“The best place to start from to reach that flower would be here,” Glittering Iron said.

Unyielding seemed to practically vibrate with excitement after seeing the Narcissus. But he calmed himself down right away and considered the terrain. “Because this area is so dangerous, we’re going to take it slow and safe. This means no jumping to a spot then clearing it. While faster, doing things that way could get one or more of us killed.”

“So we’re going to clear a path?” Jujube asked.

He nodded.

Since we couldn't use flying swords, and considering the possible hidden dangers within the meadow, this course of action wasn't wrong. And, I was also curious how the whole team worked together rather than only Justice, Unyielding, and Jujube. Their actions in a fight could help reveal more about each person.

“Justice will go first while I back him up. Then I want Diviner Glittering Iron Omniscience to guard the center with Little Fairy Lin. Fairy Third Peach Sapling and Jujube, I’d like you both to guard the back. We’ll move like this unless I say otherwise.”

Ugh, I did not want to be next to that asshole, but this might also be a good chance to let this dickhead get eaten by spiritual fleas or something... Not that I would actually do that to my friend’s nephew... no matter how much he deserved it.

Since this area appeared hazardous, I slapped my talisman back on. I wasn't taking any chances without the little main character here to watch my back.

“Alright, let’s go collect that flower. Stay in formation and if you see something strange, say something.”

Slowly, we carved out a path through the natural flower field. Justice took point. He sent slash after slash of sword Qi to cut down any dangerous plants then, if the plants were still harmful, Unyielding would blast them with fire.

I had my sword out, but, so far, I hadn't even needed to do anything.

Glittering Iron took out a few ancient iron coins. He sent them flying into the flora to attack tiny spiritual beasts who came too close.

The few bugs that Glittering Iron didn’t take care of were handled by Third Peach Sapling’s whip. It cracked loudly behind me as she killed bug after bug. She worked it so much that Jujube didn't have to lift a finger.

This team, surprisingly, worked well together... when they weren't being inexperienced kids or incompetent assholes. Of course, doing things this way made our pace up the slope, fucking grueling. But it was safer.

I didn't like that we were killing swaths of plants, but it was only a temporary death. No one touched their roots, so they would eventually grow back... likely stronger and extra vicious.

Around twenty yards from us a mustard-colored flower the size of a table swayed unnaturally. There was definitely something weird going on with it, but we should have been out of range to aggravate any creature that used it as a home. Unfortunately, as we neared it, the sound of buzzing became clearer.

We shouldn’t have been all that close to it, but a swarm of four-inch, wasp-type beasts (the type that never made it past stage 1 in their lifetimes) flew out from the foliage surrounding the flower. The wasps had built their nest under those massive thick petals.

The bugs descended on our group in a wave of grossness and hostility. Beady little bug eyes burned with hatred for us (and especially me). Black little stingers attached to their asses glistened with poison. Their loathing, lack of intelligence, and numbers made these insects disregard the difference in our realms.

I grimaced. Looks like I’d finally need to do something.

I fucking hated spiritual insects with their creepy faceted stares and tiny size that let them infest small places. Not to mention that numerous breeds helped spread infections.

The only good ones were those that helped improve spiritual plants, but those were rare. I would be more likely to find ones that hollow out plants and use them as a breeding ground.

Unyielding shot a flame dragon out at them, burning well over a tenth of their number.

Swarms like these were also the bane of most young sword cultivators. Poor Justice was good, but he only threw out Ten Cuts, bringing down a few hundred bugs when we were dealing with thousands. Ten cuts was a fine achievement for his age... But what a swarm like this needed was Thousand Cuts. Something I could do... if I felt like showing off and wasting my energy. Which, I did not.

Glittering Iron used a technique to create a massive translucent field in the shape of a tortoiseshell. He made it only large enough to surround him, likely to conserve energy. With a flick of his wrist, he flung one of his small iron coins towards the wave of monster bugs. As the currency spun, it grew in size and weight but kept the same trajectory and speed. It took out a large number of buzzing wasps.

Fairy Third must have suddenly become nervous because she fumbled her whip. Once she’d dropped it, she didn’t bother to pick it up. Instead, she exchanged it for a simple giant palm technique; one with the force of someone at the beginning stage of foundation establishment. It was very effective.

Another tenth of the bugs became pancakes on top of the yellow plants.

The second time she threw out a palm attack I also threw one out to hide the strength of my own technique. Hers squished another portion of the spiritual wasps and mine caught the stragglers.

Then I hid behind Glittering Iron and sent sword Qi potshots at a couple of bugs that came well within my range and appeared to have gotten missed by the larger techniques being used.

Several yellow and black insects came at me at one time. Almost as if that Glittering asshole had let them through on purpose. I simply used my off hand to create the seals for a double palm technique. This sent out two palms made of spiritual energy to flatten them all like the bugs they were.

A few minutes later, the few members of the swarm that survived retreated. The mustard petals went from swaying to shivering, as if scared.

