Blood splattered everywhere

A dilapidated horse-drawn carriage travels west of Cangwu City to Kaoshan Village.

The first light of dawn could not dispel the lingering chill in the carriage.

The carriage swayed and rattled, the mixed smell of cheap leather and animal dung filling the cramped space, accompanied by a teeth-grinding creak, as it creaked and groaned its way away from Cangwu City.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely eerie.

More than twenty children huddled together on the hardwood platform at the back of the carriage, like a flock of frightened little quails, barely daring to breathe. They only dared to steal quick glances out of the corner of their eyes at the two people sitting at the front, then quickly looked away, afraid of disturbing something.

Chen Yan sat in the seat near the car door.

His back was pressed against the cold wall of the compartment, his face was frighteningly pale, his eyes were blank, and his stomach was still churning.

His mind replayed the horrifying glimpse at the alley entrance uncontrollably—the door panel twisted like scrap metal, the thugs scattered on the ground, their limbs twisted beyond recognition as if ravaged by a giant beast, especially Zhao Kui's mangled, gruesome corpse...

The pungent, suffocating smell of blood still seemed to linger in my nostrils.

He suppressed the churning in his throat. The slick, roguish spirit that had sustained him had long been crushed, leaving only the exhaustion of surviving a disaster and a deep-seated fear of the woman beside him!

There was also a trace of mental blankness, which he himself had not even noticed, after being completely crushed by absolute violence.

Ling Zhan sat next to him, closing his eyes to rest.

She changed into a relatively clean but obviously oversized coarse cloth men's outfit that she had scavenged from Zhao Kui's courtyard. The bloodstains on her face and hands had been hastily washed off with the clean water she found. Her pale face looked even more cold and hard in the dim light.

The heavy smell of blood seemed to have faded somewhat, but when she occasionally opened her eyes, the cold and sharp gaze that she revealed in that instant was enough to freeze any soul that met her eyes.

The carriage jolted violently and rolled over a large pothole.

Shen Yan lost control and lurched forward, her shoulder almost hitting Ling Zhan!

He jerked back as if he had been branded with a hot iron, and his back slammed heavily against the carriage wall with a thud!

The sudden movement elicited a suppressed gasp from the children on the flatbed cart.

Ling Zhan slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him.

That calm and unwavering gaze sent shivers down Shen Yan's spine and made the hairs on his body stand on end!

It was as if his aura had been locked onto by a lurking prehistoric beast!

"I...I didn't mean to!"

He blurted it out, his voice dry and tense, filled with undisguised panic.

Ling Zhan didn't speak, but his gaze lingered on his face for two seconds before moving down to his waist—there, a faded pheasant feather, with slightly torn and curled edges, but clearly carefully smoothed, stubbornly and stealthily slipped back into his belt, trembling slightly with the bumps.

Shen Yan looked down following her gaze, and his handsome face instantly turned red to the roots of his ears!

He frantically tried to pull it off and hide it.

Halfway through the action, he felt he was trying to cover something up, so he froze in mid-air, his expression so awkward and embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Ling Zhan stared at the chicken feather that was stubbornly waving in the turbulence, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly again.

Just when Shen Yan thought she was about to hear that familiar "too ugly" and be hit by a physical attack, she simply looked away as if she were sweeping away a speck of dust, and closed her eyes again.

Shen Yan: "..."

His hand, clutching the chicken feather, froze, unsure whether to pull it out or not…

I felt an inexplicable anger mixed with a sense of frustration rising to the top of my head.

This utter, silent indifference trampled on his pitiful pride as the "Peacock of the West City" even more thoroughly than direct disdain!

This woman... is simply his nemesis!

"[Zero, scan target's physiological state.]" Ling Zhan commanded in his mind.

[Target symptoms: Tachycardia (128 bpm), significantly elevated adrenaline levels (200% above baseline), mild dehydration, and gastric smooth muscle spasms. Conclusion: Acute stress response following a severe emotional shock. Recommendation: Rehydrate, rest, and avoid further stimulation.]

[Secondary target, juveniles: They generally exhibit severe signs of protein-energy malnutrition, with significant deficiencies in vitamins D and B, and some are also mildly dehydrated. Recommendation: Upon arrival at the destination, immediately and prioritize access to high-energy-density food and clean water.]

