(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 22

“Human meat. I wonder if it tastes good.”

The little white fox mentally substituted the meat with chicken, and her saliva instantly overflowed. She climbed upward while carrying Jiang Qin on her back as she fantasized about how Jian Tongyao would distribute the meat when she returned. She smacked her lips at the thought, and her stomach rumbled with hunger. However, the unconscious person on her back suddenly opened her eyes.

Before drinking that bowl of bewildering soup, Qian Wanyu had given Jiang Qin a signal. The two had worked together for so long that their tacit understanding was nearly perfect. Sometimes they did not need words to understand the division of labor clearly. She had held the water in her mouth and spat it onto her sleeve while pretending to collapse.

Qian Wanyu had gone deep into the demon mountain, while she stayed behind to clean up the pig demon that had eaten quite a few people. Unexpectedly, a fox demon had barged in halfway through and thrown herself into the net.

It was truly a case of wearing out iron shoes searching for something, only to find it with no effort at all.

The little white fox spent a great deal of effort dragging Jiang Qin back to the cave. Before she could even catch her breath, the tree vines binding Jiang Qin snapped one after another with a loud cracking sound. Jiang Qin opened her clear eyes and exercised her wrists.

“Cunning fox demon. I trust you have been well.”

The little white fox fell silent.

Pfft.

Pfft.

Pfft.

After three continuous strange noises, a peculiar scent seemed to permeate the cave. Jiang Qin sniffed the air. When she realized what it was, her expression changed drastically. She glared at the little white fox in disbelief.

“You dare to fart!”

The little white fox raised her paws. Her short tail stood stiffly, and she did not dare to move a muscle. She easily lost control when she got nervous, so it wasn’t like she did it on purpose.

Jiang Qin shivered with anger, and the hand holding the yellow talisman trembled slightly. However, the single little white fox before her eyes turned into two. She blinked, and the two suddenly turned into four. Finally, she felt as if she were surrounded by countless fox demons. They were densely packed and all wore innocent expressions. It made her dazzled, and her consciousness gradually became heavy.

“Why is it that there are suddenly so many?”

The moment she collapsed, she vaguely recalled the scent that had not fully dissipated in Qian Wanyu’s room that night. It seemed to carry a smell of roast chicken that she hated the most.

The little white fox poked her with a small claw. After confirming that Jiang Qin would not spring back up like a corpse, she went down to find fresh vines. She bound the human with three to five layers to ensure she was solid and secure. She guaranteed the other party would not break free this time.

Jian Tongyao rushed back as fast as she could only to see a distinct standoff between one person and one demon staring at each other.

“Xiao Chou, why did you take so long to return?”

The little white fox rubbed her starving and flattened belly as she looked over happily. But the moment she saw Jian Tongyao’s bare and yellow-orange vine body, she shot into the corner with incredible speed.

“Xiao Chou, why did you turn into this?”

Jian Tongyao waved her vine as she found it hard to explain in a few words.

Jiang Qin was dumbfounded and seemed suspicious as she asked, “Are you that stupid vine from before?”

Stupid vine?

She felt offended. Jian Tongyao extended a vine with the intention of scaring the other party. Unexpectedly, the little white fox’s reaction was even bigger than the person involved. She suddenly jumped in front of Jiang Qin and blocked her loosely.

Jiang Qin felt a small surge of emotion, but that emotion vanished into smoke with the little white fox demon’s following words.

The little white fox dodged Jian Tongyao’s wildly dancing vine because she was deeply afraid of accidentally touching it.

“Xiao Chou, Xiao Chou, do not be like this. We still have to eat this person. If she gets poisoned and spoiled, we will not be able to eat her.”

Just as the little white fox finished speaking, she realized Jian Tongyao had moved close to her. Scared out of her wits, she lunged backward violently. The back of her head hit the wall with a thud. Stars appeared before her eyes, and she fainted completely.

Jian Tongyao fell silent.

Jiang Qin was speechless.

Looking at the little white fox who had fainted from fright on the ground, the problem Jian Tongyao could not figure out before was now easily solved. When she turned from green to yellow, both her vine body and leaves carried intense poison. The fish in the lake that had accidentally swallowed her yellow leaves and turned belly up were the best examples, as was the pufferfish demon that bit her.

