Chapter 209

Because Ma Ling'er realized that even without the Blood Hunters, the sheer number of escort team members was enough to form a cordon around her, trapping her before she could even escape Luoye Cun.

And with the Blood Hunters added in, her chances of fleeing became even slimmer.

"What do I do… what do I do? Do I really have to use that technique? But that technique means placing all hope on…"

Ma Ling'er's thoughts raced like lightning, her expression grim.

And just then, she noticed the 【Great-Headed Blood Dog】 suddenly stood up, wagging its tail and barking twice toward the front.

Immediately after, she saw Fang Yue emerge from the darkness, walking toward the inn.

The Blood Hunter eagerly rushed forward to meet Fang Yue, while Ma Ling'er's heart sank straight down.

If only these current arrangements were in place, she still had a sliver of hope—she could gamble on luck; even with the Blood Hunter included, she still thought her escape route was well-planned, with just a tiny chance left.

But all of that was sealed shut the moment that man returned.

Yes, that man was simply that terrifying.

"Deputy Captain Ye!"

Ma Ling'er stared fiercely down at Fang Yue below, teeth clenched in hatred.

This guy's strength was utterly unpredictable, and most importantly, the strange entity possessing An Shenyi seemed to want Fang Yue alive—meaning she absolutely could not attack Fang Yue, let alone stand a chance against him.

"Huh?!"

Just as Ma Ling'er was thinking this, she suddenly noticed Fang Yue below raising his head, staring straight at her window.

So perceptive?!

Her face changed instantly; Ma Ling'er quickly closed the narrow gap in the window.

Has he spotted me?

Doesn't matter! It makes no difference now!

Now that he's back, it means it's time for them to deal with me!

Ma Ling'er wasn't stupid; she knew these people hadn't stormed in to imprison her directly, but instead chose surveillance, because they weren't the ones in charge.

The one truly in charge? That bastard, Deputy Captain Ye!

He's back—meaning my judgment is coming.

"So, I've no choice but to use that technique!"

Ma Ling'er rolled up her sleeve; her bulky frame instantly shrank to a smaller size, revealing the Wu Yu tribe's pattern.

She pulled out a sharp little knife and swiftly carved along the Wu Yu tribe's pattern.

Soon, a series of blood trails appeared on her arm.

Drip… drip…

Blood dripped from her arm onto the floor.

When she completed the final cut, a strange sight occurred.

The spilled blood suddenly reversed like time flowing backward, flowing back into the wounds on her arm.

And the cuts made by the knife, like a reversed film, healed themselves—everything returned to its original state.

"Now, I just need time…"

Knock… knock… knock.

Just as Ma Ling'er finished everything, restored her muscular form, and exhaled in relief, a knock came at the door.

"... Who is it?"

"It's me."

"Deputy Captain Ye?"

"Mm."

"Wait a moment—I'm putting on my clothes."

Logically, at this point, Ma Ling'er had no need to pretend.

But she still clung to a sliver of hope—what if… what if it hadn't come to that yet?

She made some noise, pretending to have dressed, then said: "Come in."

Creak.

Fang Yue pushed the door open and entered.

Standing beside Fang Yue were the Blood Hunter and the 【Great-Headed Blood Dog】.

One of the three leaders is missing? Where's An Shenyi?

Ma Ling'er's mind stirred—she recalled Fang Yue had arranged surveillance on her, yet she had been gone so long, and only now was he coming to deal with her.

Could it be… the strange entity inside An Shenyi has been discovered?

No, that's impossible—he possesses that kind of power; if not for my unique bloodline, I'd already be dead. Even Deputy Captain Ye, or even all three Captains of Luoye Cun together, wouldn't stand a chance against it!

Am I just overthinking?

"Blood Hunter, you and the 【Great-Headed Blood Dog】 wait outside the door. I'll speak alone with Ma Ling'er."

"... Understood."

The Blood Hunter paused, then nodded and stepped out.

As the door opened, Ma Ling'er noticed that the people who had been lurking in the shadows outside were now all out in the open—the corridor was packed with them, and as soon as the door opened, they all turned their gazes toward her, brimming with hostility.

Only when the door closed again did they finally look away.

"Blood Hunter, why are you out here?"

"Is Deputy Captain Ye alone inside? Isn't that unsafe?"

