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Although the road below was not the busiest trade route in Jacia, it still saw a steady flow of people. The situation here would naturally be reported back to the city soon, so even though I waited until nightfall, no third team of Star Shield warriors arrived. It seemed they knew about my presence and did not want ordinary warriors to die needlessly, instead seeking help from experts.

The little girl's name was Jin Luosha, the daughter of an important figure in the Star Shield Chamber of Commerce. That was all the information I had about her. However, for a six-year-old child who was still traumatized and crying, being able to explain this much was already quite remarkable. Exhausted from crying, Jin Luosha curled up in my arms, wrapped in the "Wishful Snow," and fell asleep, still clutching the corner of my clothes tightly in her dreams.

Looking at Jin Luosha, who slept soundly like a little angel, I couldn't help but be filled with thoughts. In my previous life, my wife Chao Feng and I did not have children, not because we didn't want them, but because our martial arts were incomplete, and we lived in constant fear. If Master came looking for us, we could only offer our lives and endure any torture, but how could we bear to let our child suffer such torment? Thus, we used contraceptives. But that thief wife of mine always wished for a daughter, especially after secretly visiting Peach Blossom Island and seeing Master's daughter. Though she never said it aloud, I, as her husband, could see through her thoughts. If that thief wife could see this girl in my arms now, she would surely wish for a child just as lovely. After nearly sixty years, this was the first time I felt a strange emotion called paternal love.

"Little one, although I initially planned to use you as a pawn, I swear by my feelings for Chao Feng that while you are with me, I will protect you as if you were my own daughter. Anyone who tries to harm you must face my wrath."

On this early autumn night, I made this inexplicable vow without Jin Luosha knowing. Human emotions can sometimes be peculiar and impulsive. I do not know what the future holds, but at this moment, the paternal love I felt was genuine. The sleeping little girl was unaware, merely turning over and mumbling in her sleep, but her small hand clung tightly to the corner of my clothes.

---

With the Nine Yin Manual's cultivation already well-established, I no longer needed to sleep like an ordinary person. The Nine Yin Qi circulated naturally, and my mind entered a tranquil and transcendent state. Not only did my innate Qi continue to flow, but my combat skills also grew steadily. My combat skills originated from the reverse input of innate Qi, so unlike others who needed constant training, mine were closely linked to my Qi cultivation, complementing each other. As a beastman, my body required vast amounts of essence, making the effects of Qi less noticeable. Now, having transformed into a human, the total amount of combat energy in my body had decreased, significantly accelerating my cultivation speed. Tonight, my "Ice Prison Thorns Technique" finally broke through the third level of Moon Flame, reaching the fourth level.

While in deep meditation, I suddenly sensed something and opened my eyes. Below, a firelit procession of hundreds was approaching. At the same time, I heard faint sounds in the woods, indicating that someone was crossing the mountain ridge and infiltrating this area. Judging from their speed and footsteps, they appeared to be skilled rangers and assassins.

Soon, the group below began ascending the mountain. While one team headed directly towards my campfire, the others spread out to form a perimeter, clearly intending to encircle me. Along with the rangers and assassins in the woods behind, they aimed to cut off all my escape routes. Unfortunately, they did not realize that I did not need any escape routes.

The first to approach was a middle-aged man with a stern and defiant appearance, followed by eight young warriors clad in fine armor. They stopped before me, and the man observed me for a moment, seemingly puzzled by my unusual silence, before speaking formally.

"Are you 'Silver Moonlight'? I am Ruyns, the captain of the Star Shield Chamber of Commerce's guards. As a mercenary, you dared to interfere with the affairs of the Star Shield Chamber of Commerce and killed our warriors. Your crimes warrant death a hundred times over. However, since you did not flee, I will allow you to become a slave warrior for the chamber, serving to atone for your sins. Now, hand over the child." With a wave of his hand, two young warriors stepped forward.

"Mmm... Ailin... Uncle Fengxuan, what's happening?" Jin Luosha woke up, rubbing her eyes and asked drowsily.

"It's nothing. Some small beasts are passing by. Uncle will chase them away; go back to sleep." I used the "Wishful Snow" to block Jin Luosha's view, preventing her from seeing the newcomers. The little one obediently nodded and snuggled back into my arms, returning to her dreams. I infused some innate Qi into the "Wishful Snow" and used the techniques of the "Minghai Kunpeng Dance" to create a soundproof barrier around Jin Luosha, similar to a magical silence shield, before looking up at the man and saying, "Come and meet your doom."

It wasn't that I looked down on them; their strength simply was not impressive. The leading middle-aged man was only a fifth or sixth-level Sword Hero, and the eight warriors behind him were merely Gold Warriors. Such levels were considered skilled in the human world, where there were only a few thousand recorded Sword Heroes spread across more than a hundred countries. Even in a large kingdom like Fasin, there were fewer than a hundred Sword Heroes, each considered a formidable expert. Unfortunately, in the past year, I had faced countless true masters. This combination, weaker than when I captured old Hake, Bai Lanling, Hai Ruo, Awei'er, and Lanster, no longer piqued my interest as a Sword Master.

"You...!" The Star Shield guard captain, who thought I was completely submissive, was about to burst into anger upon hearing my disdainful declaration, but he did not expect me to act immediately.