Pulling Cheng Wen Yu to sit at the table, Shen Jian Xi sighed inwardly. She had been soft-hearted just now, but she didn't want to be too cruel to Cheng Wen Yu. Some distance was necessary...
Watching the four of them take their seats, the three people on the other side nervously walked over.
Mercy, she truly admired her. Their hearts had been in their throats during that situation, yet this sister was completely calm.
Cultivators didn't really need to eat, but Shen Jian Xi enjoyed the happiness food brought her. Cheng Wen Yu and the other two followed her lead. Gong Sun Qing and the others, seeing their senior brothers had sat down, didn't want to stand by idly.
Although those people didn't eat, they still made an effort to look like they had, especially with the dishes Shen Jian Xi had pointed out as problematic. They were noticeably diminished.
Initially, Gong Sun Qing and the other two didn't believe her. They found an excuse to test the dishes again. Disciples who refined pills were also proficient in pharmacology.
The initial results were consistent with what Shen Jian Xi had said. This made them truly begin to respect her. At first, they had considered her a burden and had even resented their senior brothers for bringing a mere decorative piece into such a dangerous situation.
Now, it seemed that Senior Brother Cheng and the others were indeed worthy disciples of Immortal Lord Lian Hua. While their acquaintance was only at the early Golden Core stage, she excelled in other areas.
...
When Li De came in to clear the dishes, he saw the few remaining dishes on the plates and felt a quiet satisfaction. The sun had begun to set, and a strong wind was picking up, but he felt incredibly warm.
Tonight's dinner was secured...
According to 77's calculations, the effects of the medicine would begin to take hold in about half an hour.
The seven of them got into bed and waited quietly.
In the end, they didn't sleep as Shen Jian Xi had suggested. However, because she said she didn't like sleeping by the wall, Cheng Wen Yu compromised.
Now, the arrangement on their bed was: Shen Jian Xi in the middle, Cheng Wen Yu to her left, Qiu Tao to her right, and Lin Xing Lan next to Qiu Tao.
From the moment he got into bed, Qiu Tao remained in one position, lying on his side and looking at her.
Cheng Wen Yu lay on his back, his eyes, covered by white gauze, unreadable as to whether they were open or closed.
Suddenly, his little finger was hooked, and the next moment, his large hand enveloped hers. Qiu Tao, who had been playing with her hair on the right, raised an eyebrow at Cheng Wen Yu's action before taking her other hand into his to play with.
Shen Jian Xi: ...
She really wanted to say, "Brothers, there's no need."
Outside, noisy footsteps echoed. Likely certain of their complete paralysis, Li De and his group made no effort to control their volume.
Strange snores and shrill cries rose and fell, as if they were performing some kind of ritual.
Dark clouds gathered outside, seemingly cheering on this feast.
Inside, the group held their breath, all their subtle movements ceasing.
77: "...You're lying quite neatly... looks like a morgue..."
"Shut up!" That nearly broke her composure.
Mercy, once you accept a certain premise...
She even felt the floral quilt on her body had turned white.
Lambs to the slaughter—this was the most fitting description for them now.
The commotion outside gradually quieted down. The footsteps became orderly and methodical, like a well-trained army.
The door was pushed open. Village chief Li De stood at the entrance, addressing the villagers, "Great God Gunala! Thank you for bestowing upon us delicious food. The hyena clan will forever be your most devout followers. Wala!"
"Wala!" After he spoke, all the other villagers shouted this phrase.
As the voices died down, Li De walked in, looking down at them.
Their human faces had transformed into those of hyenas, covered in fur.
Shen Jian Xi thought of Fu Zi's furry appearance and felt the importance of good looks. This Li De was too ugly, and his breath reeked of foul odor.
According to the drug, all six of them had their eyes open, but they couldn't speak or move their bodies. Their consciousness was clear, and only their eyes could move.
The two beds were surrounded by hyena-people, who examined the six helpless prey like they were inspecting merchandise.
Shen Jian Xi's side had the most hyena-people surrounding it. For some reason, Lin Xing Lan had the fewest.
A hand covered in yellowish-brown fur with dark brown spots reached out towards Shen Jian Xi's face. Qiu Tao and the other two tensed, about to get up, when they heard Li De speak, "Don't touch this woman. I want to keep her for myself. The woman at home can no longer bear children."
The village women were actually all human!
Judging by his words, they had snatched human women to bear children. If that were the case, why were there no children in this village?
Shen Jian Xi felt like she had guessed something. If that were true, these hyenas were truly ruthless...
The hyena that Li De had stopped seemed unwilling, muttering, "My woman can't give birth either." He thought his voice was quiet, but Li De heard it all.
"Yours can still give birth to one or two. Mine has completely stopped. We're almost out of food at home."
A single sentence confirmed Shen Jian Xi's suspicion.
Indeed, they made human women give birth to children in order to eat them!
Li De appeared to be their leader. After he finished speaking, although the hyena man was still unwilling, he dared not say anything more.
Just when they thought it was over, Li De suddenly grabbed the hyena man's head from behind. With a forceful squeeze, he crushed the head. Blood instantly sprayed into the air, forming a mist.
It was during this chaos that the seven of them suddenly leaped into action, prioritizing the closest hyena.
Although Cheng Wen Yu's eyes were blind, it didn't hinder his performance. Instead, his hearing had improved due to his lack of sight, and not a small sound could escape him.
Li De was momentarily flustered but quickly regained composure. He gathered all the hyenas around him and sneered at the seven facing them, "So you're cultivators. Excellent. Eating cultivators can greatly increase one's cultivation. Today, not one of you will escape."
Perhaps it was the numerical advantage that gave Li De confidence. He waved a claw, and all the hyenas transformed into their true forms and pounced. More and more new hyenas were entering from outside the door.
"77, see how many hyenas are outside."
Why wouldn't this fight ever end?
77 transmitted a video feed of the entire village to Shen Jian Xi. She couldn't help but curse after taking a glance, "Damn it!"
The entire village was densely packed with hyenas. They were planning to wear them down with a war of attrition!
They mechanically killed one attacking hyena after another, seeing no sign of reduction. Qiu Tao gritted his teeth, "Idiot, hurry up!"