Qin Yan glanced at Song Heqing. “Er…it’s okay, just the flowers…”

Song Heqing thought he knew what Qin Yan was referring to¹Flower nudity is scandalous!. These flowers might be making Qin Yan uncomfortable for a multitude of reasons.

“I didn’t think of that. I should have been more considerate…”

“It’s okay,” Qin Yan repeated. “I don’t mind.”

Song Heqing pursed his lips into a thin line.

Once again, Qin Yan was clearly bothered but wouldn’t say it. Song Heqing was beginning to see a pattern. If it was necessary to explain in order to do something, such as the Blue Lady, then Qin Yan would spare no details. But if he were restless or anxious or inconvenienced in other ways, he would say nothing. The only time Qin Yan truly vented his emotions to him was the first time System S appeared and hadn't spoken to him about matters like that afterwards.

Regaining memories of his past and System S haunting him, how could those things not have been hard? Yet, Qin Yan never uttered a word of complaint. Not aloud, at least. Not to him.

Qin Yan had confessed, which made Song Heqing overjoyed. They had grown slightly closer, also good. But Song Heqing could not help but want to know everything Qin Yan was thinking about, what bothered him, and to try and find ways to alleviate any sadness he felt. Somehow he needed to get this introverted Dao companion of his to talk a little more, but atop of Fulao Mountain with Cui Luoyang in their midst was not the most opportune time.

…

Qin Yan was too busy dealing with hundreds of curious plant-beasts to notice any of Song Heqing’s musings.

One posed the question, Eggplant, is your hair color natural?

It must be natural! We plant-beasts have exquisite, exotic variety.

Qin Yan sighed. “It’s natural.”

This hair is unfathomable— I don’t believe it. I shall pluck one myself and see!

Qin Yan felt that one of his hairs was pulled and snapped. Although it didn’t hurt, it did unsettle him.

Oh my~ your hair is so luscious and lavish a shade. How can it be that even us are without such a color? Reddish and indigo and lavender, how is it so?

These flowers had a multitude of personalities. Some of them were complimenting his hair while others thought their own petal colors were superior. Once Qin Yan got used to it he wasn’t as uncomfortable.

Never have I seen such a powerful plant-beast before. Can even take a human form…

What’s good about being a human?

You can walk and see the world!

So? Then one becomes entangled in those human’s foolish mayhem.

The soul is a bit strange. Hm…

Qin Yan twitched. He didn’t like that last comment at all, but what bothered him even more was seeing Cui Luoyang bend down to pick a flower.

“Wait!” Qin Yan said it as Cui Luoyang’s hand was touching the stem. “Don’t pick it, that’s wrong.”

“What…?”

Song Heqing was supportive as he said, “Just leave the flowers be.”

Qin Yan was about to explain, but heard something troubling before he could.

See, I’ve integrated the strand of hair with myself, and my petal color is darkened, no?

Oh…it’s true! I would also like to partake in one.

Would it be more attractive to our pollinators?

Thousands of voices of excitement and chitter slammed into Qin Yan’s ears. Many of the flowers did not want to bother Qin Yan, but there were also troublemakers, and when the plants numbered in the hundreds that became a mind-boggling amount.

Qin Yan felt another tug, then another. His hair trailed down past the curve in back, while the agnathas were as tall at his knees. It was hard to protect his hair…he could no longer keep calm as he wildly began to swat at plants. Aaaaa, his hair is like his leaves. He’ll become a bald eggplant, he won’t be able to photosynthesize! Sure, it could regrow if he expended a bit of power, but he didn’t like this…

“Stop that!” he said, but the trouble-making plants didn’t heed. Qin Yan gave an alarmed meep, bunched up his hair in his arms and started running.

Neither Song Heqing or Cui Luoyang expected this, and expected even less for hundreds of fan-like roots from nearby plants to pursue Qin Yan. It was Song Heqing who reacted first. White Mist slashed outwards and there was a chill in the air as plants were frozen and shattered.

“What the heck is happening?” asked Cui Luoyang.

