Yelu Qi looked around and also whispered: “Not one of them knows martial arts.”

“Hey, are there really such good people?”

“Since we’re here, let’s make the best of it,” Yelu Qi said. “They’re right—if we miss this place, we miss lodging. You’re injured and can’t travel too hard. Let’s stay first. If you’re worried,” he chuckled, “how about rooming with me?”

“That would make me even more worried!” Jing Hengbo laughed heartily, pushing him away, and said to the old man: “Then thank you, thank you!”

“As it should be, as it should be.” The old man repeatedly called for villagers to help. The villagers now seemed to finally react, many faces showing joy as they came forward to help very eagerly.

Jing Hengbo observed these people’s expressions, feeling their enthusiasm hid unnaturalness. Their attitude was more relieved than joyful—like sighing in relief.

Lodging was arranged at the shoe-throwing aunt’s house—the crying widow. When she came out of the house, her tear stains were still wet. She snatched her shoe from Shan Wu and was about to leave when the old man pulled her aside for a quiet word. She immediately turned from sorrow to joy, volunteering that her house was large and requesting to host Jing Hengbo’s group, bustling about very enthusiastically.

Jing Hengbo felt that in the woman’s gaze toward her group, “saviors!” was clearly written.

Not only in the widow’s eyes—all the dispersing villagers’ strange looks, pointing behind their backs, occasional sighs of relief, and the entire village’s bizarre attitude told her this overnight stay might not be so simple.

The widow’s house was indeed quite wealthy—a three-courtyard compound, large for a village. Reportedly a craftsman family that had earned property through skills, leaving substantial savings. Unfortunately, money couldn’t buy life—now only the widow and her simple-minded son remained.

The widow’s simple son was seventeen or eighteen, with tear stains like his mother. Jing Hengbo noticed when the widow led him back, his clothes had streak marks on them.

Dinner was very lavish. The widow and village women cooked together—a full table of dishes, even bringing out the treasured beef and mutton saved for New Year’s. Though country folk were simple and hospitable, this seemed excessive.

And there was wine.

A widow’s house had wine.

Jing Hengbo’s gaze swept over the wine jars brought up, raising an eyebrow.

Tian Qi crossed his arms, smiling meaningfully. Yelu Qi turned his black ceramic wine bowl, eyebrows slightly raised. Zirui whispered: “Master, this wine can’t be drunk.” Yong Xue looked at the steaming kitchen and silently turned her wine bowl upside down on the table.

The Seven Kills were playing finger-guessing games on stools, competing for who would drink first—whoever won would drink. Since they were all cheating, they started fighting again.

When they finally determined the winner and prepared to taste what drugged wine tasted like, they turned to see Feifei had already opened the wine jar’s seal, her little head stuck inside.

A group of scoundrels watched with burning eyes, none warning her.

After a while, Feifei raised her head, slowly blinked her big eyes, patted her round little belly, and wobbled away.

Everyone made disappointed booing sounds.

“Even Feifei can’t be poisoned!” Jing Hengbo cursed. “This makes me embarrassed to act.”

“Come, drink!” The Seven Kills had already opened the seals, one bowl each, drinking heartily like a whirlwind. Their drinking games were chaotic—after just a few bowls, Yi Qi was already pulling Wu Shan into a strip dance.

The kitchen women kept peeking out, watching the wine eagerly. Seeing jar after jar emptied and smashed, initially full of hope, gradually becoming disappointed, then puzzled, finally fearful.

One woman quietly slipped out. Jing Hengbo’s group pretended not to notice.

After a while, Qi Yi said: “Going to piss,” and swayed out.

Soon, everyone heard a muffled thud from the outer wall, then a crash as something fell.

Later, Qi Yi returned. Meeting everyone’s gaze, he yawned: “Someone in the outhouse tried to strangle me with rope.”

“Then what? Where is he?”

Qi Yi sat down, selecting a ball of yellow rice wrapped with meat to gnaw while mumbling: “Oh, in the shit.”

…

Later, Yi Qi went out for air. After a while, a huge crash came from the west corner—something seemed to have collapsed.

