Chapter 8 : Mysterious Forest, Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

A man and a beast shuttled through the dark forest and finally came to an open area.

Colorful fireflies are flying in the sky, and the faint light is flickering in the darkness, like stars falling on the earth, making this area look like a dream.

He Shiqing narrowed her eyes, and the faint herbal scent in the air penetrated her nostrils. Yes, this is it!

She was searching for traces of the magic herbs when suddenly, a dark shadow jumped out from the darkness and blocked her way with a whoosh.

"Tsk, it's really a narrow road for enemies to meet." A sarcastic voice came from Carl, the insidious rival. There was a sneer on his lips, and that smile was like the cold tongue of a snake. His eyes looked up and down at He Shiqing like cold arrows, like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Oh, isn't this Miss He from our Chamber of Commerce? Why are you here treasure hunting as well?" He Shiqing's heart tightened; she knew trouble was coming.

This Carl is not a good person.

She clenched her fists calmly, feeling her palms sweating slightly. The wet touch made her more awake, but she remained calm on the surface, "Mr. Karl, what do you mean?"

"What do you mean? You're asking even though you already know the answer!" Carl's smile became even more sinister. He took a step forward, and the fallen leaves under his feet made a rustling sound. His tone was full of disdain. "I've taken a fancy to the magic herbs in this place. You'd better be smart and hand them over to avoid hurting the relationship." His eyes were like a poisoned dagger, as if to say, you're just a weak woman, what kind of waves can you make?

"I thought you were some great figure, huh, you're just an unpopular lady in the Chamber of Commerce. How dare you come and snatch things from me?" Carl crossed his arms across his chest, looking as if he had her in his grasp.

As soon as these words came out, He Shiqing's anger was instantly ignited.

She traveled through time and space, and finally made a name for herself in the world with the help of the system. Why should she be looked down upon by such people?

She took a deep breath, letting the cool air enter her lungs. She tried hard to suppress the urge to punch him in the head. Her tone was a little provocative. "Karl, are you sure you want to steal my things? Be careful or you might break your teeth."

"Oh, you have a bad temper?" Karl sneered, not taking He Shiqing seriously at all. He approached step by step, and his heavy footsteps seemed to step on the tip of He Shiqing's heart, as if he was enjoying the struggle of his prey before death. "I advise you not to resist in vain. A weak chicken like you can't stand a single blow in front of me."

Seeing that Karl was about to take action, He Shiqing felt anger and unwillingness surge in her heart.

She clenched her teeth, her upper and lower teeth clasped together and made a slight "clack" sound, her eyes were fixed on Karl, and her hands were clenched into fists.

At this moment, He Shiqing suddenly raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a strange smile, and slowly said two words: "Oh, is that so?"

Karl smiled contemptuously, as if he had heard a huge joke.

"Competition? Just you? Are you worthy?" He looked He Shiqing up and down, his eyes full of disdain. "I am an apprentice knight. You are just a small employee of the Chamber of Commerce. What can you use to compete with me?"

He Shiqing raised her eyebrows, a confident arc appearing at the corners of her mouth.

"Whether we are worthy or not can only be known after the competition. What, are you scared?" The provocation worked.

What Carl can't stand the most is being questioned, especially by a woman who is like an ant in his eyes.

"Afraid? What a joke! Would I, Carl, be afraid of you?" He laughed in anger, as if he had heard something ridiculous.

"Okay, I promise you! If you lose..." Carlton paused, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes, "You just hand over all the valuables on you!"

"Deal!" He Shiqing agreed readily, but sneered in her heart: Is this all you can do?

The air around them froze instantly, and the tense atmosphere was about to explode.

Carl drew out the long sword from his waist. The sword reflected the cold light in the sun. The sword whistled, and with a "woooo" sound, it went straight towards He Shiqing.

He Shiqing dodged the attack with a flash. She could feel the coolness of the sword passing across her face.

She is not some weak woman who is powerless. Before she traveled through time, she was a black belt in Taekwondo!

With the support of the system, dealing with an apprentice knight should be a piece of cake, right?

Carl missed his first attack and became angry and attacked more fiercely.

The sword shadows were heavy and came like a violent storm. The whistling sound of the sword passing through the air was endless.

He Shiqing was like a nimble swallow, moving freely among the sword lights, sometimes dodging, sometimes counterattacking, with smooth movements that stunned the adventurers around her.

"Oh my god, this chick is really good!"

"This skill isn't much worse than a regular knight, right?"

Even Alan, who was watching the fight on the side, showed a surprised expression. He did not expect that this seemingly weak woman had such strength.

Carl became more and more frightened as the fight went on. He felt like he was fighting a slippery loach and couldn't find any weakness in his opponent.

This made him even more annoyed, and his attacks became disorganized, swinging the sword purely by brute force.

He Shiqing dodged the attacks while observing Carl's weaknesses.

Although this guy is very strong, his moves are crude and full of flaws.

The corners of her mouth rose slightly, and she already had a plan in mind.

"Is that all you can do? I thought the apprentice knight was so powerful, but you're just this good." He Shiqing dodged while mocking him, successfully angering Carl.

"You're looking for death!" Carl roared, and the roar seemed to shake the surrounding trees slightly. He used all his strength to try to defeat the enemy with one blow.

He Shiqing's eyes shone, and a mysterious smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "The game should be over..."

Carl's roar echoed in the forest, but He Shiqing no longer backed down.

With a sneer on her lips, she gently waved her hands in the air, and a dazzling light burst out from her fingertips and rushed straight towards Karl.

The strong light pierced through Carl's sword like a sharp sword, instantly enveloping him.

Carl screamed and fell heavily to the ground after being hit by the strong light. The surrounding trees were also illuminated by the light. The light was so dazzling that people had to squint their eyes, making He Shiqing's figure look even more majestic.

"Hmph, is that all you're capable of?" He Shiqing looked at Carl on the ground with contempt, an unconcealable sense of victory in her voice.

Carl was lying on the ground, covered in mud and in a terrible state.

He was unwilling to accept defeat, so he pretended to give up, slowly stood up, rubbed his injured arm, and cursed under his breath: "I didn't expect you to be such a ruthless character... But don't be happy too soon!" He suddenly took out a dagger from behind and tried to launch a sneak attack on He Shiqing.

However, He Shiqing had already been prepared.

Her eyes flashed, and she activated the system's special attack ability again. Lightning flashed at her fingertips. The lightning seemed to have intelligence, winding like a silver snake, and hit Carl accurately with lightning speed.

Carl's body was instantly penetrated by electricity. He felt as if all his bones were pulled out. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, his hair stood on end, and he smelled burnt.

His eyes widened, filled with fear and despair, and the painful growl from his throat seemed like a wail from hell.

He Shiqing looked at his miserable condition, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, her heart full of disdain.

"You really don't know what you are capable of." He Shiqing said coldly, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

She turned around and continued walking forward, but after a few steps, she suddenly found that the road ahead was blocked by a mysterious magic circle.

The magic circle exudes a faint blue light and is engraved with complex runes, giving people a feeling of inviolability.

He Shiqing stopped and frowned.

She knew that this magic circle was definitely not a simple obstacle and there might be a bigger secret hidden behind it.

She stood in front of the magic circle, gently stroking the rune with her hand. She could feel the slightly raised lines on the rune, and her sense of vigilance became stronger.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in her ears: "Be careful, this magic circle is not simple..."