In the pitch-black night, a scream pierced the sky.
Ahhh...!!
Mu Qinghe stood on the back of the little phoenix, tightly gripping Ming Li's arm. "Master! Hold on tight! I'm going to fall off!"
Ming Li: ... With a dark expression, she peeled off the clinging claws from her arm and dug into her ear, which had been jolted.
"Stop screaming! Scream again and I'll kick you off!"
Mu Qinghe: ...?!
The system had initially worried that its host flying so brazenly in the sky would be discovered and punished by the Heavenly Dao, but other than a few flashes in the sky at the beginning, nothing else happened.
System: ...?! It suspected the Heavenly Dao was a coward, but it had no evidence.
Heavenly Dao: ... It wasn't being a coward; it was being sensible, understand!
The little phoenix was very fast, and in no time, Ming Li and Mu Qinghe spotted the Grand Tutor's procession.
"Little phoenix, just stop here."
The little phoenix landed not far from the Grand Tutor's procession. After Ming Li and Mu Qinghe dismounted, to Mu Qinghe's dumbfounded gaze, the little phoenix transformed into a bird of ordinary size and flew to perch on Ming Li's shoulder.
Mu Qinghe suddenly looked at Ming Li with a serious expression: "Master, tell me honestly, are you a millennium-old demon in disguise? Don't worry, your disciple won't tell anyone else!"
Ming Li: ...?! Her mouth twitched, and she slapped Mu Qinghe on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting! Your master is a little fairy!"
Mu Qinghe: ...
The little phoenix on Ming Li's shoulder staggered, almost losing its footing.
Little phoenix: ... Why did it feel like their master had become childish?! But it dared not say it aloud, fearing a beating.
...
At this moment, inside the Grand Tutor's carriage.
Inside the spacious carriage, the sound of liquid dripping onto the floor was exceptionally clear. The young Grand Tutor, facing the red-clad woman holding a bloodstained sword, involuntarily retreated.
Ming Li: "Hand over the tiger tally."
The Grand Tutor froze: "Who are you? How did this woman know about the tiger tally? Could she be someone from the Emperor's side?"
"Why so much nonsense! You have two choices: death, or hand over the tiger tally."
Whoosh! Before the Grand Tutor could speak, an arrow shot towards her from behind Ming Li.
Ming Li: ...?! So troublesome!
Just as the arrow was about to hit Ming Li, the bloodstained sword in her hand vanished and reappeared behind Ming Li, blocking the incoming arrow for her.
Clang! The sound of the sword colliding with the arrow echoed in the silent space.
Ming Li picked up the arrow that had fallen to the ground and casually threw it in a certain direction. Instantly, a scream erupted from that direction, followed by a thud – the sound of a heavy object falling.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, the Grand Tutor, who had witnessed all this, was sweating profusely, the drops falling onto the floor with a rhythmic patter, appearing incredibly eerie.
Ming Li grew impatient: "Are you going to choose or not? If not, I'll choose for you." Saying this, the bloodstained sword reappeared in Ming Li's hand.
The Grand Tutor's gaze shifted to the sword, and the hand at her side tightened.
"Here's your tiger tally. Let me leave."