"Really not?"
"I'll stake my reputation, after a lifetime of reading women, that once this little girl grows up, she absolutely—"
"That's enough... Stop, Teacher..."
Before Feng Qingyang could finish, Xue Mingqing frowned and cut him off.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and responded to Feng Qingyang inwardly.
"I, Xue Mingqing, am no opportunist who takes advantage of another's misfortune. I can't bring myself to do something so despicable..."
With that, Xue Mingqing stopped paying attention to Feng Qingyang in his mind and walked straight toward Ning Yurong.
Feng Qingyang was left alone, sitting cross-legged with his chin propped up in Xue Mingqing's Spirit Sea.
He raised an eyebrow. His handsome, pale face remained completely impassive, wearing only a calm expression that seemed to say, I knew you'd do this.
With a soft chuckle, Feng Qingyang closed his eyes and sank once more into the depths of Xue Mingqing's Spirit Sea...
Ignoring Feng Qingyang's suggestion, Xue Mingqing walked over to Ning Yurong and handed her his handkerchief.
"Wipe your face first. My name is Xue Mingqing..."
Ning Yurong froze for a moment. After coming to her senses, she pressed her lips together and accepted the handkerchief Xue Mingqing offered her.
"Thank you..."
She offered her thanks in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, then lowered her head and wiped the grime from her delicate face.
At that moment, Wang Chao also came over, his expression visibly grave.
As the strongest person in the group at present, he had to remain exceptionally cautious. Since that spirit beast had effortlessly wiped out the entire Nine Treasures Glazed Sect caravan—
Could it wipe out their current team as well?
His expression gloomy, as if a Blizzard were brewing, Wang Chao looked at Ning Yurong and asked hoarsely,
"Little girl, are there any soul masters in your group? What is the strongest person's cultivation?"
At his words, Ning Yurong's delicate body trembled. It was as if she had recalled the terror of the previous night, but—
She still bit down hard on her lower lip, her eyes rimmed red, and raised a beautiful face that was otherworldly and stunning, yet carried a trace of determination.
"There are fifteen people in our group, including me. Five Soul Kings, eight Soul Elders, and one Soul Emperor..."
"I'm only a Soul Master with one ring..."
Upon hearing this, everyone present changed expression. Even such an extravagantly powerful lineup had been effortlessly wiped out—what about them?
After all, even counting Ning Yurong and Xue Mingqing, their full lineup consisted of only two Soul Masters, five Soul Kings, and one Soul Emperor.
There was simply no comparison with the Nine Treasures Caravan!
Then... if even the Nine Treasures Caravan had been wiped out, the Four-Eyed Demon Fox had to possess at least the strength of a Soul Saint...
For a Soul Saint to wipe them out would be as easy as splashing water...?
At the same time, the more these mercenaries recalled the habits of the Four-Eyed Demon Fox, the worse their expressions became.
The way they looked at Ning Yurong also grew strange.
Feeling the mercenaries' strange gazes, Ning Yurong's delicate body trembled. She didn't understand why they were looking at her like that.
But the head she had just raised drooped again.
For a moment, nearly all the mercenaries stared at Ning Yurong, yet not one of them spoke.
Under that eerie atmosphere, the mood throughout the team grew heavy...
Sensing instinctively that something was wrong, Xue Mingqing raised his eyes and looked toward Wang Chao.
He tried to find an explanation for the strange atmosphere from him.
Sensing Xue Mingqing's puzzled, searching gaze, Wang Chao narrowed his eyes. He lowered his head and explained to Xue Mingqing,
"Young Master, you may not know this, but although the Four-Eyed Demon Fox has four eyes, it's extremely vindictive. If a hunt fails, it will pursue its prey to the ends of the earth, unless it dies..."
"Do you understand now... Little Young Master...?"
Hearing this, Xue Mingqing's pupils contracted. How could he not understand why the mercenaries were looking at Ning Yurong so strangely?
She had survived the Four-Eyed Demon Fox's attack, which meant she was plainly a living target that could lure it back here!
Realizing this, even Xue Mingqing couldn't help giving Ning Yurong another odd look.
And Ning Yurong?
