Qian Ye did not have time to think, leaping up and darting like a phantom bolt of lightning for a hundred meters, rushing ahead of the native tribesmen and tackling her to the ground. The crowd of natives instantly surrounded them, forming a mound of people.
Suddenly, hundreds of blood streaks seeped out from the human pile, and the mound dispersed in an instant. Qian Ye burst through, holding the person in his arms, sprinting at full speed towards Li Kuanglan’s hiding spot.
Behind him, several native warriors pursued relentlessly, their speed barely slower than his even though he was carrying someone. A few of them, after running a distance, turned back and saw that those who had piled up were still lying motionless on the ground. Confused, they went over to check on their fallen comrades and immediately let out a scream.
The twenty-odd natives who had formed the mound were now all corpses. Terrified, these natives shouted in confusion, not understanding what had happened. A man with four arms strode forward, examined the bodies, and looked towards the direction where Qian Ye had fled, his gaze deep and different from the other natives.
This four-armed man did not give chase, and the other native warriors also stopped, indicating his exceptional authority within the tribe.
Qian Ye, still pursued by more than a dozen native warriors, did not turn back but charged into the forest, passing Li Kuanglan and continuing deeper into the woods.
The native warriors followed, rushing into the forest. Suddenly, Li Kuanglan emerged from behind a tree, her water-blue sword flashing like lightning, slicing through the neck of a four-armed woman. She then swiftly changed her stance, shifting between multiple combat postures. The native warriors rushed past her like a tide, almost colliding with her, but she deftly avoided them each time.
The four-armed woman ran for another ten meters before her head lolled to the side, a large gash appearing on her neck, blood spurting out several meters. She collapsed, twitching, unable to get up.
Beside her, many two-armed native warriors fell to the ground, struggling futilely. Wounded in the neck, ribs, or groin, they were close to death.
Li Kuanglan had placed her blade in the path of these native warriors, waiting for them to run into it. This method allowed her to kill over a dozen natives, showcasing her superb swordsmanship. Yet, even so, she paled, her hands trembling slightly.
These natives were formidable, with skin as tough as iron, and their running momentum matched that of giant beasts. Li Kuanglan, who did not excel in strength, and without the Han Yue Long Sha, was already exhausted after cutting down more than ten, her grip on the sword weakening.
She glanced at the remaining native warriors outside the forest, wanting to eliminate them all, but knew it was impossible, at least for now. Frustrated, she gritted her teeth and turned to leave.
Her heart filled with rage, she dashed forward, only to see a figure appear before her. Without thinking, she slashed with her sword. The figure, however, caught the blade effortlessly, twisted it, and seized the vampire blade.
Startled, Li Kuanglan struck with her left hand, fingers aiming for the throat—a swift and deadly move. But before she could land the blow, the figure vanished. Before she could react, someone embraced her from behind, the vampire blade pressed against her throat.
Li Kuanglan never expected to be defeated so quickly. It had only happened once before, when facing Qian Ye in the Great Vortex. But this person was not Qian Ye.
Before she could ponder further, a cold, smooth hand slipped under her armor, reaching into the gap of her inner armor, grabbing a soft flesh, and pinching and kneading it roughly.
Li Kuanglan gasped, her body going limp.
Enraged, she shouted, “Ji Tianqing! If you don’t stop, I’ll never forgive you!”
A light laugh echoed behind her. “How did you know it was me?”
Li Kuanglan clenched her teeth. “Who else but you, this vile woman, could do such a thing?”
“Oh, well, since I’m already a vile woman, I might as well do more despicable things, right?” The hand moved faster, making Li Kuanglan’s body go limp, forcing her to lean against Ji Tianqing to stay upright.
“You, you…” Li Kuanglan trembled with anger, her eyes filled with icy killing intent, but her body was weak.
Ji Tianqing whispered in her ear, “I can’t control myself much longer. Let me have my way, or I’ll go to Qian Ye.”
“Go ahead!”
Ji Tianqing emerged, transforming from a plain-looking man to an ordinary girl, smiling. “Forget it, he’s yours.”
Li Kuanglan straightened her clothes, glaring at Ji Tianqing. “He’s partly yours too, remember? Consider my share a bonus, no need to thank me.”
