Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

The three of them quickly headed towards the outskirts of the city.

On the way, Ye Tingxiu asked, "I think you should tell me what the situation is now and what I need to do."

Qing'er said, "Nianxiong, you tell us."

Cai Nianxiong hummed in agreement: "Every now and then I dream that my mother is calling out to me in my dreams. My mother is trapped in a place and is suffering a lot. She is calling for me to come and save her. I told my father about it, but he thinks that my mother died a long time ago and that I am just hallucinating because I miss her so much."

“I know it’s not a hallucination, but I can’t convince my father.”

“My father was worried that I would run away on my own, so he sent servants to keep an eye on me around the clock and forbade me to leave the city to look for my mother. I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. I asked Qing’er to get me some medicine and knocked those servants unconscious. That’s how I was able to run away tonight.”

"Since Qingmei asked you to protect me, it means she trusts you and considers you one of her own. So I won't treat you like an outsider either. To be honest, as long as you can help me find my mother, I will definitely reward you with money and treasures. Don't worry, my Cai family is very wealthy."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu replied calmly, "Considering your filial piety, I will definitely do my best to help you."

With Cai Nianxiong, the second-generation scion of the Cai family, leading the attack.

The three of them left Ravenburg without any hindrance.

No one dared to stop them, and no one dared to ask any questions.

"Do you know where your mother is?" The three rode their horses across the wilderness at night, and Ye Tingxiu asked Cai Nianxiong.

Cai Nianxiong touched his heart, his eyes resolute: "A mother and son are connected at heart. I am my mother's son. The blood in my veins is calling to me. No matter where she is, my mother is guiding me in the dark. Yes, I know where my mother is."

Qing'er, dressed in a doctor's uniform, rode her horse at full speed: "Nianxiong, the Dai family's territory is just ahead."

Ye Tingxiu: "Dai family?"

Qing'er explained, "Ten years ago, when the war first broke out, the Dai family moved to Sancha Mountain to escape the war. They have always practiced inbreeding and are one of the few pure-blooded families in the world, but there are many deformed freaks in their family."

"When they lacked food and clothing, they would rob passersby and even eat them. They especially liked to skin people and were skilled at making human pills and collecting medicinal herbs. Therefore, they had a notorious nickname: the Skinning Family of Sancha Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu frowned deeply: "Cai Nianxiong, are you sure this is the direction?"

Cai Nianxiong said, "That's right, it's in this direction. That strong call is becoming clearer and clearer."

In the desolate primeval forest, night falls, and a blood-red moon hangs high in the sky, casting an eerie and chilling light upon the earth.

The three rode horses at night, traversing a winding, muddy path formed by years of trampling and the forces of nature. Each step sank into the soft, damp mud, leaving deep hoofprints. The path was even more muddy and difficult to walk on after the rain. The puddles reflected the blood-red moonlight, and occasionally, bubbles could be seen slowly rising from the mud, bursting before returning to stillness.

The towering trees on both sides were dozens of feet tall, with thick, twisted branches and rough, uneven bark covered with the marks of time. In some places, moss even grew. The branches and leaves of the trees intertwined, forming a dense green canopy overhead that almost blocked out the entire sky. Only a few streaks of blood-red moonlight could seep through the gaps.

Because the trees are so dense, visibility in the forest is extremely limited, only a few meters ahead, which further increases the sense of confinement and uncertainty.

In this forest, apart from the sound of the wind and the sound of horses' hooves, it seemed that no other sounds could be heard.

Occasionally, the cries of demons and monsters would break the silence, or the sounds of small, weak demons darting about in the grass.

But it was quickly swallowed up again in endless silence.

"Hurry~~~" The three rode their horses to a certain spot when suddenly the horses neighed in fright. Ye Tingxiu and the others had no choice but to tighten the reins and control the horses to turn around in place.

At the same time, two ragged cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm, wielding long swords, appeared ahead and blocked their path.

Four more cultivators at the Calamity Realm appeared on either side, each holding a bow and arrow and aiming at Ye Tingxiu and the others.

Three cultivators at the Turbidity Realm appeared from behind and instantly rushed up to grab the reins of Ye Tingxiu and the others' horses.

Cai Nianxiong and Jiang Qing'er remained calm and composed, showing little panic. They had anticipated some dangers on their journey, which was why they had invited a skilled martial artist to accompany them.

Now that we've encountered an expected danger, we simply need to leave it to an expert to handle.

Ye Tingxiu remained unusually calm. Considering that Cai Nianxiong and Jiang Qing'er were weak and that they might not be able to guarantee their safety if a battle broke out while they were surrounded, he raised his hands to indicate that he had no intention of attacking: "We are just passing through Sancha Mountain and do not want to cause trouble. Please make way for us, heroes. We will leave immediately."

The leader pointed his long sword at Ye Tingxiu and cackled, "So you're an outsider. Do you know that this is the territory of our Skinning Clan?"

Ye Tingxiu: "I've heard of it, but this is my first time here."

The leader said, "Just remember that. Don't ever come to Sancha Mountain again. We don't welcome outsiders. If we catch you trespassing on our territory again, I'll skin you alive."

"Understood, I understand." Ye Tingxiu skillfully took out a bag of legal currency and tossed it over: "According to the rules, this is the toll for the three of us."

Upon hearing this, the leader weighed the money bag in his hand, nodded in satisfaction, stepped aside, and gestured to his men to let them pass: "Alright, let them through. I'm sure they won't dare to come back."

Upon hearing this, the Skinning Family members who were leading the three horses immediately let go.

Seeing this, Ye Tingxiu rode forward, gesturing to Cai Nianxiong and Jiang Qing'er to follow.

As he broke free of the encirclement, Ye Tingxiu gripped the hilt of his sword, drew it instantly, leaped up, turned and charged back, flashing past nine members of the Skinning Clan with terrifying speed.

In an instant, he unleashed three thousand slashes, and the dazzling dark blue sword energy suddenly shone brightly.

The blood of the nine enemies gushed out as they were hacked apart, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and their heads and limbs were all severed.

The two cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm died physically, but their life palaces detached from their bodies, attempting to become ethereal and escape.

"Heh, trying to escape? Dream on." Ye Tingxiu would never give them a chance to escape. He coldly swung his sword, and the dark blue sword energy transformed into a spiral storm, easily tearing the life palaces of the two cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm into pieces.

Afterwards, Ye Tingxiu skillfully searched the corpses, piled the nine bodies together, and released evil fire by forming a hand seal with one hand to destroy the evidence.

Everything was done in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea; it was incredibly smooth, demonstrating masterful skill.

Ye Tingxiu leaped back onto his horse, turning his head with a cold and arrogant air to look at the two dumbfounded people: "Is there a problem?"

Cai Nianxiong swallowed hard and gave a thumbs up: "Brother Qingfeng is awesome. He fought nine opponents alone and managed to turn the tables instantly. We made the right decision to invite you."

Qing'er's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed inwardly, "So handsome! So handsome! So handsome!" She said admiringly, "Brother Qingfeng, you're so amazing! How strong are you?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu unconsciously puffed out his chest, looking incredibly proud, and arrogantly said, "Not very strong. No one in the Food Demon Realm has yet been able to withstand a single strike from me."