Chapter 225

"A-You, come carry Brother Binbin back."

"Okay!"

Lin Shuyou ran over and hoisted Tan Wenbin onto his back.

As soon as he lifted him, Lin Shuyou noticed something was off. At first touch, Brother Bin's body was icy cold, but after a moment, he felt a residual warmth.

Huh, he wasn't completely cold!

Usually, whenever Brother Bin fell into this state, it was as if he'd been flash-frozen in a freezer; if not for his faint breath, he'd look even more dead than a corpse.

As if sensing Lin Shuyou's daze, Tan Wenbin's hand pinched Lin Shuyou's waist.

The pinch wasn't strong, but its placement was precise. Lin Shuyou immediately looked up, his nose stinging: "Brother Bin, please don't close your eyes, don't fall asleep. I'm taking you home now."

With that, Lin Shuyou waded through the water, carrying Tan Wenbin out.

This cave might be a good hiding spot, but it wasn't suitable for a fight. If people blocked the entrance, their group inside would be too vulnerable.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Xin Jiyue and Wu Qinhai and said, "Thank you for taking care of Brother Binbin."

Xin Jiyue shook her head, "Brother Bin saved me, and he's been protecting me."

Wu Qinhai echoed, "That's right, without Brother Bin, we would have died several times over."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then we're all in the same boat now. I hope you'll listen to me from this point on. I promise to do my best to get you off this island safely."

Wu Qinhai: "No problem, we'll listen to you."

Xin Jiyue's gaze lingered on Tan Wenbin, who was on Lin Shuyou's back. She paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, I'll listen to you."

Li Zhuiyuan believed Wu Qinhai was more likely to be the mole.

This was because Xin Jiyue had been to Nantong, and the entity under the peach grove would not permit external evil spirits to enter its territory. Furthermore, Xin Jiyue clearly had feelings for Tan Wenbin. While playing the emotional card might seem like a good choice for a mole, it was extremely difficult to pull off and could easily backfire, making it a very low-cost-effective strategy.

However, this didn't entirely rule out the possibility of Xin Jiyue being the mole. Li Zhuiyuan suspected there might be an extreme scenario: the mole themselves didn't know they were a mole.

Leaving the cave, they returned to the shore. Li Zhuiyuan chose a relatively flat area.

"Let's set up camp here."

Wu Qinhai reminded him, "Won't camping here be too conspicuous?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's fine. We'll stay here."

Conspicuous or not, if there was a mole, then the reason they hadn't been found earlier wasn't because they were well hidden, but because the adversaries were pretending not to find them. Instead of cowering in a secluded corner, it was better to choose an open area suitable for a fight. What was destined to happen would eventually happen.

"Brother Runsheng, Wu Qinhai, you two go keep watch over there. A-You, Xin Jiyue, you two go to that side."

Runsheng and Wu Qinhai exchanged glances, then immediately nodded, got up, and left.

Lin Shuyou also went directly to the position Brother Xiaoyuan assigned without a word, but Xin Jiyue hesitated, asking, "Can I stay to help take care of him?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No. I need a quiet environment to treat Tan Wenbin."

Xin Jiyue nodded, "Okay, I believe you can heal him."

She was more wary of the young man in front of her than of Runsheng, who had defeated her twice.

After Xin Jiyue left, Li Zhuiyuan began setting up the tent himself. He hid small formation flags within it, creating an isolation array.

Yin Meng wanted to help, but seeing Brother Xiaoyuan setting up a formation, she could only stand still.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're idle anyway, so make us some food."

Yin Meng: "Huh?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's good to prepare ingredients beforehand. While we have plenty of food and seasonings in the bags, get a pot ready."

Yin Meng understood: "Got it."

Immediately, Yin Meng sat down, set up the pot, and lit the alcohol stove.

Brother Xiaoyuan's voice came again:

"Focus. Even if you have to trick yourself, believe that this meal is for us to eat later."

"I understand."

Yin Meng placed a hand on her chest and began to breathe deeply.

Once a special ability was discovered, it would inevitably be analyzed and categorized. The toxicity of Yin Meng's cooking was related to her level of emotional investment in preparing the food. In short, the more effort she put into making the food delicious, the more toxic it became. If she cooked with the sole intention of making poison, the effect would be significantly reduced.