Yi Qi returned grinning.

“How was it?”

“Oh, someone in a tree with a machete,” he shrugged. “I casually kicked the tree down. The tree fell and smashed the wall too.”

…

Later, Si Si said he needed to sober up and swayed out. Then a thunderous crash—from the sound, probably demolished an entire house.

Si Si returned looking innocent.

“How was it?”

“Someone on the roof tried to shoot me with arrows.” Si Si blinked. “I dismantled the roof.”

…

A quarter-hour later, Wu Shan strolled in the courtyard and encountered the widow also heading to the outhouse. The widow smiled and sidled over, asking if Wu Shan liked today’s food and if he wanted another bowl of special big dish.

“Amitabha, female donor, this humble monk doesn’t understand your words at all.” Wu Shan chanted Buddha’s name while gently taking the kitchen knife from the widow’s arms, saying kindly: “Of course, if your chest wasn’t so saggy, perhaps this humble monk would understand.”

…

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone moved into a single room the widow had arranged. The courtyard was a mess. After arranging their lodging, the widow disappeared.

The room was just one chamber—no way to sleep, though no need to sleep either. Even if they slept, they’d wake up.

Jing Hengbo and the comedic duo were betting.

“Two hours.”

“One hour.”

“Half an hour.”

“Two quarters!”

“Now!” Jing Hengbo made the final call.

As if to annotate her words, with a “whoosh,” brightness flared outside. Everyone looked up to see a fierce fireball hurtling toward them.

Outside the courtyard, people were shouting loudly.

“We’ve already set up an inescapable net outside! You can’t escape! Hand over one person to us! We’ll let you go! Otherwise wait to be burned to death!”

Jing Hengbo looked through the window. Through the collapsed courtyard wall, she could see masses of dark figures outside—the entire village had mobilized.

“I’ll go!” Tian Qi charged out, raising his leg in a virtual kick mid-air. With a crack, the wind force stirred air currents with a metallic ring. The fireball flying straight at them paused mid-air, then suddenly shot backward, kicked back into the crowd outside.

Cries and screams arose. Countless deep red sparks lit up against the black sky like premature New Year’s fireworks. The crowd immediately scattered, fleeing in all directions with ghostly wails. The old man in the middle desperately tapped his cane calling for people but couldn’t stop them, leaving only his shouts echoing powerlessly in the midnight village.

“A bunch of useless things! Won’t die when they should die, still won’t dare when bringing people to die—only fit to be beast food in mud!” The old man’s angry curses resounded through the sky.

Tian Qi flashed to his side, lifting him up with one finger.

“Old fool,” he frowned, “what game are you playing? Had enough?”

“Who has the heart to play games with you!” The old man was actually tough, spitting fearlessly. “Bad luck meeting you—kill or hack as you please! Dying by human hands is better than dying in beast mouths. Come! Come!” He stretched his neck forward.

Tian Qi slammed him down at Jing Hengbo’s feet.

“Stop playing tough guy, be honest!”

The old man began crying.

“Who wants to harm people for no reason? What sins have we committed…”

He cried while explaining. Jing Hengbo listened for a long time before understanding. Recently, the Lord of Beixin City had issued orders requiring every village to hand over one gold-seeking beast. Dawang Village’s nearby swamp had gold-seeking beasts, but they were always fierce and cunning, difficult to catch unless with living human flesh as bait. The authorities demanded one gold-seeking beast before New Year’s Eve, or they’d double next year’s taxes and grain levies. Dawang Village already struggled after paying yearly grain taxes, barely maintaining subsistence. Doubling would starve many to death. With the deadline approaching, they had no choice but to draw lots to send someone as live bait, ensuring they caught one before New Year’s Eve. Everyone knew being bait meant almost certain death. The drawing was terrifying, and finally the widow’s simple son was chosen. The widow refused, throwing shoes at people, hitting Jing Hengbo’s group. Seeing outsiders enter the village, the old man was overjoyed and thought of tying up the outsiders as bait. Who knew this group were all freaks—several attempts failed with heavy losses. Seeing they were cornered, they had to rally all the village’s able-bodied men and threaten with arson.