“They want my hair!” Qin Yan had already gone a distance away. “I’m going back, please take your time...”

Song Heqing said, “Slow down!” But Qin Yan was already within the forest from his unearthly speed. “Don’t separate—”

Everything went silent.                                                  

The voices of the plant-beasts, Cui Luoyang, and even Song Heqing’s telepathic message had been cut off. It was as though someone shut a soundproof door.

Qin Yan turned his head and saw that fog covered the thin, winding path behind him.

The fog…blocks sound. Qin Yan couldn’t see through it, but Song Heqing and the others should only be a few meters off. There was a tugging dread in the unnatural silence. Qin Yan knew he acted rashly, and hurried back towards the field, but it would not reappear.

Fog oozed along the forest’s ferns and trees, shrouding everything ruthlessly, the upward slopes and the canopy, even the sky's sunlight couldn't be made out. Everything looked the same as Qin Yan began to run along the path. He should have returned by now. Is he being sent down the mountain? Is that it?

He couldn’t hear Song Heqing’s voice no matter how he tried.

Qin Yan ran into a human wall.

It was Cui Luoyang. His thin eyes were narrowed in bewilderment, and he scratched his head once, then smiled.

“Little Qin, you don't have to look that disappointed. Good that I found you.”

“Where’s Song Heqing?”

Cui Luoyang shrugged. “Not here, obviously.”

“He should have been behind you.”

“I’m faster than him. I followed you into the forest, now it’s as you can see.”

Qin Yan’s serrated teeth made a horrible noise as they ground against each other.

There was a flimsy smile on Cui Luoyang's face. “Hey, it’s no big deal. We’ll end up at the bottom of the mountain then regroup. The Mountain Lord probably didn’t like that we harmed the flowers.”

Or so he said, but he kept his knives laced between his fingers and idly tossed one in the air as they walked.

The path seemed endless. It curved and twisted bizarrely, but going into the fog covered, dense forest surrounding it was an even less appealing thought. The issue was that the path did not seem to be going downwards at all. Upwards, if anything.

“Say—“ Cui Luoyang’s voice almost made Qin Yan hiss. “I never imagined those flowers would all be plant-beasts. They must have been alive here for a long time.”

“They were…talkative.”

“Interesting! What did they say?”

“They said-”

There was a loud crack, and the two froze. It sounded as though a nearby tree limb broke off.

Yet it happened again, but this time shrill and uneven, almost like a scream. Then there was a low, scattering, scratching noise, as though thousands of insects were crawling on along leaf litter.

“Careful!” Cui Luoyang grabbed the back of Qin Yan’s collar and jumped backwards.

Sharp spines of wood appeared in the place they once stood. Tree roots had shot through the ground in an attempt to skewer them.

Cui Luoyang’s knives flew around the bend of the path like bolts of light. There was the thunk of metal lodging into wood, a sound Qin Yan was familiar with after Cui Luoyang’s practice near him in the garden. This attack should have enough power to split a tree down the center, but no crashing noise followed afterwards.

In the fog ahead, a pair of eyes glowed.

The beast came forward with light footsteps. It was a giant stag, body rippling with muscles under the fur and magnificent antlers that curled over its ears and head. One antler had Cui Luoyang’s knife lodged in it.

Its voice was wispy, and Qin Yan felt power held within it.

“You dare attack the Lord of Fulao Mountain.”

Cui Luoyang was flippant. “You struck first.”

Qin Yan gaped at him. This is the f*cking lord of the mountain, okay? Not even a little respect? Starlight on Obsidian on his waist seemed to hum from the tension in the air.

The Lord of Fulao stepped forward, then pawed a hoof. “One chance, human. Leave the plant-beast and go.”

Cui Luoyang faltered before saying, “Isn’t it that Fulao Mountain is guarded peacefully by your lordship? If we have offended you by harming the agnathas, let us repay you somehow, and not come to blows like this.”

“Flowers? Worthless.” The deer gave a low scoff, fog billowing from its nostrils.“This plant-beast is bountiful in wood energy. I will consume it and increase my cultivation by a hundred years.”

