Chapter 6: Rescue
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The door was pushed open heavily, and Ji Yun's cries suddenly stopped. She looked hopefully at the two girls inside, tears still swirling in her eyes.
"Where is he now?"
"This morning, I went to the river by the forest to get some water to wash up. There was a small river—then, something by the water dragged me. That guy who was with you saw and rushed over to help me. In the end, he got bitten by a monster and was dragged into the forest..."
At this point, the female lead Ji Yun's tears started to fall again, like pearls that broke loose from a string, making her look pitiful. An indescribable disgust rose in Qin Dongwan's heart. She didn't even want to look at her and walked around her, quickly calculating in her mind.
Should she go save Tang Zihang?
Although she had no relationship with the original owner's childhood friend, this person had no bad intentions. Being alone in the infinite instances was not a good thing. Qin Dongwan could at least be sure that this friend of the original owner would not harm her.
Moreover, her memory was very good. Tang Zihang died in the later levels of the original story. Even if she transmigrated and there might be some changes, it wouldn’t be drastically different.
However, although this was a beginner level, it didn’t mean that the monsters were harmless. After a bit of hesitation, Qin Dongwan decided to go down and take a look, ignoring Ji Yun beside her.
Seeing the girl rush away, Luo Shu intended to close the door. Yet, upon seeing Ji Yun's pitiful expression, she felt completely disgusted. She snorted in impatience and left, treating Ji Yun like a wooden person, leaving her standing there.
Ji Yun stomped her foot, and a tear quickly followed.
****
"Miss, please take your task card when you go out. You must complete the task within three days. There will be a check during dinner on the third day."
The turmoil from last night left no trace, even the bodies of one person and one beast vanished. When Qin Dongwan walked downstairs, she saw a maid guarding the entrance. She instinctively hid her small knife, slowed her steps, and scanned the area.
She took the task card from the maid, who bowed and stepped back.
The golden card had an elegant floral border, and the glaring red characters seemed made of solidified blood, dazzling in the sunlight. Qin Dongwan noticed that other players had similar papers. She quickly glanced at hers.
It read: "Please go to the forest and pick fifteen seven-colored flowers."
The sunlight outside was blinding, reflecting off the dried dark red, which seemed to flow. Before Qin Dongwan could look again, Ji Yun rushed over, breathless, and patted her shoulder, sounding eager to bear Tang Zihang's punishment:
"That... that person, let's hurry to the forest and find him!"
She clearly didn’t remember Qin Dongwan's name, but it didn’t stop her from making her point. Luo Shu, who followed behind, glanced coldly at Ji Yun and was already feeling increasingly impatient with her.
The person dragged into the forest was obviously in grave danger, and the fact that Ji Yun's mistake caused the problem, yet she still insisted on involving others, showed her shamelessness.
"I will look for him while doing the mission, but not with you."
Qin Dongwan thought for a moment and quickly made her decision, brushing off Ji Yun's small hand from her shoulder. Disappointment flashed across Ji Yun’s pretty face, but it was soon replaced by a resigned and pitiful expression as she ran into the forest first.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The giant man-eating flower drooled, and its foul stench rushed straight to the head. Though it was in a deep sleep, the dripping "raindrops" were still gradually corroding the fertile black soil beneath it.
After putting a safe distance between himself and the flower, Tang Zihang shakily got up from the ground and wiped the blood from his face. His arm was now torn and bleeding heavily. If he hadn’t acted quickly and stuffed a thorn branch into the flower's mouth, he would already be a cold corpse.
Warm light shone through the trees, giving the staggering boy a faint glimmer of hope as he stumbled back the way he came.
Though they say men don’t cry easily, he couldn’t help but sniffle. Being dragged away by a man-eating flower to save a stranger wasn’t something he would’ve chosen. It was just a reflex when he saw the terror on the girl’s beautiful face.
Now, he was completely stranded in the deserted forest. Though the castle wasn’t far, the sense of life and human presence felt miles away.
The wounds on his body were hastily wrapped, but the faint scent of blood still lingered, irritating his nose. He could feel hidden dangers lurking in the bushes on both sides, ready to end his life at any moment.
“Tang Zihang...”
A clear voice sounded not far away, mixed with worried sobs. Tang Zihang jerked his head up, but in the vast forest, he saw no one else alive besides himself. Doubt crept into his heart, yet he moved toward the voice, holding onto a sliver of hope.
As he got closer, he could even feel warm breath brushing against his ear. The damp forest air, mingled with the scent of blood, filled his nose, making it hard to breathe. It felt like he was about to be engulfed by that strange, suffocating heat...
