I couldn’t count the number of cuts Zen Master Baimei made before he finally stopped. I felt my eyes watery as I counted thirteen jujube-sized iron caltrops taken out of Chuyi’s flesh!

Chuyi’s back didn’t have a square inch of intact skin. It could be worse, though. At least, the caltrops couldn’t release any more toxins after they were taken out.

Zen Master Baimei took out some ointment from Chuyi’s bag and applied it on his back. Most of the ointments Chuyi created were multipurpose. At the moment of contact, Chuyi whimpered. His back fumed white smoke. I instinctively wanted to wipe the ointment away. Zen Master Baimei pushed me away and hissed, “Don’t disturb me if you know nothing!”

I was baffled. I had known him for a long time, and it was the first time he’d talked to me like that. Then, he continued to smear the ointment all over Chuyi’s back, which made the man fall unconscious, then wake up from the pain.

I couldn’t stand it and left the room. If it weren’t for me, Chuyi wouldn’t have needed to come here. He wouldn’t have to endure such pain! At this moment, I knew I had to become stronger. The feeling was stronger than ever before. I finally recognized how weak I was. I pledged to be as strong as the Demon King. I would never let anyone who cared about me get hurt, even if I had to die!

When I returned to the room, Zen Master Baimei had finished applying the ointment. Chuyi was sleeping.

“I should have gone with you guys.” Zen Master Baimei blamed himself.

“I thought I could stay to provide you with information. But as soon as you two left, I couldn’t see the images on the screen anymore. I went downstairs to ask the people what they saw, but they couldn’t see me. I couldn’t hear them, either!”

He had confirmed my guess. The Ghost Market’s bosses had used their supernatural powers to isolate the six of us. Anyway, everything was somehow relative. If we couldn’t get useful information, of course, Yi Zhangqing couldn’t, either.

Although the Ghost Cutter was fierce, it had a big flaw. Its range was limited, which was different from the Invisible Needle that could go everywhere. It meant that Yi Zhangqing wasn’t far from us back then. It was just that we hadn’t been able to see her.

Chuyi woke up in the afternoon. Although he was free from the toxin, the wounds on his back were still there. He looked pale. When he woke up, the first thing he did was ask if I had heard any information about Yi Zhangqing.

“Yin-Yang Tiger and One-Armed Dragon have left. It seems Yi Zhangqing has returned to the village,” Zen Master Baimei said with a dark face.

He stood by the window and had put on a face ever since he knew Chuyi was severely injured. Zen Master Baimei and Chuyi were like me and Li Mazi. They had been through many deadly situations. I understood how he felt.

Chuyi closed his eyes for a few minutes. When he opened his eyes again, he said, “I’ve got a solution. I can’t engage in a fight with her, though. We have to find a chance to catch her. Otherwise, I’ll lose this match.”

Chuyi turned to Zen Master Baimei and gave him a wry smile. “Old monk, please help me run some errands.”

Zen Master Baimei nodded and left the inn. A moment later, Chuyi said that he was hungry. While carrying the bronze whip, he started to head downstairs to eat something.

“Why don’t you bring the Han sword? You never fight without it.”

“No need. Jiulin, because of you, I won’t lose.”

I smiled at him and said nothing.

We went to the same private room for a late lunch. The innkeeper brought us the same dishes. I didn’t know why, but as soon as the food was served, Chuyi started to wolf down his food while urging me to hurry.

Around two minutes later, he had finished his bowl while I had just moved my chopsticks. His cell phone suddenly vibrated. He dropped his chopsticks and patted me. “Stop eating.”

Then, he pointed behind his back. I got it now. Zen Master Baimei had gone out to watch out for us. I placed my chopsticks on the table and drew out the Emei Piercer. I vigilantly looked at the window. Soon, a wisp of imperceptible Yin energy moved through the window and flew toward the dishes on our table.

I smiled at Chuyi sitting opposite me and raised my hand. Right after that, chicken drums, braised pork, and stir-fried kidney flew toward us one after another. Although I was prepared, I was still surprised. There was a lot of food on our table, and it was smaller than the bats we had encountered before, which I couldn’t avoid at all.

Fortunately, Chuyi showed his magnificent speed one more time. He spun the bronze whip and created a tight circle in front of us, which shielded us from the food.

Instantly, the walls and ceiling of the private dining room got all kinds of meat stuck on them. A small cube of braised pork landed on my face. As I knew that Chuyi had smashed away the Yin energy from the Ghost Cutter, I calmly extended my tongue and rolled the meat into my mouth…

“The Ghost Cutter can’t compare to your Invisible Needle. Yi Zhangqing can only control it barely. Since her previous ambush was unsuccessful, I’m sure she’s received a backlash.”

Chuyi paused, then sneered. “We’ve experienced two waves of her attacks. It should be my turn now.”

I was a little bewildered. Until now, Chuyi didn’t know much about the bronze whip. He couldn’t control it yet. Where did his confidence come from?

Without giving me time to ask, Chuyi’s phone vibrated again. He checked it, then said coldly, “Zen Master Baimei has seen Yi Zhangqing leaving the village. I’m sure she knows that we’re looking for her. She’ll go to Yin-Yang Tiger and One-Armed Dragon for help. Zen Master Baimei is after them. We should hurry!”

Chuyi pulled me. Together, we left the village. We were in a new world, but I wasn’t worried about getting lost this time. Just like the tacit understanding between me and Li Mazi, Chuyi and Zen Master Baimei also had a mutual understanding that other people couldn’t understand.

Indeed, not long after we had entered this strange space, Yi Zhangqing appeared in our vision. She was limping.

Chuyi sneered. “It seems the backlash was more serious than I thought.”

Yi Zhangqing was startled. She turned and looked at Chuyi. “Haha. I’ve underestimated you! You were able to get on your feet in such a short time. But I’m sure your back is hurting like hell, right?”

She was trying to provoke him. After talking, she laughed crazily.

My face turned sullen. My Invisible Needle was ready. Chuyi stopped me and lowered his voice. “Just stand and watch the fun.”

“You see, this place isn’t bad. Why don’t you two rest forever?” Yi Zhangqing barked. Then, she threw some hidden weapons at us.

I’d expected her to throw the hidden weapons. I moved aside, but Chuyi didn’t move. He didn’t want to move, to be exact. Yi Zhangqing’s hidden weapon hit his stomach. Chuyi halted for a moment, but he continued to move forward.

Yi Zhangqing hesitated for a moment. Then, she threw more hidden weapons towards him. Chuyi didn’t dodge even though he’d lost a lot of blood.

After getting hit, he shook a few times. He almost tumbled. I rushed to support him. He pushed me aside and nodded at me. Persistently, he walked toward Yi Zhangqing.

“You’re courting death!”

Yi Zhangqing thought that Chuyi had done that to insult her. She was mad. Holding the Ghost Cutter, she sat down cross-legged. It seemed she was going for the kill!