The woman clearly started, for the voice had sounded not far behind her. By instinct, she stamped her feet hard, her entire body shooting out like an arrow, her movement incredibly swift!

As she darted forward, she twisted her body around and looked toward the source of the sound. Upon seeing it, a flicker of surprise crossed her face, though she quickly masked it!

Looking closely, she saw two small figures standing on a protruding slab of rock: one an exquisitely beautiful young maiden, the other a handsome and dashing young boy! As everyone must have guessed, these two were none other than Robin and Zhong Shenxiu!

It wasn't just the "Hawkeye" woman who was staring at Zhong Shenxiu and Robin; the mercenaries behind her were all curiously scrutinizing these uninvited guests who had appeared out of nowhere!

In everyone's mind, similar questions spun: Who were these two people, how did they get here, and what was their purpose? The atmosphere instantly grew tense; unsure if they were friend or foe, no one dared to make a rash move!

Zhong Shenxiu showed no constraint, examining them just as intently, though his main focus was naturally the "brow-eyed" woman! Her eyes were as beautiful and captivating as yellow gems!

Zhong Shenxiu always displayed immense curiosity toward the unknown. He and Robin had originally intended to hunt further ahead but were unexpectedly drawn to this mysterious woman, stopping because of their curiosity!

"Hey, big sister, you still haven't answered my question!" Zhong Shenxiu put on a look of utter innocence—a look that would surely make any member of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" laugh until they cramped!

By now, Zhong Shenxiu was fully utilizing his physical appearance. Whether calling her "sister" was a good or bad thing was anyone’s guess!

The others were deceived by Zhong Shenxiu's demeanor and secretly breathed a sigh of relief—they were just children! However, the "Hawkeye" woman wasn't so naive; her expression instead grew even more serious!

Anyone who could operate within the "Forest of No Return" was certainly not simple, and the boy’s relaxed expression clearly indicated that nothing in the forest yet posed a threat or instilled fear in him. Furthermore, the pristine cleanliness of their clothes, especially the maiden’s long hair, which was not out of place by a single strand, all proved these two were not ordinary!

More importantly, she had no idea how these two arrived; she hadn't sensed even the slightest aura, which was incredible! And the fact that they reached her back without her noticing—that was the most terrifying part!

Many mercenaries began shifting their gaze to the woman, eager to see how she would proceed!

Truthfully, these mercenaries were not intimately acquainted with this woman; their relationship was purely transactional. This woman was responsible for guiding them through the numerous dangers of the forest, and in return, the mercenaries paid her a fee!

Strangely, this woman demanded no money, only supplies and food, and her temperament was quite bizarre. When facing a magical beast, she could strike without hesitation, but if it was a flying magical beast, she would regard it with respect and forbid any mercenary from attacking!

Although these mercenaries didn't know the woman personally, they had heard her nickname. Because of her exceptional eyes, people had dubbed her "Hawkeye"! This woman had appeared in the "Forest of No Return" two years prior, reportedly searching for something, never having left the woods! "Hmm—doesn't this young man look familiar to me?" a mercenary not far away suddenly mumbled quietly. "I feel like I've seen him somewhere too, but I just can't place it!" said another next to him in a low voice. "Ah, I remember now!" exclaimed a slightly more mature-looking woman suddenly.

Her voice drew the attention of the other mercenaries, but the "Hawkeye" woman continued to stare unblinkingly at Zhong Shenxiu! "Liza, keep your voice down!" cautioned the man who appeared to be the leader, while simultaneously pressing, "What did you remember?"

"He's that little boy!" Liza’s voice was laced with excitement. "Captain, don't you recall? Seven years ago, during a message delivery mission, we encountered two children in some nameless forest. This young man is that boy!" "Seven years ago? Two children?" The middle-aged man's expression clouded over as he tried hard to recall. "Captain, don't you remember? The two children who sold us roasted sweet potatoes back then!" Liza reminded him. "Ah, I remember now, you mean those two!" A flash of inspiration struck the middle-aged man, and he finally recalled the memory from the past.

It must be said that today was an extremely "coincidental" day. No one expected Zhong Shenxiu and Robin to run into old acquaintances, and these mercenaries speaking were none other than members of the "Cross Sword Mercenary Group." If anyone had a good memory, they might even recall that their leader was named Cylane! "They've grown so big... but why are they here?" Cylane muttered to himself.

Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had already surprised them once, and this reunion was proving to be just as astonishing! While everyone was lost in thought, a loud shout suddenly erupted from Zhong Shenxiu's mouth, startling everyone! "Aaaah~~!" The sound, enhanced by Zhong Shenxiu's internal energy, carried far into the distance.

Everyone was bewildered, not understanding why Zhong Shenxiu would yell for no apparent reason; even the "Hawkeye" woman wore a look of confusion.

However, that look of confusion was quickly replaced by concern on her face! She had sensed the aura of a magical insect nearby not long ago, which was precisely why she had warned everyone not to make unnecessary noise, yet this youth had roared so heedlessly!

It would have been understandable if the shout was due to fright or pain, but looking at the boy's expression, he was clearly doing it for fun—no, more accurately, to retaliate for her not answering his earlier question! What was he thinking? Didn't he know how dangerous that was? The "Hawkeye" woman was furious but couldn't lash out, as the mouth belonged to someone else; he could yell as he pleased! Influenced by Zhong Shenxiu's shout, flocks of startled birds scattered aimlessly in every direction! The "Hawkeye" woman’s brow suddenly furrowed as the very familiar "buzzing" sound reached her ears! Just then, Zhong Shenxiu spoke again, managing to infuriate the "Hawkeye" woman even more.

"It looks like something is flying over, everyone be careful!" Zhong Shenxiu said while yawning, appearing to offer a friendly warning, but no one knew what mischief he was truly up to! "Ah, not good, it's a magical insect!" A sudden cry of alarm erupted from the mercenaries; they had finally seen the creature they most dreaded encountering!

A massive black magical insect flapped its wings and flew toward them, its eerie, terrifying fangs causing shivers to run down the spine just by looking!

Everyone's hearts leaped, and they nervously looked toward the "Hawkeye" woman! They knew that here, only she could contend with a magical insect! "Big sister, you look pale, are you alright?" Zhong Shenxiu once again adopted an utterly harmless, innocent expression, as if addicted to playing young! The "Hawkeye" woman genuinely wanted to grab Zhong Shenxiu and feed him to the magical insect, but she dared not act, as Robin exerted a strong pressure on her!

A woman's and a wild animal's intuition told her these two should not be provoked; they were exceedingly dangerous entities!

"Senior Hawkeye, what should we do now? The magical insect is almost here!" The mercenaries grew more anxious when they saw the "Hawkeye" woman remained motionless! "Everyone, do not move rashly. Maintain formation; I will deal with this magical insect!"

The "Hawkeye" woman gave the order again, shifting her gaze from Zhong Shenxiu to the approaching insect! If it were just one insect, she was confident she could handle it, but if this insect attracted more, things would become difficult. Escape was certainly possible for her, but these mercenaries would be doomed beneath the horde! Therefore, she needed a single, decisive blow!

Her eyes, sharp as a hunting falcon's, locked onto the target, and her entire concentration reached a fever pitch! "Big sister, your eyes are so special, are they congenital or acquired?" Zhong Shenxiu’s irritating voice cut through again.

A prominent vein throbbed visibly on the "Hawkeye" woman's forehead, yet she forced herself to remain calm, her eyes fixed tightly on the magical insect drawing ever nearer.

In this brief moment, the "buzzing" sound grew intense enough to cause earaches, and the powerful beating of the insect's wings kicked up sand and gravel from the ground! Now, everyone only needed to look up to clearly see the repulsive bristles covering the insect's body!

This magical insect seemed to have poor eyesight, but its auditory organs were highly developed, and it finally detected the still figures below! Just as it prepared to strike for prey, a dark silhouette shot skyward! The "Hawkeye" woman curled her hand into a claw and met the massive body of the magical insect head-on! With a "Thud," she pierced the insect, which was as hard as a bronze cymbal—what immense penetration power!

The mercenaries below stared blankly, watching the large hole in the center of the magical insect's body in disbelief, as large amounts of bluish-green ichor gushed downward!

Zhong Shenxiu also looked up with a smile, but his gaze was fixed on the "Hawkeye" woman's hands! This was the "Hawkeye" woman's one-strike kill!

Perhaps influenced by Zhong Shenxiu, this blow did not kill the magical insect instantly; instead, it let out a piercing, sharp cry! "Damn it!" The "Hawkeye" woman's expression changed drastically...