Chapter 133: Continued Cooperation

Xue Ye Hua was about to fiercely denounce the guy for his shamelessness when a loud voice suddenly boomed inside the valley.

“Aulde, you traitors! The princess hasn’t even recovered from her poisoning, yet you’ve already decided to betray us!”

“Jumeng, why don’t you understand? Yuedora Kingdom was doomed the moment the old King made the wrong decision and chose the wrong side. We are all people of a fallen kingdom, imprisoned here by the humans. No one will ever come to rescue us, and soon enough, the world will forget we ever existed. So why cling to Yuedora? Becoming Dunis’s private retainers means we can still live well.”

“Traitors will always make excuses! Yuedora isn’t completely destroyed! Asar and the others will come for us one day!” Jumeng roared, his mighty voice shaking the entire valley slightly.

“Asar can’t even protect himself. Waiting for him? Who knows when that day will come? Or if we’ll live that long?” Aulde sighed in reply.

Asar!

Hearing the name “Asar,” Xue Ye Hua’s eyes flashed.

That NPC was the one who had originally given her the quest!

…

Meanwhile, on one level of the Land of Exile, La Xia reported to a noble youth inside a room: “Dunis, things are progressing well with freeing Aulde and his group. When the Hunting Grounds open next, those Adventurers will release them. Just as you predicted. They pour all their effort into freeing Aulde, never dreaming it’s only because we deliberately allowed them the opportunity.”

Dunis smiled faintly. “Those Adventurers will do almost anything for Gold Coins; they’re convenient tools for many tasks. Once Aulde and the others are out, we’ll have them ‘pursued’ as usual. Then we just report they perished in the Crimson Poison Mist. That way, we keep them. We frame the Adventurers for the fallout; there’s no fear of punishment from above.”

“Quite true. Although some Adventurers are quite wealthy themselves.” La Xia nodded, remembering the Adventurer who had spent a fortune with her.

“With Aulde’s group under my command, I gain much greater capabilities. However, La Xia, guard Princess Peraldili carefully. Don’t let Adventurers rescue her. Small fry like Aulde can easily be covered up, but if the princess vanishes… that trouble won’t be so easily dismissed.” Dunis thought for a moment and instructed La Xia.

“I’m aware. Rescuing Peraldili won’t be simple. She’s still under a sleeping enchantment. To wake her, they’d need a specialized Magical Potion – impossible without it. Even if someone somehow freed her from the enchantment, they’d need a large amount of Crimson Crystal to destroy the Crimson Prison from within. No matter how strong they are, breaching it without the crystal is impossible. The Hunting Grounds only open once every five days. The Crimson Crystals obtainable each time are limited. Using all crystals collected during a single opening for the princess wouldn’t even be enough – it would take at least two openings to save her. We’d definitely notice such a large-scale operation.”

La Xia nodded calmly, unconcerned. No one could survive the thick Crimson Poison Mist; the only chance was during the brief intervals when the Hunting Grounds opened and the mist vanished. All the Adventurers were under their control; there was no worry about the princess being rescued.

Dunis nodded, knowing La Xia was right.

…

Jumeng was the imprisoned Giant clansman, conveniently held near the valley entrance.

When Xue Ye Hua accepted the quest, the NPC named Asar had entrusted her with a letter. He instructed her that should she ever reach the Land of Exile, she must find the imprisoned citizens of Yuedora and deliver it.

Who exactly the Yuedora citizens were, Xue Ye Hua hadn’t known. Upon learning of this place’s existence, she suspected they were held here, but Qing Tian’s presence forced her caution. She endured, holding back on the quest.

Now, inside the valley, overhearing the NPCs’ conversation, she knew exactly who the letter was meant for.

She stealthily moved towards Jumeng’s prison cell. Chen Mo thought for a moment, then followed closely behind.

Jumeng was still intent on arguing with Aulde, but seeing Xue Ye Hua and Chen Mo, he immediately cast a magic spell. A barrier formed before his cell, shielding the two Adventurers from Aulde’s group.

“Sir Jumeng, I have a letter from Asar. I believe it should be delivered into your hands.” Xue Ye Hua produced the letter, handing it through the prison bars to Jumeng.

“Asar!” Jumeng, gigantic even for a Giant, reacted with surprise upon hearing the name. He swiftly took the letter.

He tore it open, scanned the contents quickly, and murmured, “So that’s how it is. I understand now.”

Then, he looked earnestly at Xue Ye Hua. “Brave Human Adventurers! I must ask you for a favor! Yuedora teeters on the brink of disaster! Please, you absolutely must save Princess Peraldili! However… though I am a Giant Mage, anything valuable on me was taken long ago. I have nothing to offer as reward now. But myself and the Princess shall forever remember your kindness!”

