Chapter 277: I’ll walk in the front with you (2/2)
Han Yunxi gave a start. Truthfully speaking, no one had told her to look. Maybe she wasn’t thinking clearly because she was angry. But Long Feiye then spoke up and said, “I told her to.”
Han Yunxi’s heart gave a tremor as she looked over, only to see Long Feiye’s gaze fixated her way. Quickly, she averted her eyes. Aunt Ru was furious and cried, “There’s no way it could be nearby. Ye’er, are you going to believe Aunt Ru, or her?”
Long Feiye avoided Aunt Ru’s wrathful look and said, “Han Yunxi, why aren’t you searching yet?”
Without a doubt, he’d made his choice. Aunt Ru was severely disappointed. She’d taught him for over a decade, but she couldn’t be compared to a woman he’d known for less than a year. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. “Han Yunxi, I’ll give you enough time to brew a cup of tea.” No matter what, she had to stay cool so she could argue for leaving this forest sooner.
But Han Yunxi simply said, “No need, I’ve already found it.”
Aunt Ru creased her eyebrows. She didn’t trust Han Yunxi, but she wouldn’t believe that the woman was capable of bragging to such an extent! In the end, she chose to stay silent.
“Where is it?” Long Feiye trusted her implicitly. Han Yunxi looked over and their eyes met, before both of them looked away. She didn’t speak, but went to her right with Long Feiye and Aunt Ru hurrying to follow. When she stopped by the foot of a large tree, her gaze rested on its trunk.
“Where is it?” This was the first time that Aunt Ru had lost her cool so easily.
“Cut open that tree trunk and take a look,” Han Yunxi said seriously.
“This is a poison birch,” Aunt Ru reminded them immediately. After Feiye’s mother died, she became the foremost expert on poisons within the Tang Clan.
“I know. Long Feiye, hurry and cut the trunk for a look. Be careful,” Han Yunxi said as she backed away.
At this moment, Lil Thing secretly poked its head out of the medical pouch. When it saw Long Feiye unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the tree trunk, it hastily ducked back inside in fear. How does this sword-wielding guy know the giant tree trunk is hiding a secret passage? Does he know the passage leads to a underground poison grounds too?
The expanse of the poison grounds were divided between above and underground. Poison grasses grew aboveground, while poison water used to nurture the entire area existed underground. As soon as the poison water was ruined, it’d mark the end of the entire expanse of poisons! Lil Thing wanted to crawl out and bite that fellow’s hand so he’d never be able to use a sword again! But still, it was sacred. It didn’t know why, but it instinctively feared the man.
Mm, it’ll draw a little circle and curse him instead!
Just as Lil Thing was drawing its circle, Long Feiye had already cleaved the giant trunk. Only then did he discover the inside was hollow. An acrid odor wafted out from inside. Long Feiye was about to peek inside the hollow tree when Aunt Ru hastened to stop him. “Ye’er, be careful of poison!”
But Han Yunxi simply said, “This smell isn’t poisonous, don’t worry.”
Caught in an awkward situation, Aunt Ru didn’t know what to say and ended up coughing lightly a few times. Though she hadn’t seen any corrosive plants yet, the scene before them now proved that Han Yunxi hadn’t been lying. Although she disliked how much Long Feiye trusted Han Yunxi, Aunt Ru wasn’t someone who deliberately made trouble. Neither was she some simple-minded little girl. Very soon, she realized that Tang Li had tricked her. Just then, Han Yunxi had only used her eyes to find this trunk. She hadn’t used any other methods, which meant her skills were quite formidable!
It looked like she needed to re-examine Han Yunxi.
Long Feiye quickly found the secret inside the trunk. “There’s a secret passage leading downwards. It goes down very deep.”
Han Yunxi and Aunt Ru looked over simultaneously. Aunt Ru was about to speak up when Han Yunxi said, “Let’s go down!”
Those were exactly Aunt Ru’s words as well. She’d searched for this place for years. Now that there was a clue, there was no sense in staying aboveground. She’d even placed the matter of the nightly creature migration to the back of her head. It was possible the area below this tree had exactly what she needed. She looked at Han Yunxi as her eyes flickered with admiration. She never expected this girl to have such guts, or the courage to risk dangers.
Very good, it looks like she isn’t simply a tiger made out of paper.
Aunt Ru was the first to jump into the cavern, followed by Han Yunxi. She was rather excited. Even though this acrid scent had no poison, she could tell its smell was off. Perhaps it was only non-poisonous because it wasn’t concentrated enough. Maybe she’d find a clue to crack the puzzle of the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion down there.
A serious Han Yunxi said, “Later, I’ll walk in the front. Everyone be careful!”
But Long Feiye didn’t immediately follow her in. He looked at Han Yunxi and asked, “Han Yunxi, you’re certain you want to come down with your lordship?”
He…she…
She’d already jumped in, so what was the meaning behind his question? Before, she’d said she wouldn’t come and wouldn’t help. She’d even returned the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion to him. But now she’d come and help, and with such high spirits too. Han Yunxi’s ears turned red as her heart flared with embarrassment and vexation. She dawdled awhile and was about to jump back out when Long Feiye jumped into the passageway instead.
“I’ll walk in the front with you,” he said simply.
Han Yunxi had lost her chance to refuse, because Long Feiye had already taken her hand. Aunt Ru walked behind them both, staring at their entwined fingers. A complicated look flickered past her eyes. She didn’t understand why Tang Li had told lies to sully this woman.