The old man finally tearfully said: “We’re also forced into desperation, only begging you gentlemen and ladies to spare the villagers…”

But Jing Hengbo was thinking: why did Huangjin Tribe’s rulers suddenly want so many gold-seeking beasts?

She’d heard before that when Huangjin Tribe rebelled years ago, to accumulate money for buying weapons from other countries, they privately opened many mines. Gold reserves rapidly decreased, and these years there hadn’t been much output. The current Huangjin Tribe was already unworthy of its name.

Suddenly needing gold-seeking beasts—had they discovered new veins? Gold-seeking beasts found gold extremely quickly. Why was Huangjin Tribe so urgently wanting gold? Were they planning to repeat past events?

She was sensitive about Huangjin Tribe because the tribe chief and Sang Dong were in-laws. Sang Dong had a daughter who married the Huangjin chief’s second son. Huangjin Tribe and the Sang family had always helped each other, with good relations to the Xuanyuan family too. Among the eight tribes, Huangjin was the most detached from Di Ge—this tribe had rebelled and surrendered repeatedly, famous in Dahuang history as a rebellious clan.

Anything connected to the Sang and Xuanyuan families meant she couldn’t relax her guard.

Jing Hengbo truly disliked this tribe. Looking at these villagers showed it—they could harm outsiders to save themselves, using soft then hard methods. If they’d happened to encounter not them but a group without martial arts, they’d probably already be drugged, tied up, and taken to the swamp as live human bait.

Moreover, they were ruthless even to their own villagers—how coincidentally did they draw the helpless widow’s simple son?

Whether others believed it or not, Jing Hengbo didn’t.

She didn’t want to meddle, kicking the old man away and warning them not to scheme again. She was about to sleep when she suddenly felt it seemed too quiet around her.

Where were Er Gouzi and Feifei?

Feifei seemed to have gone out after drinking earlier. She’d thought it went for a walk—the creature was formidable anyway, so she hadn’t worried. Later many things happened and she forgot about it.

Thinking of it now, her heart jumped.

“Have you seen Er Gouzi and Feifei?” she asked everyone. Seeing their expressions, Jing Hengbo knew something was wrong. She rushed outside, urgently asking the villagers who had gathered again to peek: “Have you seen a purple cat and a King Kong parrot?”

Everyone shook their heads blankly. Only one child timidly pointed in a direction: “I saw a strangely colored cat go that way, and a bird quietly following behind… The cat was staggering like it was drunk. I was scared and didn’t dare follow…”

Jing Hengbo turned to look—that was the swamp’s direction.

…

“The little monster can actually get drunk!”

“Maybe the sleeping drug has an exciting effect on it?”

“Why did Er Gouzi follow? Worried about it?”

“Is it that kind? Probably followed to watch the joke!”

A quarter-hour later, Jing Hengbo and Yelu Qi stood at the edge of the legendary swamp with gold-seeking beasts. The nighttime swamp looked no different from flat ground except for some glowing, and strange sounds came from the dark depths. In the deeper darkness were towering mountains behind.

Fearing the Seven Kills would cause trouble, they had Tian Qi and others detain those comedic fellows while the two came to the swamp edge at night. Yelu Qi had just lit a torch to see the environment clearly when they heard frantic wing-flapping sounds. Looking up, they saw Er Gouzi frantically flapping wings across the swamp, running while shouting: “Gah gah! Chirp chirp! Gah gah gah gah chirp chirp—”

Jing Hengbo and Yelu Qi stared dumbfounded at Er Gouzi, not expecting its bird calls when not reciting poetry to be so soul-stirring.

But Er Gouzi wasn’t even reciting poetry, suggesting the situation was urgent.

When Er Gouzi reached them, Jing Hengbo saw several feathers had fallen out, and half its beloved crest feathers were missing, hanging askew on its head.

“Er Gou, what happened!”

“Evening red clouds lean on apricot trees, a group of monsters enter dreams!” Er Gouzi jumped on her shoulder, wing pointing toward the dark ahead.

