CHAPTER 37

— Poison and Steel —

As the eerie, raspy laughter drew nearer, Tong Tong's heart leaped into her throat, fearing she might witness another scene that would test the limits of her psychological endurance. Half-hiding behind Su Yan, she switched the Biling Sword to her left hand and freed her right to reach for Su Yan's delicate fingers—a move reminiscent of a lecherous rogue, yet executed with practiced ease, as if rehearsed countless times in private.

Su Yan glanced at her briefly, noting the genuine tension and worry on her face. Softening, she didn't pull away but instead tightened her grip on Tong Tong's hand, offering silent encouragement and reassurance. This unintentional gesture was like a spark igniting the night sky, setting ablaze the flicker of warmth in Tong Tong's heart. Her little heart felt drenched in a mix of sweetness and sourness, teetering between budding hope and withering despair, unable to find peace.

'Does he like me? Or does he like me? Or does he really, really like me...' she couldn't help but wonder.

"Swish—" The Changhong Sword's gleam flashed through the air, and a claw-like hand suddenly appeared beside Tong Tong's feet. Startled, she stumbled backward several steps, immediately extinguishing her romantic musings and nearly dislocating both her own and Su Yan's wrists in the process.

At first glance, one could vaguely make out the slender five fingers of a primate, but the entire palm—both front and back—was a deep purplish-red. The fingertips were tipped with three-inch-long, sharp black nails, their surfaces stained with mottled marks, as if bearing the scars of years of accumulated suffering, silently exuding a mournful lament.

Marveling at the jade-like luster, Tong Tong crouched down, reaching out to touch them, only to hear Su Yan sharply rebuke, "Don't touch! They're poisonous!"

"Hiss—" Her fingers halted just a hair's breadth away from the black nails. Tong Tong stared at the additional pairs of hands that had appeared at her feet and gasped in shock, indignantly asking, "Senior Brother, can't you sweep these... these... uh, 'black bean sauce chicken claw' somewhere else? Do you have to throw them right at my feet?"

—He must be doing this on purpose! With swordsmanship that high, couldn't he toss them wherever he wanted? Why did they always end up at her feet? Knowing full well she couldn't stand the sight of these things... The answer was obvious: to scare her!

That way, he could satisfy his twisted psychology—watching her panic and flail, then stepping in like a prince charming to hold her in his arms, softly comforting her to win her affection, all while taking the chance to cop a feel...

Many immature boys liked to tease and bu1ly the girls they fancied—that's what TV said.

—She knew it. Su Yan was just a closet perv3rt, probably using this as an excuse to get close to her... Eek, so embarrassing! Ugh, she wasn't ready to accept a confession yet...

Just as Tong Tong was lost in her inescapable fantasies, she heard Su Yan's cold, indifferent voice say, "I thought you'd like these poisonous claws, worth twenty top-grade spirit stones a pair... It seems I was wrong."

With that, his Changhong Sword blazed with crimson light, slicing the poisonous claws—along with their bodies—into fragments.

"No—" Tong Tong let out a heart-wrenching cry, watching helplessly as twenty top-grade spirit stones vanished before her eyes. She felt as if her heart were bleeding. "Senior Brother, I was wrong... You can hit me, scold me, whatever—just don't take it out on the spirit stones!"

"...Hmph." Seeing her miserly, heartbroken expression, Su Yan felt inexplicably irritated. She proceeded to shatter several more pairs of "twenty top-grade spirit stones" before finally stopping.

Tong Tong let out a soft sigh of relief, hastily dismissing her earlier unrealistic fantasies, and finally took the time to examine this wave of monsters.

Their faces were pale and bl0odless, their features identical as if carved from the same mold. Their mouths resembled irregular shapes cut from shattered glass, dragging out long, crimson tongues that mechanically licked their dark, elongated nails, emitting low, guttural "heh heh" sounds. Like puppets programmed to follow a frightening routine, they were both eerie and laughable—after a careful look, she didn't find them scary anymore.

Tong Tong's gaze was once again drawn to their long, sharp nails. Remembering something, she rummaged through her Qiankun pouch for a while and finally found the beginner's guide she had discarded like trash.

"Senior Brother, what rank are they?" It seemed the introduction to the Hundred Ghost Cave was arranged by rank—presumably, the value of the items harvested from them followed the same order.

"Eleven." With a single hand holding Changhong, Su Yan sliced off another pair of claws. She patted the restless Cookie on her shoulder and shot it a warning glance, forbidding it from moving recklessly.

"Found it!" Flipping quickly to that page of instructions, Tong Tong grew more and more delighted as she read. "These are... Poison Claw Ghosts! Oh, this name is so uncreative!" she complained casually, but her eyes lit up when she saw the notes that followed. "Their weapons are a pair of poisonous claws. A single touch causes the victim's intestines to rot, and there is almost no antidote. When ground into powder, they can be used as medicine—a top-grade ingredient for alchemy. Effects... Market price: twenty top-grade spirit stones! Really? This is a windfall!"

After a quick estimate, she realized there were at least a dozen pairs of poisonous claws on the ground. The monsters that had lost their claws collapsed, as if their joints had been removed, and lost their ability to attack. Perfect!

By her estimation, there were still about twenty Poison Claw Ghosts ahead of them, meaning there were over four hundred top-grade spirit stones waiting for her to collect... Tong Tong felt she couldn't be any happier!