When she grew green leaves again, she would be a good vine once more. But the key was when she could shed this layer of yellow clothing.

One winter?

Zzzt.

What sound is that?

Before Jian Tongyao could mourn the passing of spring, she heard a strange noise. Compared to her calmness on the surface, Jiang Qin’s reaction was much larger. The other party performed a kip up and ignored the five layers of vine bindings on her body as she hopped toward the cave entrance. As she ran, she held her breath until she looked like a puffed-up pufferfish.

Jian Tongyao looked at her in confusion. The latter noticed her gaze and roared at her, losing composure.

“This cunning fox demon is about to fart.”

Although the other party was essentially a fragrant fox, that thing still came out through a certain passage. Even if it smelled fragrant, she could not accept it!

Not to mention that this fragrance came with its own anesthetic components. One whiff made her feel like she was going to ascend to the heavens the next moment. She had flown once, and the result was missing the best opportunity to hunt this cunning fox and ending up in such a predicament.

Jian Tongyao looked sympathetic. She suspected this person had been driven mad by the little white fox. She had already started speaking nonsense.

The little white fox was unconscious for about the time it took for an incense stick to burn. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was dazed and unfocused as if she had slept herself into confusion. First, she raised her small paws to look at them, then clenched her claws, released them, and clenched them again. She played by herself for quite a while before she had the time to cast her gaze elsewhere.

She looked at the cave where she had lived for a long time, then glanced at Jiang Qin, who was standing at the cave entrance for fresh air. Finally, she saw Jian Tongyao as if discovering a new continent. She scrambled up quickly and pounced enthusiastically toward Jian Tongyao while mumbling.

“Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu.”

Jian Tongyao dared not let her pounce like that and quickly dodged to the side. The two little demons immediately started playing a game of eagle catching the chick. The little white fox pounced several times, thinking Jian Tongyao was playing with her. She actually stood up on her hind legs and walked toward her unsteadily while mimicking a human.

“Xiao Jiu.”

It is over. Did that knock on the head turn her stupid?

She cannot distinguish between Xiao Jiu and Xiao Chou.

Jian Tongyao had never expected a little fox demon to understand the significance of names anyway. However, toward this little fox, who had been abandoned since childhood and was very insecure due to physical defects, she still showed great patience.

“Wait until I finish changing color, then it will be fine.”

The little white fox tilted her head while her claws still tried to reach her.

“Xiao Jiu, why change color?”

Jian Tongyao saw her looking completely ignorant as she toddled like a human toddler. She seemed even cuter than before.

“Be good and lie down. Do not move around, and especially do not think about touching me.”

The little white fox actually lay down on the ground and took the opportunity to roll in the dry grass. Her short tail wagged back and forth as she looked to be in a very good mood.

“Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu.”

Jiang Qin was completely ignored by the two little demons and wanted to sneak away. However, after taking a peek down below, she immediately dispelled the thought of escaping.

“Hey, hey, hey. What on earth did you capture me for? If you want to kill or slice me, give me a straight answer.”

This method of being totally ignored was the most maddening thing.

Jian Tongyao looked at her for a long time, then flicked her vine to signal that she could go. Seeing that she still did not leave, the little white fox acted as a translator.

“Xiao Jiu said that you can roll away now!”

Jian Tongyao was speechless.

There is still a difference between walking and rolling. Hey, do not translate randomly.

Jiang Qin laughed out of anger. Where was she supposed to roll to? They clearly wanted to watch her jump down. These demons were indeed no good. Just as she was so angry at the two little demons that she was about to vomit blood, the sound of a sword breaking through the wind came to her ears.

“It is Senior Sister.”

“Senior Sister found me. Senior Sister, I am here.”

The moment Jian Tongyao remembered Qian Wanyu’s elegant sword, she immediately commanded the little white fox.

“Quick, block her mouth. Do not let her shout randomly.”

If Qian Wanyu came, it meant that the scheming demon was definitely nearby, too. She felt completely listless right now and did not want to confront that scheming demon at all. If the other party knew she had sucked the big demon’s blood dry, she would likely look for trouble.

