Hearing the sound, Widow Brooks's crying stopped abruptly. She suddenly looked up and, seeing a tall, handsome young man walk in, was instantly overjoyed: "Young, young master, it's me, it's me."

"It's all right now. I'll take you back right away," said Ryan Thompson.

Widow Brooks nodded excitedly, trying to struggle to her feet, but found that her hands and feet were bound tightly by old mountain vines, so tightly that as soon as she tried to get up, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Ryan Thompson was just about to help her up when he suddenly heard a strange cry behind him, half human, half beast.

"A shanxiao?"

He whipped around and saw a grotesque monkey, covered in black fur, about the height of a seven- or eight-year-old child, baring its teeth in a bizarre grin as it stared at him.

Although this shanxiao wasn't large, it was incredibly strong. It actually lifted a huge boulder the size of a millstone, poised to hurl it at Ryan Thompson.

The cave wasn't big; if that rock came down, it would be dangerous.

"You beast, take my spear!" Ryan Thompson shouted in a low voice, and without hesitation, hurled the Tiger's Maw Gold-Swallowing Spear in his hand.

He had practiced martial arts for many years and was incredibly strong. This spear, weighing seventy-two jin, could kill a tiger or a bear—how could this shanxiao possibly withstand it, even if it had gained some spiritual power? Its cultivation couldn't be that high.

"Screech~!" The shanxiao, seeing Ryan Thompson throw the spear, showed a very human-like look of shock on its face. The huge stone in its hand was dropped as it hurriedly dodged to the side.

The spear whistled past, grazing the shanxiao and embedding itself half a zhang deep into the ground before stopping.

"You wretched beast, Widow Brooks, wait here for a moment. I'll go slaughter that creature," Ryan Thompson said, striding out of the cave.

"Young master, be careful," Widow Brooks called out, fearful but also worried for Ryan Thompson's safety.

How could she not worry? The young master was the son of the richest man in Guobei County, and all the villagers of Xiahe Village were tenant farmers of the Li family. If anything happened to the young master, dozens of families in Xiahe Village wouldn't be able to survive in Guobei County. The villagers all understood this, so over time, they took special care of Ryan Thompson.

After rushing out of the cave, Ryan Thompson immediately pulled the Tiger's Maw Gold-Swallowing Spear from the ground, his gaze sharpening as he scanned the surrounding forest.

"Did that beast escape?"

If the shanxiao had escaped, it would be hard to find it again. Although the forest here wasn't large, it was connected to the surrounding area. A spirit beast like that could easily hide, and even hundreds of people searching might not find it.

After waiting a while, Ryan Thompson still saw no sign of the shanxiao.

But he didn't dare go far—Widow Brooks was still tied up in the cave. If he left and the beast circled back and took her again, it would be a disaster.

"Consider yourself lucky, beast. I'll send the family retainers to search the mountain later. I won't rest until you're dead," Ryan Thompson thought to himself.

This creature had already killed someone. If he hadn't arrived today, Widow Brooks would have been its next victim. Such an evil spirit could not be allowed to live.

Just as he turned to head back to the cave, he suddenly heard a rustling in the nearby forest.

Ryan Thompson immediately stopped and looked in the direction of the sound.

The grass and trees parted, and the shanxiao appeared again. But this time, it was acting very strangely: it had two pieces of wood tied to its feet, making itself half as tall as a normal person, and it was draped in a woman's brightly colored clothes—who knows where it had stolen them from—striking a woman's pose, swaying its ugly hips as it walked toward him.

"What is it doing?" At this moment, Ryan Thompson was actually a bit puzzled.

The shanxiao's hideous face wore a smile, and its green eyes, surprisingly feminine, flirted at Ryan Thompson as it kept approaching.

Although Ryan Thompson didn't understand the shanxiao's bizarre behavior, he noticed that one of its hands was hidden behind its back, seemingly holding a hard stone.

"Let it get a little closer," Ryan Thompson thought, remaining still, watching the shanxiao approach, not wanting to scare it off like before.

The shanxiao drew nearer, its ugly face showing a hint of triumphant excitement. But when it was within three steps of Ryan Thompson, he suddenly raised the Tiger's Maw Gold-Swallowing Spear in his hand.

The spear shot out like lightning.

A simple move, but after years of practice, Ryan Thompson had perfected it.

"Screech~!" The shanxiao let out a terrified shriek as it was pierced straight through the chest, blood splattering everywhere.

"You beast, you still dare come looking for death," Ryan Thompson snorted coldly, casually tossing the heavy spear, pinning the shanxiao's body to the ground.

The shanxiao coughed up blood, struggled a couple of times, then convulsed and died on the spot.

Still cautious of the spirit creature, Ryan Thompson pulled out his spear and stabbed the shanxiao's corpse several more times. Only when he was sure it was truly dead did he relax.

With a flick of his spear, the shanxiao's corpse was sent flying. Only then did he turn and return to the cave.

"That beast has already been slain by me. It's safe now," Ryan Thompson said.