We waited for a bit to see if the wasps would be dumb enough to return but they didn’t. At least, not those particular wasps.

We faced a few more swarms like that but handled it just as easily. Also, one, very dumb giant rat spirit beast who attacked Justice while his back was turned but died before it could even take a bite.

At one point a Giant Shit-flinging Beetle poked its massive green head above the flower canopy. Recognizing this creature as one of the banes of my existence, I quickly murdered it. It only took a very quick and powerful slice of sword Qi severing its evil looking head.

By the time we reached the Narcissus, sweat droplets had formed on my forehead and I had to resist the urge to sanitize everything. I needed to save my energy. And constantly scrutinize everything around me.

My little Qi condensation nerves couldn’t keep up with what I needed them to do. It was at times like this that I missed having that kid watch my back. But only a little. I was the adult, after all.

Justice used long slashes to clear an area of a few yards around the Resplendent Ochre Narcissus. Behind him Unyielding burned anything suspicious that remained into ash to give Fairy Jujube room to work.

She once again took out a massive jade jar. I really wanted to say something. I mean, you just didn’t fucking need that big of a container for a little daffodil like this as long as you collected it properly.

She took out her shovel, and just before she made her first cut into the earth, Fairy Third beside me sucked in a breath.

Stolen story; please report.

I turned to her. She’d gone pale. Her eyes rolled up and she dropped exactly like a sack of rice.

Fuuuuck.

Glittering Iron pointed to me. “You! What did you do to her?”

I didn’t even bother glaring at him and instead used my divine sense to check her body and the area around her.

I pointed to a vine with a needle-like spike on the end of it that slithered back toward the yellow meadow. “There. A Star Snake Poisonous Killing Vine! Destroy it before it kills more of us.”

When I saw Justice running over to intercept the plant I knelt next to poor Fairy Third and concentrated on her body. The venom was working its way through her system too quickly.

She was fortunate that I was here or she would be one dead little fairy.

I shoved one of my own antidote pills into her mouth then sent my spiritual energy into her. To first stop the spread, I cycled the energy from the antidote through her body.

More sweat appeared on my brow as the poison neared her brain and heart. If it infiltrated these areas, then she really would die.

Fortunately, I reached it in time. Once the spread completely stopped, I used my spiritual energy to guide the antidote towards the most affected areas. Like her heel where the needle originally pierced her. The antidote soothed those agitated areas but there was still some damage done that would take a while to heal. I did have my personal Repair Dan that could help if her condition worsened but she just needed time, rest, and cultivation.

Besides, that pill was too miraculous for its level during this time period. I wasn’t going to take it out unless someone was dying... and I actually liked them.

I sighed.

A vine zoomed toward my head. I leaned to the side to avoid it. A strong hand wrapped around it right before its needle would have touched my glabella if I hadn’t moved.

“EEP!” I exaggerated.

Then I purposefully fell backward onto my ass and took a couple schooches away from the wiggling vine.

Unyielding, who clutched the plant with a vice-like grip, burned the shit out of it.

“Are you okay, Little Fairy Lin?” The Junior Sect Leader, kindly asked.

I nodded.

While Unyielding did manage to grab it in time, this made me realize that I might be trusting these teammates a little too much. Or maybe I had somehow gotten used to Little Spring always pointing out to me when I was losing focus on reality in nonoptimal locations.

Whatever. I was alive. And if I was alive then I could see my little martial brother again.

I stood up and grimaced down at Fairy Third. While I technically had the strength to carry her in a fireman hold thanks to my cultivation, I really didn’t want to. Actually, I had a better idea.

“Let me go collect the flower. I’m a bit more practiced at this than Fairy Blissful Jujube.”

He raised a brow at me. “Why didn’t you volunteer earlier?”

I shrugged then smiled cutely. “I was giving the beautiful fairy some face.” Fairy Jujube had come running over and knelt next to her friend. She had tears in her eyes. The girl looked adorable while crying. But that came standard with Bloodsword’s harem members.

“Uh-huh.” He sighed. “Alright. You take care of it.

“Hey Justice!” He called, “Protect her flank.” He then stood watch over Fairy Jujube as she cried over her friend.

As I walked towards the Narcissus I noticed Glittering Iron Omniscience wore an expression like he wanted to hold and comfort Jujube. What a fucking hypocritical asshole. Jujube could cry but not Little Spring? Also, she wasn’t even his girl!

Whatever.

I stepped up to the spiky petaled flower. It swayed in the wind producing a delicate fragrance that made a person feel refreshed. This was it. One of the three plants that would heal my old friend. It felt good to have a part in collecting it.

Grinning like a madwoman, I pulled out a jade box and a small trowel. I used my divine sense to see where the roots were, then carefully, but still quickly dug around them in a practiced motion. Soon I had all the roots carefully dug out. Gently, I pulled the flower from the earth, then placed it in my jade box, and sealed the lid. Still holding back on my urge to clean everything, I hugged the box to my chest and stood.

