My lord, spare his life!

"Mountain Spirit, what are you looking at?"

It's easy to get hungry in the middle of the night, especially for an NPC like Zhang Yang who does nothing and whose stamina steadily depletes. Regularly replenishing stamina is essential. She eats whenever she's hungry, regardless of time or place. Luckily, there's a campfire ready at the campsite; everything is prepared except for some grilled skewers. And, coincidentally, she has some in her game inventory.

These skewers didn't come from the game world.

The wolf pack was quite polite during the day; they even gave Zhang Yang a kickback after a successful kill, bringing him two prey animals. Animal carcasses are difficult to preserve and tend to rot and spoil over time, so Zhang Yang had them processed and skewered into pre-made kebabs.

When needed, just take them out and grill a couple of skewers.

Wang Qi emerged like a ghost.

Zhang Yang instructed him to bake enough for three people.

Wang Qi frowned: "Besides you and me, who else is there?"

Zhang Yang: [There's also the Easter Egg Guy.]

After saying this, Wang Qi ignored Zhang Yang.

He pursed his lips tightly, his dark eyes fixed on the skewer in his hand, as if he were looking at a blood feud, his whole body radiating murderous intent. Zhang Yang had no doubt that at this moment, the savage brother was probably thinking about how to skewer her with iron skewers and grill her up; what a petty and narrow-minded savage.

She yawned, rested her chin on her hand, and stared blankly.

I idly stared at the system logs to pass the time.

As the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, Zhang Yang noticed a red-named figure moving slowly in the darkness. Her intense gaze, fixed on the red-named figure, drew Wang Qi's attention.

Before Zhang Yang could recover from his shock, he asked another question.

"Mountain spirit, who are you looking at?"

"Let's look at the mysterious mysterious person again."

Zhang Yang reached into her game inventory, her face expressionless as she watched the "mysterious person" first inching towards a tent, seemingly without success, then inching towards her. She decided to wait for the red-named player to walk right into her trap, abandoning the idea of ​​taking the initiative. Wang Qi followed Zhang Yang's gaze.

This "mysterious mysterious person" revealed his presence for a fleeting moment.

Wang Qi immediately recognized the other party's identity.

At the same time, the "mysterious figure" also revealed his whereabouts. When the figure was less than a hundred feet away from Zhang Yang, the night wind stirred up black mist that transformed into a half-man-high black wolf between them. The black wolf opened its pair of eerie green, ferocious eyes, and a cold warning rang out from behind the mysterious figure: "If I were you, I wouldn't take another step forward."

This distance is the bottom line.

Once you overstep your bounds, disaster will befall you.

The "mysterious mysterious person" stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.

Lu Yuan, who was closest to Zhang Yang's camp, arrived shortly afterward.

Just before the tensions were about to escalate, Zhang Yang exposed the other party's identity: "It seems rather inappropriate for Magistrate Wang to visit so late at night."

The two sides are allies, but her military camp is not a public place.

The "mysterious man" didn't take another step forward, nor did he pay attention to Guan Si, who was threatening his vitals, nor did he take the formidable Lu Yuan seriously. His gaze was fixed on Wang Qi. He only glanced at Wang Qi briefly when Zhang Yang spoke.

"Mr. Zhang, I've long admired your name." Wang Ba's gaze swept over the person beside Wang Qi, his tone carrying a hint of polite distance. It was a pity the timing wasn't right; otherwise, he would have truly wanted to take a closer look at Mr. Zhang, whom he had long admired. "I apologize for my abrupt visit. I am truly worried about my children at home, and my longing is so intense that I have no choice but to come and bother you."

The old father came looking for his eldest son.

Zhang Yang snatched the kebab from Wang Qi's hand and gestured with his lip.

"Go on, your parents are here to see you."

For some reason, I have a feeling that Wild Man is a boarding student.

Wang Qi frowned and remained silent, his killing intent growing stronger.

It wasn't the casual complaining or grumbling during the barbecue; it was serious. Outsiders might not understand Wang Ba, but he understood this old man. The old man spoke of missing his son, but the other's serious and solemn expression was clearly the prelude to a storm.

Those who come are not good, and those who are good don't.

Wang Qi snatched the string of coins back from Zhang Yang's hand: "There's nothing between you and me in private. If you have something to say, say it to my face."

Having said that, he sat down again with an imposing air.

With this kind of demeanor, some people would believe he's the ancestor of a tyrant.

However, Wang Ba was clearly used to Wang Qi's style. He neither stormed off nor flew into a rage and resorted to violence. Instead, he questioned Wang Qi in a deep voice: "When did you learn that Guan Zong was serving under Zhang Jun?"

Don't be fooled by Zhang Yang's inability to read people's expressions; the system log will provide a helpful reminder. When the system log pops up with Wang Ba's dialogue, the description is: "[Wang Ba angrily questions on the map]".

The old father came to demand an explanation.

Zhang Yang awaited Wang Qi's response with great interest.

Wang Qi, not at all afraid of upsetting his father, said dismissively, "Oh, you already knew that on your first day in Tianyue County."

