The Snake Woman mission concluded. The man surveyed the three people in the room, including Ren Yuanhao, and gestured for his subordinates to withdraw. However, one of them spoke up, "This person's demeanor is suspicious, and he possesses unusual abilities. Why don't we capture him and present him to the City Lord?"
"No need. The Snake Woman and I had a certain connection. Let him stay to collect her remains."
With that, the group slowly exited the room.
"Brother Bao!"
Mu Yunyan and Sha Yunba, who had dared not make a sound, sheepishly emerged from the side of the window.
As the group departed, the sonic waves also vanished. Ren Yuanhao's spirits slightly recovered, but he saw the room in disarray, the Snake Woman lying in a pool of blood, like a withered rose.
Ren Yuanhao stared at the woman who had died before him. After a while, he slowly asked, "Who were those people?"
Sha Yunba's voice trembled. He could have subtly helped the Snake Woman earlier, but when he saw the red, demon-like mask, his legs went weak with fear.
For a warrior, this was a profound shame.
"If I heard correctly, the man with the red mask said they were sent by the City Lord. It's likely this 'City Lord' who wanted to kill the Snake Woman."
"City Lord." Ren Yuanhao fell into a profound silence, squatting at the foot of the bed for a long time before taking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. After a small puff, he walked to the Snake Woman and picked her up.
"I thought I had taken you away from that dark and hopeless place, that I could give you an infinitely bright future. I never expected to drag you into hell instead." Ren Yuanhao took two staggering steps forward, a wave of powerlessness washing over him.
"I don't even know your name, where are your parents or relatives? Where should I bury you? What name should I engrave on your tombstone?"
Ren Yuanhao's rapid-fire questions brought silent tears to Mu Yunyan's eyes.
"Brother Bao, let's bury Sister Snake Woman in that mysterious grassland. That place is as mysterious as this one, but I believe that by being there, Sister will at least be able to feel the growth of all things."
"Alright. Life is too short. May your next life be eternal."
...
The next morning.
After hours of trekking, the three, having made inquiries, finally arrived at the long-lost grassland.
Before seeing this grassland, no one could have imagined that in a corner of such a barren desert, such a vibrant place would exist.
The three reined in their horses and gazed into the distance. The endless green grassland seemed to stretch to the horizon where the sky met the earth, with light clouds, circling eagles, and waves of emerald green.
"It's a nice place, a pity you can no longer see it."
Ren Yuanhao walked forward on foot, the short grass reaching his ankles. The wind blew, and the clouds flowed. The short grass, pressed flat by the wind, seemed to whisper softly.
After walking a few hundred paces, they came across a small lake. Wild cattle, sheep, and horses were drinking water around the lake. Ren Yuanhao suddenly stopped and placed the Snake Woman on the soft meadow.
"This place has living creatures, and miles of green grass. There's no shortage of sunshine and rain. It seems this is the best place I could find."
The two behind him also lacked enthusiasm. But at that moment, whether it was an illusion or not, Mu Yunyan seemed to see the Snake Woman's long eyelashes tremble slightly as the short grass swayed.
She held her breath and rubbed her eyes, afraid she had misseen. To her surprise, a gust of wind blew, and she saw the Snake Woman's eyelashes flutter again!
"Brother Bao! Sister Snake Woman isn't dead!"
"What?" Upon hearing this, Ren Yuanhao carefully placed his hand near the Snake Woman's nostril. His brow furrowed, but when he truly felt the woman's faint breath, he smiled as if the clouds had parted after a storm!
He gently helped the Snake Woman up and continuously guided pure Yang true energy into her Qi sea and Dantian, assisting her in regulating her breath and energy. After two or three hours, the Snake Woman truly came back to life from the brink of death.
"Is this paradise?"
The Snake Woman looked at the serene, deep blue lake and the verdant, boundless grassland before her and sighed.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I haven't lived enough yet. My parents are waiting for me to enjoy their old age. If this were paradise, I'd scurry back to the mortal world."
The Snake Woman turned her head, and with that glance, she could no longer look away.
His eyes were like the clear water before them, and when he smiled, it was as if the rain had just cleared, giving her an indescribable sense of stability and gentleness, just like the first time she saw him.
"You talk too much~ Cough, cough." The Snake Woman's smile was captivating, but it pulled at the wound on her chest.
When she saw her wound, she finally understood.
"So he didn't really want to kill me, but to save me."
Ren Yuanhao and the others were puzzled. The Snake Woman then slowly explained, "There's a spot in the human heart that, even if pierced by a knife, won't result in death, provided the spot is accurate and the speed of the knife's insertion and withdrawal is very fast. Once pierced, the injured person immediately enters a state of extremely realistic suspended animation!"
"The world is truly full of wonders. By the way, if that's the case, why don't you go back?"
As soon as Ren Yuanhao finished speaking, the Snake Woman shook her head. "He thought it was too simple. This sort of illusion might fool those fools, but it's far from enough to deceive the City Lord."
"Who is this City Lord you speak of?"
"The King of Sand City, the pack leader of the Luyehers, Luyehers.Zuo Bo. If the Coyote God truly has a spokesperson, then it is this man."
When the Snake Woman mentioned this person, her face contorted with anger and fear, as if simply uttering his name would cause him to sense her.
"Luyehers.Zuo Bo, is it? What are your plans now?"
Ren Yuanhao could have guessed the answer without asking.
"Of course, to go back and save that fool."
The Snake Woman stood up unsteadily. Although Ren Yuanhao's true energy was pure, the wound was still real, and the pain was unavoidable.
"Wait, I still want to ask about that strange ultrasonic device. That thing seems to have an innate counteracting effect on those with abilities. Without understanding that contraption, even with our combined strength, we might not be able to rescue that fellow from him."
Ren Yuanhao took out a small device he had obtained from Ma San'er from his pocket.
The Snake Woman sighed. "Speaking of which, do you know about the Mandala gene?"
Ren Yuanhao nodded emphatically. If anyone knew about this Mandala gene earlier than him, besides Jiang Cheng, it was Ren Yuanhao himself, and this very thing was the primary objective of his westward journey.
"The Mandala gene has been spreading from Guyao City not long ago."