The little white fox did a flying pounce and covered Jiang Qin’s mouth with dirty paw pads. One paw was not enough, so she used two. Jiang Qin whimpered and struggled, but was suppressed by the little white fox sitting on her.

The elegant sword swooshed as it flew over. When passing the cave on the cliff, it specifically paused and probed around the entrance as it was eager to try something.

Jian Tongyao flicked her vine and coaxed it softly.

“Go quickly, go quickly. Go protect your master. Do not let the demons harm her.”

Clang.

The elegant sword swooshed away.

Jiang Qin watched this scene, dumbfounded. She glared at Jian Tongyao until her eyes turned sore. Finally, she lay on the ground with nothing left to live for. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had been ruthlessly ravaged by the elegant sword.

“Qian Wanyu definitely will not rest until she finds the person.”

She was bound to come search the deep mountains a second or third time. Jian Tongyao feared the scheming demon would use the terrain to do something, so she made up her mind.

“Xiao Hui, I am preparing to leave this mountain.”

The little white fox was still squatting on Jiang Qin’s waist. She tilted her small head in confusion, seemingly not understanding the other party’s words. She extended a small claw and subconsciously scratched. This scratch just happened to touch something soft, which was more comfortable than sharpening claws on dry grass.

Almost subconsciously, the little white fox tried to step and knead. One paw was not enough, so she stepped with both paws together.

“Wherever Xiao Jiu goes, I go.”

When had Jiang Qin ever suffered such humiliation? Her pupils dilated and blood rushed to her brain. She could bear it no longer and bit down on the little white fox’s dirty paw.

“Ow, ow!”

“You lewd fox, I am going to kill you.”

Jian Tongyao watched in silence.

One person and one demon had already started fighting. You bite me and I bite you back. They were like kindergarten children and very reciprocal in courtesy. Yet she could not go forward to break up the fight. Every time she advised the little white fox to stop, the little white fox would find time to reply that she was bitten first.

What a self-righteous reason.

Jian Tongyao had no way to explain to a child what indecency meant. She could only let them fight until they were tired. When they could no longer fight, she asked a question.

“Xiao Hui, are you sure you want to come with me?”

She thought for a moment and added, “It might be very dangerous.”

The little white fox patted her chest.

“Xiao Jiu, I am not afraid.”

Jian Tongyao intended to advise this little fox demon further. But she inadvertently caught sight of Jiang Qin’s look which said she would only be happy if the fox was dead. She observed the little white fox’s currently foolish appearance and could not help but suspect whether this little white fox could survive among a group of demons without her.

“Then let us go down the mountain now.”

Surviving one day meant gaining one day. With her as a poisonous vine around, she could always offer some protection.

Once the three of them went down the mountain, Jian Tongyao told the little white fox to abandon Jiang Qin. The two little demons ran off like they had planned it and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Qin hurriedly untied the vines on her body. After untying them, the figures were nowhere to be seen. She lowered her head to glimpse the dotted paw prints on her clothes, and the feeling of humiliation surged into her heart again.

“Ah! Damned fox demon, you had better not fall into my hands or else I will make you wish you were dead.”

“Do you think she has already…”

Yan Ying said half a sentence and left the rest unsaid, but the hopelessness was clearly written on her face. Qian Wanyu swept a faint glance over her.

“If alive, I want to see the person. If dead, I want to see the corpse.”

Yan Ying seemed to want to say something more. But meeting Qian Wanyu’s cold eyes that seemed capable of seeing through people’s hearts, she immediately stopped speaking.

Qian Wanyu spoke up.

“If you want to speak, then speak.”

Yan Ying looked at her cautiously and weighed her words again and again before speaking.

“Most of the demons in this mountain have violent tempers and hate demon hunters to the bone. Once encountered, they will show no mercy.”

The implication was that, never mind a corpse, not even bone fragments would remain. Rather than searching the vast mountains aimlessly, it was better to give up.

Qian Wanyu did not say much, but her hand gripping the sword tightened.

“Then I will flatten this mountain.”

“Senior Sister, Senior Sister, I am back.”

“You are injured?”