“I’ll take a look.” Yelu Qi grabbed the door panel they’d brought and flashed away.

In several bounds, he’d reached the swamp center, immediately seeing purple and black lights flashing ahead with continuous roars and shrieks—apparently a group fight. Yelu Qi rolled up his sleeve, set down the door panel, and just as he landed on it, the panel trembled slightly—Jing Hengbo had arrived too.

Yelu Qi was slightly startled, looking sideways: “When did your teleportation become so fast and accurate?”

“After opening the Ren and Du meridians, divine skills were mastered.” Jing Hengbo’s heart was focused on Feifei, answering nonsensically while squinting into the darkness. She vaguely saw rabbit-sized black shadows crisscrossing the swamp at extreme speed, lightning-fast and forming countless black lines. Only glowing ruby-like eyes and constantly bared snow-white fangs were visible. In the black shadow group, Feifei was like a purple light, charging about—kicking here, biting there, sending beast fur flying and mud splashing.

Seeing this, Jing Hengbo was furious.

Many beasts bullying few beasts?

Don’t they know sister is called the world’s ultimate beast?

Her eyes turned, seeing many debris floating on the mud—branches, stones, animal corpses. She suddenly swept her sleeve and stopped.

Pop pop—continuous sounds, mud scattered, and branches, bones, stones on the swamp were suddenly pulled up, rising to mid-air.

In the distance on shore, torches lit up—villagers had come to watch. The firelight illuminated the swamp. Everyone looked up to see a woman’s silhouette in the swamp center—slender and graceful, hands raised high, wide sleeves dancing. Under her raised hands, all floating objects on the entire swamp suddenly rose, suspended in mid-air!

A moment of silence, staring eyes full of bewilderment.

Moments later, “Gods!” explosive shouts awakened everyone. Whoosh—most people prostrated themselves.

In the swamp center, the black shadow group was startled by the firelight. Looking up, they also saw the sky full of suspended branches and stones, all shocked.

Jing Hengbo pressed her hands down hard!

“Bullying my beast—go die!”

Sky-full of debris whistled downward.

Pitter-patter, a rain of stones and mud fell on the swamp, hammering the gold-seeking beast group. The beasts were beaten dizzy, immediately losing formation, shrieking and scattering. Feifei seized the chance to pounce up—punching Nanshan tigers, kicking Beihai dragons, grabbing the slow escapees and flattening them with one claw, then another claw to ball them in mud and slam them hard into the swamp.

“Feifei, catch some alive!” Jing Hengbo waved her hands continuously, pulling those gold-seeking beasts Feifei had mudded back out and slamming them hard on surviving beasts’ heads. Her telekinetic object control reached its peak—just flash thoughts, ordinary people and beasts couldn’t match her speed. The swamp rang with continuous thuds as gold-seeking beasts fell, grabbed by Feifei by their scalps and slammed hard onto the door panel. Soon a small pile accumulated.

Yelu Qi had originally prepared to act, but seeing her mighty display, he simply smiled and rolled up his sleeves, appreciating her heroic bearing in the firelight.

In his eyes flowed faint appreciation—in the past, he had always felt that feminine softness and delicate beauty were most beautiful. Now he felt that a bright woman amid murderous aura and severity, like an embroidered eyebrow curved blade emerging from red sleeves, could equally dazzle the eyes.

The people on shore were cheering. With so many gold-seeking beasts, once handed over, they would not only complete their mission but receive heavy rewards!

“Enough!” Yelu Qi suddenly shouted. “Too heavy! Be careful the door panel can’t hold!”

Jing Hengbo came to her senses, looking down to see the door panel already slightly sagging. This panel could just bear the weight of herself and Yelu Qi, but adding several mud-wrapped gold-seeking beasts was too much. She swept her sleeve, and the beasts on the panel flew through the air, crossing several zhang of swamp to land heavily on shore.

The people on shore excitedly rushed forward, hurrying to tie up the gold-seeking beasts.

