Hou Yu hadn’t expected another player to suddenly intervene at this crucial moment. If his brain hadn’t sent a warning, forcing him to step back, he’d likely be dead by Wen Renxi’s knife.

That knife was clearly aimed at his neck.

Even the experienced and calm Huo Yu broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes on Wen Renxi turning icy.

Wen Renxi, while Huo Yu was still reeling and Lu Lu hadn’t broken free, quickly moved Zaoya aside. She pulled the embedded knife from the pillar, then sliced through the vines binding Zaoya.

The vines made a metallic clang, but broke under Wen Renxi’s blade. As soon as she was free, Zaoya hid behind Wen Renxi, gripping her clothes.

Wen Renxi held her knife, never taking her eyes off Huo Yu or the soon-to-be-free Lu Lu. She pushed Zaoya behind a pillar.

“What do you mean by this!”

“Nothing. Zaoya is mine. If you want to take her, prove you’re strong enough.”

Wen Renxi responded coldly to Huo Yu’s angry question.

Had she been a moment later, Zaoya might have been taken.

Huo Yu almost laughed, but realized his question was pointless.

Wen Renxi was just competing for Zaoya. Their goal was the same; he and Lu Lu had just arrived earlier.

They were all task-takers, relying on their abilities to bring Zaoya to Mr. Hu.

“Team up?”

Huo Yu asked Lu Lu, who was rubbing her wrists, without turning around.

Lu Lu scoffed, not speaking.

Team up? To be betrayed by Huo Yu later? Huo Yu only asked because she was weaker. Teaming up to take Zaoya from Wen Renxi, then competing, meant giving Zaoya to Huo Yu.

He was young, but ambitious.

They were three wary enemies, how could they team up?

If anyone teamed up with Wen Renxi, not the clearly weaker Huo Yu, she wasn’t foolish enough to court disaster.

But she wouldn’t agree to team up with Wen Renxi either.

Wen Renxi and Han Jiao were partners, but only Wen Renxi found Zaoya. Han Jiao was gone. Considering the missing Huang Pingyu and Jiang Ming, Lu Lu assumed Han Jiao was dead.

Wen Renxi’s partner was likely dead, possibly by her hand. She’d be crazy to team up with her.

“You two go on. I’m not strong enough to interfere.” Lu Lu stepped back, leaving the fight to Wen Renxi and Huo Yu.

If they weakened each other, it’d be her chance.

Their intentions were obvious, but Huo Yu was helpless, while Wen Renxi’s goal was to help Zaoya escape.

“Zaoya, leave now.”

Wen Renxi said to Zaoya behind the pillar, who looked stunned.

“Go!”

Seeing Zaoya’s hesitation, Wen Renxi sighed.

She’d hold the players off; Zaoya had to leave. No player would get past her.

She had to stop both Huo Yu and Lu Lu.

One against two, both with items, Wen Renxi felt the pressure and urged Zaoya to leave.

Yesterday, Zaoya had escaped early. Before they found her, she seemed unharmed, except for a fall. Maybe she could escape into the forest alone?

Once in the forest, finding her would be hard.

Zaoya bit her lip, nodded, and ran towards the back of the hall.

—There was a small window there, her entry point.

She’d been hiding outside, but had come in for food.

Seeing Zaoya escape, Huo Yu and Lu Lu panicked.

This was unexpected!

They thought Zaoya would be the prize, the winner taking her to Mr. Hu, ensuring she stayed. But Wen Renxi let her go.

Why?

Why did Zaoya trust her? They remembered Wen Renxi and Han Jiao searching last night, and realized something.

—Wen Renxi and Han Jiao had found Zaoya, but hid her for some reason.

They knew they were waiting at the Hu’s, fearing Zaoya would be snatched, ruining their mission?

Then why did Zaoya trust her?

Lu Lu was baffled.

Why did Zaoya trust Wen Renxi, and why was she letting her go?

Wasn’t she completing the mission?

Failure meant death for all.

Lu Lu, who refused to team up, looked at Huo Yu, who looked back. They quickly agreed, attacking Wen Renxi together.

They still didn’t trust each other, but catching Zaoya was more important.

Persuading Mr. Hu to switch would take time; Zaoya was right there.

And to prevent one from chasing Zaoya and heading to the Hu’s, they had to deal with Wen Renxi together, then search.

Wen Renxi was ready, her knife blocking Huo Yu’s, and she dodged Lu Lu’s attack.

Skill alone couldn’t help Huo Yu and Lu Lu; they couldn’t get past Wen Renxi, but their items might.

Wen Renxi fought fiercely, and they’d be dead without their trump cards.

They were shaken.

She was ruthless.

They’d survived to level 60+, unlike Han Jiao, a pampered rich girl. They’d seen ruthless people, but Wen Renxi was worse.

Who was she?

She looked weak, but was so fierce?

Thankfully, they were cautious and had been shocked by her entrance; otherwise, they’d be dead.

This couldn’t continue.

They might die.

There were no laws, and player killing was common. They were sure Wen Renxi would kill to complete the mission; she might have killed Huang Pingyu and Jiang Ming.

“What’s your goal? Letting Zaoya go, you can’t complete your mission, right? Do you want to die here?” Lu Lu asked, feeling like she missed something.

Why, when Wen Renxi could fight them both, didn’t she keep Zaoya and head to the Hu’s?

Once Zaoya escaped, she was hard to find. Even if Zaoya trusted her, she wouldn’t return to the Hu’s. And why would she trust her after escaping?

What was she doing?

Huo Yu also wondered.

His arm was wounded, a chunk of flesh gone, his sleeve torn, showing bone.

Pain didn’t cloud his judgment, it sharpened it.

He’d be dead if he wasn’t calm.

Like Lu Lu, he found Wen Renxi odd.

He tried to connect the dots.

There had to be another goal.

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t grasp it.

Wen Renxi had a goal…

Wen Renxi stood nearby, looking at the wounded pair, her knife dripping blood.

Items were troublesome, but solvable.

Her cultivation technique was invaluable; it helped nullify Huang Pingyu’s item and bypass Qiu Ping’s shield.

All power systems were usable to her; shields and survival items were power, usable by her.

“Who said I had a mission?”

Lu Lu paused, realizing.

“You’re not a player?!!!”