Xie Ning was gratified by Song You'ai's newfound resolve. She plunged Heavenly Blade directly into a Mouse-man's skull, skillfully located the Crystal Core, and pried it out.
Xie Ning's mother watched her daughter's movements and tried to copy them, but it took her a great deal of effort to finally extract one. "Why am I so slow?"
Xie Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "It just takes practice. Once you've done it a few times, it'll get much easier."
An hour later, Xie Ning's group of four had dealt with a total of six Mouse-men. Only after sweeping the area and finding no other threats did they stop.
Uncle Ge Liang would only accept two Crystal Cores, and Xie Ning didn't argue with him about the remaining four.
These six Mouse-men were all First Rank. Their skulls weren't as hard as the first one's, making them slightly easier to kill.
As Xie Ning and her mother headed home, they saw their granduncle, Song Yufu, leading a crowd of people toward their house, Number 59.
