Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 209 – Avoidance Pearl

The carriage rumbled forward, its wheels making a dull sound as they rolled over the stone-paved road.

Lin Fan sat in a corner of the carriage, his eyelids lowered, letting Long Wu chirp like a sparrow, one moment peeling fruit for Long Jingyun, the next leaning in to whisper secrets in his ear.

The scenery outside the window was changing.

Just after leaving the city, the streets were still lined with neat buildings and bustling shops.

The farther they went, the more dilapidated the houses became. Black vines crawled over the walls, and a faint, foul stench began to permeate the air.

After another hour, even the ruined houses disappeared from view.

In their place were vast stretches of withered, yellow grass and, in the distance, a gloomy swamp shrouded in gray-black mist.

The Death Swamp.

The carriage stopped in an open area at the edge of the swamp.

Lin Fan followed Long Jingyun and Long Wu out of the carriage and was met with a deeply unsettling sight.

The gray-black mist roiled across the ground like a living thing. Occasionally, a few bubbles would rise from the depths of the swamp, and after popping with a “gurgle,” they would release an even more intense stench of decay.

In the distance, the faint outlines of massive, dead trees could be seen, their twisted forms reaching for the sky like withered arms clawing their way out of hell.

In the open area, a squad of guards in black armor was already waiting.

Their leader was a burly, collateral member of the Dragon Clan with two gray Dragon horns on his forehead and several fierce scars on his face.

Upon seeing Long Jingyun, he immediately dropped to one knee.

“Lord Jingyun, I am Long Yan. By order of the City Lord, I have set up defenses here.”

Long Jingyun waved his hand lazily.

“Get up. Where’s the spy?”

Long Yan rose to his feet and answered respectfully, “My lord, according to our tracking, the spy’s last known location was three li east of the swamp. However, the poisonous gas within the swamp is dense. He was already heavily injured, so he shouldn’t be able to last long if he’s hiding inside. We have already set up an inescapable net around the perimeter, waiting for him to be unable to withstand the poison’s corrosion and run out on his own.”

“Wait?” Long Jingyun sneered. “This young master doesn’t have that kind of patience.”

He looked up at the gray-black mist, a flicker of eager excitement in his eyes.

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“I’ll go in and find him myself.”

Long Yan’s expression changed.

“My lord! The poisonous gas in the swamp is extremely potent. Even a sixth-level expert would be corroded by the miasma without protective measures! Moreover, the terrain inside is complex. A single misstep could lead to falling into the swamp’s depths, and then…”

“And then what?” Long Jingyun raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with displeasure. “Are you questioning this young master’s strength?”

“I would not dare!” Long Yan quickly bowed his head, cold sweat beading on his brow.

Just then, Long Wu pulled two fist-sized, faintly glowing pearls from her robes.

“Brother Jingyun, look! These are the Miasma-Repelling Pearls Father gave me!”

She held up the pearls as if presenting a treasure, a smug look on her face.

“As long as we carry these, we can block out the poisonous gas and miasma in the swamp!”

Long Jingyun’s eyes lit up.

“Miasma-Repelling Pearls? The old City Lord is truly generous.”

He reached out, took one of the pearls, weighed it in his hand, and nodded in satisfaction.

“With this, things will be much more convenient.”

Long Wu then turned to Lin Fan, a sweet smile on her face.

“Sister Xueqi, let’s share this one! As long as we stay together, the pearl’s range can cover both of us!”

As she spoke, she intimately linked her arm with Lin Fan’s.

Lin Fan lowered his eyes, glancing at the fluorescent pearl, then at Long Wu’s innocently smiling face.

He sneered inwardly.

This little girl’s scheme was written all over her face.

There were only two Miasma-Repelling Pearls.

One for Long Jingyun, and the other she would hold herself, ostensibly to share with Lin Fan. But in reality?

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Once they were deep inside the swamp where visibility was extremely low, all she had to do was find an opportunity to kick her away, exposing her to the poisonous gas.

Without the protection of a Miasma-Repelling Pearl, even a sixth-level expert wouldn’t last long against the high-level Demonic Creatures in the swamp.

And she, Long Xueqi, was just a maidservant covered in wounds from torture. It would be perfectly normal for her to die in the swamp.

