The morning light was dim, and white mist permeated the air.
Enveloped by the hazy morning mist, about five li from the courtyard where the Blood Tree Stump was located, lay a junction point of fertile fields, narrow valleys, and a deep, dense You Forest.
Li Hai, holding Guo Shiwen hostage, cautiously surveyed his surroundings while glancing at Guo Huaijin nearby, asking loudly with a smile:
"Guo Laogou, this is the outermost boundary of your Qian Family Fortress, right?"
Facing Li Hai's inquiry, Guo Huaijin replied coldly and faintly:
"This used to be the Qian Clan's Walled Village, now it's called Guo Family Fortress. Hmm... you just need to follow the mountain wall into the forest ahead and keep going deeper, then cross the Dragon Mountain and keep walking, and you'll be completely free."
As he spoke, the dozens of family guards behind him remained with their muskets raised, glaring coldly at Li Hai, as if they would fire at any moment.
However, Li Hai was not too afraid; he still smiled, but deep in his eyes, Killing Intent was fully revealed.
He had made up his mind: as long as he could escape, every single one of these people... would die.
At the same time, Li Hai did not entirely believe Guo Huaijin's words.
This old dog looked very cunning.
It was highly possible that the end of this dense forest was not a way out at all, but a cliff abyss.
As for why these people were now carrying guns and their numbers had increased so much, it was because Guo Huaijin had only reluctantly agreed to Li Hai's second demand.
Regarding the first demand, even though Li Hai repeatedly threatened Guo Shiwen's safety, Guo Huaijin continued to sneer, showing no intention of agreeing.
Clearly, this old fox was gambling with his life.
He was using his grandson's life as a stake, betting that Li Hai would not dare to completely go for a mutual destruction.
"Oh dear, oh dear, Master Guo~"
Feeling the Killing Intent directly from the old man Guo, Li Hai said with a smile, "Look at that expression on your face, as if you want to kill my whole family, it's truly terrifying.
After all, there's no old grudge or new enmity between us, why do you have to be so bitter and resentful?
How about this: you take your people back thirty zhang, and I'll also retreat thirty zhang before putting your grandson down. Then, we go our separate ways, how about that?"
"Hmph—"
Guo Huaijin sneered, "You crippled one of my grandson's hands, and you still want reconciliation? You must be joking at this moment.
Hmph, don't talk so much nonsense. Put Shiwen down now, and I will keep my word and guarantee you a way out."
Li Hai looked at the dozens of guns aimed at him; he didn't believe a single word of Guo Laogou's high-sounding rhetoric.
He dared to say that as soon as he released Guo Shiwen, the bullets from those muskets would immediately come flying at him.
"No choice."
Li Hai muttered to himself, "In the end, I still have to take a risk."
After pondering for a few seconds, he suddenly broke into a cold smile and shouted across the hazy morning mist between the fields to Guo Huaijin:
"Guo Laogou, since you want to play hardball, then I'll play with you. Let your precious grandson... walk with me for a while longer."
With that, Li Hai suddenly activated his Divine Ability—Devouring Blood Burning Heart.
Thump—
As if a bomb had exploded inside him, Li Hai's heart instantly began to pound violently.
The crimson blood flowing through his hundreds of thousands of blood vessels in his limbs and bones also surged and boiled like hot water.
And along with the appearance of these internal anomalies, his entire body suddenly began to turn red and hot.
His physique also rapidly expanded by a large circle amidst the crackling sounds of muscles and bones.
So, at first glance, Li Hai, standing in the thin mist, appeared momentarily like a terrifying crimson demon.
And just as these changes suddenly occurred, Li Hai himself, like an arrow shot forth, in a flash, swiftly darted into the dense You Forest on his side and behind him.
His speed was too fast, so fast that Guo Huaijin and his group couldn't react at all, and the musket squad didn't dare to fire immediately, fearing they might accidentally kill Guo Shiwen.
"Scoundrel!"
Guo Huaijin was the first to react, roaring and chasing rapidly like a hunting tiger, leaving afterimages in his wake.
But just after taking a few steps to the edge of the dense forest, he abruptly stopped, his face showing hesitation and apprehension, standing still.
"That little beast's steps were so swift just now, and his body became so large, especially his Qi..."
Guo Huaijin frowned deeply, "It subtly has a hint of going beyond the 'Strength Body Cycle' Realm. Could it be... he had a Breakthrough in battle? Hmm... no, no, no."
He shook his head repeatedly: "How could it be such a coincidence that the little thief Li had a Breakthrough? Perhaps he used some secret technique."
With that thought, Guo Huaijin dared even less to step into the forest.
Although he was in the same Realm and had rich combat experience, facing the young and strong Li Hai, as old and frail as he was, his chances of winning were ultimately a bit weaker.
Guo Huaijin had known this after his previous clash with Li Hai.
Especially since this Li fellow seemed to have mastered some Evil Path technique, coupled with the perpetual gloomy mist in this You Forest and... and some hidden reasons, Guo Huaijin dared even less to rush in.
"Master."
At this moment, Steward Liu stepped forward and asked softly, "What should we do next? Do we need to gather other musket squads from the fortress to come over and search the forest?"
"No."
Guo Huaijin said with a grim face, "Although this You Forest is not boundless, and all its four ends are surrounded by cliffs with no exit, and even... even evil spirits are hidden within.
But it is perpetually covered by thick fog with no light. If the musket squad rushes in, they might fall into that little thief Li's trap.
Once the losses are severe and other walled villages learn of this, it will be greatly disadvantageous to our Guo Family Fortress."
That's right, Guo Huaijin had just lied.
It turned out that at the end of this tranquil You Forest, there was no way out at all, only towering valley cliffs.
And within it, there were even hidden... so-called evil spirits.
"Then..."
Steward Liu said hesitantly, "Then what about Young Master Shiwen...?"
"Alas~~"
Guo Huaijin sighed deeply, looking up at the sky, "Have the musket squad guard this three-way intersection tightly. If that little thief Li doesn't show up after a while..."
His expression turned ruthless, and he said coldly: "Then set the forest on fire to force him out!"
In the deep, secluded You Forest—
Swish~ Swish~ Swish~
Deep within the You Forest, completely obscured by dense fog and devoid of daylight, Li Hai, like a fiery monkey, climbed and darted through the lush canopy, his body a red blur.
After continuing like this for some time, feeling that the consumption was too great, he finally stopped, simultaneously ceasing the operation of Devouring Blood Burning Heart.