Genius Beast Tamer

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Deep in the desolate forest, there was no greenery, only withered yellow trees, long since dead and exhausted. The tree stumps emitted a dark and terrifying color. Looking around, the dry and blackened branches resembled pairs of eerie hands, and the forks were like skin and bones. The wind blew through the hollow tree holes, making a series of terrifying roaring sounds, like the howling of ghosts and wolves.

Under the blazing sun, deep cracks appeared in the ground. Stepping on this ground felt like one could fall into the depths of the earth at any moment, so one had to proceed with extreme caution.

The Deer King and Zhu Fengmo released their Saint-level beast auras, suppressing the malevolent beasts that had come because of the Immortal Bone. The beasts appeared to be frightened away, but as they left, they all gave Han Wuxie eerie smiles, as if to say, 'You'll be our meal sooner or later.'

Following the route to the Martial World Continent, Han Wuxie and her companions encountered many other martial artists also heading there. During the day, even the beasts dared not be too rampant, and although many of the martial artists on the road were new acquaintances, they had all formed small teams and continued their journey. Han Wuxie frowned slightly; she saw a somewhat familiar figure from behind. If she wasn't mistaken, it was probably Murong Liyun, whom she had met at the inn in the Misty Swamp. "Is there another route? Can we take a detour?"

Han Wuxie asked in a low voice. The Deer King shook his head and said, "I have lived in the Desolate Forest for ten thousand years. There is only one road from the Desolate Forest to the Martial World Continent." The Green Wolf nodded and said, "I only know this one road as well."

Han Wuxie pursed his lips, chuckled bitterly, and muttered, "Looks like I can't escape this trouble!"

"What trouble?" Han Xingyu, with her sharp ears, asked in confusion, "Sister Wuxie, what trouble is there here? Beasts? With a Saint-level ninth-grade expert like the Deer King here, in broad daylight, no beast would dare to cause trouble, right?"

Han Wuxie said helplessly, "Some people are more terrifying than powerful beasts."

"Human?" Han Tianci and Han Xingyu exchanged a puzzled look. Han Wuxie's walking speed was getting slower and slower, and Han Xingyu and Han Tianci both looked puzzled. Qinglang and Mo Wu also looked bewildered. Heifeng and Manniu, the two rough men, were obviously not used to the tortoise-like speed.

"Miss Wuxie," Man Niu asked loudly, "what's wrong? Are you tired? Shall I carry you?"

Han Wuxie felt like crying but had no tears left. He shook his head with a bitter face, glancing at the crowd ahead. Sure enough, the bull's loud voice had attracted the attention of those in front, and they all turned around. Murong Liyun also turned around, and seeing Han Wuxie, she was like a bear seeing honey, her face burning with eager anticipation. She opened her arms and pounced. Little White, Deer King, Bamboo Breeze, and Ice, the four beasts, quickly stepped forward, shielding Han Wuxie behind them. Little White said unhappily, "Who are you?"

The Deer King said sternly, "Hugging everyone you see is far too rude, isn't it?" Zhu Fengmo smiled wickedly, "You look like a tender little brat, but I've been starving for days!" As he spoke, Zhu Fengmo quickly flicked out his snake tongue, then quickly withdrew it, transforming it back into a human tongue, and licked his lower lip. Bing's gaze was icy, faintly carrying a murderous intent, as he said, "Master, I hate you." Clearly, Bing, though seemingly cold, was the most perceptive, having already noticed that Han Wuxie was walking slowly in order to avoid the boy in front of him.

Two men in black flew forward from behind Murong Liyun, also protecting him. One of the men in black said, "Young Master, these four are transformed beasts, and they possess considerable cultivation!"

Another man in black said, "And they're all contracted beasts, seemingly there specifically to protect this little girl! They must be contracted beasts of an elder in her family, sent specifically to protect her!"

The two men in black became even more certain that Han Wuxie was from a very powerful family. Murong Liyun pursed her lips and looked through the gaps in the four walls of people at Han Wuxie, saying, "Are you alright? After we drove the wolf clan away, I was worried they would find you again."

Han Wuxie was slightly taken aback. Seeing the sincerity in his gaze, and knowing that he genuinely cared about her, she replied, "I'm fine. They haven't found me."

