Ling Xiaoxuan swallowed nervously, whispering, "What about the Mountain Demon?"
"It's gone." Qin Ruan replied.
With her back to Ling Xiaoxuan, Qin Ruan bent over to pick up the pillow she had inadvertently dropped earlier when she hurriedly jumped up.
Walking to the edge of the bed, she casually tossed the pillow onto it. After leaning against the bed, her expression was visibly weary.
Ling Xiaoxuan turned on the room's bright lights, surveying the disheveled room. The acrid stench still lingered from the Mountain Demon's previous presence.
She withdrew her gaze, covering her rapidly pounding heart and shuffled step by step to Qin Ruan's bed, gazing at her anxiously.
"Qin Ruan, dear junior, what exactly do you do? Why are you so incredible? Are you some sort of superior figure from another world? Perhaps, a student of a Taoist from Mount Mao, or an exorcist from some sect?"
Qin Ruan lazily leaned on the bed, her body in a completely relaxed state.
One hand supported her head, while the other gently stroked her belly. Her eyes were filled with a gentle, soft light.
Qin Ruan looked up, a glimmer of amusement flickering in her eyes, "Senior sister, after knowing me for so long, are you sure you don't know my background?"
Ling Xiaoxuan, as a member of an aristocratic family, naturally collected all available information about the people she associated with, in order to identify any potential threats.
When she first interacted with Qin Ruan, Ling Xiaoxuan's family had thoroughly investigated her.
Qin Ruan had grown up in the impoverished West City, often interacting with all sorts of shady characters. Most of them were ruthless, dangerous individuals.
Despite growing up in West City for eighteen years, she lived a relatively peaceful and contented life.
It was rare for a girl as beautiful as her to live in West City without attracting male attention.
Qin Ruan, relying on her fists and fearless determination, carved out a space for herself within West City.
A man once tried to possess her using brute force, but she fiercely broke his arm and left him battered.
Despite this, there were still plenty of men who desired her.
The more influential men in West City were extremely interested in her.
Despite their attempts to pressure and bully Qin Ruan, she never backed down.
For her own protection, she once fought relentless rounds against over a dozen men. Even when knocked down and left bleeding, she got right back up and fought with all she had.
After that battle, Qin Ruan made a name for herself in West City.
Back then, she was not known as Qin Ruan, but as Qin Xiaowu.
The beautiful yet ruthless femme fatale, Qin Xiaowu, was a figure almost everyone in West City knew.
From then on, even those who craved her beauty began to back away due to her ruthlessness.
It was hard to imagine the hardships a young girl had to endure to earn the respect of dangerous individuals in a harsh place like West City.
This was the main reason why Ling Xiaoxuan initially decided to establish contact with Qin Ruan.
Although in the past few months she found that Qin Ruan was a silent, sensitive girl who often showed signs of inferiority.
Ling Xiaoxuan still believed that this girl, with her shocking experiences in West City, would not disappoint her.
Qin Ruan's deeds and actions in West City left her both amazed and admiring.
If she were stripped of her aristocratic identity and thrown into West City, a place known for its ruthlessness, she doubted she would have Qin Ruan's boldness.
That night, Qin Ruan ultimately did not reveal her identity to Ling Xiaoxuan.
Some things, some words, simply can't be put into words.
The next day, Ling Xiaoxuan withdrew from the Paranormal Exploration Team.
You might not believe in gods and spirits, but you must have respect.
The unknown world, the unknown creatures, might just be lurking at your side.