"It seems a seventh-level Earth Realm warrior can resist the Blood-Devouring Demon Vine's attack for a while," Su Hao observed from his hiding spot behind a distant tree.
Although the vine had consumed the blue-robed man, it wasn't an overwhelming victory. The opponent had managed to struggle for some time. This battle gave Su Hao a better understanding of the current strength of his Blood-Devouring Demon Vine.
"But why didn't a quest appear? This woman is connected to me, so it should have triggered something," Su Hao wondered.
He had rushed here hoping to play the hero and complete a quest in the process. But now that the enemy was defeated, no quest had appeared.
"Given the system's usual behavior, this is odd. Could it be malfunctioning?" Su Hao pondered, then decided to stop worrying about it and approached Yueying, who was half-lying on the ground.
He carefully examined Yueying from a distance. With her silver mask and slender figure, she was quite pleasing to the eye.
At that moment, Yueying was staring in horror at the bone fragments on the ground. The recent events had shaken her perception of reality. An unknown blood-red vine had suddenly emerged from the trees and ground, swiftly piercing through her pursuer and devouring his flesh, leaving only a pile of bones. It was terrifying.
Although the vine had now disappeared into the ground, the fear still lingered in her mind.
Cough! Cough! Cough! A fit of coughing interrupted her fearful thoughts, bringing her back to reality.
"Yueying, you're back with us!" A figure appeared before her as she regained her senses.
Looking up, she saw Su Hao staring at her. His voice suggested he knew who she was.
"That's a nice mask you've got there. Where did you get it? When you have time, get me one too. Consider it payment for saving you," Su Hao said with a smile.
"Young Master Su, how is it you? And was that strange vine related to you as well?" Yueying asked in surprise.
[Quest: Chivalry is one of the host's virtues. The beauty has fallen to the ground. Use your warm hands to lift her up and leave this place. Reward: 200 Check-in Points, 2 Bronze Draw Cards.]
"Hm? Has the system reset? This quest is a bit ridiculous, typical system behavior," Su Hao thought to himself, bemused by the system's antics.
"It's not safe to talk here. Let me take you away first," Su Hao said. He reached out and lifted Yueying into his arms, quickly leaving the area.
Soon after they left, several figures arrived at the battle scene. They were Qin Hao's guards, sent to investigate why the blue-robed man hadn't returned.
"There are traces of Commander Li's aura here, and blood stains. They must have fought here. But what's with this pile of bones?" one of them said, reaching out to touch the bones.
As he touched them, the bones instantly crumbled into powder.
"This..." The man's face changed, his voice filled with shock and doubt.
"It's strange. It seems Commander Li is likely dead. If someone with his strength couldn't bring back the target, we should report back to the young master," another guard said gravely.
The one who had pursued Yueying was one of Qin Hao's chief bodyguards, with strength at the seventh level of the Earth Realm. They, being only at the fourth or fifth level, felt it would be too dangerous to continue the pursuit.
"Let's go!" The others quickly agreed and hastily retreated.
Meanwhile, Su Hao was carrying Yueying towards a pavilion by the Luoshui River. He had removed her silver mask, revealing a pale face that gave off a sense of sickly beauty.
"Did you try to assassinate Qin Hao because of a grudge?" Su Hao asked softly.
Yueying looked at Su Hao with a hint of unfamiliarity. Today's Su Hao gave her a different feeling. Being held in his arms, she experienced a sense of security she had never felt before.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But you're severely injured and need a place to recover. I have a small courtyard by the Luoshui River. Would you like to stay there for a few days?" Su Hao asked gently, setting Yueying down on a bench but still half-embracing her.
Although he could have let her go completely, Su Hao felt more comfortable and considerate keeping her partially in his arms, maintaining his image as a caring man.
"My real name is Murong Yue," Yueying said softly, half-lying in Su Hao's arms.
"Murong Yue? Are you from the Murong family that used to be in the prefecture? But what does that have to do with you trying to assassinate Qin Hao?" Su Hao asked, familiar with the Murong name.
The Murong family had once been a top-tier clan in the Northwest Prefecture, on par with the current Sima and Qin families. But for some unknown reason, they had suddenly disappeared from the prefecture one day.
Of course, Su Hao had been young when the Murong family vanished. He had only heard about them from storytellers in the streets and alleys. He hadn't expected Yueying to be a member of the Murong family.
"Our Murong family was framed by the Prefecture Lord and the Qin family, leading to our overnight disappearance. Only a small number of people escaped, including me. I was only two years old at the time," Yueying explained softly.
"The Prefecture Lord and the Qin family? The Prefecture Lord was involved in this?" Su Hao asked, shocked.
In the Western Liang Empire, the Prefecture Lord was responsible for local politics, economy, and administration, while the Pacification Commission handled local security, dealing with martial arts sects and capturing criminals. The two institutions were separate but jointly managed the prefecture.
The Prefecture Lord was one of the two most powerful figures in the prefecture. Su Hao was stunned to learn he had participated in such a clan extermination.
"Back then, our Murong family had obtained a spirit stone. The Qin family somehow found out about it and reported it to the Prefecture Lord. They came to our family privately, wanting to get the spirit stone," Yueying continued.
"Spirit stone?" Su Hao asked, puzzled. Although he had seen spirit stones before, he didn't know their exact purpose.
"I'm not entirely sure what spirit stones are, but I know they can help Sky Realm warriors increase their strength. Our Murong family's ancestor needed the spirit stone for cultivation, so we refused to hand it over."
"And they attacked your family because of this?" Su Hao finished her thought. It wasn't hard to guess what had happened next.
"Yes, only a few people managed to escape. We've always wanted to take revenge on the Qin family and the Prefecture Lord, but the Lord is too powerful. He only has one child, who has joined the Mingyue Sect of the Western Liang Empire. So we could only target the Qin family first."
"This time, with Qin Hao coming here, it was my chance. But I didn't expect to fail," Yueying sighed.
"Qin Hao, huh? Do you want me to take care of him for you?" Su Hao asked gently, feeling sympathy for Yueying.
"I don't want to drag you into this whirlpool because of me," Yueying shook her head, looking at Su Hao.
The Qin family's strength was no less than the Su family's, and there was still the Prefecture Lord behind them. She didn't want to involve Su Hao in this dangerous situation.
"You're underestimating me. I may be a bit weak now, but that won't always be the case," Su Hao said seriously, looking at Yueying.
Cough! Cough! Yueying started coughing again, spitting out a mouthful of blood before losing consciousness.
"Her injuries are too severe," Su Hao frowned, suddenly remembering the system's store.
"I wonder what's in the system store?" He thought, immediately opening the store interface. When he did, he was a bit confused.
There was only one item available for exchange in the system store: [Small Restoration Pill] - A pill that can heal injuries and enhance one's energy.
Exchange requirement: One bottle of Small Restoration Pills costs 500 check-in points. (Note: Each bottle contains 2 Small Restoration Pills.)