“Swish, swish!” Two green streaks shot out from the corpses of the shadow beasts, flying back toward a massive boulder nearby. Then, figures flashed as a man and a woman emerged from behind the rock.
The man had ordinary features but clear, sharp eyes, while the woman was strikingly beautiful and gentle—none other than Han Li and Mei Ning. Both now wore light-blue fur coats, and Han Li held a pair of inch-long green daggers in his hands. The hilts of the daggers were wrapped in translucent threads, which turned out to be fine beast tendons.
Han Li strode forward, glancing down at the two shadow beasts slain by his daggers before raising his gaze to the wary group before him.
“Just now, I saw these two Emerald Toad Beasts trying to escape, so I had no choice but to act. I hope you don’t mind,” Han Li said with a smile, his tone friendly. “Rest assured, I don’t need these beasts. I just have a few questions for you—would you mind answering?”
“Really? You don’t want the corpses?” A burly older man, seemingly the leader of the group, asked skeptically.
“Of course not. I’m not short on food,” Han Li replied, nudging the corpses with his foot for emphasis.
“Fine, go ahead and ask,” the man said after a moment’s hesitation, seeing no harm in it.
Pleased with the cooperation, Han Li nodded calmly. “Are you locals?”
“Yes, we’re from Red Earth Village,” the man answered, frowning slightly.
“Good. We’re actually here to ask if your village has taken in any outsiders recently. We’re looking for someone,” Han Li said neutrally.
“Outsiders? No. But last time the rift opened, we found some skeletons in the shadow beasts’ territory—men and women, all reduced to bones. Seems they were unlucky and got devoured by the early-returning beasts,” the man said hesitantly.
“Skeletons?” Mei Ning, standing behind Han Li, paled, her expression darkening.
Over the past month, they had visited three other villages. Though they hadn’t found her brother, a few surviving cultivators had been discovered. But this village? Only dead bodies. A sense of foreboding gripped her heart.
“Right. We buried the remains, but kept their belongings in the village storehouse. Would you like to take a look?” The man, now less wary, offered generously.
“Very well. We’d appreciate it,” Han Li said, glancing at the silent woman beside him. Even if it was just bones, they needed confirmation. If her brother was among them, their search would end here.
“Ha! You talk like a scholar—definitely not from around here. Newcomers, right?” The man chuckled as he directed his group to gather the beast corpses, striking up a friendly conversation with Han Li.
Han Li smiled faintly.
After walking several miles with the group, Han Li and Mei Ning arrived at a small, unfamiliar village.
This settlement was noticeably smaller than the others. Though surrounded by a stone wall, it stood only seven or eight zhang high, with many sections crumbling and unrepaired.
Judging by its size, the village housed barely over a hundred people—a pitifully small population.
Upon entering, the man pointed to a large stone house, apologetically telling Han Li and Mei Ning to inspect the items themselves while he and the villagers dealt with the precious Emerald Toad Beast carcasses.
Han Li didn’t mind, thanking him before leading Mei Ning inside.
…
“Is this really your brother’s?” Han Li asked, eyeing the tattered, bloodstained garment with surprise.
To his astonishment, Mei Ning had immediately recognized her brother’s belongings in the corner of the storehouse. Her face turned deathly pale, her eyes vacant.
“How could I forget this robe? I sewed it for him myself. And this storage pouch bears our family’s unique mark,” Mei Ning murmured, her eyes reddening as she stared at the items, her voice choked.
At a loss for words, Han Li hesitated before gently patting her shoulder twice and quietly exiting the house. He knew she needed time alone.
Sure enough, faint sobs soon echoed from inside. Han Li sighed, gazing at the sky in silence.
After a full quarter-hour, Mei Ning emerged, her eyes slightly swollen.
“Let’s go. Since my brother is gone, there’s no need to visit other villages. We’ll head straight to Stormwind Mountain,” she said calmly, burying her grief deep within.
“Stormwind Mountain is our destination, but first, I need to gather some Shadow Beast Crystals,” Han Li replied evenly.
“Beast Crystals? What for? And those shadow beasts aren’t easy to deal with,” Mei Ning asked, surprised.
“They serve my purposes. Places like the Shadow Abyss are rare, if not unique. Once we leave, obtaining these crystals will be nearly impossible. As for the beasts—we won’t have to fight them. Leave that to it.” Han Li flicked his sleeve, and a streak of green light shot out, landing before them.
“It?” Mei Ning stared at the small monkey in confusion.
“Of course, it,” Han Li affirmed coolly.
During their journey, Han Li had avoided dangerous areas to prioritize finding villages. Though he’d slain low-level spirit beasts with his daggers, no crystals had appeared. Now, eager to collect more, he said nothing further, simply motioning for Mei Ning to follow as he turned with the Soul Devourer in tow.
He planned to rest in Red Earth Village for a day before venturing into the territories of stronger shadow beasts to test the creature’s power.
…
A massive six-zhang-tall Claw Beast lumbered through a depression.
With its colossal, indestructible claws and razor-sharp fangs, it ruled the area, unafraid of ambushes from other high-level shadow beasts.
Suddenly, its dull ears twitched at a sound. It turned, its eyes gleaming with menace, spotting a foot-tall monkey standing ten zhang away.
The little monkey stared at the towering beast with wild excitement.
Instead of charging, the Claw Beast snorted warily, backing away. But before it could retreat, a streak of yellow light engulfed it.
A deafening roar erupted from within the glow before the yellow light receded, carrying wisps of black energy into the monkey’s nostrils.
The monkey chewed contentedly, patted its slightly bulging belly, and grinned as if savoring a delicious meal.
Only then did Han Li stroll over leisurely, a relaxed smile on his face, while the stunned beauty beside him gaped.
Having witnessed the entire scene, she could hardly believe her eyes.
Now, staring at the Claw Beast’s desiccated corpse, she connected the little monkey to a legendary fiendish beast, her expression darkening with realization.
Han Li, meanwhile, approached the beast’s head. With a flick of his sleeve, a gleaming silver dagger appeared in his hand.
With a swift strike, he split the skull like a melon, revealing a thumb-sized green crystal.
A faint smile touched his lips as he bent to retrieve it.
“About seven li west, there are a few more powerful shadow beasts. Let’s take care of them too,” Han Li mused aloud, glancing westward.
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