Dongfang Zhan slowly ate the yu (a type of Chinese yam), looking at Shen Lixue's bright face. His cool eyes revealed a hint of composure and confidence. She always managed to give him many unexpected surprises.
He glanced at the woman sitting to his right. She was the eldest daughter of the Li family, showered with love and affection. She wore a light purple dress with white daffodils embroidered on the cuffs, their delicate outlines outlined by silver threads, creating a beautiful and dreamlike effect. A jade hairpin was tucked into her hair. Her appearance was elegant and refined, and she was dressed more exquisitely than Shen Lixue, but she lacked something. It wasn't her appearance, but rather a certain confidence and stunning charm.
"Didn't we say we were going our separate ways? Why did you all follow me here again?" Dongfang Heng put down the Mingyu and looked at Dongfang Zhan.
Dongfang Zhan smiled helplessly: "It's not that I insist on following you, but the medicine Youlan is looking for is in this direction, so we have no choice but to come!"
Dongfang Heng lowered his eyelids and said coldly, "What kind of medicine are you looking for?"
Dongfang Zhan smiled, his smile enigmatic: "Perhaps what Prince An is looking for is also what we want!"
"If that's the case, then we'll each rely on our own abilities!" Dongfang Heng's voice was indifferent, his tone cold, making it impossible to discern any emotion in his words.
"Of course!" Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly, his gaze unfathomable.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, but she remained silent. Was Li Youlan also looking for the Cold Stone Flower?
"Besides the yu (a type of reed pipe), there should be other edible things around here." Knowing that the things around were edible, Li Youlan was no longer so cautious and went straight to the riverbank, scooping up a few handfuls of water to quench her thirst.
As soon as the water entered her mouth, her chapped lips instantly regained their former moisture and cherry red color. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and after glancing around, she quietly tossed a small bag into the water. She had been in Black Mist Mountain for two or three days and hadn't had a proper meal. There must be fish in this river. She could use medicine to catch a few fish and have a delicious fish soup for dinner, which would be good for her skin.
"Splash!" The sound of clear water reached her ears, and Shen Lixue abruptly stopped eating the yu (a type of Chinese yu), her snow-white eyes narrowing instantly: "There's movement!"
"It's just the sound of flowing water!" the guards said dismissively.
"It's not just the sound of flowing water." Shen Lixue looked at the calm water with a serious expression. "It sounds like something is coming towards us with the current!"
Li Youlan raised an eyebrow. Shen Lixue's hearing was indeed sharp. She used medicine to lure the fish, and a large number of fish must have swum here. Increasing the dosage of the medicine would indeed make it more effective.
Seeing everyone stand up and look warily at the river, she smiled slightly. It was just a group of fish; they were making a mountain out of a molehill. She would tell them when the fish swam over.
The sound of water grew louder and louder, and everyone's hearts pounded. Li Youlan's heart also skipped a few beats. How could a group of fish make such a big commotion?
Suddenly, small ripples began to appear on the calm water. Then, the ripples grew larger and more rapid, getting closer and closer to them.
"Splash!" The water surged violently, revealing a colossal creature with blood-red eyes and a gaping maw, ready to bite down hard on the group.
"Run!" Shen Lixue shouted, turned around and ran forward. They couldn't handle this behemoth, so they had to run first.
Without the slightest hesitation, Dongfang Heng, Dongfang Zhan, and Zi Mo, the guards, started running almost simultaneously, following Shen Lixue at high speed.
Li Youran was instantly stunned. She blinked hard, and the enormous creature was already close at hand. She exclaimed, turned around, and rushed forward. The stench emanating from the monster kept spraying over her. She frowned, covered her mouth and nose, and her heart was pounding. What was that thing?
Behind them, the enormous creature had already come ashore. Its black body was like a small mountain. It moved its legs and feet to catch up. Although the monster was slow, its body was huge. Every time it moved, it covered a considerable distance. No matter how good Shen Lixue, Dongfang Zhan, and Dongfang Heng's lightness skills were, they could not shake it off.
