Lian Youyou’s swift and decisive action left everyone in the courtyard and even Lin Tingjun who stood at the entrance, he was stunned. 

Both Lin Tingjun and Wei Chi Feng should have intervened, but they were momentarily paralyzed by Lian Youyou’s lightning-fast strike. It was as if they had been acupunctured, rendering them unable to react. 

But even if they had wanted to stop her, could their movements catch up with Lian Youyou’s?

Rather than saying they couldn’t react in time, it was more accurate to say that Lian Youyou didn’t give them the opportunity to react. 

The time between drawing her machete and the strike was like a thunderclap which was unstoppable by anyone.

Even Lin Tingjun, who was known for his quick reflexes, didn’t have time to react and he let alone Liu Dong’s parents.

As the big blade cut through the air, it severed sunlight, and the blade’s gleam grazed across Liu Dong’s eyes. 

Lian Youyou shouted, “Liu Dong! I’m going to kill you!”

“Ah!” Liu Dong immediately pushed his mother aside, not caring whether he had broken her bones or not, and began to flee. 

“Help! Someone’s trying to kill me! Help!”

He used both his hands and feet, crawling away with remarkable agility. He ran so fast that he left everyone in the courtyard astonished. 

When panicked, it was as if a dog could scale walls, and when a person panicked could crawl faster than using two legs.

Liu Dong ran around the courtyard in three and a half circles before stopping, panting heavily. 

“Water, is there any water?”

People dumbly pointed at the well. Liu Dong rushed over and began gulping water, drinking as if he had just been saved from a desert.

Lian Youyou retrieved the big machete and returned to stand in front of Wei Chi Feng, giving him a mischievous grin. “Liu Dong was momentarily scared out of his wits, so scaring him again is all it took. Thank you for your big machete, sir.”

Wei Chi Feng took back his machete, looking at Lian Youyou with amazement. “Miss, you have incredible strength!”

It should be noted that Wei Chi Feng’s big machete weighed fifty catties. How could an ordinary woman wield it? Yet, this Lian Youyou handled it effortlessly.

Lian Youyou crouched down next to Liu Dong after his ordeal. “Hey, Liu Dong, do you know your name now?”

After drinking some water, Liu Dong looked at Lian Youyou with a strange expression. “You called me Liu Dong, so why are you asking who I am?”

Liu Dong had regained his senses and just like his father, his arrogance had returned as well. He pointed his finger at Lian Youyou, “Are you stupid?”

Lian Youyou lightly chuckled then turned to look at Liu Dong’s bewildered parents who were still sitting on the doorstep. 

“Hey, did you see that? Your son is awake now.”

Liu Dong’s parents were still in a daze. What? Was there a way to scare a soul back? If they had known about this earlier, they could have just grabbed a kitchen knife themselves, instead of paying for an immortal like her.

Liu Dong, who just awakened from his stupor, was still unclear about the situation. After scolding Lian Youyou, he noticed that the yard was filled with people and an official. Both he and his brother were usually domineering, but seeing a high-ranking official like Wei Chi Feng made him feel anxious.

Lian Youyou continued to question Liu Dong, “Liu Dong, they said you saw a monster yesterday. What did it look like?”

Upon hearing the word “monster,” Liu Dong seemed like someone had pressed the pause button on him, and he became fearful again. “White, white… white eyes…”

“Another one with white eyes?” Lian Youyou turned around and playfully looked at the villagers. “Another Li Xiangu?”

“Hehe…” The villagers with dirt-covered faces couldn’t help but laugh simultaneously.

Sitting on the ground, Li Xiangu turned her face away in frustration. She glanced around, hoping to find an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

Lian Youyou’s teasing lightened the atmosphere instantly. People began to regard Liu Dong’s story of encountering a monster as nothing more than a joke.

“White… white… white hair…” Liu Dong stammered.

Lian Youyou raised an eyebrow slightly, turning back to face Liu Dong. “Liu Dong, listen carefully. You’re just seeing things, alright?” Her gaze focused intently on Liu Dong’s bewildered eyes.

Under Lian Youyou’s keen scrutiny, Liu Dong slowly regained his senses. His gaze was irresistibly drawn to Lian Youyou, even though she had the appearance of a simple village girl. 

Strangely, as he looked at Lian Youyou, a sense of calm washed over him, dispelling all the lingering fears of the monster he had encountered.

Suddenly, he remembered something and tugged on his sleeve. “So, what about this injury?! That was a monster I saw; I’m absolutely sure!”

As Liu Dong pulled up his sleeve, his wound was exposed to the sunlight. Three claw marks marred his wrist, and though the skin had split a bit, he had managed to stop the bleeding overnight. 

However, in the summer heat, it had become slightly infected, and if left untreated that might develop into an abscess.

Upon seeing the wound, both Wei Chi Feng and Lin Tingjun approached, and other villagers hurriedly gathered around and formed a tight circle around Liu Dong.

Only He Shiqi from Lian Youyou’s family remained calm. When Lian Youyou didn’t speak, he stayed where he was and played with a wooden plaque featuring a black cat. As he played with it, something strange happened—the wooden plaque actually became soft. It could bend like a piece of black leather.

He Shiqi bent the black cat wooden plaque and exclaimed in amazement, “Wow!”

Meanwhile, Lian Youyou was preparing to inspect Liu Dong’s hand to check his injury when a black sleeve blocked her path. Lian Youyou looked to see Lin Tingjun’s impassive profile.

He didn’t speak but moved Lian Youyou’s hand away and personally grabbed Liu Dong’s arm. After just a glance, he seemed to have found the answer.

“These are human fingernail marks. They haven’t been trimmed so they are long and sharp.”

Wei Chi Feng listened silently, inwardly amused. Oh, he’s finally decided to speak! Is he showing off the skills of their inner spy network?

After Lin Tingjun spoke, he glanced at Wei Chi Feng who couldn’t help but smile internally. Lin Tingjun was behaving the way Wei Chi Feng admired and speaking only when necessary and getting straight to the point.

At this moment, Wei Chi Feng as a general who enjoyed hunting, and also had some knowledge of examining injuries. When he looked at Liu Dong’s wound, he also felt that it appeared to be caused by a human rather than a wild animal.

If it had been a wild animal, the wound would likely have been deeper, as their claws were usually hooked. Given the depth and force of the scratch, it seemed more likely that a human was responsible. As for the spacing between the marks, it indicated that it was a man.

“So the ‘monster’ Liu Dong saw was actually a person?” Wei Chi Feng preferred this explanation, as it meant they could capture the culprit.

Lin Tingjun nodded in agreement, lips pursed, and refrained from speaking further.

At this moment, Wei Chi Feng couldn’t help but admire Lin Tingjun a bit more. Lin Tingjun either remained silent or spoke to the point, with no unnecessary words and just the kind of man Wei Chi Feng appreciated.