“Mu Mu’s martial skill surpasses Shan Yidao’s. You two go after Mu Mu — I’ll go help Shan Yidao.”

Feng Jiu’er had not expected this — but when it counted, the dashingly handsome Xing Zizou turned out to be composed and dependable.

He tapped his foot against the ground and immediately sprinted in Shan Yidao’s direction — clean, decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Yingtao caught up to Feng Jiu’er almost at once, but the two of them had inevitably fallen behind.

“We’ve lost sight of them!” Mu Mu’s lightness arts were on par with Shan Yidao’s — and Feng Jiu’er’s was the weakest of the group. That was her real limitation.

“Don’t worry — I know tracking.” Xiao Yingtao stopped and began examining the ground where the figures in black and Mu Mu had passed.

Feng Jiu’er had no choice but to stop as well and fall in behind her. Before long, Xiao Yingtao located their tracks and immediately pressed forward.

Rounding several narrow forest paths, they could already hear the sounds of fighting ahead.

Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao exchanged a glance. Xiao Yingtao gave a small nod — somehow she already understood Jiu’er’s intent without a word being spoken.

Jiu’er pulled a short blade from her boot and rushed forward. Xiao Yingtao sprang lightly upward, landed on a high branch, and began moving through the canopy.

After half a day’s company, Jiu’er had a reasonable sense of Xiao Yingtao’s abilities. She excelled with hidden weapons — staying concealed suited her perfectly.

Feng Jiu’er gripped her short blade, parted the undergrowth, and spotted Mu Mu locked in close combat with one of the figures in black.

Her eyes darkened. Once she sensed that Xiao Yingtao was in position above, she suddenly let out a sharp, fierce shout and charged forward with her blade.

The figure in black had already been aware of Feng Jiu’er’s approach — she had been making no effort to move quietly, making it impossible not to notice. But no one had expected that this foolish girl’s commotion was actually cover for the one in the trees above.

Two swift sounds cut through the air. Two specially crafted hidden weapons flew out at an angle. The figure in black, simultaneously fending off Mu Mu and dodging the projectiles, could only evade the first.

A sharp hiss — the second weapon grazed across the figure’s arm. His right hand spasmed with pain, and in that same instant, Mu Mu’s short blade was already at his throat.

Another swift slash — the blade drew a line across the figure’s chest. His eyes went dark and cold. He shot the group a ferocious glare and then fled at speed.

This time, Mu Mu did not pursue.

Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao rushed to his side — and froze. Blood was seeping from his arm, and it was a deep, dark purple.

“You’ve been poisoned!” Damn it. The figure in black had coated his blade with poison.

No wonder the man had fled despite being wounded — no wonder Mu Mu had not given chase.

Mu Mu had been forcing himself through on sheer will. In terms of martial skill, the figure in black was slightly inferior — but Mu Mu had not foreseen that the blade would carry poison.

“You should all—” Mu Mu began, but before he could finish, a mouthful of dark purple blood surged from the corner of his lips.

His legs went numb, and he sank onto one knee.

It was not that Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao didn’t want to support him — Mu Mu’s frame was simply too large. He was close to a full meter ninety in height, built with a soldier’s power. Two young women who stood barely over a meter sixty had no hope of holding him up.

Feng Jiu’er reached into the satchel she carried at her side and drew out silver needles. With swift, precise motions, she sealed several major acupoints on his body.

Then, using massage technique, she forced a substantial amount of the dark blood out of the wound — pressing and working until the blood shifted from dark purple to a deep, murky red before she stopped.

“Is he better now?” Xiao Yingtao asked in a rush, her eyes already reddening.

“No. Part of the toxin has entered the bloodstream — he’ll need an antidote herb.”

She steadied Mu Mu and looked at Xiao Yingtao: “This mountain forest has many plants. Listen carefully — use the same method I just showed you to keep working the blood out. I’ll go and find the herb.” Without waiting for Xiao Yingtao to agree, she was already on her feet and moving quickly away.