Chapter Three: Immortal? Immortal!

The fall, coupled with the chilling dew that soaked my slightly damp clothes, made me wince in pain. I groaned in agony, trying to shift my position.

Glancing at the man again, I saw a flash of light from his long sleeves transform into a sword. The blade touched the beast's fur and instantly blazed with brilliance. The massive creature let out an anguished roar before being engulfed by the light.

I watched in stunned silence, only snapping out of it when I realized the stone monster had been slain in an instant.

He seemed to be picking up something valuable from the ground, carefully collecting it in a small porcelain bottle. I couldn't see clearly before his cold, sharp gaze met mine, freezing me in place.

"Strange, I'm not a monster. Why is he staring at me like that?" I muttered under my breath. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my waist.

Great, after all these falls, even a stone would shatter into pieces. My bones must be broken.

Tears welled up from the pain, and I couldn't move at all. I watched helplessly as he approached and took the jade pendant from my waist.

Are immortals so greedy nowadays? Well, I picked up the pendant randomly anyway. Since he saved me, I can't really complain if he takes it...

Thinking that my life was worth the value of the pendant made me feel a bit better.

So, I decided to make the most of the pendant. Tilting my head back, I said, "Great Immortal, if you like this jade pendant, please take it. But could you help me out as well? Oh, and there's a sister who helped me; she's still in that eerie village."

"What did you say?" Suddenly, he was very close. At some point, he had squatted down beside me.

"Ah???" I responded blankly, meeting his clear eyes that looked like the unfathomable surface of a winter lake, with a hint of chilling coldness. His high nose and thin lips, bathed in moonlight, made him look like a cold, emotionless jade statue.

I thought this must be what a true immortal looks like.

However, his bone-chilling aura was unsettling. I quickly averted my gaze and laughed dryly, "I didn't say anything. Actually, I meant that an immortal like you, who transcends the mundane, surely saves us ordinary mortals without expecting anything in return. But how can I let you work for free? So, I wanted to express my gratitude with this small gift."

This time, he was the one taken aback. He opened his mouth but said nothing, frowning slightly in apparent displeasure. After a long pause, he wrapped the jade pendant in a handkerchief and tossed it back to me.

"Saving people is fine, but if the immortals in your mind must accept payment for such a small favor, then they might as well become street charlatans."

He paused for a moment, his expression one of disdain, and continued, "Besides, I didn't come here specifically to save you. I needed the stone monster's essence for an elixir. Also, I was curious about the rare moon spirit jade you had and wanted to inspect it."

Realizing the situation, I quickly explained, "I was wrong. You have sharp eyes to recognize monsters and treasures. You wouldn't hold a grudge against a mere mortal girl like me, right? Here, take the moon spirit jade and examine it as you wish."

Saying this, I held the jade pendant up to him again.

"No need. I've already examined it. The books say this kind of treasure is usually used to seal something, often something with intense hostility."

Hostility? Could there be something dangerous sealed in this pendant? What if it breaks out and I die without knowing why?

My hand shook, and the pendant fell onto my lap, startling me into jumping back a few steps.

He seemed to notice my concern and smiled slowly, "Don't worry. I checked, and your jade pendant doesn't have any living or dead entities sealed inside."

"Immortal, please don't speak in half-truths. You know, scaring people can be deadly." I exhaled deeply, patting my chest to calm down, which inadvertently tugged at my wounds, making me cough.

Oh no, could I have internal injuries from the fall? Why does my whole body hurt now when I cough?

"Give me your hand," his voice came from right next to my ear, making my face flush.

Before I could respond, I felt something cool touch my fingers, and my body suddenly itched all over.

Looking down, I saw that my bleeding wounds had healed. When I looked up again, there was no trace of the immortal.

The immortal left, but I didn't even get the chance to ask his name. I couldn't stay in this monster-infested village any longer. I had no idea what had happened to that sister who helped me, and now my only option was to seek help from the outside.

He was so unreliable. He said he would help, but then he left without a word.

Grumbling to myself, I followed the path we had taken earlier, but I kept wandering in circles, unable to find my way out. Could it be that I had encountered a ghostly phenomenon? This thought made the cold wind feel even chillier, and the faint glow from the forest appeared more eerie.

Forget it! If I can't find the main path, I'll take a side path. It's either life or death. Steeling myself, I shut my eyes and charged into the dense forest beside me.

I had no idea how long I had been running aimlessly in the dark when a piercing scream shattered the night's silence, sending shivers down my spine.

Forcing my eyes open, I saw a fire's glow not far away, filtering through the thick foliage. Pushing aside the branches, I saw villagers scattering in panic, the entire village in chaos.

A group of mysterious figures in red suddenly emerged from the flames, surrounding the villagers. As their curved blades slashed down, instead of blood spraying everywhere, the villagers turned into black smoke and dissipated into the air.

"I sensed human blood here long ago, but I didn't expect these monsters to be gathered together."

A woman in red, with almond-shaped eyes and a smile barely visible through her thin red veil, stood out. The rose on her wrist, seemingly dripping with blood, was particularly striking as she wielded her blade.

"Indeed, bringing back these inner cores to refine into elixirs and magical artifacts will certainly aid us in our cultivation."

A man beside her nodded in agreement, but suddenly stiffened and turned to question the group, "Did any of you see the stone essence beast? Ziguai?"

The woman in red laughed coldly, shaking the gleaming dagger in her hand, the rose on her wrist almost dripping blood. She said softly, "Lord Hongyi, there's no need to worry. That monster hasn't left this mountain. Besides, we have a guide right here."

She extended her finger, pointing directly at the bush where I was hiding.

No way, how could I be so unlucky to be discovered again? Am I cursed to always be found in bushes?

Furious and desperate, I carefully took a few steps back, intending to slip away before she reached me.

"Little girl, if you come out obediently, sister won't hurt you." Her soft voice invaded my mind, confusing my thoughts.

By the time I regained clarity, I was already more than ten steps away from where I had been hiding. It was utterly bizarre.

I stood frozen, staring at the strikingly beautiful woman in red. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Helplessly, I watched as she stepped closer and closer to me.