After Zhang Nu and Liu Hai left, the Tree YaoGuai could no longer maintain his composure. He spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping his lips fiercely before casting a furious glance in the direction they had gone. Though seething with anger, he knew there was nothing more he could do to them at the moment.
Watching from afar, the Illusion YaoGuai couldn’t help but sneer. It seemed that the Tree YaoGuai wasn't as powerful as he claimed to be. He had dared to challenge her, but now he had been humiliated by two young brats. Amused by his downfall, the Illusion YaoGuai appeared before the Tree YaoGuai, relishing the opportunity to mock him.
“Well, well, Tree Guai, I never expected to see you like this. I thought you were something special, challenging me before. Weren’t you always boasting about your power?” she taunted. “You couldn’t even handle two mere boys—what a disappointment to the master.”
Her words cut deep. Everyone knew how much the Tree YaoGuai revered their master. Ever since his first encounter with their master, he had been infatuated, despite knowing their master only regarded him as a pawn. Despite this, the Tree YaoGuai could never allow anyone to harm or speak ill of the master.
“Enough! My business is none of your concern,” he growled. “You’d do well to mind your own affairs. Those two—if they come back—will be much stronger next time."
The Illusion YaoGuai, unfazed by his warning, dismissed him with a wave. She saw him as weaker than before and felt he was no longer her equal.
"I'll manage my affairs just fine," she said coldly. "Why don’t you worry about patching yourself up? You look downright pathetic.”
With that, she vanished, leaving behind only a mocking smile that the Tree YaoGuai would not soon forget.
At this moment, the Tree YaoGuai harbored intense resentment toward Zhang Nu and Liu Hai. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have been so belittled by the Illusion YaoGuai. What worried him most was the possibility that the Illusion YaoGuai might report this failure to their master. If the master were to learn of his defeat, he would never be able to lift his head in their presence again.
He had once vowed to become the sharpest weapon in their master’s arsenal. Yet, despite his cultivation efforts, he had only reached this level of power and couldn’t even break free from Nine Fox Ridge. The thought of the master being disappointed in him gnawed at his soul. He needed to intensify his cultivation and eliminate Zhang Nu and Liu Hai. He was certain that once he killed Zhang Nu, his power would surge significantly, allowing him to finally leave Nine Fox Ridge. For some reason, the Tree YaoGuai instinctively felt that killing Zhang Nu would lead to a tremendous increase in his abilities. He had always trusted his instincts, and now was no different.
……
Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had returned to the village, but they were completely unaware of the shift that had occurred during their absence. Upon their arrival, they were not met with the usual warm smiles of the villagers. Instead, they were greeted by cold, hostile glares full of resentment.
Noticing the drastic change, Liu Hai felt a chill of fear rise within him.
"Uncle, auntie, why are you looking at us like that?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. "What happened?"
After hearing Liu Hai's words, the villagers could no longer conceal the anger in their eyes. They had always treated Liu Hai as one of their own, but they never expected that he would bring an outsider to harm their village.
"Liu Hai, oh Liu Hai, we always considered you a member of our village."
"But we didn't expect you to betray us by secretly bringing an outsider here."
"Did you forget what the village chief said? No outsiders are allowed into our village."
"Yet you not only ignored the village chief's words but even hid this outsider among us."
Upon hearing the villager's words, Zhang Nu was shocked; he didn't understand how the villagers had found out. Previously, when he appeared before them, they couldn't tell that he wasn't from the village. But why, after just one trip away, did the villagers now have such sharp perceptions?
Liu Hai was even more stunned by what the villager said; he didn't know how to respond.
"Uncle, auntie, is there some misunderstanding? Take a good look—it's me, Liu Hai, and the person beside me also lives in our village. How could you suddenly not recognize us?"