Ling Zhan closed his eyes and quickly processed Zero's analysis report.

Protein…vitamins…energy density…Kaoshan Village…

In her mind, like an intricate star map, she quickly sketched out the resource acquisition path and priorities upon arrival.

As for the "peacock" next to him in a state of stress and his unsightly feather.

Priority: Ignore.

She tossed a small bag of coarse pastries she had scavenged from the courtyard to Chen Yan, saying succinctly, "You, cub. Share."

Then he closed his eyes again.

He focused on operating the basic body-forging method of the Asura Star within his body, absorbing as much of the scarce energy of heaven and earth as possible to repair his riddled body.

It is as if I have been granted a pardon for my deep-seated disgust.

They practically scrambled onto the flatbed cart and squeezed among the children.

He was panting heavily, as if being even an inch away from that evil star would be a relief.

The carriage continued its bumpy journey along the rugged dirt road, its wheels churning over gravel with a dull, monotonous sound.

Outside the car window, the dilapidated city walls of Cangwu City completely disappeared into the horizon, replaced by an increasingly desolate countryside and distant, undulating, dark green mountains that appeared and disappeared in the morning mist. The rising sun spilled golden light onto the muddy road and also, through the cracks in the car window, illuminated the pale faces of the children outside the carriage, which were filled with a sense of bewilderment at their new environment. It also illuminated the profile of Chen Yan, who was still shaken and struggling with his own sense of pride and dignity, and outlined the cold silhouette of Ling Zhan, who was resting with his eyes closed, yet seemed to be surrounded by an invisible storm.

As evening approached, we drew near to Kaoshan Village.

The first night in Kaoshan Village.

It was through the howling mountain winds, the children's suppressed sobs, and the rumbling of their stomachs.

Shen Yan, along with several older children—Hu Zi, Dou Ya, Daniu, Daya, and others—scrambled through the nearby woods in the dark, gathering what could barely be used thatch and sturdy vines. Ling Zhan, like a ruthless overseer, precisely "directed" them, aided by Zero's weakness scan, to stabilize the most rotten pillar with flat stones gathered from the stream, and to barely prop up the most collapsed half with a few hastily cut branches and vines, creating a precarious frame before covering it with a thin layer of thatch.

A "shed within a shed" where drafts come from all sides and a few cold stars can still be seen twinkling overhead.

It finally has some shelter from the wind and barely enough protection from the sun.

Ling Zhan gave the relatively dry and sheltered corner to the youngest children and girls.

She herself leaned against the shadow of a relatively stable pillar with her arms crossed, closing her eyes to rest—in reality, she was using a zero-level passive scan to be vigilant against any movement within a hundred meters, while simultaneously operating the Asura Body Tempering Technique at full power, frantically absorbing the pitifully thin natural energy of this place to repair her body, with an infuriatingly low efficiency.

Chen Yan was so tired that he looked like a dead dog with all its tendons pulled out.

He lay sprawled on the cold, damp ground, not even wanting to move a finger.

Listening to the increasingly loud gurgling symphony from the children's stomachs, he felt as if his heart was being repeatedly cut by a dull knife. He secretly reached into the closest place to his body, where he still had the last half of a hard, rock-hard coarse grain cake, which he had saved from between his teeth to keep him alive in a desperate situation.

"Tiger... Bean Sprouts..."

His voice was hoarse and dry as he tried to break the biscuit into pieces and share it with the older children, at least to give them something to eat.

"Take your hand back."

The icy voice, like a steel needle chilled to ice, rang out in the darkness without warning.

Shen Yan's hand froze in mid-air, and his heart clenched.

Ling Zhan had opened his eyes at some point.

In the faint starlight filtering through the gaps in the thatched roof, those eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like two cold stars, precisely locking onto the insignificant energy source in his arms. [Zero, scanning target Shen Yan, energy reaction.]

[The target individual has a trace amount of carbohydrates (mainly starch), totaling approximately 180 grams. Assessment: This is insufficient to address the current energy deficit in the group; ineffective allocation. Recommendation: Focus on the weakest individual.]

Zero's electronic voice is cold and objective.

Ling Zhan stood up, silently walked to Shen Yan, and stretched out his hand condescendingly, palm up: "Give it to me."

