Chapter 30: The Concealment Vine

Where is Nia? Has she still not returned?

Finding a suitable stone, Qi Lin settled down upon it, her head tilted as she gazed at Ailin, a question lingering in her voice.

“She should be back soon,” Ailin replied, his gaze sweeping over the towering mountain Nia had chosen to explore.

With Ailin’s words echoing in her ears, Qi Lin fell silent, patiently awaiting Nia’s return.

As the sun dipped below the western peaks, a frown creased Qi Lin’s brow.

“It’s been so long; why isn’t she back yet?”

“I’m not sure… something might have happened,” Ailin murmured, shaking his head as his eyes drifted towards the horizon, where the sky was slowly succumbing to the encroaching darkness of night.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” Qi Lin declared, springing to her feet from the stone and fixing her gaze on the formidable mountain Nia had ascended.

“Alright, if that’s the case, then to prevent any mishap befalling Nia, you should search from high above, while I… will search at the base of the mountain.” With a gesture towards the sky, Ailin swiftly departed.

As she watched Ailin disappear into the distance, Qi Lin’s wings unfurled from her back.

With a slight tremor of her wings, Qi Lin launched herself into the air.

Soaring high above, Qi Lin surveyed the endless expanse of mountains below, meticulously scanning every peak and valley.

“Qi Lin!”

Just as Qi Lin was about to embark on another circuit, Ailin’s urgent shout echoed from below.

Following the sound, Qi Lin flapped her wings and descended to the mid-section of a towering cliff.

There, Ailin was scaling the sheer rock face with the agility of a gecko.

“You found her? And didn’t you say you’d be searching at the foot of the mountain?”

“I was indeed searching at the base, but as I did, I caught Nia’s scent. She’s somewhere along this mid-section of the mountain.”

“Mid-section?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, then leave it to me!”

With that, Qi Lin fluttered her wings, beginning her search for Nia precisely where Ailin had indicated.

With a furrowed brow, Qi Lin meticulously circled the mid-section of the mountain, both inside and out, yet Nia’s presence remained elusive.

Returning to Ailin’s side, Qi Lin relayed her findings.

Qi Lin’s report swiftly caused Ailin’s brow to furrow in deep concern.

His sense of smell was exceptionally keen, and he was certain Nia’s scent emanated from this very mid-section; yet, Qi Lin’s findings directly contradicted his instincts.

Gritting his teeth, Ailin tilted his head slightly and inhaled deeply, desperately trying to discern the scent.

A faint, yet undeniable, scent wafted from the mid-section of the mountain, only deepening Ailin’s confusion.

The scent was undeniably here, but where was Nia herself?

“What’s wrong?” Qi Lin inquired, her wings beating softly as she alighted beside Ailin, her gaze fixed on his tightly furrowed brow.

“Nia is absolutely within this section of the mountain; my sense of smell cannot be mistaken!” Ailin declared, not to Qi Lin, but to himself, his voice a low murmur.

Listening to Ailin’s fervent muttering, Qi Lin found herself momentarily speechless.

“You…”

Before Qi Lin could utter another word, Ailin cut her off.

“Follow me!”

Having issued his command, Ailin began scaling the most precipitous section of the mid-mountain, moving with the agility of a gecko.

Watching Ailin’s rapid ascent, Qi Lin merely shrugged, then, with a resigned sigh, followed him.

“Hey, have you found the exact spot?”

Ailin offered no reply, his sole focus on relentlessly climbing the steep incline.

Qi Lin could only sigh and silently trail behind him.

“This can’t be right! The scent, the strongest scent, is clearly emanating from here!” Gazing at the seemingly barren rock face, Ailin began to question if his sense of smell had somehow failed him.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now: I’ve already searched this exact spot.”

Ailin’s almost obsessive demeanor rendered Qi Lin utterly speechless for a moment.

“No, I’m absolutely certain it’s here,” Ailin insisted, his mind racing with conviction against all doubt.

“You can take your time thinking about it; I’m going to search the other mountains.”

Spreading her hands in a gesture of resignation, Qi Lin prepared to take flight and depart.

Yet, a sudden, booming shout from Ailin made Qi Lin jump, halting her departure.

“Ailin, must you always shout so suddenly? You’ll scare someone to death!”

“I know what’s going on!”

“Huh?”

“It’s a Concealment Vine.”

“What is a Concealment Vine?” Qi Lin asked, intrigued by the unfamiliar term.