After repeatedly brainwashing herself in her mind, Yin Meng began tearing open packages and throwing dehydrated vegetables and other ingredients into the pot. As she cooked, a hopeful smile appeared on her face.

In reality, her cooking's toxicity couldn't compare to properly formulated poisons, but as Li Zhuiyuan said, since she was idle anyway, preparing a pot as a backup was a good idea.

Wu Qinhai turned to Runsheng beside him, asking curiously, "Who exactly are you people?"

Runsheng didn't answer.

Wu Qinhai asked again, "Where are you from?"

Runsheng still didn't answer.

Wu Qinhai: "You don't trust me?"

Runsheng: "No."

Wu Qinhai opened his mouth, and after a moment, sighed in resignation: "Once Brother Bin fully recovers, he'll be able to tell you whether I'm trustworthy."

At the other lookout point.

Xin Jiyue looked at Lin Shuyou: "Isn't Brother Bin from Jinling?"

Lin Shuyou: "He can also be from Fujian."

Xin Jiyue looked aggrieved: "He's from Nantong? But he told me he's from Jinling."

Lin Shuyou: "University students can change their hukou (household registration). He didn't lie to you."

Xin Jiyue: "Did he used to have a very loving girlfriend?"

Lin Shuyou: "Yes."

Xin Jiyue: "And later, she disliked his humble background, left him, and married someone else for an alliance?"

Lin Shuyou scratched his head. Why did this plot sound so much like the romance novels with yellow covers his female classmates used to read in school?

Xin Jiyue: "He really liked her, didn't he?"

Lin Shuyou: "Yes."

Xin Jiyue: "She just didn't know how to appreciate a good man like him."

Lin Shuyou looked Xin Jiyue up and down. What could she possibly use to compete with Zhou Yunyun?

Xin Jiyue: "I'll follow him from now on. Wherever he goes, I'll go. I'll take her place in his heart."

Lin Shuyou: "I support you, go for it."

Xin Jiyue: "Thank you."

Lin Shuyou: "You're welcome."

In the middle of the two lookout points.

Outside, Yin Meng hummed a song while cooking, silently chanting, "The more sincere the heart, the stronger the poison."

Inside, Li Zhuiyuan's tent was set up. He drew back the tent flap.

"All right, you can speak freely now."

Tan Wenbin immediately sat up as if resurrected.

There were no more pleasantries; they got straight to the point.

Tan Wenbin first gave a condensed summary of the events he experienced since arriving on the island.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded slightly when he heard that the three individuals were responsible for slaughtering all the transporters on the island that night. Since arriving on the island, he had also noticed something amiss with those three. Furthermore, their status on the island effectively meant they completely controlled it, like three prison guards.

Tan Wenbin had reminisced with the old woman from the general store, drunk with the lighthouse keeper, and even played cards with the boat captain. He knew all three of their names. The old woman was Hu Xiuhua, the lighthouse keeper was Wu Chengli, and the boat captain was Zhou Sihun.

After the slaughter that night, Tan Wenbin had been playing hide-and-seek with Xin Jiyue and Wu Qinhai on the island. Several times, they were almost caught at their hiding spots, but they luckily managed to evade capture.

As they continued to hide, Tan Wenbin began to notice something was off. The strength of those three was undeniable. Moreover, they were "natives" of the island, undoubtedly extremely familiar with its environment. Logically, with such a significant advantage, failing to truly catch them was too strange. If you can't catch a mouse, you should at least step on its tail, right? Anyone else might have felt complacent, thinking their hiding skills were superior and that they were outwitting their pursuers. But Tan Wenbin, who was always anxious about his raw strength within the team, knew better.

"So, Brother Xiaoyuan, to confirm my suspicions, I deliberately started holding back."

"Hm."

Li Zhuiyuan responded, not criticizing Tan Wenbin for taking such a risk. As an advance scout, Tan Wenbin was the team's initial testing stone. While it was correct to ensure his own safety while scouting, he would never allow himself to become the opponent's "bait."

"After I held back, they caught us. But it wasn't all three of them; it was just one. The first time, we were forced to fight him. That first time, I was incredibly anxious, thinking I had guessed wrong and pushed my luck too far, that I'd be finished here. So I used all my strength to escape. I got injured, but I managed to escape.