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Su Yan effortlessly dealt with the remaining prey. The gentle curve of her lips flattened into a straight line as she caught sight of Tong Tong behind her, eyes gleaming with greed as she collected and counted the poisonous claws without sparing a single glance in her direction. Su Yan sheathed Changhong with a flick of her wrist and coldly remarked, "Vulgar."

—While she had been toiling away, fighting these monsters, this silly girl not only failed to lend a hand but was enthusiastically picking up loot on the side, completely disregarding her... Could it be that in Little Seven's heart, the safety of her senior brother was less important than these spirit stones?

Su Yan refused to admit that she, who had never cared about others' opinions, could one day feel upset—even bitter—because of someone's neglect.

And the consequence of angering the senior brother was that Su Yan didn't speak a single word to Tong Tong until they had traveled far from the Poison Claw Ghosts' territory and reached the next checkpoint.

By then, Tong Tong finally began to feel a twinge of regret. If they had remained silent like this earlier, it wouldn't have been a big deal—after all, she was already accustomed to Su Yan's cold, aloof nature. But after spending so much time together recently, their relationship had clearly improved. At least in her eyes, Su Yan wasn't so unapproachable when they were alone—she would patiently respond to her, occasionally tease her, or even offer a faint smile...

So, she could confirm that Su Yan was angry.

But why?

This was a puzzle that someone with low emotional intelligence and average intellect couldn't solve right away—until she saw Su Yan mercilessly thrust her sword into the eye socket of a clueless monster that lunged at them and shattered it with her true essence. Only then did she realize the severity of the situation.

—Copper-Skin Ghosts, high-level monsters ranked sixth in the Hundred Ghosts Cave. Their skin is as hard as cast copper and iron, impervious to blades and swords. Their eyes are their only weakness... Their copper skin can be refined into protective armor, worth—fifty top-grade spirit stones!

Reading this, Tong Tong couldn't help but shout, "Spare the skin—!"

But before her words even finished, another Copper-Skin Ghost let out a miserable howl, shattered into pieces, and met its end... And Su Yan's speed in annihilating the Copper-Skin Ghosts had doubled compared to before.

Tong Tong's eyes twitched, as if she had grasped something, yet she felt she might be overthinking. After pondering for a long while, she tentatively spoke up, "Senior Brother... perhaps we should forget about this hide [skin]. It's more important to be careful not to hurt yourself..."

After saying this, she held her breath and carefully observed Su Yan's reaction—his face, as fair and cold as frost, remained calm and unreadable, but the chilling, oppressive aura around him noticeably receded. The long Changhong sword that had pierced the copper-skinned ghost withdrew, and for once, it did not shatter the creature into pieces!

Tong Tong felt a surge of joy, followed by a wave of embarrassment: Su Yan, you dead iceberg, could you be any more tsundere?

Once she understood the root of the problem, she could prescribe the right remedy. Although the answer was somewhat baffling, at least she was no longer at a complete loss.

After weighing her options, Tong Tong reluctantly said, "Senior Brother, let's give up on this hide and end the battle quickly! You must conserve your strength—there's still a long way ahead."

Only she herself knew how much willpower it took to give up those glittering spirit stones.

Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, Su Yan sheathed his sword, turned around, and gave her a faint smile. Just as she was staring in a daze, he said gently, "Your turn."

"What?" Tong Tong pointed at herself with one finger, her expression as if struck by lightning, and retorted, "You mean—you want a delicate, powerless young woman like me to face these indestructible, copper-skinned ghosts?"

As she questioned, a seven-foot-tall monster swung its two steel-whip-like long arms fiercely toward her, the sound of air tearing almost audible—Tong Tong instinctively summoned her Biling Sword to block—a dull "clang" echoed, sparks flying, and her hand holding the sword went numb, nearly causing the hilt to slip from her grasp!

These copper-skinned ghosts had immense strength!

Startled, Tong Tong had no time to argue with Su Yan. She quickly focused her mind and engaged the attacking copper-skinned ghost—misfortunes never come singly. Without Su Yan holding the line, a large group of copper-skinned ghosts rushed toward Tong Tong, immediately trapping her in a tight encirclement.

Already struggling, Tong Tong felt her scalp tingle, her movements frantic as she could only block and dodge clumsily just before being hit. The situation was extremely perilous.

Suddenly, two "whooshing" sounds echoed in her ears, and several white icicles shot past, accurately piercing the eyes of the monsters charging at her. This prevented the attacks that were about to strike her, easing the pressure. She somersaulted and leaped out of the monsters' encirclement, leaning on her sword as she gasped for breath.

"Aim for the eyes," Su Yan reminded leisurely, holding Cookie and leaning casually to the side, showing no intention of helping—well, that last strike didn't count—her slender fingers scratched the soft fur under its chin, making it squint in pleasure, completely ignoring its master's perilous situation. Tong Tong gritted her teeth, swearing inwardly: she would never give it treats again!

But the immediate priority was dealing with these relentless copper-skinned ghosts that treated Su Yan as invisible and vented their anger solely on her—even these monsters knew to pick on the weak, abandoning Su Yan to trouble her instead?

Fine, she would show these brainless monsters that even a Hello Kitty can roar like a tigress when provoked!

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