Shen Yan instinctively clutched her chest, as if protecting her last hope: "This is the last! It'll be good for the children... to fill their stomachs..."

“A drop in the ocean, an ineffective allocation.” Ling Zhan repeated Zero’s cold conclusion, his tone resolute, “Give it to me.”

Shen Yan looked up at her, and in the dim light, he could only see the cold lines of her jaw. In his eyes were anger, resentment, and a hint of humiliation at being completely seen through and stripped of his last shred of dignity.

After a few seconds of stalemate, under the silent pressure of Ling Zhan's growing impatience, his fingers beginning to flex and straighten slightly, as if he were about to take action himself at any moment, he resigned himself to his fate, with a reckless determination, took out the half of the hard biscuit and slammed it heavily onto Ling Zhan's outstretched palm.

Ling Zhan didn't even glance at the hard pancake.

She casually tossed it to the little girl closest to her—the one whose cheek she had pinched and examined during the day, and who had later been made to chew biscuits to feed the baby.

The little girl was startled and instinctively caught the cold, hard biscuit. She looked at Ling Zhan blankly and then looked to Chen Yan for help.

"Chew it up and feed it to the smallest one."

Ling Zhan's orders were concise, direct, and left no room for doubt.

This hard biscuit is a challenge even for starving adults; to give it directly to a baby would be tantamount to murder.

The little girl seemed to understand, but when she saw Shen Yan nod vigorously at her, she immediately stuffed the hard biscuit into her mouth and chewed it with all her might, her little face scrunched up. Then she carefully pried open the baby's mouth and fed her the chewed, saliva-covered food little by little.

Having done all this, Ling Zhan ignored Shen Yan's almost fiery gaze and turned to face the pitch-black, windswept forest outside the thatched hut.

The darkest hour before dawn has passed, and a faint glimmer of light is appearing on the horizon.

[Zero, initiate deep scan. Range: within a five-mile radius. Target: high-calorie, easily accessible, unprotected organisms.] She commanded in her mind.

The passive absorption of the energy of heaven and earth is too slow for the children to repair themselves; they can't afford to wait.

We need a large, readily available energy source! The bigger, the better!

Deep scan initiated... Power consumption increased...

[A high-energy life reaction group was detected in a muddy depression downstream of a stream, about three miles to the northwest...]

Target quantity: seven.

Energy level: Low (standard for this level).

Species identification: Order Artiodactyla, Family Suidae (wild boar).

Threat level: Low (to the current state of the host).

Recommendation: Capture the first male individual (as it has the best bioenergy and protein reserves).

A herd of wild boars!

A cold glint flashed in Ling Zhan's eyes, like a ghostly flame ignited in the darkness.

Target locked!

"Keep an eye on this spot."

Ling Zhan left Shen Yan with four cold, iron-like words, his figure like a ghostly cheetah disappearing into the morning mist. With a light touch of his toes on the broken walls, he vanished into the shadows of the rugged and steep mountain forest in a few leaps, so fast that he left only a blurry afterimage on the retinas of Shen Yan and the few waking children.

"Father...Father...Where...Where did she go?" Douya's voice was choked with sobs as she tightly gripped Chen Yan's clothes.

Shen Yan gazed in the direction where Ling Zhan had disappeared, which was downstream of the stream. Then, looking at the baby in her arms who had finally stopped crying weakly and fallen into a deep sleep after eating a little bit of food paste, she felt a mix of emotions, fear and a strange expectation.

Finally, he managed to squeeze out a trembling sigh from his dry throat: "...The Queen of Hell...she's off on her mountain patrol, probably having a feast..."

Deep in the mountains and forests, in the mudflats downstream of the stream.

A group of plump, robust wild boars with protruding tusks were rolling and grunting contentedly in the murky mud, enjoying the coolness of the mud. The lead boar was particularly large, its shoulder height almost reaching the waist of an adult man. Its thick neck was covered with stiff, needle-like bristles covered in mud, and its scythe-shaped tusks gleamed a gleaming white in the morning light. It exuded a primal and ferocious aura.

Ling Zhan lay prone behind a moss-covered boulder, his cold eyes like the most precise sniper scope, firmly locking onto his target.

