Xiao Man did not want to meddle in other people's business, so she hid, planning to leave after the group departed.
"Lu Xiong, hand over the item, and we'll leave your corpse intact."
"How dare you attack me, a disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect!"
"Who told you to be alone? In the Roland Mountains, what does the death of one Blazing Sun Sect disciple matter? Others will just assume you were killed by a monster." The leader of the group chuckled sinisterly. "Hand over the item, and you won't have to suffer any physical pain."
Lu Xiong looked around. He knew he had no chance of survival today, but even so, he wouldn't let these people have it easy. "You want it? You'll have to prove you have the capability to take it!"
"Not good, he's going to self-destruct!" The attackers scattered as they saw Lu Xiong preparing to detonate himself. However, Lu Xiong was merely feigning self-destruction. As soon as they dispersed, he seized the opportunity to escape, heading directly towards Xiao Man's hiding place!
This scoundrel, why did he have to run towards her? Xiao Man could no longer remain hidden. But if she ran out, she would become a target!
Xiao Man felt a sense of helplessness. Just as she was contemplating whether to help him, he rushed to her side and thrust an object at her. "Junior Brother, take this and go!"
Xiao Man stared at the item in her embrace, then at the pursuers hot on her heels. She cursed inwardly, "Lu Xiong, is it? I'll remember you!"
Making a swift decision, Xiao Man ran in the direction Lu Xiong had fled. Did they think they could scheme against her so easily?
"Senior Brother, wait for me!" Xiao Man moved with incredible speed, quickly catching up to Lu Xiong. Lu Xiong, seeing Xiao Man fleeing alongside him, looked as though he had swallowed a swarm of flies. He immediately attacked Xiao Man, intending for her to distract the pursuers. Who would have thought she could flee even faster than him!
Xiao Man dodged Lu Xiong's attack. The silver needle on her fingertip inadvertently pricked Lu Xiong's hand, a sensation no more painful than an ant bite. Lu Xiong paid it no mind. Xiao Man drew closer and, with lightning-fast hands, snatched Lu Xiong's Qiankun bag, then shoved the item Lu Xiong had given her back into his embrace!
"Senior Brother, hurry and go! I'll hold them off!" Xiao Man stopped and charged towards the approaching pursuers. Lu Xiong was stunned by this sudden turn of events, but his original intention was for Xiao Man to help him stall the pursuers, so this suited him perfectly.
To his surprise, Xiao Man, midway, veered off in another direction. "Senior Brother, there are too many enemies, I'm no match for them! I'm running!"
Lu Xiong had never encountered anyone so unpredictable. He couldn't afford to hesitate any longer, but then he suddenly realized his Qiankun bag was gone. A pat of his chest revealed the item he had hidden was also missing!
"Bastard!" Lu Xiong had never been so enraged in his life. He had intended to scheme against someone else, only to be outmaneuvered. The treasure he had so painstakingly obtained was stolen, and what's more, he didn't even know the thief's name!
Lu Xiong immediately gave chase in the direction Xiao Man had fled. After only a few steps, he felt his breath catch, struggling to inhale. The pursuers had already reached him. Without a word, they apprehended Lu Xiong.
"Run, let's see how you run now! Hand over the item!" The men pinned Lu Xiong down and searched him. However, after thoroughly searching him, they found nothing they wanted. "Senior Brother, it's not here."
"Not here? It must have been taken by that kid!" The leader grabbed Lu Xiong by his collar. "Speak, where did that kid go?"
Lu Xiong wanted to say he didn't know him, but he couldn't utter a sound. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and died. The leader, believing Lu Xiong had poisoned himself, cursed his bad luck.
"Go after that kid."
"Yes, Senior Brother." But after only a few steps, the men felt dizzy and weak, collapsing to the ground.
"What's happening?" The leader went to help one of them up.
"Senior Brother, I feel difficulty breathing, I can't catch my breath, and my body feels weak..."
The leader couldn't help but look at the fallen Lu Xiong, assuming he had poisoned them. He immediately searched Lu Xiong for an antidote, but not only did he fail to find one, he himself was also poisoned.
"What is going on?" The leader, sprawled on the ground and unable to move, thought hard and finally understood the problem. It was that fleeing kid!
Xiao Man leisurely appeared before the leader, collected the Qiankun bags of the other men who had already succumbed to poison, and walked towards him.
"Who are you, do you know who we are?" The leader was finally terrified. "We are disciples of the Azure Wolf Sect. If our sect finds out..."
Zhu Qing crawled out from Xiao Man's sleeve and bit the leader's neck. The man twitched a few times, then stopped moving, completely lifeless.
Xiao Man pulled the Qiankun bag from the leader's body. She examined the contents and a smile curved her lips. This outing had been profitable.
"Zhu Qing, dispose of the bodies."
"Yes, Master." Zhu Qing reverted to its original form and swallowed all the corpses. After a satisfied burp, it transformed back into a small green snake and slithered into Xiao Man's sleeve. Xiao Man took out the disc she had "acquired" from Lu Xiong. It appeared to be a miniature defensive formation, quite ingeniously crafted. The Azure Wolf Sect had been hunting Lu Xiong for this item, hadn't they?
Xiao Man returned carrying two wild chickens, moving at a leisurely pace. Xiang Jian was in the midst of cultivation. Su Dan Fiction Network.
"I've brought back some game," Xiao Man said, preparing the chickens. One would be used for soup, the other for roasting. She was grateful for the convenience of the Qiankun bag, a storage artifact, otherwise, carrying many things would have been troublesome.
"There's blood on your sleeve," Xiang Jian opened his eyes and glanced at Xiao Man. "Been killing people?"
Xiao Man looked at her sleeve; it was indeed stained with blood. It must have gotten there when she took something from Lu Xiong's embrace. "No, an injured rabbit ran into me."
Xiang Jian looked puzzled. An injured rabbit ran into you, and you didn't eat it down to the bones? "Where's the rabbit?"
"Dead." Xiao Man efficiently started a fire to roast the meat, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the pot of soup, occasionally adding unfamiliar medicinal herbs into it.
"What is that?"
"Something good," Xiao Man handed a sprig to Xiang Jian. "It tastes good, try it."
"Is it edible?"
"If it wasn't, would I give it to you?" Xiao Man looked at him as if he were unappreciative. "Take a bite, the spiritual energy it contains is more potent than the spiritual marrow of the Dragon Spirit Bamboo."
Xiang Jian listened, took a bite, and found it sweet. The spiritual energy was indeed dense. He devoured it in a few bites and instantly felt all his fatigue dissipate.
"Why can you always find so many good things?" Xiang Jian asked enviously. He had been to the Roland Mountains many times, yet he had never discovered such treasures here.