Once I was safe again, I grew suspicious once more and decided to gamble. So I held back again and was once again caught by one of the three. This time, I even held back while trying to escape, but thanks to Xin Jiyue and Wu Qinhai's desperate cover and obstruction, the three of us managed to escape again and find a corner to hide in.

The third time, I copied the same pattern, deliberately letting them find our tracks again. Once more, one of the three caught us. I pretended to strike first, then suffered heavy injuries. We still managed to escape.

I was absolutely sure now. After that, I deliberately feigned being critically injured. Xin Jiyue and Wu Qinhai also had significant injuries, but they 'appeared' much better than me. From then on, they were the ones who carried and hid me. It must have been because I wasn't intentionally holding back and hindering them, or perhaps because I was intermittently feigning unconsciousness, so there was no need for them to put in any more effort in their act. In any case, they kept me well hidden until you, Brother Xiaoyuan, arrived. We weren't caught again, nor did any more fights break out.

Therefore, Brother Xiaoyuan, I believe their target wasn't just me, or even us, but specifically you."

"Hm."

If Tan Wenbin went missing on the island, he and the others would have come to the island no matter what. So, if "they" were the target, there was no need to deliberately play cat and mouse with Tan Wenbin here.

Li Zhuiyuan: "But simply setting the target as 'me' is also a bit inaccurate. I think we can subdivide it further, deriving the mole's true purpose from their actions of wanting to 'live and die with you'."

Tan Wenbin pursed his lips. At this point in the problem, his mind was having difficulty keeping up.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, it's a bit complicated."

If Three-Eyes were here, he'd probably be able to keep up with Brother Xiaoyuan's pace.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled faintly: "It's alright, Brother Binbin, you've done very well."

Looking at the smile on Brother Xiaoyuan's face, Tan Wenbin was startled. This time, when Brother Xiaoyuan comforted him, he seemed completely normal, not at all forced, and no sense of pain appeared.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, did something happen to you?"

"Yes, I encountered my inner demon."

"Ah, is it serious? You've suppressed the inner demon, haven't you?"

"I am the inner demon."

Tan Wenbin: "Whoa."

"It's a new method, quite effective. Turning myself into the inner demon helps with the treatment. I'll find a way to suppress the main body, or rather, I can also look for an opportunity to kill him."

"Oh, that's good, that's good."

In Tan Wenbin's view, no matter how strange things got, if they happened to Brother Xiaoyuan, it was perfectly normal. All of their companions could accept it.

"Um, Brother Xiaoyuan, have you figured out who the mole is?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, "I can't tell. What do you think?"

Tan Wenbin: "I've been testing them, but I haven't found any flaws. Both of them have been working very hard to help me escape."

Li Zhuiyuan: "If you can't tell, then don't bother looking. Perhaps, it doesn't matter who the mole is."

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, do you mean it's better to kill an innocent person than to..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Not quite. Besides, I can't let your efforts go to waste. I plan to start by focusing on the mole's true objective and see if we can exploit it. This particular 'wave' is truly unusual. The other side seems to have an exceptionally complex and active agenda."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, have you already guessed it?"

"It's just a guess, which needs to be confirmed by how things unfold. I think it will be soon; those three are about to appear. Lie down for now, just to have an extra contingency."

"Okay."

Tan Wenbin lay back down.

Li Zhuiyuan lifted the flap and stepped out.

Yin Meng had already cooked a pot of food. She used aluminum foil as a lid, wrapping the pot and poking several small holes in it. Steam rose while a constant "gurgling" sound emanated.

Li Zhuiyuan covered his nose and reminded her, "You can turn off the heat now. There's no need to be so dedicated."

"My oversight," Yin Meng said, turning off the alcohol stove below and adding another layer of aluminum foil to the top.

When Li Zhuiyuan emerged, he noticed Wu Qinhai and Xin Jiyue's gazes from afar, both directed towards them. Wu Qinhai's gaze was mainly on him, while Xin Jiyue's was on the tent.

The young man ignored them, simply looking at the pot in front of him and slowly said:

"The food is ready. It's time for guests to arrive."

And the guests arrived just as he spoke.

First, a warning came from Runsheng and Wu Qinhai's side. Below their slope, the lighthouse keeper appeared. A rusted chain was wrapped around his waist, dragging across the rocks as he moved. Small stones were crushed directly, and larger ones also cracked. When he looked up, the purple in his eyes became intensely deep.

