"Twenty-five hundred li..."

"Address me as Your Majesty."

Huanghe Cultivator squad leader Chen Liao helplessly glanced at You Jiu, who walked with a hunched back ahead of him. Without fussing about the title, Chen Liao directly asked, "Sir, do you not intend to capture Qiao Muyi?"

Walking with his hands in his pockets, You Jiu's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. He indifferently countered, "Why do you say that?"

"If you, Sir, were to exert your full power, they couldn't escape at all. As Twenty-five hundred li, second in power only to Three thousand li, if you weren't intentionally holding back, how could you possibly let a mere Demon King escape safely?"

Chen Liao's words clearly pleased You Jiu. You Jiu dug his ear, pulled out a large lump, flicked it away, and said, "Qiao Muyi isn't fleeing; she's still plotting something."

"Isn't she plotting to bring disaster upon the world these days?" Chen Liao asked. "The Flourishing Sakura has manifested a Source of Disaster once, and Lian River and Abyss each manifested one. All were terror-inducing Sources of Disaster comparable to super Heavenly Calamities. It seems she's desperate and wants to take revenge on society."

You Jiu turned his head to look at him. "Is that what you think?"

Chen Liao paused for a moment before speaking, "This is the best explanation. Moreover, according to the analysis of the information provided by the Watcher, the Demon King enhances herself by harvesting victims' resentful emotions. Now forced to flee, sending out Sources of Disaster to create calamities and harvest resentful emotions seems plausible."

"Could it be... Sir, you think the Watcher gave false information?"

"I do not think the Watcher gave false information," You Jiu replied. "Now that the whole world has unanimously recognized Qiao Muyi as a super criminal, yet her crimes are not disclosed, it means everyone has accepted the setting that the 'Demon King harvests resentment to strengthen herself'... Even Xiao Chuanzi has accepted this conclusion; naturally, I will not quibble about it."

Xiao Chuanzi... Chen Liao, a fan of Sanqianli Chuan, had lines of frustration on his face.

"However," You Jiu suddenly shifted the conversation, "have you not noticed that after Qiao Muyi fled, the subsequent major Sources of Disaster were all resolved by someone from Fairy Palace or the World Tree?"

"Thanks to them taking action, otherwise Lian River and Abyss would have been doomed," Chen Liao sincerely exclaimed, then suddenly realized something.

"Sir, are you suggesting that Qiao Muyi and Fairy Palace, World Tree..."

"I do not know," You Jiu said, looking down at the riverbank below the slope. A group of people holding tactical flashlights were searching the riverbanks and riverbed. However, it was now the middle of the night, and their search efficiency was naturally very low.

"But those high and mighty Immortals and Magicians are willing to give her a chance, so I will not be stingy with a little help. They have obtained the favor of heaven's timing and the advantage of location; I will give a bit of harmony then."

You Jiu looked up at the steep cliffs. "Moreover, she broke through the deadly encirclement formed by global elite Transcendents, withstood the full-power attack of six Fourth-Stage Cultivators, jumped down from a mountain hundreds of meters high, and still managed to escape unscathed..."

You Jiu suddenly laughed heartily. "If this were a legendary story starring Qiao Muyi, you and I would definitely be the villains getting a taste of our own medicine, right?"

Chen Liao and the other Huanghe Cultivators all had pained expressions—It's one thing for you to say that about yourself, but why drag us into it too?

After laughing, You Jiu took the lead in sliding down the slope, the Huanghe Cultivators closely following.

As they landed on the riverbank, they heard You Jiu abruptly say, "What if she really was wronged?"

Chen Liao raised his eyebrows and immediately said, "Even so, we need to capture her first, then investigate slowly. The truth will naturally reveal itself..."

"You make it sound easy," You Jiu kicked a pebble on the ground, his voice sounding like ethereal wisps of smoke. "Everyone has presupposed her guilt; surely she carries stains she can't defend herself against... This feeling of being despised by the world, unable to even defend oneself, I..."

Chen Liao suddenly spoke in a grave tone, "Twenty-five hundred li!"

You Jiu paused, contained the sadness on his face, nodded, and said, "I understand. I will show mercy this one time only, as a gesture of respect to Fairy Palace and the World Tree. When we meet next time, I will not hold back."

***

"Brother You!"

By the riverbank, five Fourth Stage Experts had gathered. Bright called You Jiu over, saying, "We were just discussing how to hunt the Demon King. Brother You, any suggestions?"

"Call me Your Majesty."

Bright handed a tablet to You Jiu. "Brother You, we plan to search downstream, focusing mainly on Pine Tail Mountain in the west, Zelkova Tail Mountain in the south, and Mount Oogasa in the east. What do you think?"

You Jiu glanced at the tablet map and shrugged. "Let's go with that."

Kadell, carrying a cello case, asked, "What about the north?"

Before Bright could respond, Sakura Kyoko said, "The north is upstream of this river. It's unlikely they would go against the current."