Jiang Qin looked quite wretched. Not only were her clothes dirty, but there were also traces of blood splattered on them. In reality, these were all left from when she and the little white fox were biting each other. It looked savage, but it was actually minor roughhousing. However, the fire of humiliation still spread in her heart. Seeing Qian Wanyu, her eyes immediately reddened with grievance. Just like when she was little, she habitually went to tug at the other party’s sleeve.

“Senior Sister.”

Qian Wanyu raised an eyebrow imperceptibly and calmly pulled her sleeve back.

“Speak properly.”

Jiang Qin immediately took back the grievance that had just arisen.

“I left marks for you, but the place those two little demons took me to was really too remote. Who is she?”

Yan Ying possessed an aura that was hard to ignore. Standing to the side, even though she dressed simply and remained silent, one could not completely disregard her. Jiang Qin looked the other party up and down suspiciously. She discovered that her appearance was not inferior to her own, perhaps even surpassing her. In any case, she did not like her.

“Senior Sister, I was barely away from your side for a day, so how did you pick up someone of unknown origin?”

Well said.

Jian Tongyao almost gave her a thumbs-up. She felt increasingly that releasing Jiang Qin was a wise move.

Qian Wanyu reminded her faintly.

“Watch your words.”

Then she added, “Miss Yan Ying saved me when I was injured. She counts as my benefactor. She will be traveling with us from now on.”

Jiang Qin cried out in dissatisfaction.

“She wants to travel with us? Why?”

Yan Ying had to interject.

“Miss, do not blame Benefactor. I was the one who pestered Benefactor to take me away from this place of sadness. If Miss truly dislikes me, I will leave.”

After speaking, she prepared to turn and leave. She walked with a gait that seemed to bloom lotuses with every step.

Qian Wanyu pinched the soft sword at her waist as it had suddenly started shaking.

“Miss Yan Ying will join us. I have already decided on this matter.”

Jiang Qin did not dare to act out, so she could only glare fiercely at Yan Ying in private.

And so, along the way, whenever important matters were involved, Jiang Qin guarded against Yan Ying like a thief. Every time she pulled Qian Wanyu aside and left Yan Ying standing awkwardly alone, she would feel a little smug. Jiang Qin recounted all the vicious things the two little demons did to her. She added oil and vinegar to the story and only omitted the fact that she had been stepped on. Thinking of that humiliation, she could only grit her teeth.

“However, Senior Sister, there is one thing I do not understand. I hope Senior Sister can resolve my confusion.”

Qian Wanyu asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Qin hesitated slightly, and her speech became halting.

“It has a great deal to do with you, Senior Sister.”

Qian Wanyu glanced at her coldly and spoke sternly.

“Even if it concerns me, if you feel suspicious, you must speak. Have you forgotten the ancestral teachings of Shenji Mountain?”

Jiang Qin had been inexplicably lectured, so she pointed at the soft sword pinned at Qian Wanyu’s waist to file a complaint.

“It seems to have been bewitched by that little demon. In the cave, it was one step away from finding me but was casually fooled by that little demon and left. Senior Sister, I fear this sword of yours rebelled when you were not paying attention.”

Hearing this accusation, Jian Tongyao almost laughed out loud. Even faster than her reaction was the elegant sword itself. As if understanding Jiang Qin’s slander, it revealed its sharp blade with a shua sound.

Jiang Qin’s Lipei sword had long been snapped by Jian Tongyao’s long whip. She had no weapon to block with. After taking several hits, she could only hug her head and scurry around.

“Senior Sister, save me!”

Qian Wanyu hooked her finger. The elegant sword lingered unwillingly between the two for a good while. Seeing Qian Wanyu radiating anger, it obediently floated back to her hand. But it incessantly made clanging sounds as it was clearly protesting.

“I will investigate this matter and give you an explanation.”

Jiang Qin waved her hands hurriedly.

“Senior Sister, there is no need for that. I definitely believe you. As long as you say it did not rebel…”

Clang clang clang.

Jiang Qin immediately covered her head, which had been hit several times, and changed her tune.

“Anyway, I feel this matter is too strange. Usually, on Shenji Mountain, it shows no color to any of us and listens only to you. How could it suddenly treat a vine demon…”

Looking at Qian Wanyu’s sinking face, Jiang Qin did not dare say the rest. She had seen it clearly from the side at that time. That stupid vine demon waved a vine at the elegant sword as if saying hello.

