Upon hearing this, Cuifang, who was writhing in pain, suddenly froze.

Xie Huaiye, who was standing next to Yan Ning, glanced at her in surprise, but quickly pursed his lips and did not object.

Yan Ning's voice was clear and bright, carrying a reassuring quality:

"Don't worry, Cuifen. I will definitely find that hunchback Zhang. He owes you his life, and it's time to pay it back."

She paused, her tone softening, as if speaking to a wronged old friend:

“But in your current state, you can’t do anything but scare people, and you can’t get revenge.”

"I've been trapped here for over a decade, suffering so much. It's time to let go."

She looked at the unstable, illusory figure and said earnestly:

"Once we've taken care of this for you, you can leave in peace. In your next life, may you be reborn into a good family and enjoy happiness."

Cui Fen's blurry shadow began to shake violently, amidst the black mist that had just been billowing into the sky.

It was as if Yan Ning's words had punctured a hole, and now it was letting in drafts.

She stopped howling, leaving only a mournful, whistling sound of the wind, which was heartbreaking to hear.

After more than a decade of obsession, it seems like I've finally seen a glimmer of hope.

"Really...really?"

Her voice trembled violently, filled with disbelief and a hint of tentative uncertainty, as if she dared not have too much hope.

"real!"

Yan Ning answered decisively, patting her chest, "I, Yan Ning, keep my word. You stay here for now, don't cause trouble or hurt anyone, and wait for my news!"

After saying that, she took a few steps forward and deftly pulled out several old, yellowed talismans from her bosom.

She chanted incantations rapidly, her fingers flying across the paper, quickly folding the talisman into several small triangular pouches.

She carefully placed the triangular bags into several key positions on the circle of copper coins on the ground.

Once the talisman pouch was placed down, the faint golden light of the copper coin array stabilized considerably, like a thin golden shroud covering Cui Fen's frail figure.

The cover both suppressed the dark aura surrounding her and provided her with temporary protection.

"This will keep her calm for now and prevent her from running around."

Yan Ning glanced at Cui Fen, who had quieted down in the formation, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She quickly pulled up Su Muyao, who was still shivering beside her, and said to Xie Huaiye:

"Let's go, let's get out of here quickly. Once it's light, we'll go to Willow Village to ask around."

"We must find out who that hunchbacked Zhang was more than a decade ago!"

The three of them quickly turned back the way they came. As soon as they stepped into Brother Wang's small courtyard where firewood was piled up, they sensed that something was wrong.

Brother Wang was as black as the bottom of a pot at that moment, and his brows were furrowed in a knot.

He clutched the old hunting rifle in his hand, the muzzle not pointed at anyone, but just standing there on the ground, like a firecracker about to explode.

"Stop dawdling, are you coming or not?"

Brother Wang raised his voice, and his spittle almost sprayed onto Sun Wuji's face, who was closest to him:

"Do you think my house is a free inn? If you keep lingering, don't blame me for being ruthless and kicking you out!"

Sun Wuji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly forced a bright smile, saying ingratiatingly:

"Hey, Brother Wang, calm down! Look, Sister Ning will be back soon, right? Just wait a little longer, and we'll definitely give you an explanation!"

"An explanation? The explanation is to get out of here right now!"

Brother Wang had clearly run out of patience and was completely enraged. "Look at you all, my yard hasn't had a moment's peace since you came in! Chickens are flying and dogs are barking!"

"You're not leaving, are you? You're not leaving, are you?"

As if to embolden himself, or perhaps to show off, he snapped his rifle up and rested the butt on his shoulder!

The dark muzzle of the gun, though not aimed, still created a sense of oppression that seemed to freeze the air in the courtyard.

The live stream chat exploded instantly:

[Holy crap?! Are they serious?! Playing this big?!]

[Seriously, officer! You change your mind faster than flipping through a book?]

[Brother Wang's image has collapsed! I even thought he was honest and straightforward!]

[Run, Wuji! Stop laughing! Your life is more important!]

[Exciting! This is top-notch entertainment!]

Sun Wuji's smile froze, and a chill ran down his spine.

He glanced at Brother Wang's murderous glare, then at the gun, and helplessly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay, okay! Brother Wang, don't get agitated! We'll go, we'll go right now! We can't afford to offend them..."

He gave the remaining few people a wink, and they dejectedly began to pack up their belongings scattered in the yard.

At that moment, the wooden door at the entrance to the courtyard was suddenly pushed open.

Yan Ning strode in, her clear voice breaking the awkward silence:

"Wait a minute! Don't rush off!"

Sun Wuji grasped at a straw, his eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up:

"Sister Ning! You're finally back! We were so worried about you!"

He pointed at the gun in Brother Wang's hand, looking aggrieved, as if to say, "You've finally arrived."

Brother Wang glanced sideways at Yan Ning and snorted heavily through his nose:

"Ha, so you know how to come back? But it's too late! I've changed my mind, you're not staying here anymore! Pack your things and get out of here!"

Yan Ning didn't panic at all. Instead, she took two steps forward, getting closer to Brother Wang.

She crossed her arms, a faint smile playing on her lips, and slowly began to speak:

"Brother Wang, don't rush to send them away. There are some things I didn't want to bring up because you're a straightforward person, but..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, her sharp eyes sweeping over Brother Wang:

“In your room, there are several pairs of dried bear paws hidden under the bed, and several leopard skins hanging on the wall...tsk tsk, they look quite fresh.”

"I remember that hunting these things isn't allowed in this area, right?"

She paused, nodded her chin toward the two drones in the sky, and spoke softly but clearly:

"Why don't you tell us in detail, in front of our hundreds of thousands of viewers in the live stream, which mountain did you hunt for this treasure?"

[Holy crap! A stunning plot twist!]

[Bear paws? Leopard skin? Brother Wang, you've got some serious tricks up your sleeve!]

[Hahahaha! Sister Ning is awesome! She got right to the heart of the matter!]

[So that's why they were in such a hurry to kick them out! Turns out they had something to hide!]

[You were all menacing just now, let's see how you get out of this!]

Brother Wang's face turned pale instantly, and his fierce energy just now deflated like a punctured balloon.

He suddenly looked up, staring in horror at the two small, silent eyes hovering above him.

A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his hand holding the gun went limp, causing the shotgun to drop to the ground.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Wang's voice was noticeably weak, and his eyes darted around; he didn't dare look at Yan Ning or the drone at all.

“I haven’t done anything! I’ve lived in these mountains for over ten years and have never done anything I shouldn’t have!”

Yan Ning simply looked at him quietly, her smile deepening, tinged with a playful "keep making this up" tone.

"Really? Why don't we let everyone come into your room and see what's hanging on the wall!"