Yelu Qi’s admiring gaze had changed to scrutiny—Jing Hengbo’s special abilities seemed to have improved. Though she could control objects with her mind before, she had never been this fluid. Between her flowing sleeves was a hint of domineering power that, through aura alone, seemed capable of swallowing wind and clouds.

Had she been hiding this before, or had her potential abilities been awakened?

Moreover, she still had poison injuries. If she recovered completely, what changes would occur?

Yelu Qi suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing. He felt the surrounding air seemed to have subtle changes.

Jing Hengbo was concentrating on smashing beasts, determined to deal with this group that dared bully her pet. Watching those small beasts being chased by Feifei in all directions, constantly emitting sharp shrieks, gradually being driven into the swamp depths, she felt it was enough and was about to stop, calling Feifei back. Suddenly she saw Feifei pause, then its entire body pulled backward, its fluffy big tail fur exploding outward.

She had never seen Feifei like this and was startled.

Then she felt a tremor beneath her feet.

“Crack!” A splitting sound.

“Get away!” Yelu Qi beside her suddenly shouted, fiercely embracing her and falling down. She felt heaven and earth suddenly tilt, scenery flying in chaotic tumbles. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself tightly held by Yelu Qi, already off the door panel, lying on slippery mud. Where the door panel had been, she could no longer see it—only palm-sized fragments scattered across the swamp.

She stared at those fragments, unable to believe this was the door panel. In just a blink, the panel had shattered like this? What had done it? How? If she had still been on the panel, would she now be fragments too?

Just as she was about to speak, she felt Yelu Qi holding her tense all over. She immediately started too, knowing the crisis wasn’t over.

She wanted to get up—only by getting up could she teleport. But now she dared not move. The two of them lying embraced on the mud increased their contact area to avoid sinking. If she got up and couldn’t control her posture well, she might easily sink in. Normally sinking would be fine, but now there might be deadly things beneath the mud. If her feet got stuck, one bite from below and she’d only have half left when pulled out.

But staying still like this would equally make them prey for whatever was under the mud. She urgently said: “I’ll send you out, then you…”

Before finishing, Yelu Qi suddenly took a breath, lifted her with one hand, and threw her like an arrow!

With just this motion, his body immediately sank halfway.

His eyes showed a smile, slightly relieved. But halfway through his relief, he suddenly started.

Jing Hengbo’s body suddenly stopped mid-air.

As if caught by something.

Jing Hengbo cried “Ah!” softly.

Her body had just flown up when she felt pain at her ankle, as if caught by something. Her heart jumped—Yelu Qi had thrown her with full force. If her foot was fixed, these two opposing forces could tear her legs clean off!

In mid-air, everything happening in an instant, she had no time to think or save herself.

Her body stopped and her heart relaxed. Looking down, she saw Feifei tumbling and crawling across the swamp, front paw raised, pressing down hard on something.

At the same time, Yelu Qi also reacted, immediately drawing his sword. Sword light flashed, sweeping horizontally across the mud.

The sword light gleamed, and only then did she see what was lifted—a long black thread-like object. The sword light passed through, and with Yelu Qi’s sword sharp enough to cut metal and jade, the black thread only trembled slightly without breaking.

Just for an instant, then with a snap, she was pulled back, falling onto the mud.

The black thread was trembling, still pulling her forward. Feifei couldn’t hold it. Yelu Qi suddenly reached out, grabbing the black thread and holding it, stopping its dragging momentum. His body immediately sank much more.

“Wifey, I’m here to save you!” Figures flashed as the Seven Kills arrived. Some carried door panels, some washbasins, some bathtubs, others sewing baskets, placing door panels and basins from afar. Jing Hengbo turned to see seven or eight masters stepping on door panels, basins, washboards, and sewing baskets, robes fluttering as they came. The phrase “Eight Comedians Cross the Sea, Each Showing Divine Powers” flashed through her mind…

Forgive her for wanting to laugh at this critical moment, but soon she couldn’t laugh anymore.

A tremor beneath her—no, the entire swamp depths seemed to tremble. Then crack-crack-crack-crack continuous sounds as she watched those chaotic door panels, basins, washboards, sewing baskets… all instantly shatter.