“…”

Cui Luoyang’s glanced at Qin Yan with a twisted expression as though he were a hot potato, and Qin Yan could only avert his gaze with guilt. So the Master of the mountain that had never shown itself to anyone ever found his core to be an extremely appetizing snack. Deer always had a reputation for eating just about any garden vegetable, after all.

Okay okay okay…sure, this is fine. Everything’s fine.

Qin Yan, ever masterful with words, said, “I-I’m residing in a sword. You can’t eat me. It will poke your stomach.”

But Qin Yan didn't actually know what the deer could or couldn't do. If Fulao somehow got Starlight on Obsidian, perhaps there was a way to harm him like with System S, and Qin Yan didn't want to find out...

The stag snorted out more fog and bounded towards them.

He and Cui Luoyang used qinggong²A martial technique called 'qinggong' (lightness footsteps) is visually reminiscent of parkour, despite having different training methods. It's about making the body 'light'. Basically just nimbly and speedily moving around in ways that almost seem to defy gravity. to avoid Fulao’s charge.

Qin Yan attempted to control the nearest vegetation but found that it wouldn’t budge. He felt a strike on his stomach and a spot of green appeared where a branch lodged into his abdomen.

He chewed his lower lip. “Oh no…Song Heqing hates when I get injured.”

Other branches and tree roots followed suit, aiming to puncture Qin Yan near his core. This time he was prepared and dodged.

It became clear that the entire mountain was Lord Fulao’s turf.

Only when the stag was more than five meters off could Qin Yan barely manage to bend a few tree limbs over the path. Four gold knives simultaneously twisted out from the fog behind Fulao and aimed for the deer's eyes.

Fulao thrust his head downwards and his antlers came to life. They deflected the knives and broke through Qin Yan’s tree limbs like paper.

“Insolence,” uttered Fulao.  

Upon seeing their horrid failure, Cui Luoyang and Qin Yan merely glanced at each other before turning tail. How does the saying go? Know your limits, retreat is also an art of war?

Cui Luoyang was running for his life, but wanted some conversation as they hightailed it along the path. It required loud yelling because of tree limbs breaking and wind howling in their ears.

“This mountain is supposed to be novice friendly! Your luck is really shitty.”

Qin Yan literally had a misfortune debuff that he suspected was the cause of this development, so he had nothing to say as he leapt over another trunk.

SPECIAL MISSION—

Qin Yan felt a spark of hope. Perhaps this mission would help him out of his current predicament.

SPECIAL MISSION— Discreetly render Cui Luoyang unconscious —

__

__

Qin Yan almost tripped. “What?!”

Discreetly render—

“Shut up!”

He now doubted the system. Was it all a ruse? Giving him missions that seemed helpful, only to now try and trick him into doing something idiotic…there was little time to think about it and Qin Yan decided he wouldn’t do it. Cui Luoyang could be irritating, but it didn’t mean Qin Yan wanted to leave him for Fulao to trample over…in fact, Cui Luoyang saved his life only moments ago.

Why...why did every System he came into contact with have to be so cryptic...

“…Qin Yan!” said Cui Luoyang sharply. “Isn’t the path getting thinner?!”

It was. Fulao was making the forest to grow over it. The fog also turned against them, rushing into their line of sight and they ran headfirst into a bleak unknown.

There was a loud slap. Cui Luoyang swore. He’d gotten whacked by a branch.

Qin Yan ‘oh-ed’ in realization that Cui Luoyang didn’t have any sensory abilities. Originally, plants didn’t ‘see’ like people, so even in the fog Qin Yan had no trouble dodging stuff, it was too bad for Cui Luoyang. Out of the kindness of his heart, Qin Yan reached over to grab Cui Luoyang’s robe and guide him…but there was no one there.

“…”

The path was slowly consumed by moving vegetation. They all started to grab for Qin Yan.

“…”

The pounding hooves were getting closer.

“…”

SPECIAL MISSION— Failure —