Wu Qinhai warned, "His chain is very heavy. One hit from it will make a person explode."

Runsheng lightly rotated his neck. He enjoyed fighting strong opponents; it felt exhilarating. However, Runsheng was still waiting for orders from Xiaoyuan behind him.

Yin Meng: "Brother Xiaoyuan, Runsheng's side warned us. One enemy has arrived!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then Lin Shuyou's side should have two."

The next moment, a warning also came from Lin Shuyou's side.

Yin Meng: "A-You's side has two enemies!"

The old woman stood below, holding a long spear. There was no sign of her being stooped or elderly; instead, she stood as straight as a pine tree. The boat captain stood with his legs spread apart, holding a fishing net. The net shimmered with a metallic luster under the sun.

Xin Jiyue: "Two of them came! We need to quickly take Brother Bin and escape, hurry!"

Lin Shuyou reached out and grabbed Xin Jiyue's arm: "Don't move until Brother Xiaoyuan gives the order."

"You..."

"Otherwise, you die." Lin Shuyou's eyes gradually became vertical slits.

Half of that sentence was spoken by the Spirit Boy. Nowadays, Lin Shuyou didn't need to 'open his face' or even make a gesture to perform the ritual; as his intimacy with the Spirit Boy deepened, he could instantly complete the divine descent and enter the planchette state. The Spirit Boy felt an instinctive repulsion towards Xin Jiyue.

Xin Jiyue: "They're very strong. Before, we couldn't even stop one of them and had to escape. Now there are two. Can you... can you really beat them?"

Lin Shuyou ignored her. His vertical pupils remained half-open; not fully open meant the power hadn't completely descended, which was to conserve the planchette state's duration for combat. After the vertical pupils met the two pairs of purple eyes, anger appeared on Lin Shuyou's face. His earlier repulsion towards Xin Jiyue was because he sensed her aura as a "renegade general" of the Eight Generals. This meant Xin Jiyue had been expelled from the temple registry. But towards the two below, the Spirit Boy felt rage. His lips curled at the sides, twitching incessantly. It was fortunate that Lin Shuyou wasn't wearing any dental prosthetics; otherwise, one would have seen exposed fangs constantly grinding and clashing in anger.

"Evil spirits... how dare you call yourselves gods!"

The two lookout points were positioned on the north and south sides of the flat area, still a bit far apart. Normally, when enemies appeared, one should immediately recall their strength and prepare for battle. But Li Zhuiyuan didn't give that order; in fact, he didn't give any order at all.

The next moment, enemies on both sides launched their attacks simultaneously.

The lighthouse keeper, wielding his chain, roared upwards like a fierce tiger. Runsheng swung the Yellow River shovel with both hands, aiming a blow at him. The chain and shovel first collided heavily, then became entangled, and both sides began to exert force. Runsheng found that the opponent's strength was greater than his own. His feet couldn't help but slide across the ground. Immediately, Runsheng simply lifted his foot, wedged the top of his foot into a rock crevice, and, using himself as an anchor, exerted force again. The situation immediately turned into a stalemate.

Wu Qinhai stared at Runsheng in astonishment. He hadn't expected Brother Bin's friend to be so powerful. He didn't delay either. He first tilted his head back, his arms and legs beginning to sway rapidly, muttering:

"Great immortal, quickly manifest, great immortal, quickly manifest!"

When the swaying stopped, his aura changed, becoming gloomier yet also somewhat chaotic. Runsheng had seen a similar situation with Xin Jiyue in Nantong last time; after she invoked her spirit, the power that descended upon her also seemed very unstable and disordered.

Wu Qinhai bent down and grabbed the ground with both hands. Pebbles actively adhered to his hands. When his hands could hold no more, they began to move upward. Soon, his arms and even his chest were covered with stones of various sizes. With a low shout, he flung his arms forward, and all the pebbles shot out, hurtling towards the lighthouse keeper. Each stone carried significant force; a normal person hit by one would at least suffer severe injuries and cough up blood. Earlier in the cave, he had generated waves in a similar fashion.

Facing the rapidly incoming stones, the lighthouse keeper swung his left leg forward, and a thin chain was drawn out, whipping in front of him to form a curtain.

