he remembered—she had said she was a refiner, and she possessed a fire spirit root. Surely she could restrain the ghost mist. His fear eased.
Yao Ranran let out a slow breath. People all die eventually, whether lightly as a feather or heavily as a mountain. If she died like a fallen feather… so be it. Perhaps in her next life she'd be born into a wealthy family.
Enough thinking. Time to act.
The ghost mist squinted at the greenish cloud, muttering coldly, "Jie jie jie… only sneak attacks with hidden weapons? Then you must have nothing else."
It swelled suddenly, body ballooning, and spat out a heavy surge of black fog, parting it into a narrow path before charging forward.
Creak—
Yao Ranran yanked the door open. Her Nine Lotus Ring slashed down, pure white light blooming as nine lotus apparitions flared to life.
The ghost mist's smirk froze. Its body split clean in two, lifeless.
"H-how…" The ghost mist's eyes were wide with disbelief.
This woman… had been hiding her true power all along!
Yao Ranran blinked in confusion. "Did I win the bet?"
"Kill! Kill!" The banyan tree spirit lashed out with several branches, striking only empty air. He stopped when a black pearl rolled across the ground. "The ghost mist… is dead?"
Yao Ranran eyed the pearl cautiously. "Better safe than sorry. Use your branches to pick it up."
The banyan tree spirit, feeling invigorated, forgot her caution entirely and happily scooped up the pearl, holding it out to her.
"Could this be the ghost mist's cultivated essence?"
It had to be worth plenty of spirit stones. Shame he hadn't struck the killing blow himself. His bright gaze dimmed with regret.
Yao Ranran, seeing he was unharmed, took the pearl from him.
"This really looks like the ghost mist's eye."
She rolled it in her hand thoughtfully.
"Yeah, ugly," the banyan tree spirit agreed.
"Let's sell it when we get the chance. The split stays the same—ninety for me, ten for you."
Yao Ranran moved on.
The banyan tree spirit stood frozen for a moment, stunned. "She's such a good person! I didn't even do anything and I still get a share. Amazing!" Branches sprouted behind him, clapping in joy.
He hopped along behind her toward the next village.
By the time they crossed another mountain, the sun was already setting.
Munching on wild fruit they'd plucked along the way, the pair entered a new village.