Jiang Xiang moved like lightning, although it didn’t escape the thrashing entirely and was whipped a few times it was nothing compared to the beating the four humans took. They quickly dashed out of the attach ranged and skidded to a halt, stomping their feet in frustration. Humans were indeed too weak!

Fortunately, the beating hadn’t been in vain. The vines were now ablaze, flames roaring high into the night and lighting up half the sky. Whether the shipping container would survive the heat was another matter—if it melted into a lump of molten iron, tonight’s effort would have been wasted.

The four women collapsed in a corner, battered and utterly miserable. Their clothes had been shredded to ribbons, leaving them smeared with blood and grit. Yet, despite the carnage, vanity prevailed; instinct had them protecting their faces from harm. The rest of their bodies, however, hadn’t fared as well. Yun Shuiyao, with her sleeveless attire and bare legs, had suffered the most—her once smooth, youthful skin now bloodied and torn beyond recognition.

“Dammit! If this leaves scars, how am I supposed to flaunt my legs? Lan girl, do you have anything for scars?” Yun Shuiyao groaned.

Lan Shiru shook her head. “No idea. But we did loot a beauty salon once—we might have something useful. I’ll look into it later.”

“Good. Ugh, this is heartbreaking! These legs took milk baths to keep them like this, and now… this! It’s enough to kill me!”

“Alright, Auntie,” Miao Miao teased, her small frame betraying the tough soul within. “Be glad you’re still alive. Scars just make you look more badass.”

Yun Shuiyao shot her a glare. “Little brat, you’ll change your tune when you meet a man you like. Then we’ll see who’s crying about scars.”

“Uh… so… are we just going to sit here and watch?” He Lian asked hesitantly. Her eyes were locked on the twisting mass of burning vines, the flames leaping higher with every passing moment. Her adrenaline still surged, unable to calm after participating in such a harrowing ordeal. In her twenty-something years of life, this was, hands down, the wildest thing she’d ever done.

“We can’t do much for now. Let’s watch and wait. If the fire burns out and it’s still alive, I’ll just shoot a few more arrows. Stay alert, though—we’re bleeding, and the smell might attract other things.”

The realization hit them all at once: they were now walking bait. “Maybe we should leave,” Yun Shuiyao suggested nervously.

“Leaving could be even riskier. Who knows what we might run into out there? At least here, we know the terrain and can prepare for another attack.”

After some consideration, the group agreed and decided to stay put.

The vine monster struggled less and less, its movements growing sluggish. Half an hour later, it finally went completely still. Jiang Xiang approached cautiously, testing the remains a few times to be certain it was dead before letting out a short bark to confirm.

“I need to find my stuff.” Yun Shuiyao groaned, wincing as she hobbled forward. Now that the adrenaline had faded, the pain hit her full force. Earlier, the agony had numbed her but now every step was torture.

“I’ll come too—I can’t leave my iron balls behind,” said Miao Miao, shuffling after her. The two of them waddled like ducks, their steps awkward and exaggerated.

Lan Shiru and He Lian exchanged a glance and followed. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiang prowled the perimeter, pacing and keeping watch. Anything foolish enough to wander close met a swift and deadly end.

Yun Shuiyao and Miao Miao started digging through the pile of scorched vines, searching for their lost weapons. He Lian joined in to help, while Lan Shiru inspected the shipping container. She ran her hand along its surface. Despite the intense flames, the container hadn’t warped or melted.

“Solid build,” she muttered. Then, turning to the others, she called out, “Step back for a moment. I’ll collect it into the space first—then you can search through it safely.”

The three of them stepped back, and with a swift motion, Lan Shiru waved her hand. A pile of containers vanished, the vines entangled with them snapping into countless fragments, piling up to form a small mound on the ground.

Miao Miao, using her strength, dug through the pile, causing clouds of black dust to billow around. After some digging, she finally unearthed her two charred iron balls. Cradling them like they were precious treasures, she wiped them off gently.

Yun Shuiyao was still rummaging, her rear end sticking up in the air as she sifted through the mess. She looked like she’d just crawled out of a soot-filled pit, with dirt smeared all over her and none of her usual charm or grace left.

