The Human Bombs

The great villain refused to budge, but Yan Yi pressed forward despite the difficulty.

Her words of persuasion poured out like a rapid-fire barrage.

“Your Excellency, saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.

A good person like you will surely receive good fortune and boundless merit.

In the future you will definitely have a beautiful end—”

“That’s enough.”

Wen Xiuran’s ears were buzzing from her chatter.

He raised a hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

“Are you finished?”

“Not yet!”

Yan Yi shook her head.

“Your Excellency, do you enjoy listening?

I can keep talking for three days and three nights without repeating myself.”

Wen Xiuran ignored her and asked instead, “The people you brought back—what is their identity?”

Yan Yi replied, “They came here to escape disaster—refugees.”

Wen Xiuran frowned.

“Where did they come from?

Where are they fleeing to?”

“Well—”

Yan Yi faltered and said awkwardly, “Your Excellency, I haven’t had time to ask yet.”

Displeasure appeared on Wen Xiuran’s face.

“You dare bring people of unknown identity into the residence.

Are you tired of living?”

Yan Yi hurried to explain.

“They truly are ordinary mortals.

Yingyue already checked them.

There was nothing unusual.”

“Hopelessly stubborn.”

Wen Xiuran strode forward with his long legs and headed toward her courtyard.

Yan Yi hurried after him and grabbed his sleeve tightly with both hands, dragging him back with all her strength.

“Your Excellency, you can’t drive them away!

They’re injured.

Their injuries are extremely serious.

If they don’t receive treatment in time, they’ll die.”

Wen Xiuran ignored her words.

Yan Yi was dragged straight into the room by him.

“Your Excellency—”

Bu Yingyue exchanged a glance with her younger brother.

Both of them wore guilty expressions like children caught doing something wrong.

They quickly excused themselves and left.

Wen Xiuran walked straight to the long table.

Before he could even speak, the grandfather and grandson scrambled to their feet in panic, knocking the chairs and table so they creaked loudly.

After a moment, Wen Xiuran confirmed that the two posed no threat.

He turned around and walked out.

Yan Yi secretly let out a breath of relief.

She stepped forward, opened the medicine chest on the table, and prepared to treat the little boy first.

As soon as her hand touched the boy’s ragged sleeve, his entire body began trembling uncontrollably.

Yan Yi paused.

She assumed he had been frightened by the villain’s fierce presence.

So she gently comforted him.

“Don’t be afraid.

Your Excellency isn’t a bad person.

He won’t drive you away—”

Before she could finish speaking, the old man suddenly lunged forward and collapsed onto the long table.

The table and chairs overturned, and the room was instantly filled with a crashing noise.

Yan Yi was completely stunned.

Her mind went blank.

The world before her seemed to freeze.

Immediately afterward, the bodies of the old man and the child began to swell as if air were being pumped into them.

Within moments they turned into two round, balloon-like figures.

“What are you standing there for?!”

A cold voice suddenly rang out above her head.

Yan Yi felt the ground disappear beneath her feet.

Someone lifted her up by the waist.

With a deafening bang, the house behind them shook violently.

In an instant, scorching heat surged forward and destruction filled the air.

The accident had come far too suddenly.

Yan Yi felt dazed.

Her once lively eyes now looked dull.

“Your Excellency… what exploded?”

Wen Xiuran set her down on an open field not far from the residence.

His tone was icy.

“The ordinary mortals you saved.”

Yan Yi stared blankly at the smoke-filled Demon Lord’s residence.

Her hands unconsciously clutched her clothes tightly.

—She had actually rescued two human bombs.

Before she could explain anything, Wen Xiuran took out a protective talisman from his robe and placed it in her hand.

“Do not run around.”

Yan Yi gripped the talisman tightly.

Her knuckles turned pale from the force.

Still unable to recover from the enormous shock, she looked blankly at him.

“Your Excellency… where are you going?”

