One question after another kept appearing in Lin Sumei's mind, yet she couldn't find any answers.
"I don't know the specifics either; maybe those people saw it wrong!" Su Qinghe didn't believe it either.
"Alright, stop overthinking it. It's just a mission..." Lin Sumei couldn't help but try to comfort her.
She knew.
The reason Su Qinghe was so bothered wasn't genuinely because of the mission points.
It was because this was the first mission she had undertaken since arriving in Chengdu.
She had originally intended to showcase her strength.
Who would have thought...
After all, Su Qinghe had suddenly been parachuted into their city's Realm Guard.
It was normal for others in the Division to have some discussions about such a new arrival.
And Su Qinghe wanted to put an end to these discussions.
She had to complete a mission flawlessly to prove that she wasn't some gilded second-generation heir!
Just then, Su Qinghe received new mission information.
Mission Target: Crimson Winged Serpent
Mission Location: Jinli Street, Happyman Sauna
Mission Reward: Fifty points
Looking at the new mission information, Su Qinghe became energetic again.
Very good!
This time, she would definitely prove herself!
---
On the other side...
"Happyman Sauna?"
Yan Xiao looked at the red sign in front of him, feeling a bit bewildered.
Why was it this kind of place?
That's right!
According to the mission location provided by the System, the monster was currently inside this sauna center.
After confirming that he hadn't come to the wrong place,
Yan Xiao lifted his foot and walked in.
"Ding! Host!!! Stop! Something is wrong. GET BACK NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!!"
However...
As soon as Yan Xiao entered the sauna, screams of extreme terror erupted from within.
The next moment!
The ground began to vibrate slightly.
Guests and service staff, all in disarray and disheveled, ran out in a panic.
With his sharp eyes, he even saw a few middle-aged men with bare bottoms.
Hmm...
This situation was quite reasonable inside a sauna center!
Yan Xiao walked against the crowd, towards the interior of the sauna center.
After pushing through the crowd, Yan Xiao soon saw his mission target...
It was an orange cat, normal size, covered in black fur, and with a gaping maw.
It was entirely black, fluffy, looking like a lump of charcoal, with only a tuft of blue fur on its head.
Its tail was about five meters long and had a small head like a king cobra, and the tail's color was crimson.
Inadvertently, it whipped its tail against the edge of the pool, instantly creating a gash.
Highlighting its impressive attack capability!
"This is... the Crimson Winged Serpent?"
Looking at the strange beast in front of him, Yan Xiao muttered to himself.
What happened to the Crimson Winged Serpent?
The illustrated guide described it as so grand and powerful.
But what was the result?
It was just a small cat with a snake head addition.
However, compared to the Clawed Beast Golden Rat from this morning,
this strange beast belonged to the full beast type.
Its overall strength was greater!
Yan Xiao felt that the aura it emitted was twice as strong as the Clawed Beast Golden Rat's.
It was a good opponent!
At this moment!
The owner of the sauna, who was cowering and trembling in a corner, saw Yan Xiao arrive and immediately showed a look of surprise.
This calm and composed demeanor...
This fearless posture, facing the strange beast directly...
He was clearly a powerful Realm Guard.
He quickly stepped forward and respectfully said, "My lord, you're finally here!"
"This monster has already killed many people. Please deal with it quickly!"
Fear was still evident on the owner's face.
This monster was simply too terrifying!
In such a short time, it had already killed many people.
If the Realm Guard Division's rescue hadn't arrived, he probably would have died here too.
"Leave it to me!"
Yan Xiao nodded slightly at the words.
He walked forward and, with an air of seniority, patted the owner's shoulder.
He opened his grocery bag, reached out, and grasped inside. A long, heavy-duty steel chopping knife appeared.
The sauna owner, who was closer, couldn't help but gasp. Hiss!
Look! This was truly a strong one! Even the weapon was a kitchen knife.
It wasn't just him.
The moment Yan Xiao drew his kitchen knife...
The Crimson Winged Serpent's eyes snapped toward him.
Those eyes — vertical pupils, burning amber — locked onto Yan Xiao with the cold calculation of a predator sizing up prey.