System Notification: Will you accept the Quest “Rescue Princess Peraldili”?

The System Notification appeared. Without a second thought, Xue Ye Hua selected yes. Even if Jumeng said there was no immediate reward, a quest of this difficulty surely meant significant rewards later!

Thus, she accepted instantly.

Chen Mo likewise received the System Notification. He’d intended to rescue Peraldili regardless of a quest; having one now was simply a bonus. Moreover, his past experience saving Eliya proved that gaining significant Friendship and Favorability with NPCs was far from a bad thing.

“Wonderful! Thank you, brave Adventurers! The Princess remains under the sleeping enchantment. Your first task is to gather essential Potion materials for me. I will brew the Potion to awaken her. Take this.” Jumeng said, producing both a vial of pale blue Potion and an empty glass bottle for Xue Ye Hua. “It’s a special Neutralizing Agent I formulated. Take this vial to the bamboo grove west of the valley. Beneath it lies a small lake – its waters remain pure, untouched by the Crimson Poison Mist. Pour half of the Neutralizing Agent into the bottle, then fill it with water from that lake. Bring it back, and I can brew the Potion to dispel the Princess’s enchantment.”

Chen Mo, listening nearby, understood the quest requirements. He moved to take the Potion and bottle, but he was too late – Jumeng had already handed them to Xue Ye Hua.

Xue Ye Hua’s reaction was even slower than Chen Mo’s. When she fully grasped what the quest required, her face darkened.

Under the thick Crimson Poison Mist, venturing out alone to fetch water was impossible. She would have to rely entirely on Chen Mo again. Moving like before…? Just the thought made Xue Ye Hua feel anything but calm.

“Sir Jumeng, is this Potion urgent? Can we afford to wait a few days?” Xue Ye Hua asked desperately.

If it wasn’t urgent, she’d wait five days. When the Hunting Grounds reopened, completing the quest would be simple.

“No! There’s no time!” Jumeng vehemently shook his head. “Aulde has struck a deal with Dunis! In just a few days, his group will be ‘rescued.’ Security here will become incredibly tight! After that, the Princess will have no chance to escape!”

“You got here; getting water from the west shouldn’t be too much harder. Go quickly and return swiftly! Don’t linger! They’ll notice something is amiss here soon!” Jumeng practically shooed them away.

They could only retreat helplessly back towards the valley entrance.

“Can the items be traded?” Chen Mo asked, unwilling to give up.

“Quest items. What do you think?” Xue Ye Hua snapped back, her expression stormy.

“What do you plan to do?” Chen Mo sighed.

“What can I do? Let you take advantage again!” Xue Ye Hua said through gritted teeth.

But what Xue Ye Hua didn’t expect was for the scoundrel to adopt an expression that clearly said, ‘If you call it taking advantage, I’m not going.’

“Fine! It’s not you taking advantage! It’s us cooperating on a quest! Alright?” Xue Ye Hua mentally cursed his shamelessness.

“That’s more like it. Come here.” Chen Mo nodded, satisfied, and summoned Sesshylow.

“Maybe… Could I try walking behind you?” Xue Ye Hua ventured, dreading the prospect of him pressed against the curve of her hips for a long journey again. Even knowing he couldn’t really do anything improper, suppressing the sensations long enough was impossible.

“Don’t waste time! Get over here quickly!” Chen Mo glared at her, extinguishing any unrealistic hopes.

Unless she cut off her own shapely rear, this was the only way it worked!

Xue Ye Hua could only shoot Chen Mo an aggrieved look before stepping closer. His arms wrapped tightly around her once more.

Sesshylow engulfed them both, shifting into the shape of an Invisible Cloak, and together, they moved west towards the bamboo grove.

Progress was slow with them tethered together. The distance really wasn’t far, but reaching it wouldn’t be simple.

Not many minutes passed before Xue Ye Hua couldn’t help snapping, “Hey! It’s barely been minutes!”

“Not my fault.” Chen Mo answered with infuriating calmness.

Hah! Before, he hadn’t wanted it to be awkward and tried hard to keep things under control. But now that the reality was out in the open? Forcing himself to endure like that again would just be asking for suffering!

“Ugh! Little bastard!” Xue Ye Hua snorted coldly, pretty sure she knew exactly what was on his mind.

But she had the experience before; she’d endured it then. This time would just mean enduring a little longer. Thinking this, Xue Ye Hua bit back her protests.

However, both of them were underestimating how complicated this would be.