Chapter 4 : It

The situation was dire!

Jiang Ke’er couldn’t understand why the snake demon in front of her was targeting her… but if she let the enemy succeed and they dealt her a fatal blow, she would truly be finished!

Seeing the demon-hunting team members around her already drawing their swords, she hurriedly spoke up, shouting, “Wait! I know where it is!”

Everyone was stunned.

The demon-hunting team leader’s longsword, already pressed against Jiang Ke’er’s throat, paused abruptly in mid-air.

The team leader narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings.

His sword edged closer, and with his other hand, he gripped Jiang Ke’er’s shoulder blade, swiftly dragging her into the forest.

“What do you know? Speak quickly!”

He shook his sword, and Jiang Ke’er’s throat immediately stung as a sizable gash was cut open.

Though her expression was panicked, Jiang Ke’er’s heart surged with wild joy—she nearly jumped in excitement!

Her gamble had paid off!

The little fox had been lurking by the roadside for a day and a night, and at the time, Jiang Ke’er hadn’t noticed anything amiss… but when she probed the fox’s memories, she uncovered countless suspicious details.

Combined with her observations of passersby over the past hour, she became certain—something major was happening nearby!

Or, something major was about to happen!

Otherwise, why were there so many luxurious carriages and horses on the street?

Why were the pedestrians so tense, gripping their weapons tightly?

Why were scouts up ahead holding maps, meticulously surveying the surroundings, paying attention to every minute detail as if searching for something?

If they were chasing a fugitive, the number of people deployed seemed excessive.

If they were guarding against bandits… what bandit would strike on such a crowded road? Moreover, if it were either of those scenarios, the scouts wouldn’t need to be so cautious, stopping and starting as if they were treasure hunting!

So, she decided to take a bold risk.

Execution was a method used to dispose of worthless trash after confirming they had no value.

As long as she could demonstrate enough value, she could seize a chance to survive!

Since she wasn’t entirely clear on the true situation and wanted to avoid slipping up, Jiang Ke’er used “it” to refer to whatever the enemy was searching for, attempting to bluff her way through.

It seemed her initial move had worked.

But this was only the beginning—it had merely earned her the chance to negotiate with these people.

One misstep moving forward, and she would still face a dead end, likely dying an even worse death!

“Speak quickly!” the demon-hunting team leader urged.

“I can’t explain clearly,” Jiang Ke’er said calmly.

“Stop wasting time! If you don’t make it clear, I’ll make you wish you were dead!”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t find it. That place isn’t somewhere just anyone can go,” Jiang Ke’er said evenly, looking at him.

“I can lead you there… but as you know, I’m dying. I’m weak and won’t live much longer. You have to wait until I recover.”

The team leader’s expression flickered with uncertainty.

He only believed about thirty percent of Jiang Ke’er’s words, but even that was enough to stop him from killing her outright.

After all, the stakes were too high, and both “it” and she were too valuable.

“Just a demon’s deceitful words! What could a freshly transformed dog demon possibly know?” the snake demon woman suddenly interjected.

“Master, kill this beast quickly! She’s obviously lying to buy time!”

“Shut up! I make my own judgments!”

The team leader rebuked her sharply, and the snake demon woman shuddered, not daring to speak further, though her gaze toward Jiang Ke’er grew even more venomous.

“You can lock me up, put on chains, lots of chains, and keep me confined…” Jiang Ke’er said.

“The night after tomorrow, I’ll lead you to it. You can kill me then if you want—it won’t be too late, right? At worst, you lose nothing!”

Though he still harbored countless doubts, the demon-hunting team leader had to admit Jiang Ke’er’s words made sense.

This newly transformed little demon, with no magic, no spiritual power, and utterly powerless, was practically a useless weakling.

Even if they let her live a couple more days, what kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?

Treating her injuries and keeping her under control for a few days wouldn’t cost much… If she was lying, they could always torture her to death later.

Having sorted out his thoughts, the demon-hunting team leader sneered and said, “No need to lock you up… Beast, get moving!”

“Beast” was his term for the female snake demon.

Upon receiving the order, the snake demon, with a cold and venomous expression, slithered toward Jiang Ke’er with eerie, twisting steps.

Jiang Ke’er felt a pang of panic, unsure what the snake demon was up to do.

Suddenly, the snake demon’s figure vanished from her sight, and a sharp pain shot through the side of her neck.

Looking down, Jiang Ke’er saw a large snake had somehow wrapped itself tightly around her! The snake demon’s head, fangs bared, had sunk deep into her neck!

She cursed inwardly, wanting to struggle, but her body was already numb, completely devoid of any ability to resist.

At the same moment, a faint voice reached her ears.

“As a fellow demon, I can see through the identity of our kind at a glance . And I know what you are.” It was the snake demon’s voice, speaking directly into her mind through a secret transmission.

“Cunning fox, I’m warning you… I’m the only one who can be the master’s cauldron! If you dare compete with me, I’ll kill you on the spot!”

So that’s what it was.

Jiang Ke’er finally understood the source of the snake demon’s hostility toward her.

She recalled someone mentioning before that fox demons were prime material for cultivation cauldrons.

The snake demon was afraid Jiang Ke’er’s identity would be exposed, stealing her place as the cauldron.

Jiang Ke’er curled her lip… Relax, you can keep your fluffy ball role or whatever.

I’m not interested.

Jiang Ke’er didn’t know how much venom the snake demon had injected into her body.

When the snake demon finally withdrew, Jiang Ke’er felt her entire body was numb.

It took a good while before she regained some sensation.

“I had her inject you with snake venom. Only I have the antidote… so there’s no need to lock you up,” the demon-hunting team leader said with a smug smile.

“Three days from now, if I don’t give you the antidote, you’ll die from the poison… and your death will be far more gruesome than anything you can imagine.”

This was bad!

Jiang Ke’er’s composure cracked a little.

Her original plan was to be locked up, giving her time to heal her injuries.

Once she was healed, after 24 hours, she’d receive the lock-picking skill reward from the villain system, allowing her to easily escape.

Unfortunately, this bunch of jerks wasn’t playing by the rules!

“Captain, the city’s already pressing us to return… We need to hurry back. That demon dragon is coming soon, and we have to find the ruins quickly to set up the trap!” a particularly fat member of the demon-hunting team suddenly spoke up.

Catching the crucial information, Jiang Ke’er perked up her ears, her spirits lifting.

The demon-hunting team leader glanced at Jiang Ke’er.

Knowing she was now poisoned and had to be loyal to them, utterly incapable of leaking secrets, he relaxed and said, “Got it, but… watch your words. She’s not some demon dragon.”

“That Qiao Xiaoxian is the dragon clan’s most noble-blooded saintess in tens of thousands of years!”

The fat team member grinned.

“She’ll definitely make a potent ingredient.”

“Naturally!” the others laughed in agreement.