Bright nodded and added, "Moreover, there are many scenic spots in the north that have been developed into tourist areas. They definitely don't want to show up in public now, so it's unlikely they will go to places with tourists like those in the north."

Kadell peered at Bright and said, "What if they just happen to move upstream, and just intend to mix into the crowds?"

Bright's smile didn't change because of Kadell's contrariness. Instead, he nodded seriously. "You are right... However, we are really short on manpower right now. Let's send a few teams to the northern mountains, request that the Metropolitan Police Department guard the tourist areas, and post flyers to alert travelers in the north to the Demon King's movements... With this arrangement, Kadell, do you think it would work?"

Kadell looked at Bright seriously for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I have no objections."

Bright clapped his hands and said loudly, encouragingly, "Don't be disheartened. The Demon King's escape this time was just a fluke; she definitely cannot escape the Missile Mountain Range. Now that all surrounding transportation has been blocked to her, she is already a trapped animal. We just need to encircle her slowly, and we can capture this beast that brings chaos to the world!"

You Jiu suddenly said, "Isn't she just a suspect? Has the Watcher already confirmed that she is the Demon King?"

The other four Fourth-Stage Cultivators looked at You Jiu with strange gazes; only You Jiu and Kadell were watching Bright. Bright blinked and spread his hands. "As you all saw, surrounded by over a hundred Transcendents, she and her accomplice managed to escape our capture..."

"If we still intend to merely capture her, it seems inappropriate at this time." Bright's expression turned grave, and he seemed quite regretful. He sighed and said, "She made her choice, determined to follow a wrongful path."

"Your plans, I have no right to question. But I, Bright, hereby order that from this moment on, all Watchers shall make killing the Demon King their top priority!"

Bright placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, emphasizing each word as he said, "Even if I meet the Demon King alone, even if it requires sacrificing myself, I will execute Justice and kill the Demon King who brings chaos to the world!"

***

"There, there's a cave over there..."

Qiao Muyi supported Ren Suo as they walked over. Indeed, they found a large cave hidden by vines on the mountain wall. It was tremendously concealed and even turned a corner inside, making it difficult for dust and rainwater to enter.

Qiao Muyi managed to clear a clean area without much effort and carefully helped Ren Suo sit down.

Presently, the most severely injured was naturally Ren Suo; both his hands were useless due to his injuries. Qiao Muyi, on the other hand, was completely unharmed, except for the massive amount of Spiritual Energy consumed in holding back Thunder Bear Ursa and the Physical Strength depleted while carrying Ren Suo upstream.

As for why Ren Suo knew to go upstream, or why he knew of this hidden cave, she no longer cared about such details.

Her heart was now entirely filled with another matter, leaving no room for other thoughts.

"Rest here for a while. I'm going out to clean up our traces," Qiao Muyi hurriedly said and, without waiting for Ren Suo's response, quickly left the cave.

Returning to the riverbank, Qiao Muyi wiped away their footprints while suppressing the embarrassment and regret rising in her heart—the silvery moonlight could not wash away the blush on her face—

Why did you just blurt it out like that? And it wasn't just 'liking.' Liking leaves room for explanation, like liking cats or friends... Why did you use 'love,' a word that makes one blush so easily? And you added 'really,' and 'a lot'... I'm really so embarrassed now! Even though it was my first confession, why did it sound a bit like a proposal... Isn't it supposed to be him saying those words? Would he think I'm too casual? Would he think I'm joking? And...

Qiao Muyi had been using the corner of her eye to watch Ren Suo's expressions all along. But from the moment he fell into the water to when he sat down in the cave, his expression remained normal, confident with a hint of ease. He had even looked at her normally just a moment ago.

Upon thinking of this, Qiao Muyi grew angry: Why aren't you shy? Why isn't your face red? Why don't you avoid my gaze? Could it be that you're the seasoned pro here? Could I have been deceived by you? I was supposed to be the one teasing you, so how did it turn out that I'm the one being played!? Besides me, have you played this game with others too...?

Recalling several figures, Qiao Muyi suddenly felt a pang in her heart. The Embarrassed Anger melted away like a glacier, replaced by a heavier emotion.

She silently finished covering their tracks, then tiptoed back to the cave, only to see it brightly lit. Ren Suo, who was supposed to be near death, was actually doing push-ups.

Qiao Muyi was dumbfounded and didn't know where to begin asking. After a moment, she finally said, "These candles... did you buy them in the village?"

"Hm? Yes." Ren Suo jumped up, waved his hands like a large windmill, and said with a laugh, "Luckily, I kept them in my breast pocket, not in my trouser pocket, otherwise they definitely would've broken."

On the cave floor, five round, smoke-free Scented Candles were placed. Although each one wasn't very bright, together they were enough to light up the whole cave, suddenly draping the damp and cold cave in an ambiguous and beautiful Gauze Clothing.

Qiao Muyi blinked and asked, "Your injury... is it okay now?"

