What appeared before their eyes was a striking beauty with fair skin flushed with a rosy glow.
The acne scars from before were gone, replaced by jade-like skin.
She had a heart-shaped face with light bangs at the sides and a high ponytail that lent her a cool, domineering vibe.
Xu Mu couldn't help sighing—he hadn't expected her to be this pretty.
Dai Xingluo immediately moved to block Fan Shiyu and came to Xu Mu's side.
"Brother, why are you here?"
Xu Mu withdrew his gaze and explained, "I'm looking for someone. A friend of mine should be here—right now I don't know if she's alive."
"I see."
Dai Xingluo nodded lightly, then pointed at Fan Shiyu. "Brother, this woman is bad news. You'd better stay away from her."
"Whether I'm good or bad isn't for you to judge," Fan Shiyu said, then looked at Xu Mu. "My name is Fan Shiyu. I still don't know yours."
"Oh, I'm Xu Mu," he answered without thinking.
Fan Shiyu's eyes widened.
She remembered her mission had two targets: Dai Xiao and—Xu Mu.
But she'd come mainly for Dai Xiao. The organization had only given her Dai Xiao's photo; she hadn't yet looked at Xu Mu's.
Could this man be her next target?
No—impossible.
So many people share names; it can't be him.
The organization said both targets were scummy rich kids.
And even when she'd been wearing that ugly human-skin mask earlier, this man hadn't judged her.
He'd even left her precious water.
How could a guy like that be some spoiled wastrel?
"What's wrong?" Xu Mu asked when he noticed her dazed.
"Huh? Nothing. And… thank you for the water." Fan Shiyu smiled. "I'll help you look too. What does she look like?"
"She's about your height. If you see a woman as tall as you, tell her 'Little Mu is looking for you.' If she can say my surname is Xu, that's the one."
He added, "If you find her, I'll give you another bottle of water."
"I don't want your pee," Fan Shiyu said, waving her hand.
"I meant mineral water," Xu Mu laughed.
"What? Brother, you still have water?" Dai Xingluo's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, I've got a few bottles. But this place is dangerous—everyone's fighting over water—so I hid them," Xu Mu said, glancing at her. "It's my lifeline, so I won't hand it out for nothing."
"Xu Mu, I'm off to help you search!" Fan Shiyu's figure vanished into the woods—though what she didn't say was that she was also going to kill someone.
She and Dai Xiao had been separated; now was the perfect time to finish him.
Only after Fan Shiyu left did Dai Xingluo loop her arm through Xu Mu's and shake it. "Bro~ther~"
"Cut it out," Xu Mu said flatly, shooting her a look. He could already feel the danger of what was pressing against his arm. "I told you, I don't like violent women."
"Wasn't that woman violent too? Why did you give her water?" Dai Xingluo puffed her cheeks.
"Was she?" Xu Mu looked in the direction Fan Shiyu had gone. "I didn't see it."
"She wants to kill Dai Xiao! Maybe you don't know him, he's—"
"I know him. Why's she killing him?" Xu Mu cut in, curious.
"From Dai Xiao's face, he didn't recognize her. He probably offended someone and they hired a killer," Dai Xingluo guessed.
Xu Mu's heart leapt. He could already piece it together—very likely Feng Kang had hired the assassin.
If he'd known Dai Xiao was here, Xu Mu would have handled him himself and framed the Feng family afterward.
But since the Fengs had actually hired a killer, Xu Mu shouldn't make a move—better to let them finish Dai Xiao and make it reality, pitting the Fengs and Dai Xiao against each other just as he'd planned.
"I can't waste time—I still have to find someone."
Xu Mu pulled his arm free of Dai Xingluo's grip.
"I'll help too! If I find her, give me two bottles—more than that woman!" Dai Xingluo bargained.
"Fine. Deal," Xu Mu nodded.
Smiling, Dai Xingluo disappeared into the forest.
Confirming with his senses that no one was within two hundred meters, Xu Mu took out a bottle of mineral water and drank half—talking had dried his throat.
"Xu Ningbing!" he kept calling as he walked.
Before long, he spotted someone sitting in the shade—Dai Xiao.
His lips were cracked and peeling; his spirit was flagging.
Lucky for him, Xu Mu thought. Fan Shiyu left just a bit too early.
"Xu Mu! You're Xu Mu?" Dai Xiao grabbed a tree and struggled to his feet. "You got water? Give me a bottle—I'll pay a million for it!"
He couldn't be bothered to ask why Xu Mu was here. He just wanted a drink.
"I'm out of water. Only have urine. Want it?" Xu Mu took the bottle from his bag. "Ten thousand and it's yours."
"Damn it! Who are you insulting? Even if I die of thirst—jumping off a cliff—I, Dai Xiao, will never drink that crap!" Dai Xiao roared.
"Suit yourself," Xu Mu said, packing the bottle away. His senses told him Fan Shiyu wasn't nearby—
so Dai Xiao had just bought himself a little more time.
Xu Mu didn't linger and continued searching.
…
After two more hours, Xu Mu had crossed from one side of the fog, over a mountain ridge, to the other—still no sign of Xu Ningbing.
The sun was gone; the temperature had dropped a bit, but thirst only worsened as time went on.
Dusk deepened.
Suddenly, Xu Mu noticed a golden flash on a distant slope.
He thought for a moment, then headed that way.
Up close, he found a dozen or so people had gathered, clearly drawn by the same glow.
Growing from a crack between rocks was a single ear of wheat—golden in color. The light he'd seen came from it.
Xu Mu was shocked: Eighth-Grade Golden Divine Wheat—extremely precious, its effects close to a ninth-grade treasure.
Like Blood Mountain Yam, it could force a breakthrough when one's Qi was just short—
but Golden Divine Wheat worked for far stronger experts, and in the hands of a great alchemist, its potency could be driven even higher.
"Sit tight. This isn't something the likes of you can take," said a bald old man in sunglasses, sweeping the crowd with a cold glance.
Several corpses already lay at his feet.
"Xu Mu." Fan Shiyu, drawn by the glow as well, arrived on the scene.
Xu Mu nodded to her, then looked around—the people here were all severely dehydrated, lifeless.
Some had already lain down to wait for death.
Fan Shiyu's gaze fixed on the bald old man—he was the one who'd stolen her water earlier. His strength was formidable; not an easy opponent.
"Xu Mu… do you still have any pee?" a hoarse voice called from afar.
Xu Mu turned. It was Dai Xiao from before.