Genius in the whole system: The useless young lady dominates the world

Lu Lingxi, Nalan Rongzhi, Youming, Anye, and Baihu were scattered in the middle, seemingly standing in random positions, but in reality forming a defensive formation that supported each other. They communicated with each other through eye contact, showing great tacit understanding. They had been sneaking through this dense forest for nearly half a day, and apart from occasionally startling a few low-level forest birds or small demonic beasts, they had not encountered any trouble.

“We should be there soon.” Feng Xiao’s deep voice broke the silence. He pointed to a gentle slope that rose slightly ahead. “If I remember correctly, once we get over there, we should see a road leading to Falling Rock Town.”

The group's spirits lifted slightly, and they quickened their pace. Sure enough, as they climbed over the gentle slope, a fairly solid dirt road appeared before them. The road surface was uneven and riddled with potholes, mixed with gravel, and it meandered into the distance. Looking in the direction of the dirt road, they could vaguely see a few wisps of smoke rising from above the dense forest.

"Fallen Rock Town..."

Di Lin gazed at the smoke rising from the chimneys. Beneath his feigned honesty, his eyes held a complex and unfathomable expression. He murmured the name repeatedly. This small town, located on the southeastern border of the demon realm and adjacent to the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts, seemed to have left only a vague impression in the depths of his memory.

“The town of Falling Rock gets its name from the rocks that frequently fall from the nearby mountains,” Feng Xiao added from the side, his voice tinged with reminiscence. “It’s a place where many races live together, and there are many mercenaries, hunters, and merchants coming and going. It’s a good place to gather information, but because of this, fights often break out in the town, and it’s not peaceful, especially now…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

"They come, the security."

Lu Lingxi's cool voice rang out. Her eyes, disguised as an ordinary fox woman, calmly swept over the gradually clearing outline of the town ahead. "Everyone, be alert, remember your identities, stay vigilant, act according to plan, and talk less and observe more."

The group nodded silently, checked their disguises again, and only after confirming that everything was in order did they walk slowly and steadily along the dirt road toward Falling Stone Town.

As the distance closed, the outline of the town became clearer. Rather than a town, it was more like a rather large gathering place built against the mountain. There were no proper city walls, only two weathered and crooked giant stone pillars serving as the entrance markers. The pillars were covered with various scratches of different depths, which seemed to be the marks left by different races.

The town's buildings were a chaotic mess, with stone houses haphazardly built from rough boulders, their walls filled with dry grass and mud; wooden sheds constructed from intertwined thick vines and giant tree branches, their roofs covered with thick animal hides; there were even caves dug directly into the mountainside, and a few strangely shaped nest-like structures with distinct ethnic characteristics.

At the entrance, groups of two or three demons would occasionally emerge from the town. They came in all sorts of forms: there were tall and muscular bear and tiger demons with heavy bone knives or stone axes at their waists; there were small and agile rat and cat demons with shifty eyes, sneaking around in the corners; there were also winged creatures with dull feathers and winged backs, as well as lizardmen covered in fine scales and with long tails, and so on.

Most of them were dressed in simple animal skins or coarse linen clothes, walking in a hurry, with expressions of numbness, vigilance, or sorrow on their faces. It was rare to see a relaxed and carefree smile. The whole town was filled with a depressing and gloomy atmosphere.

"wrong!"

Feng Xiao's steps abruptly halted. His disguise as a middle-aged fox demon was marred by a deep frown as he stared intently at the figures beside the stone pillar at the entrance. His voice was low and heavy, "The guards at the town entrance... have been replaced!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and followed his gaze. They saw five or six burly wolf demons leaning against the two massive stone pillars. They were all dressed in standard black leather armor, which looked to be of high quality. A fanged beast head was imprinted on their chests. Each of these wolf demons had a sharp scimitar at their waist. Their eyes were fierce and arrogant as they idly scanned every demon entering or leaving the town, their gazes filled with undisguised arrogance and scrutiny.

“It’s the ‘Wolf Fang Guard’ under Lie Tian!” Feng Xiao’s voice carried a hint of coldness. “In the past, the guards of Falling Stone Town were sent by several of the larger tribes in the town in rotation, checking and balancing each other. There was never a unified guard, let alone Lie Tian’s direct elite force!”

This discovery sank everyone's hearts. The Wolf Fang Guard was one of the strongest forces under Lie Tian's command, known for its ferocity, bloodthirstiness, and strict discipline. It was Lie Tian's henchman used to suppress dissidents and consolidate his rule.

Their appearance signifies that the power of Lietian has penetrated deep into the remote corners of the demon realm, and its control over the demon realm is far more stringent and extensive than they anticipated.

"It seems that your usurper's foundation is deeper than we imagined." Nalan Rongzhi's face, disguised as a cold and aloof wolf youth, curled into a cold smile, and a hint of barely perceptible killing intent flashed in his sharp eyes.

"Let's go in and take a look." Lu Lingxi's voice remained calm, but her gaze deepened.

The seven adjusted their formation, with Feng Xiao and Di Lin (a dog demon) leading the way, disguising themselves as two ordinary demons who had just returned from outside and looked slightly tired, trying their best not to attract attention.

Lu Lingxi Yao (the fox girl) and Nalan Rongzhi (the wolf) walked side by side behind, maintaining a subtle distance, like a pair of companions with a cold relationship.

White Tiger (Xiong Han) swaggered along, deliberately showing off his burly physique to attract some attention, while Youming (Mao Shao) and Anye (Tu Shao) were like two inconspicuous little followers, scattered on both sides of the group, curiously and timidly observing everything around them.

They walked slowly past the few Wolf Fang Guards, their fierce gazes sweeping over them, but they seemed to find nothing amiss and then looked away listlessly.

Upon entering the town, the streets became even more crowded and noisy, with stalls lined both sides displaying all sorts of items, most of which appeared rough and old.

There were animal hides emitting a strong, fishy smell, still stained with undried blood; there were badly worn weapons, their blades riddled with nicks; there were herbs emitting a strange odor, bound together with withered vines; there were also some monster cores of various colors and sizes, as well as some strangely shaped bones, claws, and other materials.

Most of the stall owners were listless, sitting idly behind their stalls, ignoring passersby. Occasionally, a demon would come up to ask questions, but they would lower their voices and haggle cautiously. The transactions were very quick, as if they were afraid of being noticed.

"Hey! Old man, how much is this 'blood-clotting herb'?" White Tiger walked up to a snake demon stall owner who was curled up in a corner and covered in grayish-brown scales, and asked in a muffled voice.