Just because it's the Newbie Village doesn't mean there are only newbie monsters. Even a Great Demon of 80,000 health points can be casually placed in the Newbie Village, so it's not really surprising for a Great Demon with tens of thousands of health to just appear out in the wild.

Fang Yu's silence seemed to be taken by the deputy captains as absorbing a lesson. When they talked to the captain, they didn't dare to speak too much, only requesting that next time Fang Yu should consider the lives of the entire team before acting.

They are a whole; if one part moves, the entire body follows, and if something happens, it happens to all of them together.

After Fang Yu said he would be more careful next time, the deputy captains returned to the team, leaving only Dong Xingzhou to stay by Fang Yu's side.

"Captain Diao, they just want to complete the task safely..."

"I understand." Fang Yu waved his hand.

Everyone wants to survive.

Everyone wants to have a reliable leader rather than someone who might lead the team into danger at any moment.

Looking at the newly obtained attribute points, Fang Yu decisively added them all to Physique.

Once Physique is maxed, then consider other things.

[Attribute Points: 66→0.]

[Physique: 215→281.]

[Life: 40152/40152.]

Over 40,000 life threshold, breakthrough!

Moreover, during the battle with those Snake Demons just now, he didn't even get a scratch. It was almost like a lightning strike, slashing down those Snake Demons, a virtually injury-free monster sweep.

As his Physique improved, the flow efficiency of Qi in Fang Yu's Dantian, and even his stamina, seemed to have improved.

Even his aura seemed to have grown slightly stronger.

"..."

Riding at the front of the team, Ling Huxiang suddenly turned her head to glance at the team behind, then looked away in puzzlement.

Having gotten rid of the deputy captains, Fang Yu also moved to the front and traveled alongside Ling Huxiang.

"The old folks lectured you, huh." Ling Huxiang's tone was flat, but it was clearly gloating.

"I was a bit impulsive."

"But for such small monsters, it's fine if you're impulsive. We're still near the main road, so it's unlikely any Great Demons would appear. But once you leave the main road and enter the wild, you can't be reckless."

Fang Yu realized that Ling Huxiang was actually quite easy to get along with. She just seemed a bit aloof and cool at first.

After a few words, she starts to be able to hold a conversation with you.

Of course, it might also be because they are the only two captains in this team, considered to be on an equal footing, which is why they can chat.

Hiss hiss hiss—

As night fell, Fang Yu noticed that snake demons began following them again from the bushes behind the team.

[Single-headed White-scaled Little Snake Demon: 553/553.]

[Single-headed White-scaled Little Snake Demon: 597/597.]

They were still of the White-scaled Snake Demon variety, but their numbers had dwindled to only two or three, and their power had dropped to a mere 500 health.

Fang Yu was speechless.

It was his first time seeing a demon with only 500 health.

With the word 'little', could it be a juvenile demon??

Fang Yu was puzzled. After all, these Little Snake Demons were at the very back of the team, and in the pitch-black darkness, it was impossible to see what these snake demons looked like.

"It seems like there's something following us behind," Fang Yu whispered.

"Hmm?"

Ling Huxiang suddenly raised her hand, made a fist, and signaled the team to stop.

The entire team suddenly came to a synchronized stop, showing quite an imposing momentum.

"Where?"

Ling Huxiang squinted her eyes, scanning the darkness behind, increasing her perception range but finding nothing.

She looked at Fang Yu in confusion, wondering if this guy's perception was more acute than hers.

By now, the health bars of those little snake demons had vanished.

Having seen the human team suddenly halt, they probably fled hurriedly.

"I can't sense it anymore, maybe it ran away," Fang Yu said.

"...Got it. From now on, you'll lead at the front of the team; I'll guard the rear of the team."

Without waiting for Fang Yu to reply, Ling Huxiang steered her horse to the back of the team.

The others questioned the changing positions but didn't think too deeply about it, maybe gossiping whether the two captains were disagreeing over something.