Murong Liyun patted her chest and smiled brightly, "Then I'm relieved. With such a powerful contracted beast protecting you, you shouldn't be in any danger anymore. Since you don't want to travel with us, we won't bother you any longer." After saying that, Murong Liyun turned back with a somewhat dim look in her eyes, waved to the two men in black, and ordered, "Let's go. Continue on our way."

After they had gone some distance, Han Wuxie and the others rested for a while, then set off again after maintaining some distance. Han Xingyu asked softly, "Sister Wuxie, do you know that boy from earlier?"

Han Wuxie said awkwardly, "When we were resting at the Misty Swamp inn, he came up to chat with me. I thought he was a bit frivolous and didn't like him. Later, the wolf clan wanted to eat me, but they were just low-level wolf demons. I was just about to test my skills when he insisted on playing the hero, so I let them take care of it and left on my own."

Han Tianci asked doubtfully, "But he didn't seem frivolous. He politely asked if my sister needed anything, and when he saw that she didn't like him, he tactfully left. He wasn't very annoying."

Han Wuxie scratched his head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "I don't know what happened either. He really didn't seem like a normal person before and after. He seemed to have something on his mind."

The Deer King suddenly stopped and pointed ahead, saying, "There's a battle going on up ahead."

"Is it an attack by beasts?" the blue wolf asked warily.

Zhu Fengmo shook her head and said, "No, there's no animal scent; it's a conflict between humans!"

Mo Wu asked softly, "Is it the team led by that young man just now?"

"Although Miss Wuxie didn't need his help before, she didn't mean us any harm. Since they're in danger, we should go and help them!" said the brute.

Black Wind coldly replied, "What business is it of ours? Wild Bull, you just can't shake your meddlesome nature. Looks like you need some serious training!"

Upon hearing this, Bull couldn't help but shudder. Thinking of Black Wind's hellish training methods, it was truly terrifying! Bull hurriedly waved his hand and said, "That's true. It has nothing to do with us. Why was I getting so worked up just now?" As he spoke, large beads of cold sweat were clearly dripping down his forehead.

Han Xingyu and Han Tianci looked at Han Wuxie and asked in a low voice, "Are we really not going to do anything?" Han Wuxie frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Let's go and see what happens."

The group quickened their pace and caught up, only to find the corpses of two men in black lying on the ground. The rest of the group had been poisoned and were on the verge of death, but Murong Liyun was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's that boy?" Qinglang looked around, his face grave. Han Xingyu went to check on the poisoned people and discovered that the poison they were afflicted with was actually from the small insects in the desolate forest. Fortunately, he had caught some beforehand and left some insect droppings. If he hadn't been prepared, it would have been difficult to return to the original spot to find the insects and wait for them to finish eating and defecating. A foul stench filled the air. Han Tianci frowned, watching with disgust as Han Xingyu poured the insect excrement into the mouths of the poisoned people. The poisoned people were all awakened by the stench, and upon feeling the foul taste in their mouths, they all vomited violently.

After they finished vomiting, Han Xingyu surprisingly spread his hands and coldly said, "It was I who detoxified you. Although I'm kind-hearted and have done many things to save lives, I can waive your treatment fees, but I can't let myself lose money, can I? The herbs I just used to detoxify you are extremely precious and rare! The medical fee is waived, but you can't escape paying for the medicine. Hand over the money!"

Han Tianci rolled his eyes and thought to himself with disgust: It was just the excrement of a few small insects. If these guys knew they had eaten excrement, they would be doing you a favor by not asking for compensation for emotional distress. How dare they ask you for money!

The six men exchanged bewildered glances, their gazes finally settling on the corpses of the two men in black on the ground. They then fully regained their senses. They recalled that they had only smelled a peculiar fragrance, after which they became completely weak. Three men in black appeared and fought the two men in black, but it seemed their identities had been discovered by the two men. In desperation, the three men joined forces to kill the two men. The six men were powerless to help and could only shout. Then, something was thrown like a dart by one of the men in black and landed in their mouths. They felt a sharp pain in their stomachs, realizing they had been poisoned with a slow-acting poison. They knew no one would pass through this desolate forest and had kindly saved them. They thought they were doomed, but fate had given them a chance to live! The six men looked at Han Xingyu with gratitude and began to undress.