Wen Xiuran did not answer.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Yan Yi lowered her head and absentmindedly rubbed the talisman in her hand.

Both Bu Yingyue and the great villain had checked them.

The old man and the child they brought back were indeed ordinary mortals.

So why had they suddenly exploded?

This was not like the human bombs reported in news from the real world.

Their bodies had gradually inflated, something ordinary explosives could never achieve.

After the incident, why had the villain left silently?

Where had he gone?

Yan Yi sat down on the grass, utterly confused.

About fifteen minutes later, she heard someone anxiously calling her name.

Yan Yi used the tree behind her to stand up.

Her legs trembled violently.

She saw Bu Yingyue rushing toward her in great panic.

“Xiao Yi, are you hurt?”

She grabbed Yan Yi and looked her up and down.

Yan Yi’s legs were weak.

She clung tightly to Bu Yingyue’s shoulder and leaned against her as if all her strength had left her, barely preventing herself from collapsing.

“Yingyue… what happened?

Where is Yingxue?”

Her throat was hoarse and tight, her voice cracking.

Bu Yingyue gently patted her shoulder and comforted her.

“Yingxue is fine.

It’s the old Demon Lord—”

She carefully chose her words.

“The old Demon Lord escaped.”

Yan Yi staggered two steps backward.

Her mind exploded with a loud buzz.

She immediately realized something.

Someone had deliberately used two human bombs to entangle the great villain and create an opportunity for the old Demon Lord to escape.

Then didn’t that make her—

An accomplice.

It’s over.

It’s over.

This time, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash away the suspicion.

The villain would surely treat her as a spy and eliminate her.

“Xiao Yi—”

Seeing the fine cold sweat forming on her forehead, Bu Yingyue asked worriedly, “Are you feeling unwell?

Were you frightened?”

Yan Yi’s lips turned pale.

She trembled as she spoke.

“Yingyue… those two people I insisted on bringing back… they… they exploded.”

“I know.”

Bu Yingyue gripped her arm tightly, afraid she might fall.

“His Excellency already sent word to tell me.

As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.

Don’t worry.”

These words were like a reassurance pill for Yan Yi.

The villain had not blamed her.

Instead, he had even sent word asking Bu Yingyue to come take care of her.

When had she become trustworthy?

Hadn’t the villain always treated her as a spy planted beside him?

Yan Yi could not understand it no matter how much she thought.

Then another thought crossed her mind.

Perhaps the villain had already decided she was a spy.

That was why he sent Bu Yingyue to watch her, preventing her from fleeing during the chaos.

A chill ran down Yan Yi’s spine.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.

Not only had she failed to complete her harvesting mission, she might even die unjustly because of a completely unrelated matter.

“Did… did His Excellency go to Nether Valley?”

she asked nervously.

“Yes,” Bu Yingyue replied.

“His Excellency sensed that the defensive barrier imprisoning the old Demon Lord had been struck, so he rushed there.”

Unexpectedly, the defensive barrier outside Nether Valley remained intact.

At the entrance, Wen Xiuran discovered more than ten corpses drained of their spiritual souls.

They were Demon Domain guards he had stationed there to watch the old Demon Lord.

He did not delay and walked straight into the valley.

The old Demon Lord was already gone from the dungeon.

Continuing forward, he arrived at another exit of Nether Valley.

Before his eyes lay a field of ruins.

Dozens of Demon Domain guards were sprawled across the ground.

Some had also been drained of their souls, while others were heavily injured and lay there uncertain whether they were alive or dead.

Wen Xiuran bent down and pulled someone out from the pile of bodies.

The man was still breathing.

It was Wen Feng.

“How did you end up injured like this?”

Wen Xiuran helped channel energy into him.

After a moment, Wen Feng regained the ability to speak.

“Your Excellency… someone trespassed into Nether Valley.

The defensive barrier wasn’t damaged.

