Having lost his mount, the mysterious man panicked. He was already weak and could only survive by drinking blood. Without his mount, he was a sitting duck, and his second Spirit Skill wouldn't be enough to withstand those two kids' attacks.
A bone-chilling cold then spread through his entire body.
"C-cold!" The blood he had just spat from the corner of his mouth froze solid, turning into a sword that plunged into his chest. More blood welled up and froze, again and again, as if the cycle would never end.
"First Spirit Skill, Spirit Roar!" Qian Yun's soft voice rang out once more from within the mist.
"Heh heh, if you won't let me live, then you can die with me! Third Spirit Skill, Blood Surge!" His face twisted with madness. The third Spirit Ring beneath his feet suddenly blazed, and a terrifying shock wave burst forth. Wherever the attack passed, its dark, blood-red force withered everything, as though stripping away all life.
"Ha ha ha ha! Die, all of you!" The Evil Spirit Master laughed triumphantly. He could already picture the next moment, when the two scrawny little kids with only two Spirit Rings would be blown to pieces.
"Gah?" His laughter was quickly cut off in his throat.
Once the attack entered the mist, it seemed to hit nothing at all. The mist remained as still as a stone sinking into the sea, without the slightest ripple.
And Qian Yun's attack was nowhere to be seen.
"Boom!"
A thunderclap exploded behind him, right by his ear. As lightning struck, the nightmare-like crimson mist that had surrounded him was finally pierced.
He looked over in despair. What stood before him now was even more terrifying than a nightmare. Qian Yun held countless bolts of lightning in his right hand, a Crown on his head. His bright golden eyes held no emotion; he looked as merciless as Death himself. Qian Yun's appearance meant his life was about to reach its final moment.
"Bastard! How can this be?! Third Spirit Skill, Blood Surge!" Feeling his life in danger, he tried to unleash Blood Surge once more.
But this time, it didn't go so smoothly. A wispy white flame silently drifted down before his contorted face.
"Pop." It sounded like a bubble bursting, or a dream fading. The quiet little sound made him feel as though he'd returned to that summer in his childhood, playing with his friends.
As the bubble burst, his third Spirit Skill vanished with it.
A streak of lightning then dragged a long trail of light as it plunged straight into his chest. Its dazzling radiance mercilessly crushed his spirit. In his final moment, he saw Qian Yun once more. And from the sensation in his chest, he finally understood: the thing in Qian Yun's hand wasn't lightning, but a sharp sword!
Qian Yun pulled the light-sword from the man's chest. The Evil Spirit Master had sensed correctly: what killed him wasn't ordinary lightning, but Qian Yun's second Spirit Skill, Spirit Blade.
The Evil Spirit Master's body crashed limply to the ground. Qian Yun finally let the Spirit Blade in his hand disperse.
"Phew." Qian Yun let out a long breath. The fight hadn't lasted long, but it had taken a heavy toll on him. His second Spirit Skill, which had finished off the enemy, had drained nearly half of his Soul Power all at once.
Looking at the corpse with its charred chest and its final, contorted expression, Qian Yun felt his stomach churn. He wouldn't be sleeping well for days.
Still, he didn't regret killing the Evil Spirit Master in the slightest.
During his year and more at Pope Hall, he'd learned from countless cases just how dangerous Evil Spirit Masters were. He was certain that if the two of them had lost that fight, they would have wished they were dead.
"Qian Yun, are you all right?" Hu Liena stepped forward and steadied his shoulder. That fight had taken a heavy toll on both of them.
Qian Yun shook his head. "I'm fine. I just need to rest a bit."
"That's all that matters." Hu Liena patted her flat chest, still shaken. "That was close. If we hadn't set up Fox Charm in advance to disrupt his judgment, and adjusted our positions in time, his third Spirit Skill would've killed us."
Hu Liena's gaze followed the blood-red light as it streaked away across the grass. She couldn't bear to imagine what it would've looked like if that thing had hit them.
"The captain's here. You know what to say, right?" Qian Yun sensed Yake Entu approaching.
"Mm, I understand!" Hu Liena nodded. The next moment, a towering figure radiating a savage aura crashed down behind her, sending a powerful gust that whipped her hair.
Qian Yun looked over. Yake Entu had already activated Martial Soul Possession. He'd transformed into a towering gorilla-like figure, and four Spirit Rings—white, yellow, yellow, and yellow—flashed in succession beneath his feet.
"Are you two all right?!" Yake Entu asked Qian Yun and Hu Liena in a deep, rumbling voice.
"We're fine. We found the Evil Spirit Master, and we also found Jie'en's missing nephew." As he spoke, Qian Yun pointed at the corpse on the ground and a person nearby.
Yake Entu froze for a moment, then dispelled Martial Soul Possession. He looked at the two figures on the ground, then surveyed the wrecked scene before finally letting out a long breath.
