Song Jie didn't even need to explain—Li Man immediately filled in the blanks on her own.
"Sister Li Man, what are you doing here?" he asked casually.
"Oh, there's been some unrest in Dongting Lake recently, so I came to investigate," Li Man replied.
It wasn't classified information, so she didn't bother to hide it.
"I see," Song Jie nodded, half understanding.
Li Man continued, "On my way here, I saw quite a few demon corpses. Were those two Commander-level creatures responsible for that?"
"Yes," Song Jie said smoothly. "I've been secretly following them. Some demons were killed directly, while others were poisoned by that giant centipede."
Li Man nodded slightly. On her way, she had indeed seen many Lizard Skull Giant Demons that had died from poison.
"Let's rest here for the night. I'll notify the military department soon, and they should arrive by tomorrow," Li Man said.
The Dongting Lake issue could wait—handling the Swamp Poison Centipede's corpse came first.
Song Jie didn't object. He found a quiet spot, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.
Most of the demons in the area had already been cleared by him, so there was little danger left.
(According to the original story, Mo Fan should've met Li Man here, but for some reason, fate had made her cross paths with Song Jie instead.)
Meanwhile, Mo Fan was hurrying through the night—and he was furious.
"Who the hell killed all the demons in this area?!" he cursed under his breath. He had circled half the region and hadn't seen a single Lizard Skull Giant Demon!
Back near the swamp, Song Jie suddenly sneezed mid-cultivation. "Must be the weather getting cold," he muttered.
Just then, far away, Mo Fan spotted a shadow moving clumsily in the darkness.
Mo Fan frowned. "Another person wandering around here at night? Some people really aren't afraid of dying."
He'd seen plenty of people enter this area—and few ever returned.
Having lived around Dongting Lake for a while, Mo Fan knew better than anyone how terrifying it was.
Between the Lizard Skull Giant Demons and two Commander-level monsters, anyone foolish enough to wander in was basically signing their own death sentence.
Mo Fan sighed. "Well, since fate brought you here, I'll save your life."
He quickly sprinted toward the struggling figure. But as he got closer, he froze in surprise.
"Monkey?!" Mo Fan shouted.
Zhang Xiaohou, weak and poisoned by the swamp, turned his head in shock. "Fan Ge!"
"Why are you here?" Mo Fan demanded as he rushed to help him up.
"I heard something strange was happening in Dongting Lake," Zhang Xiaohou said. "I thought it might involve you, so I came to find you."
"You little rascal…" Mo Fan grumbled, half scolding and half relieved. He helped Zhang Xiaohou back to his makeshift cave.
Inside, Mo Fan handed him a piece of fruit. "Eat this."
Zhang Xiaohou devoured it hungrily, and soon, the poison in his body began to fade.
"Fan Ge, I know you've been needing essence orbs, so I bought two on the way here," Zhang Xiaohou said, taking out two Bloodthirsty Ant essence orbs and offering them to Mo Fan.
"Keep them for now," Mo Fan said. "If I need them, I'll ask you."
He frowned. "There were plenty of demons around here before, but tonight—nothing! What the hell happened?"
Still, he kept the orbs in mind; they might prove useful later.
"Oh, right," Zhang Xiaohou added, "Brother Jie messaged me earlier. He said he'd also be coming to Dongting Lake. But he told me to scout ahead first, and that we'd meet here later."
"Brother Jie's coming too?" Mo Fan's eyes brightened with hope.
He knew how strong Song Jie was—if Song Jie joined him, his plan against the Commander-level creature might actually work!
"Did he tell you how to contact him?" Mo Fan asked eagerly.
Zhang Xiaohou scratched his head. "He said… it depends on fate."
"…"
Mo Fan was speechless.
By noon the next day, the Dongting Lake military unit finally arrived at the swamp, quickly locating Song Jie and Li Man.
When they saw the massive corpse of the Swamp Poison Centipede, even the soldiers were stunned.
After Li Man explained the situation, they immediately began contacting experts to handle the remains.
Li Man walked up to Song Jie. "The military department will send specialists to dismember the corpse for assessment. I'll inform you once the appraisal is done.
You can either leave with them now or stay with me for the time being. When we return, you'll receive your share."
She said this because she also wanted Song Jie's help—and she trusted his capability.
Song Jie thought for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. I'll stay with you."
Li Man nodded. "Good. I'll be investigating the Dongting Lake incident next. You'll be following me."
"Understood."
The Swamp Poison Centipede's body was handed over to the military team, and Li Man led Song Jie deeper into the valley.
There, countless Lizard Skull Giant Demon corpses littered the ground.
"Was their battle really this brutal?" Li Man muttered, gazing at the poisoned remains scattered across the landscape. The sight sent chills down her spine.
Song Jie said nothing, merely following quietly. Of course, he knew the truth—it was all his doing.
He had fought for an entire day and night around Dongting Lake, killing countless demons.
Still, compared to the Bloodthirsty Ants he'd faced at Jinshan, this was nothing.
Though there were many Lizard Skull Giant Demons here, they couldn't compare to a full swarm of Bloodthirsty Ants.
As evening approached, Li Man still hadn't found any suspicious individuals. She decided they'd rest for the night.
But then—
A familiar voice called out behind them, full of excitement.
"Brother Jie! Is that you, Brother Jie?!"
Song Jie turned toward the voice, instantly recognizing it.
"Mo Fan!" he exclaimed, feigning surprise.
Zhang Xiaohou waved happily. "Brother Jie! Fan Ge and I searched this entire area for you but couldn't find you!"
Li Man's gaze turned to the two newcomers, her eyes lingering especially on Mo Fan—his rough, battle-worn attire made him look like a wild man from the mountains.
"Song Jie, who are these two?" Li Man asked calmly.
"These are my brothers," Song Jie explained with a smile. "This is Zhang Xiaohou—he's from your military department too—and this is Mo Fan."
"Greetings, Officer!" Zhang Xiaohou saluted smartly. His experience in the military camp told him immediately that Li Man's rank was higher than his.
Li Man gave a small nod.
"It's getting dark," Mo Fan said. "You two don't have a place to stay, do you? Come to my place."
After a short walk, the four of them arrived at Mo Fan's cave. By then, the night sky had completely fallen.
Mo Fan turned to Song Jie. "Brother Jie, how's my dad and Xin Xia? Are they okay?"
"They're fine," Song Jie replied. "I already visited Xin Xia and explained everything."
"That's good." Mo Fan sighed in relief, glad his disappearance hadn't worried them too much.
Then he leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Oh, right, Brother Jie—I have a plan. I wonder if you're interested…"
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version more that 320 chapters) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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