Han Xingyu looked miserable and frowned, saying, "Hey, hey, hey, I want money, gleaming gold, or gleaming silver! Why are you giving me tattered clothes?!"

The six men looked helpless and said, "Those three men in black probably pretended to rob us on the road and took all our money. Apart from our clothes, we didn't have anything else of value."

Han Xingyu rubbed the back of his head, speechless for a moment. Looking at the pile of clothes on the ground, he finally sighed and said awkwardly, "Fine, it's too cold! You guys put your clothes on. I'll be a generous philanthropist this time, even if it means losing money!"

The six people looked at each other with tearful gratitude. Han Wuxie stepped forward and asked, "I wonder if you six are old acquaintances of Young Master Murong, or did you just meet here and thus travel together?"

The six looked at each other, and the tall one who was leading them stepped forward and replied, "We are martial artists from the Nine Provinces Continent who came to the Martial World Continent. Although our cultivation levels are low, each of us has some special qualities. We were fortunate enough to be chosen by Young Master Murong, who took us to the Murong family in the Martial World Continent. For us, who have no background and are new to the Martial World Continent, this is an incredible opportunity. However, we never expected that Young Master Murong would be taken hostage and that two of his subordinates would be killed. But when we were still conscious, we vaguely knew that the three attackers seemed to be from the Murong family as well. According to the two dead men in black, they seemed to be subordinates of Young Master Murong Kai, and should also be young masters of the Murong family, and perhaps even the brothers of Young Master Murong Liyun."

"Family infighting?" Qinglang's gaze instinctively shifted to Heifeng, for Heifeng was also a victim of the family's internal strife. Heifeng, unusually, rarely meddling in others' affairs, but now showed concern, frowning slightly and asking anxiously, "Is it the Murong family? Has Murong Liyun been arrested?"

The six nodded. Han Wuxie also nodded and said, "He also introduced himself; his name is indeed Murong Liyun."

"You know him?" Han Xingyu looked at Hei Feng with suspicion.

Hei Feng narrowed his eyes and sighed softly, "Before leaving the martial arts continent, the Murong family and the Hei family were always enemies."

"An enemy?" Bull said, "Then why are you so concerned about that kid? Are you planning to kick him while he's down? Didn't you say you wouldn't meddle in other people's business?"

Black Wind glared coldly at the Bull, who lowered its head, not daring to utter another word. Black Wind gave a slight bitter smile and sighed, "My mother is a member of the Murong family."

"Huh?" Han Xingyu and Han Tianci looked bewildered. Han Wuxie shook his head and said, "Isn't this the right time to talk about this?"

She looked at Zi Tong and said, "Zi Tong, I'm afraid you're the only one who can find those people and track them down now."

Zi Tong smiled confidently, picked up the broken sword from the ground. The broken sword didn't belong to the two dead men; it was clearly left behind by one of the three men in black. Zi Tong sniffed the broken sword, narrowed her eyes, and pointed southeast, saying, "They went there."

The Deer King hurriedly stopped Han Wuxie and his group, saying seriously, "That's the territory where leopards live; it's very dangerous."

"Regardless of whether I needed that person's help before, he did help me stop the wolf clan, which can be considered as helping me. I can't just stand by and watch him die," Han Wuxie said earnestly.

The Deer King withdrew his hand from blocking them and could only follow them. Purple Eyes followed the scent as they went.

……

"Big brother, this kid's got some trouble!"

"Big brother, should we kill him?"

"No, the Second Young Master said we must frame the Eldest Young Master for this. That brat can't die so easily!"

"But what if his antics attract a leopard?"

"No, we're covered in tiger droppings, so leopards won't come near us."

"Why hasn't the Second Young Master sent anyone to deliver a message yet! Honestly, why did he have to choose a place like this to meet!"

"Shh, someone's coming!" The cave fell silent...

Han Wuxie and the others carefully entered the cave. It was dark all around, and occasionally the sound of damp dripping water could be heard.

