Chapter 41: The Secret of the Bloodline

At Peony’s signal, several of the girls turned and left.

They walked around the corner, out of sight of Su Ning and the others. Narcissus stopped, visibly dissatisfied, and asked:

“Peony, why are we retreating? He’s just a priest—he doesn’t have any real combat ability.”

Peony patted her shoulder with a gentle smile.

“That priest is not ordinary. He’s fully equipped, and he has two high-level fighters behind him.”

“Aren’t there only two?”

Pomegranate patted Narcissus on the shoulder and continued, “There’s another one behind the bushes.”

“But even if the four of them team up, we’re not without a chance to fight!”

This time, Peony’s smile faded, and her expression grew serious.

“We need the priest. Lily needed a priest too. Besides, this is just a temporary retreat. Since they came to rescue, they must be friends. As long as they live, we can wait for the next time.”

At this moment, however, Peony didn’t know that some things might not have a “next time.”

Hearing Lily’s name, Narcissus furrowed her brow and fell silent. Peony continued, “Besides, I’ve just made a big gamble and won.”

“How so?” Pomegranate asked.

“She’s called Su Ning,” Peony said with a soft laugh.

Pomegranate was first surprised, then a sly smile appeared on her face. “What a coincidence—the owner of the handicraft shop is also called Su Ning.”

Peony’s smile deepened, and without another word, the girls continued walking. Their steps seemed noticeably lighter.

Su Ning, left behind, bypassed Ma Shangfei on the ground and looked up at the tree.

“What about your promise?”

Ma Shangting slowly climbed down from the tree, her feet touching the ground, and then turned to speak.

“Sister Su Ning, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t we return to the safe zone before talking?”

Su Ning looked at Ma Shangting’s innocent smile and thought, Oh, so this little girl thinks she can get free labor from me! Annoyed, she said firmly:

“Say it now. Immediately. Right this moment.”

“Sister Su Ning, it’s not safe outside. If we talk about this here, it’ll be dark soon, and we’ll all probably die.”

Ma Shangting actually had a plan in mind. After all, the last time she almost got Qiao Duoduo killed, Su Ning hadn’t punished her. She thought Su Ning wasn’t heartless, so delaying and saying some good words might allow her to get through this. Once back in the city, Su Ning wouldn’t be able to touch her.

“Have you changed your mind?”

Su Ning’s voice grew colder. She didn’t like to talk to others unnecessarily, and sensing Ma Shangting’s thoughts made her even more annoyed.

“Sister Su Ning, what’s there to regret? You didn’t just happen to come; you came specifically to save us, didn’t you?”

Ma Shangfei, watching the exchange between his sister and Su Ning, realized the same—that Su Ning’s rescue wasn’t by chance, but a deliberate effort to find his sister.

“No, of course not. There’s just too much to explain, and I’m afraid if it takes too long, we won’t get back safely. If we die here, what’s the difference between dying now and earlier?”

“From what you’re saying… you want to die?”

Su Ning stepped forward, staring directly at Ma Shangting, as if trying to see through the little girl completely.

“Brother!”

Ma Shangting stepped back in panic, hiding behind Ma Shangfei. Seeing this, Ma Shangfei immediately stepped forward to shield her from Su Ning’s gaze.

“Su Ning, why can’t we just go back and talk about it? Sit down together and we’ll figure out a solution. You shouldn’t pressure Shangting. She’s young; even if she says something wrong, don’t hold it against her.”

Su Ning waved toward where Huoyang was hiding, signaling him to come forward, and casually spoke in their small group chat:

“They want to back out.”

“Let’s handle it. We’ll win,” Qiao Duoduo said nonchalantly.

Huoyang also had no objection, casually typing two characters: “Agreed.”

Su Ning waited for Huoyang to step forward, then took two steps back. Qiao Duoduo and Huoyang positioned themselves on either side of her, forming a protective formation. Su Ning immediately spoke, her tone unconcerned but deadly:

“Your sister said she’d reveal the secret of bloodline enhancement if I came to save you. Now I’ve saved you, and you two back out?”

Ma Shangfei’s expression changed instantly. He hadn’t expected his sister to be so bold—using such an important matter as a bargaining chip. But then he thought it through and felt at ease. After all, he didn’t believe Huoyang would actually kill him. Su Ning was just a healer; she wasn’t capable of leading a team alone.

Relaxed, he turned to Huoyang:

“Huoyang, we’ve been brothers for so long. You can’t just forget our past, right?”

Huoyang gathered his thoughts and said:

“If there were no past feelings, your sister wouldn’t have survived last time. This time, it’s clear-cut, without any sentiment.”

Hearing Huoyang’s words, Su Ning and Qiao Duoduo felt reassured. They had worried that the sentimental Huoyang might let the siblings go. If all their effort went to waste, it would be infuriating.

“I didn’t say I want to back out. It’s just that this problem… explaining it takes too long.”

“Then make it short,” Su Ning interrupted immediately.

“It’s all important. I can’t shorten it. Look at the sky—it’s almost dark.” Ma Shangfei said, a bit anxious.

“You want to know how long it would take us to kill you?”

Su Ning tilted her head, a cold smile on her face. Her words were devoid of emotion, full of deadly intent. This wasn’t the first time Su Ning had considered killing someone, but last time Huoyang’s past feelings prevented her. This time, with a clear-cut transaction and no sentiment, her words chilled to the bone.

“Sister Su Ning, we’re not backing out! I was just too scared before!”

“You should still be scared. Do you think I’m just saying I’ll kill you casually?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Ma Shangting panicked, trying to explain. She realized she was wrong—this Su Ning was not merciful. If she wanted, Ma Shangting could truly die at any moment. Their team formation, combined with Qiao Duoduo’s long-range support and Su Ning’s healing, left her brother with no chance.

And with her as a liability, once captured, her brother would surely lose.

Yet Su Ning’s patience had clearly run out, giving her no chance to explain further.

“Speak. Live. One minute. If you don’t, the deal is off. I’ll help you, or you die here.”

Su Ning enunciated each word, her killing intent unrestrained.

“I’ll say it… My brother’s bloodline needs to consume animal essence, but the improvement is extremely slow.”

Ma Shangting lowered her head immediately, like a misbehaving schoolgirl. Yet despite her youth, a flash of resentment in her eyes did not go unnoticed by Su Ning and Qiao Duoduo.