“The Concealment Vine is a relatively rare herb, capable of being used to brew invisibility potions. I once heard my elders speak of it, explaining that the conditions required for such a plant to flourish are quite stringent. I never imagined we’d find it growing here.”

“…And so?”

This time, Ailin offered no verbal explanation. Instead, he raised his clenched left fist and slammed it forcefully against the mountain wall.

A muffled thud resonated from the rock face.

With a sharp crack, a fissure spiderwebbed across the mountain wall.

Then, with a series of soft clatters, chunks of rock, subtly entwined with delicate vines, began to dislodge and fall.

Just as the rocks threatened to tumble past him, Ailin deftly extended both hands, catching the stone fragments, each one wrapped in vines as thick as his thumb.

“Phew, that was close,” Ailin exhaled, cradling the stones. These were valuable indeed; though he couldn’t personally brew invisibility potions, keeping them was far better than discarding them as mere rubbish.

Suddenly, Ailin was overcome by a sensation of weightlessness, realizing, to his dismay, that he was plummeting from the mid-section of the mountain.

“Ah!!”

Observing Ailin’s precipitous descent, a slight twitch played at the corner of Qi Lin’s lips.

With a soft sigh, Qi Lin abruptly plunged downwards.

“I’ve got you.”

Just as he was mere moments from impacting the ground, Qi Lin seized Ailin.

Yet, as she caught Ailin, a muffled grunt escaped Qi Lin.

Having just exhaled in relief, Ailin immediately questioned, “What’s wrong?” upon hearing Qi Lin’s pained grunt.

“No, nothing at all,” Qi Lin replied, subtly shaking her head as she suppressed the sharp tremor in her arm.

Ailin regarded Qi Lin with a puzzled look, then, after a brief moment of silence, offered, “Thank you!”

“Oh? You’re welcome.”

“Alright then, let’s fly back to the spot where I just fell from.” Still held by Qi Lin’s arm, Ailin gestured towards the exact point on the mountain face from which he had plummeted.

“Back there again?”

“Yes, Nia is there.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Lin refrained from further questions, simply beating her wings and soaring back towards the designated spot.

Returning once more to the mid-section of the mountain, Qi Lin was momentarily stunned.

“Just as I thought!” Ailin exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at the spot he had punched. ‘I knew it,’ he thought, ‘my sense of smell could never be wrong.’

The very spot where Ailin had fallen was now completely covered in vines as thick as a thumb, and Nia herself lay ensnared within their coils.

“Concealment Vines are mindless plants, driven solely by instinct,” Ailin explained gravely, his gaze fixed on the entangled Nia. “They only reveal their true form when attacked.”

As Ailin’s words settled, Qi Lin nodded in understanding, her gaze sharpening as she fixed it on the menacing vines.

“Toss me onto the rock face; you go rescue Nia.”

Upon hearing his request, Qi Lin hurled Ailin towards the cliff face. With lightning reflexes, Ailin snagged a protruding rock, securing his footing firmly on the sheer wall.

After giving Qi Lin a quick thumbs-up, he tightened his grip on the mountain, determined not to fall again.

Once she confirmed Ailin was secure, Qi Lin raised her hands. “To combat plants, fire is naturally the best solution. Therefore, burn!” she declared in the ancient Bloodline tongue.

As her words faded, her uplifted hands erupted in a furious blaze of flames.

Clenching her fists, Qi Lin lunged towards Nia, who remained captive within the vines.

Sensing the encroaching flames, the vines began to writhe. This was not an act of aggression towards Qi Lin, but rather an instinctive attempt to retreat and burrow deeper into the mountain to escape the heat.

However, Qi Lin offered them no such opportunity. Almost simultaneously with the vines’ first tremor, she unleashed a powerful punch.

The moment her fist made contact, the vines instantly burst into flames.

In short order, Qi Lin had whisked the unconscious Nia away from the inferno of burning vines.

“How is she?”

As Qi Lin flew to Ailin’s side, Nia cradled in her arms, he immediately pressed for an update.

In response to Ailin’s anxious query, Qi Lin reached out and gently felt Nia’s wrist. Detecting the steady pulse of blood and the rhythmic beat of her heart, Qi Lin offered Ailin a reassuring nod, indicating that Nia was unharmed.

Understanding her unspoken message, Ailin breathed a profound sigh of relief.

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