Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 423 - 415: Danger Approaches

She mentally sent greetings to the other person’s ancestors up to the eighteenth generation.

She refused to believe she couldn’t handle this guy.

The branches crackled in the firelight, and under the dim glow, she unfastened the cord holding the pendant.

A sinister smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

With a whooshing sound, the Crystal Pendant fell into the fire.

Not afraid of water, huh?

Then let’s see how you like being roasted!

Throughout the night, a busy figure tirelessly kept going.

Occasionally adding firewood to make the blaze roar.

She waited all night until dawn, but nothing happened.

No cries for help or for mercy, nor did the familiar silhouette emerge.

Cheng Xiaoxiao felt a jolt of anxiety—could it really have burned?

Though she knew anything the system produced was top-notch, after burning it the whole night, there was no indication if it was still intact.

Thinking of this, she quickly stirred the fire with a stick.

Ignoring everything else, she searched through the ashes with her hands, occasionally wincing from burns, yet her actions never ceased.

Finally, amidst the flaming embers, she found a dust-covered fan-shaped crystal.

"Master, Master, are you still in there?"

It couldn’t have melted, right?

Then again, that’s unlikely; after all, it’s a great master from the Cultivation World.

She rinsed it in water, revealing the Crystal Pendant was undamaged.

Seems like she overthought it.

Clearly, the other party was ignoring her.

Fine, you win.

Then, she buried the jade pendant in the soil for half a day.

Tried every method she could think of.

Even the delicious food she prepared could not coax the other party out.

In frustration, she almost threw the Crystal Pendant into some animal dung as punishment.

Thinking it was hers and she still had to wear it eventually, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Since the other party was impenetrable, she wouldn’t play by the rules either.

The smile on her lips grew wider, and was extraordinarily sweet.

A sweetness mixed with an excited smugness.

The eerie smile made someone meditating inside the Crystal Pendant, feel a sense of foreboding.

As if something ominous was about to happen.

Their eyes opened for a moment, only to close again—must have been a misperception.

That girl ought to have had enough fun.

Unfortunately, he felt at ease too soon.

After filling her stomach and tidying up the site,

Cheng Xiaoxiao climbed a large tree, took out a sanitizing wipe, and thoroughly cleaned the Crystal Pendant, before fastening the cord.

Slowly, she unbuttoned the front collar of her cotton jacket.

Opened her front lapels, allowing a gust of cold wind to make her gasp.

Her murmuring seemed to be an inner monologue or perhaps spoken to another listening.

"I feel the cord’s too short, sometimes it chokes my neck uncomfortably, so I lengthened it. You don’t mind, do you, Master?"

The pendant slid along the smooth skin, deeper and deeper, until it rested between two white mounds.

A streak of light shot out like a meteor.

A white silhouette stood hovering, clothes billowing.

A momentary awkwardness flickered on his ethereal, other-worldly face before vanishing.

Illuminated by the flickering firelight, his moon-white robes danced.

Ha!

Finally saw fit to come out.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was in no mood to appreciate such beauty.

"Is the Master out to admire the moon? There isn’t any moon tonight."

Still simmering with anger, Cheng Xiaoxiao spoke sarcastically.

"What do you wish to ask?"

Ha!

Isn’t that just asking the obvious?

"I think the scenery is particularly fine tonight. How about we have a heart-to-heart?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao intended to tease a bit before discussing serious matters.

Who made the guy so difficult?

She tried every method to no avail.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t resort to such a radical tactic.

She was still a pure maiden; wasn’t she concerned about her image?

She would never admit that his good looks meant if anything did happen, she wouldn’t lose out.

Luckily, the system wasn’t there, or someone’s inner musings would have been exposed long ago.

Originally planning to handle it well, yet as his gaze bore into her, her heart uncontrollably thumped louder.

Amid the silent staring, Cheng Xiaoxiao was the first to yield.

"I want to ask which direction the exit is in?"

The other’s formidable presence made her helpless, forcing her to speak plainly.

After asking, she quietly sat on the branch, looking extremely obedient.

Mo Xiaoyi shook his head helplessly.

"Fasten the Chaos Crystal to your waist."

Cheng Xiaoxiao suddenly realized what she’d just done.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, embarrassed.

"Oh."

Carefully tying the cord securely.

"This direction should suffice."

The master left a last remark, then vanished inside the Crystal Pendant.

Cheng Xiaoxiao paused in tying the pouch—this direction...did it mean her right-hand side?

Must be; just pointing in a direction, he said it so poetically and cryptically. Ancient people were truly troublesome.

Anyway, she got her answer, feeling considerably better.

Reflecting on her recent boldness, she held her flushed forehead, revealing a rare maiden’s shyness.

Oh dear!

Was she too rash?

This frail, skinny body had only started maturing over the past six months.

Just slightly bigger than steamed stuffed buns; not fully developed, much smaller than her previous self, utterly underwhelming!

Would he notice...no, no, no, the master surely isn’t that type of person.

After self-comforting for a while, she abandoned the chaotic thoughts and pondered her current predicament seriously.

She needed to return to the city quickly, accumulate some energy, and see if she could awaken the system.

Or find the nearest task to complete, fixing the Space Transmitter so she wouldn’t be constantly trapped here.

Jumping off the branch, she hung warning bells amidst the surrounding grasses, set some simple traps at a distance, secured the hammock, and had a restful beauty sleep to gear up for tomorrow’s travels.

Morning found her awakening to the freshness of grass and soil.

"I have a little donkey I’ve never ridden..."

Cheng Xiaoxiao skipped joyfully along, humming a little tune.

Having wandered for two days in the woods and sparred with the master for a day, she had no clue how far she had deviated.

But...as long as she had a direction, even if it meant meandering for days, she would eventually exit the dense forest and find her way.

Her good mood didn’t last long.

Upon entering the dense forest, either the towering ancient trees blocked sparse snowflakes, or it hadn’t snowed since entering; every day was brilliantly clear.

Yet, at this moment, dark clouds loomed overhead.

Soon, the forest grew dim.

Suddenly, thunder and lightning came accompanied, rumbling continuously.

Within the darkened woods, it seemed especially eerie and sinister.

Before long, torrential rain poured down vigorously, painful on her face.

The rain truly was frightening here; pea-sized raindrops poured incessantly.

Cheng Xiaoxiao agilely leapt, darting through the forest seeking shelter in a tree hole or mountain hollow.

The weather here was truly bizarre.

After the thunderous clamor, the world went dark again, the sprinting figure abruptly halted.

Something was off? What felt wrong?

Whether by intuition or scent, she detected anomalies.