"Purple Dog, are you sure you're here and haven't led us astray?" Zhu Fengmo was somewhat displeased; he disliked the strong stench in the cave.

Xiao Bai pinched her nose, her face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, and complained, "Purple Eyes, this smells like tiger poop! Are you sure you're not mistaken, or confused?"

Zi Tong sneered, "Absolutely right! Don't look at me with that mournful expression. Do you think I'm not suffering? Trying to distinguish the owner of this broken sword by smelling this stench—it's disgusting!"

The Deer King was very considerate. I don't know when he picked the white herb, but he wrapped it in a silk handkerchief and handed it to Han Wuxie, saying, "Miss Wuxie, use this to cover your nose."

Han Wuxie did as he said. A delicate fragrance filled her nostrils, blocking the stench from the cave. She nodded gratefully to the Deer King, but then looked at her two younger brothers with concern and asked, "Is there any more?"

The Deer King shook his head and said, "I only prepared for you." The Deer King himself had not prepared anything for himself.

Han Wuxie tore the silk handkerchief in half, dividing the white angelica root into two portions. Although the scent was much weaker in each portion, it could still block some of the stench. She wrapped the white angelica root in half of the handkerchief, making two portions, and handed them to Han Tianci and Han Xingyu. Han Tianci and Han Xingyu hurriedly waved their hands. Han Xingyu searched through the bag, finally sighing and saying awkwardly, "The medicinal herbs we obtained in the desolate forest are all useless!" Han Wuxie forcefully stuffed the white angelica root into her two younger brothers' hands, ordering them, "Cover your noses!"

Seeing that Han Wuxie had no white sage and had to endure the stench in the cave, the Deer King felt guilty and said, "I should have prepared more." Han Wuxie shook his head slightly and said, "It's alright."

A beam of blue light emerged from the ring, revealing a pale blue flower with a faint glow. "It's Hua Qianye. He's watching us, but why isn't he coming out?" Han Wuxie took the flower, plucked the petals one by one, and gave each person a petal to cover their noses. Although the flower's fragrance was faint, it blocked out all the foul odors.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, they could faintly hear the sounds of someone struggling, muffled "uh-uh-uh." Han Wuxie and his companions slowed their pace and became more alert. Suddenly, three dark figures emerged, the leader shouting sharply, "Who are you?"

Black Wind said bluntly, "Release Murong Liyun!"

"You came for him?" The leader's eyes turned cold, and he sneered, "Then you can leave your lives here!"

All three possessed the abilities of a peak Martial King, while Black Wind, Green Wolf, and Wild Bull were only at the Martial Grandmaster level. Although the three of them were not as powerful as the three men in black, they did not fall behind in their initial exchange because their martial arts style had the upper hand.

"Xiaobai, Bing, Zhufengmo, Luwang, Zitong, you go into the cave to find Murong Liyun first. We humans will take care of the humans!" Han Xingyu gave the order, her eyes filled with fervent fighting spirit. Here, the beasts had always had the upper hand, and they were always the ones to make the moves. Xingyu had long been unable to hold back and wanted to have a good fight.

Han Tianci unleashed his mid-stage Martial King strength, raised an eyebrow at Han Xingyu, and said, "Shall we each take one down?"

Amidst hearty laughter, Han Xingyu unleashed the power of an early-stage Martial King, turning to Qinglang and the others, saying, "You guys deal with the shortest one, I'll handle the taller one!"

The three—Qinglang, Heifeng, and Manniu—besieged the short man in black. Although they wouldn't be the losers, they could only manage a draw. Han Wuxie protected her sister Mo Wu. She had a lot of confidence in her two younger brothers regarding the three early-stage Martial Kings in black, and it was only right to let them practice. After all, the purpose of their trip to the Martial World Continent was precisely to give them experience.

"Fire Splits in Eight Directions!" With a furious shout, Han Tianci's opponent, a medium-sized man in black, suddenly leaped into the air. Hei Feng frowned and said in a deep voice, "It's a technique from the Hei family! Only a direct descendant of the Hei family can learn this move!"