"Did you throw something into the river?" Shen Lixue looked at the guards. The monster lived underwater; without bait, it wouldn't come ashore.
"No, no, this humble servant only filled the container with water and dug up the Mingyu flute, and did nothing else..." The guards of the Holy King's Mansion solemnly assured them, almost as if they were swearing to the heavens.
"We are too..." the guards of the Prince Zhan's mansion hurriedly assured them.
Li Youlan was startled, her expression changed slightly, and she pretended to be nonchalant as she quickly ran forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Lixue looking at her, and her gaze flickered unnaturally: "Why are you looking at me?"
"You're the one who threw something into the water!" The guards didn't throw anything, neither did Shen Lixue, and Dongfang Heng and Dongfang Zhan hadn't even come near the riverbank. Only Li Youlan remained.
Li Youlan lowered her head: "I...I didn't mean to..." She threw the medicine to attract fish, but she didn't expect it to attract a monster.
"Ah!" The water monster swept a guard away with its tail. He was thrown into the air and fell hard, landing right in front of Li Youlan, his body shattered and his flesh mangled.
"Ah!" Li Youlan exclaimed, her face turning deathly pale. She immediately quickened her pace, her heart pounding wildly. It was terrifying.
"Li Xue, what is that?" Dongfang Hengfei asked Shen Li Xue as they walked side by side.
Shen Lixue turned around and glanced at the towering behemoth: "Water monster!"
Uh, this strange name was also the first time Dongfang Heng had heard it: "An animal that causes trouble in the water?"
"It can even swim onto land!" Most water monsters cause trouble in the water, but the environment of Black Mist Mountain is special, the animals have mutated, and the water monsters are so powerful even when they come ashore.
"Is there any way to solve this?" They still need to pick the Frost Stone Flowers. If they are chased all over the mountain by the water monster, they won't be able to do their work.
"Its hide is very tough and impervious to swords and spears. We can't kill it, we can only avoid it!" In modern times, even with cannons and other advanced weapons, the army couldn't destroy the water monster. With just a few longswords in their hands, they could only run away when they saw the water monster, otherwise, they would only die.
With a "whoosh!" the water monster shoved its head, sending another guard flying and crashing into the rocks, his head bleeding profusely.
The water monster shook its huge head, opened its blood-spitting maw, and bit down at Shen Lixue, who was closest to it.
"Li Xue, watch out!" A strong, fishy stench wafted over. Dongfang Heng frowned, tightly holding Shen Li Xue's small waist. He suddenly raised his body and leaped into the air. The monster missed its target and opened its huge mouth to bite at the two of them.
Shen Lixue stood in mid-air, looking at the surrounding environment, a cold glint flashing in her dark eyes: "Dongfang Heng, let's land on its head and stomp on its head!"
“You want to provoke it!” Dongfang Heng raised an eyebrow at Shen Lixue.
“That’s right, we’ll provoke it!” Shen Lixue grabbed Dongfang Heng’s arm, slammed her head onto the water monster’s head, channeled her inner energy, and stomped on it several times.
The water monster went berserk, roaring and shaking its head, trying to violently shake the two people off its head.
Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng swayed unsteadily, their heads spinning. They stomped on the water monster a few times, then quickly flew up and ran forward.
Roar! The water monster spotted the two of them, its eyes turning bloodshot. It ignored Dongfang Zhan and Li Youlan in mid-air and charged straight at Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue.
"Dongfang Heng, let's fly that way!" Shen Lixue pointed to the left front.
Dongfang Heng looked ahead, his gaze sharpened, and he instantly understood Shen Lixue's intention. He embraced her small waist and flew forward quickly.
The enormous creature, along with Shen Lixue, was carried by Dongfang Heng. Moving its massive body, it passed Dongfang Zhan and Li Youlan, crashing into them time and time again. The two of them moved nimbly, flying up and down, left and right. Each time, the water monster missed them, but the impacts shook the ground, sending rocks flying everywhere, and it roared in anger.
Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng flew to the junction of the two mountain peaks, looked at each other, stopped, and looked at the water monster, which was moving its huge body while attacking the two of them fiercely.