The moment Shui Ling heard about Yang Kai's request, she grew visibly excited.
Zi Mo couldn't help but grit her teeth. "I knew it. You bastard never came here out of the goodness of your heart to give me my freedom. You obviously have some other motive."
Yang Kai chuckled.
Zi Mo glared at him, then her expression turned serious. "The Wasteland hasn't been exactly peaceful lately."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Yang Kai's interest was piqued.
"For the longest time, the powerhouses over on the Heavenly Wolf side have believed there's some earth-shattering secret hidden in the Wasteland. People have been going in to scout it out regularly. A while back, several factions joined forces and ventured deep into the Wasteland. If you go in now and get spotted, it'll definitely cause trouble. With your current cultivation level, it'd be more likely than not a death sentence."
"You don't need to worry about that. If I dare to go in, I'm not afraid of those people."
Zi Mo snorted. "Still as arrogant as ever."
She paused in thought, then said, "Wait here. I'll go report to Master. If Master allows me to leave, I'll take you there. If not… I'll point you in the right direction and you can find it on your own. It's not exactly hard to locate."
Yang Kai nodded gently.
Zi Mo disappeared once again into the depths of the mountain.
The other young women continued to study Yang Kai and Shui Ling with curiosity. Shui Ling munched on her fruit while Yang Kai wore an indifferent expression, quietly waiting without any intention of engaging them.
A good while passed before Zi Mo returned with a bright look on her face. "Master says that since you saved my life, I have to help you this time. Come with me."
Yang Kai smiled faintly and stood up. He and Shui Ling followed Zi Mo out.
They walked along the mountain's internal passage for quite some time before arriving at that same massive boulder. Zi Mo moved it aside, and the three of them emerged from the mountain's interior.
The moment they stepped out, Yang Kai's brow furrowed. He looked irritably in one direction.
Zi Mo's delicate eyebrows also knitted together as she stared that way.
In that direction, a group of people had already appeared, led by a young man with a mocking look on his face as he gazed their way.
That young man was at the third layer of the Shenyou Realm. Presumably his aptitude was considered decent. Most of the people around him were also at the Shenyou Realm. There weren't many—around ten or so.
The group swaggered forward and blocked the three's path, snickering coldly.
Once they got a clear look at Shui Ling and Yang Kai's attire, the group couldn't help but frown. The young man showed particular interest in Shui Ling's pale blue hair, his gaze sweeping over her again and again, with an occasional flash of unmistakable lecherous light deep in his eyes.
Shui Ling's beauty was striking enough on its own, and combined with her unusual hair, she was bound to attract attention under certain circumstances.
"Xing Bao, what are you doing here again?" Zi Mo immediately stepped forward and shot the young man a cold rebuke, her lovely face twisted with disgust.
The young man called Xing Bao chuckled, taking his time. "What an interesting thing to say, Junior Sister Zi Mo. This is Senluo Hall's territory—why shouldn't I come here? Oh, that's right, Junior Sister is no longer a disciple of Senluo Hall, is she? I suppose I should address you as Miss Zi Mo!"
As he spoke, smug satisfaction spread across his face.
The group behind him wore expressions of mockery, looking every bit like people relishing someone else's misfortune.
Zi Mo's slender body trembled slightly. She let out a cold snort. "My Insect Taming lineage has merely left Senluo Hall temporarily. We haven't broken ties with the sect."
"Does Miss Zi Mo not yet know that the Hall Master has already ordered your Insect Taming lineage expelled from Senluo Hall? Otherwise, why would that old ghost of a master of yours bring you here to live? Since you're no longer disciples of Senluo Hall, you have no right to remain on our territory. You'd better scram. If you dare stay any longer, you'll regret it."
Zi Mo's face turned ashen. "You really have to be this heartless?"
"Hmph. If you're not going to be useful to us, what use do we have for you?" Xing Bao snorted coldly, then suddenly smiled again. "But it's not without room for negotiation. If you can persuade your old ghost of a master to submit to my father, you can still return to Senluo Hall."
"Wishful thinking." Zi Mo sneered with contempt. "You want my master to submit to your father? Keep dreaming."
Xing Bao shook his head slowly. "Too stubborn for your own good. You'll all pay the price for this."
As he spoke, he waved his hand and barked, "Seize those two warriors from the Han! Let Miss Zi Mo see what happens when you cross us!"
At his command, the people behind him surged forward, grinning viciously as they lunged at Yang Kai and Shui Ling.
For certain special reasons, Xing Bao was reluctant to make a move against Zi Mo's lineage, but Yang Kai and Shui Ling were obviously dressed as warriors from the Han Dynasty, so he had absolutely no reservations.
Yang Kai shook his head in resignation.
He had sensed something was off with Senluo Hall from the start but had deliberately avoided asking Zi Mo what was going on, not wanting to get dragged into their affairs and lose time. He never expected to run into trouble right before leaving.
Shui Ling turned her head to look at him, apparently waiting for instructions.
Yang Kai looked up at the sky with an expression that said this was none of his business.
Shui Ling huffed, then pointed a slender finger forward. One by one, water bubbles materialized eerily in front of the charging attackers.
The bubbles were only palm-sized at first, but the instant the attackers' bodies touched them, they suddenly expanded, split open, and before anyone could react, swallowed the men whole.