"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"

Half of the launched stones struck the old man and were instantly pulverized. The remaining half, seemingly off target from the start, landed nearby, embedding themselves in crevices.

Runsheng's expression was grim. While he was in a "tug-of-war" with his opponent, the old man could still lift one leg off the ground, yet Runsheng felt no decrease in his strength. This clearly indicated that the opponent's physique far surpassed his own. To win against him, Runsheng either had to go all out with his vital gates fully open for a decisive struggle, or wear him down. The purple glow in the opponent's eyes was clearly an abnormal state, much like Lin Shuyou's spirit invocation. As long as he could outlast it, the opponent's power should significantly wane.

Runsheng's head began to itch. With Xiaoyuan not giving orders, Runsheng had to analyze the situation and tactics himself, which he wasn't accustomed to. However, he trusted that Xiaoyuan's lack of orders had a purpose.

Wu Qinhai's attack was easily nullified, but he wasn't surprised or discouraged. He had encountered the opponent before and knew how terrifying he was. But now that he had a capable helper by his side, he felt he could exchange a few more blows with the opponent.

He spread his arms wide, then sharply brought them together, clapping his palms. They quickly formed a seal, which he moved in front of him, and he intoned deeply:

"Rise!"

The pebbles scattered around the lighthouse keeper began to tremble, arranging themselves into a formation, then collectively exploded, transforming into a dusty mist that enveloped the lighthouse keeper.

Runsheng looked at Wu Qinhai beside him with some surprise. Although Wu Qinhai lacked absolute power, he was indeed very resourceful in deploying his abilities, and he truly managed to execute them.

"Buzz!"

All the dusty mist clung to the lighthouse keeper, making him look as if he'd been painted gray.

Wu Qinhai was delighted at the sight and immediately proceeded to the next step. As his hand seals constantly changed, lines began to appear on the old man's body. Next, he would activate these patterns to achieve their effect, thus heavily injuring the old man.

However, the lighthouse keeper merely shuddered, and all attached materials on his body, including his original clothes, burst open at that moment.

"Pfft!"

Wu Qinhai spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on one knee.

Runsheng sighed inwardly. No matter how clever an idea, without absolute power to back it, it was ultimately futile. However, Runsheng also noticed something slightly off. The opponent seemed only interested in a tug-of-war with him, willing to endure Wu Qinhai's harassment rather than engaging in further close combat. It was as if... he was merely trying to stall Runsheng.

Compared to the protracted struggle Runsheng was in, the fight on the other side was much more direct, even brutal.

The old woman was agile. In a few flashes, she reached the platform, her long spear thrusting directly at Lin Shuyou's vital points. At that moment, Lin Shuyou also completely activated the ritual, and the power of the White Crane Spirit Boy descended.

The Spirit Boy first dodged the spear thrust by sidestepping, then his right hand formed an illusory grip, and a magical trident materialized, striking at the old woman. The old woman didn't dodge; instead, she advanced further, allowing the trident to pierce her chest. At the same time, she swung her spear, its shaft heavily striking the Spirit Boy's body. It was only at the moment of impact that the Spirit Boy realized the opponent's previous thrust was a feint, not a full-power attack; this swing, however, contained her true intent.

The Spirit Boy was sent flying, and a bloody hole appeared in the old woman's chest, with blood dripping. But she completely disregarded her injury and immediately followed up.

At this moment, the boat captain also cast his fishing net, intending to entangle the Spirit Boy. After landing, the Spirit Boy quickly rolled over but couldn't escape the net's coverage. As the net was about to fall, the Spirit Boy's right hand conjured another trident, propping up the net, while his left hand drew out a real trident, thrusting it at the boat captain.

The boat captain didn't dodge; he remained standing there, allowing the trident to pierce his chest. He was only concerned with pulling back his hands, swiftly wrapping the Spirit Boy completely in the fishing net, restricting his movement.

The old woman's long spear arrived at this moment. The spearhead gleamed with a cold light, its rhythm aligning with her body, pointing directly at the Spirit Boy. At this point, the Spirit Boy was actually pressed against the boat captain. This meant that if the spear thrust went through, it would pierce the Spirit Boy and inevitably also impale the boat captain behind him.

