At the entrance of the dungeon.
Several armored swordsmen were lying in wait.
"Captain, are you sure the master's runaway catgirl is inside?" one of the swordsmen asked.
Belial nodded. "Bloodlines don't lie. Scarlett is definitely in there. But the dungeon is too vast, so just to be safe, we'll ambush her at the entrance. No matter how many supplies she carries, she can't hold out for more than a week. The moment she comes out, we strike."
While they were chatting, a colossal figure suddenly burst out from the dungeon—it was actually a minotaur.
"Run, or it'll be too late!"
The minotaur only had time to shout this warning before sprinting madly away.
Under such circumstances, in such an atmosphere, Belial and his men instantly grew tense, instinctively running right alongside the minotaur.
It truly was instinct.
After all, in the past, nine out of ten people who ran too slowly or refused to follow the crowd had ended up dead.
The genes that managed to get passed down generally belonged to the types who heeded advice to save their own skins. Running along wouldn't hurt, but if they didn't run and a dragon came charging out from behind, what would they do then?
Belial desperately wanted to ask the minotaur what kind of fierce beast was about to emerge from the dungeon.
Yet every time he caught up, the minotaur would urge him on: "Quick, quick, run! Faster, even faster—you can do it!"
In merely a minute, Belial and the others had followed Yu Xian several kilometers away.
Only then did Yu Xian come to a stop. Holding a stopwatch in his hand, he said in all seriousness, "Not bad. Three thousand meters in just one minute. Still, there's room for improvement."
"..."
Belial and his men exchanged silent glances, overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.
"Excuse me, what on earth is chasing us back there?" a swordsman asked, taking the initiative as he looked at Yu Xian.
Yu Xian tucked away the stopwatch, his expression turning solemn. "That is the most terrifying creature in the world, the bane of all men. They are elusive, matchless, and exceedingly skilled at disguise. Inexperienced males often fall into their traps with ease, only to be completely devoured and stripped clean!"
*Gulp!*
Listening to Yu Xian's words, cold sweat beaded on the brows of Belial and his men.
To think such a perilous creature existed inside this dungeon! Thank goodness they hadn't ventured inside; otherwise, they would probably have been devoured by now.
"Sir, what is this monster called? I must head back and warn everyone so they can be on guard!" a young swordsman asked.
Yu Xian took a deep breath, looking grim and tragic. "This terrifying monster, this invincible beast, is... a woman!"
Just then, the bushes rustled. The sudden noise startled Belial and his men into instantly assuming a defensive formation, so much so that their minds lagged half a beat before registering Yu Xian's answer.
A woman?
Scarlett stepped out from the bushes, panting heavily as she swept her eyes over everyone present. Then, gritting her teeth, she glared at Yu Xian. "Delete that recording!"
"..."
Belial sank into silence, lowering his head slightly as shadows veiled his eyes.
At this moment, the other swordsmen finally realized they had been thoroughly made fools of by this minotaur. Veins bulged across their foreheads one after another.
"How dare you play us!"
Belial gestured for two of the swordsmen to keep their eyes on Scarlett, then turned to Yu Xian, grinding his teeth in fury.
Recognizing Belial, Scarlett instinctively edged closer to Yu Xian to seek a sense of safety.
"It seems... you do not understand," Yu Xian said, looking at Belial with a melancholy sigh.
He had clearly spoken the truth, yet so few of his fellow brethren understood him. Most men were still lost in the tender embrace of women, completely oblivious that it wasn't a sweet haven, but the graveyard of freedom.
"You damned mongrel, who do you think you're facing!"
Belial flew into a rage. Leaping into the air with his longsword drawn, he brought the blade slashing down toward Yu Xian's massive bull head.
Yet just as the edge of his sword was about to strike, Yu Xian swatted him straight into the dirt with a single palm, instantly cratering the earth.
At that moment, the way Belial lay curled up in the crater was iconic. Even without specifying the pose or naming the work, countless people would be able to picture the scene.
"Can't we just talk things through nicely? Why resort to violence? I'm a man of culture; I hate violence the most," Yu Xian remarked, dusting off his hands.
Witnessing this, Scarlett finally felt relieved and asked, "Is he dead?"
"Not yet, but you can finish him off," Yu Xian replied.
Scarlett immediately drew her dagger. Seeing this, some of the remaining swordsmen shrank back, while others, lacking the wits to read the room, yelled, "Protect the captain!"
Then, beneath Yu Xian's warm, giant hand, several more craters appeared in the ground. Those witless swordsmen were swatted flat into the pits as well, their postures identical to Belial's.
He had actually held back.
After all, these men were merely aiding an evildoer, not the mastermind behind it all.
Even without them, someone else would be doing the job, so the threat had to be severed at its source.
Of course, the most important part was letting Scarlett deliver the finishing blows, which was Yu Xian's way of giving her a chance to vent her rage.
Scarlett was by no means a sheltered girl who had never seen blood. Catgirls were born killers; hand them two weapons, and they became the finest dancers of close combat. Those with family legacies were mostly formidable hunters.
She cleanly dispatched Belial and his men with her dagger. Afterward, her whole body relaxed, washed over by the sensation of truly gaining freedom.
If Belial and his group weren't eliminated, she would forever remain a hunted slave. But now, she was free.
"Lord Newton, thank you!"
Scarlett knew very well that without Yu Xian, she would have had no way of escaping.
Yet because of him, the tables had completely turned, leaving Belial and his men with no way out instead.
"No need for thanks."
"Doing a good deed once in a while is good for physical and mental health."
"I'm really just doing my daily good deed for my health, that's all."
Yu Xian chuckled and picked up the longsword Belial had dropped. Then, as if crumbling a biscuit, he crushed the longsword to pieces bit by bit between his fingers.
Holding the sword fragments in one hand, he turned to face the distant sky and said, "There is a saying in our land: 'Help someone to the end; escort the Buddha all the way to the West.' Since things have reached this point, I might as well resolve your trouble once and for all, so you can set off on your journey in peace."
With that, he flicked the metal shards from his hand. In the blink of an eye, every last fragment vanished past the horizon.
"See for yourself!"
Yu Xian tossed his phone to Scarlett, then pulled out an ice cream bar, eating it while glancing down at the corpses of Belial and his men.
Good grief.
Every single one had their throat slit, with daggers driven straight into vital points.
With this level of proficiency, she could easily work as a butcher—a single stroke to bleed them dry, clean and swift.
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Sacred Dragon Empire, a shower of metal fragments suddenly appeared in the sky, shattering the defensive barrier in an instant. Right after, the Grand Mage of the Realm emerged, deploying a magical shield against the flying metal shards.
Chapter 674