"Day 1?"

This means that Wang Qi was hiding it from the beginning.

Wang Ba felt something cold and sharp drilling out of his empty internal organs and surging towards his brain.

Wang Qi raised an eyebrow nonchalantly.

"Yes! You want to call me a rebellious son? Or something else?"

Seeing Wang Qi raise his eyebrows, a warm current surged in his heart, silently soothing the cold aura that had fueled Wang Ba's furious impulse. He found himself unable to be angry; instead, a sense of helplessness washed over him: "Do you know who Guan Zong is?"

Guan Zong, who had just arrived, stopped in his tracks upon hearing the name.

He muttered to himself that Wang Ba, that old bastard, really had guts, daring to come to the enemy's lair all by himself at this critical juncture.

He wasn't afraid of being caught off guard and getting pricked up.

Wang Qi said, "Who else could it be? Your enemy, of course!"

What grudge could Guan Zong possibly have against Wang Ba?

Tracing back further, it all stemmed from the Dongxian Rebellion, where Guan Zong unexpectedly rose to power, hindering Dongxian's military expansion and severely wounding the then-leader of the Dongxian warlords, giving Wang Ba the opportunity to seize power through a coup. If we delve even deeper, it was the death of He Ning's mother.

In his view, none of these were enough to quell Wang Ba's rage.

What exactly is wrong with the old man?

"Since you knew the truth, why did you hide it?"

"Because it's interesting, because of the mountain spirit." Zhang Yang only accounted for 30%, while Wang Qi didn't care about the remaining 70%. Who Guan Zong served under, who he had a grudge against, and what did it have to do with Wang Qi? "Old man, you say you have a grudge against Guan Zong, but you haven't found the culprit after all these years. You're so useless, yet you still have the nerve to argue? What right do you have to come here and interrogate me? It's utterly absurd."

Wang Ba paused for a moment: "...A son grows up and can't stay at home forever."

Wang Qi: "..."

Guan Zong awkwardly touched his nose.

He felt there was another reason besides these.

The root cause of Wang Ba's severe decline in strength lies in the devastating damage inflicted during the Dongxian Incident. It's only natural that Wang Ba harbors deep resentment towards Guan Zong because of this.

However, Guan Zong miscalculated.

"Now that the two families are allied, if... if Lord Hongtu is willing to put aside past grievances, I am willing to remove the restrictions on Lord Hongtu."

Wang Badao: "Bullshit!"

The reason Guan Zong mentioned wasn't even a secondary cause.

"...He almost destroyed the heart your mother left me back then! You unfilial son, you will be despised by your mother for speaking like this." Wang Qi not only concealed the truth, but also said such outrageous things in front of his enemy and in front of his mother's heart. Wang Ba felt that he should be furious, but the heart in his chest would not allow it.

His heart doesn't allow him to do too many things.

Zhang Yang subconsciously focused his gaze on Wang Ba's left chest.

Is the world's medical technology really that advanced?

Zhang Yang only knew that the world of the observed samples had advanced medical technology; except for a few organs that could not be replaced at will, most other organs could be hot-swapped. More than 90% of the observed samples had undergone one or more organ replacements, and a large proportion of them were addicted to it, causing trouble for the higher-ups.

However, that requires extremely high technical support.

Zhang Yang never imagined that heart transplants were possible in this supernatural world. Judging from Wang Ba's description, the transplant went well, with no rejection issues. But then he thought, what kind of scientific and technological support do supernatural beings need? Du Fang can give birth on her own.

Wang Qi: "What?"

Guan Zong: "...???"

Good grief, the reason is actually this?

Guan Zong scratched his head and said, "Oh, no wonder. Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit strange. I remember your 'Star Descending Fiend' is something like 'Chengcheng' or something? That kind of evil spirit specializes in eating people's hearts, livers, and internal organs."

The first level of the Rank 1 Star Descends to Wrath will consume an organ.

Which one gets eaten first depends on luck.

Such celestial beings who descend in rebellion generally do not die.

The missing organs are replaced by organs formed from yin energy by the ghostly entities within the body to maintain normal physiological functions and preserve physical vitality. The higher the level of the "Descending Stars" divination, the more organs are lost, until only the skin remains, beneath which lies a mass of turbid yin energy. However, most people cannot survive to this point.

The more organs formed from yin energy, the further away one is from the living and the closer one is to ghosts. Changchang craves human hearts and usually starts by consuming them. Once a human heart is replaced by a ghostly heart, that person becomes exceptionally cold-blooded and cruel. Whether it's siblings, blood relatives, or anyone else, if they're in a bad mood or feel a sudden urge, these people can easily become the host's unjust victims.

They have no human feelings, they're not even as good as animals.

If it weren't for their brains, which allow them to think and weigh the pros and cons, those who possess this kind of celestial wrath would be nothing more than humanoid star beasts.

Wang Ba's behavior clearly defies common sense.

Wang Qi is no longer the ignorant fool he once was; his current level of education allows him to clearly understand the key information provided by Guan Zongwang Ba.

Guan Zong just wanted to curse.