Just as Tang Zihang instinctively reached out toward the patch of green in front of him, a raging fire engulfed all the illusions before him. He opened his eyes and realized he was still on the fertile black soil. The drool of the man-eating flower dripped onto him, burning with searing pain.
He suddenly remembered that this monster had dragged him into the forest. After barely managing to escape, he was about to leave when he smelled something strange and fell into a hallucination.
Forcing himself to stand despite the pain, Tang Zihang finally saw Qin Dongwan standing in front of him, holding a lit torch.
She had been holding two torches, and at that moment, she hurled the remaining one with all her strength, hitting the man-eating flower’s wide-open mouth.
The scent and the heat Tang Zihang had felt earlier all came from this place. If Qin Dongwan had been a little later, and he had taken a few more steps forward, he would have walked right into the man-eating flower’s mouth and become its meal.
“Run!”
Qin Dongwan shouted. After throwing the torch, her hands were empty. She didn’t dare to face the enemy with just a small knife.
Tang Zihang, true to his “Erha*” nickname, snapped out of it and scrambled up from the ground, rolling and crawling. He ignored the pain of his wounds and ran desperately.
*silly/dumb husky (in a cute/funny way)
There was a small path clearly split open through the forest. The fire behind them began to spread, and the crackling sound of burning plants seemed to chase after their footsteps like a haunting ghost.
Qin Dongwan followed closely behind Tang Zihang. She didn’t dare to look back and clenched her teeth as she sprinted forward.
The burning smell behind them grew stronger. The fire suddenly formed a circle around them, suffocating like a rope tightening around their hearts. It roared fiercely, wanting to drag the two into its embrace. Ahead lay dense weeds, and beyond the grassy patch, a trickling stream was faintly visible….
“Get down!”
The howling, bloody wind rushed past their ears, and death circled nearby. Hearing Luo Shu's shout, Qin Dongwan did not hesitate to pull Tang Zihang down to the ground. The small thorns in the grass scratched against their exposed skin, causing a sting.
The thorny vine that lunged at them missed and could only retract in disappointment, leaving a long mark on the ground.
She got up from the ground, brushed off the grass and mud on her clothes, and kicked Tang Zihang, who still lay on the ground like a corpse. She turned to look into the forest.
Small flames still flickered in the woods. A few players who hadn’t gone into the forest gathered nearby, exchanging words she couldn't hear clearly.
Ji Yun seemed to have also gone into the forest to look for Tang Zihang, but Qin Dongwan hadn’t encountered her on her way, so she probably wasn't in that area. Therefore, the fire wouldn't trap her inside.
She turned back, and beyond the patch of weeds was a shallow stream. Qin Dongwan walked in, and the water only reached a little above her knees. It was morning, and the scorching sun baked the ground. After confirming there was nothing strange in the water, she rolled up her skirt and stepped in. Seeing Luo Shu standing still, she placed a hand on her shoulder and thanked her.
A strange expression flashed in the girl's lively eyes. She awkwardly pushed Qin Dongwan's hand away and then changed the subject. She grabbed the collar of Qin Dongwan's dress and pulled her down a bit.
"When you weren't around earlier, I took a stroll inside the castle."
"Wait, how did you get back in?"
The sense of accomplishment from successfully rescuing her friend made Qin Dongwan relax her tense heartstrings, and her focus immediately shifted. Luo Shu had originally intended to blurt something out, but suddenly swallowed it back. She did not want to tell Qin Dongwan that she had violently knocked out the weak maid, fearing that this would end their newly formed alliance due to fear.
After all... she had once experienced the feeling of being abandoned by so-called partners in the heat of battle. All fears stemmed from her astonishing strength.
"Why ask so much? Just focus on the key point."
Her mood suddenly dipped slightly. Luo Shu's tone unintentionally became a bit harsh, and her small face puffed up, which left Qin Dongwan momentarily stunned. The two were extremely close, their warm breaths brushing past each other, stirring the tiny golden hairs that glimmered faintly in the sunlight, creating a slight itch.
"There are some tools inside, locked in the warehouse on the first floor, but I don’t have the key. It seems there was some strange activity last night, but there are no traces left. The only thing worth noting is—"
She drew out her tone, but her expression suddenly stiffened, and her purplish eyes became cold. She bent down to pick up a stone and threw it forcefully, instantly causing someone hidden behind the bushes to scream in pain.
Author's Note:
[2023.9.20: Modified Qin Dongwan's psychological activity during the rescue of Tang Zihang.]
