The next morning, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the canopy, Xiao Hai awoke from his rest. After a quick adjustment of his breathing, he set out toward the region of Co-Apes, where he planned to temper himself once more. The memory of yesterday's breakthrough still lingered in his mind — the feel of Dou Qi flowing harmoniously through his veins after mastering a new technique.
The forest was silent except for the rustle of leaves beneath his boots. At first, he walked at a steady pace, but soon impatience stirred within him.
"Too slow."
With that thought, Xiao Hai broke into a run. His movements began as ordinary strides — but then, without conscious effort, his body shifted. His steps grew lighter, smoother, faster — each footfall flowing seamlessly into the next. It was as if the wind itself carried him forward.
Dou Qi surged within him, swirling through his meridians like a river in full flood. Yet strangely, his reserves barely diminished.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as realization struck.
"So, this is the Perfection Realm… My control has reached the point where every movement follows the flow of nature itself. No wasted motion, no wasted Dou Qi. Perfect."
His figure flickered between the trees, a blur of motion and calm power — like a river current made flesh, racing toward the heart of the wilds.
The journey from where Xiao Hai had rested to the outer reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range took less than two hours. The morning mist still clung to the air, swirling around him as he ran, his figure darting between towering trees and moss-covered boulders.
But his destination lay deeper — far beyond the outer region, within the territory of the Co-Apes. After a brief rest to steady his breath and replenish his Dou Qi, Xiao Hai once again surged forward. His pace quickened, the wind whistling past his ears, his heart beating in steady rhythm with the pulse of the earth beneath his feet.
Just as he was about to enter the Co-Ape region, a sharp, desperate cry tore through the stillness of the forest.
"Aahhh! Someone—please! Save me!"
The voice was young, trembling — unmistakably that of a girl.
Xiao Hai stopped abruptly. Leaves fluttered from the trees around him, disturbed by the sudden halt. His eyes narrowed, scanning the dense forest ahead. The cry came again, weaker this time, fading into the distance.
His Dou Qi stirred instinctively, the still air around him rippling with faint energy.
"A human voice… here?" he muttered, a hint of surprise in his tone.
For a brief second, silence returned — the kind of silence that presses on the ears before danger strikes. Then, without hesitation, Xiao Hai shot forward, a streak of light and motion as he raced toward the source of the scream.
When Xiao Hai arrived at the source of the cry, the sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.
In a small clearing surrounded by towering trees, two men stood over a young girl, no older than thirteen or fourteen. Her delicate frame trembled as she struggled weakly against the ropes binding her wrists. A strip of cloth gagged her mouth, muffling her sobs — soft, broken sounds that barely escaped her throat.
But the two men showed not a shred of pity. Instead, cruel grins stretched across their faces — ugly, twisted expressions that made them look more beast than human.
"Hahaha, cry all you want," sneered one of them, his narrow eyes glinting with malice. "No one's gonna save you here, little lamb. Hehe…"
He reached out and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her tear-streaked face upward. The other man, bulkier and carrying a short blade at his waist, clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Enough playing around," he said, his tone sharp. "If we're late, Young Master will have our heads."
The first man let out a low, disappointed growl, his expression darkening.
"Tch. You're lucky, brat. If Young Master Mu Li hadn't taken an interest in you, I'd have already—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his voice dripping with resentment and menace.
From his vantage point in the shadows, Xiao Hai's gaze sharpened. His expression grew colder with each passing second. The faint breeze stirred his hair, and a killing intent as sharp as a blade began to seep from his body, chilling the air around him.
"Mu Li…" Xiao Hai muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
He recognized that name.
From the memories of his previous life, he clearly remembered — Mu Li, Young Master of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. A cruel and arrogant man who relied on his father's power to do whatever he pleased in Qingshan Town.
But something didn't make sense.
According to the timeline I know, Mu Li should be chasing after Xiao Yi Xian right now… then who is this girl?
His thoughts grew heavy. Don't tell me—could this girl actually be Xiao Yi Xian herself?
Before he could piece everything together, the men's conversation confirmed his suspicion.
"Tch, what's Young Master even thinking?" the bulkier man grumbled, scratching his head in frustration. "Following that Medicine Girl around all day, only to get rejected in front of everyone… humiliating."
"Heh, you're just bitter," the wretched-looking man snorted. "Young Master ordered you to work while you were still playing around with that woman, Hu Zi, right? Hahaha!"
"Shut up, you bastard!" the other barked, glaring daggers at him. "If it weren't for your stupidity, we'd have caught this girl long ago!"
"Heh, fine, fine," the wretched man shrugged, his grin returning. "But honestly, why chase her so much? If Young Master really wants her, just do what we're doing now — kidnap her and make her his. Seems like even Young Master's going soft these days."
Their laughter echoed through the clearing — coarse, mocking, and utterly vile.
He understood in an instant. Mu Li had confessed to Xiao Yi Xian yesterday — been rejected — and now the Young Master was venting by sending his men to snatch some unlucky girl. Rage, sharp and hot, flared in Xiao Hai's chest. He wouldn't stand by.
He scanned them quickly. No Dou Qi visible — ordinary thugs, not Dou Zhe. Easy targets. Calmly, he slid a mask from the storage ring and fitted it over his face, the cloth settling like a shadow.
He stepped from the bush.
The two men stiffened, then relaxed when they saw a lone youth. Their relief was sloppy and loud.
"Huh, I thought some beast," the skinny one snorted. "Turns out it's just a kid."
"Kid, get lost, or we'll teach you a lesson," the other barked, shifting to block a path.
The skinny man leaned close to his partner and hissed, "Hey, boss — why not sell the brat to slave traders? At least we'll get something for him." He whispered it so he thought no one could hear.
He didn't know Xiao Hai had heard every word.
Xiao Hai's fingers curled. The whisper was the spark. He moved.
First, the world narrowed. He activated Flowing Steps — his feet became water over stone, soundless and impossible to track. The forest held its breath.
He closed the distance in the blink between heartbeats. One instant they were safe; the next, Xiao Hai was there, a silent shadow at the skinny man's side. His fist unfurled — Bone Shattering Fist — a concentrated strike of Dou Technique that was more a declaration than a blow.
The fist connected with the man's chest like a collapsing wall. Time hung for a fraction; then the man's body convulsed, eyes blown wide with the sudden comprehension of pain. He crumpled, an empty sound escaping his lips. The forest seemed to swallow the final choked breath.
The second thug screamed. Panic split his voice as he fumbled for his blade — too slow. Xiao Hai didn't give him time. He spun, a low, controlled storm of motion, and struck again. Bone Shattering Fist met ribs and spine with brutal precision. The man's scream cut off mid-word. He folded like wet paper and hit the ground in a heap.
Leaves and broken twigs fluttered down. The clearing stank of fear and blood. Xiao Hai stood over them, chest rising, Dou Qi still humming under his skin. For a moment he simply watched, cold and unreadable behind the mask.
Then he knelt to the girl, gently brushing the gag away. Her sobs were small, jagged. He offered one quick look back at the fallen men — no mercy in it, only a hard, quiet warning — and turned his full attention to getting her out of the forest alive.