I could feel the figure stop beside me, their eyes boring into me like I was nothing more than an object. No matter how calm a person is, it's impossible to stay composed under such scrutiny.
"Pfft—well, since you're awake, get up and follow me. Or are you really planning to marry this random woman here?"
A familiar voice rang out above me. The owner of the voice? My goddess, Ning Manwan.
I opened my eyes to see her beautiful and pure face looking down at me, her eyes filled with amusement.
"Manwan, how are you here?"
And how did she even find this place? Let alone the fact that no one knew that my master and I came here, she, a delicate woman, managed to track down this ghost's lair on her own?
She gave me a reproachful look. "After everything we've been through, haven't you figured it out yet? I'm not just some ordinary woman—I can use magic."
Magic?
I recalled what my master had once told me—that Ning Manwan wasn't even human. But now she was telling me she merely knew magic. Caught between their conflicting stories, I didn't know who to believe. Just like now—my master brought me here but disappeared the moment we arrived, leaving Ning Manwan to rescue me when my life was in danger.
Ning Manwan knelt beside me, drew a strange symbol in the air, and pressed it into the palm of my hand. Then, with a firm tug, she pulled me upright. The invisible restraints that had held me vanished completely.
"It's only been a few days, and you've already gotten yourself involved with another woman," Ning Manwan said, her gaze shifting to Mo Xiangqi beside me.
Realizing she had misunderstood, I hurried to explain. "Manwan, don't get the wrong idea! I just ran into her on the road. She helped me recover my phone, so we decided to travel together. I didn't expect to end up in this mess."
"Is that so?" Ning Manwan's skeptical tone made it clear she didn't believe me.
I nodded frantically. After all, I was entirely reliant on her to get us out of here—I couldn't afford to offend her now.
"You two can talk all you want, but could you untie me first?" Mo Xiangqi suddenly interjected, her tone sounding vaguely annoyed—or so I thought.
Only then did Ning Manwan seem to remember Mo Xiangqi's existence. She walked over and helped her to her feet, freeing her.
"Thank you!" Mo Xiangqi said politely.
But Ning Manwan seemed unimpressed. Ignoring her thanks, she turned and started walking. "Let's leave before that ghost returns. I don't have the energy to escort a second person out."
Since I already knew Ning Manwan, it was obvious who she considered the "extra" person.
This side of Ning Manwan was new to me. In my mind, she had always been a gentle, understanding, and noble goddess. Now, someone had politely thanked her, yet she refused to acknowledge it. It was unlike her and shook the perfect image I'd built in my head.
To diffuse the awkward atmosphere, I quickly asked, "Manwan, how did you find me here?"
"Don't forget, I know your birthdate. With your eight characters and a few techniques, finding you was just a matter of time." She paused halfway through her explanation and suddenly narrowed her eyes. "But I haven't asked you—why are you even here? If I hadn't sensed something was wrong and come looking for you, were you planning to just sit here and die?"
I still didn't know why my master had brought me here. He had only said it would help resolve my half-human, half-ghost condition. Yet after leading me here, he vanished, leaving me in the lurch.
"I just wanted to take a break during my rare holiday," I said. "I didn't expect to end up in a place like this."
"A vacation? You really think I'm that easy to fool?" she replied, her tone sharp.
"It was me who arranged to meet Cunxi here," Mo Xiangqi suddenly said.
Ning Manwan's face darkened instantly. She pointed at Mo Xiangqi and glared at me. "So, you came here for a date with this woman?"
I hadn't expected Mo Xiangqi to throw that out there. Staring at her in shock, I wondered if she wasn't worried that this might make Ning Manwan refuse to help her escape.
Before I could respond, Mo Xiangqi added, "That's right. I asked him out. And who are you to him?"
"Um…" I tried to explain, but Mo Xiangqi stopped me with a playful wink over her shoulder.
Her actions left me utterly confused. I didn't want to tell Ning Manwan the real reason I was here, but claiming I came for a date was equally unhelpful.
"So, you're cheating on me with her?"
Ning Manwan's expression turned icy—colder than I'd ever seen it. Her gaze felt dangerous, though I couldn't put my finger on why. Instinctively, I stepped back, swallowing hard, but before I could retreat any further, her attention shifted to Mo Xiangqi.
"He's my boyfriend. If you try to take him from me, I'll leave you here to fend for yourself."
The threat of being abandoned didn't faze Mo Xiangqi. Instead, she taunted Ning Manwan further. "But Brother Liu told me he likes kind and gentle girls. You don't seem like the kind and gentle type. Are you forcing yourself on him?"
Listening to their argument, I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered that two women were fighting over me or frustrated that they were wasting time in a dangerous place.
"Shouldn't we…" I tried to interrupt, hoping to remind them of the imminent danger.
But before I could finish, they both snapped at me in unison, "Shut up!"
As I worried about how to stop their bickering, a cold wind blew through the room. Ning Manwan's anger vanished, replaced by a look of intense focus. She stepped in front of me protectively.
"It's back. I'll distract it. You get out of here. Meet me tomorrow morning at Fangping Hotel at the foot of the mountain."
Before I could stop her, she had already dashed outside.
How could I let a woman protect me? I clenched my fists. No matter what, I had to help her.