Jiang Qin was frightened by her own description and could not help shivering. Surely she was seeing things and had not looked clearly.

Qian Wanyu subconsciously rubbed the characters carved on the sword hilt.

“Let me have some peace.”

Jian Tongyao dared not stay any longer. Being a bare, yellow-orange vine, even with the cover of grass and tree trunks, she did not feel as safe as when she was a cluster of green. Furthermore, there was that elegant sword that would expose her at any moment.

She swooshed away and never imagined that the elegant sword had already sold her out completely.

Qian Wanyu pressed down on the trembling sword at her waist. She seemed to have found the source of the anomalies from these past days. Her cold gaze lingered on the direction Jian Tongyao had left for a long time before retracting it. She whispered almost like a murmur.

“You have never disappointed me.”

Jian Tongyao liked to watch Jiang Qin and that scheming demon stare each other down when she had nothing to do. Jiang Qin was indeed an excellent demon hunter. Whenever Qian Wanyu was resting or away, she always liked to throw out various unexpected questions to interrogate Yan Ying’s identity in a roundabout way. Whether due to a demon hunter’s vigilance or a unilateral dislike for Yan Ying, the questions she asked were unrestrained and imaginative.

She asked questions like at what age Yan Ying was abducted by demons to the mountain, or if demons liked eating children the most. She asked how Yan Ying grew up looking like that without being eaten first, or if those demons had such picky taste that they insisted on looks like her Senior Sister’s.

If Yan Ying remained silent or avoided answering, Jiang Qin would stare at her with a strange expression and even secretly drag Qian Wanyu aside to tattle. This feeling of being monitored made Yan Ying extremely irritable.

Jian Tongyao saw several times that snake scales, which only appeared when sucking blood quietly, crept up the back of the other party’s exposed hand. They would recede before Qian Wanyu or Jiang Qin arrived. She thought pensively that it seemed the snake could not hold back much longer.

She led the little white fox to follow from a distance as she intended to observe the scheming demon up close. Since she was still bearing that yellow-orange color and had not changed yet, she had to choose remote places to travel.

After experiencing the process of growing new leaves, having the leaves gradually turn yellow, and watching the leaves fall off, Jian Tongyao was now incomparably calm. Even if she changed color the next second, she could accept it calmly.

“Xiao Jiu, when will you change color?”

“Soon, soon. What are you collecting those yellow leaves for!”

The little white fox secretly swept the yellow leaves Jian Tongyao dropped into a stolen waist pouch. Caught red handed, she immediately hid them behind her back.

“I did not.”

Jian Tongyao was speechless.

You think I cannot see them just because you hid them?

Previously, she had wondered why the little white fox divided the leaves into three categories consisting of green ones, yellow ones, and half green, half yellow ones. It turned out she knew the function of this vine perfectly well. No wonder she ate her leaves at the drop of a hat. Thinking of the small section of tail the other party had grown, she felt it seemed excusable.

“Xiao Hui, let me tell you. The yellow leaves are extremely poisonous. Just one bite and you will die within three breaths. Do not eat them randomly.”

The little white fox wagged her short tail.

“Xiao Jiu.”

Jian Tongyao always felt that ever since the other party knocked her head, she had become increasingly dependent on her like a fledgling bird.

“Wait until I change color. The green leaves I drop are fine for you to eat, but the yellow leaves are absolutely forbidden.”

That huge pufferfish demon had bitten her just once and died.

Jian Tongyao was now terrified of these demons with no bottom line who ate randomly at every turn and did not spare even a leaf when starving. Thinking of eating, the little white fox’s stomach sang the Empty Fort Strategy. Yet the other party still looked blank. She followed the sound to look at her own starving and flattened belly, patted it with a paw, and revealed an incomprehensible expression.

“Ugh…”

Jian Tongyao was troubled. Asking a vine demon to find cooked food was too difficult.

“Wait until we walk to the next county town. We will find something to eat, so bear with it a bit longer.”