That was when I noticed that over to the right, about two hundred yards, and lower on the slope we’d traveled, was another Resplendent Ochre Narcissus of around seventy years. It appeared to be a much safer location too. And easier to get to from the forest. But it was surrounded by larger yellow flowers so it would be impossible to see unless we saw it from this incline.

But it wouldn’t be impossible for a diviner to know about.

So then why did Glittering Iron Omniscience have us come all the way over here and deal with so much fucking useless danger? Maybe he wasn’t as fucking brilliant as he thought. He did assume I’d betrayed them all a little too fast.

Maybe I was thinking too much. Perhaps the Sect Leader was in more danger than we all thought and needed a Narcissus with a higher age, so his nephew had us collect this one.

I marched over to the Junior Sect Leader, Justice following behind me. I handed him the box with both hands.

“This is a very good spiritual flower. Please be careful with it.”

He nodded solemnly, then with a wave of his sleeve, he collected it into his ring. “Always.”

“Let me see your condition.” I placed two fingers on his wrist. While he hadn’t taken any damage from all the fighting we’d had to go through, he was low on spiritual energy. “Looks like you’re fine. But take a Qi Restoration Dan if you need to.

“Of course.” He then gestured to Fairy Third. “How did you manage to save her?”

“I have some of my own antidote pills that cure the effects of different poisons than the one you handed out. It just happened to be effective against this plant. She’s fine but it may take her a couple of days to wake up. Someone will have to carry her.”

He turned to Fairy Blissful Jujube and she nodded. The Fairy picked her friend up and carried her like a princess.

Oh my. I think Fairy Third would actually want to see this. I’m sure she’d blush from the ends of her toes to the tips of her ears.

I glanced away from the two who would have made an adorable couple if Fairy Blissful had been bi and amenable. Of course, I didn’t know for sure that she wasn’t since there were many harem stories where the ladies would ‘occupy each other’ while their husband was busy. But I didn’t think this particular Bad Harem Xianxia Author had even that much openmindedness.

My gaze landed on Glittering Iron Omniscience and caught the asshole briefly looking at Unyielding with some kind of intense jealousy or hatred. Then, as if that expression hadn’t existed, his face turned into one of natural arrogance.

Not everyone adored the Junior Sect Leader after all.

I’d have to keep a closer eye on this asshole.

***

Since staying in this spot much longer wasn’t a good idea, we used the path we’d made to quickly retreat to a safer location.

Unyielding Firestorm then gathered us together and spoke seriously. “I know that we have an injured team member, but we need to keep going. Justice, I’m going to rely on you and Jujube to protect Fairy Third Peach Sapling.” Justice nodded and Jujube held her even more tightly.

Unyielding turned to Glittering Iron. “Can you divine the next location for us? I know you mentioned it was closer to here than our campsite.”

“Fine.” He flicked his sleeve and sat in the lotus position with his divining tortoise shell on his lap. He took out several iron coins (likely the same size-changing ones he used earlier) and began divining. Which was one of those skills that just didn’t come naturally to me. But I would damn well learn it eventually!

He then pointed in a direction. “A dozen li that way.”

“Alright. Everyone, we’re going deeper into the forest so keep an eye out for dangerous spiritual beasts. We’re not here to fight, we’re here to get in and get out. So, stay safe.”

Well said.

***

When we reached the location it appeared to the naked eye to be just another tree-covered span in the forest. Maybe with a little thicker foliage, but nothing worrisome. There even appeared to be a few birds and other wildlife spread through the terrain.

But if one was a formation master with my skill level... Well, basically I could easily see that a mere ten feet in front of us was a naturally formed slaughter formation. One wrong step within it could lead to death.

“It’s here, right?” Jujube asked.

“Absolutely. My divinations are never wrong.” Glittering Iron straightened his back and tilted his chin up.

“With poor Peach out of commission, how are we supposed to enter this formation and collect the plants?” Jujube asked. She bit her lip and stared at Unyielding with hope.

I wanted to roll my eyes. With me here there was no reason to worry.

But before I exposed my abilities, I wanted to see for myself what my friend’s beloved nephew would do.

Glittering Iron took out his tortoiseshell and — once more — began throwing iron coins into it. One toss. Two tosses. Three tosses. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Then he pulled out a stick from some nearby shrubs. He spent some time removing the excess branches.

Once clean, he stepped up to the boundary of the formation and set the branch down like a flagpole. Ever so slowly he moved it to the left by a half foot. Then he released it. It dropped, leaving it half in and half out of the formation.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a white handkerchief and pointed to the stick. “Here. The safe place to enter is here.”

That was not the correct place to enter. It was certainly close to it. So close, in fact, that one might think he merely made a small mistake. Unless one remembered that he’d moved the pole over an extra half foot.

A cultivator with no foundation in formations, and possibly even a shitty amateur like Third Peach Sapling might believe this was the right spot as well. But it wasn’t. That mere half foot was the difference between life and death.

That purposeful move of a mere half foot turned this from accident-waiting-to-happen into murder.