"Alright, you can stop here. We'll take the girl from here," said the two Black God Cult deacons to Qi Hui.
"Don't worry. This time, you've done a great deed. If nothing goes wrong, thanks to this little girl, you'll become a deacon for the main branch. Then we can work together."
"Thank you, both of you." Qi Hui bowed respectfully.
"Do your best. We have high hopes for you." The two deacons held Shen Shengsheng's hand and began to lead her away.
"Awoo?"
Shen Shengsheng turned her head to look at Qi Hui, her eyes filled with confusion. She didn't understand why she was being taken away or why Qi Hui wasn't following.
Qi Hui avoided her gaze. "Take care, both of you."
Shen Shengsheng didn't understand what was happening. Her small hand was gripped tightly by the two strangers as they dragged her along.
Even as she was being led away, she kept looking back at Qi Hui.
"Awoo!"
When the two Black God Cult deacons had dragged her about ten meters away, Shen Shengsheng sensed something was wrong. She turned her head and bit down hard on one of the deacon's hands.
"Hiss!"
The deacon winced in pain and let go of her hand. Shen Shengsheng took the opportunity to run back toward Qi Hui on her short legs.
"You little brat!"
The deacon pulled out a whip and lashed it harshly at Shen Shengsheng.
"Awoo!"
The lash sent Shen Shengsheng curling up on the ground, hugging herself tightly. The whip kept falling relentlessly on her small body.
Not far away, Qi Hui frowned deeply.
When the deacon raised the whip to strike her again, his wrist was suddenly caught in a firm grip by Qi Hui.
"What's the meaning of this?" the deacon demanded, glaring at Qi Hui. "Don't tell me you've grown attached to this little thing."
Qi Hui chuckled. "Not at all. But, dear deacons, she's quite valuable. If you damage her, it won't be good."
The deacon shook off Qi Hui's hand. "This isn't your concern! This little beast needs a few beatings to behave. Don't worry, your credit won't be affected—I won't kill her."
With that, the deacon raised his whip again and continued to lash at Shen Shengsheng.
One strike. Another strike.
Shen Shengsheng cried out and rolled on the ground in pain as her skin split open and bled.
She tried to resist, spitting a weak burst of black flame at the deacon. But at her young age, the flame was easily deflected, and her defiance only provoked more vicious blows.
As the deacon's anger grew, he picked up a stone, ready to smash it down on Shen Shengsheng's head. But his hand froze mid-air.
The next moment, he felt the world spin. His vision twisted as his head separated from his neck, hitting the ground, his eyes staring at the dirt.
"Qi Hui! You—" The other deacon was shocked and started to speak, but before he could finish, Qi Hui closed the distance in an instant and struck. The deacon's body exploded into a mist of blood.
"Awoo?"
Shen Shengsheng timidly moved her hands away from her head, looking up at Qi Hui with fearful eyes.
"Let's go. We're heading back," Qi Hui said as he pulled her up and patted the dirt off her clothes.
Shen Shengsheng looked around nervously, then nodded quietly. "Mmm."
She took Qi Hui's large hand in her tiny one, and they began walking back toward the cave.
Qi Hui staged the scene as if the two deacons had fallen victim to an accident in the wild. He reported the discovery of their bodies to the main branch and vowed to investigate their deaths.
The deaths of the two deacons didn't draw much attention from the main branch. In a demonic sect like the Black God Sect, which was hunted relentlessly by righteous sects, it was all too common for their members to be killed.
Even when deacons came to investigate, Qi Hui managed to hide Shen Shengsheng well.
"Remember this," Qi Hui said calmly, looking at the little girl in the courtyard before him. "Just because I saved you this time doesn't mean I won't harm you. If one day I find it highly profitable to sell you, I won't hesitate. Do you understand?"
Shen Shengsheng tilted her head, looking at Qi Hui, then nodded hesitantly as if she understood.
"If I die someday," Qi Hui continued, his eyes deep and distant, "you must take your mother and leave here. Go as far as you can.