That day, Qian Wanyu’s group arrived at Linchuan County before dark. The three found a top-quality inn. After greeting each other, they returned to their respective rooms. Jian Tongyao and the little fox demon were stationed outside. The little fox demon walked on the main street in human form while holding a yellow vine separated by cloth in her arms. The passing pedestrians all cast strange glances at them, their eyes flashing with a peculiar light.

There were groups of two or three pedestrians on the street walking very fast. The surrounding peddlers and shops closed immediately when the time came in a burning rush as if someone were whipping them from behind.

Jian Tongyao directed the little white fox to find a restaurant. Taking out a piece of broken silver from the waist pouch stolen last time, she ordered a table full of chicken like a tycoon. There was steamed chicken, braised chicken, soy marinated chicken, and salted chicken filling a whole table. The little white fox smacked her lips upon smelling the scent as her eyes sparkled.

The waiter stood by hesitantly, seeing her alone.

Jian Tongyao told the little white fox to ask the other party what the matter was. The little white fox spoke in a childish voice.

“Xiao Jiu says that you still have something to say.”

Jian Tongyao fell silent.

The waiter had been hesitating, but seeing this child speak so politely, he immediately spilled the beans about the recent events in Linchuan County. About a month ago, the County Magistrate’s own daughter went missing. Two days later, the wealthy Squire Qian in their county also lost his little grandson. After that, losing children became a common occurrence. The County Magistrate sent out many constables and turned the entire Linchuan County upside down, but they could not recover the children. Some people said demons were catching people, as they only saw a black shadow. Nowadays, people were panicked, and any family with children kept their doors tightly shut.

Someone like the little white fox brazenly going out on the street was nonexistent, so one look revealed she was from out of town.

In the short time it took to speak, the little white fox grabbed a chicken leg in one hand and a chicken claw in the other. She even handed the chicken leg to Jian Tongyao, who was essentially a yellow vine in front of her.

“Xiao Jiu, eat.”

The waiter spoke up.

“After Miss finishes the meal, do not linger on the street. Go back quickly.”

The little white fox swept the dishes on the table clean like a tornado scattering clouds, then nodded her small head.

“Not afraid.”

The two little demons wandered brazenly through the streets and alleys of Linchuan County. In the dead of night, not even the shadow of a watchman could be seen on the street. Jian Tongyao felt slightly regretful.

“It seems you cannot fish out this big fish.”

The little white fox tilted her head and suddenly spoke.

“Xiao Jiu, I want to eat small yellow croaker fish.”

Jian Tongyao was speechless.

Forget it. Why am I bickering with a silly child?

Just as the two were preparing to return, they suddenly saw a black shadow flash past. Jian Tongyao’s first thought was of a demon. Her second thought was to chase it, as maybe they could find the missing children.

Huang Erniu did not know a single large character and had courage as small as an ant’s. He was often mocked for not being a man. His family used connections to finally find him a job as a watchman. He had a sixty year old mother above him and a sickly wife below, and as of yet, not a single son or daughter. Recently, many strange things had happened in Linchuan County, and everyone spread rumors that demons were causing trouble. Huang Erniu was scared until his legs trembled. He dragged his feet and clung to his own doorframe, daring not to go out. Seeing the hour approach, his elderly mother twisted his ear with a face full of disappointment and scolded him.

“You are a grown man yet scared like this. The neighbor Zhang Er wishes every day that you would not work. The embroiderer wife is still waiting for your salary to buy medicine. You, oh you. If you do not go, as your mother, I will go in your place.”

Leaving aside whether the watchman job could be substituted, even if it could, Huang Erniu could not let his mother go. He could only grab his tools.

“I will go, I will go. Mother, go to sleep quickly.”

On the main street, there was not a single person.

Huang Erniu walked on the section of road he was most familiar with. While striking the gong, he shrank his head down. He did not dare glance around randomly because he was deeply afraid of seeing something he should not. His steps became disordered after a hissing sound came from behind him. He accelerated his pace to a trot while muttering crazy words like “Do not catch me.”

There was one more turn before his house entrance.

That strange sound from behind could no longer be heard. Huang Erniu gasped for large breaths. At the same time, aided by the halo of the lantern ahead, he boldly turned his head once. The street was empty, and there was nothing. It was all him scaring himself. Perhaps that sound just now was also wildly imagined by him.