The masters immediately lost their footing, tumbling into the mud in a pile. Fortunately, Dahuang people were accustomed to swamps and didn’t panic when sinking. The masters lay on the swamp, wriggling like maggots as they continued approaching her.

This swamp was particularly light. In ordinary swamps, with the Seven Kills’ martial arts, they could stand directly, but not this one. Even so, their bodies were already slightly sinking.

“Careful!” Jing Hengbo suddenly called out.

Several “black threads” suddenly shot past her, lightning-fast toward the masters!

The Seven Kills simultaneously cursed “Damn!” “Hell!” “Ghost!” and had to leap up, forced to retreat by the black threads.

The “threads” flashed past her side, and she saw clearly—these weren’t threads but seemed like living creatures, gleaming with dark green light and reeking.

She suddenly felt her body tilt as the “black thread” around her ankle was violently pulled, dragging her into darkness.

She slid two steps but stopped again. She heard a muffled grunt and turned to see Yelu Qi gripping the “black thread,” which had wrapped tightly around his wrist. Clearly both sides were struggling, and the opponent’s strength seemed enormous. Though Yelu Qi had caught her, because he was wrestling with the opponent, his body kept sinking.

No good! At this rate, he’d soon be completely submerged!

Jing Hengbo waved her hand, and the fire starter she and Yelu Qi had dropped while tumbling flew up into her hand. She struck it alight and went to burn the “black thread” on her ankle.

Sure enough, the “black thread” that knives couldn’t cut immediately shrank back.

Afraid of fire!

Jing Hengbo immediately threw the fire starter toward where the black thread had retreated. The fire starter tumbled through the darkness, vaguely illuminating two points of green light in the dark mid-air. Behind the green light, a silhouette was faintly visible.

As Jing Hengbo tried to see clearly, the two green lights flashed and the fire starter suddenly vanished.

It simply disappeared in mid-air.

Yelu Qi suddenly said: “There’s a giant beast in the swamp depths! The fire starter was swallowed! Those threads are the beast’s claws—be careful—”

Before he finished, whoosh—seven or eight “black threads” sprang from the mud with whooshing sounds, reaching for Jing Hengbo’s neck.

Jing Hengbo already held another fire starter, thrusting it at her own neck. The flame singed off a section of her hair, and those seven or eight snake-like black threads immediately retreated.

Watching from shore, everyone clicked their tongues. Tian Qi searched for things to continue into the swamp while shaking his head: “This woman gets more ruthless—she dares burn her own face!”

Yi Qi shouted: “Wife, take it easy! Little Seven Seven will save you soon—don’t burn that flower-like jade face!”

“Without life, what use is face!” Jing Hengbo answered fiercely.

When the giant beast’s extraordinarily long black claws retreated, the Seven Kills and Tian Qi immediately pressed forward again. Tian Qi threw a long rope around Yelu Qi’s waist to pull him up. The Seven Kills, airborne, struck out together—seven palm forces converged like a hurricane, whooshing past Jing Hengbo’s cheek.

She felt a fierce wind against her face, piercingly cold to the point of suffocation. Her hair tie was swept away into the wind’s vortex and disappeared. Then “bang!”—the palm wind like a pillar struck hard into the dark depths where the two green lights had appeared.

The muffled sound was like drums, making Jing Hengbo’s ears ring. Then came continuous sounds of churning mud and water. Somewhere in the darkness, muddy water seemed to roll and surge. The thing in the dark seemed enraged, struggling up from the swamp. Even this close, its shape remained unclear—only a massive body covered in mud. The creature roared once, and its originally fire-fearing claw tips lying flat in the mud sprang up again with a metallic ring—

Tian Qi swept over, grabbing Jing Hengbo to retreat. Suddenly with a thunderous crash, the mud before them shot up like a wall. Lightning-fast, a black claw shot from the mud wall straight at Jing Hengbo’s eyes.

Tian Qi drew his sword while the Seven Kills swept in to form an encirclement.

From deeper in the darkness suddenly came a sharp whistle.

