Although Shen Xingying didn't know where her brother was going, she obediently nodded, showing that he didn't need to worry about her.
Seeing this, Shen Xingyan smiled with relief, closed the door securely, and cautiously began to inspect his surroundings, heading towards the site of the recent battle.
By then, it was already dark, and although their area was usually deserted at this time, he still walked as if nothing had happened. Even if someone saw him, they wouldn't notice anything suspicious.
On his way, Shen Xingyan subtly collected the drops of blood left on the road and carefully wiped away the traces. Thanks to his Insight skill, even without any experience in such matters, he instantly mastered the technique due to his enhanced understanding.
Shen Xingyan's movements were so skillful and natural, it was as if he were a seasoned master of "destroying evidence." Every trace he worked on became completely unnoticeable.
Fortunately, there was no one on the road, which significantly reduced the risk of being discovered and made his task easier.
Upon reaching the site of the fierce fight, Shen Xingyan inspected the numerous traces and quickly considered a plan of action. The strong smell left behind would be difficult to hide completely—if someone were to purposefully search with special equipment, the traces would still be found.
But then, his heightened Insight came to the rescue again. As soon as the problem arose, a solution immediately appeared in his mind:
"Instead of trying to hide the traces poorly and risking being discovered, it's better not to hide them at all, but to change the direction of the rat's tracks as if it were heading outside the base. Then, even if someone searches meticulously, they will follow this false trail and won't end up finding me."
This plan seemed very promising to Shen Xingyan—it allowed him to achieve safety with a minimal expenditure of time and effort. And if his calculations proved incorrect and no one investigated the incident, he would simply have put in a little extra effort for his own peace of mind.
Having made his decision, Shen Xingyan immediately put it into action. He carefully worked the battle site, preserving the main traces but altering their direction.
Then he began to place the bloodied soil he had collected earlier at certain intervals along the rat's supposed escape route, continuing almost to the very border.
After completing all his preparations, Shen Xingyan once again analyzed the situation, checking to see if he had missed anything.
Thanks to his boosted Insight, his analysis passed quickly. After numerous mental checks, he concluded that if he took a different route home and made sure to leave no traces, there would be no problems.
This conclusion allowed Shen Xingyan to sigh with relief. He rubbed his temples to release the tension in his head.
Looking up at the high border wall, he thought about the vast outside world beyond that barrier. He involuntarily clenched his fists and silently declared:
"Calamities, just you wait. Sooner or later, I'll show you what true fear is, and you will regret ever coming into this world!"
Casting one last glance at the sky beyond the base, Shen Xingyan cautiously began his return journey. He took several detours, even deliberately changing the direction of his footprints in one section of the path, and only then did he return home.
"Brother, are you okay? What happened?" Shen Xingying asked with concern when he finally returned.
After cleaning and putting away all his tools, Shen Xingyan replied with a smile:
"Everything's fine, I took care of it. Maybe I was just worrying too much, don't worry."
His voice sounded so confident, it was as if he were not the same person who had been so nervous and at a loss just moments ago.
Hearing this, Shen Xingying finally calmed down. She knew that her brother was always careful, and if he said everything was okay, it meant nothing serious had happened. It was a kind of mutual understanding that had existed between them since childhood.
Once she was at ease, Shen Xingying remembered the strange incident and asked:
"Brother, what was that leaf? Why did it merge with your card?"
After thinking about his sister's question, Shen Xingyan decided not to tell her the whole truth. He simply said that the leaf could temporarily increase his body's attributes, but he didn't specify the exact numbers.
In an era where even self-defense required relying on others, sometimes less known was more safe.
"Only you and I know about this. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Although the information he had told her wasn't particularly critical, he still warned her not to talk about it, just in case she accidentally let something slip.
Hearing that the leaf could increase attributes, Shen Xingying mentally appraised it at about 10 gold coins, and her eyes lit up.
"I've never seen that much money! No wonder my brother was so serious about it!" she thought, mentally explaining all of her brother's previous actions.
With a joyful expression, she nodded vigorously, promising to keep the secret!
Happily smiling, Shen Xingying skipped back to her room to continue her training. Because of all the events, she had missed her usual exercises and was now in a hurry to make up for lost time.
Looking at his sister's closed door, Shen Xingyan finally sighed with relief.
He then went into the kitchen and completely disposed of the giant rat's meat. Only when all traces were destroyed did he truly feel at ease.
By this time, the Insight skill's boost had faded, and he sank into a chair, collecting his thoughts.
…..
Just as Shen Xingyan finished all his necessary actions, a group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared on the road outside, which was now completely shrouded in darkness. They moved so fast that they left blurry silhouettes in their wake. These people stopped directly at the spot where Shen Xingyan had fought the giant rat.