The people around were all escort team members, all voicing their concerns.

But the Blood Hunter simply said: "Deputy Captain Ye has his own judgment. Don't interfere. Just do your jobs."

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, they all responded in unison and fell silent.

Inside the room, Ma Ling'er invited Fang Yue to sit down, picked up the teapot, poured two cups of hot tea, and sat across from Fang Yue.

"I didn't expect Deputy Captain Ye to visit so late at night—could it be... that you're confessing your feelings to me?"

Ma Ling'er twirled her fingers around her hairpin in a circular motion, adopting the pose of a cute woman—but her muscular, male-built frame clashed horribly with the gesture.

Or perhaps she thought this contrast was endearing?

"Cough!"

Fang Yue cleared his throat and said, "Miss Ma Ling'er, do you still remember Divine Doctor An?"

"Divine Doctor An? Of course I remember—what happened to him?"

"He's dead."

What?!

Ma Ling'er's pupils shrank, and she instinctively stood up.

But she quickly realized her lapse in composure.

Besides... the death of Divine Doctor An and the death of that strange creature are two different things.

Just as Ma Ling'er thought this, Fang Yue lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said, "More precisely, the Memory-Erasing Strange that possessed Divine Doctor An is dead. Divine Doctor An himself is still in critical condition and receiving treatment."

"Impossible!"

Ma Ling'er blurted out instinctively.

"Impossible?"

Fang Yue smiled, said nothing more, and simply watched Ma Ling'er, who was clearly flustered and panicked, saying, "If you don't believe me, that's fine—I only want to ask you a few questions."

"W-what questions?"

Seeing Fang Yue's calm reaction, for some reason, Ma Ling'er already believed him seven or eight tenths.

But... that made no sense!

That powerful Strange had rendered her utterly powerless, and with its terrifying memory-manipulation ability—who could possibly kill it?

Ma Ling'er even suspected that even a 【Postnatal Top-Tier】 human expert wouldn't be a match for the Memory-Erasing Strange!

Yet now Fang Yue claimed he had killed the unimaginably powerful Memory-Erasing Strange—this was simply too unbelievable.

Moreover, from Fang Yue's tone, it seemed that after dealing with the Memory-Erasing Strange, he was now coming for her.

But... where had she slipped up?

Had the Memory-Erasing Strange betrayed her?

The more Ma Ling'er thought, the more confused she became—but Fang Yue's next sentence instantly made everything clear.

"I want to ask: what did you mean by 'Wu Yu Tribe' when you spoke in the room earlier? And what did you mean when you said you could destroy Gu Yue Cun? I'm very interested—could you tell me your plan?"

Fang Yue watched the muscular woman before him freeze suddenly, and slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Better make it detailed, comprehensive, and clear—or I may have patience, but my brothers outside might not."

Ma Ling'er opened her mouth but found she had no idea what to say.

In the end, she only asked in a hoarse voice, "H-how do you have memories from that time? I remember that Strange had already erased your memories..."

"I have my own methods. Just answer my question."

"T-that was just a joke! I never intended to..."

Jing!!

Leng Yue's blade suddenly unsheathed, emitting a crisp, ringing sound.

The blade's tip sliced through her hairpin, severing several strands of hair, then rested against Ma Ling'er's neck.

Fang Yue smiled, eyes half-lidded: "No need to lie—my reckless right hand might lose control otherwise."

Sweat trickled down her forehead, tracing her cheek.

She swallowed hard, staring nervously at Fang Yue: "D-Deputy Captain Ye, let's talk calmly—please put the blade down..."

"Fine."

Fang Yue sheathed his blade, utterly confident—as if he had no fear she would flee.

Because Fang Yue had the memories from that time.

Ma Ling'er had been utterly powerless before the Memory-Erasing Strange—her strength was negligible.

Add to that the many brothers outside—he didn't think she could escape.

"I've sheathed my blade. Now you can tell your story. And remember one thing: speak carefully, because next time my Leng Yue blade draws, what falls won't be hair—it'll be your head."

This was the most direct warning possible.

Ma Ling'er dared not delay; she sat back down, continuing to wipe cold sweat nervously.

"Since, since Deputy Captain Ye has the memories from the room, many things become easier to explain. Let me state clearly: I have never had the slightest intention of betraying the village!"

