After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

"do not move!"

Xiao Ran immediately stopped, only to hear intermittent sounds coming from below.

"There's a mechanism."

Xiao Ran immediately realized that if this clump of grass was part of a trap, then there must be a much more dangerous trap below.

That is to say...

"Are you injured?" Xiao Ran asked.

There was a moment of surprise below, before a belated "hmm" was replied.

"Was it that 'little Bodhisattva' who led you down?" Xiao Ran looked around and asked again.

"Yes, when I got here, I heard some strange noises and that's how I found this place."

"Then you went downstairs without telling me." Although Xiao Ran was stating the facts, one could hear the displeasure in her tone.

They fell silent.

He had actually thought about informing her, but at the time he saw Xiao Ran staring blankly at the wall, so he didn't disturb her.

"I..." Duan Li was about to speak when the wound on his leg from the arrow began to throb.

Although he managed to dodge in time, he still got a scrape.

"Stop talking and get some rest." The girl's clear voice gradually faded into the distance, and then it slowly disappeared from sight.

Is she... angry?

Duanli slowly lowered her head.

The cave was already dark, and as Xiao Ran left, the firelight gradually faded away, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering through from a short distance.

Although the wound on his foot wasn't serious, the abrasions on the surface were still bleeding a lot.

For some reason, he recalled the scene when he was a child and his master saved him.

It was also at night when he was injured by a wild animal because he was playing.

He was shivering inside the cave, his eyes red, sobbing and weeping repeatedly.

What was he thinking at that time?

Duan Li chuckled self-deprecatingly, then used the power of the sword to prop himself up.

Now he is alone.

"do not move!"

The girl's voice came urgently.

He looked back and saw that the girl who had left had returned, hopping down with a thick, long wooden pole in her hand.

Duan Li was somewhat taken aback and immediately shouted a warning to her, "Be careful!"

Xiao Ran ignored it and instead squatted down to examine the wooden arrow that had fallen to the ground, and then looked at the mechanism on the stone wall.

The mechanism was something she had seen in a painting in the cave before. Although it was just a casual glance, she knew that this half-finished product could only hold one arrow at most, and a second arrow would need to be manually loaded.

Moreover, it's difficult to do something like this well unless you're a professional... Besides, this place is so secluded, so who does the owner need to guard against?

The mechanism was crooked and not well hidden... It's very likely that Wang Xiaoyang installed it on the spot.

Xiao Ran stood up, looked at him firmly, and said, "It's alright, there won't be a second arrow."

As Xiao Ran slowly approached, Duan Li inexplicably felt a sense of tension. He slowly began to speak, "Miss, I..."

"Don't do this next time."

Xiao Ran didn't look at him. She simply handed him the wooden pole and walked towards the place where the moonlight shone through.

"……it is good."

The moonlight seemed to have been there to guide them, but it vanished completely when they reached the exit.

Just as Xiao Ran was about to leave the cave, she heard the sound of wooden sticks behind her quicken.

"Ah, Ah Ran, come behind me," Duan Li said.

Xiao Ran was a little stunned, but she still did as instructed.

Then she saw the boy's slightly red ears from behind.

She laughed softly.

The unpleasant feeling from just now vanished instantly.

The exit led to a tranquil grassland, where a wooden cabin stood. Light emanated from the cabin, indicating that someone lived inside.

Xiao Ran and Duan Li exchanged a glance, then walked over and knocked on the door.

"Xiaoyang? You're back?"

The voice coming from inside was that of an old man. His voice was very loud, as if he was afraid that others wouldn't hear him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran immediately made a shushing gesture to the sword-wielding boy beside her.

"The Guanyin clay sold quite well today, didn't it? I told you this stuff would sell like hotcakes in Liuyun Village! Soon your wish will come true..."

The old man's voice grew closer.

"Xiao Yang? Why don't you speak louder? You know I can't hear well..."

Before he could finish speaking, the door was pushed open.

There was an old man, looking disheveled, with slightly gray hair, and he was still vigorously picking at his ears, yet he exuded a vibrant energy.

The old man stared at Xiao Ran in astonishment, the two of them staring at each other wide-eyed.

"Who...who are you?!" the old man asked, scratching his head. Then, looking behind her with a suspicious expression, he said, "How do you know about this place? Did Xiao Yang tell you? Where is Xiao Yang?"

"Grandpa, I..." Xiao Ran was about to explain when she was interrupted by the old man in front of her.

The old man, seemingly unable to hear clearly, could only speculate in his mind, and said angrily, "You arrested Xiao Yang? And now you want to threaten this old man? I'm not afraid of you, you little brat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the young man behind Xiao Ran slowly draw his sword.

He could see, though he couldn't hear clearly.

The old man swallowed hard, shrank back, and said, "I...I...you little girl, just say what you have to say quickly, I'm in a hurry to finish my mission."

Xiao Ran chuckled, then turned and shook her head at Duan Li behind her.

Only by severing ties can one return the sword to its sheath.

Xiao Ran raised her voice slightly, "Grandpa, I didn't know you were here. I came here only to find Wang Xiaoyang. His grandfather asked me to take care of him."

"You fart!"

Suddenly, a child ran out from under the woodpile next to the wooden house.

This person was Wang Xiaoyang.

However, his outer robe and mask had been removed, and because he had been hiding next to the woodpile, his face was covered in dust.

But this is more like what a normal child should look like.

"How dare you talk like that, child!" The old man saw Xiao Yang running over and immediately pulled him behind him, his eyes glancing at the boy behind Xiao Ran from time to time.

"This child is young and speaks without thinking. Please forgive such a child, young lady..."

The child behind him was somewhat resistant, but he couldn't withstand the strength of an adult and had no choice but to stand obediently behind him.

Xiao Ran took a few steps forward.

She bent down as low as possible, to eye level with the child, and said, "You are Wang Xiaoyang."

Wang Xiaoyang didn't reply to her. Instead, he looked hostile and glared at her angrily.

“You don’t have to hate me so much.” Xiao Ran took something out of her bosom and handed it to him. “This is what your grandfather left for you.”

Wang Xiaoyang took a closer look and then immediately snatched the item from Xiao Ran's hand.

It was a bamboo-woven dragonfly.

But the next moment, the bamboo dragonfly was thrown hard onto the ground.

"Who wanted his stuff?!" Wang Xiaoyang roared. "He's a big liar, a complete liar!"

After saying that, Wang Xiaoyang's eyes reddened, and he turned to the side.

"You child..." The old man beside him was about to say something, but Xiao Ran shook her head and stopped him.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran not only didn't blame Xiao Yang, but instead picked up the bamboo dragonfly that had been thrown on the ground.

This handmade item was made a few days ago. Although Xiao Ran had carefully preserved it, it couldn't withstand being dropped.

It's starting to fall apart now.

“Your grandfather said you are a sensible child.” Xiao Ran patted the dust off her hands.

"Now it seems that it's nothing special."