The Spirit Boy's vertical pupils turned blood-red. He had never experienced such a bizarre fight. These two were clearly on the same side, yet they attacked without any regard for their companion's life. Furthermore, despite possessing profound strength, they immediately resorted to a life-for-life fighting style, completely disregarding tactics, aiming only for his life. No, to be precise, they wanted the life of him, the spirit medium!

"Spirit Boy, insert the needle!"

At this critical moment, the Spirit Boy heard the young man's voice. The talisman needle was in the backpack pocket, placed horizontally, not vertically. Moreover, the needle tip wasn't covered, and even the fabric of the backpack where the tip pointed had been specially thinned.

Regarding inserting the needle, the Spirit Boy no longer had the initial anger and resistance of his divine power being desecrated. After being temporarily transferred to this new unit, his subjective initiative regarding inserting the needle had greatly increased. For this, he had even collaborated with Lin Shuyou to design this most efficient method of inserting the needle during critical moments. With just a slight shake of his back and a clever backward thrust, the talisman needle inside the backpack penetrated the bag's barrier and pierced his body from behind.

As the talisman needle was inserted, the Spirit Boy's aura surged instantly! He was furious because using this move meant he couldn't take action for a while. This 'wave' had just begun, and he had inexplicably used his trump card. Not only could he not continue to contribute, but he might also become a burden, and the merits he would receive upon completion would surely shrink significantly, wouldn't they? But no matter how angry or unwilling, nothing was more important than life. If this spirit medium died, then he himself would be completely finished.

"Thump!"

The Spirit Boy thrust his left hand forward forcefully. The trident pierced further into the boat captain's body, and with a burst of power, pushed the boat captain away. At the same time, though still bound by the fishing net, the Spirit Boy forcibly turned, avoiding his vital points. The spearhead missed his heart, instead piercing his right arm. Because the spear thrust was meant to be unstoppable, the old woman, holding her spear, continued to advance even after piercing the arm, unable to retract her force.

The White Crane Spirit Boy opened his mouth, concentrating divine power within it. Just as he had previously conjured the trident, this time fangs materialized in his mouth. He directly bit down on the old woman's neck, who was now close in front of him!

He bit down!

The White Crane Spirit Boy had never imagined that he, a dignified Yin God and Marshal, would one day bite someone in battle! But his body was now wrapped like a zongzi by the fishing net, leaving him with no other moves.

The old woman, bitten, showed no pain on her face. Instead, she simply threw aside her long spear and embraced the Spirit Boy with both arms. Meanwhile, the boat captain, who had been pushed away earlier, formed hand seals. On the fishing net, gruesome, distorted ghostly faces appeared, each mouth wide open as if about to spew forth ghost fire.

At this moment, the Spirit Boy felt he was in grave danger! If he didn't leave Lin Shuyou's body now, when the ghost fire on the fishing net fully erupted, even his divine body would suffer severe damage. Even if he didn't perish, his divine rank would fall. But if he left now, Lin Shuyou, who already had the needle inserted, would surely die!

In this split second, he had to make a choice. Just then, a pot, wrapped in an exorcism whip, descended from the sky.

The Spirit Boy breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what choice he would have made, but fortunately, the young man didn't give him the chance to choose. He was both relieved and grateful.

The old woman held the Spirit Boy, whose mouth was clamped on her neck; both were restraining each other. Yin Meng's whip technique was already masterful. This pot landed directly on the old woman's back. The aluminum foil split open, and the dinner spilled out, drenching the old woman's entire back. This was an easy attack to dodge, or rather, during a normal skirmish, anyone with decent agility could have avoided it. But this time, she couldn't.

"Agh!!!"

The old woman let out a horrific shriek. Earlier, when she used her life-for-life fighting style, she was fearless, not making a sound even when her body was pierced by the trident. But Yin Meng's poison was no ordinary substance. The pain it inflicted surpassed her perception, making it impossible to block out. The old woman's clothes on her back completely melted, her skin began to extensively rot, and countless blisters formed. Her hands, which had been locking the White Crane Spirit Boy, unconsciously loosened.

The Spirit Boy lifted his head, bumped her away, then turned back, wanting to break free from the fishing net. However, he found that the boat captain had already completed his hand seals and issued a merciless command:

"Gates of Hell open, fierce fire boils oil!"