The man in black pulled a gourd from his waist, lit a fire flask, and held the flames in his hands. Using his inner strength, he controlled the tangible fire, which was divided into eight gates, and eight characters appeared in the air: Immediate, Dizziness, Injury, Life, Rest, Open, Shock, Death! The eight characters were like a magic spell, and they attacked Han Tianci at the same time.

Han Tianci roared, "You're courting death!" He drew his sword and unleashed the pressure of a mid-stage Martial King! His sword pointed at the Eight Trigrams: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Li, Kun, and Yi. He moved with the wind, his steps forming the Nine Stars, his toes like sword tips, simultaneously transforming the direction of Qian and Kun. In an instant, he had broken through the opponent's Eight-Character Fire Attack. The Fire Divided into Eight Directions move caused the characters formed by fire to vanish instantly. The falling sparks even burned his own men. The tall man in black fighting Han Xingyu was burned on the forehead by a spark blown by the wind.

"How is this possible! The secret manuals of the Qiankun Sect, the Sword Finger Eight Trigrams and Sword Step Nine Stars, which only the sect leader can learn!" The medium-sized man in black was utterly incredulous, his mind reeling. The pressure of a mid-stage Martial King was something he, an early-stage Martial King, couldn't withstand. His eyes widened. "Mid-stage Martial King! What kind of monster are you? An eight-year-old child, how can you know the secret manuals of the Qiankun Sect? How can you reach the mid-stage Martial King level?!"

"Go ask the King of Hell!" Han Tianci's eyes widened in surprise. Blood was the lifeline of the sword, and although there was no blood on the tip, the medium-sized man in black had already tasted something sweet in his mouth and died by the sword.

Han Tianci, who was killing for the first time, looked slightly embarrassed. He rubbed his forehead and tried to remain calm, saying, "Sigh, killing really doesn't feel good!"

Han Wuxie stepped forward and patted Han Tianci on the shoulder. Han Tianci turned to his sister and forced a smile. Han Wuxie didn't say anything to comfort him because she didn't know how to comfort her brother. The feeling of killing for the first time was something only he could overcome. No one else could help him. She couldn't comfort him or tell him not to kill again, because going to the martial arts continent meant the beginning of a bloody journey.

The violent wind of the blade was incredibly sharp. Eight-year-old Han Xingyu, with his small frame, wielded a large, heavy sword, yet he exuded an imposing aura that commanded respect. Han Xingyu was a Martial King in the early stages, and his opponent, the tall man in black, was also a Martial King in the early stages. Unlike Han Tianci, Han Xingyu couldn't easily win by using his divine sense to suppress others. Given their equal cultivation levels, a real, direct combat was necessary.

The tall man held a long spear. Amidst the flashing spear and the glint of blades, they clashed violently. The metal struck and sparks flew, and the huge beams of electricity showed that both men were using considerable strength. However, the tall man's spear clearly had a slight advantage. After all, how could the young Han Xingyu possibly compete with him in terms of sheer strength?

Just as Han Tianci and Han Wuxie were getting nervous, and Han Tianci was about to rush up to help, the tall man suddenly opened his eyes wide, blood gushing from his nose. He glared fiercely at Han Xingyu, but he was already unable to take revenge. He fell straight down with his eyes wide open, dying with his eyes still open.

Han Xingyu, his face beaming with excitement, revealed his devilish nature from back on the Boundless Sea. He laughed wildly, "Hahaha, it's been so many years since I've killed anyone! The feeling of killing is so exhilarating! Trying to outmuscle me is just plain stupid! In this world, there's no such thing as a true head-on collision. I've already poisoned my blade. The harder you try to clash with my sword, the more heat from the friction will trigger the poison, and the faster it will kill you!"

Han Tianci breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at his sister Han Wuxie with a wry smile and said, "Sister, we worried for nothing! This kid, whether in the Immortal Realm or the Mortal Realm, is a master of scheming!"

Han Wuxie gave an awkward smile, realizing he had indeed forgotten that Han Xingyu wasn't exactly a fair and square character! Han Xingyu, having dealt with his opponent, seemed quite dissatisfied with not having killed anyone for so many years, and surprisingly only killing one adult! He walked over to Qinglang and the others, shouting, "Make way, make way! I've already taken down the tall guy, and the three of you can't beat one short guy! Get out of my way, let me kill him!"