"It's okay now. My Healing Magic is very powerful. It was just a broken arm, shattered bones, and torn muscles," Ren Suo waved his hand. "I healed myself just after you went out."

"By the way, where are you hurt? Let me heal you."

"I'm not hurt anywhere..." Qiao Muyi shook her head, but at that moment Ren Suo drew close to her, reached out his hand, and touched her face. "There was a scratch on your face from the rock wall... There, it's healed now."

Startled, Qiao Muyi hurriedly pulled her phone from Ren Suo's grasp, turned on the front camera, and checked her face 360 degrees to see if there were other injuries.

Ren Suo, watching from the side, had a speechless expression. Hmph, women.

"Do you have any other injuries?" Ren Suo asked. "It's your turn to protect me next. If you have an injury that isn't healed, we'll all be in trouble. Don't hide your illness for fear of treatment; if you have any issues, just tell me!"

Qiao Muyi glanced at him and said, "I've used a lot of my Cyclone Spirit..."

"No problem, I can help you recover!" Ren Suo immediately patted his chest and said.

Qiao Muyi was somewhat surprised; she had just mentioned it casually. "You can help people recover Spiritual Energy? Do you even have that much spare capacity?"

"My Awakening Technique has evolved again. You're lucky to be the first patient to enjoy my Mana Replenishment service," Ren Suo said. "This spell doesn't use much of my Spiritual Energy, don't worry."

Because of the "Pure White Mini Holy Grail," all of Ren Suo's healing spells received enhanced effects and reduced consumption. Spells like "Saving Lives and Healing the Injured" and "Miraculous Hands Rejuvenation" naturally triggered the item's effects, allowing Ren Suo to heal himself with little effort and even have the capacity to help Qiao Muyi with Mana Replenishment.

He looked around the cave and said, "Are we just going to sit in the cave to recover?"

Even though Qiao Muyi had cleaned it up a bit, the Missile Mountain Range was now entering winter, and the ground remained cold and damp, which definitely wouldn't be comfortable to sit on.

As for standing while healing, that would be even more foolish.

"I saw some withered yellow wild grass outside just now. I'll go cut some to use as a mat," Qiao Muyi said, swiping her phone, exiting the camera app, and returning to the home screen.

She quietly looked at her phone's screen for three seconds, then handed it back to Ren Suo. "I'm going out to cut the grass. You stay here and don't move... Even if your injuries are healed, you shouldn't mess around."

"Okay."

Ren Suo took the phone, thought for a moment, and directly removed the SIM card—who knew if Martial Soul Hall could locate them through the signal.

Then he deftly took out a power bank. Fortunately, it was well hidden and hadn't gotten wet in the river, so it was still usable.

Just as Ren Suo sat down to play with his phone, Qiao Muyi, who was preparing to leave, suddenly stopped. With her back to Ren Suo, she said, "What I said earlier... you should forget it."

Qiao Muyi, with her head lowered, gazed at the shadow on the ground split by the candlelight, a look of guilt appearing on her face as if the shadow concealed someone she did not wish to face.

"You must be really troubled by me... Actually, I regret it too, so let's just pretend nothing happened."

She bit her lip, awaiting Ren Suo's judgment.

Young Master...

"What are you talking about?"

Qiao Muyi turned her head and saw Ren Suo, who was leaning against the wall, scratching his head. He asked, "What earlier?"

"It was when we fell off the cliff..." Qiao Muyi reminded him.

"Ah, by the time we hit the last stretch of the fall, I was already dizzy," Ren Suo admitted sheepishly. "I didn't dare move anymore. My mind was a complete mess, and all I could hear was the wind whistling past my ears... What did you say back then? Can you say it again?"

Qiao Muyi stared at him blankly, then suddenly walked over and pinched his face, intently examining his eyes.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Ren Suo looked at her, puzzled.

He seems... not to be lying.

A mix of anger and relief washed over Qiao Muyi. She let go of the heavy stone in her heart, pinched Ren Suo's face hard a few times, then huffed angrily and ran out, leaving a bewildered Ren Suo behind.

Thank goodness, he didn't hear. So I didn't betray the Trust of Cheng Ling and Little Yue Yan. I didn't vie with them for this fool. I didn't degrade into a love-brained, foolish woman, and I didn't turn myself into an indelible part of his life...

Qiao Muyi, who was on the riverbank using her Knife-hand Transformation to cut grass, suddenly stopped her motion and looked towards the river surface bathed in Moonlight.

She saw the reflection of a pitiful girl with tightly pursed lips, eyes filled with unwillingness, and tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

He and I had the most splendid, exciting, and happy seven days of our lives. I am a Demon King who can't survive without an accomplice. I am his one and only protagonist. Why...

Qiao Muyi stopped her hand and, from the inner pocket of her jacket, took out something.

Fortunately, Ren Suo had protected her well, so this item was still intact.

Luckily, Ren Suo hadn't heard her confession.