Zong Hao reacted quickly, channeling his fire-element spiritual energy into his spirit sword. With one strike, he flipped a Sand Mouse into the air, then lunged at another, stabbing straight through its belly. He didn't waste a second, even collecting the wounded ones into his storage pouch.
Yun Xi continued tossing talismans, mainly First-Grade Golden Arrow Talismans. They were ideal for wide-area attacks, enough to cleanse the nest with a single volley. Once the wave of destruction passed, she waved her hand and gathered the fallen Sand Mice, then rushed straight for the Jinsha Grass—their true objective.
When she reached the center, Hua Xuánzǐ was already harvesting, her movements swift and practiced. Yun Xi didn't hesitate to join in. Gripping each stalk of Jinsha Grass near its base, she gave a sharp tug, cleanly uprooting it and tucking it away into her pouch.
Even as she worked, Yun Xi kept her senses wide open, watching and listening in all directions. Her hands stayed busy, always targeting the brightest, most golden stalks—these had the best age and potency.
Ten minutes passed before Zong Hao suddenly called out from outside.
"Senior Sister Hua, Yun Xi, come out now—something's wrong!"
Hua Xuánzǐ and Yun Xi exchanged a look. Without delay, they stopped and bolted toward the entrance of the nest.
"What happened, Junior Brother Wei?" Hua Xuánzǐ asked sharply.
Zong Hao frowned.
"Listen closely!"
Hua Xuánzǐ pricked up her ears, while Yun Xi simply released her spiritual sense and swept it toward the noise in the distance.
What she saw made her expression tighten. Senior Brother Zhao and Senior Brother Qian were under siege—by both a group of Sand Mice and several cultivators.
Among the attackers was Senior Brother Li, and he wasn't alone. Three more figures flanked him—two men and a woman, all at the eighth level of Qi Refining. These must be the ones plotting against the team.
Senior Brother Zhao, at the ninth level, held his own for now, his sword technique fierce and clean. But Senior Brother Qian had taken a hit—his left arm hung limp, and he was forced to fight one-handed as he fended off the encroaching beasts.
The Sand Mice showed no loyalty. They attacked everyone indiscriminately, even those who had joined the ambush. The female cultivator among the newcomers seemed to be holding off the beasts on her side, giving the others space to press Zhao and Qian harder.
Hua Xuánzǐ's face darkened.
"Let's go see what's happening!"
But Yun Xi had already made her move. She turned and tossed a fresh batch of Fireball Talismans onto the unharvested Jinsha Grass. It was a waste, yes—but it was also the quickest way to draw the rest of the Sand Mice back to their nest. Once their home was under attack, they would have no time to worry about fighting humans.
As expected, the flames ignited the remaining grass, and a long, eerie screech echoed from deep within the burrow. All three froze for a second, then broke into a sprint.
Apparently, there was something big lurking further inside—and it was angry. The aura it gave off was unmistakably at the second tier.
"Senior Sister Hua, did you know there was a second-tier beast in this nest?"
"Yes. Senior Brother Zhao said that the leader of this nest was a second-tier Sand Mouse, but it had recently fallen into a deep sleep while preparing to break through. That's why we chose this time to harvest."
Her expression was tense as she explained.
Zong Hao added grimly, "Looks like it wasn't sleeping as soundly as you thought."
Hua Xuánzǐ scowled and snapped, "Yun Xi, why did you destroy that Jinsha Grass? You've provoked the second-tier beast, and now the entire nest might riot!"
Yun Xi wasn't fazed. She smiled slightly.
"If I hadn't lured the Sand Mice back, guess who'd be caught in the chaos?"
Then she turned to Zong Hao.
"Up the tree, now!"
Zong Hao took one glance at Hua Xuánzǐ, then followed Yun Xi without a word. They climbed a massive tree nearby and slapped Stealth Talismans onto their bodies.
Gritting her teeth, Hua Xuánzǐ followed suit, picking a nearby tree and activating a Stealth Talisman of her own. She didn't have to wait long.
Soon, the ground trembled with the stampede of returning Sand Mice.
Moments later, the sounds of fighting grew louder. Thanks to her elevated position, Hua Xuánzǐ could see the situation clearly. Zhao and Qian were surrounded, pushed to the brink.
Her eyes widened. Without hesitation, she leapt down—even as more Sand Mice scurried beneath her—and rushed to their aid.
Yun Xi and Zong Hao remained still.
To the warring cultivators below, they were insignificant. Best to stay quiet and observe.
"Yun Xi, they've been betrayed by their own teammates."
Zong Hao had seen it clearly. Senior Brother Li was the mole, and the three newcomers were outsiders he had brought in.
Before Yun Xi could respond, they heard Hua Xuánzǐ's voice ring out coldly across the field.
"Junior Sister Zhang? Weren't you supposed to be in secluded cultivation? What are you doing here?"
Senior Brother Qian seized the chance to swallow a healing pill and gritted out, "Senior Sister Hua, isn't it obvious? Junior Sister Zhang and Senior Brother Li teamed up with outsiders to ambush us. That closed-door cultivation story was just a cover."
Yun Xi rubbed her not-so-chubby chin and whispered, "Tch. This is a full-blown mutiny."
Zong Hao's mouth fell open. This temporary team was full of schemers. Thankfully, he and Yun Xi had stayed vigilant, or they'd be the first casualties.
Over on the battlefield, the accused Junior Sister Zhang remained unfazed.
"Don't act so high and righteous. If the task rewards hadn't always been unfairly divided, do you think we would've done this?"
"Unfair?" Hua Xuánzǐ was livid. "Every reward was split based on contribution. You're only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Of course you got less. You didn't object back then—now you throw that in our faces? Shameless!"
"That's just what you think," Zhang sneered, full of disdain.
Compared to her, Senior Brother Zhao remained calm. The flood of Sand Mice had thinned, giving him breathing room. After taking a spirit-replenishing pill, he said,
"Xuánzǐ, don't waste words. This won't end peacefully. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way."
He raised his sword and charged. With the beasts out of the way, his attacks became more controlled. One strike split the enemy group apart. He faced off against Li and Zhang alone, while Hua Xuánzǐ and Senior Brother Qian handled the other two.
The clearing turned into a battleground.
Back in the tree, Zong Hao whispered, "Yun Xi, whose side do we help?"
Yun Xi's eyes narrowed.
"We help the ones who are struggling, not the ones already winning."
Zong Hao considered that, then said, "You mean help Senior Sister Hua's side?"
"Exactly. We've known her for a while. Based on everything I've seen, she's not the type to mistreat teammates. Besides, Senior Brother Zhao is just as strong as she is. If she had been unfair, he wouldn't have stood for it. That would've ruined team cohesion."
"You're right. If they thought the team was unfair, they could've just formed a new one. What they really wanted was to rob them."
Yun Xi gave him a thumbs-up.
"Well said!"