Huang Erniu settled his heart and patted his chest. Once he turned his head back…

“Ah!”

Jian Tongyao and the little white fox lost the black shadow they were chasing. When they arrived, upon hearing the scream, a person with a pale and ashen face lay on the ground. Beside him was the gong he relied on for a living. His pupils were dilated as if he had seen something terrible before death. Jian Tongyao discovered two tiny bloody holes on the other party’s neck, which were distinctly the tooth marks of some demon. It was a familiar way to die.

“Someone is coming. Run.”

“Okay.”

The little white fox’s brain did not work too well, but she excelled in execution. Basically, whatever Jian Tongyao said, the other party did. She was an obedient wild fox who was quickly becoming a house fox.

Someone died in Linchuan County.

In ordinary times, this would not count as a major event. Birth, old age, sickness, and death were things no one could avoid. But after everyone had been trembling with fear for a month, a watchman suddenly died violently on the street. There were even tooth marks on his neck that did not look human. According to the coroner, the person died after his blood was sucked dry. He died miserably.

The old mother in the watchman’s family cried until she fainted several times. She beat her chest and stomped her feet in regret as she wished she could smash her head and die. And that sickly wife, upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, vomited a large mouthful of blood and had only one breath left.

Various versions of the death were exaggerated and embellished to the point that everyone in Linchuan County was in danger and deeply afraid of being targeted by demons. The County Magistrate had a splitting headache. The matter of the missing children had not yet been investigated clearly, and now such a case occurred. It was troubling.

Jian Tongyao was also very vexed after hearing this. In a moment of negligence, she forgot to keep watch. Unexpectedly, that scheming demon was unwilling to wait even a day and started a massacre as soon as she arrived in Linchuan County.

And right under the eyelids of two demon hunters. She was arrogant, ruthless, and malicious.

Hearing her sigh faintly, the little white fox decently imitated her. The two little demons looked at each other in unison, then sighed in unison.

“Xiao Hui, we must be principled good demons.”

“Okay.”

Being a principled good demon came with a price. The moment Qian Wanyu entered this household, she sensed a faint demonic energy. The demonic energy was not strong and was even negligible. If not for the restless sword at her waist, she feared she would not have discovered it.

The elegant sword pointed at an ingot of silver by the bedside, while flauntingly shaking back and forth in front of Qian Wanyu. The two people beside it had already been scared paralyzed by this display.

“No need to fear. This sword of mine has been overly mischievous lately. It only slays demons.”

Qian Wanyu took the silver in her hand and weighed it. “Presumptuous of me to ask, where did this silver come from?”

The silver had suddenly appeared at the head of the bed. For a family that had lost its labor force, it was simply a pie falling from the sky. If there had not just been a funeral in the family, perhaps they would have secretly rejoiced.

Qian Wanyu took two new ingots of silver for them and exchanged them for that ingot.

“My condolences.”

Outside, Jiang Qin asked many neighbors, but found no clues about demons. She only lamented the situation.

“Senior Sister, this watchman was truly unlucky. Originally, it was not his turn to beat the gong yesterday. However, another watchman’s child fell ill, so to take care of the child… Senior Sister, is there something wrong with this silver?”

Qian Wanyu passed the silver over. The elegant sword swooshed and caught the silver on its blade. It tossed and played with it, having a great time. She stared at this scene with furrowed brows.

Jiang Qin did not understand, yet felt it was somewhat novel.

“Hey, hey, Senior Sister, it is playing with silver? What is so fun about silver?”

Qian Wanyu asked, “Did you discover traces of other demons?”

Jiang Qin replied to her.

“Temporarily no. However, Senior Sister, do you not think Yan Ying is very strange? While I was going to the toilet yesterday, I seemed to see her just coming back from outside. A young girl is going out in the middle of the night, and we have just arrived in Linchuan County.”

“I heard sounds outside, so I went out. I did not expect there really was a demon, and someone died.”

Unnoticed, Yan Ying was standing behind them and staring gloomily at Jiang Qin.

Jiang Qin’s hair stood on end from her stare. Speaking ill of someone behind their back and getting caught by the person involved made her feel somewhat guilty.

