“Why do you say that?”
Su Zhiyun looked at the grim-faced Jiu Baiyun in front of her and asked with a frown.
If it was just the Great Lan Sect planning to retreat, she didn’t see it as a big deal.
Just because a sect was established by eerie creatures didn’t mean those creatures were invincible.
They still fought over resources and avoided harm when necessary.
Maybe the Great Lan Sect was retreating because they had provoked something they couldn’t handle, or an enemy had come knocking.
That was their problem, not theirs.
Jiu Baiyun looked at Su Zhiyun’s unconvinced expression, took a deep breath, and lowered his voice even more.
“Remember those flocks of mountain sparrows I lured away? The ones that were being controlled?”
Su Zhiyun frowned even deeper and nodded.
“Of course I remember. Those damn things nearly killed us last night. What about them?”
“The problem came after!”
“After I led them away, I ran into the source controlling them… a person wearing a gray feather mask…”
Su Zhiyun paused, looking at Jiu Baiyun with confusion.
“Gray Feather… Mask Man?”
He hadn’t mentioned this when he came back.
She had no idea.
But if there really was a Gray Feather Mask Man, and he could control such a large area of mountain sparrows… his strength must be extraordinary…
This only made her more convinced that the Fox Immortal had definitely helped Jiu Baiyun.
But she was puzzled as to why he was bringing it up now.
“He’s strong, and extremely eerie.”
Jiu Baiyun paused deliberately, then continued.
“I killed him… but he left one last sentence…”
“He said… ‘The surroundings are fattened… time to harvest!'”
“Fattened… harvest?”
Su Zhiyun repeated subconsciously, her expression tensing instantly.
She understood the implications of those words, especially in this world overrun with eerie creatures.
Combined with Jiu Baiyun’s earlier mention of the Great Lan Sect’s retreat, the meaning was obvious…
Su Zhiyun knew very well that mortals survived only because the eerie creatures kept them like livestock.
They needed nourishment.
Once an area was considered fattened in the eyes of the eerie creatures, a supremely powerful one would surely come to harvest it.
Su Zhiyun lowered her head, deep in thought, countless ideas racing through her mind.
She knew that even though Jiu Baiyun had transmigrated longer than she had, she had a much clearer understanding of the eerie creatures and the structure of this world.
After turning it over in her mind, she still couldn’t figure it out, so she turned her attention to the System.
“System, what do you think…”
The System didn’t answer.
Instead, it began scanning the area.
After a rather long loading bar completed, the danger level indicator for the area directly displayed a red Extreme Danger!
The glaring red “Extreme Danger” in her mind seared into her nerves like a branding iron.
The System’s cold judgment shattered her last shred of hope.
“Extreme Danger…” she murmured.
After a long pause, she looked up at Jiu Baiyun.
“What do you think…”
Jiu Baiyun was the strongest.
Rather than her own opinion, she wanted to hear his.
“Me?”
Jiu Baiyun was caught off guard.
He hadn’t expected Su Zhiyun to ask for his opinion.
“My idea is to take you and A Ran and get out of here as fast as possible. We can’t stay here any longer!”
Jiu Baiyun spread his hands, quickly stating his thoughts.
Su Zhiyun thought about his words for a moment, then couldn’t help but pout.
“I thought you were going to say we should evacuate everyone from this area…”
“Are you kidding? I don’t have that kind of time, nor that kind of power!”
Hearing her words, Jiu Baiyun retorted irritably.
He wasn’t a saint.
He had no emotional attachment to those villagers, nor any obligation to save them.
The only reason he had protected them before was that he was living here temporarily and had the ability to help a little.
That didn’t mean he was overflowing with compassion and had to protect them to feel at ease.
Honestly, if he encountered something he couldn’t handle, he’d more likely just close his eyes and run.
At most, he might save a few people.
Su Zhiyun looked at Jiu Baiyun, checked the System panel again, and finally sighed.
“I have no problem with that… but are you sure A Ran will be willing to go with you? And what about the Fox Immortal? How can you be sure Lord Fox Immortal can’t protect this place?”
Even as she said this, Su Zhiyun herself wasn’t confident that Lord Fox Immortal could protect the area.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said she had no problem.
Her main concern was A Ran, who truly believed in Lord Fox Immortal.
Jiu Baiyun fell silent for a moment.
He had obviously thought of that too…
Convincing A Ran to leave really seemed difficult.
Besides, if he was leaving, what Fox Immortal would still be here?
Lord Fox Immortal indicated there was no way to protect this place, so it was better to run away.
After muttering a few complaints to himself, Jiu Baiyun turned back to Su Zhiyun.
“What if we tell A Ran that Lord Fox Immortal has already left, and we’re going to find him… Would that work?”
Su Zhiyun was taken aback by his words, then narrowed her eyes at Jiu Baiyun, her tone turning sly.
“So you do know something, don’t you? Come on, what’s your relationship with Lord Fox Immortal?”
What?
Was she really that sensitive and cautious?
I only mentioned it.
Seeing Su Zhiyun squinting at him, Jiu Baiyun helplessly covered his forehead.
“I told you, I don’t know any Lord Fox Immortal. I only said that to convince A Ran to leave. Do you have to be like this?”
Su Zhiyun didn’t think she was in the wrong at all.
She shook her head slightly and coughed lightly.
“What if? What if you really do know Lord Fox Immortal? If I spring that on you anytime, I might get something out of you, right?”
Jiu Baiyun shrugged helplessly at her attitude.
But now wasn’t the time to argue.
He pressed on.
“Do you think A Ran will agree if we say that?”
Su Zhiyun thought for a moment and pointed out the key issue.
“First, you have to prove you know Lord Fox Immortal. Otherwise, saying he’s not here won’t convince A Ran to leave.”
True.
Jiu Baiyun scratched his head in frustration.
He couldn’t think of a good solution right now.
“Instead of racking our brains here, why don’t we just ask A Ran directly when she’s free later?”
“And if she refuses?”
“Then you’ll have to think of something on the spot. I believe in you.”
Watching Su Zhiyun speak so casually, like it was easy for her to say, Jiu Baiyun clicked his tongue.