Chapter 78: The Deal with the Devil

  The mummies were far more formidable than Sanbao had imagined. After taking the *Detoxifying Pill* and *Vitality Pill*, she sat down to circute her energy, allowing her wounds to slowly heal. The bck aura that had been seeping from her injuries gradually faded, and the blood in her veins returned to its natural red color, signaling her recovery.

  Sanbao let out a sigh of relief, mentally thankful for her innate ability to heal quickly. *If not for that talent, I might have been done for this time.*

  She stretched her shoulder slightly, gncing ahead.

  Wang Suifeng stood by her side, holding his *Gcial Snow Sword*, like a loyal guardian, steadfast in his protection.

  His white robes were tattered, bloodstains scattered across the fabric, and his arm bore open wounds still bleeding, but he paid no attention to his injuries, focusing entirely on guarding Sanbao.

  Sanbao’s heart warmed at the sight. She quietly stood up, and with a gentle motion, she hugged Wang Suifeng from behind.

  "Thank you so much for today," she whispered softly.

  At the warmth of her embrace, Wang Suifeng froze. His face flushed deeply, turning red to the tips of his ears. He opened his mouth as if to say something but couldn't manage a word. His *Gcial Snow Sword* cttered to the ground.

  The tension-filled atmosphere from before, filled with battle and danger, suddenly shifted into an awkward one.

  Just then, a teasing voice floated down from the roof of the temple.

  "You two really seem to be enjoying yourselves. Have you forgotten that you're still in the demon's trial? This trial isn't over yet."

  Sanbao’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of the voice. She quickly pulled away from Wang Suifeng, inadvertently giving him a slight push.

  Sensing her reaction, Wang Suifeng’s expression darkened, a fme of anger rising in his eyes.

  He bent down to pick up his *Gcial Snow Sword* and cautiously turned his gaze toward the temple entrance.

  A figure dropped down from the roof and slowly stepped into the temple from behind the colpsed walls.

  It was Tang Mingli!

  Sanbao instinctively took a step back, her face flushing with embarrassment as her gaze became awkward.

  Wang Suifeng, seeing everything, felt anger surge inside him. His jealousy fred, and he gathered his spiritual energy around his sword, ready to strike at Tang Mingli.

  Tang Mingli, with a smile that seemed both mocking and amused, raised his hand and summoned the *Longyuan Sword*, standing face-to-face with Wang Suifeng.

  The two were poised, their swords drawn, the tension so thick that a fight seemed imminent.

  Seeing the rising tension, Sanbao hurriedly stepped in to divert attention. She asked Tang Mingli, "How did you get involved in this trial? Did you also receive that invitation letter from the demon?"

  Tang Mingli’s gaze softened as he looked at Sanbao. "I didn’t receive an invitation letter. But I made a deal with that demon. It allowed me to enter your trial."

  Sanbao frowned. "A deal? What kind of deal?"

  Tang Mingli chuckled lightly, not answering directly. Instead, he changed the subject, "Come on, let’s go check if your companions are still alive. They’re real people, just from a different time-space than yours."

  Sanbao’s heart sank as she pressed on, "What do you mean?"

  Tang Mingli expined calmly, "The events that happened in this vilge, as well as the bloodshed you experienced in the tavern, are all things that actually happened— they belong to a different time-space. What you’re experiencing now isn’t an illusion, but the real events from the past."

  He continued, "The tavern owner really did kill his wife and child, and then disappeared. Even now, the various kingdoms are still looking for him. And this vilge did indeed suffer a mass disappearance of vilgers. Later, rumors spread that there was a treasure hidden here, so many adventurers came seeking it, only to vanish without a trace. The four people you met earlier were probably some of those adventurers."

  Sanbao’s mind went numb with dread. "How do you know all of this?"

  Tang Mingli smiled. "Some of it the demon told me. The rest, I saw with my own eyes after I entered and hid on top of the temple."

  Sanbao’s heart lurched.

  So, he had watched the entire process when she cut off the red silk and took the strange treasure from the statue?

  She lifted her gaze, locking eyes with Tang Mingli. His smile seemed to silently communicate: *Don’t worry, I saw you secretly taking the treasure, but I won’t tell anyone.*

  Sanbao couldn’t help but scoff and turned her face slightly away.

  Wang Suifeng, watching all of this, felt his jealousy burn even fiercer.

  Gripping his *Gcial Snow Sword* tightly, he angrily questioned, "Since you’ve been on the temple roof all along, why didn’t you do anything when you saw Sanbao in danger? What’s your real game here?"

  Tang Mingli zily replied, "I’ve been keeping an eye on Sanbao, making sure she was fine, which is why I didn’t intervene. If she were truly in danger, I wouldn’t have stood by. But if you were the one to save her... well, you’d be too te by then."

  Wang Suifeng’s fury boiled over, and he raised his sword, ready to strike.

  Seeing that things were about to escate, Sanbao quickly intervened, "Let’s go find the others. Maybe we can change their fate and prevent their tragedy from repeating."

  With that, she turned and walked toward the temple exit without looking back.

  Wang Suifeng took a deep breath, sheathing his sword, and hurriedly followed her.

  Tang Mingli, with a gentle smile, fshed forward and followed the two of them.

  The vilge y silent in the early morning light, and the terrifying bck night seemed to have finally passed.