Panda Cub – Chapter 65

I want to fly

Before the head wolf escaped, the howl it let out was probably telling the other wolves to retreat. After the pressure on Jing Dan’s side eased, naturally, she ran towards He Ying. Upon seeing her swift strike, a heartfelt sigh escaped her.

However, He Ying, who had just sheathed her weapon, heard Jing Dan’s sigh and almost lost grip of it. She turned back to give her a faint glance before effortlessly wiping out the remaining wolves that tried to charge over.

After everything quieted down, the two didn’t say much at that moment but swiftly left the scene. The smell of blood was so strong there, and it was uncertain what other wild beasts might emerge if they stayed.

Once they were completely far away from the bloody scene, He Ying finally looked at Jing Dan seriously. Her mind was still filled with the three words Jing Dan had said earlier, leaving her feeling somewhat amused and perplexed.

Jing Dan, who was being looked at by her, had no realization of any wrongdoing. She frowned and looked at the blood stains on her body and the pungent smell of blood that she couldn’t bear anymore.

She tugged at He Ying’s clothes and whispered, “I want to take a bath.”

He Ying: “…”

Unable to resist, she raised her hand and pinched Jing Dan’s only relatively clean cheek, feeling a mix of irritation and amusement. How many sides of her Jing Xiaodan did she still not know?

Jing Dan, who was pinched by her, looked at her with some confusion. Wasn’t it time to take a bath? But not bathing would indeed be very uncomfortable and smelly!

“Let’s go, find a place to take a bath.” He Ying chuckled, taking her hand and walking. Oh well, she was just complimenting herself anyway.

The two found a clean water area, luckily Jing Dan remembered to bring clothes. She rejected Jing Dan’s suggestion of saving time by bathing together, so He Ying stood guard not far away with her back turned.

As Jing Dan bathed in the water, she glanced at He Ying’s back, pursed her lips. What’s there to be shy about? They would eventually see each other naked in the future, right?

After Jing Dan finished bathing and got dressed, He Ying turned around to help her dry her hair. “Sit and rest, I’ll go take a bath first.”

“Okay.” Jing Dan obediently sat on the same rock He Ying had just used, facing the water without any intention of turning around.

He Ying, who was originally about to undress: “…”

Her cheeks slightly blushed, and she softly said, “Jing Dan, turn around.”

“Huh?” Jing Dan looked up at her in confusion. “Why? You don’t want to see me, but I want to see you!”

He Ying: “???” What kind of logic is this?

Isn’t this supposed to depend on the willingness of the person being looked at?

But when faced with Jing Dan’s clear and pure eyes, all of He Ying’s retorts got stuck in her throat. She clenched her teeth slightly and began to undress!

Forget it, if she wants to see, then let her see. After all, she will have to see it eventually, sooner or later!

She comforted herself this way, trying to ignore the gentle shame that made her toes curl slightly, trying to appear composed.

But how could she possibly remain composed?

A gaze was fixed on her, like a torch, with a scorching heat. She began to feel a bit agitated.

Jing Dan stared blankly at He Ying. Under the moonlight, He Ying, who was gradually undressing, seemed to glow white, particularly eye-catching in the night. Just as Jing Dan was lost in thought and wanted to continue scrutinizing her, He Ying jumped into the water.

Jing Dan: “…”

She pouted slightly, she hadn’t fully seen yet!

She stood up directly, walked to the edge of the lake, and sat on the nearest rock, resting her chin on her arms as she looked into the water.

He Ying, surprised by her sudden move: “…”

How many unexpected things can her Jing Xiaodan still do!

Perhaps due to the overwhelming excitement, He Ying unexpectedly felt a sense of calmness at this moment. With a neutral expression, she raised her head to meet Jing Dan’s gaze. “Are you going to keep staring at me until I finish bathing?”

“Ah!” Jing Dan continued to sit with her legs crossed and rested her chin on her hands. Then she nodded seriously and said, “Your body looks very nice!” After a brief pause, her gaze focused on the water in front of He Ying’s chest, and hesitantly added, “The… flesh in your chest seems a bit larger than mine!”