And never forget this: In this world, no one is reliable.
Apart from your parents, anyone can betray you. You can only rely on yourself."
---
In Xu Ming's line of sight, a little girl was biting down fiercely on a large black dog.
The girl had vertical pupils, reminiscent of the dragons from the Western legends of his previous life on Blue Star. Two black horns protruded from her forehead, standing out sharply against her fair skin.
She appeared very young, no more than six or seven years old. However, her adorable, doll-like appearance was starkly contrasted by the ferocity in her eyes—like a wild beast.
The black dog was startled by the unexpected bite.
What shocked it even more was the pain.
It was no ordinary dog—it was a great demon at the Jade Purity Realm. Even Xu Ming's full-strength punches were nothing more than tickles to it. Yet, this little girl had managed to hurt it.
The black dog used its paw to lift the girl by the back of her collar. She flailed her limbs wildly, baring her teeth, trying to bite it again.
"Are you human, demon, or a magical beast?" the black dog asked curiously, sniffing at her. It could detect the scents of both humans and magical beasts on her.
"Awoo!" The girl opened her mouth and let out a growl.
"Never mind, let's take her back and let the Prime Minister examine her," the black dog muttered. Though it couldn't identify her species, keeping her alive seemed the safer option.
Just as it was about to tie the girl up with a rope, the dog suddenly froze. Its paw, holding the girl's arm, had been cleanly severed.
The severed paw and the little girl fell to the ground simultaneously.
"Run! Take her and go!" Qi Hui shouted, having launched a sneak attack. He blew a gust of wind with his breath, pushing the girl toward Xu Ming.
Xu Ming immediately caught her.
"I told you already, there's no escape! Why keep running?" A playful voice rang out as Bifang, like a divine bird, flapped its wings and flew toward Xu Ming.
"Sir, I'm entrusting my daughter to you," Zhao Qiongman said, pressing a bracelet into Xu Ming's hand before striking him with her palm, sending him flying against a large rock.
The bracelet emitted a glowing light, and runes emerged from it, falling onto the rock.
In an instant, the rock disintegrated, revealing a hidden teleportation array beneath it.
When Zhao Qiongman first planned their escape, she had prepared two arrays. The first one had been destroyed during a failed attempt. The second was meant for her husband, herself, and their child to flee together.
Unfortunately, her husband would never return.
Fortunately, her daughter could escape using the teleportation array.
Sensing something amiss, both Bifang and the black dog charged toward Xu Ming.
Zhao Qiongman and the flying zombie blocked Bifang's path, while Qi Hui held the black dog back with all his might. Despite his body being pierced through by the black dog again and again, he never let go.
"Awoo... awoo..."
The little girl, held tightly in Xu Ming's arms, struggled desperately to break free and rush forward. The glowing light of the array slowly enveloped her and Xu Ming.
Bifang's flames engulfed Zhao Qiongman and the flying zombie. Before their bodies dissolved into ash at a visible speed, Zhao Qiongman turned to her child with a warm smile.
"Be well, my child..." she said softly, before vanishing into ashes alongside the flying zombie.
"Awoo..." Tears streamed down the little girl's cheeks as her small arms reached out helplessly toward the fading figure of her mother.
"Live on..."
Under the black dog's paw, Qi Hui grinned as he saw the array about to activate.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion followed as Qi Hui detonated his own Golden Core.
Before the shockwave could reach them, the light of the array enveloped both Xu Ming and the little girl, activating the teleportation.
---
An instant later, Xu Ming opened his eyes to find himself standing on a mountainside.
Without hesitation, he tucked the little girl under his arm and flew toward Qingyang County's city.
But before he could cover 100 meters, Xu Ming's instincts flared with danger. He twisted to the side just as a fireball slammed into the spot where he had been a moment ago.
Another fireball came straight at his back. This time, unable to dodge, Xu Ming spun around and threw a punch. The fireball exploded upon impact with his fist.
The force of the explosion sent Xu Ming plummeting from the sky. When he landed steadily on the ground, Bifang and the black dog had already surrounded him.