“Do not talk nonsense. You are a young girl running out in the middle of the night. I was clearly worried about your safety. In Linchuan County, we are strangers in a strange land. If you were abducted by a demon, we would not even know if we could save you in time.”

Qian Wanyu nodded.

“Linchuan County is not peaceful. Stay properly in the inn and do not run around.”

Yan Ying smiled at Qian Wanyu and even urged her.

“Demons have always been cunning by nature. You must also be careful and not fall into their traps.”

As Jiang Qin walked away, she could not help muttering.

“Speaking as if she understands demons particularly well. What nature demons have, could it be that we demon hunters are not clear about it?”

Are they really clear about it?

Qian Wanyu glanced at the sword making noise beside her as it rang all the way.

“We will split up. I will look for those children. You go see if anyone else, aside from the watchman, has been harmed.”

Under normal circumstances, a demon could not kill just one person, especially this kind of cruel monster that sucked human blood.

Jian Tongyao was also looking for the children. She and the little white fox turned the entire Linchuan County upside down, but did not find even a single hair of a child.

“Strange. Could it be that human traffickers abducted the children?”

If the direction was wrong, investigating would be troublesome.

Since they could not find anyone in the county town, she walked outside it. The two little demons hopped and skipped for a long distance until they were tired and thirsty. Of course, Jian Tongyao was merely frantically growing new leaves and then dropping leaves. Every time she felt she had regained the flourishing prime of her youth, the wind blew, the leaves fell, and she went bald again.

The little white fox did not mock her at all. Instead, she followed enthusiastically and collected all the leaves Jian Tongyao scattered. Her paws swept like fans, filling a full bag.

Jian Tongyao looked at her current appearance in the water reflection. Ugly was no longer enough to describe it.

“G-Great King.”

“…”

What is with this familiar tone?

Two large, bulging eyes popped out of the water’s surface. The little frog demon shivered under Jian Tongyao’s Death God like gaze.

“G-Great King, how did you also run over here?”

Previously in Xianyao Town, the matter of the Great Pufferfish Demon being subdued by Jian Tongyao in one move had spread like wildfire. These little demons were very afraid, so they decided to migrate. They never expected that this boss level demon would also follow along and migrate here. The little frog demon weighed it for a long time before deciding to pop its head out to say hello.

Jian Tongyao maintained a mysterious silence for a long time.

“I have a matter that requires you all to handle.”

The little frog demon was dumbstruck.

“Huh?”

An hour later, Jian Tongyao and the little white fox found the rabbit demon mother’s three caves. The group of missing children was scattered in different caves. Five, five, six… over a dozen children were broken up into groups and nestled together playing with cloth rabbits. The atmosphere was quite harmonious. If one did not know better, they would think they were attending kindergarten.

Jian Tongyao fell silent.

Capital letters for RESPECT.

The little frog demon brought the rabbit demon mother over and introduced her with domineering flair.

“This is our Great King. Hurry and offer those little humans over there to the Great King. Careful or the Great King will take your little life.”

Jian Tongyao was speechless.

Am I that ferocious?

What exactly has this little demon misunderstood?

Jian Tongyao was really afraid of pig-like teammates, so she hurriedly directed the little white fox to step up.

“Do not be afraid. Xiao Jiu said that as long as you have not harmed these children, you are a principled good rabbit demon.”

This rabbit demon never intended to harm the children. She had been muddled after losing her own children until one day she saw human children.

Jian Tongyao had the little white fox act as a newly arrived child and put in a great deal of effort, questioning each of them to extract information. Confirming that this rabbit demon was not shooting arrows without a target, she spoke with lingering fear.

“Do not do this kind of thing in the future. You are being a human trafficker rabbit.”

Just as Jian Tongyao prepared to send this group of little tykes back, the familiar sound of a sword breaking the wind arrived. Qian Wanyu had almost followed her own sword to find this place. When she landed, she saw a group of little carrot heads hesitantly crowding around a white fox, and that maverick vine demon was draped entirely in autumn’s wedding dress, which was so bright it made people dizzy.

Jian Tongyao looked at the enemy and her own side and thought, “Damn it, I’ve been caught red-handed.”