"Afterwards, I waited for you two to return from inside the third test. But then, the disaster struck. Qian Yun and the rest of those cultivators became puppets of that holy manchild...Jin Tuyi. I had to buy some time to ensure that Zhanxian would reach the poor idiots waiting outside the portal. So I acted along with the situation, performing according to their expectations..." Han Xuhan said with a weak smile.

"When you say performed..." Mu Ran didn't finish his sentence and stared at him with his eyes narrowed.

"Yup. Boss, don't tell me you thought I really used you as a meat shield when you were unconscious!" Han Xuhan exclaimed in a voice dripping with heartache.

It was time...to lay down the finishing touch.

"I, your underling, would never betray you like that! Check the right pocket of your trousers if you doubt my sincerity!" Han Xuhan's fingers were pointed at Mu Ran as he declared.

Mu Ran searched inside the pocket with a puzzled expression and pulled out a small piece of wood on which familiar-looking alphabets had been etched. His eyes widened as he deciphered the contents immediately.

So his underling had really been speaking the truth! Mu Ran couldn't help but feel guilty about ever suspecting Xuhan...

"What does it say, martial brother?" Yuen Zhou asked curiously.

Han Xuhan answered her while Mu Ran continued to examine the piece of wood.

"There are two law fragments on it. One is a simple law that stimulates the carrier's vitality heavily, while the other one is a bit more complex.

It is a part of a compound law fragment. It makes the carrier temporarily, physically attached to any living creature carrying the same law fragment. I put the second part of the compound fragment inside your sleeves back when I was leaning on you and you told me off for making you all sweaty with my body."

"...." For a moment, Yuen Zhou looked too stunned to react. Regaining her composure, she muttered, "You take the innuendos too far, martial brother."

Meanwhile, a look of sudden enlightenment on Mu Ran's face showed that his doubts had been finally cleared. His mood clearly seemed to have improved tremendously.

Yuen Zhou was smart enough to figure out what had happened as well. Back at that time when they had suddenly been teleported outside the portal, she had felt the strange sensation of having her body parts becoming attached to Xuhan and Mu Ran. Now the dots finally connected with each other in her mind.

"See, I had a feeling that since I was so weak, if the worst situation really happened, the law fragments written on the letter I handed to Zhanxian as a bait would be my last resort. In the worst case, I myself might not be able to use any laws, but the law fragment outside activated by those guys would work for sure and bring me back. So all I had to do was make sure I had a chance to bring you two alongside me as well."

Saying this, Han Xuhan turned to look at Mu Ran with a delighted smile on his face.

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"Boss, I picked your body up and acted like I wanted to escape with you. But that was never my intention, to begin with. Where would I even carry you to inside that accursed place?

I simply took that massive risk to put that piece of wood inside your pocket. Even though I knew I would be caught and beaten up, I did not waver!

"Why do you think I blabbered so much information to Qian Yun?

Why do you think I kept making useless confusing points at that time?

Qian Yun wanted to buy time, but I wanted to buy time too. So I just kept playing the fiddle the way he wanted it to until the law fragment outside the land of laws activated and took us away by bypassing the Seal of Myriad Laws.

Once the influence of the seal failed to keep us from teleporting out, it was a piece of cake for me to activate the gluing law fragment immediately since I was prepared beforehand. Thankfully, Qian Yun tied us up together, making it easy for me to hand the second law fragment to Yuen Zhou. Otherwise, it might have been just me who got teleported. For this, I must sincerely deliver my thanks to them if we ever meet again."

Finishing his soul-stimulating speech, Han Xuhan felt tired again and asked Yuen Zhou for another piece of meat, who handed it to him wordlessly. Ignoring the taste, Han Xuhan chomped it down in silence while Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou digested the information.

Hopefully, it would make Mu Ran's faith in him stronger, as well as paving the path to forming a similar mutually beneficial relationship with martial sister Zhou. One golden thigh was already so hard to keep holding. Xuhan wanted to create some backup channels after realizing how resourceful Yuen Zhou was...

"So what's the plan for now? And where is this place anyway?" Han Xuhan asked inquisitively after seeing Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou still giving him blank looks once his meal was finished.

Mu Ran stood up after his mind had registered Xuhan's questions.

"We're near pine town, in a small area that's hard to notice due to the landscape structure. Martial sister Zhou and I decided to not immediately go seek shelter inside the town. If more demonic cultivators like Shen Kai were hiding inside the town, it would have spelt disaster for us in our current state. The town chief himself was cooperating with the demonic cultivators, intentionally or not. I didn't want to take the risk. "

Han Xuhan slowly tried to get up by gripping the tree behind him. His muscles protested quite horribly, but Xuhan found the pain to be within an acceptable range.

"Really? Wise decision, boss! But do you remember that we had a mission to accomplish? Now that we know what the reason behind the disappearances of the mortals of the town is, we will need to give them an explanation, at least..." Xuhan trailed off, suddenly feeling that Mu Ran's way of speaking was a bit off.

Mu Ran noticed his concerned gaze, and waved a hand at him in a gesture to follow him.

"Come with me. I've got something to show you."

Turning around, Mu Ran started walking through the dark woods. Looking at his back, an ominous feeling enveloped Xuhan's heart. He looked back at Yuen Zhou, whose complexion was rather unsightly as she gazed at the small fire dancing in the dark in front of her. Noticing his indecisiveness, she met his eyes and cocker her head lightly.

"Can you walk ?"

Han Xuhan tested his footing and nodded.

"Go follow him. There is something you should see," she muttered and went back to observing the fire with an empty expression.

Han Xuhan slowly stepped forward, following Mu Ran's back in the dark. Soon, he was facing a huge, plain field outside the woods. Mu Ran stood at the periphery of it and waited for Han Xuhan to reach his side.

"Boss, What is it ?"

"Look at this particular area ahead and tell me if you find something odd."

Han Xuhan vigilantly observed the field. There wasn't much he could make out in the moonlight. But it looked oddly familiar for some reason. Looking back at Mu Ran, he saw the grave expression on his face.

"Yes, I know you find this area familiar. As for the answer to the question in your heart, it's because this is where Pine Town used to be."

"...What?" Xuhan asked, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words.

"The entire Pine town has disappeared. Gone with each and every single particle in it that ever existed. The only sign that something was here is the large field that it occupied previously. Even the buildings in it and the roads that led to it are gone. There are no signs of life within miles. In one night, the entire town has evaporated into nothingness."

"...What the fuck?"