Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 455 - 446: Deciding to Take a Leap of Faith

The brothers of the Tianyuan Sect are generally older than her, that’s easy to see.

In the modern age, adulthood is at eighteen, in ancient times, it was fifteen.

Is she considered a child laborer?

Cough, cough!

Got a bit off track there.

She doesn’t know if there’s an age limit. Generally, sects judge by qualifications.

And she has set herself up as a Registered Disciple.

Her qualifications could only be average, yet the talent and skills she exhibited far surpassed others, which was quite illogical. Coupled with her young age, her flaws were even more obvious.

She neglected this...

If she answered incorrectly, her identity would inevitably be exposed.

She should at least claim to be seventeen or eighteen, just looks young, yeah, that’s it.

Also, a deeper problem is, what would be the next question from the other party?

Are there links between the first and second questions?

From the information obtained from Rhino, she’s supposedly under the Mad Hall Master, but beyond that, it’s unknown. Delving deeper, there are flaws everywhere.

If they’re asked about her residence and birthplace, she could muddle through.

Because Rhino isn’t a disciple under the Mad Hall Master, what he knows is superficial and doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, meaning the more she says, the more mistakes she might make.

However, she knows quite a bit about things in Tianyuan City.

She had prepared a draft earlier.

The difficulty lies within the Tianyuan Sect itself...

Take things as they come, deal with them as they arise!

Cheng Xiaoxiao’s mind was racing with thoughts, but all of this took just two or three seconds.

"I’m seventeen this year, why ask?"

Mo Shang still didn’t answer Cheng Xiaoxiao’s counter-question and continued asking, "How long have you been in the sect? Where did you live before?"

"I joined the sect three years ago, and I lived in Mao Yan Alley before."

Cheng Xiaoxiao replied fluently, feeling a huge relief inside.

Tianyuan Sect holds an aptitude test annually, and children aged ten and above can participate. The official disciple recruitment happens every three years.

The most recent recruitment was two and a half years ago.

This is specific timing; now that the year has turned, counting it as three years works too.

Last time, Yanxia Peak recruited more than fifty disciples who lagged behind, only seven became Official Disciples. The rest were distributed among various Hall Masters; those with better aptitude were taken as Registered Disciples, and the remaining became Servant Disciples.

Mo Shang didn’t find anything unusual in Cheng Xiaoxiao’s eyes and facial expressions. The things she stated could only be verified back at the sect, so he changed the topic.

"How did you find the cave?"

This indeed was an accident; Cheng Xiaoxiao had nothing to hide about it.

"At that time, I had already returned the crocodile egg, but unexpectedly, the leading crocodile didn’t let me go. It chased me all the way, forcing me to the edge of a cliff. It really was a close call; I intended to use the Thunder Bomb in my hand to escape to a low cliff nearby, but before I could, the crocodile’s tail swung and knocked me down. In that moment of being airborne, my fear and despair reached their peak.

This was it, for sure I was going to die."

Cheng Xiaoxiao sniffed, showing an expression of deep distress, capturing the interest of those listening around her.

"Then how did you survive?"

Zhong Yong couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

The tone continued in a dramatic cadence.

"Luckily, my life is tough. I was caught on a dead branch on the cliff wall, luckily saved but completely exhausted, limbs weak, plagued by fear. I rested and adjusted for half an hour before feeling a bit better.

Then, using tools, I slowly climbed to the bottom of the cliff. It was dark down there, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, surrounded by thick fog, and I encountered many bats attacking me. Fighting my way through, I was drained and exhausted, realizing that the bats were endless; their bloody scent making me want to vomit. I ran away in blind panic and somehow ended up in the cave."

"So you found a different way out."

"Senior Brother, you’re wise. That cliff isn’t ten thousand feet high, but it’s at least a thousand meters; returning the same way was impossible. I could only explore as I went along, it took me a whole day and night to get out."

Cheng Xiaoxiao showed an expression of lingering fear, not appearing to be faking it.

The senior and junior brothers around, after hearing Cheng Xiaoxiao’s thrilling experiences, couldn’t help but comment on his good luck, narrowly escaping danger multiple times.

"Junior Brother, you’re really something."

Zhong Yong gave Cheng Xiaoxiao a thumbs up.

Mo Shang listened intently, not noticing anything amiss, pondering how much of what he said was true and how much was false.

He drew two conclusions.

If the cave truly exists and the Immortal Condensing Grass indeed grows there, and he told them — this team — his aim was obvious.

The cave is extremely dangerous, letting their team go first as cannon fodder, while his real master reaps the benefits.

If the cave is just a cover, the reason to lure them there is quite terrifying.

The remaining core strength of Yanxia Peak is all here. If they all fall in this hunting activity, then Yanxia Peak will never recover, possibly being removed from the five great peaks, their training resources halved, with no chance of recovering.

Of course, these are just his guesses. If this person’s identity and background have no issues and is indeed a Registered Disciple of Yanxia Peak, this may be their only chance to come out on top.

Should they give up, or take a bold gambit?

The responsibility that comes with opportunities and risks are relative.

Step over it, and it’s a meteoric rise.

Miss it, and they might not make it out safely either.

Then let action prove it.

Success or failure hinges on this.

In the past, he would definitely not have hesitated like this, acting cautiously.

The painful lessons before forced him to act prudently.

For the future of Yanxia Peak, he decided to take a gamble. However, he couldn’t bring everyone along, just select a few people good at Qinggong, fast on their feet, and quick-witted, leaving the others to rest here with a slim chance of survival.

If it’s a trap, fewer people make escape easier.

If they unfortunately encounter the crocodile herd, they could only leave it up to fate.

"Senior Brother, let me lead the team."

Zhong Yong volunteered.

"I’ll go too!"

"I also want to go!"

"Count me in."

From the innermost haystack, Han Yuan, who had been silent so far, spoke up, his voice hoarse and low.

"Second Senior Brother, you’re still injured, don’t stir up trouble."

"It’s just a minor injury, no big deal."

Han Yuan retorted indifferently.

"Your injury might be minor, but for an archer, if your arm is hurt, can you still draw a bow, can you still provide support?"

Zhong Yong was merciless in his criticism.

Han Yuan’s pale face flushed with embarrassment, unwillingly saying, "Even without a bow and arrow, I can still wield a sword. Besides, among the junior brothers here, who rivals my Qinggong? In case we have to flee..."

But he swallowed the rest of his words.

Before even going, he’s thinking of retreat, isn’t it like undermining himself before others?

Mo Shang glanced at the steady Second Senior Brother, whose rash remarks were uncharacteristic.

The other party probably shared his thoughts.

Even if he hadn’t figured out the other party’s background, the determination to make a bold move mirrored his own.

The chance to restore Yanxia Peak hinges on this action.