As the sky began to lighten, Lu Xin looked at the pitch-black forest outside the tree hollow.
It’s about time. Time to set out.
“Gently wake the sleeping soul, slowly open your eyes…”
“What… are you saying?”
Ruilin rubbed her eyes and looked at Lu Xin with a sleepy gaze.
“Uh… nothing. We can set out soon.”
Hearing that they could set out, Ruilin instantly snapped to attention. As Audrey’s adjutant, she had never been lax in her duties.
But just as she stood up from Lu Xin’s arms, a faint pain came from within her body again.
Her healing magic had only healed her superficial wounds. The damage to her internal organs would need time to recover.
But Ruilin quickly composed her expression. She couldn’t slow Lu Xin down because of her injuries.
Ruilin took a few deep breaths and turned to leave the tree hollow, but the sight before her made her freeze.
Lu Xin had already packed everything up without her noticing, and was now crouching outside the tree hollow.
“Get on. I’ll carry you.”
“I can walk on my own.”
“Don’t argue. If your injuries get worse along the way, you’ll end up needing me to carry you anyway.”
All the words Ruilin wanted to say were blocked by Lu Xin. After a moment of hesitation, she gently leaned onto his back.
Feeling the weight on his back, Lu Xin tightened his grip on her, then leaped up onto a tree branch and dashed toward the river.
Ruilin closed her eyes, quietly feeling the wind whistling past her ears. Her body pressed tightly against Lu Xin’s back, and she could even hear his heartbeat.
Thump, thump, thump.
She really liked this feeling. Last night, she had fallen asleep listening to his heartbeat in his arms—it was very reassuring and comforting.
Ruilin had never been so pampered by anyone before. When she got injured in the past and couldn’t get immediate treatment, she just endured it.
It wasn’t that Audrey didn’t care about her; it was just that Audrey herself had that kind of personality.
No wonder—they were sisters who had grown up together.
Lu Xin had to stop and rest every so often, because jumping through the trees while carrying someone was really exhausting.
But fortunately, the river wasn’t far. Once they reached the riverbank, walking while carrying her was much easier.
Lu Xin walked unhurriedly upstream along the river.
But after about an hour of walking, Ruilin tapped the back of his head from behind and said:
“Lu Xin, there’s something strange on the left.”
Hearing this, Lu Xin instinctively thought a monster was approaching and had already drawn his short sword with his right hand.
But when he got closer, he found that it was an abandoned campsite.
The campfire was still warm, indicating that someone had been there not long ago.
Ruilin got off Lu Xin’s back and walked into the campsite to inspect it carefully. She estimated that there had been at least ten people here, and they were well-equipped.
Ruilin thought for a moment and quickly guessed the identity of the campsite’s owners.
“They’re bounty hunters from the Kingdom of Helvi.”
“Helvi?”
“You don’t know?”
Lu Xin hadn’t expected that his casual remark would reveal his ignorance, but just as he was thinking of how to cover it up…
Ruilin didn’t suspect anything. Instead, she carefully explained for him.
“The Kingdom of Helvi is a neighbor of the Kingdom of Delk, but the Misty Forest lies between them.”
“So the two kingdoms have always had a harmonious relationship. At least, I’ve never seen any conflict between them.”
“Then why do you think it’s people from Helvi camping here?”
“The Kingdom of Delk only deployed one squad, the Iron Wall Rose, and strictly forbade any adventurer squads from entering during this period.”
With that said, Lu Xin roughly understood.
The Kingdom of Delk wasn’t the only one that knew about the Hidden Treasure. Helvi wanted to compete for it too.
But to maintain the appearance of friendly relations between the two kingdoms, Helvi chose to send bounty hunters into the forest.
It was even possible that the bounty hunters’ equipment was supplied by Helvi.
Just as Lu Xin and Ruilin were discussing this newly emerged faction, a “cluck cluck cluck” sound came from the forest.
They both turned to look and saw a chicken emerge from the woods.
The two humans and the chicken stared at each other. Even Little Grey, who was tucked inside Lu Xin’s clothes, poked its head out to look at the chicken.
This chicken was indeed only the size of an ordinary hen, but its feathers were dazzlingly beautiful.
With an emerald base, tail feathers like a rainbow, and a crown that blazed like fire.
Seeing that the chicken was about to flee, Lu Xin cast [Silk Touch] on it from a distance. This was a skill with a special effect on furry creatures, and chickens were no exception.
Colorful Chicken: “~~~”
The two exchanged a glance and walked toward the crouching Colorful Chicken. Lu Xin reached out and stroked its feathers.
“Is this a chicken?”
“Probably.”
Hearing Lu Xin’s words, the Colorful Chicken jumped up in displeasure and pecked at Lu Xin’s face.
Luckily, Lu Xin had [Hardening], so the Colorful Chicken couldn’t hurt him at all.
“What a noob chicken.”
Colorful Chicken: “Gugu cluck cluck.”
“Junk chicken.”
Colorful Chicken: “(ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)”
Ruilin watched as the human and chicken had already gotten familiar, and she covered her mouth and laughed. But then the Colorful Chicken suddenly turned its head to look at her.
She was startled, then reached out and touched the chicken’s comb.
Unexpectedly, the Colorful Chicken suddenly opened its mouth and let out a cry. The cry was clear and distant, making one’s heart tremble.
The cry lasted about three seconds, but its effects were not to be underestimated.
Lu Xin looked at the surrounding trees. The vegetation had grown wildly in just a few seconds, and now even the grass was almost waist-high.
“Lu Xin.” Ruilin called out to him softly, then spoke in disbelief: “My injuries are completely healed?”
Ruilin stood up. She tentatively jumped onto a nearby branch, her figure as agile and elegant as before, like the wind.
Lu Xin was stunned. All of these changes had occurred when the Colorful Chicken cried out.
Ruilin returned to Lu Xin’s side. Both had guessed that this chicken was no ordinary creature, but neither thought about it being the Hidden Treasure.
First, because this was still a considerable distance from the central area. Second, because most people assumed the Hidden Treasure was an inanimate object.
Ruilin had previously asked Audrey about the Hidden Treasure, but Audrey had thought of that vague piece of information and decided it wasn’t necessary to mention, so she didn’t.
……
By the riverbank, because Ruilin’s injuries had unexpectedly healed, they moved forward much faster.
The Colorful Chicken perched on Lu Xin’s head. Accessory +1.
Lu Xin had originally intended to carry the Colorful Chicken in his arms while traveling, but perhaps because of his earlier remarks, the chicken held a grudge and insisted on staying on top of Lu Xin’s head.
Head and shoulders above the rest.
Just as it was getting dark, Lu Xin was planning to find a place to rest, but the Colorful Chicken flew off his head at that moment.
Lu Xin and Ruilin exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
But right before their eyes, the Colorful Chicken dove straight into the river.
“Holy crap, the backup food is washing itself.”
Lu Xin frowned. He had planned to eat the bear meat he’d cut off for dinner, but it looked like they’d be having boiled chicken instead.
Ruilin glanced at Lu Xin and said softly, “What do we do?”
“Hmm, add some salt, then…”
“I’m not asking you how to eat it.”
“Oh, oh, oh, then we definitely follow it.”
With that, Lu Xin jumped into the river first, and Ruilin followed close behind.
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