Afterward, all Long Wu would have to do is return with red eyes and tell her Brother Jingyun, “Sister Xueqi was attacked by a Demonic Creature and accidentally fell into the swamp. I wanted to save her, but… sob sob sob…”

The corners of Lin Fan’s mouth curved into an almost imperceptible arc.

The schemes of a little brat were truly adorable.

Long Yan wanted to protest further, but seeing the growing impatience on Long Jingyun’s face, he could only grit his teeth and shut his mouth.

“I understand, my lord. Please proceed.”

Long Jingyun strode toward the edge of the swamp, the pressure of his Pureblood Dragon Clan Bloodline radiating out without restraint. The surrounding guards all lowered their heads, not daring to look at him directly.

Long Wu pulled Lin Fan along, following closely behind.

The three of them stepped into the gray-black mist.

Instantly, their vision was compressed to the extreme.

Though it was daytime, the swamp was as dim as dusk. The gray-black mist roiled, reducing visibility to less than ten meters.

The ground underfoot was soft and spongy, making a squelching sound with every step. Occasionally, some unknown black insects could be seen wriggling out of the mud, twisting their plump bodies.

The air was thick with the stench of decay, mixed with the pungent smell of sulfur.

The Miasma-Repelling Pearl in Long Wu’s hand emitted a faint fluorescent glow, forming a translucent barrier around her and Lin Fan, keeping the poisonous gases at bay.

Long Jingyun walked at the very front. His Dragon Bloodline had a natural resistance to poison, and with the added protection of the pearl, he seemed completely at ease.

“This damn place is really gloomy.”

As he walked, he casually condensed a ball of black mist, his “Soul Devour” ability.

The black mist roiled in his palm like a living thing, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

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Long Wu held tightly to Lin Fan’s arm, the same innocent smile still on her face.

“Sister Xueqi, are you scared?”

Lin Fan shook his head.

“Wow, Sister, you’re so brave!” Long Wu’s smile grew even sweeter. “But don’t worry, with me here, I’ll definitely protect you!”

As she spoke, she even patted her chest, putting on an air of “you can completely trust me.”

Lin Fan kept his eyes downcast and said nothing.

The three continued deeper.

The farther they went, the thicker the mist became, and the ground grew increasingly muddy.

Occasionally, they could see enormous skeletons half-buried in the swamp, the remains of some unknown Demonic Creature.

Long Jingyun suddenly stopped.

He raised his hand, and the black mist spread from his palm, scanning the surroundings like radar.

A moment later, a flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes.

“Found him.”

He pointed to their front left.

“That guy is over there. His aura is unstable; it seems he’s injured.”

Long Wu immediately said excitedly, “Brother Jingyun, you’re amazing! Let’s go catch him!”

The three of them quickened their pace, heading in that direction.

After walking for about another fifteen minutes, a relatively open clearing suddenly appeared ahead.

In the center of the clearing was a half-collapsed stone platform, and on it sat a person.

The person’s clothes were tattered, and they looked extremely wretched under the mist, clearly having been injured before.

Long Jingyun sneered.

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“He’s really lucky to have survived this long in a place like this.”

Just as he was about to step forward, the person’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

They were a pair of eyes filled with vigilance.

The next second, the person’s body suddenly transformed into a blinding white light and vanished from the spot in an instant!

“Trying to run?”

Long Jingyun snorted, and the black mist in his hand erupted, transforming into a giant net that swept toward the white light!

“Boom—!”

The white light and the black net collided, erupting in a violent wave of energy!

The entire swamp trembled, and countless Rifts split open in the ground, spewing out the foul, poisonous gas!

Long Wu shrieked and subconsciously retreated.

And in that instant, she suddenly let go of Lin Fan’s arm.

No, not let go.

She pushed him with force!

Lin Fan’s body lost its balance and stumbled toward the swamp beside them!

“Ah! Sister Xueqi, be careful!”

Long Wu let out a cry of alarm, reaching out as if to grab Lin Fan.

But her hand stopped in mid-air.

Lin Fan’s body fell toward the edge of the swamp. The Miasma-Repelling Pearl’s protective barrier vanished, and the dense, poisonous gas instantly rushed in!

Long Wu covered her mouth, a flash of triumph in her eyes that was quickly replaced by “panic” and “self-blame.”

“Brother Jingyun! Sister Xueqi… she fell into the swamp!”