Xiao Shu looked at the three people beside him: Zhang Yuqiu, who had once impersonated Wenshu; Hou Dayong, who had just pretended to be Li Xiaohao; and the one claiming to be the real Wenshu. All three were crowding him, demanding he go with them. Heaven only knew what they were truly plotting.

Seeing a new contender arrive, Zhang Yuqiu hurried over and clung to Xiao Shu's arm. "We went through hardship together; you trust me, don't you? Hou Dayong is a friend of your brother Ming Xiaoyu, and they too have faced danger together. You trust him too, right? Let's all go together. We must, at least, get you to Li Xiaohao's side. Whatever past grievances you have, you are brothers; now is not the time to dwell on the past. You are just flesh and blood, vulnerable wherever you go. Only he can protect you." Zhang Yuqiu babbled on about many things, but to Xiao Shu, it sounded like the buzzing of mosquitoes—nothing registered except annoyance.

It was this Wenshu who seemed cleverer. She kept a meter's distance from Xiao Shu, standing far off. "Xiaoyu indeed cannot come to meet you personally. And it is true that I have gained an immortal body. He wishes for you two to remain brothers, so he wants to see you, to slowly recount everything that happened after your separation. After you listen, where you go next will be entirely your decision; we will not restrict your freedom."

Hearing this, Xiao Shu wavered. He genuinely wanted to see Xiaoyu and learn about his current situation. Moreover, the assurance that his freedom wouldn't be constrained—just a reunion among old friends—made him feel deeply tempted to follow this Wenshu to Xiaoyu's location.

However, as soon as he took half a step forward, Hou Dayong lunged from behind him, bearing a sharp claw. In the blink of an eye, he pounced onto the 'Wenshu's' shoulder, gripping her hair with his claw and yanking upward with fierce force, as if intent on tearing the hair out along with her scalp. A shriek erupted from Wenshu as she covered her face with one hand while frantically swatting at Hou Dayong with the other. Hou Dayong ignored the blows, raked his sharp nails around her neck once, and then, with another tug on the hair, an entire, perfect human face was peeled away.

Xiao Shu was stunned speechless by the spectacle. Beneath that facial skin was not Wenshu at all, but none other than Li Bingyu. His eyes widened in utter astonishment. After a long moment, he finally managed to ask, "But your tongue was gone? How can you speak now?"

At this point, Li Bingyu ceased holding back. She grabbed Hou Dayong's tail and violently slammed him toward the ground. Before the fall could complete, just as Hou Dayong lost his balance, releasing his grip and about to crash heavily, Xiao Shu shot forward, dropping instantly to his knees, and steadily caught Hou Dayong's not-so-large frame. Then, looking up at her, he said, "It seems you truly are Li Bingyu, without a doubt. I believe that in this world, no one else could be so ruthless and swift."

Shamed by Xiao Shu's jab, Li Bingyu's face flushed crimson. She mumbled, "I had no choice. The tongue regrew on its own, but I was punished for leaking secrets to you people. Bringing you back is my mission. If you refuse to come with me..." She glanced over at the ashes that were the remains of Yuan Qi and the Unnamed Brother, then added, "That is my fate."

"Alas," Xiao Shu sighed deeply. "At first hearing, what you say sounds like a plea; digging deeper, it’s a threat aimed at me; and thinking yet a moment longer, it's actually exploiting my sympathy to lure me into your trap."