“Dammit, buried at the bottom…”

She yanked the whip out, pulling something along with it. A tiny sprout emerged, struggling to detach. “Well, I’ll be. It’s still alive.” She ripped it free and tossed it aside, thinking nothing of it.

What she didn’t expect was for that frail little sprout, easily squashed with a single finger, to spring back to life. It latched onto her hand and began scrambling around.

Yun Shuiyao yelped in surprise, and the others rushed over to help—but their efforts were futile. They watched helplessly as the sprout crawled toward her wound and burrowed into her flesh.

Yun Shuiyao’s face turned deathly pale, but she oddly remained calm. “Am I going to die? I’m not exactly happy about it, but I can accept it. I have one request, though… seeing as we’ve spent so much time together these past few weeks, can you all promise me something?”

Miao Miao’s eyes welled up with tears, abandoning any more arguments with Yun Shuiyao. “Auntie, please don’t say things like that. We’ll figure out a way to save you!”

Yun Shuiyao’s tone grew tranquil and resigned, as if she had long made peace with the situation. “Little girl, you don’t understand. After all these years, what haven’t I seen? Don’t worry, I’m fine with it. This body has protected me for decades, but I don’t want to die only to end up like… that thing. So before I turn into whatever that is, I need you to kill me and cremate me. That’s my final wish. Will you help me?”

“Shuiyao?” He Lian’s voice broke as she struggled to hold back tears, gripping Yun Shuiyao’s hand tightly, unable to speak through the anguish.

Yun Shuiyao smiled and pulled the others into her embrace, trying to comfort them. “It’s okay. It will be over soon.”

Miao Miao wailed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face as she buried herself in Yun Shuiyao’s arms. “Auntie, don’t die. I don’t want you to die.”

Yun Shuiyao wasn’t afraid of death, or rather, she was, but what was the point in being afraid now? She had reached the end of her rope. The three of them clung together, sobbing, as their anguish filled the air.

Lan Shiru: “….”

Jiang Xiang’s purple eyes were full of disdain. Humans were the strangest and most terrifying creatures in the world—he was nearly scared to death by them.

“Enough crying. You shouldn’t be dead yet.”

The three of them gasped, still crying and gasping for air.

“What do you mean, sis?” Miao Miao asked, wiping away her tears.

Ignoring Miao Miao, Lan Shiru grabbed Yun Shuiyao’s hand. “Look at your body. Haven’t your wounds healed by a lot?”

The three of them glanced down, and sure enough, the wounds were healing rapidly. “What’s going on?”

“It should have acknowledged its new master,” Lan Shiru explained. “Mutated plants and animals can form contracts with those who possess abilities, becoming their servants or partners. The two share a bond where they live and die together, making them the closest, most loyal kind of family. However, forming such a contract depends on chance—it’s a mutual choice, and both need to be compatible. Generally, it’s hard to make it happen. Shuiyao’s luck is good. From now on, you have an extra helper. You can try to sense it now. It’s inside your flesh and blood, and you two can communicate on a basic level mentally. As you become more familiar, or as you advance, you will be able to communicate telepathically.”

“That impressive?” Miao Miao and He Lian said in awe, feeling like they had wasted all those tears for nothing. “Was this the vine that bullied us earlier?”

Lan Shiru shook her head. “I don’t know, that’s something you’d have to ask Shuiyao.”

Miao Miao and He Lian both eagerly turned to Yun Shuiyao.

Yun Shuiyao felt a mixture of excitement and confusion. She tried to sense it and actually received a faint response. “Mm, yes, it’s the vine from earlier. But it’s badly hurt, needs to rest, and can’t do anything for now.”

Miao Miao exploded in anger. “No way! We got treated so badly earlier, we can’t just let it slide! We need to get our revenge!”

Yun Shuiyao began to defend her new partner. “That’s enough, it’s already been through so much, it was burned for so long. Why don’t you show some mercy? It can barely move, you should be more considerate.”

Miao Miao gritted her teeth. “I didn’t burn it, and I still haven’t gotten my revenge.”

Yun Shuiyao twisted her little waist with a mischievous grin. “Then maybe you should go ask Lan Shiru. Ask her why she took it upon herself to avenge you. It’s outrageous. If she doesn’t give you an explanation, then you should punish her!”

=^_^=