Seeing that their leader was dead, the short man in black became somewhat agitated. Taking advantage of the moment when Qinglang and the others retreated and the child came up, he leaped away, no longer fighting, but fleeing towards the cave exit. "Trying to escape?" Han Xingyu curled his lip, then leaped into the air, spreading his arms. From his sleeves, countless gold leaves flew out. Such extravagance as using gold leaves as hidden weapons was probably only possible with Han Xingyu!

Normally, the short man would have stopped, said "Thank you!" to the child, and then put away all the hidden weapons. But today, even the boss had died at the hands of this unknown but powerful kid. How could he dare to be greedy for money? He probably wouldn't even be able to save his life. He used all his strength and his internal energy to activate his lightness skill to run away quickly. His body twisted and turned like an earthworm, and he managed to dodge all the gold leaf hidden weapons!

"Hey! Looks clumsy, but he's quite agile!" The short man was startled. The voice didn't come from behind him, but from in front! He froze. While he was dodging the hidden weapon, this child had actually rushed in front of him. What kind of lightness skill and speed was this? How agile was his movement to overtake his opponent after throwing a hidden weapon?

"Hehe, you seem quite afraid of me?" Han Xingyu stood in front of the short man with a playful expression. The short man stood still, afraid to move; he knew that even if he tried to escape, he couldn't.

Han Tianci caught up and stood beside Han Xingyu, reminding her, "Leave her alive; there are still many questions to ask."

Han Xingyu curled her lip and sneered, "Do you need to remind me? If I didn't want to keep someone alive for interrogation, I would have poisoned him already!"

Upon hearing this, the short man hurriedly said, "Young master, ask away! I'll tell you everything I know!" "Who are you people?"

"Black Wind asked coldly," the short man said. He glanced cautiously at Han Xingyu, choosing to ignore Black Wind's words. His meaning was clear: "I'm afraid of this child, not you. Why are you asking? Ask me, and I won't tell!" Black Wind's gaze grew even colder. He narrowed his bloodthirsty eyes and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a leather whip, lashing it forcefully across the short man's groin. The short man hadn't expected such a sudden attack, especially on such an embarrassing spot. He clutched his groin, groaning in pain, "You bastard! You're so ruthless! So despicable! Be careful your son isn't born with a bowel movement!"

"Crack!" The whip struck the short man's buttocks. The short, fat man was in excruciating pain in his groin and couldn't dodge in time. Now he was even worse off. Other people's sons might not even have an anus, but his own anus was gone!

Han Xingyu watched with excitement, and said in a sinister tone, "That Black Wind guy, finally, has something that I like! He's got guts, he's ruthless, this style is so exciting!"

Green Wolf covered Mo Wu's eyes. He knew Black Wind would definitely whip those same spots. In the past, in the assassin organization, anyone who disobeyed was subjected to his hellish training, and the whipping punishment always landed on those same places! Wild Bull looked at the short man with pity, sighing inwardly: This kind of regional torture is truly unbearable for anyone! The short man's face was already ashen with bitterness as he pleaded, "Sir, please ask, please ask, I dare not not answer!"

"The previous question," Black Wind said coldly.

The short man covered his buttocks with one hand and his front with the other, a gesture that looked utterly lewd. Combined with his extremely miserable face, the scene was incredibly grotesque. "I am the direct descendant of the Third Elder of the Hei family, the eighth disciple."

"Oh?" Black Wind narrowed his eyes, then asked, "Who sent you to capture Murong Liyun?"

"The second young master of the Murong family, Murong Likai."

Why did Murong Likai do this?

"Murong Liyun has extraordinary talent, and his mother is favored by the family head. It is very likely that the Murong family head will pass on the secret techniques that the Murong family only passes on to its heirs to Murong Liyun. Therefore, Murong Likai wants to eliminate Murong Liyun."

"In the desolate forest, being killed by a high-level beast is quite normal, so it's hard to suspect Murong Likai killing his brother in a power struggle. However, why would the young master of the prestigious Murong family only bring two early-stage Martial King subordinates to the desolate forest? Why isn't a young master of a noble family enjoying himself at home, but instead coming to this perilous desolate forest?"

