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Qi Shu took a deep breath and let go of his grip.
Lu Chengyuan’s shout had been incredibly frustrating, but it had also been effective.
Right now, the demon terrorizing the world hadn’t been captured, and so many women’s lives were hanging by a thread. It was even possible that he was partly to blame for this situation due to his previous failure to defeat the demon.
Shizun had sacrificed himself to lure out the main culprit, and Lu Chengyuan was fighting a desperate battle1 against it. But what about him?
He had been acting childishly2 towards Shizun.
He couldn’t go on like this.
He took a step back and bowed deeply to Gu Hanjiang. When he looked up, he had already regained his usual respectful demeanor. “I apologize, Shizun. I lost my composure. Once I’ve eliminated this demon, I will come back and apologize to you.”
After saying this, he drew his sword from his waist and took a few steps forward, but was called back.
Gu Hanjiang walked up to Qi Shu and took a delicate, translucent jade pendant from his sleeve. “This will protect you from illusions.”
Qi Shu didn’t move.
His gaze lingered on the pendant for a moment before returning to Shizun’s face. “Did Shizun carve this one himself as well?”
Gu Hanjiang hesitated and shook his head. “No.”
“Then I still prefer the one that Shizun carved.” Qi Shu took off the small fox pendant he had worn around his waist since leaving the mountain and placed it solemnly in Gu Hanjiang’s hand.
As his fingers touched the other’s cool skin, Gu Hanjiang even flinched slightly.
Qi Shu noticed and a fleeting smile touched his lips before he took the jade pendant back from him. “Shizun, please keep this for me for a while. When I return after defeating the demon, I’ll ask for it back.”
“And…” He fastened the jade pendant and looked up, his eyes sparkling like a little fox. “After the demon is defeated, I have something to say to Shizun.”
Qi Shu was certain that Shizun didn’t feel nothing for him.
Either he hadn’t realized it, or he was afraid to admit it.
Since Shizun couldn’t take the initiative, he would.
After all, how could he pursue someone if he didn’t take the first step?
A gust of wind swept through the forest, shaking the trees and sending leaves swirling.
Amidst the darkness and the wind, the black-cloaked figure withdrew their attack and turned to leave.
Lu Chengyuan had just taken a hit and could barely stand, holding onto his sword. He could only shout, “Don’t you dare leave!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a figure flew past him, the sword aimed straight at the black-cloaked person’s back.
Clang!
The black-cloaked figure turned abruptly, their hands transforming into sharp claws, catching Qi Shu’s sword with ease.
Those claws were covered in blue scales, with sharp tips that glinted coldly.
Qi Shu smiled. “It’s you.”
He had fought this person for three days and three nights, and he remembered every move.
“You again…”
A muffled, hoarse voice came from beneath the black cloak. Qi Shu didn’t bother with pleasantries and they exchanged blows rapidly.
“I’m curious how you escaped from me, but I have something important to do right now and no time to waste with you.” Qi Shu pressed forward, giving the other no chance to breathe. “Farewell.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the light on his sword intensified, and a fierce sword energy shot towards the black-cloaked person’s face, instantly tearing the heavy hood to shreds.
But it revealed the face of a young, pale woman.
Qi Shu abruptly stopped, his sword almost grazing the woman’s cheek.
“Why didn’t you continue?” The woman’s face broke into a sinister smile. “This body is different from the one you encountered before. She’s not dead yet. If you kill me, you won’t be able to save her.”
“Qi Shu, stop!” Lu Chengyuan shouted, “This woman is an innocent citizen from Lingyang City who was kidnapped. Don’t hurt her.”
Qi Shu was silent.
After a moment, he lowered his sword. “No wonder your body could still live even after I blew it to pieces. So you’ve been possessing other people and absorbing their life energy.”
Not only that, but he had to specifically choose young and beautiful girls.
Qi Shu frowned in disgust. “…Aren’t you disgusting?”
“How dare you say that?” The woman suddenly leaned forward and whispered in Qi Shu’s ear, “The one who lured me out is your Shizun, no wonder you’re so infatuated with him. Why haven’t you confessed your feelings to your Shizun yet? Do you want me to help you?”
