Shi Zhong

After saying that, Shi Zhong formed a hand seal, preparing to cast a spell.

Seeing this, Hua Ying hurriedly stepped in front of Yan Chihuo and shouted, "Shi Zhong, how dare you harm an honored guest of our Flower Clan?"

Shi Zhong asked in surprise, "He is an honored guest of your Flower Clan?"

"Of course. Our clan chief personally invited him. If you hurt him, watch out for our clan chief settling the score with you." As it turned out, Shi Zhong was a man-eating grass spirit. He most enjoyed devouring human Cultivators and demons.

Though Shi Zhong found the matter utterly unbelievable, Hua Ying's wholehearted defense of Yan Chihuo was plainly genuine. Knowing she was not lying, he could only say, "My deepest apologies. I did not know. I hope this fellow Daoist will be magnanimous."

Yan Chihuo said, "One cannot blame the ignorant. May I ask, Fellow Daoist Shi, how did you know I was a human cultivator? Human cultivators are rare on the Myriad Demon Grassland, let alone in the Spirit-Devouring Forest."

Hua Ying said, "We flower spirits and tree monsters differ from you human Cultivators. Whoever becomes a spirit monster has received an immense stroke of fortune, and even one at the Body Tempering Stage must be several thousand years old. Though human Cultivators are rare on the Myriad Demon Grassland, over the past several thousand years, there have always been a few who blundered into the Spirit-Devouring Forest. Naturally, they could not hide from us."

She turned to Shi Zhong again. "What are you doing here?"

Shi Zhong said, "I came specifically to find you."

"Find me? For what?"

"I came at Teng Rong's request. He said that as long as you hand over that Earth Divine Ape, everything can be discussed."

"Hmph, he