They must have infiltrated from here.

When this subordinate arrived, I encountered the old Demon Lord eating—”

“I know.”

Wen Xiuran suddenly interrupted him.

He had no desire to hear anyone describe the details of Wen Zhengming eating.

Every word felt like a blade carving into his heart.

“Your Excellency, should we pursue?”

Wen Feng asked cautiously.

He quickly added, “This subordinate is incompetent.

Those spies were also silenced by the old Demon Lord.”

Wen Xiuran did not blame him.

“No need.”

Wen Feng hesitated, then nodded and limped after him as they returned.

Yan Yi remained restless.

She waited outside Wen Xiuran’s study with Bu Yingyue.

When she finally saw him return safely to the residence, she couldn’t help but release a long breath.

“Your Excellency, are you alright?”

She hurried forward and grabbed the villain’s hands, examining him from head to toe.

“I’m fine.”

Wen Xiuran removed her hands and entered the study.

Yan Yi followed him inside.

Her voice choked with emotion.

“Your Excellency, this is all my fault.

I shouldn’t have casually brought people of unknown identity into the residence and caused such a disaster.

I—”

Wen Xiuran sat beside the desk and interrupted her.

“You need not blame yourself.

I do not blame you.”

His tone was extremely calm, as if the old Demon Lord’s escape had already been expected.

Yan Yi blinked, staring blankly at him.

“Your Excellency… don’t you suspect that I’m their accomplice?”

“I have my own judgment,” Wen Xiuran replied.

Yan Yi felt even more uneasy.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was holding back a bigger move, waiting to gather evidence before settling accounts with her later.

Otherwise, how could it make sense that the villain had suddenly changed his attitude?

“Xiao Yi,” Bu Yingyue said softly as she stepped beside her.

“His Excellency would never wrongly accuse someone.

Don’t worry.”

Yan Yi nodded stiffly, feeling as if she were dreaming.

“You may all leave.”

Wen Xiuran waved his hand, deep fatigue clouding his brows.

Wen Feng obeyed and withdrew.

Bu Yingyue gently tugged Yan Yi’s sleeve, signaling for her to leave together.

Yan Yi whispered a few words in her ear.

Bu Yingyue looked deeply into her eyes, hesitating to speak, then left.

“Why haven’t you left?”

Wen Xiuran raised his eyes and looked at her, his gaze probing.

Yan Yi hesitated and slowly shuffled closer.

“Your Excellency… could it be that the old Demon Lord escaped from the center of Taihu Lake?”

“Yes,” Wen Xiuran replied.

“So you knew!”

Yan Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

She had repeatedly hinted before that there was a problem at the center of Taihu Lake.

But he had always acted as if he didn’t care.

Yan Yi had thought he simply didn’t trust her.

“Your Excellency… you knew the old Demon Lord would escape?” she asked cautiously.

Wen Xiuran frowned slightly, his gaze pressing toward her.

“What are you trying to say?”

Yan Yi instinctively stepped back.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

“I thought you had been kept in the dark all along,” she muttered softly.

The villain knew the old Demon Lord would attempt to escape, yet he hadn’t taken precautions.

Yan Yi couldn’t understand.

Was this a tactic of luring the enemy out?

Perhaps he was waiting for the old Demon Lord to believe he had regained freedom, only to capture him again and lock him in the dungeon forever.

How sinister.

Yan Yi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

“Do you still have something to say?”

Wen Xiuran stared at her intently.

It was as if he wanted to read the answer directly from her face.

Earlier, when Yan Yi saw Wen Feng covered in injuries outside the study, she suddenly suspected it might be a deliberate ploy—an act meant to confuse the villain and blur the truth.

The accident on the Ice Continent was still vivid in her mind.

Yan Yi wanted to tell Wen Xiuran the truth.

But she worried he would think she was trying to clear her own name by sowing discord and making false accusations.

Once again, Yan Yi hesitated.