Chapter 361: Suspecting My Intentions?
The faint green glow hidden beneath the water surged forward the moment Yu Luo raised her crossbow. The eerie luminescence intensified, casting an ominous hue over the water’s surface and illuminating the once pitch-black surroundings.
A colossal python’s head emerged into view, its jaws gaping wide, revealing a maw filled with razor-sharp fangs. Its flickering forked tongue sent a chill through Yu Luo’s spine, nearly scaring the soul out of her.
Her trembling fingers instinctively squeezed the trigger—again and again—sending a barrage of short arrows hurtling toward the monstrous serpent.
“Hold your breath!”
Chi Jincheng’s urgent warning echoed through the cave. Yu Luo barely had time to react but instinctively obeyed, sucking in a sharp breath while still firing relentlessly at the snake. At the same time, Chi Jincheng propelled them both downward, submerging them beneath the water’s surface in a rapid retreat.
The very path that had taken Yu Luo over two minutes to navigate earlier—where she had struggled to hold her breath—was now one they had to traverse again, this time in a desperate bid for survival.
Despite the system’s enhancements, her arrows barely made a dent in the serpent’s tough scales. It was too massive, too well-armored. Worse still, it had grown accustomed to dodging her shots, making it impossible to hit its eyes.
[Host can purchase “Soul-Draining Grass” from the system. Sprinkle it into the water to incapacitate the python.]
The system’s timely suggestion filled Yu Luo with hope. Quickly, she searched for the item in the system’s inventory—only to see that a single stalk cost a thousand taels!
Her heart ached at the price, but there was no time for hesitation.
She bought ten.
[Snap them in half and toss them into the water.]
The system’s guidance was clear, but Yu Luo was now facing a new problem.
The enormous python was closing in fast, its eerie green glow drawing ever closer. She only had one free hand—the other was still bound to Chi Jincheng.
How was she supposed to break the stalks with just one hand?!
Worse yet, they were still underwater. With the stone ceiling above them, she had no way to signal Chi Jincheng or explain what needed to be done.
For now, she had no choice but to store the Soul-Draining Grass away and resume firing her crossbow, trying to buy them more time.
The once-still underground river had transformed into a chaotic battlefield, its waters churning violently as the python thrashed in fury.
“Xiao Luo, you can breathe now! Looks like we have no choice but to go up through the cave.”
[Kill the python. The system will handle the rest. Do not take the cave route—exiting that way will lead you straight into the Lan Yue Kingdom’s army.]
Yu Luo barely had time to process this warning before she hurriedly stowed her crossbow away and retrieved the ten stalks of Soul-Draining Grass.
“Quick! Help me break these and throw them into the water! This will knock the python out!”
Seeing the crystal-clear, water-like stalks suddenly appear in her hands, Chi Jincheng was momentarily taken aback. But there was no time for questions. He immediately reached out and snapped one in half.
As the Soul-Draining Grass broke, a potent herbal scent filled the water, spreading rapidly.
The once-raging python suddenly froze, its massive body stiffening as though momentarily dazed.
By the time it attempted to lunge forward again, its movements had already slowed considerably.
Yu Luo saw her opportunity.
She raised her crossbow once more, this time aiming directly for its glowing green eyes.
Her eyes narrowed. She fired.
Three arrows struck true.
The serpent let out a violent thrash, its massive tail whipping through the water in a final, desperate frenzy.
And then—
It sank into the depths, disappearing into the abyss as the green glow around it flickered and vanished.
[The python has been collected by the system. Host may proceed.]
The system’s voice rang in her mind, and Yu Luo exhaled a long breath, her chest rising and falling from sheer exhaustion.
“Chi Jincheng, you could’ve used your light-footed technique to escape over the whirlpool earlier—why didn’t you?!”
Now that the immediate danger had passed, Yu Luo turned to settle the score.
She recalled all too clearly how, in the heat of the moment, Chi Jincheng had carried her away with ease, traversing the whirlpool as if it were nothing.
And yet, he had let her struggle earlier?!
Her frustration boiled over, her voice sharp with irritation.
Chi Jincheng, however, was still absorbed in thought, replaying her swift and decisive actions in dealing with the python.
Only when she yelled did he snap back to reality.
Without warning—
He pulled her into his arms.
The warmth of his breath ghosted over her face, and Yu Luo felt a chill run down her spine—not from fear, but from something even more dangerous than the python.
Her instincts screamed at her.
Immediately, she shoved him away with all her strength.
“Xiao Luo, could it be that you still suspect my intentions?”
His deep voice was laced with amusement, yet there was an underlying intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
Even though he had risked his life multiple times to help her, she couldn’t ignore how he had deliberately let her struggle earlier.
“Yes, I do suspect you. Since you clearly could’ve carried me past the whirlpool, then you can carry me the rest of the way now.”
“Alright. Besides, now that you’ve navigated this passage once, next time you’ll know how to get through it—even without me.”
Chi Jincheng’s words made her pause.
Did he mean that he had deliberately let her experience the path firsthand so she could learn it for herself?
Had she misunderstood his intentions?
Before she could respond, she felt his grip tighten around her hand.
“The underground river is deep,” he continued. “We never touched the bottom this entire time. Now that the python has sunk, it’s possible there are even more creatures lurking below. If you ever need to travel to the Lanyue Kingdom again, I’d suggest avoiding this route altogether.”
Yu Luo shuddered at the thought.
She was still shaken from the encounter. If it hadn’t been for her system, that python would’ve swallowed her whole.
“I don’t need you to tell me that—I’ll never take this path again.”
Realizing that he had once again saved her life, she swallowed her frustration. Perhaps she had been too harsh on him.
“Alright,” he said, his voice gentler. “Then hold your breath. Let’s go back.”
