Chapter 41

Ning Ning looked around, seeing the mist thickening. Faintly, the howling of the gloomy wind and the heavy, low growls of wild beasts could be heard. Presumably, the longer one stayed here, the more dangerous the situation would become.

Meng Jiaqi suppressed a laugh, nodding as she listened to her continue, “So, I’ll trouble Miss Meng to lead the way in front for us.”

Meng Jiaqi:?

Meng Jiaqi:???

Wait, what is this girl talking about?

If she leads the way in front, how is she supposed to escape according to the original plan? As disciples of the esteemed Xuanxu Sword Sect, should they really let an ordinary girl serve as a flesh shield at the forefront, risking her life?

This is playing the cards too unreasonably!

Meng Jiaqi gritted her teeth, softening her voice, feigning weakness and coquetry. “But it’s much more dangerous to walk in front. I’m afraid.”

Ning Ning replied matter-of-factly, “It’s precisely because we’re worried about you that we want to follow behind Miss Meng, ensuring your safety.”

“This, this doesn’t seem appropriate.”

Meng Jiaqi forced a bitter smile. “The Ten Directions Killing Formation is extremely perilous. If I take the lead, what if we encounter some demons… What should we do then?”

As her words fell, a clear sound of a sword being sheathed came from beside her.

The guy in black clothing, with what seemed like a smile but not quite, the teardrop mole at the bottom of his eye now tinted with layers of blood, as if it could spread a sinister deathly aura into his eyes, spoke, “Now, Miss, you are under our control; I’m afraid there is no reason for negotiation.”

Meng Jiaqi:…

I almost forgot about this thorn in the side.

Ning Ning was like a smiling tiger with hidden intentions, making it challenging to discern her thoughts behind the smile. However, this guy was different.

Pei Ji was openly rebellious, coldly evident, and unapologetically fierce.

His eyes carried mockery, coupled with the ice-cold line he delivered. It was as if he was blatantly saying, “I am not a good person.”

—But you’re not a demonic cultivator or a demon; you are a disciple of a reputable sect! Is this something that a righteous cultivator would do?

Ning Ning glanced at him, sighed, and said, “Junior Brother, don’t scare Miss Meng. Being a young lady alone in such a dangerous situation, she must have been frightened long ago. Let me comfort her, and Miss Meng will surely understand our good intentions.”

Pei Ji was very much in tune with this approach, staring at her coldly and saying, “She’s stubborn; keeping her around is useless.”

Meng Jiaqi’s mouth twitched.

Don’t think she can’t see that these two are playing good cop, bad cop! You really are fellow disciples from the same sect, and you even collaborated on this!

As the heavens are the witnesses, before receiving the undercover mission, Meng Jiaqi had countless times imagined her dignified exit and the infuriated expressions of these cultivators once they discovered they had been played.

But now, three Golden Core-stage cultivators shamelessly coerce an innocent girl into being a human shield. Who is the real villain here?!

Seeing Meng Jiaqi’s face turn alternately pale and blue, Ning Ning immediately understood. Meng Jiaqi was referring to a dead end, a path of no return.

This was the primary purpose of keeping Meng Jiaqi close to her.

Among the four, only she knew Jialan City like the back of her hand. In a situation like the current encounter with a formation, Meng Jiaqi would never willingly enter a dead-end. By pressing her step by step, Ning Ning could force her to reveal the correct path when there was no other option.

“Don’t be afraid, Miss Meng. I’ve already thought of a way out for you.”

In her mind, Ning Ning discreetly marked an X on the alley, consoling her with gentle words, “If you encounter danger, you can escape to a secluded, dark corner. After tidying up your clothes, lie down quietly. This way—”

Meng Jiaqi’s remaining rationality reluctantly responded on the edge of a broken pot: “This way, the demon will think I’m already dead? But who would believe such a deceptive trick?”

“Who said it’s a deceptive trick?”

Ning Ning looked at her sincerely, explaining with a serious tone, “What I mean is, if Miss Meng dies like this, the body won’t decay and smell too quickly. It can still look relatively presentable—girls love to be beautiful, after all.”

Meng Jiaqi:…

Meng Jiaqi’s face twisted into a pretzel.

A heartbroken pretzel.

—She finally understood. Not a single word they said could be trusted. What kind of karma did she have in her past life to encounter these fallen bird people?

Meng Jiaqi was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She really wanted to shout, “Just leave me alone.”

But what could she do?

Here, there was a mentally abnormal fool, a smiling tiger with a wicked heart, and a killing god full of murderous intent, all staring at her like predators surrounding their prey.

All she could do was take a deep breath, force a shaky smile, and say, “Miss Ning, are all beautiful women as cruel as you? How can such inhumane words come from your beautiful mouth?!”