Above, Li Zhuiyuan spread his right hand. The formerly red blood mist turned black, and his gaze held an austere intensity. To conjure ghost fire and open the gates of hell in front of him?

The young man clenched his palm and said in a deep voice:

"Retract!"

The ghost fire, just ignited, extinguished in an instant!

Shock flickered in the boat captain's purple eyes. He hadn't expected his carefully prepared killing move to be suppressed so easily. Equally shocked was Yin Meng, though she was habitually shocked. Every time she saw her family's ancestral techniques performed by Brother Xiaoyuan, it brought her a deeply familiar sense of awe, something she never tired of watching.

The White Crane Spirit Boy spread his arms. The previously incredibly tough fishing net, after the rapid ignition and extinguishing of the ghost fire, had all its internal enchantments destroyed, turning it into an ordinary fishing net. Naturally, he could easily break free.

The old woman's tragic screams ceased. Her back was utterly disfigured, but she still bent down to pick up her long spear. Immediately after, the boat captain picked her up, and the two quickly fled.

The White Crane Spirit Boy formed illusory grips with both hands, two tridents materializing. He was about to give chase.

"Don't pursue them."

The Spirit Boy was very unwilling. He turned his head to look at the young man:

"They just almost killed me."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hm."

"If I don't pursue them now, I'll lose my combat ability soon, and the situation will become even more dangerous."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hm."

The Spirit Boy felt like he was punching cotton, but he ultimately dared not be disrespectful and said no more.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Although you've inserted the needle this time, your power hasn't been completely drained. Go back and use the remaining divine power to nourish Lin Shuyou's body. This will shorten his period of exhaustion and paralysis."

The Spirit Boy cast a deep glance at the young man, then walked to a rock on the other side and sat down. He placed his palm on his own chest and began to inject the remaining divine power into Lin Shuyou's body to help repair it. Other Yin Gods wouldn't be willing, but he was. After all, based on past experience, all the divine power he lost would be returned to him twofold once this 'wave' concluded.

Nearby, Xin Jiyue breathed a sigh of relief. She had actually completed her "spirit invocation" just moments ago and had now ended her "planchette state."

Yin Meng stepped forward to pick up the pot. As she passed Xin Jiyue, she asked, "Why didn't you attack just now?"

Xin Jiyue: "I couldn't find an opportunity to strike. It was too fast, really."

Just then, Runsheng and Wu Qinhai ran over: "Xiaoyuan, the one over there escaped, he..."

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Runsheng, who immediately shut up, no longer continuing.

"Brother Runsheng, make some food," Li Zhuiyuan said, glancing at the pot in Yin Meng's hand. "Use a different pot."

"Alright."

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the tent and zipped it up.

Tan Wenbin opened his eyes and sat up.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, did they come?"

"Yes, three of them came."

"Three..."

"A-You inserted the needle, Yin Meng's poison injured the old woman, and then they retreated."

"They just left?" Tan Wenbin looked surprised. "Did they know that A-You's spirit invocation couldn't last long, so they deliberately waited for the Spirit Boy to leave A-You, leaving him weak, before seizing the opportunity to attack?"

"Yes."

"Was the old woman seriously injured?"

"Not lightly."

"Even if she's not lightly injured, we'll lose A-You as a combatant for a short while. That's a loss..."

"Not a loss. I'm going to use A-You as bait, set up a formation, and when they take the bait again, we'll catch them all in one fell swoop."

"Using A-You as bait?" Tan Wenbin's eyes showed thought. He seemed to be close to grasping the key point. "Their target is A-You?"

"Yes. Runsheng's side was merely a diversion; they didn't use full power or even fight seriously. But when they attacked A-You, they pulled out all the stops, directly aiming for a life-for-life exchange. I can even bet you that if given the chance to kill you, Runsheng, Mengmeng, or me, those three would deliberately avoid it and turn a blind eye, solely to kill Lin Shuyou."

Tan Wenbin: "Because A-You is also a spirit medium, and Wu Qinhai invokes a great immortal, and Xin Jiyue is also a spirit medium. Essentially, they're all the same."

"Exactly."

"Usually, when a River-Traveling team loses members, they recruit new ones. If A-You dies, then these two could replace A-You's ecological niche in our team. They are indeed very suitable replacements, so the mole's true purpose is..."

"Exactly. It wants to join my team and travel the river with me."