The sound was sharp and clear. Everyone heard it clearly—this wasn’t a beast’s roar but a whistle only humans could make. They couldn’t help but start.

In that moment of surprise, the claw about to reach Jing Hengbo’s face suddenly retreated. Then the mud-covered monster’s body violently pulled backward.

The retreat was forceful yet stiff, full of awkwardness, looking less like its own retreat than being forcibly dragged away by something.

The monster roared continuously, its voice full of anger and unwillingness. This retreat was clearly not its wish, but it couldn’t resist the command behind it. That mass of unclear mud rapidly retreated, descended, and disappeared beneath the swamp surface. Only a line of furrows was visible on the swamp, quickly moving toward the dark depths until it vanished.

This thing had come strangely and disappeared even more mysteriously. The dark depths of the swamp were more dangerous, so the group didn’t want to pursue further. Tian Qi carried Jing Hengbo, stepping on wooden boards the villagers kept throwing, back to shore. Yelu Qi was already sitting on shore regulating his breathing.

Jing Hengbo whistled, and Feifei emerged from the dark depths. The little monster had never suffered such a loss—angrily, its big eyes blinked several times faster than usual. Examining its body, Jing Hengbo found several patches missing from the little monster’s thick fur, making it look like a half-bald mange.

Er Gouzi cackled nearby until Feifei slapped him into the mud.

Jing Hengbo held Feifei, grooming its fur. Suddenly she found a thin red thread among the fur. Lifting Feifei to smell it, she caught a whiff of rich fragrance.

Swamps were all rotting mud, unbearably stinky. Where would fragrance come from?

On shore lay piles of gold-seeking beasts of various sizes. The villagers beamed with joy, rubbing their hands wanting to ask Jing Hengbo for them but not daring to speak.

Jing Hengbo tossed out one: “Find the best house with many rooms. Arrange good food and lodging for us. No more tricks—sister’s patience is limited.”

“Of course not, of course not.” The old man happily caught it, repeatedly ordering people to arrange housing. Jing Hengbo casually tossed another: “One more. Answer a question for me.”

“Please ask, please ask.” The old man was overjoyed.

“The small gold-seeking beasts aren’t as terrifying as you described. They don’t necessarily need human flesh. The human sacrifice you wanted was for that monster in the swamp depths, right?” Jing Hengbo pointed at the old man’s nose, half-smiling. “What is that thing? What’s its purpose? I think it seems controlled by someone. What kind of person can command such creatures? Where are they hiding?”

The Seven Kills and Tian Qi listened dumbfounded. Tian Qi scratched his head: “Eh, why didn’t we notice her brain working so well before? How did she suddenly think of so much?”

Yelu Qi, who was regulating his breathing, opened his eyes and glanced at Jing Hengbo with slight appreciation and faint melancholy.

Breaking free from shackles, spreading her wings, she had finally opened her sharpest eyes to overlook the dust of the human world.

This day had come quickly—so quickly even he felt slightly lost. Perhaps one day she would grow rapidly, and then maybe they would all be wind behind her wings, passing without trace.

But what did it matter? This was also what he wanted to see.

Jing Hengbo’s large, bright eyes fixed on the old man opposite. She was smiling, but in the old man’s eyes, that smile was beautifully murderous, like a midnight seductive ghost.

The old man’s knees went weak, involuntarily falling to his knees with a thud.

The old fellow kowtowed for a long time before explaining clearly. Indeed, the human bait wasn’t for the small gold-seeking beasts to eat. This swamp’s depths held a giant beast that could drive small beasts to harass villages and steal children. Those small beasts were well-protected by this “boss,” coming and going like wind—impossible to catch. Because the authorities had issued death orders to capture gold-seeking beasts, people had no choice but to use humans as bait, hoping the giant beast would focus on eating people so they could find time to catch the small beasts. When Jing Hengbo inquired earlier, the old man saw their high martial arts and wanted to trick them into beast-hunting, so he deliberately concealed the man-eating giant beast in the swamp depths.

After hearing this, Jing Hengbo kicked away the cunning old man, once again confirming that the historically famous rebellious race had no good people.

