That moment was a world away from the last; the man known as Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao, who had been jesting moments before, was now utterly unrecognizable. He sprang upward, clearing three feet into the air, executed a perfect front flip before Zhang Yuqiu, and landed with both feet planted, his single hand already clamped around her throat, hoisting her nearly four inches off the ground.

Though Zhang Yuqiu felt no pain yet, the sight of the bronze-hilted dagger in Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao’s right hand forced her into a desperate struggle. No one could know when that blade might strike true and plunge into her heart.

Struggling, she rasped out, her voice dry, "Save... save... save me!"

As Zhang Yuqiu suffered, Xiao Shu frantically rushed back to where he had stripped off his clothes, retrieving a small bottle. He held it up to the sunlight, and there it was—no more, no less—one Man-Eating Nether Insect. This was the only one he had managed to retrieve from A Mang’s body after discovering the bottle had been swapped. Fearing they might multiply inside the container, risking the situation Li Xiaohao had described, he dared not carry more.

Meanwhile, Fan Jia was engaged in a brutal 'Three Heroes vs. Lu Bu' scenario with three of his clansmen. Though he was battling three against one, those three living dead figures couldn't gain the slightest advantage, but Fan Jia himself was flustered and fighting defensively, concentrating so intensely that he couldn't spare a thought for Zhang Yuqiu’s peril.

As the four of them fought, Fan Jia caught a glimpse of Xiao Shu standing there, lost in thought, holding the bottle. Seizing a moment when the three adversaries shifted positions, he tossed a small pebble, which struck Xiao Shu squarely on the center of his forehead. The impact finally snapped Xiao Shu out of his reverie. He glanced left and right, realizing Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao’s dagger was slowly inching deeper into Zhang Yuqiu’s chest. He scrambled and leaped over, twisting the bottle cap open, and inverted it over Mo Ming Qi Miao’s head. Seeing the tiny, milky-white Nether Insect tumble into his hair, Xiao Shu summoned all his strength and yanked backward, coordinating with Zhang Yuqiu in a pincer move to force the man to release his grip.

But Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao held fast to Zhang Yuqiu’s jawbone. The only thing affected was the right hand clutching the dagger, poised to strike her chest. Xiao Shu’s backward pull sapped its force. The fingers slackened, and the dagger clattered to the ground, its tip already stained with dark blood.

It was then that Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao suddenly winced and shrieked, "Ah..." Then, countless milky-white insects erupted from the top of his head. Zhang Yuqiu, quick as lightning, gripped his wrists with both hands, tucked her legs up, and kicked out violently, freeing her head from his vice-like, walnut-crushing grip. Xiao Shu, who had been about to kick him from behind, saw Zhang Yuqiu execute her pendulum swing and decisively dodged aside. Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao pitched forward and collapsed instantly, dissolving into a pile of white bones crawling with Man-Eating Nether Insects.

The four fighters, seeing this turn of events, naturally ceased their bout. Just as they were about to close in, Xiao Shu issued a warning: "These insects move by tracking the scent of food." Hearing this, the three clansmen, excluding Fan Jia and Yuan Qi, bolted and fled.

After running three hundred meters, they turned back to see Xiao Shu and Zhang Yuqiu piling the clothes the men had used for the auction onto the remains of Brother Mo Ming Qi Miao. They struck a lighter, igniting a fierce blaze atop the pile. The inferno crackled and popped, interspersed with the explosive sounds of burning insects.

Fan Jia stood nearby, staring blankly at the bonfire, mumbling, "If one day I can't bear to live like this anymore, I’ll use these insects to end it." Xiao Shu glanced at him and replied, "Someone once shared that same wish with us."