Royal Hunting Ground

"Crack—"

Bofeng's face was pale, his eyes vacant, and faint bloodstains marked his body as he pushed open the door with the little girl.

"Brother Feng, where did you go last night?"

Bofeng had been out all night. Sister Xiaobai, who had waited here through the night, had not slept a wink. In this unfamiliar city, she did not believe anyone could pose a threat to Bofeng.

Seeing the blood on Bofeng and his hollow eyes, she watched as he staggered to a chair, picked up a cup of water, and gulped it down wildly.

"Brother Feng, what happened last night? Why is there blood on you? Who hurt you?" Sister Xiaobai asked urgently.

"Sister..."

Bofeng hesitated before saying, "I killed someone."

The air instantly fell silent. Sister Xiaobai looked at Bofeng, who had always been obedient and well-behaved, and she could hardly believe what he had said.

"Brother Feng, what... did you say?"

"I killed someone," Bofeng repeated.

"You little brat! Before we left, the High Priest specifically told you not to cause trouble. It's only your fifth day on the Douluo Continent, and you've already killed someone!" Sister Xiaobai exploded in anger.

Then she looked at Bofeng's dazed eyes. This was different from hunting soul beasts in the past. Those had been living, breathing people.

Bofeng's feelings were incomparably complicated. Last night, he had been furious beyond measure, and the Evil Whale Demon Breaking Slash had unleashed its greatest power.

Sister Xiaobai let out a long sigh. Looking at the silent Bofeng, she patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "All right, Sister Xiaobai doesn't mean to blame you. What's done is done. Who exactly was the person you killed?"

"And where did this little girl come from?" Sister Xiaobai asked, glancing at Nannan, who was sitting nearby.

Bofeng recalled, "Last night..."

After he carefully recounted everything that had happened the previous night, Sister Xiaobai angrily punched the table. She deeply sympathized with what the little girl had suffered.

"A bunch of damned beasts. They deserved to be killed. Brother Feng, you did well in this matter."

She looked at Bofeng, whose spirits were low and whose confusion had yet to fade.

Sister Xiaobai comforted him, "All right, this is something everyone must go through in life. As a soul master, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, I never expected your first killing to come so soon. You'll be fine from now on."

Then Sister Xiaobai turned her gaze to Nannan, who sat nearby. The little girl had yet to emerge from the shadow of losing her father. She sat blankly on the bed, scenes of her life with her father replaying in her mind.

"Your name is Nannan, right?" Sister Xiaobai sat beside the little girl.

Looking at the kind and approachable Sister Xiaobai, Nannan froze for a moment before nodding. "Are you Sister Xiaobai? Before coming here, this big brother told me about you."

"I am Xiaobai," Sister Xiaobai said.

Recalling what Bofeng had just told her, Sister Xiaobai sympathized with the girl's plight. At such a young age, she should not have had to bear so much.

Besides, since Bofeng had promised to fulfill the man's final wish, he had to keep his word. They had originally been heading to Heaven Dou City with only Bofeng and Sister Xiaobai. Now that they had one more little sister, the journey would certainly be much livelier.

"If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just tell them Sister Xiaobai sent you."

Nannan nodded blankly, still unable to escape the shadow of her father's death.

Along with Bofeng, who had just taken a life, both of them remained silent. Only Sister Xiaobai spoke.

They had originally planned to set out for Heaven Dou City that day, but given their current state...

Thus, the three of them could only remain in Silvis City and wait until Bofeng and Nannan were feeling better the next day before continuing toward Heaven Dou City.

After a night of mental adjustment, Bofeng finally emerged from the shadow of killing.

Early in the morning, Bofeng rented a carriage. The three entered it, and at the carriage's speed, it would not be long before they reached their destination.

The sun shone brightly that day, making it perfect for travel.

Bofeng drove the carriage while, inside, Sister Xiaobai held Nannan and watched the beautiful scenery along the way.

They passed through a dense forest. The carriage rolled forward slowly, lush shrubs filling the woods as flocks of birds occasionally swept overhead.

"Whoosh—"

A cold glint shot toward Bofeng. It was a sharp crossbow bolt. Bofeng hurriedly raised his Trident and sliced the incoming bolt in two.

"Whoa—"

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Bofeng scanned the surroundings. This was his first time on the Douluo Continent; he could not possibly have any enemies.

The trees here grew thickly. It was the perfect place for an ambush.

"Brother Feng, what happened?" Sister Xiaobai poked her head out from the carriage and asked.

"Sister Xiaobai, a crossbow bolt just flew straight at me. There must be some unusual situation here," Bofeng said gravely.

Seeing the bolt on the ground, cleaved into two pieces, Sister Xiaobai immediately leaped from the carriage and shielded Nannan behind her as she vigilantly surveyed the surroundings.

The silence was terrifying. Other than the breeze rustling the grass, hurried footsteps could faintly be heard. It seemed their opponents had many people.

Bofeng scanned the area with a grim expression. Someone was coming!

"Assassins!" ×N

At that moment, a squad of soldiers wielding steel spears surrounded the three of them and their carriage. Their cold spearpoints were aimed directly at them.

Nannan hid behind Sister Xiaobai. These people looked fierce and menacing. Each soldier wore silver-gold armor, and they were battle-hardened veterans who had fought on the battlefield.

"Sir, we were merely passing through. May I ask what is happening here?" Bofeng hurriedly asked.

The soldier leading the group said coldly, "Don't move. This is the Royal Hunting Ground. We announced it throughout the city yesterday. Today, His Majesty will lead His Highness the Crown Prince and the ministers in the annual royal hunt here. This place has already been completely sealed off. How did you get in here? Or..."

"You are assassins, planning to..."

As he spoke, the soldiers moved their spears closer to the three of them. The emperor's safety outweighed everything else.

Bofeng nodded at Sister Xiaobai, signaling that he would handle it and telling her to protect Nannan.

Sister Xiaobai nodded and gathered Nannan into her arms.

"What assassin brings his whole family along?" Bofeng shrugged helplessly.

"Uh..."

The soldiers stared at one another, at a loss for what to do.

"Whoa..."

"What exactly is going on?"

A teenage boy rode over on a white horse, dressed in magnificent clothes woven with golden threads. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his face was filled with displeasure.

The soldiers hurriedly dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness the Fourth Prince."

The Fourth Prince?

This was the Heaven Dou Empire, so this Fourth Prince was...

Xue Beng!

Judging from his expression, he was clearly in a foul mood.

From what Bofeng knew of this Fourth Prince, it was all merely an act, meant to keep that so-called "big brother" from becoming suspicious.

"You useless fools! Father Emperor will arrive any moment now. Why haven't you seized them already?"