Huan Qianyu looked at Chu Lanqiu pitifully, hoping that this suddenly-appeared person wouldn't just abandon her like this.
"Benefactor, look, I'm useful. Take me with you. I'll be your servant, do anything. Just don't leave me and my father here," she pleaded.
She was truly terrified. This Beast Forest was fraught with danger. With her abysmal cultivation, she was no more than a snack for those spiritual beasts.
Moreover, having always been in the Demon Realm, the cultivation techniques she practiced were, in the words of the sect cultivators, those of a demon cultivator.
What if the demonic aura on her was detected...
So, in Huan Qianyu's eyes, Chu Lanqiu was a kind-hearted deity, the only hope she could grasp at the moment.
Chu Lanqiu frowned, her bright and charming face full of confusion.
What did she mean by being a servant?
In the realm of cultivating immortals, the concept of servants had long since disappeared. This kind of hierarchical statement seemed more like something from the mortal world or... the Demon Realm.
Thinking of this, the softness in Chu Lanqiu's heart was replaced by a hint of vigilance.
"Want me to take you with me? Fine, but you have to take this," Chu Lanqiu said as she took out a small black pill from her storage bag. It emitted a foul, fishy smell.
Without hesitation, Huan Qianyu took the pill and swallowed it. To prove that she had really taken it, she even opened her mouth for Chu Lanqiu to check.
Chu Lanqiu was a bit surprised. "Don't you even ask what this is?"
Huan Qianyu shook her head. "I trust you, benefactor. As long as you don't leave me and my father behind, I'll take even poison if you give it to me."
She was quite a bold person.
Chu Lanqiu had originally thought Huan Qianyu was as delicate as a dodder flower, but unexpectedly, at this critical moment, she was quite open-minded.
Presumably, her father must have treated her very well, or else this girl wouldn't be so willing to take risks.
The pill wasn't actually poison. If one didn't take the antidote within a short period after taking it, they would just have diarrhea. Making real poison was still too difficult.
Seeing the suspicion in Chu Lanqiu's eyes fade a bit, the panic in Huan Qianyu's heart gradually subsided.
Chu Lanqiu's eyes were clear, unlike those of the people in the Demon Realm, whose calculations and ill intentions were always hard to hide. No wonder demon cultivators were despised everywhere in the Nine Wastelands Continent.
Even if the pill Chu Lanqiu gave her was poison, she wasn't afraid. Could it be more poisonous than the countless poisons in the Demon Realm?
She once saw in the Purple Star Palace that a demon soldier took a magic pill that could instantly boost his cultivation for a momentary gain. But not long after, his body rotted, and countless maggots crawled out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It was extremely disgusting.
Huan Qianyu sighed and looked at her father with a complicated expression.
For the lives of her and her father, she must hide her identity well and mustn't be recognized!
"Alright, then you can follow me," Chu Lanqiu said.
She planned to find the Celestial Fairy Crystals first, then send a voice message to Xian Shiyu and ask her to take this father - daughter pair back to the Beast - Taming Sect.
Their identities were so suspicious that Tiger - Roaring True Man must investigate them properly. If they were a threat to the Beast - Taming Sect, she wouldn't show them any mercy.
Huan Zhong was still unconscious. Chu Lanqiu wove the reeds into a mat. With the help of magic, the process was very quick.
The two of them placed Huan Zhong on the mat and then dragged it away.
The Celestial Fairy Insects lived on a cliff in the Beast Forest. There were many vines on the cliff that one could use to climb.
They were not very big, about a foot long, with a round body and a small head on top. There were two curly antennae on their heads, and their wings were like crystal stones.
These insects loved to eat the rocks on the cliff. After digestion and excretion over the years, the stones turned into crystals, which were the Celestial Fairy Crystals.
But this cliff was always shrouded in mist, and there were some tiny poisonous insects in the mist. If one accidentally startled them, they would be devoured in an instant, leaving only a skeleton.
Chu Lanqiu brought Huan Qianyu to the cliff and explained all this to her.
"Isn't that very dangerous..." Huan Qianyu's face turned pale, and her lips lost all color.
She had just jumped off a cliff not long ago. Just getting close to the edge now made her break out in a cold sweat.
Seeing Huan Qianyu's fear, Chu Lanqiu told her not to get close and just wait on the cliff. Then she chose a relatively thick vine on the cliff and wrapped it around her waist.
The poisonous insects were very sensitive to spiritual energy. It was best not to use magic when descending, or it would definitely attract their attention.
"You just wait for me here. If you're scared, don't get close to the cliff. Otherwise, I'll have to save you if you're in danger," Chu Lanqiu said as she tugged at the vine around her waist and gave Huan Qianyu one last reminder.
Under Huan Qianyu's worried gaze, Chu Lanqiu slowly climbed down the cliff with the help of the vine.
There was no wind at the bottom of the cliff, only a thin mist and swarms of poisonous insects.
To avoid attracting the attention of the poisonous insects, Chu Lanqiu moved very slowly. But since this wasn't her first time collecting Celestial Fairy Crystals, she seemed quite at ease.
Huan Qianyu looked back at her father, then at the slightly trembling vine. Biting her lip, she still walked closer to the edge of the cliff and leaned over to look at Chu Lanqiu.
The wings of the Celestial Fairy Insects reflected a gorgeous light, so they were very easy to spot.
Chu Lanqiu moved towards the nearest Celestial Fairy Insect. The Celestial Fairy Crystals were hidden in the insect's nest. As long as she could lead the insect away, she could take the crystals out of the nest.
When the insect saw Chu Lanqiu approaching, it immediately raised its antennae warily and slightly spread its wings.
Chu Lanqiu immediately stopped moving forward, and the insect stopped being restless.
The Celestial Fairy Crystals were very fragile. If the insect accidentally knocked them off the cliff in its excitement, it would be a great loss.
She took out the prepared mandala fruit and squeezed out some juice with a little force. The sweet juice immediately attracted the attention of the insect.
The mandala fruit had the same effect on the Celestial Fairy Insect as catnip had on cats. They simply couldn't resist it.
Chu Lanqiu threw the mandala fruit into the air, and the insect immediately spread its wings to catch it. Taking this opportunity, Chu Lanqiu quickly ransacked the nest of all the Celestial Fairy Crystals.
Successfully getting the first Celestial Fairy Crystal, Chu Lanqiu showed a smile.
Just then, Huan Qianyu, who was on top, also saw that Chu Lanqiu had gotten the crystal and was about to smile when, unexpectedly, the insect flew a bit farther and happened to fly into the swarm of poisonous insects.
Although the Celestial Fairy Insect wasn't affected by these poisonous insects, the poisonous insects were very vengeful and followed the insect back.
Chu Lanqiu was still near the insect's nest. Not knowing what was happening, she was suddenly alerted by Huan Qianyu's voice.
"Benefactor, be careful!"
Chu Lanqiu was attracted by Huan Qianyu's voice. Looking up, she saw Huan Qianyu's terrified expression. Then, following her gaze, she saw a swarm of poisonous insects flying towards her.
She immediately grabbed the vine tightly and kicked off with her feet, quickly moving away from this place.