The cool water was utterly refreshing. Charlotte and Angelica only felt an ineffable sense of exhilaration, as if every cell in their bodies had taken a deep breath.
Gazing up at the bright moon in the sky, listening to the sound of water gliding past their fingertips—what a genuine pleasure in life!
The reflection of the moon on the water embellished the two women's skin exquisitely, lending them an otherworldly grace.
"Robin, aren't you coming down to wash with us?" Charlotte called out to Robin, who was standing guard for them.
Robin glanced at Charlotte but said nothing, merely shaking her head gently. That expanse of white seemed to hold no allure for her whatsoever!
Seeing that Robin had no intention of joining them, Charlotte didn't press the matter!
Just as the two women were hastily washing the scent of blood from their bodies, a voice suddenly rang out, startling them both.
"What are you two doing?" It was Zhong Shenxiu’s voice.
Charlotte and Angelica followed the sound and saw Zhong Shenxiu standing not far from Robin, his eyes fixed directly upon them!
After a moment of stunned silence, a purely instinctive reaction took over, and the two women plunged underwater, revealing only the parts of their bodies above the neck.
However, with such crystal-clear water and such bright moonlight, even submerging completely couldn't entirely hide the unfolding spectacle!
In that instant, Angelica’s mind went utterly blank; she even forgot to scream. All she could think about was how Zhong Shenxiu could possibly be here, when he arrived, and what he might have seen. The more she thought, the hotter her face burned, and her entire body temperature seemed to soar, threatening to boil the very pool!
"Ro-Robin, I wasn't finished telling you to keep watch for us..." Charlotte’s words were cut short by Robin’s soft reply.
"Master is not an outsider!"
The statement was brief, yet it nearly made Charlotte faint from anger.
She now found herself utterly speechless, unable to articulate the complicated turmoil within her. To think her lifelong innocence had been compromised right here—it was the height of frustration. If she had known, she should have waited until Zhong Shenxiu was fast asleep before bathing!
Charlotte was about to retort when Zhong Shenxiu preempted her again.
"Come out!" Although Zhong Shenxiu’s voice remained mild, it carried an undeniable tone of command.
Huh???
Charlotte and Angelica were instantly dumbfounded. Neither had anticipated such an immodest request from Zhong Shenxiu.
Come out now? What a joke! They were completely unclothed. If they surfaced, wouldn't that mean...
And so, despite it being Zhong Shenxiu’s order, neither woman moved! This marked perhaps the first time they had ever defied his wishes.
Zhong Shenxiu clearly frowned, but his gaze wasn't directed at Charlotte or Angelica; it was fixed on the water.
"Um... could you—" Charlotte intended to ask, "Could you please step away for a moment," but the rest of the sentence caught in her throat. The reason was simple: she and Angelica suddenly burst forth from the water! An invisible force yanked them ashore!
Having never experienced such shock in their lives, the two women let out startled cries, their hands instinctively clutching what needed to be covered. They then turned to glare at Zhong Shenxiu with expressions of deep resentment and grievance, as if they could devour him—though who would end up "eating" whom remained uncertain!
Yet, what struck the two women as exceptionally strange was that Zhong Shenxiu wasn't looking at them; his eyes remained locked on the pool.
As the women looked on in confusion, Zhong Shenxiu beckoned once. With a whoosh, another object shot out of the water and flew straight toward him.
Zhong Shenxiu caught it casually, his brow furrowing once more.
The thing in his hand was exceedingly odd. It was entirely translucent, and under the moonlight’s reflection, one could vaguely discern its general outline. It was about half a meter long, as thick as three fingers, and it writhed continuously, much like an eel!
"This... what is this?" Charlotte was utterly bewildered. She never imagined such a disgusting thing existed in the place where she and Angelica had just been bathing. A chill instantly ran down her spine!
Angelica stared blankly at the unidentified creature in Zhong Shenxiu’s hand, now feeling a surge of belated fear. What if such a thing had burrowed into her body?
Zhong Shenxiu turned to look at Charlotte and Angelica, but he didn't answer their question. Instead, he stated calmly, "Liss is coming."
Initially, Charlotte and Angelica didn't quite grasp the implication, but when a small gust of wind blew by, making their bodies feel chilled, they instantly understood. With another shriek, they abandoned all caution and dashed into the nearby thicket, their speed rivaling that of Robin’s magical pet!
Just as Zhong Shenxiu had predicted, Liss rushed over, sounding anxious before he even arrived: "Sister Charlotte, Senior Sister, what happened?"
