Something suddenly filled the elf’s mouth. She froze for a moment, then her face twisted with humiliation and offense. She bit down hard, viciously, piercing the finger and drawing a steady stream of blood. A strange power slid down her throat and into her stomach. In an instant, her body felt lighter, and her wounds began to heal.

Then Yixing pulled his finger from the elf’s mouth, and something strange happened. Except for the parts she had swallowed, the blood that had spilled from the wound and the chunks of flesh she’d bitten off turned into all kinds of little animals—birds and fish, butterflies and beasts. Flapping their wings or swishing their fins, they quickly flew back and mended Yixing’s body!

The elf stared, stunned, as she swallowed the flesh and watched her wounds heal at incredible speed. She’d never seen anything like it! It wasn’t even mentioned in any book!

Meanwhile, the Ragdoll, whose restraints had already been undone and who couldn’t even care that she’d wet herself in humiliation, dropped straight to her knees.

Trembling, the Ragdoll shifted from an unremarkable old farmer into a woman. She pressed her forehead to the ground and said, shaking, “Blood… the evolution of flesh and blood… Are you… are you Dora B Meng?”

The former number one on the bounty list was a super-criminal whose name was still unknown. He’d vanished for years, but his deeds had kept him firmly in the top ten all the same. Golden Bell had never taken him off the list because… he’d practically become one of its symbols.

All it took was a glance at the top ten—that deep, dark shadow—and you could tell that the criminal who had once terrified the whole world was still alive. As long as he lived, he would continue to cast a shadow over every bounty hunter in the world.

“Huh? You’re a woman!” Yixing hadn’t paid attention to anything else. Only now did he realize that the Ragdoll had turned into a woman! She could change her appearance, sure, but that shouldn’t let her change her sex too!

But it was obvious that nobody was listening to Yixing, because…

“Hm?” Awei’er tilted her head. She had no idea what Dora B Meng was supposed to be; she only looked around in confusion as the mood shifted.

The Ragdoll, meanwhile, was completely stunned. She’d never imagined she’d see a legendary figure in some backwater place like this. The last time he’d appeared in public had been thirteen years ago. She’d only been fifteen then!

The elf girl, whose wound was still healing, was even more dumbfounded. But she quickly realized this might be her only chance!

“Are you the one…?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“…That was a foolish thing I did when I was young. Just call me Yixing now.” Yixing shrugged helplessly, trying to put the matter behind him as if it had never happened. Besides, he hadn’t known anyone could recognize him from that alone.

But the elf didn’t listen. She immediately dropped to both knees and cried out, “Please help me get revenge! I’ll give you anything you want! Anything I can do, I’ll do it!”

“Revenge?” Yixing frowned. From the way she put it, there was more to this than met the eye.

“Yes!” The elf girl raised her head and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. Then she said, her voice full of hatred, “My name is Greya Fuerst!”

At that, everyone except the still-bewildered Awei’er was taken aback. Yixing and the Ragdoll both stared in shock.

“Fuerst… That’s the elven royal family. I heard the Elf King had a daughter he doted on…” the Ragdoll murmured. “Could she be…?”

“Yes! I’m the princess! I was, anyway. But a traitor usurped the throne, and I…” She stopped there.

“Go on…” Yixing sighed. This really wasn’t simple. It looked like he’d picked up a huge mess this time.

Greya nodded, then laid out what had happened in a clear, orderly way. That alone showed how sharp her mind was; she wasn’t blinded by revenge.

As she spoke, Yixing and the others gradually pieced together the story.

A terrible accident had recently struck the elven royal court. The king and queen had both been killed outdoors by suddenly frenzied beasts. According to elven tradition, Greya would be chosen as the new queen.

But Greya suspected there was more to it, so she began investigating. With help from the royal guard who had once served her family, and through her own schemes and planning, she managed to stir up infighting among the royal guards. That was how she learned that some of the guards assigned to protect the royal city had been bought off by her trusted uncle… Prince Kelai Fuerst.

She kept digging, following the clues back to their source, until at last she uncovered the truth!

Kelai Fuerst had overthrown the royal authority. He’d drugged the beasts and used them to kill the former king. His next target, of course, was Greya.

Once Greya realized this, she immediately began to fight back. But… she hadn’t expected that someone had deliberately left every one of those clues for her to find.

Kelai used the information as bait. He lured Greya out of the city with a royal guard carrying classified documents, then set an ambush to kill her on the spot. At the crucial moment, however, several mages among the royal guard sacrificed themselves to shift space, sending the princess and the remaining guards thousands of miles away. They escaped the assassination attempt.

Kelai immediately set about hunting them down. And then… came what happened today.

“The two surviving royal guards disguised themselves as me and fled in different directions to throw everyone off. And I… was saved by you.” Greya’s expression darkened. She bowed down to the ground again. “Please… With your power, you can surely help me get revenge! I’ll give you anything you want! Anything I can do, I’ll do it!”

Awei’er and the Ragdoll held their tongues, not daring to say a word about something like this. Awei’er especially looked at Greya with sympathy and concern, but the power struggles of royalty were far beyond an ordinary farm girl like her.

After getting dragged into something like this, Yixing couldn’t help sighing. He looked quietly at Greya, still kneeling on the ground. “You really mean anything?”

“That’s right! My father was right. I’m too weak, too naive. But I still want revenge! Even if…” She raised her head and met Yixing’s eyes with unwavering resolve. He was her greatest hope.

“What if I want your body?” Yixing asked. “You’re a beautiful woman, and, well, I’m a man.”

A moment ago, Greya had been terribly embarrassed by the word “bite.” Now she briskly pulled off her top, revealing her skin and undergarments, not caring that anyone nearby could see. Just as she began to unclasp her bra, Yixing stopped her.

“You don’t care what happens to your body. But what if I want your life?” Yixing said flatly. He was a good person, sure, but that didn’t mean a few words would be enough to drag him into a civil war.

Greya started to answer, but a sharp crack rang out. She instantly crumpled to the ground like a heap of mud, one arm bent at a ninety-degree angle. She’d activated her magic and forcibly snapped her own bones!

“Help me… get revenge.” Unable to even sit upright, Greya clenched her teeth as she said it.

Awei’er covered her mouth and turned away, unable to bear the sight. Even the Ragdoll, a seasoned veteran, was stunned!

What was even stranger was that the broken bones in Greya’s body healed on their own a little while later.

“The effects of my blood haven’t worn off yet.” Yixing stood up and patted Greya on the head. “Go. I can’t help you with this.”

As soon as he said that, Greya’s face went ashen.