The black dog shook the dirt off its fur. "Close one, close one. Almost let you get away."
Bifang pouted. "This guy looks stubborn. Don't waste time talking to him—just break his legs and take him away."
"Agreed." The black dog nodded and began to step closer to Xu Ming.
Xu Ming knew that if he were captured and taken to the Wanxiang Kingdom, he'd face certain death—just a matter of how and when. Even the black dog felt it was a shame for such a talented individual to meet such a fate.
But, for the demon race, letting a genius like Xu Ming grow unchecked would be an unbearable threat.
Xu Ming clenched his fists, wracking his brain for any way to escape.
The answer was clear—there wasn't one.
He had no strength left to throw even a single punch, let alone fight two Jade Purity Realm opponents. His only choice now was to stop resisting, allow himself to be captured, and look for an opportunity later.
"Honk!"
A loud honking sound suddenly echoed through the air.
Hearing the familiar sound, Xu Ming's face fell.
Sure enough, a massive Tianxuan Goose dove straight onto the black dog's head, pecking furiously and flapping its wings wildly.
"Stupid goose! Get out of here!" Xu Ming shouted anxiously.
Xu Ming was in a panic, fearing that the black dog might strike the goose with a single paw and end its life.
The black dog did indeed raise its paw, aiming to swat the annoying goose that was flapping and pecking at its head.
But before it could act, Bifang jumped into action, delivering a powerful kick that sent the black dog flying far away. "You damn mutt, are you trying to die?"
The black dog was knocked aside, and Bifang's single foot bounced up and down, repeatedly stomping on the black dog.
The Tianxuan Goose, unsure of what was happening, quickly flew back to Xu Ming's side. When the black dog had reached out to strike it, the goose had felt its life was in real danger—its life nearly snuffed out.
After being thoroughly beaten by Bifang, the black dog climbed back up. It looked at the Tianxuan Goose by Xu Ming's side with a flash of fear in its eyes.
If it had acted earlier, it would have been over.
Xu Ming was confused.
The black dog and Bifang now looked at Xiao Bai with eyes full of respect. All the previous arrogance had vanished.
What happened next left Xu Ming even more puzzled.
"Subject—Miao Huo."
"Subject—Dead Dog."
"Greetings, Your Highness, the Princess!"
Xu Ming and the goose stared at them, utterly confused. "???"
Xu Ming looked at the goose. The goose stared at Shen Shengsheng.
"Honk honk honk? (This little girl is a princess? Where did you pick her up?)" the goose asked. "You didn't kidnap a princess, did you? That would explain why they're after us!"
"They're talking about you!" Xu Ming hit the goose's head with annoyance. "Wait, no—what kind of princess are you?"
"Human! Show some respect to Your Highness!" the black dog growled, looking disturbed to see its princess being struck by a human.
"Your Highness, we've been searching for you everywhere!" Bifang transformed into a human form, no longer a single-legged creature, but a normal woman, and bowed respectfully to the goose.
"Honk honk honk! (I'm not your princess! You've got the wrong goose!)" the Tianxuan Goose crossed its wings defiantly.
"There's no mistake," the black dog said, also transforming into a human form, its skin dark as if it had emerged from a coal mine. "Your Highness, if you take this, the seal on your memories will break, and you will regain your memories and come back with us."
"Honk! (No way!)" The goose refused immediately. "Honk honk honk honk! (Back off! I'm warning you—I'm very powerful, and you won't harm us!)"
"Your Highness, you've been deceived by this human!" Bifang said coldly. "Humans are all untrustworthy."
"Honk honk honk! (You're the untrustworthy ones!)" The goose stood protectively in front of Xu Ming.
Bifang and the black dog exchanged a look. The black dog turned and bowed deeply. "If that's the case, Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me."
"Honk!"
The goose, thinking an attack was imminent, opened its beak to unleash a wind blade. But before it could do so, the black dog pulled a transparent, crystalline pill from its robes and flicked it directly into the goose's mouth.
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