Chapter 5

The little girl stood there, dumbfounded, her mouth half-open, still not recovered from the shock of what had just happened.

She stared blankly at the mangled bodies of the three bearded men, her body weakening as she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

At first, she sobbed softly, as if remembering some sad memory, and then her cries suddenly grew louder.

The wailing, like a dam breaking, shattered the tranquility of the wasteland, a mournful song that seemed to诉 the heavens about the hardships and injustices of the world.

After an unknown amount of time, the crying abruptly stopped.

The little girl stood up again, her fists clenched tightly. The dirt and blood on her face had been washed away by her tears, revealing a delicate and beautiful face. However, there seemed to be something more in her large eyes.

Suddenly, she ran toward a nearby gray boulder.

Beneath the boulder, a mangled body lay in a pool of blood, barely recognizable as the bearded man, who was already dead. A few dozen feet away, another small, mud-like corpse lay, which must have been the horse-faced man.

As for the Daoist Qi, he had been completely shattered by the tall youth's punch, leaving only some scattered flesh and blood nearby.

The little girl leaped to the base of the boulder, and as she raised her hands, her fingers suddenly grew several inches of green nails. She swung them fiercely at the bearded man's mangled body.

The sound of air splitting was heard as green claw-like beams shot out, striking the body.

Blood splattered everywhere, and the already mangled corpse was quickly torn into pieces.

She seemed unsatisfied and spat out a stream of emerald flames, reducing the pieces to ashes.

She then did the same to the horse-faced man's body before stopping.

After finishing, the little girl's knees buckled, and she sat on the ground, panting heavily.

The bit of magical power she had just recovered was once again depleted.

"Father, Mother, Big Brother, Second Sister... one of the Blood Blade Gang's evil men is finally dead. Although I didn't kill him myself, at least some of your grievances have been avenged. Rest assured, as long as I have a breath left, I will one day climb Bloodlight Mountain and make the Blood Blade Gang disappear from this world," the little girl calmed herself and moved to kneel in a certain direction, murmuring.

After saying this, her eyes reddened, and she seemed on the verge of tears, but she forced herself to hold them back.

"No crying, Father said that people who cry a lot don't grow up. I want to grow up quickly!" the little girl said.

After a while, the little girl managed to suppress her urge to cry, stood up again, and looked at the storage bags left by the three bearded men.

She felt some disgust but, after a moment's hesitation, picked them up and put them away.

As the sun moved west, the sky grew dim, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped.

Looking at the desolate surroundings, the little girl felt a bit scared, curling up a bit and instinctively moving closer to the only other living person, the tall youth.

After delivering that punch, the tall youth had returned to his previous dazed state, standing motionless and looking down at his feet, seemingly unaware of what the little girl had just done.

"Big Brother Stone..." the little girl called out hesitantly, not daring to get too close.

The tall youth showed no reaction.

"Big Brother Stone, my name is Liu Leyi. Thank you for killing those three bandits. Although you are human, Father said that there are good people among humans," the little girl said timidly.

The tall youth's body moved slightly, finally showing some reaction. He raised his head slightly and looked at Liu Leyi.

Her reflection appeared in his pupils, and a glimmer of light seemed to flash in his dazed eyes before fading again. However, his eyes remained fixed on Liu Leyi.

This startled Liu Leyi, and she quickly took a few steps back.

However, the tall youth just stood there, staring at her, making no other movements.

Liu Leyi felt relieved, more certain that the youth had some mental issues. Her courage grew, and she tried to move closer, curiously examining him.

In the earlier chaos, she hadn't had a chance to look closely. Now, she could see more clearly.

The youth was tall, with long fingers and well-defined muscles that gave the impression of immense strength.

His eyes, though vacant, had pitch-black pupils that seemed to draw one's soul in if looked at for too long. His exposed skin was dark and extremely smooth, showing no signs of the recent battle.

His green robe, though ordinary-looking, had not been damaged by the lightning and blades.

All of this, along with his ability to absorb the unusual blood mist, indicated that he was far from ordinary, not a mere mortal.

How could a mortal kill three cultivators with magical weapons in just a few moves?

Liu Leyi examined the tall youth, who remained unresponsive. She felt more relaxed and, perhaps due to the aftereffects of the ordeal, walked around him.

The youth's eyes never left Liu Leyi, as if something about her attracted him.

Perhaps because he had saved her and helped her avenge her enemies, Liu Leyi found the tall youth increasingly endearing.

"Hey!"

Liu Leyi suddenly gasped. On the youth's chest, a faint green ornament was visible, crystal-clear, but she couldn't identify it.

She wanted to lift his clothes to get a better look but was hesitant.

At that moment, the wind grew stronger, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, making the surroundings even darker.

Boom!

A thick bolt of lightning split the clouds, illuminating half the sky, followed by a loud thunderclap. Rain poured down in torrents.

"Ah!"

Liu Leyi let out a cry and instinctively hid under the tall youth, hugging his leg, her small body trembling.

Being a fox demon, she had a natural fear of thunder and lightning.

A glimmer of light appeared in the tall youth's eyes but quickly faded. Whether intentionally or not, he slightly bent his body, shielding Liu Leyi from the rain and wind.

Liu Leyi felt a warm sensation in her heart. She was no longer afraid of the storm, feeling as safe as she did in her father's arms.

The rain came and went quickly, and soon the clouds dispersed, leaving a fresh, earthy scent in the air.

Liu Leyi shook off the rain from her body, smiled, and pulled the tall youth's hand, wiping the water droplets from his clothes.

His green robe, made of some unknown material, repelled the rain, forming droplets that rolled off like on a lotus leaf.

The tall youth showed no reaction to Liu Leyi's actions but did not resist, allowing her to do as she pleased.

"By the way, Big Brother Stone, I don't know your name yet," Liu Leyi said, trying to get him to sit down.

The tall youth obediently sat down but remained silent.

"Big Brother Stone, why are you here?"

"Big Brother Stone, that punch was amazing. Can you teach me?"

"Big Brother Stone..."

Liu Leyi tried various ways to communicate with him, but the youth remained unresponsive, leaving her disappointed.

"Big Brother Stone, I don't know who you are, but since you killed the Blood Blade Gang members, let's leave this place together," the little girl finally decided, grabbing the tall youth's large hand and pleading.

Though dazed, the tall youth seemed to understand after Liu Leyi explained for a while. He blinked and finally followed her slowly.

The sky was darkening, and the setting sun was blood-red.

The entire wasteland, bathed in the afterglow, shimmered with a golden light.

The two figures, one large and one small, walked toward the setting sun, and the sound of Liu Leyi's cheerful voice could be heard in the wind.

"Big Brother Stone, I know you're very strong, but there are still many evil people in the Blood Blade Gang!"

"It's getting late, you must be hungry."

"Once we leave here, I'll catch some wild birds and cook them for you. My cooking is pretty good!"

"Big Brother Stone, from now on, I'll treat you like my real brother!"