Chapter 128: I Am Exhausted

Seeing their leader flee, the soldiers dared not linger and scattered in every direction.

The remaining Miao tribesmen moved to pursue them, but were stopped by a wave of the Saintess’s hand. After holding them back, she frowned again, clutching her chest with her right hand, her figure swaying as if she were about to collapse.

The tribesmen realized then that she had not escaped the chaotic gunfire unscathed; a bullet had struck her in the shoulder. Her inner strength was profound, allowing her to seal the wound with spiritual energy the moment the bullet struck, preventing anyone from noticing her injury. Now that the enemy had fled, the blood finally began to flow.

"Dongnuo, you’re wounded?" The old woman hurried forward to support her. So, the Saintess was named Dongnuo.

"Grandmother, help me to the inn so I can tend to my wounds," Dongnuo whispered.

The three observers, having witnessed this, realized the Saintess was injured. They understood that attempting to seize the Li Fire now would force the Miao to fight to the death. After a brief exchange, they agreed to wait for her to begin her treatment before attempting to steal it.

They followed the group to the inn in Xishan Town. Once Dongnuo was inside, her tribesmen surrounded the room so tightly that the three men found no opportunity to strike. The old woman soon departed, and since she did not take the Li Fire with her, they concluded it must still be inside.

"What do we do now?" Baozi asked, frowning.

"We wait. They’re bound to doze off eventually," Zhou Yi sighed. With guards like these, only someone like Earth Traveler Sun could slip in unnoticed.

However, Zhou Yi miscalculated. The Miao remained remarkably alert, and he knew Dongnuo’s healing would not take long. Looking up, he saw the sky was already beginning to brighten, and the trio grew increasingly anxious.

"Brother Yi," Mu Chen whispered, "dawn is almost here. It will be much harder to steal it once the sun is up!"

As Mu Chen spoke, a flash of inspiration hit Zhou Yi. People usually assumed night was the best cover for thievery because everyone was asleep. But these Miao were not ordinary; their senses were sharp, and the darkness offered no advantage to the three of them. Zhou Yi realized that waiting for daylight might actually be better, as the guards would surely let their guard down once the sun rose.

An hour passed, and the sun slowly climbed into the sky, signaling a new day. As Zhou Yi expected, the guards, having gone without sleep all night, were suffering from extreme fatigue. As the morning sun warmed them, the comfort brought a wave of drowsiness.

"It’s daylight now. We’ll go back and get some sleep; you two stay here on guard," Shuang Yu said to two of the tribesmen.

"Go ahead and rest. It’s bright out now; there shouldn't be any trouble," a slightly plump tribesman replied dismissively.

Shuang Yu hesitated, then said, "Be careful." He wanted to tell them not to slack off, but swallowed the words. To him, the danger seemed to diminish with the dawn, and everyone was exhausted from the long night.

After Shuang Yu left, the two remaining guards exchanged glances, sat against the wall, and began to chat. Soon, their eyelids grew heavy.

This was the moment Zhou Yi had been waiting for. He signaled to Baozi, and they crept forward. Seeing the guards remained oblivious, they slipped into the room.

Upon entering, Zhou Yi immediately shut his eyes. Dongnuo was in the middle of changing; her clothes had been stained with blood from the previous night, and she was in the process of removing them.

Zhou Yi kept his eyes shut, but Baozi stood there, transfixed. Zhou Yi ignored him. The Li Fire sat on a table near the door, about three meters away. He lunged forward and snatched it. The moment he channeled his spiritual energy, Dongnuo sensed the intrusion.

When she looked back and saw Zhou Yi and Baozi, she didn't scream, but quickly pulled her half-removed garment back on.

"Shameless wretch!" Dongnuo cried, attacking Zhou Yi.

Having already secured the Li Fire, Zhou Yi had no desire to tangle with the Miao woman and bolted through the window. The Miao did not pursue Zhou Yi because Baozi had not left; he was still staring at Dongnuo, completely mesmerized.

Dongnuo looked back at Baozi with disdain. She had not yet put her veil back on. Her skin was as white as mutton-fat jade, her lips thin and red, her chin slightly pointed. With her delicate features and white robes, she looked like a celestial being—cold, elegant, and otherworldly.

"Someone come! Kill this shameless brute!" she spat, her voice tinged with fury. Clearly, Baozi’s gaze made her extremely uncomfortable.

Baozi snapped out of his trance and, realizing his predicament, turned to flee through the window. Dongnuo wouldn't let him escape so easily; she flashed to the window, grabbed his collar, and yanked him back.

Baozi threw a punch at her chest, forcing Dongnuo to instinctively release his collar to dodge. As she ducked and swayed, the loose, one-piece white gauze dress she was wearing slipped down. She hadn't had time to fasten the buttons after Zhou Yi’s initial intrusion.

With that movement, the dress slid off completely. Beneath it, she wore only a thin undergarment, leaving her figure exposed to Baozi’s gaze.

A stream of blood gushed from his nose. Baozi reached up to wipe it, only then realizing he was having a nosebleed. He finally remembered he was still in danger.

Dongnuo, preoccupied with fixing her clothes, ignored him, and Baozi seized the chance to dive out the window.

"What took you so long? Are you hurt?" Zhou Yi asked, seeing the blood on Baozi’s face and assuming the Saintess had struck him.

Baozi just let out a silly laugh and shook his head like a rattle. The motion caused more blood to flow, and he quickly tilted his head back to stop it.

With the artifact recovered, the three began to discuss finding the Gen Mountain.

"Brother Yi, what was that Miao girl trying to do, anyway? I still don't get it," Baozi said while chewing on a fried dough stick.

"How would I know? What they do is no longer our concern. Eat up—we're heading to Mount Wutai next," Zhou Yi replied.

"Why Mount Wutai? Are you going for revenge?" Mu Chen asked, frowning.

"No. During the Qing Dynasty, Mount Wutai was the state temple and had deep ties to the imperial court. I suspect Hui Ming might know some Qing secrets, perhaps even the location of the Gen Mountain."

"You don't need to go to Mount Wutai to learn about Qing secrets. We have a Princess right there at home who knows more than that monk. Just head back to Dunhua!" Mu Chen reminded him.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go home!" Zhou Yi slapped his forehead. He had completely forgotten about Princess Fu, who was still in Dunhua.

"We’ve been running for days. Can we rest here for two days?" Baozi mumbled.

When Baozi said this, Zhou Yi finally understood his true intent. Once it clicked, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.