Chapter Twenty-Six: Carrion Crows

"Why are you speaking so harshly now?" Bai Nanyan couldn't help but question, "I was only acting out of kindness, yet you..."

"Do I really need to teach you such a simple lesson as no good deed goes unpunished?" Gu Sihui interrupted impatiently, casting a mocking glance at Bai Nanyan. "Besides, when a weasel pays a New Year's visit to a chicken, what kind of good intentions could it possibly have?"

"Watch out!"

A gasp cut their conversation short. Gu Sihui retreated alertly, only to feel a powerful shove from behind.

"Ah!"

She cried out as she brushed past Bai Nanyan. Xi Mo had heartlessly pushed her directly into a pile of suddenly appearing mutant beasts!

The scarred, mangled beasts were draped in rotting flesh, their bodies held together by decaying bones. Within hollowed-out throats, pairs of black-red eyes emerged from the shadows, locking onto Gu Sihui with greedy intent.

Damn it! Fate is cruel!

With her life on the line, Gu Sihui had no time to curse how brain-dead Xi Mo was. She curled her body up as much as possible, tucking her head in to form a ball, and "slid" out from the tangled, matted fur of the mutant beasts.

It was only because the supporting female role had such a delicate and flexible frame; otherwise, an ordinary person would have ended up twisting themselves into a pretzel and dying before the beasts even took a bite.

Teng Qu, who had been lurking in the shadows, emerged. The "long stick" wrapped in black cloth on his back was unfurled, revealing an ink-colored metal spear of unknown origin. Upon closer inspection, dark, intricate patterns shimmered faintly on the spear's surface, looking magnificent.

Teng Qu’s expression remained unchanged as he thrust the spear through the beast's wide-open maw. The tip pierced the roof of its mouth, tossing the beast aside along with its rotting skull.

Teng Qu looked up; his calm black eyes had somehow transformed into sharp, vertical pupils. A black-winged bird, the size of a cat, spread its wings and soared into the high sky.

Teng Qu ignored it, staring at the shattered bones and flesh scattered on the ground, his voice trembling slightly: "Gu... Gu Sihui?"

"Screech!"

A sharp bird cry rang out, and the quiet jungle suddenly became restless.

"What are you standing there for? Run!"

Ying Nian hoisted Gu Sihui up and turned to run without looking back, shouting as he passed the dazed Teng Qu.

Gu Sihui’s soft abdomen was pressed against Ying Nian’s lean shoulder, and feeling like her stomach was about to be squeezed out, she couldn't help but pat his shoulder: "Let's negotiate, can we change positions? This one is too uncomfortable."

"Why are you so high-maintenance? Can't you tell we're running for our lives?" Although he said this, Ying Nian obediently switched to a bridal carry.

Shao Feichen was in the lead, continuously using his skills to clear the path, killing a lunging beast with every swipe of his claws. Gong Zhengci had taken over Gong Zhengqing’s position, not daring to lose focus for a single moment, always managing to provide defensive support at the most critical times. When Teng Qu had been dazed moments ago, it was Gong Zhengci’s timely intervention that prevented him from being injured.

"Damn it, are these beasts crazy? Why are they all running this way?" Ying Nian activated his [Charm] skill to control a beast and cursed.

"It’s because of that bird," Xi Mo said, his gaze shifting away from Gu Sihui as he explained gently. "Carrion Crows secrete a special saliva that they use to hollow out rotting corpses to make them move again, searching for new prey. When it feels threatened, it uses its call to summon the corpses it has previously parasitized to protect it."

"Why are you still here?" Ying Nian looked at Xi Mo with disgust. Because Xi Mo had been favored by the supporting female role, he had received the best treatment, and the other beast-husbands had never liked him. Later, when he successfully divorced Gu Sihui, it pushed the beast-husbands' hatred to its peak.

Ying Nian dodged to the side while holding Gu Sihui: "How unlucky."

Xi Mo was silent for a moment before saying unhappily, "With the enemy at the gates, can't you put aside your prejudices for now? We need to break out together, otherwise, when those controlled corpses wake up, we’ll all be exhausted to death!"

"Sorry, I'm not willing," Ying Nian said, driving him away. "Let's not run together; splitting up makes us smaller targets."

"Yanyan, are you okay?"

Falling rocks descended like brilliant blue fireworks, clearing a patch of the area instantly. The Black Dragon Que Si reached out to Xi Mo and commanded, "Hand Yanyan over to me."

Xi Mo was unwilling, a flash of resistance in his eyes, but he felt his arm being touched. He lowered his head and saw that Bai Nanyan’s eyes no longer held his reflection; she was focused entirely on Que Si.

"A-Si, you're finally here. I was so scared." Bai Nanyan reached out to him with teary, blurred eyes.

Que Si felt a pang of heartache, and without a word, he took Bai Nanyan into his arms: "Don't be afraid, your husband is here."

He released another powerful ultimate move, clearing a path, and looked back at Xi Mo coldly: "Let's go, you waste."

Xi Mo was very unhappy about being insulted, but his strength was inferior to Que Si’s, so he could only endure it.

After taking a step, he looked back at Ying Nian and said, "The beasts following Yanyan are all very powerful. She is kind-hearted; if you beg her, she certainly