The night on the plateau was cold.
Bone-chillingly cold.
The chill was so profound it seemed to extinguish all hope, leaving one utterly frozen.
On a snow-covered mountainside stood a dilapidated house with gaping holes. Inside, a dying campfire flickered, around which sat several people, huddling for warmth.
This place was peculiar, radiating an unnatural cold that even the undead avoided.
Consequently, many sought refuge here, hoping the unique environment would help them survive the harsh period.
However, this mountainside had a master – a portly man clad in a black overcoat and a white undershirt.
Initially, the fat man allowed everyone to stay in the ramshackle house, asking only for a share of the firewood they collected daily for warmth.
Later, the fat man demanded half of all collected firewood. The others didn't mind; the world outside was in chaos, and their only concern was survival.
Then, the fat man decided he would distribute the collected firewood, giving the refugees only half of what remained after his own needs were met.
The refugees felt resentment, but they were powerless to resist. At least they still had a roof over their heads, offering some protection from the elements.
A few days later, the fat man went as far as to dismantle the windows of the dilapidated house. The refugees finally erupted in anger and began to fight back.
But the fat man’s strength was far beyond the refugees' capabilities. Now, out of more than a dozen refugees, only four remained, huddled together and barely clinging to life.
The remaining firewood was just enough to help them survive the cold night. This was their last glimmer of hope.
Yet, a terrifying event still unfolded. The corpses that had previously died nearby began to disappear one by one.
And from the new house next door, terrifying chewing sounds emerged.
But the remaining four hadn't dared to resist when they were many. Now, as only four, how could they muster the courage?
Boom!
A deafening sound echoed, and the new house next door exploded. The fat man in the black coat scrambled towards the dilapidated house.
If he could take hostages, he still had a chance to escape!
Then, a black spherical object struck the back of his head. His skin rapidly blackened, rendering him utterly helpless before he collapsed to the ground.
The onlookers peeked out and saw that the fat man in the black coat was not human, but a massive, deformed monster!
It had feigned kindness, allowing people to hide there from the undead, merely wanting to toy with the refugees.
Princess Hei Xue emerged from behind it, affectionately stroking the sphere in her hand.
The sphere had been born from her, and it was of little use to Wen Wen, so after playing with it, he had given it to Princess Hei Xue.
She looked at the four trembling figures hiding in the house with disdain.
These four were very 'clever'; all the others had died, but they had survived because they dared not resist.
However, Princess Hei Xue despised such cleverness, so she decided they should die alongside their former companions.
Suddenly, the clanking of chains resounded. Veins bulged on Princess Hei Xue’s body. After a moment, her emotions calmed, and she walked to the four people, saying coldly:
“Follow me, I will lead you out. But if you cannot keep up, I will not wait for you.”
She intended to take a difficult path and increase their pace, making them suffer.
The constraints of the containment facility did not prevent this idea.
What happened on this small mountainside was also occurring in other parts of the Qingji Plateau.
After dealing with Wen Li, Wen Wen recalled Illyad and then had the other monsters continue rescuing people. The Qingji Plateau had suffered greatly, and saving even one more person was a good deed.
After the interrogations, Wen Wen walked through the devastated battlefield, letting out a long sigh.
Everywhere he looked, there were severed limbs, both of demon hunters and monsters.
The center of the battle had been like a colossal meat grinder; except for a few powerful demon hunters, no one could guarantee a clean escape.
Gu Panxi's injuries looked severe. Such wounds would have meant disfigurement and disability for anyone else, but she would recover completely in time.
As for 'Kong Die', she was less fortunate. She had lost an arm. Although she could be fitted with a prosthetic limb later, it would never be as convenient as a natural arm.
It wasn’t just the two of them; there were many others. The most unfortunate had already departed this world forever.
After observing for a while, Wen Wen found Sun Shanxing.
Tianzhufeng was not a suitable place for recovery, so Wen Wen suggested that all seriously injured demon hunters be transferred to Rabbit Village for recuperation.
The Hunter Association's command post in the Qingji Plateau was also temporarily relocated to Rabbit Village.
In the Qingji Plateau, ravaged by the undead, only Rabbit Village remained intact, making it the most suitable location.
Moreover, for Wen Wen, Rabbit Village had greatly assisted the Hunter Association this time. Its position in the Qingji Plateau would become even more secure, allowing Wen Wen's Rabbit Massage Parlor in the containment facility to operate even longer.
Jack lay on the ground, gasping for air. He now had only one arm, and a gaping hole in his chest and abdomen.
When Wen Li had unleashed that punch, although it hadn't hit him directly, the sheer force of the shockwave had left him permanently disabled.
As long as Wen Li had been alive, Jack hadn't dared to make a sound. Now that it was over, he wanted to receive medical treatment.
He began to push his abilities to their limit, trying to restore his presence and shouting loudly.
As long as someone heard his call, he would be saved!
He was just a mercenary. Even if he had interfered with the Hunter Association's activities in the past, they were not mortal enemies. Therefore, the Hunter Association would not watch him die.
But he soon discovered that no matter how much he called out, no one saw him. Some people even stepped directly over him!
When a person's presence becomes too low, no matter what they do, they will not attract anyone's attention.
In a fit of rage, he directly broke that person's leg.
But the other person just looked at his feet in terror and fled, crawling and running away, thinking he had seen a ghost.
After a while, the demon hunters surrounded the area. They first conducted a carpet search of the area, causing Jack to sustain more injuries, and then erected a barrier to prevent anyone from approaching.
There were many problematic areas near Tianzhufeng. They did not need to waste time on this one spot. It was sufficient to resolve the hidden dangers after everything else was concluded.
And all the while, Jack, lying stiffly in the center, remained undiscovered.
Jack roared in fury, but no one had seen him before, and with the barrier now in place, even fewer people would notice him.