Zhuyunluo was not a village of any kind, but rather a somewhat primeval forest.
The group was not waiting in a warm room either. Instead, they huddled beneath an enormous tree, tending a small, wispy flame.
To top-tier cultivators, such a flame would naturally be a glaring vulnerability, but they could not stop Cui Hao from insisting on building a fire.
Donggua had wanted to teach this blind fool a lesson, but Half Watermelon had tactfully vetoed the idea. He agreed to let Cui Hao light the fire, but only if the flame was kept small.
Donggua, having no idea what Watermelon was thinking, endured it for the sake of team unity.
She shot a sideways glance at Cui Hao, who was warming his hands by the fire with a look of utter contentment.
She truly could not understand how anyone could be this insufferable.
Donggua had only one thought: if she had known it would be this person who saved her, she would rather have died. It would have been more comfortable.
This man always seemed to find the weakest point in a person's heart and strike it with pinpoint accuracy, without the slightest regard for anyone else's feelings.
But so be it. If Lin Luoyu did not return within two days, Cui Hao's good days would come to an end.
She no longer cared whether he was the descendant of some great sect. Her patience had nearly run out.
Night fell.
Suddenly, a rustling sound drifted in from the distance.
Donggua materialized her Soft-Bone Sword in hand, her gaze wary as she looked toward the source of the noise. Her divine sense probed carefully, and after a moment, she silently dismissed her blade.
Cui Hao truly was lucky. He had dodged yet another bullet.
Lin Luoyu's figure emerged from the darkness. Her clothes were somewhat tattered, and her complexion was pale.
Donggua hurried over, intending to support her, but Lin Luoyu waved her off halfway.
Lin Luoyu's gaze swept across the group before settling on Cui Hao. Her voice was weak as she asked:
"Is everyone alright? Did you run into any other evil cultivators?"
Cui Hao quickly rose to his feet and stepped before her.
"We didn't encounter any. Are you okay, Senior Sister? I saw a Blood Blade descend from the sky — its power was genuinely terrifying."
Lin Luoyu shook her head slightly. She spoke with some stiffness.
"Before departing, Master gave me a protective talisman capable of withstanding attacks from Nascent Soul cultivators, as well as an escape talisman. When they saw the treasure, I'm not sure whether they chose not to pursue or simply couldn't locate me. I waited a long time to confirm no one was around before returning, so I'm a bit late."
Cui Hao's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked her up and down.
"Hold on. How come your protective treasure is so powerful? It can block attacks from Nascent Soul cultivators, but the one I got can only handle Golden Core stage attacks?"
Donggua clenched her jaw and looked away, unable to bear the sight of him.
Of course the higher-ups in the great sect had brains. They knew exactly who deserved the critical equipment.
Half Watermelon shifted uncomfortably at those words as well.
This fool's stupidity was so extreme it was almost physically nauseating.
Lin Luoyu ignored Cui Hao's complaint and looked at Donggua.
"Pack up. Since the Evil Spirit Sect is hunting me, that fulfills the conditions for requesting reinforcements. I've already called on cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Sect to purge the area, but until they finish, we're all still in danger."
"We need to stay alert for those evil cultivators making a desperate last stand — especially that Blood Qi evil cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. Their methods are extraordinary."
Donggua nodded softly and breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, this senior sister was reliable. She summoned a water orb and doused the campfire without hesitation.
She had been wanting to extinguish that wretched fire for ages!
Half Watermelon hopped to his feet on his single leg.
There was nothing worth packing anyway — they just needed to clear the fire site.
Lin Luoyu took the lead, heading deeper into the forest, though her pace was notably slow.
Donggua studied her and suspected that Lin Luoyu had sustained serious injuries that prevented her from moving faster, rather than genuinely worrying about the weaker members falling behind.
Cui Hao was probably in the best condition of anyone in the group. He walked alongside Lin Luoyu and asked:
"Senior Sister, what kind of protective treasure did Master give you? Can I take a look?"
Donggua followed silently behind the two of them.
Honestly, she had to admire Lin Luoyu's Haoran Righteous Qi — the fact that she could endure this without running Cui Hao through with a single sword strike was remarkable.
Truly, Haoran Righteous Qi was not something just anyone could cultivate. It was a beacon of human progress.
Donggua glanced at Half Watermelon, who was hopping along on one leg. This was the person who said Cui Hao was extraordinary?
Half Watermelon sensed her gaze but did not dare return it.
When it came to being insufferable, Cui Hao was indeed in a league of his own.
Donggua turned her attention back to Lin Luoyu, curious to see how this righteous cultivator would handle a junior brother who behaved with zero decency.
After a moment of silence, Lin Luoyu reached into her robes and pulled out something resembling a jade slip, tossing it to Cui Hao.
"Here it is."
Donggua narrowed her eyes. She could tolerate this too? And she actually handed over the critical protective treasure?
He said he just wanted to look — but whether he would actually give it back was anyone's guess.
A protective talisman capable of fending off Nascent Soul cultivator attacks was astronomically expensive.
Cui Hao took the jade slip, examined it briefly, and then simply kept it in his grip without another word.
Lin Luoyu acted as though the matter was already behind her.
The rest of the journey passed in relative quiet.
As the moonlight faded and the first glow of dawn appeared on the horizon, the group arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned hunter's cottage.
A tree had burst through the roof on the left side of the structure, and the walls were crumbling. It looked every bit the part of a condemned building.
But none of them were ordinary people. Even if the entire place collapsed, it would not matter.
Sitting on a wooden floor was still far more comfortable than sitting in mud and weeds.
Lin Luoyu's voice was even weaker now.
"Rest for a while... we'll wait for word before making any decisions."
"I'm exhausted..." Cui Hao strode inside without ceremony, cleared a spot, and leaned back against the wall.
"Someone set up a watch rotation. I need to recover first."
Half Watermelon glanced at Lin Luoyu, whose face had grown even paler.
She was a Golden Core cultivator. For her face to look this pale, she had to be suffering from severe internal injuries.
Half Watermelon caught Donggua's eye and volunteered without being asked.
"I'll take first watch. I haven't done much along the way anyway."
Lin Luoyu nodded in approval, but her gaze quickly shifted to Donggua.
"There are some things I'd like to ask you. Can we speak in private?"
Donggua studied Lin Luoyu's solemn expression for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Lin Luoyu took a deep breath and walked off to the side. Donggua followed.
Watermelon watched the two depart, then turned his gaze to Cui Hao — only to find that Cui Hao had propped himself up, apparently curious, watching them leave as well.
Lin Luoyu stopped and turned around. Her gaze was calm as she looked at Donggua, her tone betraying no particular emotion.
"I've been honest with you, and I hope you'll be honest with me in return."
"Why are you really being hunted? Are you hiding something from me?"
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