[Target locked: Male leader. Weakness marks: three inches behind the left ear (skull suture), right eye, three fingers below the throat (trachea), heart (requires penetration of thick subcutaneous fat, low efficiency). Movement trajectory prediction generated... Optimal attack path generated... Recommendation: Prioritize targeting the weak point behind the ear for maximum efficiency.]

Zero's voice echoed in my mind like the whisper of death.

Ling Zhan made a move!

No weapons, only two fists!

She burst out from behind the boulder like a taut crossbow bolt!

It moved so fast that it left only a blurry afterimage in the damp forest!

The target was the boar, which resembled a small hill!

"Hmph—!!!"

The wild boar herd instantly erupted into chaos!

The screams of terror and anger were deafening!

The boar was completely enraged by this sudden provocation. Its small, red eyes locked onto Ling Zhan, and it let out a ferocious roar! Its thick front hooves slammed into the ground, mud flying everywhere. Its massive body, like a runaway heavy tank, swept up a stench, its head bowed, its deadly tusks bared, as it charged wildly toward Ling Zhan!

The ground trembled slightly!

[Trajectory locked! Slide to the left front to dodge! Timing: 0.7 seconds later!] Zero's command was issued instantly.

Just as those gleaming tusks were about to pierce her body, Ling Zhan's body slid to the left and forward with an unnaturally flexible angle, like a ghost! The boar's massive body, carrying terrifying momentum and a foul stench, swept past her, almost grazing the hem of her clothes!

In the instant they passed each other, a fierce glint flashed in Ling Zhan's eyes!

The right fist, brimming with the power of the Great Perfection of the Meridian Opening Realm, instantly tensed its muscles like steel cables, and its joints emitted a subtle popping sound, like an armor-piercing cannonball being fired, tearing through the air and striking the marked weak point with unparalleled precision—the barely perceptible skull joint depression three inches behind the boar's left ear!

"Bang—!! Crack!!!"

A dull, heart-stopping thud was accompanied by a clear, piercing cracking sound!

The boar's frenzied charge came to an abrupt halt, emitting only a single, piercing, distorted scream!

Its massive body was sent flying through the air by the terrifying force concentrated in one point, crashing heavily into the muddy puddle like a tattered sack, splashing up large amounts of filthy mud! Its limbs convulsed violently, and blood mixed with foam gushed from its mouth and nose, making a hissing sound as it gasped for air; it was clear that it was not going to survive!

Leader, kill instantly!

The remaining wild boars were utterly terrified by this horrific scene. They let out terrified howls and scattered like stray dogs, disappearing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a mess of hoofprints.

Ling Zhan didn't even glance at the fleeing wild boar, walking straight to the still slightly twitching boar carcass. The overwhelming stench of blood instantly enveloped her. She crouched down, her fingers like knives, guided by Zero's precise three-dimensional perspective. Her fingertips gathered subtle energy, avoiding hard bones and major blood vessels, and like a master butcher dissecting an ox, easily sliced ​​through the thick, tough hide and fat layers, precisely severing two massive, muscular hind legs, and deftly cutting off several large chunks of ribs covered in thick fat. Dark red blood gushed out, staining the mud beneath her.

[Warning: High-purity bioenergy is escaping! Activate the engulfment protocol?] Zero prompts.

“Keep it. It’s food.” Ling Zhan refused without hesitation.

She needed this meat to feed those twenty-odd hungry mouths.

She tore off a piece of still-warm, strongly smelling pig liver, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it a few times with her teeth like steel files, and swallowed it. The primal taste of blood and the powerful surge of life instantly flooded her limbs and bones, bringing a satisfaction far exceeding the meager energy of heaven and earth.

A barely perceptible, satisfied red glint flashed in her eyes.

When you're starving, every second feels like it's being stretched out.

As the sun climbed over the mountain ridge, the sunlight became somewhat dazzling.

In a state of utter distress, Shen Yan used half a broken earthenware pot, collecting the meager amount of dew leaf by leaf, in an attempt to moisten the youngest child's chapped lips.

Just then—

A strong, aggressive smell of blood, mixed with an indescribable, primal aroma of meat that makes your mouth water, surged forth like a tangible wave, forcefully breaking through the fresh air of the mountain forest and sweeping in!

Shen Yan suddenly looked up, her heart pounding!

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