Chapter 75

The young woman turned and ran in another direction.

The two humanoid monsters behind her spat out more little black creatures again.

Su Jian happened to see it all—he felt a chill run down his spine and immediately sensed grave danger.

Otherwise he wouldn’t have turned around and grabbed Su Jin to run.

“That must be the thing. Immediately call for help,” the forest ranger who had just asked Su Jian said to his companion.

“Got it. I’m calling for backup now.” The ranger activated a distant-communication talisman.

But Su Jian noticed the same ranger who had questioned them was also using a distant-communication talisman. When the man noticed Su Jian watching him, he immediately smiled: “I’ve arranged a flying cart for you two siblings. When it arrives, leave quickly.”

Once the battle breaks out, no one will have time to care for you.

Don’t get involved—you’re with a child.

Su Jian understood at once.

He said with deep gratitude: “Brother, I’m Su Jian, this is my sister Su Jin. Thank you so much. Brother, could you tell me your name? I’ll bring Su Jin to thank you properly later.”

“Haha, my brother’s name is Xu Yunrui. He lives in Hongchuan Alley—you can visit him whenever you have time.”

“Lu Jing,” Xu Yunrui snapped irritably.

“I’m sorry, brother, I’m sorry,” Lu Jing the forest ranger laughed, relieved now that he’d sent the message.

“Brother Xu, don’t worry—we won’t bother you casually. We’ll only visit to express our thanks,” Su Jian said respectfully.

“No need. Anyone seeing you with a child would help. We’re cultivators, yes, but that doesn’t mean we lack humanity,” Xu Yunrui said. “Enough. The cart’s here—go quickly. We still have to wait for the Patrol Office.

They’ll arrive in a few minutes. Once they get here, they’ll seal off this area—you won’t be able to leave.”

Tap-tap-tap…

At the forest gate, a flying cart truly appeared.

Su Jian gave him one last look of boundless gratitude, bowed deeply in reverence to a senior, then walked away carrying Su Jin.

Once the flying cart had departed, Lu Jing asked his brother with a puzzled frown: “Brother, you never meddle in others’ affairs—why did you suddenly help these two siblings?”

“If they’d been trapped in the forest, they couldn’t have left for days—even weeks. How would the girl attend clan school?” Xu Yunrui countered.

“Huh?” Lu Jing stared at him. “I didn’t know you were such a sentimental good person, Brother Xu?”

“Maybe I just found the girl likable?” Xu Yunrui said.

“What?” Lu Jing’s eyes widened in shock. “Brother Xu, snap out of it. Don’t change so suddenly—you’re making me think something possessed you.”

Xu Yunrui rolled his eyes at him in exasperation.

Su Jian carried Su Jin, waiting until the flying cart had vanished far beyond the forest before finally exhaling a quiet breath of relief.

If they’d been trapped in the forest, they might never have gotten out.

“I hope Su Hanlin and Su Yu return safely.”

“Big brother, can I come out again on my next day off?” Su Jin tucked the Blood-Crimson Spider further into her sleeve.

Just before boarding the cart, the Blood-Crimson Spider had returned, and she’d re-hidden it in her sleeve.

“That depends on whether that thing gets caught. If not, we can’t come out for now.”

“I hope the Patrol Office officers catch that monster,” Su Jin immediately prayed.

“Haha, so do I.”

Back home, the siblings silently avoided mentioning the monsters in the forest, claiming they had completed their spell training and returned early.

Su Jian handed his wife a large bag of freshwater shrimp and river clams he’d caught in the stream, asking her to cook them for dinner to give their two daughters a treat.

His wife, Liu Yunniang, silently thought: Everyone else goes to extract wood essence properly—my husband? He spends time practicing spells with his younger sister and casually catches shrimp and clams.

But the large pot of dry-fried shrimp and clams was wildly popular.

Everyone ate until they were full.

The next morning, Su Jin saw Su Yunhu already in the First Classroom, even earlier than her.

Su Yunhu’s demeanor had changed drastically.

His eyes were swollen like walnuts, his gaze now fiercely resolute.

As if he’d grown up overnight.

“What happened?” Su Jin asked.

“I’m fine,” Su Yunhu said.

Soon other students entered the classroom, followed by Master Liu. She didn’t begin teaching—instead, she called Su Yunhu over. Not long after, she led him back in, his eyes still red from crying.

After seating Su Yunhu, Master Liu resumed her lesson.

When the morning’s general knowledge class ended, everyone moved to the Third Classroom.

As soon as Su Wuji entered the Third Classroom, he asked: “Su Yunhu, what’s wrong? Yesterday you suddenly ran off—I thought you were quitting.”

Hearing this, Su Yunhu suddenly burst into loud, wailing sobs.

Everyone was stunned.

This little classmate was crying terribly!

“I said I wanted to quit. My father said if I did, I’d have to become a lone cultivator—getting all my own resources from outside the city, since I’m too young to join any sect, not even as a menial disciple, with no safe way to obtain cultivation resources. He said I couldn’t endure the hardship of a lone cultivator and begged me not to quit. I didn’t believe him, so he took me outside the city to train.

We encountered a giant centipede, over two people long.

My father saved me, but the centipede’s venomous fangs bit him—he lost an arm. WAAAAH!!

It’s all my fault—I’m useless. If I were stronger, if I ran faster, if I didn’t hold my father back, he’d have escaped that centipede long ago.”

Su Yunhu cried so hard his body trembled slightly.

“Stop crying,” Su Cheng said immediately. “If you keep crying like this, your father’s arm will have been lost for nothing.”

Su Yunhu’s sobs stopped instantly.

He stared blankly at Su Cheng.

“Your father’s right—you’re too young. Outside clan school, you have no better way to obtain cultivation resources. Either your father risks his life hunting them outside the city, and one day dies—or you work your ass off in clan school to earn them yourself.

You want to be a lone cultivator? How? Your first outing nearly killed you.”

Su Cheng spoke blunt truth.

Su Yunhu couldn’t speak a word. After a long while, he whispered: “I was such a fool before.”