She wasn't stupid either. The moment Wang Chao finished speaking, she realized her current predicament.
With her head lowered, she forcibly suppressed the trembling of her body and let fear gnaw at her bit by bit.
Looking at Ning Yurong's trembling body, the mercenaries' gazes were as cold as ice, as if they were looking at a dead woman.
They lived by the blade, walking along the edge of death to earn their money. They naturally wouldn't care about a complete stranger like Ning Yurong.
After all, Xue Mingqing was the one who had hired them, not her.
Moving several steps away from Ning Yurong, Ma Han raised his head and looked at Wang Chao.
"Brother Wang, why don't we leave her here to fend for herself? We should hurry back to the city and lie low. That beast's target is her, so we should be fine."
Wang Chao shook his head. He didn't answer Ma Han's suggestion directly, instead turning his gaze toward Xue Mingqing, who stood silently with his head lowered.
Seeing this, all the mercenaries' gazes focused on Xue Mingqing.
Including—
Ning Yurong, who was wrapped in despair.
And Xue Mingqing?
At that moment, he wasn't standing silently with his head lowered because he was distracted. He had entered his Spirit Sea.
Within the Spirit Sea, Xue Mingqing arrived in front of Feng Qingyang.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Teacher, you heard everything, right?"
Feng Qingyang sat cross-legged with his chin propped up and yawned.
"I heard it. What, do you want to protect her?"
Hearing Feng Qingyang's question, Xue Mingqing nodded, then shook his head. His dark eyes were filled with resolve.
"I'm not cold-blooded. If I had nothing to worry about myself, protecting her for a while wouldn't matter. But—"
At this, Xue Mingqing's gaze darkened.
"If I'm forced to abandon her, I won't insist on saving her either..."
Hearing this, Feng Qingyang chuckled softly. His blue-green eyes were filled with appreciation and approval for Xue Mingqing.
"Do whatever you want without hesitation. A few strands of my soul have recovered. Though I'm still far from being able to roam the world unrivaled, I..."
"Can still protect you all."
After receiving Feng Qingyang's assurance, Xue Mingqing's eyes lit up, and his consciousness instantly left the Spirit Sea.
Outside, he raised his head and met everyone's gazes.
He swept his eyes over the group before finally looking at Ning Yurong.
Seeing this, everyone instinctively held their breath, waiting for Xue Mingqing to make the final decision.
Especially Ning Yurong. Her beautiful, reddened eyes were brimming with despair and fear, yet they still held a trace of hope...
If possible, she didn't want to die either...
At that moment, Xue Mingqing spoke.
"Bring her with us. We'll return to the city first, find my mother, and deal with this beast before anything else."
At his words, Ning Yurong's delicate body shook!
She looked up at Xue Mingqing in disbelief. Her eyes held seven parts disbelief and three parts gratitude so intense it seemed ready to overflow!
After realizing she wouldn't have to die, Ning Yurong's beautiful eyes filled with tears. Her knees weakened, and she was about to kneel before Xue Mingqing!
"Thank you... Thank you, truly...!"
Seeing this, how could Xue Mingqing let her kneel? He stepped forward and extended both hands, supporting her delicate body and keeping her from going down.
His voice steady and gentle, he said,
"No need to thank me. Let's return to the city first. We'll talk once we're there."
Unable to kneel and with no choice but to stand, Ning Yurong nodded through her tears.
As for the other mercenaries, after witnessing the entire scene, each of their faces was as dark as the bottom of a pot!
Although they were dissatisfied with Xue Mingqing's decision, their professional principle was to take people's money and eliminate their troubles. In the end, they said nothing.
Rubbing his brow, Wang Chao sighed.
"Since it's decided, then we'll..."
Wang Chao had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the entire sky suddenly darkened!
In an instant, coldness and killing intent came rolling over...
At this sight, the pupils of Wang Chao and the other mercenaries contracted sharply!
"Not good! This is the Four-Eyed Demon Fox's Hunting Domain! Damn it... It's here!!"
Just as the domain unfolded and the mercenaries panicked and grew alert—
A string of shrill, sinister laughter unlike anything a human could produce rang out...
Before you continue