Among the group, a girl hesitated, seemingly wanting to help Ji He. However, seeing that everyone else took advantage of the momentary lull in attacks to pluck the white thorns, she ultimately chose to stay put and focus on her task.

Compared to a stranger’s safety, she prioritized completing her mission.

Ji He looked at the five branches surrounding her, sweat beading on her forehead. The others only had three branches attacking them, so why did she suddenly get five?

Was this plant… discriminating against her?

Dodging and weaving between the swinging branches, Ji He carried her shovel as she bent low to evade the strikes. Soon, she noticed that the chaotic flailing of the branches seemed deliberate, intentionally thrusting thorns toward her.

The thorns directed at her looked particularly disorderly, some even embedded backward into the branches.

Many bore wounds from previous encounters, oozing a steady stream of white, sticky sap.

Ji He slowed her dodging pace experimentally and found that the branches also slowed in response.

Ji He: “!!!”

Damn! A realization struck her—could this medicinal plant be sentient?

Did it think she was… a pedicurist?

Ji He didn’t dare put her shovel away, but she reached into her coat and pulled out a pair of pliers, cautiously extending them toward the branch waving in front of her.

The branch stilled as if understanding her intent. Without hesitation, Ji He quickly extracted the white thorns embedded in its flesh.

The branch did not attack her.

As she removed the thorns, the branch initially twitched as if wanting to flail about but soon settled down obediently.

Once she had finished with that section, another chaotic patch of thorns was immediately extended toward her.

This time, it was even closer.

Ji He felt dazed for a moment but wasted no time, swiftly trimming the irregular thorns.

One branch down, and another presented itself.

While pretending to dodge and weave, Ji He efficiently pruned the branches using her pliers.

With the unexpected cooperation of the branches, she quickly gathered the sixty white thorns she needed.

Without hesitation, she shouldered her shovel and turned to leave.

At that moment, she suddenly felt an inexplicable force pulling at her.

It was as if something was trying to suck her in.

Her body became as rigid as wood—she couldn’t move, not even her eyes.

Ji He was shocked.

Damn!

Someone had set her up!

She screamed internally, desperately trying to lift her arms, but the few seconds she was frozen felt like hours.

Just as despair began to creep in, a loud curse rang out behind her, followed by a man’s anguished roar.

“Ah!!!”

With the outburst, Ji He suddenly found she could move again.

She quickly turned to look.

Everything seemed as if the paralysis had been a mere illusion.

But Ji He knew that wasn’t the case—she had definitely been immobilized!

No time to dwell on it, her attention was drawn to the scene ahead.

A young man with unnaturally muscular arms had been struck on the back by a branch and was now being dragged across the ground.

“You treacherous b***h!” The man clawed desperately at the grass, his fingers digging into the soil.

But his struggle only deepened the wounds on his back, blood gushing out and soaking his clothes.

“I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.” The girl, Nian Nian Bu Wang, averted her teary eyes as if unable to bear looking at his misery. “I had to do this for my brother—you can’t blame me.”

“Forget about him,” said Yi Ma Ping Chuan coldly, regarding the man on the ground as if he were trash. “Be glad you survived. If not, that thorn would’ve pierced your artery.”

Hearing this, the man’s eyes blazed with fury.

“You son of a b***h! If I survive today, I’ll make sure to settle this with you!”

With a final act of resolve, he let out a furious roar and yanked himself free from the branches, running off into the forest, thorns still lodged in his body.

“Not good!” Yi Ma Ping Chuan instinctively wanted to chase him down to eliminate the threat, but the branches at his feet blocked his way. If he pursued, Nian Nian Bu Wang would be left vulnerable.

That moment of hesitation allowed the man to disappear into the forest.

“Forget it. With wounds that severe, he won’t last long,” Nian Nian Bu Wang bit her lip, visibly anxious but quickly regaining her composure. “Our mission is more important.”

“Agreed.”

From a distance, Ji He suddenly locked eyes with Nian Nian Bu Wang.

So this was her ability?

Substitution? Or control?

Nian Nian Bu Wang must have first immobilized Ji He before shifting her power onto the young man. The question was—why?

Ji He frowned. Nian Nian Bu Wang was now under Yi Ma Ping Chuan’s protection, perfectly safe and unharmed.

Despite her irritation, Ji He knew this wasn’t the right time for revenge. With Yi Ma Ping Chuan around, she’d be fighting two against one, which wasn’t in her favor.

Without hesitation, Ji He took advantage of the distraction and slipped away into the forest.

Once she was far enough, she pulled her green cloak back on.

A hypothesis was forming in her mind. If she was right, then today’s forest competition was going to be her playing field!

Despite her excitement, Ji He remained cautious, keeping low as she moved through the trees, shovel in hand.

She took note of the other plants in the forest as she passed.

However, her ability seemed inconsistent—when she picked up other plants, she got no reaction from them.

This power was still a mystery.

Unable to figure it out, she decided to collect the blue-glowing plants she was already familiar with.

At least she’d have something useful to take back.

It wouldn’t be a wasted trip.

After walking for a while, she caught a faint whiff of blood.

Her heart tightened.

Crouching down carefully, she pushed aside the grass—and saw a man lying motionless on the ground.

It was the same young man who had been attacked by Nian Nian Bu Wang.

Ji He hesitated for only a second before deciding to help.

It was said that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Keeping him alive was more useful than letting him die.

She approached quickly, checking his breathing.

Still alive.

Good. If he were dead, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything.

Pulling out her pliers, Ji He began removing the white thorns from his back.