The moment she stepped into the ruins, the cautious Hu Tao noticed something unusual. On the tall stone pillars, pale yellow altar flames still burned brightly, undying for a thousand years. Not only that, but as soon as she entered, she sensed a dangerous presence.
Before she could react, a fierce Hilichurl wielding a club appeared behind her. Before she could even turn around, it raised its weapon, letting out a low guttural cry as it charged.
In that critical moment, Hu Tao spotted the ambush. She wanted to dodge, but she was afraid of dropping the food and water in her backpack, so she clutched it tightly—which slowed her down.
The next moment, with a heavy thud, the Hilichurl's club struck her squarely. Little Hu Tao was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing several meters away.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, she never let go of her backpack. Only by protecting her supplies could she hope to reach the end of Wuwang Hill and find her grandfather's spirit.
She scrambled to her feet, clutching the backpack tightly with one hand and raising her grandfather's walking stick with the other.
Hu Tao remembered what her grandfather had said. Hilichurls were bullies—the more afraid you showed, the more they'd chase you. So she didn't flee. She didn't back down. She raised the walking stick and faced the Hilichurl.
Seeing her raise the stick, the Hilichurl seemed confused. But it charged again, club raised high. This time, Hu Tao was ready. As it lunged at her, she squeezed her eyes shut and swung the walking stick with all her might.
With a deafening crash, when she opened her eyes again, she was stunned to see the Hilichurl sent flying over ten meters away, crashing heavily to the ground. It struggled for a moment before slowly getting back up. That single strike had nearly sent it straight to the underworld.
But before she could celebrate, two more Hilichurls appeared behind the first, brandishing their clubs, ready to attack.
Hu Tao put on a fierce face. "I'm not afraid of you! Come at me—I'll send you all to the underworld!"
Sensing her resolve and the power of the walking stick in her hand, the Hilichurls hesitated. But then, all three charged at her from different directions.
In the chaos, Hu Tao kept one hand on her backpack and wielded the walking stick with the other. Her steps were nimble. She dodged the first Hilichurl, sidestepped the second, and swung hard—sending the third flying with another heavy blow.
After fending off one, she didn't let her guard down. She spun around and pointed the walking stick at the other two, driving them back one by one.
Watching the three Hilichurls flee in panic, Hu Tao murmured, "Grandfather, thank you for leaving me this walking stick. It helped me drive them away."
Clutching her food and water, gripping her grandfather's walking stick, she pressed on. But before she could even leave the ruins, a crackling Electro Slime came bouncing toward her at high speed. In an instant, it was right in front of her.
Hu Tao instinctively raised the Staff of Homa to block. But the moment the staff touched the Electro Slime, a jolt of electricity shot through her body, numbing her limbs. She stumbled back.
Compared to the Hilichurls, this Electro Slime was clearly more dangerous. Just as she was reeling, the Slime attacked again. For an adeptus or a Vision wielder, a Slime like this would be child's play. But Hu Tao had no martial training. She could only rely on her grandfather's walking stick and her own agility, barely holding her own against the Slime. She was steadily pushed back.
Finally, Hu Tao made a decision. She let go of her backpack and gripped the walking stick with both hands. With all her strength, she swung it toward the Slime.
As she swung with full force, the walking stick seemed to awaken, emitting flickers of flame and a wave of heat. With a tremendous crash, it collided with the Slime. This Slime was clearly stronger than the Hilichurls, and the force of the impact sent both Hu Tao and the Slime flying in opposite directions.
The Slime slammed into a wall, while Hu Tao was thrown back hard. Midair, her body numb from the electric shocks, she couldn't hold onto the walking stick or her backpack. Both flew out of her grasp at the same moment.
The moment she hit the ground, she ignored the Slime entirely. She had to catch her grandfather's walking stick and save her food and water.
In that desperate moment, Hu Tao burst with surprising speed, darting to the edge of the cliff overlooking the ruins. She reached out and caught the walking stick midair, then leaped and snatched her backpack as well.
But before she could catch her breath, the accursed Slime bounced toward her again, ready to strike. As it landed at the cliff's edge, the force of its impact cracked the stone. With a grinding roar, the cliff face gave way.
Hu Tao let out a terrified cry as she fell, tumbling down with the broken rocks. Fortunately, there was a river below. Unfortunately, she lost consciousness the moment she hit the water.
As the current carried her away, even unconscious, she clung tightly to her grandfather's walking stick and her precious supplies.
Time passed. Night had long fallen. Deep in Wuwang Hill, on a rocky riverbank, a small girl's body was washed ashore.
After a long while, Hu Tao blinked her wet eyes and slowly came to. The moment she saw the walking stick still in her hand, she smiled. She hadn't lost her grandfather's favorite possession.
But when she opened her backpack and saw the rations—soaked through and half-dissolved by the river water—her eyes grew moist again. She sat by the riverbank, crying quietly.
"Grandfather, Hu Tao is so useless. I couldn't even protect the food."
"Grandfather, where exactly is the end of Wuwang Hill?"
As she wept, she didn't notice the crimson spider lily blooming silently behind her in the night.