She seemed to have trouble finding the right term and ended up using “flesh” as a substitute.

He Ying looked thunderstruck. Flesh?!

She instinctively looked down and then back at Jing Dan. Meeting Jing Dan’s gaze, which had no impurities, she regretted not agreeing to bathe together earlier. At least then she would have seen Jing Dan as well. It was better than the current situation, where only Jing Dan was looking at her!

She fell silent, turned her back to Jing Dan, and decided to ignore her gaze and focus on bathing herself.

Her chest was heaving rapidly. Every time she looked down and saw her chest, all she could think of was Jing Dan’s “flesh” comment! She gritted her teeth slightly. Jing Xiaodan, just wait, He Ying also holds grudges!

Quickly finishing washing herself, before Jing Dan could react, she had already put on her clothes and looked indifferently at Jing Dan.

Jing Dan, who didn’t get a clear look when He Ying came ashore, showed a hint of regret.

He Ying: “…”

She took a deep breath. After the earlier struggle and the recent turmoil, looking at the sky that was already slightly whitening, she asked, “Shall we take a rest again?”

Both of them had expended quite a bit of energy.

“Mm!” Jing Dan nodded and consciously transformed back into her panda form.

After resting in place for most of the day, they finally replenished all their previous energy expenditures. Luckily, no wild beasts came to disturb them during the rest period.

He Ying carried Jing Dan out of the tent. To reward this little fellow for her hard work last night, she gathered plenty of ingredients and even hunted down two rabbits to roast for her meal.

With a full belly, Jing Dan snuggled in He Ying’s arms, yawning and feeling sleepy once again.

Seeing her like this, He Ying didn’t ask her to transform back into her human form and walk on her own. Instead, she carried her and walked towards the inner area.

The further they went in, the more they could feel the surroundings becoming somewhat unusual. Compared to when they first entered, it seemed even quieter and more oppressive.

Jing Dan peeked out from He Ying’s arms, curiously observing everything around them. Besides visiting the Gulong Mountain Range once with Hu Tu, she had never been here before. Her knowledge of this place came from hearsay or from some books mentioned within the clan.

It was said that this place was full of danger, but since they entered, apart from the tricky situation with the wolf pack, there didn’t seem to be much danger?

However, entertaining such thoughts was improper. Once they arise, trouble is sure to follow…

Jing Dan looked at the huge python that suddenly appeared in the distance, “…”

So ugly…

She shrunk her head and lifted her paws to cover her eyes, not wanting to look. Those vertical pupils were really scary!

Seeing Jing Dan like this, He Ying found her adorable. She gently brushed her silly fur and smiled lightly, her eyes shifting towards the python across from them.

The python stuck out its red tongue and hissed, its copper-colored pupils forming straight lines, coldly staring at the human and beast in front of it.

He Ying placed Jing Dan on a tree branch next to it and patted her head, saying, “Be a good girl and wait here for me.”

“Okay,” Jing Dan extended her paws to hold onto the tree trunk, preventing herself from falling. She tilted her head to look in He Ying’s direction.

The python was initially lurking in the distance, but upon seeing He Ying take out her weapon, it quickly slithered towards them, its massive tail swinging towards them!

He Ying remained calm, her crescent moon blades carrying strong auras as she struck at the snake’s tail. With a light “ding” sound, the blade left a shallow white mark on the snake’s scales but didn’t break through.

He Ying squinted her eyes, surprised by the incredible toughness of the python’s scales. As the snake’s head lunged towards her, she seemed to see a mockery in its serpent eyes, ridiculing her underestimated capabilities.

Seeing the situation, Jing Dan on the tree spoke up, “Do you want to borrow my meteor hammer? It’s very effective!” 

Using it will surely give the giant python internal injuries!

He Ying: “…” Sorry, I can’t swing it.

