Quick Travel to the Clouds

But she had never seen, and never dared to imagine, that he would be so... intimate with a woman.

It even left such obvious traces.

Those slightly swollen lips were like a silent yet resounding declaration, mocking her years of careful companionship and secret expectations.

Why?

This woman named Bai Yun Chu is just a newbie in the game with only a pretty face. Why should she be treated like this by him?

Even the mere label of "ownership" drove her mad with jealousy.

Hu Lanqin quickly lowered her head, using the act of tidying her backpack to conceal the momentary distortion on her face and the hatred that almost overflowed in her eyes.

She shoved the bandage back into her bag and zipped it up forcefully, her fingertips trembling slightly from the excessive force.

When she looked up again, she had put on her usual slightly aloof expression, but deep in her eyes, there was a layer of gloomy coldness that could not be melted away.

"Let's go when you're ready." Xie Yipei's voice rang out. He had finished checking his equipment and stood at the edge of the open space, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

After a brief pause on Yun Chu's expressionless face, he turned towards the depths of the jungle shrouded in thick fog and strange plants.

"Today's objective is to cross the poisonous swamp area to the northeast. Pay attention to protection and formation."

The group silently stepped into the even more secluded and unpredictable forest.

Yun Chu walked in the middle of the group, her posture still carrying a sense of detachment and... laziness that seemed out of place with the perilous surroundings.

She no longer issued occasional warnings as she had when she was with the "Rock" team, but instead completely distanced herself from the situation.

When the giant centipede disguised as a withered vine suddenly sprang up from the decaying leaves and pounced on the flank of the group, Lu Ting shouted and flicked out energy threads that shimmered with blue light, attempting to entangle it. Hu Lanqin also immediately raised her short staff to prepare to apply a slowing effect.

Yun Chu simply took a half-step to the side to avoid being affected.

Then she watched quietly, her peach blossom eyes calm and undisturbed, as if what she was seeing was not a deadly attack, but a clumsy performance that had nothing to do with her.

Xie Yipei didn't even turn around.

He simply raised his hand casually just as the centipede was about to break free of Lu Ting's control.

Moisture in the air suddenly condensed, and several sharp icicles appeared out of thin air, precisely piercing the centipede's head and joints, pinning it firmly to the ground. After struggling a few times, it stopped moving.

The whole process was incredibly fast; he didn't even stop moving forward.

Xie Yipei used the same tactics against the swarms of poisonous caterpillars and the crocodile-nosed beasts lurking in the mud pits he encountered later, employing wind blades, ground spikes, and flames...

They can use all kinds of basic elements with ease, and their efficiency is astonishing. Often, the threat has already been eliminated before the teammates have even fully entered the combat state.

Lu Ting and Hu Lanqin were clearly already used to their captain's strength, but they were more focused on being on guard and filling in any gaps in their defenses.

Yun Chu, however, remained a quiet observer.

The whole day was spent in this slightly eerie calm.

Xie Yipei seemed completely unconcerned about Yun Chu's "inaction." As long as she didn't run away or cause trouble, he let her follow him.

They traversed the poisonous swamp reeking of a sweet, rotten smell, avoiding several dangerous areas with obvious energy disturbances, but still could not find the entrance to the so-called "hidden dungeon space".

Darkness fell again, and a thicker fog, even thicker than the previous night, rose from the forest, carrying a damp and chilly air.

They found a relatively dry high ground to set up camp.

Yun Chu silently ate some of the bland energy bars that Lu Ting had distributed, drank some water, and then was the first to get up and walk straight to the tent that seemed to have been accepted as hers.

"Keep watch..." Lu Ting had just begun to speak when Yun Chu's figure had already disappeared behind the tent flap.

He choked on the rest of his words, looking at Xie Yipei with a hint of helplessness.

Xie Yipei was poking at the newly lit campfire with a twig; the firelight flickered on his face, obscuring his expression.

"Let her be." He said calmly. "According to the original plan, Lu Ting will be there for the first half of the night, and Lan Qin for the second half."

Hu Lanqin lowered her head, gave a soft "hmm," and gripped the water bottle tightly in her hand.

Inside the tent, Yun Chu had just taken off her muddy and damp shoes and hadn't even had a chance to check her feet when the curtain was lifted again.

Xie Yipei's tall figure walked in, bringing with him the chill of the night and the warmth of the campfire.

Yun Chu immediately looked up and glared at him, her wariness and dissatisfaction almost turning into tangible ice spikes—what are you doing here again?

Xie Yipei didn't say anything, but walked straight to her and squatted down, his gaze falling on her feet that had just been exposed.

Her once fair and delicate feet now had several glistening blisters on the soles and edges, some of which had turned red, making them look particularly pitiful against her tender skin.

“A pampered girl,” he said in a low voice, his tone devoid of emotion, simply stating a fact.

Yun Chu snorted coldly and turned her head away.

What's wrong with being delicate?

She had never experienced such hardship of trekking through mountains and rivers before.

If it weren't for the concern about exposing her spatial storage and elixirs, she would have solved this small problem long ago, instead of ending up in such a sorry state.

Xie Yipei didn't expect a response from her.

With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a slender silver needle and a box of ointment from his system space.

He first touched the edge of the largest blister on her foot with his fingertip, very gently, but Yun Chu still subconsciously flinched.

"Don't move." He gripped her ankle, his grip light but firm enough to prevent her from escaping.

His palms were warm, and his fingertips had calluses from years of holding weapons. The friction against his delicate skin created a strange sensation.

Yun Chu's body stiffened slightly. She pursed her lips and watched him hold the silver needle, briefly singe it over a fire, and then quickly and steadily pierce the edge of the blister.

A slight stinging pain came, but she held back her voice, though her eyes involuntarily flushed slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled.

Xie Yipei lowered his eyes, his expression focused, as if he were dealing with some kind of precision machinery.

He carefully squeezed out the tissue fluid from the blister and then wiped it clean with a soft cloth.

Every step was swift and decisive, just like his usual fighting style.

After treating all the blisters, he opened the ointment, scooped out a little of the pale green, transparent ointment with his fingertip, and applied it evenly to the wound.

The ointment was cooling and effectively relieved the previous stinging and burning sensation.

Throughout the entire process, the tent was so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing and the faint hooting of owls in the distance could be heard.

The way his warm fingers applied ointment to her feet brought an indescribable, uncomfortable intimacy that made her feel a deeper sense of humiliation and...loss of control than the forced kisses before.

This meticulous, almost possessive behavior blurred the lines between pure control and being controlled, which disturbed her.

After applying the medicine, Xie Yipei gently placed her feet back on the bed and covered them up.

"Don't move around, get some rest." He stood up and looked down at her.

Her eyes were still red, but her gaze had regained its cold stubbornness as she glared at him fiercely.

Xie Yipei gave a barely perceptible twitch of his lips, said nothing more, and turned to leave.