The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

"Everyone, be careful!"

Gu Jue unsheathed his Phoenix Cry Sword. Without a second look, he slashed out to both sides.

However, the things approaching were numerous. Gu Jue’s attack only paused the rustling for an instant before it surged toward them with even greater intensity.

A moment later, Lu Sangjiu finally saw clearly what was coming.

It was a dense mass of vines, coiling toward the three of them like a swarm of nimble snakes!

The three immediately used their own methods to attack the vines, but because they didn’t dare use too much force in the cramped space, they were all hamstrung and quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.

At that moment, Lu Sangjiu clearly heard Ye Zhiyao’s cry of alarm from the woods to their right.

The sound was rapidly approaching, and a moment later, it stopped about five meters to their right.

Ye Zhiyao sounded terrified. She immediately started struggling. "Quick, save me! I’m tied to a tree trunk by the vines!"

"Wait, what are you doing? Damn it, stay away!"

Her voice was filled with terror, but after a brief struggle, she fell silent.

Although Lu Sangjiu and the others weren’t worried about Ye Zhiyao’s safety, seeing her predicament made them think of their own impending fate, and their hearts sank.

Even though Ye Zhiyao had gone quiet, Lu Sangjiu didn’t think she was dead.

’It’s like I always say, she’s the female lead. How could she die so easily?’

But while Lu Sangjiu had been trying her best to hold her breath, she couldn’t stop breathing entirely. The omnipresent floral scent continued to affect her mind, making her reactions much slower.

As she fended off the vines, she tried hard to recall the contents of that book.

The experiences in the Secret Realm weren’t described in great detail, but a few of the major events were mentioned.

This scene felt familiar to Lu Sangjiu. ’What was it again?’

Her head was spinning. In that moment of distraction, a vine wrapped around her right foot. It then dragged her entire body to the left side of the forest, the opposite direction from Ye Zhiyao.

The sudden pull threw her off balance, and more vines immediately swarmed her, restraining her limbs and torso.

Finally, Lu Sangjiu felt herself slam against something, her entire body bound tightly by the vines.

’...Am I tied to a tree, too?’

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a sharp pain on the right side of her neck and lost consciousness.

When Lu Sangjiu was caught, Gu Jue, who was closest to her, reacted instantly and tried to grab her. But he failed to catch her and instead gave the vines an opening.

At almost the same moment Lu Sangjiu passed out, Gu Jue was also tied to the same tree trunk as her.

They were shoulder to shoulder. Gu Jue turned his head to check on her, but before he could even speak, he too felt a pain in the right side of his neck and fainted.

When Xie Ningyuan saw Lu Sangjiu and Gu Jue fall one after another, he knew something was wrong.

Their team might not be the absolute strongest, but they were basically invincible at the Golden Core Stage.

This Secret Realm supposedly only allowed those at the Golden Core Stage to enter, so how could it contain a danger that far exceeded that level? Wasn’t that just luring people in to be killed?

But the place was tranquil and serene. Xie Ningyuan didn’t sense the cold intent of slaughter, nor did it seem like the work of an Evil Cultivator.

Although the other three were now motionless, Xie Ningyuan didn’t think they were dead.

’Everyone has passive defensive treasures. If their lives were truly in danger, it wouldn’t be this quiet.’

’So... perhaps the key to breaking this situation isn’t to fight off the vines?’

Of course, it wasn’t as if Xie Ningyuan could defeat these vines without using his full strength anyway.

His thoughts racing, Xie Ningyuan suddenly stopped moving, no longer resisting the approaching vines.

Without ceremony, the vines dragged him away—not toward Lu Sangjiu, but in the direction of Ye Zhiyao!

Xie Ningyuan glanced quickly at Ye Zhiyao’s condition. As expected, her complexion was rosy, and she looked as if she were merely asleep, her life in no danger.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Xie Ningyuan also felt the sting in his neck, and everything went black as he lost consciousness.

As the last person fainted, the thick fog in the woods gradually dispersed, revealing its true appearance.

The dense mass of vines was nowhere to be seen. Only four people remained, tied by a few vines to two trees.

If they had been conscious, they would have discovered that both trees were of the same species, known as... the Mimosa Tree.

When Lu Sangjiu woke up, she was lying on a wooden bed inside a small cabin.

Her eyes were slightly unfocused. Then, she heard a familiar voice say, "Wife, you’re awake."

Startled by the address, she shot her head up and saw Gu Jue walking in with a tray of food.

He was dressed in the simple linen clothes of a mountain villager, which gave him a more worldly, domestic air.

He wore a gentle smile. After placing the food on the table, he turned to her. "Feeling any better?"

Lu Sangjiu stared blankly at the scene, feeling a sense of dissonance in every detail.

And yet, her memories were telling her, quite matter-of-factly, that this man before her was her husband!

She even remembered their past with perfect clarity: their parents were both hunters who lived next door to each other; they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together and, as a matter of course, got married.

Now, their parents had passed away, leaving the two of them to depend on each other for survival. They had inherited their parents’ trade, living as hunters in the mountains.

Lu Sangjiu could recall all of this with just a moment’s thought, but for some reason, everything that should have felt natural now seemed exceptionally strange.

Seeing her dazed expression, Gu Jue walked over, a hint of worry in his voice. "What’s wrong? Does the spot where you hit your head yesterday still hurt?"

As he spoke, he carefully unwrapped the gauze on her forehead to check the wound.

Lu Sangjiu felt a twinge of pain, which reminded her that she had accidentally hit her head yesterday... ’Could it be that I damaged my brain? Is that why I’m feeling like this?’

While she was lost in thought, Gu Jue had already finished redressing her wound. "Is that a little better now?"

Lu Sangjiu looked up and met Gu Jue’s gaze, which was filled with concern.

For some reason, she felt a little reluctant to face such a look from him and instinctively turned her head away.

"Yes, it’s much better. Thank you, Gu..."

She paused, suddenly realizing she was supposed to call him "Husband." But the word got stuck in her throat; she just couldn’t say it.

After several attempts, she finally gave up. She paused for a few seconds before finishing her sentence.

"Thank you, Gu."

’I can’t bring myself to call him Husband, but calling him by his full name feels too distant. This will have to do for now!’

She thought Gu Jue would be angry, but to her surprise, he simply smiled and said, "I’ve told you before, if you feel calling me ’Husband’ is too embarrassing, you don’t have to force yourself."

’...Huh? So it’s just because I’m too shy?’

Lu Sangjiu felt a wave of relief, and the strange feeling seemed to recede quite a bit. She looked up at Gu Jue and gave him a bashful smile.

"Gu, hurry and sit down to eat!"

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