Yun Xi's hands moved quickly. In the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, she had already stitched up all the torn wounds. She never intended to use a pill on this man.
It wasn't because she was cold-hearted. The situation was uncertain. Aside from the young girl, the rest of these primitive people clearly regarded her with suspicion. As an outsider, it would be foolish to reveal her cards the moment they met. Yun Xi was no naïve fool stepping into the cultivation world for the first time.
Besides, after her treatment the man's life was saved. Whether he could fully recover in the future would depend on his own constitution.
After finishing, Yun Xi formed the Dust-Cleansing Technique to wash away the blood on her hands, then turned to leave.
But the man lifted his stone hammer, blocking her path. He rattled off something in his tongue, incomprehensible to her. Yun Xi waited until he finished, then shook her head.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
She stepped around him and continued deeper into the jungle. The man blocked her again, this time speaking even louder. Yet after a long tirade, Yun Xi still had no clue what he meant.
Not wishing to waste time, she pointed at her ears, shook her head, and made her meaning clear. The man seemed to finally understand. He did not stop her this time.
Though Yun Xi left, curiosity gnawed at her. Were these people long-time residents of this secret realm, or had they been transported here just like her? With a wave of her sleeve, she released a small Flying Mist Butterfly, instructing it to follow the group.
Then Yun Xi vanished from their sight, hiding behind the trunk of a giant tree. She placed a formation plate to shield herself, released Dian Dian and Fei Xia from her spirit beast pouch, and shared her vision with the butterfly.
The group split into two parties after she left—one carrying the black panther, the other carrying the wounded man. The girl stayed at the man's side, wiping away tears. Under the stone-hammer man's lead, they departed.
They knew the terrain well. After about half an hour, they reached a cliffside, where clusters of grass huts and stone houses formed their settlement.
Their return was met with loud cheers, especially at the sight of the massive panther. But the moment they noticed the injured man, all joy drained from their faces.
They escorted him to the only two-story stone house in the village and called out an elderly woman.
Her skin was dark and weathered, her hair white and tied loosely with a hemp cord, falling down her back. She wore a pale hemp robe and leaned on a forked wooden staff. After examining the man's wounds, she waved for him to be carried inside.
The young girl sobbed as she haltingly explained something. Her grief was so heavy that she could barely speak. The stone-hammer man picked up where she left off, recounting the events in his harsh, rapid tongue. Yun Xi could only guess he was explaining what had happened.
The old woman listened closely, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. At last she ordered the man carried into the house, while the girl and stone-hammer man stayed outside. She entered alone, pulling down the hide curtain. The rest of the tribe waited anxiously.
Yun Xi assumed the old woman was continuing treatment. Meanwhile, she directed the Flying Mist Butterfly to scout the cliffside village. Aside from one restricted area it could not enter, the rest was laid bare.
Withdrawing her shared vision, Yun Xi rubbed her chin and murmured to Dian Dian, "This place is strange."
Dian Dian circled twice on the ground before sending his voice into her mind. "Master, tomorrow hide me in your sleeve. I'll go out with you to investigate."
"Alright."
As night fell, Yun Xi halted her scouting and retreated into her formation. The jungle itself seemed restless under the darkening sky. The very air carried a volatile energy, whispering agitation into the heart.
Even her two spirit beasts were affected. Dian Dian darted around the formation restlessly, its black-bean eyes tinged with blood haze. Fei Xia swelled uncontrollably, wings quivering.
Yun Xi used the contract seal to force them back to clarity, then asked, "What's wrong with you two?"
Dian Dian collapsed weakly into her palm, panting. "Master, I don't know what's happening… suddenly I feel so violent, like I just want to destroy things!"
Fei Xia shrank down to a tiny form, landing on Yun Xi's fingertip. "Master, I don't feel as irritable as Dian Dian, but I also have this urge to fly out. Something here is disturbing our minds."
Dian Dian struggled upright again. "Master, are you alright?"
Yun Xi shook her head. "I'm fine, just a little uneasy."
The words had barely left her mouth when her formation trembled. Not once, but several times, something rammed against it from different directions.
Her brows drew tight. "The situation is unclear, and you're both being affected. Better that you return to the spirit beast pouch until dawn."
"Yes, Master!"
The two answered without protest. If they couldn't help her, they would not drag her down.
Yun Xi sealed them inside the pouch and even tied the mouth shut. Only then did she extend her divine sense beyond the formation, her eyes flashing with surprise.
The attackers were a herd of massive rhino beasts. Their sharp horns slammed again and again into the protective barrier, surrounding the formation completely as if to pen in their prey.
Yun Xi studied the flickering shield and decided to strike first.
She could hide inside—the beasts could not break through quickly—but sustaining the formation consumed spirit stones. In this unknown place, she needed to conserve her resources. Besides, she had come here to temper herself. Such a perfect opportunity for combat training could not be wasted.
Still, she wasn't reckless. She tossed out her fourth-rank formation plate, trapping the rhino beasts within its range. Then, gripping her Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff, she appeared behind the smallest one. With a leap, she swung the staff down hard at its skull.
A heavy thud rang out. The impact numbed her palms, but it worked. The beast, a meter tall and two meters long, collapsed, hooves twitching. Yun Xi flashed to its head and delivered a brutal iron fist. Its body stilled forever.
She stored the carcass in her pouch, then flexed her reddened fist, marveling. These beasts were practically iron-skinned. Even with her years of body cultivation, the blows had left her aching. How did those primitive people survive against such monsters?
Her thoughts returned to the stone-hammer man's glowing arm. Clearly, they had their own power system. If she could understand it, perhaps she could find her way out of this place.
Taking a steadying breath, Yun Xi lifted her staff and strode toward the space where two rhino beasts awaited. The moment she appeared, they charged from left and right in a frenzied assault.
===
Because my babies have been clamoring for me to pick up another yuri novel, I decided to do it right now (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ Since I already finished translating "The Invincible Money-Grubbing Fairy," that freed up one slot. This new project will be a modern setting yuri, and just like "My Cold-Hearted Boss Wants to Marry Me," it's another short novel.
That said, I should be honest with you: yuri isn't my main focus. I'll still translate yuri, but the frequency won't be that high. If you'd like me to add more yuri projects, I'll definitely consider it—but only if the requests reach my "minimum slot." How many requests do I need? That's a secret of course (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
On another note, I'm also starting a new apocalypse-themed project, since "Mom's Apocalypse Survival Log" is almost fully translated. The difference this time is that the new novel is one of my personal favorites. I've literally reread it 5–6 times already, and it has over 1000 chapters serialized!
Both of these newly picked projects are still going through the book vetting process. I'll update you all once they're approved and available on my profile. Please look forward to it~ (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