Chapter 1205: Chapter 31: The “Runaway” Doctor Yun

The crowd from Cangdu climbed ashore.

"You two have decent skills, and you both possess Magic Artifacts for protection. Why were you so easily captured by the Thunder Demon Hermit just now?" Upon reaching the shore, Feng Lian said with a sullen face, directing her unpleasant tone at Hua Yanluo and Qin Yue.

If it weren’t for these two troublesome women falling into the hands of the Thunder Demon Hermit, Feng Lian wouldn’t have been forced to detonate her Fighting Energy Sword.

Her Fighting Energy Sword was a Holy-grade Magic Artifact.

She had been keeping it hidden, intending to use it only in times of danger or at the final moment of the saintess candidates’ selection upon reaching Hu Capital.

This time, she was forced to use it to save the two women. The detonation of the Fighting Energy Sword damaged the Magic Artifact, leaving her unable to use it again.

Not to mention other issues, once in Hu Capital, she will surely be at a disadvantage in the saintess candidate selection because of this.

"Ah, ah, Feng Lian, what do you mean by this? It sounds as if we deliberately held back, draining your strength, and only acted at the last moment," Hua Yanluo refused to admit any fault.

"Sister Feng, you must be mistaken. Sister Hua and I were facing an enemy for the first time, and we were so frightened that we lost our senses before finally remembering the Magic Artifacts our parents gave us," Qin Yue replied, looking pitifully distressed.

"Hmph, whether it’s pretended or genuine fear, you know it yourselves," Feng Lian said with a dark face.

Although the Thunder Demon Hermit’s men had retreated, Feng Lian still felt uneasy.

The Thunder Demon Hermit had just said he hadn’t killed the previous escort teams from Cangdu, claiming another group was responsible for murdering her brother.

Though the Thunder Demon may be a wicked individual, he wouldn’t need to use such words to stall her.

If what he said is true, then there could very well be another group nearby.

Her Magic Artifact is damaged, and if she encounters a more formidable opponent later, she’s afraid...

"Alright, three candidate saintesses, now is not the time to argue. I have already counted casualties and searched for missing persons," Lord Qian Lang, not bothering to deal with these three women, dismissed them to rest aside.

Upon recounting the numbers, the Thunder Demon Hermit’s ambush resulted in at least seventy to eighty casualties.

But fortunately, the three saintess candidates were unharmed.

Qian Lang felt a thrill of fear, realizing that, had the three women not acted wisely, Feng Lian’s timely use of a surprise attack to severely wound the Thunder Demon Hermit, the Guard Team’s casualties would have been much worse.

He was most worried about "Doctor Yun", who had been missing since the beginning.

"Reporting to my lord, we’ve searched all around but found no trace of Doctor Yun. However, we’ve found her Medicine Gathering Boy unconscious on a piece of boat plank by the shore, seemingly uninjured." The soldiers reported back, bringing Yingying along.

"Send men to search underwater again; find them alive or dead," Qian Lang was frustrated, blaming the saintess candidates for insisting on taking the main road. Had they taken the mountain path, none of this would’ve happened.

Now it’s a mess; even Doctor Yun has vanished.

"Lord Qian Lang, it’s just a half-beast Medical Woman, so what if she’s dead?" Hua Yanluo, being attended by her maid, complained discontentedly.

Why should they wait by the shore for one Medical Woman? After experiencing that upheaval, everyone was scared and starving, yearning only to find a place to rest and eat.

"Lord Qian Lang, Sister Hua is right. I saw that Medical Woman was timid and cowardly, muttering incantations while escaping, begging for mercy at the sight of the enemy, insisting not to resist forcefully. I reckon she fled a long time ago," Qin Yue added oil to the fire.

Earlier, amidst the chaos on the ship, Hua Yanluo and Qin Yue heard that Doctor Yun muttering away as they prepared to jump ship.

Both women were clever enough, taking Doctor Yun’s words to heart.

So although their skills were sufficient to confront the Thunder Demon’s subordinates, they didn’t fight hard but pretended to be captured by the Thunder Demon Hermit.

Upon capture, the two seized their chance, using their Magic Artifacts just after Feng Lian made her move, achieving a successful surprise attack.

Of course, the two women felt fortunate about their little cleverness, unaware that it was Doctor Yun’s words that opened their minds.

Due to the continued lack of whereabouts of Doctor Yun, Qian Lang had to order the rescue of Little Yingying first.

Yingying, eyes tightly closed, finally awoke after a moment.

She opened her eyes and saw Qian Lang’s anxious face.

"Yingying, where is your master?"

"Master... seems to have fled to the other side of the lake. She said she would return to find Yingying once safe," Little Yingying replied, pouting, looking as if she might cry any moment.

"I told you, that woman ran away. See, she didn’t even care about her Medicine Gathering Boy. What’s the point in saving someone like her," Hua Yanluo criticized from the side.

Feng Lian squinted towards the opposite side of the lake, seeing a vast, lush forest.

The sky was nearing dusk; forcing a crossing at this time would only mean reaching the other side in darkness.

Searching for someone then would be highly unfavorable.

Moreover, the forest was expansive, with unknown dangers lurking within, possibly fierce Demon Beasts.

Qian Lang pondered for a moment, observing the continually complaining Hua Yanluo and Qin Yue, finally frowning as he ordered the camp at the riverbank, planning to cross the lake to search after dawn.

"Master, Little Yingying did as you said; you must return quickly, okay?" Little Yingying looked across the lake, sticking out her tongue.

Beyond the lake, amid lush forested hills.

Ya Ji and several clan members stood amidst the trees.

Across the lake, they had witnessed the entire skirmish.

"I didn’t expect the Thunder Demon Hermit to be killed," Ya Ji expressed surprise.

Along with the Thunder Demon Hermit and his people, she had been lurking in the area, thanks to them reducing much of her effort.

In recent days, most Heavenly Fox Candidate Saintesses passing through here had been killed, yet this batch from Cangdu’s Guard Team managed to survive.

"However, after such a battle, their team, particularly the experts, are already physically and mentally exhausted. It’s a pity you encountered me, Ya Ji; I’m not like the Thunder Demon Hermit, that kind of scum," Ya Ji voiced crisply.

"Hehe, is that so? Perhaps not," a sudden voice interrupted Ya Ji’s hearing.

She was shocked, incredulous, as she looked ahead.

Only to see, several feet away, a woman leaning lazily against a Yun Song; a pink Demon Beast Sheep perched on her shoulder.

That person was watching Ya Ji leisurely and attentively.