Ji Tianqing stretched lazily. “No thanks, I don’t eat leftovers.”
“He’s fresh, no one’s used him.”
“Who would believe that?”
“Believe what you want.”
Their conversation reached a stalemate. Ji Tianqing circled Li Kuanglan, while Li Kuanglan maintained her icy expression.
Ji Tianqing eventually relented, raising her hands in surrender. “Really, nothing happened? You haven’t done anything?”
“No, do you want me to swear on my ancestors?” Li Kuanglan replied expressionlessly.
Ji Tianqing knew this was serious. For a family practicing the Heaven’s Secret Art, the most solemn oath was swearing by their ancestors. Li Kuanglan’s words meant she was truly angry. Provoking her further could lead to a real fight to the death.
Ji Tianqing pouted. “Just joking, don’t take it so seriously!”
“Your jokes are never funny.”
“Fine, I won’t say it again. But, aren’t you going to check on Qian Ye? He’s been coughing up blood for a while now.”
“What?!” Startled, Li Kuanglan scanned the area, locating Qian Ye’s presence, and rushed to him.
Qian Ye knelt behind an ancient tree, using Dongyue as a support, coughing up purple-black blood with each cough. A pool of blood had already formed on the ground in front of him.
Li Kuanglan approached, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Her voice trembled, her cold exterior barely concealing her worry.
Qian Ye raised his head, managing a weak smile. “I’m fine, just… just…” He couldn’t finish, another fit of coughing taking over.
Li Kuanglan wanted to speak, but instead, she simply watched Qian Ye, her hand unconsciously digging into the steel-hard ground.
Finally, Qian Ye’s coughing subsided, and he smiled apologetically. “I’m really fine, it was just too much for me. Coughing it out helps.”
Li Kuanglan understood, somewhat, seeing Qian Ye’s vital signs stabilize and rise. She had watched the entire battle, knowing he wasn’t injured. With his formidable body, it was hard for mere natives to hurt him.
Qian Ye wiped the blood from his mouth. “We should leave, it’s not safe here.”
Li Kuanglan nodded, turning to Ji Tianqing. “You know this area, right? Is there a place to stay overnight?”
Ji Tianqing nodded. “Follow me.”
They raced through the forest, soon emerging and climbing to the top of a stone hill. The peak had a natural depression, making it invisible from below. Ji Tianqing had set up a small shelter, a campfire, and storage boxes with meat, mushrooms, and wild fruits, and a stone jar with fresh water, everything neatly arranged.
Ji Tianqing adjusted the dry grass, making room for three. “This is it, make do. In this world, it’s the best we can do.”
Li Kuanglan walked to the edge of the natural stone wall, picked up an origin gun, and asked, “Does this work here?”
Ji Tianqing shrugged. “No idea, just keeping it in case.”
Li Kuanglan scrutinized her, suddenly reaching out. “Give it here!”
Ji Tianqing stepped back, wary. “What do you want?”
“Stop playing dumb! Hand over your spare clothes!”
“I don’t have any!” Ji Tianqing protested.
Li Kuanglan sneered. “Everyone knows you have spatial equipment. Don’t tell me you didn’t pack extra clothes?”
“Yes, but only one set. Who packs a bunch of clothes in a spatial equipment?”
Li Kuanglan nodded. “That’s enough, give it here.”
“Why should I? Can you beat me now?” Ji Tianqing challenged.
Li Kuanglan laughed coldly. “Do I need to? Qian Ye, you deal with her!”
“Huh?” Qian Ye, who had been watching, was surprised to be dragged into the argument. He looked at them innocently, unsure why he needed to intervene.
“If you don’t, think about the consequences,” Li Kuanglan threatened. Her threat seemed empty, but Qian Ye realized she had many ways to threaten him. For instance, she and Zhao Jundu still had a duel; she saved his life with her armor, nearly dying in the process. That was a huge debt.
Worse, if she told Yenot about the recent events, the consequences would be unimaginable. Given Yenot’s power, dealing with Li Kuanglan would be easy, even attacking the Li family.
Of course, this was Qian Ye’s imagination. Their current relationship meant Yenot might just ignore him entirely.
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