"Mm, I believe you!"

Ma Ling'er spoke sincerely; Fang Yue listened attentively—as if both were being utterly open.

"So, the truth is this: I was threatened by that Strange. Our Wu Yu Tribe is merely a tiny human subgroup—like the Three Flame Tribe or the Sang'er Tribe, just ordinary humans differing in skin tone or innate talent."

"Ask the captains of Luoye Cun, or Chief Captain Lin Ling—they've never heard of the Wu Yu Tribe, a minor group. Our population is tiny; blending into other tribes causes no suspicion."

"Our Wu Yu Tribe's racial talent is perfect, flawless memory. That's why that Strange's ability had no effect on me. I swear—I intended to warn you, Deputy Captain Ye, but that Strange was too powerful. I was utterly helpless, terrified... you understand, right?"

As she spoke, Ma Ling'er couldn't help but look up at Fang Yue with a pitiful expression—and for the first time before him, she slowly shrank her body, returning to a smaller, more delicate frame.

That adorable figure, paired with her high-class face, was heartbreakingly lovely, stirring boundless protective instincts.

Her charm was off the charts!

Fang Yue immediately stared, momentarily spellbound.

So this was Ma Ling'er's true form!

No wonder she was once voted village beauty—this face is too stunning… wait, no, this body paired with this face is too stunning!

No fluff—I'm turned on by her body!

Too bad, this girl has problems.

Ma Ling'er had seen Fang Yue's eyes light up when he saw her "transformed," and thought she'd succeeded.

But then she saw Fang Yue quickly regain his composure, merely gazing at her calmly with appreciation.

He… wasn't moved?!

Ma Ling'er froze. This was the first time a human had looked at her perfect form without desire.

"So your Uyu tribe's talent is mental imprinting? Oh, meaning memories are fixed and unchangeable—that's it? How does this body transformation work?"

"Um… this is another Uyu tribe talent: we can alter our muscle tissue structure, like this… and this."

Ma Ling'er bulged her muscles again, then deflated back into a delicate little woman.

"In muscle-enhanced form, our Uyu tribe's strength increases… I feared being bullied, so for a while, back in Gu Yue Cun, I mostly stayed in this state for self-protection."

"Oh—so you've had it tough."

Fang Yue uttered a flat sigh, then asked: "Anything else?"

"No. As I said, the Uyu tribe is just a minor human offshoot—no particularly powerful abilities."

"Hmm… then what did you mean earlier in the room about wiping out Gu Yue Cun?"

Fang Yue rubbed his chin, posing another question.

He believed only a third of Ma Ling'er's answer; the rest he'd have to investigate himself.

But since she'd firmly denied anything else, there was no point pressing further.

"Wiping out Gu Yue Cun? That was just a temporary excuse to deal with the Memory-Erasing Ghoul! If I hadn't said that, he would've killed me!!"

Ma Ling'er exclaimed, tears streaming down her face.

Beauty's power is terrifying—such a cute girl crying like this, Fang Yue might've been swayed if his heart softened.

So he slammed the Leng Yue Dao onto the table, pressed one hand on the hilt, and slowly gripped it.

"You have five seconds to change your answer."

Ma Ling'er went pale.

"I—I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Five."

"I never planned to destroy the village! You have to believe me, Deputy Captain Ye!"

"Four."

"So no matter what I say, you won't listen, right?"

"Three."

"Wahhh! I've always liked Deputy Captain Ye—I always thought you weren't that kind of person…"

"Two."

"Go ahead and kill me if you must—I won't regret dying in the hands of someone I love!"

"One."

Fang Yue yanked his blade free!

"The Uyu tribe will attack Gu Yue Cun!!!"

Ma Ling'er's scream, eyes shut, synchronized with the blade's draw.

That's better.

Fang Yue put the blade down.

"Explain."

"I—I heard from Uyu tribe members that they plan to wipe out Gu Yue Cun. That's all I know—I don't know anything else!"

"You don't know anything else? You're Ma Tiejiang's daughter, aren't you? You're Uyu—then what about Ma Tiejiang?"

Ma Ling'er's expression changed.

"So I guessed right. What was Ma Tiejiang's purpose in sending you to Mo Cun? Is the Uyu tribe's attack on Gu Yue Cun counting on you as an inside agent?"

(End of Chapter)