“How’s your hand injury?” She suddenly remembered Yelu Qi had helped her pull against that black thread. Such a thin thread with such great force must have cut his hand, and supposedly this giant beast was entirely poisonous.

“It’s fine.” Yelu Qi stood up, glanced at the swamp depths, and smiled at her. “I’ve already expelled the toxins.”

His smile was charming and radiant. Jing Hengbo stared at him, also curving her lips in an alluring smile.

“Then let’s rest early. Tomorrow we’ll continue on our way. These villagers are too bad to stay with.”

“Good,” he said. “Look at your eyes—you have dark circles. Go sleep quickly.”

“Good night, good night.” She held Feifei, carried Er Gouzi, and walked toward the house the villagers had arranged, efficiently closing the door, blowing out the lamp, and sleeping.

With the lamp extinguished, her eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness, unclosed.

Outside, the Seven Kills were making noise, fighting over what looked like the best room, snatching blankets back and forth. Tian Qi pushed open window shutters cursing that the Seven Kills were too noisy. Zirui and Yong Xue were making snacks in the kitchen, trying to quiet those clamoring hungry fellows so Jing Hengbo could sleep well.

Like Jing Hengbo, Yelu Qi quietly returned to his room to sleep. Jing Hengbo personally saw the lamp opposite go out.

After a while, the entire courtyard quieted.

Night was deep.

Jing Hengbo lifted Feifei with one hand, whispering: “Come, let’s get revenge.”

Feifei rapidly blinked its big eyes.

Jing Hengbo’s form flashed and she was already on the roof, lying quietly while practicing the breathing technique Yi Qi had taught her, becoming one with the darkness.

The night was very cold, but she didn’t move.

Since that day, she no longer feared cold and had patience for everything.

Soon, Yelu Qi’s window shutters were gently pushed open, and a figure slipped out like light smoke.

Jing Hengbo immediately followed.

Yelu Qi’s silhouette ahead was somewhat unsteady, slower than usual, but his vigilance hadn’t decreased—he turned back suddenly from time to time.

But Jing Hengbo’s flashing was also very fast.

The direction was indeed toward the swamp, but he didn’t enter it. Yelu Qi circled the swamp once, following the swamp’s flow direction straight toward the mountain behind.

At the mountain foot, he didn’t climb up but examined the terrain. Several swamps of various sizes connected at the mountain foot, all slowly flowing into stone crevices at the mountain base. Jing Hengbo guessed there must be an exit in one of the crevices, but which one?

Yelu Qi stood on mountain rocks with hands behind his back, looking down at those gray-black finely moving swamps.

Night wind lifted his silver-black cloak. At darkness’s end, his eyes were deep as an abyss.

Jing Hengbo stopped behind a mountain rock, holding her breath, also watching those swamps.

One swamp suddenly trembled slightly. The calm mud surface showed river-character furrows moving forward.

As if something beneath the mud was moving rapidly.

Yelu Qi immediately swept down, following that line of furrows into the grass, flashing out of sight.

Jing Hengbo also flashed over. Before her was a mountain wall—she couldn’t see where Yelu Qi had disappeared. It looked like if she tried to flash in, she’d definitely crash into the mountain wall and break her head.

Her form wavered.

Without hesitation, she flashed in.

Whoosh—her feet touched solid ground. Inside was indeed hollow.

The mountain’s interior was very cool, emanating the sour, rotten smell characteristic of swamp mud. Countless branches of swamp mud converged and flowed in.

Deep in the mountain cavity was firelight.

At the fire’s end, a person faced an inner swamp of mud, slowly combing her hair.

Black hair fell like silk. Her leaning profile was beautiful, her fingers snow-white.

But Jing Hengbo wanted to vomit.

Now seeing women combing their hair made her want to vomit and beat them bloody.

The woman raised her head, giving Yelu Qi a ghostly smile. Jing Hengbo’s small universe immediately began burning.

It was Fei Luo.

Truly, “You wear out iron shoes searching everywhere, then find it effortlessly.”