Jieyou suddenly let out a loud shout, her voice cutting through the air like a knife, sharp and clear.

  The furry monsters froze for a moment, thinking the young girl was finally scared out of her wits and about to kneel down and beg for mercy. But what they didn't expect was that this shout wasn't directed at them at all—it was aimed at the massive, sword-like blade hanging around Damao's neck!

  If Jieyou had hesitated for even a second, if she hadn't called out to stop the strike, Damao would have been decapitated before he could even scream, his head rolling on the ground in an instant.

  The truth was, from the moment the furry monsters sneaked into the hot spring courtyard, Xiaobai had already sensed their presence. Instead of attacking rashly, it had quietly used its spiritual power to rouse Jieyou, signaling her to pretend to be asleep and play along, luring the monsters into a false sense of security. Even Miss Jiu, usually so playful and cute, had remained completely still on Jieyou's shoulder, watching the situation unfold calmly—she also wanted to give this young girl, who was still a bit inexperienced, a little lesson on how to handle a dangerous trap.

  And while Damao had sent two of his goons to fetch the brewing materials, Xiaobai had silently slipped out of its sword case, using the steam of the hot spring to hide its presence. It had split into four identical clones, each with enough power to take down a head with a single strike, even though the clones' power was far less than the original. The four clones had quietly positioned themselves behind each of the furry monsters, their blades pressed tightly against their necks, ready to strike at Jieyou's command.

  "You, come here."

  Jieyou snapped her fingers at the female demon wearing the single-lens mirror in the corner, her tone casual, laced with a hint of playfulness.

  The female demon trembled all over, confused and terrified, yet too scared to refuse. She shakily walked over to Jieyou, her head bowed, not daring to make a sound. Jieyou smiled sweetly, reached out, and plucked the single-lens mirror from her nose bridge. She wiped the dust off the lens with her sleeve and slipped it on her own eye, completely ignoring the female demon's stunned expression.

  The moment she put on the mirror, the world around her felt... off. The colors and outlines of everything took on an eerie, vivid quality, like looking through a distorted lens. It was strange, weird, and oddly fascinating. Jieyou's playful side kicked in, and her eyes lit up as she turned to try the mirror on Miss Jiu.

  Miss Jiu had already been eyeing the shiny new toy. Without waiting for Jieyou, it flapped its little white wings, hopped onto her hand, and nuzzled the mirror with its beak. Jieyou laughed at how cute it was, carefully placing the mirror on its round little head. Miss Jiu tilted its head, blinked its big round eye, and chirped twice, looking around—absolutely adorable, enough to make anyone's heart melt.

  Then Jieyou raised her hand again, and a flash of cold light streaked across the air.

  In the next instant, Damao's massive head tumbled to the ground, blood spraying out in a red arc.

  Xiaobai's clones moved with ruthless precision. After severing Damao's head, they used the blade of the sword to push his body, sending it tumbling into the nearby wine vat with a dull thud. From the outside, it looked exactly like a drunkard who had stumbled and fallen in—completely without a trace of guilt or evidence.

  The four clones sheathed their swords and returned to Jieyou's side, their blades spotless, not a single drop of blood on them.

  "Praises, please~" Xiaobai's voice echoed from the sword case, filled with pride and eagerness for recognition.

  Jieyou glanced at it, waving her hand in disgust. "Clean enough, sure, but you got way too close to the wine vat when killing. Don't let the blood taint the flavor." She paused, frowning and adding, "Go soak in the pool quickly. Last time you killed someone, you didn't wash before rubbing all over me—you're disgusting!"

  Xiaobai let out a few whimpers of grievance, but obediently turned into a streak of white light and jumped into the hot spring. The giant sword floated on the water's surface, even rolling over comfortably like a lazy fish sunbathing—quite a funny sight.

  Can a giant sword even float on water?

  Of course it can! It can fly through the air with ease, so floating on water is child's play for it.

  Jieyou bit back her laughter, stood up, and slowly started putting on her clothes, muttering under her breath. "A bunch of worthless scoundrels. They dared to peek at this princess's body—dying is the least they deserve. Ugly freaks like them still dare to go around causing trouble? They should be ashamed to exist."

  "Get ready, we're leaving!"

  No sooner had she finished speaking than she froze, her smile fading from her face.

  The market square in front of her was nothing like it had been when she arrived.

  The streets blurred, and the outlines of the buildings twisted and distorted, as if melting into the air. Jieyou realized in an instant—this so-called lively market was nothing but an illusion! A trap designed to lure passing travelers, only to turn them into "ingredients" for brewing wine.

  With the death of Damao and his gang, the illusion had already started to crumble, the air growing more distorted by the second. It wouldn't be long before it shattered completely. But Jieyou couldn't help but wonder: these furry monsters looked stupid and incompetent, completely incapable of creating such a large-scale illusion. There must be someone else behind them, a real mastermind who could set such a devious trap.

  "If it's a labyrinthine illusion, then we'll just smash it to pieces!" Jieyou's eyes glinted with mischief, her tone filled with unyielding arrogance. "But we've got to hurry—can't afford to delay finding Jiuge. If he gets away, I'll never forgive him."

  She decided to head back to the inn they'd been to earlier—the wine that had made everyone so drunk had to be real. Starting there, she might be able to find the illusion's weak point and uncover the 毛怪's accomplices.

  "Miss Jiu, come here."

  Jieyou put the single-lens mirror back on the little bird. The little guy balanced the mirror on its head, one eye round and wide, looking impossibly cute.

  That's when she suddenly discovered the mirror's amazing power—it could distinguish between yin and yang, and see through illusions to reveal the truth! No wonder Damao and his gang could move through the illusion so freely, never losing their way. They were using this mirror as a guide. That meant the female demon with the single-lens mirror was probably the "guide" for this group, leading the travelers into their trap.

  The person, the beast, and the giant sword hurried back to the previous inn. As soon as they pushed open the door, a thick, overwhelming aroma of wine hit them, making their heads spin.

  The inn's name also felt off—"Xianlai Inn" (Fairy Come Inn).

  It sounded like anything but a legitimate place. Yet the main hall was filled with guests, all drinking and laughing merrily. But upon closer inspection, these guests had somewhat translucent, floating forms, like souls trapped in an illusion, their expressions stiff and lifeless, lacking any warmth of a living person.

  "Welcome, sirs. Are you here to eat or stay the night?" A waiter scurried forward, wearing a stiff, fixed smile, his eyes cold and empty.

  Jieyou scanned the empty hall—besides those few phantom-like guests, there wasn't a trace of a living person, not even a hint of life in the waiter himself.

  What a vicious inn that devoured people without leaving a bone!

  In an instant, Jieyou understood everything: once you stepped through that door and drank the wine here, you would lose everything—your money, your life, and even your soul would be trapped in this illusion forever, eventually becoming the "food" for this inn's terrible trade.