Chapter 31

The shock was blocked, and Gaoyuan flipped to a stop on a branch above, his body swaying with the branch.

Jiangshan's figure appeared, grabbing the cane and slowly raising his head to look at the figure in the air.

At this point, the fog had been largely dispersed by the heat of the mountain fire.

A figure flashed and landed in front of Jiangshan. It was none other than Rat Old Woman.

Heiyunxiao's heart leaped to his throat, not daring to make the slightest move.

Rat Old Woman turned to look at the injured Heiyunxiao, showing no surprise. She then looked at the two men on the tree and in front of her, and sneered, "You two, didn't you think to inform me when you stopped the fight?"

Jiangshan replied, "With so many Rat Eyes watching, do you really need us to inform you? Is there a difference between your juniors informing you and us informing you? Besides, didn't you see we were busy with important matters?"

Rat Old Woman reached out to grab the cane, which she held like a wooden 'stick insect,' and pulled it back from Jiangshan's hand. She glanced at Heiyunxiao and cackled, "We're all friends, why make things so difficult?"

Gaoyuan, perched on the branch, sneered, "This despicable couple is driven by greed and didn't even understand the protection of the escort team. They're using our lives as a test!"

Heiyunxiao immediately defended himself, "No one expected this to happen. No one expected them not to enter Qili Gorge. I even suspected there might be a traitor among you."

Jiangshan flew into a rage, pointing and shouting, "You still have the nerve to be defiant?"

Gaoyuan looked down at Rat Old Woman from above, "What do you mean by blocking us? Old woman, I forgot to remind you, I received a message. 'Earth Mother' herself has taken action and has already killed Xiya Lady."

"What?" Rat Old Woman was visibly moved, her drooping eyelids lifting, and her eyes widening.

Not just her, Heiyunxiao was even more shocked.

Xu Fei in the tree hollow didn't understand the meaning, but Yuming was stunned, not quite grasping it either.

Yuming knew who 'Earth Mother' was; apart from the Commander of the Sinao Mansion, no one else would dare to use this title.

As for Xiya Lady, he had heard of her, a powerful demon. If 'Earth Mother' personally killed Xiya Lady, could it be related to the attack on the candidates?

He didn't know the truth behind the events, so he couldn't fully understand.

"This happened two days ago." Gaoyuan pulled out a piece of paper and casually threw it.

Rat Old Woman caught it out of the air, unfolded it, and read the message, sighing, "Forget it, it's better to resolve conflicts than to hold grudges. Let him go."

This statement stunned not only Gaoyuan and Jiangshan but even the fierce Heiyunxiao, who didn't expect Rat Old Woman to be so forgiving.

Gaoyuan was furious, "Old woman, how many of your juniors have died? How many of Jiang brother's Fog Shadow Clan were burned by the mountain fire? Over thirty of my eagle slaves were killed by this despicable couple. How can I let them off? Jiang brother, can you agree?"

Jiangshan snorted, "I can't agree! Rat Old Woman, are you out of your mind? If you insist on blocking us, don't blame us for turning against you!"

Rat Old Woman looked at the two and knew that the 'it's better to resolve conflicts' argument wouldn't work. She cackled and revealed the truth, "The fog is almost gone, the eagle slaves have stopped, and Bailan has probably realized something is wrong and is retreating. There's no need to fight to the death and let Jin Huahai benefit.

If we let them live, they will be a hindrance. This brute always listens to his wife and will be three steps behind in front of Bailan. He won't abandon Bailan and run alone. Letting him live will give us more strength to hinder them, making it easier for us to escape. If they die, it's not our fault. If they escape, the Sinao Mansion won't let them go, saving us from being pursued alone.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not helping them. We need to consider escaping from the Sinao Mansion. As long as we survive this, we can settle accounts with this despicable couple later. I've said my piece. If you want to kill him, I won't stop you. I'll leave first!" She threw the cane into the air, and the wooden 'stick insect' opened its eyes, revealing a pair of black, gem-like eyes.

Yuming, who was peeking through a crack in the tree bark, was amazed. This lifelike cane was actually a living creature.

The cane's back split open, revealing black, curtain-like wings that fluttered, causing nearby leaves to dance.

Rat Old Woman flashed up, her form suddenly shrinking in the air, transforming into a gray-furred rat the size of a rabbit. She landed on the neck of the 'stick insect' and sat there, pointing a direction with her paw.

The flying insect adjusted its direction and sped away, quickly carrying Rat Old Woman's form out of sight in the treetops.

Gaoyuan and Jiangshan on the branch exchanged glances, both finally letting out a cold snort and leaping into the air, indeed heeding Rat Old Woman's advice and letting Heiyunxiao go.

