The number of bats was overwhelming—there was no way I could fend them all off. As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. How was I supposed to fight so many bats?
I had no choice but to summon my True Qi barrier again and use the same method as before to cut down the bats. But this time, after killing them, the big guy suddenly vanished from my sight.
My heart lurched, and I immediately turned to look at Qin Mengdie’s position.
The big guy had already grabbed the unconscious Qin Mengdie, holding her hostage while grinning at me.
D*mn it! I cursed inwardly. I’d seriously underestimated him.
He was a member of SR, and his real mission was to kill Qin Mengdie. The only reason he’d fought me was that I’d provoked him. At first, he’d thought I was just an ordinary person who practiced some ancient martial arts. But now that he realized he couldn’t beat me, he’d shifted his focus back to Qin Mengdie. I’d been too careless!
“Kid, I admit you’re strong, but you’re way too reckless!” The big guy laughed through gritted teeth, still in pain.
I stayed silent, trying to figure out a way to save Qin Mengdie.
But I quickly realized—there was nothing I could do.
His sharp claws were pressed against Qin Mengdie’s neck. If I made even the slightest move to attack, he’d kill her instantly.
Those claws might not be fatal to me, but Qin Mengdie was just an ordinary girl. The slightest pressure, and she’d be dead.
D*mmit! What the hell should I do now?! I was such an idiot—how could I have forgotten Qin Mengdie was here?
The big guy saw my distress and burst into laughter. “Oh? So you’re not so tough now, huh? Come on, try to kill me!”
I clenched my teeth, gripping the black dagger so tightly my knuckles turned white, but I couldn’t say a word.
Qin Mengdie was my protection target. If she got hurt, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to Qin Shousheng. Besides, after spending so much time with her, I’d grown attached—even if she was quiet and cold as ice.
Officially, she was just a mission, but deep down, I already considered her a friend.
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t make a move.
“Hmph! Kid, you owe me today, and I’ll make sure you pay me back sooner or later! As for this little girl—I’m taking her with me!” With that, the big guy flapped his wings and prepared to take off.
Since the freezing aura had dissipated, he could fly again. If he really took Qin Mengdie away, things would take a turn for the worse.
As he rose into the air, I flew up as well, blocking his path.
Seeing me follow, a flicker of panic crossed his face before turning into anger. “What, you want this girl to die right now?!”
“Go ahead, kill her! But if you do, you won’t leave here alive!” I sneered.
This guy wasn’t like the previous assassin—I’d just realized that.
If he were truly like that killer, he would’ve already murdered Qin Mengdie without hesitation. Those types would sacrifice their own lives to complete a mission.
But this big guy was different. He hadn’t killed her outright—instead, he was using her as a hostage. That meant he wanted to live. He was a coward!
Seeing his nervous expression, I knew—he was scared.
I slowly flew toward him. With every step I took, he retreated.
“You really don’t care if I kill her?” he asked, voice tense.
Ignoring him, I kept advancing.
Suddenly, he dragged a claw across Qin Mengdie’s neck. Blood immediately trickled out. “If you take one more step, I’ll really kill her! I don’t mind making her bleed a little more!”
I froze. He’d actually hurt her!
“Hah! So you do care about her after all!” Seeing my hesitation, his eyes gleamed with triumph. “Listen, all SR members are fearless. Don’t push me, or I’ll kill her right now! I’m only keeping her alive to drink some blood and heal my wounds—not as a bargaining chip. Think carefully!”
That last part was unnecessary. He was trying to convince me he wasn’t afraid of death, but his need to heal proved otherwise—he was terrified of dying.
Even though I knew he was a coward, I was helpless. If he killed Qin Mengdie, even if I avenged her, she’d still be gone…
“Hmph! You’d better not follow me, or I swear I’ll kill this girl!” With that final threat, he wobbled into the distance.
I hated being threatened. But this time, I was completely pinned—no room to fight back.
Wait… If Qin Mengdie was taken away, she’d die anyway. Why not take a gamble? No matter what, I wouldn’t be able to explain things to Qin Shousheng.
Sorry, Qin Mengdie… Chun Ge, I’m counting on you! Please protect both of us!
I channeled True Qi into the black dagger, locked onto the flying big guy, and hurled it at him!
He spun around mid-flight, shouting, “You really don’t—”
Before he could finish, the dagger pierced his back!
With the combined force of freezing aura and True Qi, there was no way he could endure it!
“ARGH!” The intense pain forced him to drop Qin Mengdie.
I dashed forward and caught her in my arms. The big guy swayed in the air, looking like he was about to crash.
“I’ll be back!” he roared before suddenly regaining his balance and flying off.
“D*mmit!” I landed, frustration boiling inside me.
I’d saved Qin Mengdie, but at the cost of my black dagger. In a way, I’d lost this battle.
Without that dagger, my strength would drop significantly.
Just as I was wallowing in regret, a black streak flashed across the sky, and something clattered to the ground in front of me.
Clink! The crisp sound snapped me out of my thoughts. I rushed over to see what had fallen—
It… it was the black dagger!
Had the big guy come back? I looked up, but the sky was empty.
What the hell just happened?
Just as I was puzzling over it, a voice spoke behind me.
“Such a fine dagger shouldn’t be taken by a winged rat.”
I whirled around, stunned. “You?!”
It was none other than the swordsman I’d met in the warehouse—the one who’d said Mei’er and I were destined for calamity.
“Why not me?” He smirked. “This dagger is too precious. If I find it again, I might not return it.”
“What about the big guy?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Oh, I killed him on the way. Picked this up afterward.”
That guy—the one I’d struggled so hard against—he made it sound like swatting a fly.
“Qin Mengdie! Qin Mengdie!” I stopped chatting with him and tried to wake her, but she remained unresponsive.
The swordsman clicked his tongue. “Her soul’s damaged. Shouting won’t help.”
“Then what should I do?” I asked urgently.
So what that girl had said was true—her unconscious intrusion into Qin Mengdie’s body had damaged her soul.
“Put her to bed. Someone with soul damage is basically a vegetable,” he said casually.
My heart stopped. A vegetable?! You’ve got to be kidding me!
Just as despair set in, he spoke again.
“But if you can find one thing, I might be able to save her.”
Ugh! If there was a way, why not say so earlier?
I took a deep breath. “What is it?”
Looking me straight in the eye, he said, “The Soul-Returning Grass.”