Then it hissed.
Not from its mouth.
From the cobra head at the tip of its tail.
The sound was low and resonant, vibrating through the tiles of the sauna center like a tuning fork pressed against bone. The remaining water in the pool rippled.
Yan Xiao rolled his neck once, loosening it.
"Okay," he said quietly. "You're the real thing."
He wasn't scared. If anything, the familiar weight of genuine danger settling over him felt almost nostalgic. Back in his world, he had faced things far worse than a cat with a serpent tail. The difference was that back then, he had a proper sword.
He tightened his grip on the kitchen knife.
It would have to do.
The beast moved first — its tail whipping sideways like a cracking whip, aimed directly at Yan Xiao's midsection.
He stepped back, feeling the wind from the strike graze his shirt. A decorative pillar behind him split clean in two and collapsed.
The sauna owner made a sound like a dying kettle.
Yan Xiao didn't look back.
His eyes were tracking the tail — watching the cobra head recoil, watching the muscles beneath the black fur ripple as the beast prepared a second strike. He had its rhythm now.
When the tail came again, he didn't dodge.
He sidestepped just enough, grabbed the serpent tail behind the cobra head with his free hand, and drove the kitchen knife down in one clean motion.
The cobra head hit the floor.
The beast let out a sound and thrashed wildly, sending Yan Xiao sliding back across the wet tiles. He caught himself against the edge of the pool, steadied, and looked up.
The Crimson Winged Serpent was still standing.
Wounded, but standing.
"Ding! Host has successfully severed the tail of a Late Stage Golden Core Demon Beast — Crimson Winged Serpent!"
"Partial damage recorded. Continued engagement required to complete mission!"
"Also — the System would like to remind the Host that this is a sauna, not a battlefield. Please try not to destroy the plumbing."
Yan Xiao ignored the last part.
He straightened up, shifted his grip on the knife, and walked forward.
The Crimson Winged Serpent's pupils suddenly constricted, its muscles instinctively tensed, and its black fur stood on end.
Horror and fear appeared in its eyes!
Unlike the Clawed Beast, the Crimson Winged Serpent smelled a strong sense of danger from this human.
"It's... afraid?!"
Seeing this, the sauna owner's heart was instantly filled with an incredible feeling.
A fierce strange beast afraid of a human?
Even though he was only a high-level first-tier martial artist, he could tell.
This strange beast was afraid!
And the object of its fear...
The owner turned his head and glanced at Yan Xiao. Without a doubt! Only this powerful Realm Guard could make this monster feel fear.
Gulp~
The sauna owner couldn't help but swallow.
My goodness~
How strong was this seemingly young lord, after all!
To actually make a bloodthirsty monster feel dread and fear...
Yan Xiao naturally noticed this. He couldn't help but nod to himself.
Putting other things aside, the Crimson Winged Serpent's perception was quite keen!
Just this alone made it much stronger than the Clawed Beast.
"Roar!!!"
A roar, strong on the outside but weak on the inside, sounded.
Accompanied by the fear in its heart gradually amplifying,
finally!
Unable to suppress its fear, the Crimson Winged Serpent roared and actively attacked Yan Xiao.
The Crimson Winged Serpent was extremely fast!
Like a deep black shadow, it flashed past like lightning, reaching Yan Xiao in the blink of an eye.
Its sharp claws gleamed with a chilling cold light.
With a whistling sound, it directly stabbed towards Yan Xiao's throat.
Such a powerful surprise attack made the sauna owner's eyelids twitch wildly.
So fast!
So strong!!
He had thought the strength the monster displayed earlier was already formidable enough.
But compared to this attack, those earlier ones were child's play.
If he himself faced such an attack,
he would probably only face death...
"I wonder if this Realm Guard lord can withstand it!"
Looking at Yan Xiao, who remained motionless, he truly held his breath.
The Crimson Winged Serpent backed away.
Just one step — but Yan Xiao noticed it.
Interesting.
It was afraid.
For a beast of its caliber, fear was not instinct. It was intelligence. Which meant this thing was smarter than the Clawed Beast Golden Rat. It was calculating, reassessing, deciding whether to fight or flee.