"Roar—!"
The answer to Aurora's question did not come from Shen Yu.
It came from the beast.
The roar burst out like thunder, raw and savage, shaking the leaves overhead. Almost the moment the sound fell, the massive beast charged forward. Its muscles rippled beneath coarse hide, saliva dripping from its gaping jaws, sharp fangs flashing with bloodthirsty light. The killing intent rolling off it made one's scalp tighten.
"Up the tree!" Shen Yu shouted sharply.
Aurora's eyes curved with a quick smile.
See? Not bad at all, this Brother-in-law.
She sprang lightly toward a thick tree nearby, grabbed the trunk, and climbed with swift, practiced movements. Perched among the branches, she leaned forward, watching the scene below with keen interest. She wanted to see exactly how capable Shen Yu was.
But just as her gaze swept the battlefield, the corner of her eye caught something else.
Behind the trees, far from the beasts, the young man from earlier stood with a bow drawn, the arrowhead coldly aimed at Shen Yu's back.
A chill flickered through Aurora's eyes.
So that was the plan.
Her mind moved instantly. She glanced down and saw a fierce beast directly beneath her tree. Her fingers loosened deliberately.
"Ah—!"
Her body fell from the branches.
Shen Yu, surrounded by more than a dozen beasts, sensed the movement immediately. He glanced back, his expression tightening. Instinctively, he gathered his strength, preparing to rush over and catch her.
But in that split second, he saw her calm eyes.
His brows knit slightly. Instead of moving toward her, he turned and slashed cleanly through a lunging beast, blood spraying across the ground.
At the same time, Aurora hit the ground, rolled once, and sprang to her feet.
"Help!" she screamed, her voice sharp and panicked.
She ran.
Despite having no visible aura, her movements were agile and precise. She darted through gaps between the charging beasts, slipping past snapping jaws and swinging claws without being touched. After circling once, she did not run toward Shen Yu for protection.
She ran straight toward the path they had come from.
"Help—!"
Behind the trees, the faces of those hiding there changed instantly.
Several beasts abandoned Shen Yu and turned, following Aurora's fleeing figure. Seven or eight massive bodies thundered toward the group's hiding place.
"Damn it!" the young man cursed.
His bow was still raised, but Shen Yu's movements had already ruined his aim. Seeing the beasts charging toward them, he knew the chance to assassinate was gone. Gritting his teeth, he shifted the bow and loosed an arrow straight toward Aurora's back.
"Prepare to fight!" the middle-aged man barked.
He drew his weapon, mysterious energy surging around him as he stepped forward.
As the arrow whistled through the air, Aurora's lips curved upward.
A strange smile bloomed, cold and sharp, carrying a hint of cruelty.
Enough.
Those who tried to kill her once might get a second chance. Those who tried again would not.
And besides… her hands were itching.
She wanted to test something.
The murderous aura around her changed instantly. The playful disguise vanished, replaced by a suffocating pressure. Though there was still no mysterious energy, the killing intent pouring from her body was fierce, overwhelming, carrying the bearing of someone long accustomed to standing above others.
The middle-aged man's pupils shrank.
Shock flashed across his face.
He had seen countless people in his life, but at this moment, the person before him felt completely different from the dirty little beggar of earlier. The confidence in her stance, the cold authority in her gaze, the murderous resolve coiled tightly within her… even he felt a chill creep into his heart.
And yet... she had no aura.
No cultivation.
Even so, he forced himself to calm down. No matter how imposing she looked, a mortal was still a mortal. She could not possibly stand against them head-on.
Shen Yu's gaze had also fallen on Aurora.
A deep light flickered in his eyes.
So this was her.
Not harmless. Not simple. Never had been.
And really, how could an ordinary woman dare to walk alone into Fengyue, a place rumored to have so many fierce beasts?
Still… without mysterious energy, how could she face so many opponents?
That thought barely finished forming before it shattered.
Because in the next instant, Aurora moved.
And Shen Yu finally realized...
He had underestimated her.
Shen Yu saw it clearly.
The sharp arrow whistled through the air, but Aurora's figure twisted at an impossible angle, slipping past it as if her body had no weight at all.
In the same breath, she led the seven or eight pursuing beasts straight into the cluster of people ahead.
Without slowing, she grabbed a low branch, swung upward, and used the momentum of her leap to kick hard against the tree trunk.
The recoil sent her flying forward.
Her target was obvious.
The young man holding the bow.
"Move!" the middle-aged man roared, his face changing drastically as he finally understood her intent.
He tried to rush forward to pull the young man away, but the beasts surged in from the side, claws and fangs forcing him to halt. Protecting himself was already difficult. There was no chance to help another.
Aurora's kick came down like a falling hammer.
At the last instant, the young man snapped out of his shock. His body instinctively leaned backward, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow to his head.
Even so, the force of the kick grazed him, sending him stumbling several steps back. Pain exploded across his face, and before he could regain his balance, a fierce beast lunged straight toward him.
"Brother! Be careful!" the girl screamed, rushing forward in panic.
She threw herself between him and the beast without thinking.
The young man finally recovered. The sharp pain burning on his cheek ignited anger and humiliation in his chest. He tossed the bow aside, mysterious energy surging violently through his body. His fists clenched, veins standing out as power gathered.
With a roar, he slammed his fists forward.
A thunderous explosion followed.
"Boom!"
The charging beast was struck head-on, its massive body lifted off the ground before crashing down heavily. The impact shook the earth, dust and leaves scattering in all directions.
The beast let out a final howl and lay still.
Seeing this, the guards were stunned for a heartbeat before excitement erupted among them.
"The young master is mighty!"
Their fear was replaced by adrenaline. With morale surging, they charged together. Blades flashed, mysterious energy burst forth, and one beast after another fell.
In a short time, the remaining fierce beasts were slaughtered, their bodies scattered across the ground, blood and the thick stench of death filling the air.
When the danger finally subsided, everyone paused, panting.
Only then did they realize something was wrong.
Seven or eight beast corpses lay farther away, cleanly killed. Those were clearly not their work.
"The man in black…" someone muttered.
The girl looked around anxiously. "Brother… where's Second Uncle?"
No one answered.
The young man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed in one direction. Without saying a word, he handed the bow back to the girl and began walking left, deeper into the forest.
The girl hesitated only a second before following, the guards closing ranks behind them.
Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, the middle-aged man's sharp eyes were locked on Aurora's back as she moved ahead of him. His voice was low, carrying undisguised killing intent.
"You're wasting your strength. Without cultivation, you are not my opponent. Struggling like this only hastens your death."
Aurora did not turn around. A faint smile curved her lips.
"Is that so?"
Her figure blurred.