The short man hesitated. Hei Feng lashed the ground with his whip, nearly wetting himself in fright. Luckily, he didn't, otherwise, the urine touching the wound where the whip had struck would have been excruciating! The short man said uncertainly, "I don't know the specifics. The eldest brother knows, but he's dead. I only know that Murong Liyun went into the Misty Swamp and the Desolate Forest to find something. His mother seems to have some strange illness that requires that thing to cure. Actually, the Murong family has already sent people out to search, but Murong Liyun is extremely filial. After Murong Litian said that the Desolate Forest or the Misty Swamp might have that thing, Murong Liyun secretly left home with two trusted confidants and came to the Desolate Forest and the Misty Swamp."

"Murong Litian is the eldest son of the Murong family?" Hei Feng frowned even more. He had some connection with Murong Litian, but he never expected that this matter was related to Murong Litian.

"Yes, actually, Murong Litian only meant well. He told Murong Liyun to appease him and let him know that the thing really exists. But he didn't expect Murong Liyun to take it to heart and come to the Desolate Forest and the Misty Swamp to search for it himself! In fact, they all fell into Murong Likai's trap. If Murong Liyun really dies, the investigation will show that Murong Litian deliberately tricked Murong Liyun into going to the Misty Swamp and the Desolate Forest. Then, all the big brothers and little brothers will be eliminated, and the position of Murong family head will definitely belong to Murong Likai!"

"Truly cunning and treacherous!" Han Xingyu shook his head, saying, "Brotherly affection can't be trusted!" He subconsciously glared at Han Tianci, saying sarcastically, "Some people just make you very uneasy!"

Han Tianci was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth. This guy always wanted to start a fight, when would he ever stop? He was so annoying!

Hei Feng pressed on, "Why do you, the Hei family, obey the orders of the Murong family?"

The short man sighed, "It's all for a little money, trying to find some extra work! The Hei family is in such a sorry state these days!"

"Dejected?" Black Wind frowned slightly.

"Ever since the head of the Hei family fell seriously ill and the eldest son took over as acting head of the family, it's really... sigh..." The short man looked pained and just kept sighing.

Black Wind nodded slightly and waved his hand, saying, "Go ahead and beat him up."

Han Xingyu said with a bitter face, "Just let him go like that? I was planning to use him as a test subject for my medicine!"

"Ah? A drug trial!" The short man looked like he was about to cry.

Han Xingyu smiled knowingly, then smirked mischievously and said, "Testing for poison!"

"What! A poison test?" The short man almost fainted on the spot.

Hei Feng said calmly, "He is a member of the Hei family. I don't want to kill members of the Hei family. I've already killed two, so let it go. Since he has confessed honestly, let's leave him alive. We can call him out anytime in the future."

The short man nodded hurriedly and said, "Gentlemen, whenever you call me out to expose Murong Likai's evil deeds, I'll come immediately. Please let me go then?"

He pouted, looking like he was about to cry. Han Xingyu curled her lip and waved her hand, saying, "So spineless. If you're going to be a drug tester, you'll probably want your pants before even administering the drug. What a spoilsport! Get lost!"

The short man, as excited as if he had just been released from prison, ran off in a flash. At this moment, Xiao Bai helped the injured Murong Liyun over. They had already come out, and Murong Liyun had heard everything the short man had said earlier.

Murong Liyun gratefully bowed to Han Wuxie and the others, her face betraying her desolation and loneliness. Her second brother, who had always doted on her, had actually tried to kill her. Besides this chilling thought, what pained her even more was that the Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng she sought for her mother had been a lie told by her second brother—he claimed it existed in the Misty Swamp and the Desolate Forest. She had come here only to die, without finding the ginseng she sought. Thinking of her dying mother, a breathtaking possibility flashed through Murong Liyun's mind. Her mother's sudden illness, supposedly due to a qi deviation, was hanging by a thread. But could the reason for this qi deviation be the beginning of the entire scheme to frame her? Was her mother's illness also the beginning of a conspiracy? While her mother was in seclusion, someone must have caused her qi deviation! If that person wasn't Murong Likai, then it would be Murong Likai!