Yuming secretly sighed in relief. It was good they stopped fighting; otherwise, with their cultivation levels, no one could hide in this small area. He silently urged Heiyunxiao to leave quickly.

The leaves swirling around Heiyunxiao slowly fell, the murderous aura around his claws gradually fading, and his eyes returning to their normal color.

He walked forward calmly, heading back to the large tree where he had originally landed, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings. The bloody wound on his chest seemed to have no effect on him, and his fierce aura remained.

Yuming, in the tree hollow, changed his position to peek through another gap, feeling somewhat frustrated. From the conversation, it seemed the ambush on the candidates had failed. Why wasn't this man leaving quickly? Why was he going back?

The fog was now very light, and he could see quite far. He noticed Heiyunxiao heading back toward the carriages, and he mourned for his precious spirit rice, wondering how he could retrieve it with such a powerful demon cultivator guarding it.

Thinking of the two thousand taels of silver he had lost, he shivered with pain.

Suddenly, Yuming's eyes widened. Heiyunxiao's body swayed abnormally.

Not only did he sway, but he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, kneeling on one knee, his hand on his chest, and his head lowered as he panted.

Gaoyuan's claw to his chest had not been fatal, but the hidden attack in Jiangshan's fog had severely wounded him, leaving him heavily injured on the spot.

With two injuries叠加, he was unwilling and dared not show weakness, but had to keep fighting.

He knew that if he had shown any signs of defeat, Rat Old Woman might not have spoken up for him. A person who could no longer hinder their escape was better off dead, and they would have killed him out of anger.

Fortunately, the fierce aura he displayed had fooled the three, and he had managed to survive...

He spat blood? He couldn't even stand? Yuming's emotions were turbulent. His gaze shifted from Heiyunxiao to the three carriages, and his hand subconsciously reached for the hilt of his sword, gripping it tightly.

Should he take advantage of his weakness and finish him off?

It was an opportunity, but it also carried risks. Even if Heiyunxiao was heavily injured, he might still be a formidable opponent.

However, this was two thousand taels of silver. Was it worth taking a risk for two thousand taels of silver?

That was his money, and he couldn't just let it go.

Yuming's emotions were unsettled as he carefully observed Heiyunxiao.

One reason made him decide to act: Heiyunxiao couldn't even stand!

This showed how severely he was injured.

Opportunities are fleeting, and Yuming knew he didn't have much time. The ambush could end at any moment, and a group of demon cultivators could return at any time. He needed to leave quickly.

He released the hilt of his sword and lifted the Mo Ying Bow from his back.

Rushing in with a sword to face a Xuan-level expert, even if injured, he lacked the confidence. Fortunately, he had found the Mo Ying Bow on the road.

Though not an archer, he knew the basics of shooting. He might not have the accuracy of a master archer, but he could still hit at close range.

He drew an arrow from his quiver and placed it on the bow, ready to sneak out of the tree hollow to attack, but hesitated, drawing two more arrows.

He planned to shoot three arrows at once: one for precision, two for luck, increasing the chances of hitting.

Just as he took a step out of the tree hollow, he became nervous, remembering that Heiyunxiao was not human but a demon cultivator. The vital points he saw might not be the same as those of his true form. In other words, even if he hit with the Mo Ying Bow, it might not kill him.

Xu Fei watched his hesitant actions with wide eyes, feeling inexplicably anxious, wondering what he was planning.

Yuming suddenly clenched his teeth, holding the bow and arrows in one hand, and with the other, pulled a small metal bottle from his pocket.

Xu Fei was surprised; he recognized it. Wasn't this the Xuan-level Spirit-Detecting Dew, a reward from the riddle game, refined by Master Yu Qi?

Yuming bit off the seal and quickly unscrewed the cap, pouring out the thick dew.

Three drops of Spirit-Detecting Dew were placed on the three arrowheads. He channeled his energy, and the dew immediately spread, enveloping the arrowheads in a faint silver glow.

Using the Spirit-Detecting Dew, Yuming was making a significant investment, but he had done the math. Using some Spirit-Detecting Dew to recover two thousand taels of silver was a good deal.

Xu Fei wasn't stupid; what could be worth using the Spirit-Detecting Dew? He guessed what Yuming was planning and was genuinely worried, grabbing Yuming's sleeve to try to dissuade him.

Yuming immediately covered his mouth, glaring and warning him to be silent, as he had warned him before not to make any noise in the tree hollow.

He quickly screwed the cap back on the bottle and hid it.

He placed the three arrows on the bowstring, peeked through the tree bark crack to confirm Heiyunxiao was still heavily injured, and quietly approached the tree hollow entrance, first checking the surroundings.