It turned out Liss had been drawn by the screams of Charlotte and Angelica. It was hardly surprising; in such deep, quiet night, their high-pitched shrieks were impossible to ignore!
When Liss saw Zhong Shenxiu standing nearby, his expression visibly froze. He stopped dead in his tracks.
He couldn't understand why Zhong Shenxiu was here. Hadn't he left with those skeleton warriors to another location? Why was he back?
Eek? What... what is that thing?
Clearly, he, like the others, had no idea what the creature was and showed a look of alarm.
Not only were they ignorant of this being, but even Zhong Shenxiu found it profoundly peculiar. In his memory, he had never encountered anything so strange.
This creature seemed almost like water; if his power hadn't recently surged and his spiritual wave enhanced, he would never have discovered it so easily now! That was also why Robin hadn't noticed it.
Zhong Shenxiu had ordered the women out precisely because he had spotted it slowly swimming toward them. This thing was bizarre, emitting waves that shifted across three different frequencies.
Zhong Shenxiu examined the creature closely. Suddenly, he noticed its size gradually shrinking and its wriggling becoming weaker.
Can it not survive outside of water?
Zhong Shenxiu was startled. He certainly didn't want it to die before he could determine what kind of creature it was. This being had piqued his intense curiosity; he absolutely had to study it thoroughly. There might be unexpected surprises!
Quickly, Zhong Shenxiu flipped his left hand palm-up, and a ball of water materialized out of thin air. Then, his right hand slowly guided the creature into it.
Instantly, the creature, which had barely shown signs of life moments before, became active again, its front end functioning like a suction cup, beginning to draw moisture from the water sphere.
Zhong Shenxiu’s face showed a look of recognition—So that’s how it is—and he retrieved a long bamboo tube from his magic ring. With a sweep of his hand, he coiled a column of water from the pool straight into the tube.
He then carefully placed the creature inside the bamboo tube, sealed the lid, and hung it at his waist.
It wasn't that Zhong Shenxiu preferred not putting it into his magic ring; it was simply that the magic rings in this world did not support storing living creatures. To prevent this being's accidental death, Zhong Shenxiu had no choice but to temporarily hang it on his belt. He would reconsider once he found materials suitable for crafting a storage bracelet or a Qiankun Bag!
After Zhong Shenxiu finished arranging everything, Liss finally snapped back to his purpose: he had come to investigate. Where were Sister Charlotte and Senior Sister?
As Liss looked around, he caught sight of the bloody clothes the two women had left on the bank. His heart seized with alarm, thinking they had met with misfortune, and he anxiously shouted, "Sister Charlotte, Senior Sister, where are you?"
But there was no reply.
"Robin, where are they?" Liss shifted his gaze to Robin, as Robin had been accompanying the two women when he left.
Robin didn't answer but looked toward Zhong Shenxiu, her expression seeming to ask if she should inform him.
But Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out, "Hey, shouldn't you two be coming out now?"
A moment later, there was a slight rustle in the thicket. Then, Charlotte and Angelica emerged with awkward expressions, their eyes glued to the ground.
The two women had changed into spare clothes from their magic rings, but recalling the embarrassing scene, their hearts still pounded rapidly!
"Be more careful in the future!" After saying this, Zhong Shenxiu took the lead and walked back. Robin naturally followed.
Only then did Charlotte and Angelica finally lift their heads.
"Sister Charlotte, Senior Sister, are you alright? What happened just now? You really scared me!" Liss put on an expression of lingering terror.
The women’s screams had convinced Liss that they had encountered some grave danger, sending a chill down his spine; even now, he felt some lingering fear!
"N-nothing happened!" Charlotte tried to force a smile, but after a prolonged effort, she failed completely!
Although Liss sensed something strange was afoot, he didn't press the matter further. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject: "By the way, Sister Charlotte, didn't the Master leave? Why is he here?"
This question, once asked, only made the expressions of Charlotte and Angelica grow even more peculiar.
Charlotte was now at a loss for words. She still wanted to ask Zhong Shenxiu why he was here! And why was it such a coincidence that he showed up exactly when they were in the water?
Furthermore, there was one matter causing Charlotte significant distress.
She was born into an ancient tribe with a long-standing custom: once a woman reached adulthood, if her body was seen by a man—specifically the first man—she was, in a certain sense, considered that man's wife!
Of course, there was one way to refuse to acknowledge this reality: by killing the man who saw her! But a new problem immediately arose: who among them could possibly kill that little pervert, Zhong Shenxiu?