The team resumed its journey, but it wasn't long before...

"Where do you think you're going!"

A loud shout suddenly erupted from the rear of the team.

Fang Yu turned back to look.

-553!

[Single-headed White-scaled Little Snake Demon: 0/553.]

The Little Snake Demon that was tailing them seemed to return, only to be discovered by Ling Huxiang, who slashed it with a sword!

Dammit!

So that's why she went to the rear of the team, that was her plan!

If only she had mentioned it earlier! If only she had told me to guard the rear, I would have claimed that prey!

Fang Yu only realized now.

He hadn't expected that that Little Demon with just a few hundred health points, after being scared off, would dare to come back again.

"What's going on?!"

"Be ready! Everyone be ready!"

Dong Xingzhou and others shouted, pulling out their weapons in a state of alert.

However, what they saw was only the scene of Ling Huxiang carrying back the corpse of a Little Snake Demon.

So you're saying something as well, while also leaving the team to slay a demon!

Fang Yu muttered to himself, but the others gathered around, frowning.

"It's the same kind of snake demon as before, just much smaller, about the size of an arm."

"Probably a juvenile."

"Didn't we just scare these snake demons off after slaying them, how dare they keep following us?"

Lying on horseback resting, Zhu Huida slowly opened his eyes.

"It's simple, there's only one explanation—earlier, that Two-headed Snake Demon wasn't their leader."

Fang Yu had also arrived at this time, Ling Huxiang glanced at him first, and then said.

"As Deputy Captain Zhu mentioned, from what I can tell from my field experience, once a leading Great Demon is slain, the remaining Little Demons would usually scatter and flee. But these Snake Demons didn't retreat, they seem to be following us like they're being commanded, which indicates that these Snake Demons are being led by another Great Demon from behind, one that is the true leader of their group."

"Now, they seem to be fixated on us, or rather, our act of slaying demons has enraged them."

Nobody thinks there's anything wrong with slaying demons.

The issue is, when merely tailed by demons who do not attack, some demons might consider the enemy too strong and choose to retreat, abandoning their attack.

Thus, if Fang Yu hadn't attacked, there's a possibility that these Snake Demons might have retreated, intimidated by the human team's strength.

But now it's too late to say these things, the events have already unfolded and cannot be avoided.

"What do we do now?" Dong Xingzhou turned to Ling Huxiang.

Clearly, Ling Huxiang had more leadership qualities than Fang Yu did.

But Ling Huxiang just shrugged.

"Wait."

"Wait for what?" everyone was puzzled.

"Wait for the Snake Demons to give up tailing us, wait for the Snake Demon leader to get impatient and attack us, wait for us to leave their territory, wait for daylight to clear out the Snake Demons following us... In short, just wait."

This single word, 'wait', provided multiple solutions, highlighting the difference in experience which was evident at a glance.

The group caught the hint, each returning to their positions in the team, while Fang Yu volunteered to take the rear guard position.

No one objected, except for Ling Huxiang who shot Fang Yu a curious glance.

"You seem quite enthusiastic about demon extermination."

Fang Yu assumed a solemn expression.

"Slaying demons and expelling devils, it is our mission as the Foolish Underworld!"

"In Tianyuan Town, this would be correct. But in the wild, most people would first consider survival... Never mind, do as you like, I can't bother managing you."

Ling Huxiang waved her hand and swapped positions with Fang Yu, riding her big red horse to the front of the team.

Fang Yu, on the other hand, enthusiastically took up the rear guard position.

Sure enough, after about an hour, more Little Snake Demons began to follow again.

The team members hadn't reacted yet, and Fang Yu had already dashed out from horseback.

When Fang Yu returned with the snake demon's corpse, the team hadn't even realized he was gone.

[System Prompt: Congratulations to the player for killing [Single-headed White-scaled Little Snake Demon], gaining 200 experience points.]

[System Prompt: Experience points exceeded 100, converting to 2 attribute points in total.]