“No need, you’ll see, it’ll be over soon,” He Ying’s gaze turned serious as she tightly held her crescent moon blades, faintly radiating a cold aura. As the python extended its long tongue, as if aiming to pierce her heart directly, she swiftly swung downwards!

The red whip instantly shortened by a section, with the other part dropping to the ground and twitching.

The python let out a painful hiss as it raised its head, its attacks becoming more ferocious and relentless. With its massive tail swinging heavier than Jing Dan’s meteor hammer, it seemed intent on crushing the person before it! 

He Ying dodged the python’s attacks several times, then took advantage of a moment of vulnerability to jump onto the python’s head. The blade in her hand exuded a fierce aura as she stabbed directly into the snake’s eye!

Due to the crescent moon blade being curved, He Ying controlled the attack and fiercely pulled it back from inside out, tearing open half of the eye socket!

The python went completely berserk, its body writhing wildly. When it spotted the panda on the tree, it swung its long tail, seemingly trying to take her down with it!

Jing Dan promptly pulled out the meteor hammer and slammed it fiercely towards the python’s tail! The collision produced a metallic clang, and the impact caused the python’s tail to be forcefully knocked back.

He Ying: “…” What did she see?

A panda cub, swinging a meteor hammer several times larger than her own, striking with extraordinary fierceness…

She decisively plunged her other crescent moon blade into the python’s other eye, causing a final blow to its brain, and the python collapsed with a loud thud.

He Ying sheathed her blades, lifted Jing Dan once again, but the image from before lingered in her mind…

It was too impactful; she might remember it for a lifetime.

Jing Dan had no idea about the impact she had just caused. She hooked her paws around He Ying’s neck, curious, and asked, “Why were the snake scales so hard? The blade couldn’t even cut through them.”

He Ying, holding her, rubbed her head and replied, “Snake scales become harder and harder after each shedding. That snake we just fought had probably lived for quite a long time.”

Jing Dan exclaimed, “I’m glad your true form isn’t a snake; they’re so ugly!”

He Ying paused her head-rubbing for a moment and glanced at her, “So you wouldn’t like me if I were a snake?”

Jing Dan pondered this question seriously, but couldn’t come up with an answer. If she had met He Ying without knowing she was a snake, and even if she had developed feelings for her before knowing the truth, realizing she was a snake wouldn’t have made much of a difference.

But thinking back to that python, Jing Dan still found it ugly!

“I don’t know,” Jing Dan shook her head, then thought for a moment and added, “If you were a snake, we would be natural enemies!”

He Ying: “…”

She suddenly realized the reason behind the tension between Jing Dan and Xu Yu – could it be because they were natural enemies, instinctively not liking each other?

“Well, you can rest assured, I’m not a snake,” He Ying chuckled as she continued to rub Jing Dan’s head, relieved that she wasn’t referring to the “ugly” snakes she had mentioned.

Jing Dan tightened her claws around He Ying’s neck, leaned in, and kissed her lips. “So I like you the most!”

He Ying chuckled, hugged her a little tighter, hearing Jing Dan say she liked her the most brought indescribable joy. Despite her partner’s cluelessness, knowing how to express affection was a good thing.

The two continued on their way, although the path was rocky, there were no life-threatening challenges. After ten days, they reached the inner area. During this time, they would stop to have a hearty meal at mealtimes before continuing. Perhaps due to enjoying the meals too much, He Ying felt that Jing Dan was getting a bit heavier when she carried her.

Upon entering the inner area, they noticed that the trees were taller and denser, blocking out sunlight. Apart from the cool shade, there were strange smells lingering in the air, reminiscent of decay.

Decomposing leaves and perhaps the stench of decaying animal carcasses mixed together, creating a particularly unpleasant odor.

He Ying frowned, watching Jing Dan covering her nose with two of her claws. She lifted her hand and created a barrier around them to block out the smell.

As the odor suddenly disappeared, Jing Dan glanced up and tugged at He Ying’s clothes, “You don’t have to use up so much spiritual energy.”

