The moment Song Wanníng's expression darkened, everyone shut up fast. None of them dared to speak nonsense again. They just hurried to explain where they'd found the Monsters.
Apparently, one of them had first spotted a Monster and thought it moved so fast that it'd make a great spirit pet. But after they managed to catch one with great effort, several more suddenly crawled out of nowhere. At that time, they hadn't realized the danger yet. When the Monsters lunged at them, they struck back and killed a few on the spot.
That was when they stirred the hornet's nest. Countless Monsters poured out like a tide, impossible to kill them all. Soon after, one of their companions had his heart ripped out. The death was so fast and brutal that everyone froze in terror. They ran for their lives—and that's when they bumped into Song Wanníng.
Once again, they all bowed deeply in gratitude. After seeing how effortlessly she'd dealt with the Monsters, their eyes shone with awe and reverence. So this was what a powerhouse at the Unity Stage was like—completely beyond their reach.
After listening to their story, Song Wanníng's expression stayed unreadable. She gave them a sharp look. "Why are you here in the first place?"
The question made everyone's face stiffen instantly.
Her divine sense swept through them, catching every flicker of guilt. When she saw they were still trying to hide something, she gave a cold snort.
A crushing pressure rolled out from her.
With a series of dull thuds, everyone dropped to their knees, trembling all over. They could feel the killing intent in her aura now, and real fear finally sank in. They'd thought they'd run into a kind and gentle senior, but it turned out this senior lost her patience fast.
"W-we came here for a map…"
One of them stammered as he pulled out a rolled-up map. Red marks dotted several locations across it.
"We bought this at an auction. It's said to lead to a treasure…
We're just disciples from a small sect, our resources are scarce. So we pooled what we had to buy this map and came together to hunt for treasure. We planned to split the spoils evenly."
The man spilled everything in one breath. Whatever treasures there might be, none of it was worth dying for.
Song Wanníng took the map and gave it a glance. Sure enough, several spots were marked in red—all within the beasts' territory.
"Where did you buy this map? And how many locations have you already been to?"
She didn't intend to take their treasure. Something just felt wrong about the whole thing.
The man gave a bitter smile. "We only went to one place. That's where we ran into the Monsters.
We didn't find any treasure at all. We just lost a few brothers instead."
He looked up quickly, trying to sound sincere. "As for the map, it came from the Lanyuan Auction House. They held a big auction there a few months ago. Senior can check it yourself, we're not lying!"
"Please, Senior, have mercy!"
They all fell to the ground, begging her not to kill them.
"Lanyuan?"
Song Wanníng muttered under her breath. She'd never heard of such an auction house. Her gaze swept over them again, judging their truthfulness.
After a while, she tucked the map away.
"This map's probably not what it seems. I'll go take a look myself. As for you, if you value your lives, leave now. Don't ever set foot in the places marked on this map again."
With that, she withdrew her pressure, stepped onto her flying artifact, and disappeared into the sky without looking back. She couldn't shake the suspicion that there was something very wrong with the marked locations. She'd have to check them out personally.
But before she left, she sent a message to Luo Hantian, asking him to send people to investigate the Lanyuan Auction House.
A wild thought flickered in her mind, one she hoped wasn't true.
Her clone still had tasks to handle, but as for her main body...
…
"Senior Brother, are we really just gonna go home?"
The group had barely gotten back to their feet when someone rushed to the senior brother's side, sounding anxious.
"We spent every last spirit stone we had to get that map. If we just give up now, then we…"
"Senior Brother, we don't even have a single spirit stone left!"
Everyone looked torn. When they'd bought the map, they'd practically gambled everything they owned on it. To leave now empty-handed—it was a bitter pill to swallow.
The senior brother glanced at their expectant faces, his heart twisting with indecision.
"But… we've already lost several brothers. Maybe we really should listen to that Senior…" He spoke weakly, though a faint glimmer of hope still lingered in his eyes.
"That was just bad luck before! The map shows several spots. There's no way every single one's empty, right?"
"Exactly! We only checked one place. Maybe we just picked the wrong one!"
The others started urging him on. Everyone followed the senior brother's lead, so they had to convince him first.
His eyes flickered as he wavered. "But that Senior took the map. She's probably heading there too. If we run into her, it could end badly…"
"So we just go the other way! By the time she gets there, we'll already be gone!"
"Right! We move fast, we'll never cross paths!"
The persuasion grew louder, their determination firmer. No one wanted to go back empty-handed.
Seeing the hesitation still on his face, one disciple suddenly said, "Senior Brother, think about it. Maybe that Senior told us not to go because she wants the treasure for herself. That map cost us everything!"
That last sentence hit him hard.
Sure, she'd saved them—but she'd also taken the map. What if it really was for the treasure?
He clenched his fists. Thinking of the brothers they'd lost and all the resources they'd burned through, a spark of resolve flared in his chest.
"Let's go. We move fast and make sure we don't run into that Senior!"
That answer said it all.
The others exchanged excited looks and quickly took off in the opposite direction.
At this moment, they'd completely forgotten the terror of being hunted by Monsters.
…
Meanwhile, Song Wanníng was already heading toward another location marked on the map.
"Sister, do you think those people will actually listen to you?"
Xiao Jin asked curiously, lazily rubbing Long Ling's soft, round belly.
Song Wanníng's face didn't change. She lowered her gaze and absently gave Long Ling's warm belly a gentle squeeze too.
"It doesn't matter whether they listen or not," she said calmly. "If they insist on courting death, no one can save them."
Other people's karma wasn't something she should interfere with. If she hadn't seen the Monsters herself, she wouldn't have stepped in earlier either. So whatever they did next, she couldn't care less. Right now, she just wanted to confirm her suspicions and trace the Monsters' origins step by step.
After all, with so many forces searching and finding nothing, the fact that this random group stumbled on the Monsters was too much of a coincidence.
"Fine, let's just hope they've got some sense left. Otherwise, they won't even know how they died."
Xiao Jin smacked his lips, then shrugged it off, tossing the thought from his mind.