No wonder that old turtle was so hard to kill back then.

"Isn't your heart fine?"

Even if guilty, the crime should be punished as an attempted crime.

Guan Zong didn't know how long Wang Qi had been dead since his mother's death, nor how many organs Wang Ba had lost, but his mind worked quickly, and he immediately noticed a small "flaw." What kind of person's heart could be eroded by yin energy for so many years and still function normally?

Wang Ba: "That was close, that was almost something!"

Guan Zong secretly rolled his eyes. He had indeed stabbed Wang Ba in the heart back then, but unfortunately, it was slightly off-center. In addition, the female general saved him in time, preventing Guan Zong from delivering a second blow.

"You've been thinking about me for so long because of something like this."

Guan Zong thought it was for some other reason.

However, this reason is also valid.

It's better than someone dying by your own hand.

Guan Zong boasted that he had no ability to bring the dead back to life. He believed that if the conflict couldn't be resolved and Wang Qi and Wang Ba went mad and ruined Zhang Yang's plans, Zhang Yang would definitely tear him apart. However, Guan Zong's heart, which had just settled, leaped again due to a surge of murderous intent.

Guan Zong looked at Wang Qi speechlessly.

"The old folks have finished their tirade, now it's the kids' turn. When will this ever end?"

Without hesitation, he whirled around, narrowly avoiding Wang Qi's slashing knife, and then slid down to his knees, hiding behind Guan Si. Holding the black wolf's hind legs, he cried out to Guan Si, "Siyin! Siyin! Your useless brother is calling for your help!"

It's better to lose face than to lose your life.

Wang Qi's expression was cold and stern: "Guan Siyin, get out of the way!"

Guan Si refused: "Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner."

Even if Guan Zong was a useless old dog, Wang Qi couldn't just kill him at will: "So what if that piece of trash Guan Zong almost destroyed your mother's heart? Who told Wang Ba to be even more useless and unable to protect her?"

Look more at your own problems.

Guan Si's words were indeed quite venomous.

Wang Qi sneered: "Kill the old dog first, then kill the old bastard."

There's no rule that you can only kill one person.

Killing two is a piece of cake!

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were locked in combat, Guan Zong hurriedly ran to Zhang Yang's side for protection. If Guan Zong had been picky about Zhang Yang before, he was now completely devoted to him. He used Zhang Yang's not-so-tall body as cover to shield himself from Wang Ba's murderous gaze.

Guan Zong's favorability towards you increases by five.

Guan Zong's favorability towards you increases by 10.

Guan Zong's favorability towards you has increased...

Zhang Yang's lips twitched as he watched the system log pop up with a barrage of favorability ratings. He watched helplessly as Guan Zong's total favorability score remained steadily at ninety-six, ranking first among his friends. Next to the favorability score was a parenthesis: "Serving as a slave, repaying kindness with kindness!"

Zhang Yang: "..."

She gently pushed Guan Zong behind her back with her hand.

He said calmly, "My people, I must protect."

Allies are allies, and subordinates are subordinates.

If Wang Ba refuses to back down, Zhang Yang will have no choice but to resort to the worst-case scenario, since she is not the one who is now in a difficult situation.

Would Wang Ba really break off relations with her just because she's protecting Guan Zong?

Unless he doesn't want his son Wang Qi.

Wang Ba frowned.

He glanced at Zhang Yang, then at the unkempt and somewhat irritating Guan Zong, and said, "Zhang Jun's taste is rather—"

I don't want a young, beautiful, and fit guy; I want an old, scrawny fellow.

wrong--

If she can find someone like Guan Zong worthy of her attention, there's no reason why Wang Qi should be relegated to a lower position. Wang Ba then looked Guan Zong up and down with a disdainful gaze and said, "What angers me most is that this child is deceiving me. It's one thing for him to deceive me, but he also deceives his mother."

Compared to a swindler, Guan Zong is nothing.

"However, his repentance and willingness to correct his mistakes are still gratifying to me." This is specifically reflected in the fact that when Wang Qi heard the truth, he went to kill Guan Zong without saying a word. Wang Ba didn't ask for anything else, just an attitude. Once the attitude was right, his anger subsided.

Can father and son hold a grudge overnight?

He didn't wait all night; he came directly to clear up the misunderstanding.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Wang Ba threw another object at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang asked, "What is this?"

Wang Ba: "See if Sun Ban's troop deployment can be of any use. I'm troop-deploying my son in the care of you, Zhang Jun. He is a very honest and simple-minded child, and he is also a pitiful child who lost his mother at a young age. He has no one to rely on. I hope you will treat him with more compassion and not let him down."

Zhang Yang: "...Hmm."

The observation samples were correct—

The widower raising his child alone is indeed very attached to his son.

? ?＿|￣|●

It's almost bayberry season, so I bought some local Dongkui bayberries. They were about half the size of a fist and looked delicious. But as soon as I got home, I was told bayberries are poisonous! My mom even showed me a short video… Looking at the news, bayberry lovers are devastated. These unscrupulous merchants are really harming people. Local bayberry growers are really unlucky!