If the route ahead was filled with such odors, how much spiritual energy would they have to expend?

“It’s fine,” He Ying reassured as she carried on walking, “I can handle this much.”

The prolonged exposure to such odors could disrupt their senses and perception, making their heads feel heavy. Clearly, the smell was more than just a simple stench of decay.

The Gulong Mountain Range were vast, and even though the two had reached the inner area, the distance to the central location was still considerable. Jing Dan peeked around, taking note of their surroundings, and asked, “Can we fly over there?”

Her eyes lit up as she mentioned flying, imagining the sensation of soaring through the air.

He Ying: “…” Fly?

She silently glanced at Jing Dan, suspecting that this girl was once again scheming something. As two spirits, if they were to fly, only she would be able to do so. Was Jing Dan suggesting that she transform into her true form and carry her while flying?

She imagined the scenario briefly in her mind, then quickly shook the image out of her head. No, no, that just looked too beautiful!

“If we fly in the sky, won’t we just become targets? Isn’t that too brazen?” He Ying was taken aback by the suggestion.

“No, we can’t.” Jing Dan’s tone sounded a bit dejected, then she looked up at He Ying with puppy eyes and asked, “Then when will you take me flying? I’ve never experienced the feeling of flying in the air before!”

He Ying: “…” Have you never been on an airplane before?

Jing Dan’s eyes gleamed with innocence as she confidently replied, “It’s different! Those don’t feel the wind blowing in your face!”

He Ying: “…”

She looked down at Jing Dan’s silly tuft of hair, imagining it swaying in the wind…

The thought made her chuckle, and seeing Jing Dan’s eager expression, she eventually sighed and compromised, “I’ll find a chance to take you flying after we get out.”

Jing Dan’s eyes lit up completely, and she excitedly planted several kisses on He Ying’s lips before snuggling back into her embrace, blissfully anticipating the experience of flying once they were out.

He Ying: “…Next time you want to kiss, you can transform into your human form.”

Physical affection between true forms didn’t seem strange to this girl.

“Oh,” Jing Dan didn’t think much about it, her mind filled with the excitement of He Ying taking her flying in the future.

The two of them continued on their journey, encountering increasingly dangerous situations along the way. The beasts they encountered grew stronger, with one instance where they had to battle two large brown bears and a tiger, expending a great deal of effort to defeat and escape from them.

That night, they had finally reached the central location of the mountain range. Now, they needed to find the Soul Calming Grass.

Since they were not very familiar with the terrain inside the Gulong Mountain Range, they didn’t rush to search for the Soul Calming Grass. Instead, they found a spot to rest.

Once inside the inner area, they had to stay alert to their surroundings at all times. Even when sleeping, they couldn’t let their guard down.

“You rest, I’ll keep watch.” He Ying didn’t set up a tent this time. Instead, she checked a tree and sat down with her back against the main branch, letting Jing Dan sleep in her arms.

Jing Dan insisted. Throughout the journey, He Ying had worked much harder than her. She wriggled out of He Ying’s embrace, patted her leg, and said, “You rest well, I’ll keep watch!”

The strength saved by being carried by He Ying along the way now came in handy.

Facing Jing Dan’s stubborn eyes, He Ying compromised, “I’ll rest for the first half of the night, and you rest for the second half.”

“Um,” Jing Dan replied, but in her heart, she was just thinking about not waking He Ying up when it was her turn to rest.

After a while of silence, the night fell quiet.

With He Ying asleep and her eyes closed, Jing Dan stayed alert, keeping her eyes open and watching the surroundings. Nighttime was the most dangerous time, and she dared not let her guard down.

As the night grew deeper, even the chirping of insects faded away. Jing Dan sat next to He Ying, huddled up like a small ball, her white fur standing out in the dark of night.

Suddenly, Jing Dan sensed an unusual presence. Her spirits lifted, and she stared intently in a particular direction.

Despite the apparent silence and stillness, Jing Dan instinctively felt a dangerous aura. She quickly patted He Ying to wake her up, signaling her to be on guard.

