"..."
"I saw them leave just now, so they probably aren't around," said Bai Feifei's voice from outside the cave. She seemed to be talking to someone by her side.
Was she monitoring them this whole time?
Mu Qingyun frowned slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and quickly hid behind the largest boulder in the cave. Since Bai Feifei clearly came with ill intent, she might as well see exactly what game they were playing.
"No one's here." Bai Feifei turned to Deng Yijie, frowning. "Are we really going through with this? Isn't it a bit too immoral?"
Immoral?
Deng Yijie sneered. "Now you're worried about morals? After everything you've done, you suddenly care about right and wrong? Don't make me laugh."
"You—!" Bai Feifei glared at him, furious.
But Deng Yijie had always been an arrogant man. Apart from Mu Xueyao, he never treated anyone with respect.
"What? Still standing there? Hurry up! Or when we get past the first round and return home, your father and mother will pay the price for your hesitation." His cold voice threatened her like a blade.
Tch, what a piece of work.
Hidden in the shadows, Mu Qingyun's eyes flashed with sarcasm. Now she understood why Bai Feifei tolerated Mu Xueyao and her clique so spinelessly—because she was being used and bullied by someone above her.
But Mu Qingyun wouldn't pity her. No matter how trapped one might be, character still mattered. And Bai Feifei? Lacked integrity.
"Fine, I'll do it." Faced with the threat to her family, Bai Feifei had no choice but to give in.
She held a chunk of black, charcoal-like material and began to carefully place pieces of it around the cave.
"Hurry up!" Deng Yijie barked impatiently when he saw how slowly she was moving.
"I got it." Bai Feifei frowned, grinding the charcoal to pieces and scattering them throughout the cave.
What was that stuff?
Mu Qingyun narrowed her eyes, watching Bai Feifei's every move.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, Su's voice came from outside the cave. He had just arrived and immediately saw Deng Yijie at the cave entrance and Bai Feifei sneaking around inside.
[What are they up to?][Why are they acting so sneaky? Don't they know this is Mu-ge's place?][Wait, I think I know what that charcoal is.][What is it? Hurry up, I'm dying to know!][It's not actually charcoal. It's a material that attracts virtual creatures—basically bait.][What the hell? Is this what I think it is?][Yep, they're not helping Mu-ge hunt. They're trying to lure virtual beasts to attack her.][Disgusting.][I knew there was something off about Bai Feifei and Deng Yijie. Bootlickers trying to cozy up to the so-called princess.][Can't believe someone like that is hanging around Her Highness.]
"F*ck off! Get out of here and stop being an eyesore!" Deng Yijie hadn't expected Su to return so soon and snapped, lashing out at him.
"Could you be a little more polite?" Su didn't speak, but Yi Beixuan did—his usual gentle smile gone.
"Polite? Who the hell are you?" Deng Yijie snarled, jealous of the man who was not only better-looking but also radiated quiet strength.
"What's going on?" Bai Feifei, clearly on edge, rushed out of the cave. The moment she saw Su and the striking man beside him, she froze.
"If this guy doesn't know what manners are, I'll teach him," Yi Beixuan said coolly. After getting a small nod from Su, he summoned his power.
Lightning crackled in his palm and launched toward Deng Yijie like a storm.
"Hmph." Deng Yijie activated his wind ability and tried to counter the bolt with a gust.
But wind was no match for lightning's fury. The smirk hadn't even faded from Deng Yijie's face before the strike hit him. His body convulsed, and his expression contorted in pain.
"Next time, watch your mouth. It's rude to speak that way," Yi Beixuan said with a soft smile, withdrawing his power.
The moment the lightning stopped, Deng Yijie's body went limp and collapsed to the ground—unconscious.
Yi Beixuan looked at Su with a raised eyebrow, silently asking: This is the character I'm supposed to be playing, right?
Su gave him a faint nod in response.
[Damn, this guy's strong!][Who is this handsome beast? How does his team not treasure him?][Seriously, he's good-looking and a powerhouse? Unfair.][He looks familiar… Wasn't he at the military school training event once?][Yeah, he must've been! That's where I remember him from!]
Su's gaze briefly scanned the screen, the hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
Yi Beixuan was his strongest partner. Su was the face of their duo, but Yi Beixuan—deadly, low-key, and immensely powerful—had always stayed behind the scenes. If fully trained, his lightning ability could easily outshine Su's.
"Impressive."
A cold voice interrupted them. The two turned to see Mu Qingyun emerging effortlessly from behind the boulder, her expression calm and composed.
She immediately looked to Bai Feifei and frowned impatiently. "Take him and get lost—before I change my mind."
Bai Feifei had tried to lure deadly virtual beasts to their shelter. Under normal circumstances, Mu Qingyun wouldn't have let her off so easily. But with Deng Yijie already unconscious and Feifei just a pawn, she let it slide—for now.
If Feifei died in front of their cave, that would attract even more unwanted trouble.
"Ah?" Bai Feifei hadn't expected Mu Qingyun to let her go so easily. Startled, she quickly grabbed Deng Yijie by the collar and dragged him away.
He was too heavy to carry, so she left a trail of dirt and torn fabric as his body scraped along the rocky ground, leaving his clothes—and skin—damaged.
"You done hunting?" Mu Qingyun looked toward Su, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, cough, yeah, all done," Su replied awkwardly. Yi Beixuan quickly took out the contents of their storage pouch.