"Phew. The moment I heard the commotion over here, I guessed something might've happened to you. Thank goodness you're all right." Yake Entu's gaze fell on the Evil Spirit Master. Frowning, he looked at Qian Yun, then back at the corpse, and asked uncertainly, "Did you two do this?"
"Of course! It took everything we had to bring him down. Why, Captain, don't you believe in our abilities?" Hu Liena stepped forward, unable to hide her pride.
Yake Entu quickly waved his hands. "No, no. I just can't quite believe it."
Two Spirit Masters with two Spirit Rings had taken down a three-ring Spirit Master—and an Evil Spirit Master, who was stronger than ordinary Spirit Masters! Judging by the scene, the fight had even seemed one-sided. Who would believe that?
Seeing that he was about to ask more, Qian Yun hurriedly said, "By the way, Captain, since you came all the way here yourself, does that mean the mission to wipe them out is over?"
"Oh, the mission's pretty much done. This troop of monkeys was easier to deal with than we expected."
"Mm, we've finished wiping out the monkeys, and we found Jie'en's nephew for him, too. Looks like our first mission was a complete success!" Hu Liena clapped her hands and smiled with satisfaction.
Faced with Hu Liena's unflappable attitude, Yake Entu didn't know what to say. They'd just been on the brink of death, after all.
Still, just as she'd said, the mission had been a complete success!
On the way back, Yake Entu considered how unbelievable it was that Qian Yun and Hu Liena had defeated a three-ring Evil Spirit Master. He decided to take credit for it himself, changing the story to say that the two of them had discovered the Evil Spirit Master, and that he'd arrived in time to save them.
Even so, when the other team members heard that the two youngsters had held out against an Evil Spirit Master until their captain arrived, they were full of admiration.
That night, in Stone Village.
The village was undoubtedly lively that evening.
Old Jie'en truly didn't know how to thank them. They were Spirit Masters, yet they'd still risked their lives to fight an Evil Spirit Master—and had actually brought his nephew back.
As Jie'en thanked them with tears in his eyes, Yake Entu shook his head and said it had been no trouble. At the dining table, Qian Yun stared blankly at the feast spread before him, but he had no appetite at all. If anything, he felt like throwing up.
He left the lively dining hall alone. The moment he stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air, he felt much better.
Turning his head, he noticed a small figure crouched by the window nearby.
It looked like a little girl. She wore a coarse cloth shirt that had been thrown on carelessly and didn't quite fit, while a long scorpion braid stuck up from her head.
She was clinging to the window, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck as she tried to peer inside.
Qian Yun found it amusing and walked over to pat her on the shoulder. "Hey, kiddo, what are you doing?"
The little girl didn't seem startled at all when he touched her shoulder. She simply turned around, and her delicate, spirited face instantly took Qian Yun's breath away.
The little girl looked him up and down with a pair of bright, watery eyes, then pointed at herself with a small finger. "Are you talking about me?"
Qian Yun came to his senses and nodded, still a little dazed. For some reason, this little girl felt different to him. Her gaze was pure, but unlike other children, she didn't have a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.
"Yeah. What are you doing leaning on the window? Are you hungry and hoping for something to eat?" Qian Yun asked gently. From the look of her, she was clearly craving the food.
Seeing her nod, Qian Yun added, "If you want some, I can go inside and get you a little."
The little girl's eyes lit up. She grabbed his arm, her bright, expectant eyes sparkling. "Really?"
Qian Yun thought she must be starving. "Of course. I was one of the heroes of this mission. Getting you some food won't be a problem."
"Wait here a moment. I'll go get you some."
At Qian Yun's words, the little girl nodded eagerly. "Mm-hmm, hurry up. I'm starving to death here."
As she spoke, she lowered her head and rubbed her stomach, looking aggrieved.
After going inside, Qian Yun walked to the table and picked up an untouched plate. He helped himself to the food without hesitation. Luckily, everyone was caught up in the lively atmosphere, and nobody noticed.
With a plate piled high with food, Qian Yun went outside to the little girl, who could hardly wait.
"Here." Qian Yun handed her the plate.
The little girl glanced at him without even saying thank you, then grabbed a chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Heh." Qian Yun didn't mind. Seeing how quickly she was eating, he thoughtfully handed her a glass of juice.
"Hehe." Her mouth full and her lips glistening with grease, she smiled happily.
"Slow down. Nobody's going to steal it from you." Seeing how silly she looked, Qian Yun couldn't help smiling too.
A while later
After she'd eaten her fill, the little girl finally spoke again. "You're not a bad human. You're a good one. Xiao Wu enjoyed the food."
At that, Qian Yun narrowed his eyes. "Y-you said your name was Xiao Wu?"
"Yeah. Is there a problem?" Xiao Wu asked indistinctly, her small, fair hand gripping a chicken leg.
"Soft Bone Charm Rabbit?"
At Qian Yun's next words, the little girl's face turned deathly pale, her mouth still pressed to the chicken leg.
Before you continue