As soon as Jing Dan patted her, He Ying woke up instantly. Without making any sudden movements or speaking, she maintained her previous position, but her mind was completely alert.

She also sensed the unusual presence, which felt even more dangerous than the beasts they had encountered earlier. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

“Panda.” A slow, middle-aged male voice spoke from the other side, sounding somewhat interested.

He Ying’s expression darkened, and she quickly pulled Jing Dan into her arms, adopting a defensive posture as she faced the source of the voice.

“I don’t know what kind of monster you are,” the male voice paused before continuing, “but your scent is quite pleasant.”

He Ying squinted, thinking that praising someone’s scent as pleasant typically meant they either didn’t have the concept like Jing Dan or had intentions of trying to refine the other person.

The male voice gave her a sense of danger, and He Ying felt like he might have targeted her with the intention of refining her.

Jing Dan transformed from a panda into human form and emerged from He Ying’s arms. When she heard the male voice, Jing Dan felt a slight sense of déjà vu, as if she had heard the voice before. However, upon reviewing her memories, she couldn’t recall when she had heard the voice.

There were some rustling sounds, and as they looked in the direction of the noise, a one-meter-long snake gradually slithered out. Its entire body was as black as ink, blending into the dark night. If one didn’t look closely, it would be difficult to notice its presence.

Jing Dan: “…” Why a snake again? She disliked snakes even more!

The snake stopped ten meters away from them, lifting its upper body and staring at the two in the tree. Its gaze fell on Jing Dan, and it said meaningfully, “Many years ago, I almost tasted the flavor of a panda too. It’s a pity she was heavily injured and still dared to fight so fiercely. Back then, I almost fell at the hands of that panda.”

“But it’s okay now. You’re not as powerful as her. Today, I can finally taste what a panda is like and see if it truly has the abundant spiritual power as rumored.”

Upon hearing this, He Ying’s expression grew colder. She wasn’t as angry when the attention was on herself, but the fact that this person had set his sights on Jing Dan made her truly furious.

“In the past, you didn’t succeed, and the same will happen this time,” He Ying said coldly.

“Is that so?” The black snake extended its tongue and hissed before continuing, “I don’t think so. Today, neither of you can escape!”

After speaking, the snake suddenly shot towards them!

He Ying’s pupils constricted. He had managed to propel himself directly from such a distance.

“Be careful,” He Ying cautioned Jing Dan, wielding her blade to strike at the black snake!

Jing Dan’s expression was extremely serious too. She directly transformed her spiritual power into arrows and shot them at the black snake!

She didn’t bring out her meteor hammer. In a close-range battle like this, the meteor hammer’s power couldn’t be fully utilized, and given the small target, swinging the hammer could easily affect He Ying.

However, what they didn’t expect was that, facing their attacks, the black snake was able to twist its body in mid-air to dodge them directly. In an instant, its tail enlarged and swung towards them!

He Ying and Jing Dan jumped down from the tree to avoid the strike. Unfortunately, the tree they had relied on wasn’t as fortunate, as it was directly swept down by the snake’s tail, displaying the power of its previous attack.

He Ying’s expression turned serious. The monster in front of them was much more powerful than her. Even with Jing Dan by her side, facing him was a difficult task, and there was no guarantee they could defeat him!

Her mind raced quickly. In this situation, it was not advisable to linger too long with the opponent. She lowered her voice and told Jing Dan, “When you see the opportunity, run!”

Their goal for this journey wasn’t this monster, so there was no need to waste too much time entangled with him.

Jing Dan’s gaze was fixed firmly on the black snake, which had now grown even larger than the previous giant python. The snake’s body was so large that it seemed to be the size of two adult men put together, presenting a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Jing Dan’s aversion towards its aura intensified, causing even her head to start throbbing slightly. She caught fleeting, fragmented glimpses, but couldn’t make out anything clearly.

The author has something to say:

Hehe: Wow!

Zaizai with the hammer: Business as usual.