Chapter 142 - Run Together

Cheng Xiu jumped through the emerald coloured greenery of the Viridian Forest. She now knew why it is called the Viridian Forest.

The red river and the phenomena of the tree leaving turning red after sunset had man her think that the people who named this place were those who never learnt the name of colours or only knew that Viridian was a colour.

Cheng Xiu increased her speed as she ran through the thick foliage.

It wasn't that she particularly knew where San Zhe was taken to, she at least knew the direction that he was taken in. She had to thank that bulky captain of Ren Dao for that.

He had come from the northwest of the forest. Even though her back was turned to him when she had heard his voice first, she was still very aware of the direction that his voice had come from. There was also his teammates who had come from.

Cheng Xiu smiled as she ran in that direction.

She wondered about Yaksha's situation at that moment. She was not worried about him despite the words that the half-naked man had told her but she could not help thinking that it was such a coincidence that Yaksha was engaged in some kind of fight with an expert right at the moment that San Zhe was in danger.

Both she and San Zhe had also fallen into illusions.

San Zhe was first lured out somehow, and she had run after him on instinct. And then she was pulled into an illusion that made the Direwolves come into being.

She could guess that the person who put them in the illusions wanted them away from Yaksha so that they could be dealt with easier.

But if that was the case, why were they not attacking her yet? What was the purpose of this chase?

In front of her was a large clearing with golden sunlight illuminating the clearing despite the fact that she could see that the surroundings were in pitch black shadows like it was after Dusk, even though it was barely past afternoon.

Cheng Xiu skidded to a halt.

She wasn't stupid.

This clearing should be like the one she had experienced before, where energy was drained bit by bit the longer that she fought against those Direwolves.

While in nature, sunlight would give you energy, at that moment she felt like she was losing her life as well as her strength by being in the sunlight at this place.

Why was this happening though? Was this natural to the forest? Was this an attack from an NPC? Or was it an attack from hidden players waiting to rob her of her pieces of equipment?

What was going on with this forest? Did she already trigger some kind of a hidden plot?

If she didn't, then why was there no level restrictions in the surrounding area.

As she thought that, another idea came to her mind.

San Zhe had told her that the Vixia Kingdom was at war with the Asure States.

Was that the reason that there was a problem with the levels of the forest?

Was she encountering things that were beyond her level for this reason?

Or was this man-made? She did not put it past the people around her that they would do something like that. After all, human nature was always to be greedy.

Even if she was just a weak person, they would still want to drain her of everything she had. There was no doubt about it.

"Hey!" a voice called from behind her.

Cheng Xiu was startled and looked behind her.

Ren Dao and his damned team were walking towards her at a casual pace. She would have thought that he did find her without effort was it not for the unsteady breathing that he had, and the nearly collapsed look that his minions had towards the far end.

The only person who looked normal was the captain and he was not that interesting, to begin with. He must have good stamina.

"As I was saying-" Ren Dao had just begun his drivel when he gawked.

"She left again," one of the men at the back stated.

Ren Dao sent a glare at the man.

The man gave him a nervous chuckle and then hid behind another man.

Cheng Xiu ran off, her speed decreasing at a visible rate as she ran across the bright clearing.

"She had slowed down," someone said.

Ren Dao nodded.

"Do you think that she wants us to chase after her as he searches for her friend so that she does not lose time talking to us?" the captain asked the blue-haired man.

Ren Dao's eyes sparkled. "Maybe! Let us follow her and talk to her like that!"

The group nodded in agreement and ran off into the clearing as well.

It was only as they saw that Cheng Xiu's speed was increasing that they realised that this bright piece of land was not just a simple clearing.

This was an actual trap.

"Light Sands!" one of the men in the back whispered in horror.

That was right. They were being subjected to a Witch Skill.

"This means a most-"

"Let's retreat!" Ren Dao said with panic in his voice.

The others were about to turn around at his words but halted in their steps.

The ground under their feet shook, and a large golden serpent burst out of it, sending rocks, and mud everywhere.

The grown men screamed in fright.

Cheng Xiu looked behind her on hearing the commotion.

Her eyes fell on the large golden serpent that was attacking the men in Ren Dao's team and the kaleidoscope of spells that were being cast at the creature to keep it away from them.

Cheng Xiu cursed and she started to run faster.

Even though she briefly considered engaging in a fight with the creature as well, she immediately tossed out that idea.

Cheng Xiu was well aware of her strengths, and fighting a serpent of that size was very difficult. She still had to find San Zhe and try to rescue him as well. She could not allow herself to be exhausted at this point.

Cheng Xiu ran away faster than she did in any other situation.