Seeing the grief on his face, Han Wuxie asked softly, "What were you looking for when you entered the Misty Swamp and the Desolate Forest? Do you need us to help you find it?"

Murong Liyun raised her head, looked at Han Wuxie's kind gaze, smiled slightly, and shook her head, saying, "They just tricked me into coming here. There's probably nothing I'm looking for here."

Seeing that his sister wanted to help him, Han Tianci quickly said, "It doesn't matter whether it's here or not. Just tell me what it is. As long as it exists, I'll find a way to help you find it."

Murong Liyun was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng."

Upon hearing this, Han Xingyu's eyes darted around. She rummaged through her bag for a while, finally pulling out a golden ginseng root. Red blood seemed to flow within it, and its surface was covered in tiger-skin stripes. Han Xingyu sighed, slightly troubled, "I found it at the edge of the desolate forest, but I was too careless when I dug it up, and it escaped. I only managed to scrape up a tiny bit of its root; is it usable?"

Murong Liyun's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Did you really find it in the Desolate Forest? Although I don't have enough ginseng roots, knowing that it's on the edge of the Desolate Forest, I'm determined to find it! Can you tell me where you found it?"

Han Tianci narrowed his eyes and said, "Han Xingyu, take me to the place where you found it. Even if it escaped, it shouldn't be able to. I should be able to see its location."

Han Xingyu nodded, but then hesitated, "Do we have to go back again? We've come this far, and if we go back now, won't we be unable to reach the Martial World Continent today?"

Murong Liyun hurriedly said, "If you have something urgent, you can draw me a map, and I'll find it myself!"

"Forget it! Without Han Tianci, you wouldn't have found it at all. I just happened to discover that cunning ginseng. It escaped once, so it will definitely be very careful. How could it be discovered so easily!"

Han Wuxie didn't quite understand about this herb and asked疑惑地问道, "Xingyu, can ginseng really run away? Has it become a spirit?"

Han Xingyu scratched his head and said, "Actually, I don't quite understand why it ran away. It's the same principle as why the sensitive plant is shy. It's a natural property of the plant and can't be explained. You can't say it became a spirit, but it has some spirituality. However, I don't know if it has a soul."

The Deer King said profoundly, "All things have a spirit."

Han Wuxie nodded in agreement and smiled, "I really want to see that cunning little ginseng. Let's go back and take a look together. Actually, it doesn't matter when we go to the Martial World Continent."

Xiao Bai pouted and whispered in Zhu Fengmo's ear, "I always feel like the way that kid looks at Master has something that really annoys me, something that makes me want to punch him!"

Zhu Fengmo narrowed her eyes, a sinister glint in them, and said in a low voice, "You're right, I also dislike those flirtatious glances!"

"A flirtatious glance?" Xiao Bai was a little puzzled. After all, he had only recently taken human form. Even with his rapid leveling up, he only learned so much about humans after meeting Han Wuxie. How could he compare to Zhu Fengmo, this millennium-old prodigy who spent his free time reading human books about love stories?

Zhu Fengmo sneered, "It's what we beasts call 'showing goodwill.' We beasts wag our tails to show goodwill, while humans convey a lot through our eyes. That kid is interested in Wuxie!"

"Interesting? The kind of romantic relationship?" Little White said warily, "That won't do, this kid is too weak, he's not good enough for Master!"

At this moment, Bing surprisingly interrupted, which was quite out of character for him, saying, "They're not a good match."

"You're quite the gossip!" Little White nudged Bing with its shoulder and chuckled mischievously, "You think he's unworthy, but am I worthy of Master?"

"Beasts and humans are even less worthy!" came the cold reply. Little White pouted, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I was just asking casually, you don't have to take it so seriously, answering me so formally, do you?"

Han Tianci huddled around Xiaobai, Bing, and Zhufengmo in a small circle and asked curiously, "What's all this seriousness about? What should I say to you, Xiaobai? What are you talking about?" Xiaobai coughed a few times and whistled, "Nothing!" Zhufengmo grinned wickedly, "What we beasts say is not suitable for mortals to hear!" Bing nodded in agreement.