Yun Qingxue gazed at the surroundings that seemed strangely familiar.
The stream she had passed yesterday, the lone poplar tree standing stubbornly in the wasteland, and…
Suddenly, Yun Qingxue’s eyes widened.
If her memory served her right, there should have been two thatched cottages beside that poplar tree! But now, the tree stood alone in the wilderness—where were the cottages?!
Had she misremembered the location?
“Hiss—” A-Dai, who had been quietly coiled around Yun Qingxue’s wrist, suddenly flicked its tongue.
A fierce gale abruptly swept across the clear sky.
The wind was so strong that Yun Qingxue couldn’t keep her eyes open, and she had no time to ponder the missing cottages or the hunter couple she had stayed with.
“Ahahahaha…” A wild, piercing laughter echoed faintly in the wind, eerie and shrill.
Yun Qingxue’s heart sank instantly—she knew she was likely in trouble.
The sinister laughter surrounded her from all directions, as if amplified by some unseen force. In this critical moment, Yun Qingxue forced her eyes open, only to see a swirling storm of dust and debris around her.
“Who’s there?” she asked coldly, her voice steady despite the danger.
“Ahahahaha…” The mad laughter rang out again. Moments later, the wind ceased, but Yun Qingxue stumbled back in shock.
Because the moment the wind stopped, she saw a face—right in front of her.
Wrinkled like tree bark, with unnaturally large eyes where the whites far outweighed the dark pupils. The sudden appearance of such a grotesque visage would make anyone feel as if they’d seen a ghost—and Yun Qingxue was no exception.
“Giggle…” The creature stared at her and let out a bone-chilling cackle.
Yun Qingxue took another step back, her entire body prickling with dread. A-Dai, still wrapped around her wrist, tensed as if ready to strike at any moment.
“Tch!” The ugly creature suddenly scoffed at her, its dead-fish-like eyes filled with disdain. In a raspy, grating voice, it spat, “Your face is downright hideous!”
Yun Qingxue remained silent, watching the monster warily.
“Hmph!” The creature snorted after insulting her appearance, then added, “You’re too ugly. This face is completely unusable, and I can’t be bothered eating something so repulsive—it’d ruin my appetite…”
With that, another gust of wind swept through, and the horrifying creature vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.
Yun Qingxue was left utterly bewildered… So, being ugly was a blessing in disguise? Even monsters were picky eaters now?
At this point, she couldn’t help but wonder—just how hideous did she look after taking Jin Lin’s disguise pill? If even a grotesque monster found her unappetizing, her current appearance must be truly… spectacular.
Unfortunately, ever since swallowing the pill yesterday, she hadn’t had the chance to check her reflection.
And now, though a stream was nearby, Yun Qingxue decided that examining her face wasn’t the priority.
The monster might have claimed she was too ugly to eat, but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t return if it found nothing better. So, the moment the creature left, Yun Qingxue bolted.
Despite having walked all morning, the instinct for survival unleashed boundless energy. She needed to get away from this cursed place—fast. She continued sprinting southeast.
After running at full speed for about fifteen minutes, Yun Qingxue had to stop, bending over to catch her breath.
Looking around, the scenery was the same as when she had left the thatched cottage that morning. But when she glanced back—where was the cottage?
It seemed the hunter couple from yesterday weren’t human either…
This was indeed a world of fantasy. Since her transmigration, she hadn’t met a single real human!
Still, the couple hadn’t harmed her…
After the betrayal she suffered in her past life at the hands of Zhou Dao, Yun Qingxue wasn’t naive enough to believe that two monsters would disguise themselves as a hospitable couple in the wilderness just to offer kindness to a traveler.
Could it be… that her disguise was so ugly that even they lost interest?
But then…
Yun Qingxue glanced at A-Dai, who guiltily lowered its head. It had been the one to scout the path yesterday and lead her to that house. Thankfully, nothing had happened—otherwise, its mistake would have been unforgivable.
“If they could deceive you, their cultivation must be above yours. At least nothing went wrong—we’ll just have to be more careful from now on.” Yun Qingxue flicked A-Dai’s head lightly, her tone free of blame.
Still, A-Dai seemed weighed down by guilt over its oversight.
“Enough,” Yun Qingxue soothed, stroking it gently as she continued walking. “Tell me—am I really that ugly now?”
This time, A-Dai didn’t hiss. Instead, it nodded—then paused and shook its head vigorously.
Yun Qingxue couldn’t help but laugh at its antics. “Nodding and shaking your head—you’re just confusing me more.”
A-Dai nuzzled her fingers affectionately, and the two pressed on toward the southeast.
Yesterday, the couple had said that traveling four or five li southeast would lead to a human settlement. Now that she knew they were monsters, Yun Qingxue held little hope of actually reaching human lands. After all, how much truth could a monster’s words hold?
Still, she had to keep moving southeast—because that was where Chuxia Mountain lay. She needed to gather Shuona Fruit before heading to Luoyun Mountain to seek apprenticeship.
After walking for another hour or so, narrow paths began to appear in the wilderness. Further ahead, the wasteland gradually gave way to farmland.
Yun Qingxue’s spirits lifted—unbelievably, the monsters’ words had been true! There really was a human settlement to the southeast!
“A-Dai, we’ve reached human lands!” she whispered excitedly. After days of dealing with monsters, she was finally among normal humans again.
Though she was no longer human in this life, her past identity made her feel an inexplicable kinship with them.
But before her joy could fully settle, a shadow passed overhead. Instinctively, she looked up—a man and woman in immortal robes were flying on swords. Cultivators from some sect, no doubt.
Yun Qingxue’s smile froze. She watched as the sword-riders vanished into the distance.
This world was too bizarre—without power, survival was no easy feat.
Once the cultivators were gone, Yun Qingxue quickened her pace toward the town ahead.
At the city gates, she looked up to see three bold characters carved above: **Shanggu Town**.
Pulling her sleeves down to conceal A-Dai’s shimmering scales, Yun Qingxue took a deep breath.
For the first time since her rebirth, she stepped into human territory.
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