Mentally, the next few days were a blur. 

After finding the seed bag and reporting their investigation results, Lin Songmei, Yan Mingqing, and Han Youhong were dragged into a bit of a metaphorical vortex. They were asked to send in their sealed up seed bag via a drone, continue their investigation, and keep their guard up now that a third party had been confirmed. 

Physically though, the next few days were... boring as hell. 

Although it sounded like they were in the midst of an action-packed sequence, the reality was that they still spent their days... the same. 

Journeying farther away from Westriver and deeper in the plateau, an activity that sounded enriching and gripping, Songmei and the others spent most of their days... walking. 

Songmei was getting good practice with her bow though! She’d shoot ahead of where she was walking, then, as she walked by, she’d collect the arrow!

Amazing efficiency if anyone were to ask her. 

As of now though, not much was happening. The three of them had run into a few other groups also investigating, but their conversations were brief before they headed their separate ways. From these... tense talks, it seemed as if the potential rewards that the Starlight Lake and other sects had created was quite alluring. 

Songmei didn’t have a clue what the rewards were though. Mingqing, who actually looked, had said they weren’t much, so Songmei didn’t bother looking. However, their status as direct disciples seemed to have drawn a lot of eyes and ire towards them already... 

Luckily the three of them had already journeyed deep into the plateau, ahead of most of the other groups. 

Blerg... 

Songmei’s legs were tired... 

Pulling an arrow she had shot earlier out of a tree, Songmei turned back towards Mingqing, asking, “We’re getting close to the part marked out on the map, right?” 

“The red part?” Mingqing asked without looking up, a map pulled up on her terminal as she navigated for the group. 

“Yeah, the red part. What is it? A ravine?” Songmei nodded, peering over Mingqing’s shoulder to take a look at the map as well. “Oh damn, we are close. How come we haven’t seen it yet, then?” 

“Becaus-”

“Before you say, ‘Because it’s a ravine, ya dumbass’” Songmei interjected, shushing Mingqing with a finger to the lips. “I’m saying it because like... isn’t there supposed to be a drastic change in terrain once we’re near it?”

Songmei was justified in asking this! She swore... 

For context, this was something Songmei hadn’t known about for too long either... It was honestly fairly well-hidden, but... the plateau wasn’t... wasn’t exactly a plateau anymore. 

A few decades prior—which was quite recent in cultivation terms—two arrogant... “Poo heads” to be a little more appropriate, had passed by while fighting. These two experts, having originally been best friends, had gotten into a fight because the first found out the second was sleeping with his crush. 

It was weird... 

Anyhow, these two, both near the peak of cultivation, had gone around fighting; fighting from the Central Continent, over the ocean, and ending up at this plateau that was in the southernmost province of the Northern Continent. 

Well, they had punched a super massive crater into the center of the plateau, then also created a series of jagged ravines that scarred the landscape.

Honestly, didn’t they have any shame?

“So... yeah, where’s the changed landscape? We’re still walking on flat ground...” Songmei reiterated, pointing to the ground that was... very flat. 

“Hmm... you raise a good point,” Mingqing murmured, realization and thus, confusion dawning on her face. “Any ideas Han Youhong... Han Youhong?” 

Looking over to where Han Youhong should’ve been, Songmei and Mingqing were now greeted with... an empty lychee jelly case. 

“D-Did Han Youhong eat so much lychee jelly that he finally became one?!” Songmei mourned with an over the top dramatic wail, falling to her knees and cradling the container before standing back up. “Okay, actually though. Where is he... and... where are we?” 

Shwing. 

Silver light gleamed for a second as sunlight reflected off of Mingqing’s sword while it was being drawn. 

The blue cloth ribbon at the end of her sword swaying in the wind, Mingqing’s back went against Songmei’s as they stood there for a second, surveying their surroundings to make sure there wasn’t any danger. 

“It seems... we’re... fine?” Songmei murmured, her hair blowing in the wind as she looked around. “Something’s up though...” 

Using her butterfly movement technique, a technique she had mastered after many hours of grueling sweat and tears, Songmei’s image seemed to flit around, appearing here and there as she took a closer look at her surroundings. 

“I think we’re fine... yeah.” Mingqing agreed, nodding as her sword lowered a few degrees. “So what... What the hell has happened? We’re definitely not where the map says we are.” 

“Well, the vast majority of technology, including our terminals, are powered by Qi...” Songmei shrugged, returning to Mingqing’s side. “So it’s not hard to mess with them is it?” 

“No it's not,” Mingqing shook her head, closing the map displayed on her terminal for the time being. “When I was young, I even took a class where we learned how these sorts of devices worked. We even learned how to jumble them...” 

“So... what now?” Songmei murmured, looking around, admiring the scenery that was surrounding them. “My first guess, based solely off of random cultivation novels I’ve read as a child, is that we’re trapped in some illusory realm. You probably know a little more though, so any ideas?” 

“Not really...” Mingqing shook her head, offering a hand to Songmei to hold now that they had confirmed they weren’t in any immediate danger. “I mean there are other possibilities, like a pocket dimension, a teleportation back to an area we were in previously, or a teleportation to somewhere completely different, but those are... less likely.” 

Songmei took Mingqing’s hand, of course. Why wouldn’t she?

It was always nice to hold hands with your friends after all... 

Squeezing Mingqing’s hand as they paused their walking to talk through the situation a little first, Songmei draped herself over Mingqing’s back, resting her chin against Mingqing’s shoulder. “So like... why less likely?” 

Patting the brand-new, top of the line, newly released, Songmei-sized, ultra deluxe Songmei attachment that she had just gotten after sheathing her sword, Mingqing explained, “Well... it’s a few things. The biggest thing would be money. It’s much easier to just set up an illusionary trap compared to something like a long-range teleport. Plus, it's much easier to conceal, and the characteristics of an illusory realm match our current situation more...” 

“I see... Thank you Mingqing-pedia,” Songmei thanked, squeezing the hand that she was still holding. “So... what do we have to do to get out of here?” 

Esiyx

y'all don't understand what you're missing out on...
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literally the best-
omg shout out to them...
anyhow...

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