"Don't worry, I'm not the careless type," Zhao Hong said with a smile.
"Then where shall we meet after we part ways?" Chu Feng asked.
"After everything is done, let's meet at the Dark Ghost Forest," Zhao Hong said.
"Very well," Chu Feng said.
"The people from the Kong Heavenly Clan are still waiting for you all, so let's part ways here," Zhao Hong said, and as she spoke, she moved to undo the concealment barrier covering the area, intending to leave directly.
"Wi—Wife," just then, Wang Qiang suddenly spoke up. The man who was always thick-skinned and shameless now, for once, showed a look of hesitation.
"Dear, if you have something to say, just say it. Acting all coy like that is hardly endearing," Zhao Hong said with a smile.
"Since you're willing to be my wife, I will surely marry you in grand style one day. But before that, I hope you… no, no… won't go around killing innocent people anymore," Wang Qiang said to Zhao Hong.
"You really do think of me as some demonic woman, don't you?" Zhao Hong asked.
"No, no… that's not what I meant, I just…" That single remark from Zhao Hong actually flustered Wang Qiang, and he hurriedly tried to explain.
"Haha… look at you…" However, seeing Wang Qiang like this, Zhao Hong suddenly burst out laughing and then said, "I was joking. Look how scared you got — turns out you can be this foolish too."
"You damn woman, I, I, I… I wasn't…" Wang Qiang stammered, still trying to explain.
"All right, dear. I know exactly what you're worried about."
"But I don't blame you. I truly was a demonic woman before, and I did kill innocent people without cause, committing untold sins."
"Back then, my resentment reached the heavens, and my killing intent was extraordinarily strong. For some reason, I harbored an inexplicable, deep hatred toward all men."
"It was as if slaying lecherous men was my very mission. If you want me to explain why, I couldn't even explain it myself. But I really was a murderous demonic woman back then."
"But now, I am no longer who I was before. So rest assured — I will never do things like I did in the past," Zhao Hong said.
"Zhao Hong, I don't care about other people's lives. You're my friend, and I only care about your safety. On this journey, be careful and don't force yourself," Chu Feng said once more.
"Chu Feng, since when did you become such a nag? That's not like you at all," Zhao Hong said with a faint smile. But suddenly, her cheerful expression turned unusually solemn. A deep look of apology flickered in her beautiful eyes as she said to Chu Feng, "Chu Feng, I was too impulsive earlier. If you truly consider me a friend, I ask that you don't hold it against me."
These words from Zhao Hong were, of course, an apology for what had happened earlier at the Drought Demon's Deathwater Pool — for refusing to heed Chu Feng's warnings and even clashing with him.
Looking at Zhao Hong's apologetic face, Chu Feng felt a warmth in his heart. True friends would never hold grudges over a quarrel. That matter had long since faded from his mind. All he had ever cared about was the safety of Zhao Hong and Wang Qiang.
So Chu Feng broke into a grin and, mimicking Zhao Hong's tone and manner, said, "Zhao Hong, since when did you become such a nag? That's not like you at all."
"Oh, honestly — here I am sincerely apologizing, and you won't stop picking on me," Zhao Hong said with a laugh upon hearing Chu Feng's words. She gave him a light punch to the chest, but this punch held not the slightest bit of resentment — it was entirely filled with warmth and friendship.
"It seems you two are in no hurry to leave, but I'm in a rush to go open my treasure vault. So… goodbye."
With that, Zhao Hong undid the concealment barrier and departed directly.
She had no intention of saying farewell to the people of the Kong Heavenly Clan, for she never concerned herself with formalities and didn't care what those people thought of her.
That was Zhao Hong — a woman who appeared cold and heartless on the surface, yet was deeply loyal and full of feeling underneath.
Once you truly entered her heart, she was absolutely a friend you could depend on.
"You, kid — looks like you've started to develop real feelings, haven't you? Did something happen while I was away?" After Zhao Hong left, Chu Feng asked Wang Qiang.
Wang Qiang had previously been dead set on escaping Zhao Hong's clutches, yet just now during their farewell, he had shown genuine concern for her. Since it wasn't fake sentiment, the change certainly hadn't come from nowhere.
"As expected, n—nothing gets past you," Wang Qiang said with a sheepish grin. He then told Chu Feng everything that had happened after Chu Feng left.
It turned out that while Wang Qiang had managed to claim the treasure, the process had been anything but smooth.
Two incidents had occurred along the way.
The first was that while obtaining the treasure, Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong had encountered a mechanical beast. The situation had been dire — Wang Qiang was trapped, and if Zhao Hong didn't escape quickly, she would have perished right there as well.
But no matter how Wang Qiang tried to persuade her, Zhao Hong refused to listen. She fought to the death to rescue him, and in the end… she succeeded in saving Wang Qiang, but she herself had suffered severe injuries.