Truth be told, anyone with functioning eyes could tell why Tong Huanyou had been so eager to curry favor with Xie Zhili.
Tong Huanyou’s heart skipped violently, but she forced herself to remain calm on the surface. With a playful grin, she laughed awkwardly:
“Big Brother Xie? W-well… he’s not injured or anything, so naturally there’s no need for me to worry myself over him, hahaha…”
She had almost casually said that Song Yingyue was already worrying about him anyway.
But the moment she caught the faint shadow lurking in Yu Qingci’s eyes, she instantly changed her wording in fright.
Fortunately, Yu Qingci didn’t seem to care whether her words were sincere or not. He merely cast her a lazy glance before striding straight into the house.
“Hey? Wait for me!” Tong Huanyou hurriedly jogged after him.
The moment the two entered the room, their eyes were immediately drawn to the stone enshrined in the center of the main hall.
Tong Huanyou craned her neck curiously and peeked inside.
“This stone… it can’t actually be that monster’s true form, right?”
“Afraid?” Yu Qingci asked.
“How could I be?” Tong Huanyou immediately plastered on a flattering smile. “Young Master Yu will definitely protect me, won’t you~?”
Yu Qingci turned his head slightly and lowered his gaze toward her.
“Not necessarily.”
But at that very instant—
The stone suddenly began trembling.
Then the entire house violently shook.
Dust exploded through the air like a sandstorm. The walls creaked eerily while teacups and flower vases crashed onto the floor one after another, shattering loudly into pieces.
Tong Huanyou instantly grabbed tightly onto Yu Qingci’s sleeve, desperately trying to steady herself.
“What the heck is happening?!”
In the next second, the stone enshrined in the hall suddenly rose into the air and shot toward them like a crazed runaway beast.
“A thing that can’t even take human form dares act up before me?”
Yu Qingci remained utterly calm.
The instant he lifted his eyes, a dazzling white barrier materialized before them, firmly blocking the stone’s attack.
With a slight flick of his fingers—
The stone exploded instantly into fragments.
Flying debris scattered everywhere.
And just like that, the violent commotion abruptly ceased.
“D-did it die?” Tong Huanyou asked timidly while staring at the shattered pieces on the floor.
Yu Qingci raised a brow.
“You guess.”
“Ha… ha…”
Tong Huanyou laughed awkwardly.
Guess your ass.
I’m guessing you’ve got brain damage, you lunatic.
Just as she thought everything had ended, she suddenly sensed something wrong.
“With all this noise… why hasn’t Sister-in-law Zhang reacted at all?”
Thinking this, Tong Huanyou started heading toward the nearby bedroom.
“The dead naturally don’t react.”
Yu Qingci’s cold voice sounded behind her.
Tong Huanyou’s breathing halted.
“D-dead?”
At that exact moment, a strand of sinister black mist suddenly drifted out from the shattered stone fragments and rapidly fled outward like a ghost.
Seeing this, Yu Qingci ignored the still-frozen Tong Huanyou entirely and immediately strode out of the house.
“Hey! You’re leaving again without saying anything?!” Tong Huanyou complained with one hand on her hip.
“I don’t happen to share Miss Tong’s hobby of staying inside rooms with corpses.”
Yu Qingci casually waved behind himself without even turning around.
The instant she heard that, a chilling coldness shot straight down Tong Huanyou’s spine.
Terrified, she immediately bolted after him.
“Wait for me…”
As she passed the unconscious Brother Zhang, she continuously muttered apologies under her breath.
After leaving the Zhang residence, Tong Huanyou silently wondered whether this man was planning to abandon her again.
And if she used the speed shoes later and accidentally knocked another innocent person unconscious, what then?
But unexpectedly—
Yu Qingci suddenly stopped walking, turned around, and without warning hoisted her directly onto his shoulder again.
Tong Huanyou’s feet abruptly left the ground.
“Hey hey hey! What are you doing this time?!”
“Be quiet.”
Yu Qingci looked irritated and casually smacked her on the back.
Unfortunately—
Tong Huanyou was still struggling wildly at that exact moment.
So his hand landed directly on…
Her butt.
The air froze instantly.
Both their expressions stiffened simultaneously.
Even their eyes trembled slightly.
The surroundings became so silent that only their unnaturally heavy breathing remained…
Tong Huanyou’s mouth twitched furiously as rage exploded inside her. Her grip on Yu Qingci’s clothes tightened.
Is that your butt to smack?!
“Ahem.”
Yu Qingci curled a fist lightly against his lips and coughed awkwardly, pretending absolutely nothing had happened.
Then, with two fingers joined together, the longsword at his waist flew from its sheath and landed beneath his feet.
The next second—
The two shot into the air, riding the sword toward the mountain peak at incredible speed.
Their view widened rapidly. Scenery rushed past in a blur while violent wind howled beside their ears.
Tong Huanyou’s hair whipped wildly through the air as panic surged through her entire body.
Then a bloodcurdling scream tore through the night:
“BIG BROTHER!! I’M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!!!!”
Yu Qingci merely dug lazily at his ear.
Then he accelerated even faster.
Tong Huanyou’s cries were instantly swallowed by the roaring wind.
At the eastern mountain summit—
Song Yingyue and Xie Zhili stood side by side.
Bloodstains marked both their clothes beneath the moonlight.
The surrounding willow trees had snapped and collapsed everywhere. Broken wood and branches littered the ground in utter chaos.
Deep cracks stretched across the earth all the way to the cliff’s edge, as though the mountain itself had been violently torn open.
The wild Buddha statue now had half its face shattered apart.
Suddenly—
Thick black smoke burst from its mouth and surged viciously toward the pair.
Song Yingyue raised her sword and swung it cleanly through the air. Sword flowers bloomed as dozens of phantom blades instantly materialized around her.
At the same time, Xie Zhili drew fiery orange talismans through the air with two fingers, summoning blazing firebirds one after another.
Together with the flying swords—
And accompanied by terrifying gusts of force—
They charged straight toward the black smoke.
The two overwhelming powers collided violently.
The resulting shockwave blasted dirt and rocks everywhere.
At the same moment, a shrill scream echoed through the air.
“I can’t die! I CAN’T DIE!!!”
The two worked together flawlessly, giving the monster absolutely no chance to recover.
With a flick of his hand, a bronze Bagua mirror appeared in Xie Zhili’s palm before he hurled it skyward.
In an instant, the mirror flew above the demon’s head and erupted with dazzling golden light, tightly trapping it beneath the glow.
The brilliance weighed upon it like a thousand tons, suppressing it completely.
Its previously arrogant demeanor instantly collapsed into weakness.
Seeing the creature restrained, the two quickly stepped forward.
Song Yingyue raised her sword and pointed it directly at the wild Buddha.
Her clear, cold voice rang out:
“Speak. Where are the girls you kidnapped before?”