Qi Shu’s eyes flickered.
This Dragon Demon could probe people’s hearts, he had experienced it in the illusion.
He didn’t say anything, but the Dragon Demon seemed to think he had control over him and laughed even more arrogantly. “Afraid? Are you afraid your Shizun will find you disgusting? Indeed, the first time I saw you, I was also shocked. The noble and upright Kunlun Sword Sect’s eldest disciple, who appears so upright on the outside, but has such dirty thoughts in his heart.”
Qi Shu’s grip on the sword tightened.
“But your Shizun isn’t necessarily a good person either. Last time he entered my illusion, I saw…”
Before she could finish, her expression changed.
A palm strike suddenly came from behind the Dragon Demon, it was Lu Chengyuan who had somehow circled around to the back. The blow landed squarely on the Dragon Demon’s back, causing them to spit out blood and fall directly into Qi Shu’s arms.
A wisp of black smoke drifted out of the woman’s body and quickly disappeared into the dark forest.
Qi Shu: “…”
This was the second time.
Never in his life had he wanted to fight Lu Chengyuan as much as he did at this moment.
“Oops, how did he escape?” Lu Chengyuan was completely oblivious, walking over quickly while still complaining, “You didn’t cooperate with me!”
Qi Shu took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
He pushed the woman in his arms towards Lu Chengyuan and said, “He can’t escape, I’ll go chase him.”
“Then I…”
Lu Chengyuan was about to say something, but Qi Shu interrupted him loudly, “Don’t follow me!”
Then, his figure turned into a sword light and disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Qi Shu followed the trail of black smoke into the Misty Shadow Mountain.
The dense trees and the black smoke almost blended seamlessly with the surrounding fog. Qi Shu arrived on his sword and landed in the middle of the forest.
“Come out,” Qi Shu said coldly.
In response, a series of cackling laughter echoed from all directions, sounding particularly eerie in the dark forest. “What? Want to know what your Shizun thinks? Come beg me.”
The thick fog suddenly dissipated slightly, revealing a familiar courtyard.
This trick again.
Qi Shu chuckled and without hesitation, walked quickly inside.
Passing through the ajar door, the surroundings suddenly changed, and this time, it transformed into a dark cave.
This place was most likely the Dragon Demon’s cultivation cave.
The jade pendant around Qi Shu’s waist emitted a faint glow. He gently stroked it before stepping forward.
In front of him was a long corridor. Both sides of the corridor were piled with corpses, some already withered and decayed into bones, while others were still fresh. Qi Shu glanced over them and found the woman he had met the previous day when he came to Misty Shadow Mountain among the bones.
Thinking about it now, this woman should have already been drained of her essence and died by the Dragon Demon, and possessing her body was to lure Qi Shu into the illusion.
Qi Shu’s eyes darkened slightly, and without stopping, he continued towards the depths of the cave.
Passing through the long corridor, there was a tall cave ahead. A stream flowed gently below the cave, and a nauseating stench filled the air.
Qi Shu stepped inside, and a woman appeared out of thin air in front of him.
“How did you…”
She noticed the jade pendant hanging from Qi Shu’s waist and her face twisted. “Breaking my illusion, do you think you can defeat me like this?”
“Of course,” Qi Shu shrugged. “You escaped last time, but you were seriously injured, otherwise you wouldn’t be kidnapping young women everywhere to replenish your yin energy. You’re no match for me now, and your only good illusion has been broken. You should just surrender. Why waste our time?”
“You…”
The Dragon Demon was almost provoked, but suddenly thought of something and sneered. “You can’t kill me, if you kill me, you’ll never know what your Shizun thinks. You came here to find out, didn’t you?”
Before the woman could finish, Qi Shu suddenly disappeared from his spot.
The next second, the cold blade was at the Dragon Demon’s neck.
Qi Shu’s voice was almost against her ear. “You seem to have misunderstood. I came here because you insulted my Shizun, as a disciple, I should teach you a lesson for my Shizun.”
“As for what your Shizun thinks…”
Qi Shu smiled lightly. “There are many ways to explore a person’s true heart in this world, why would you need this beast who only hides in the dark to spy on people’s hearts to tell you?”
As he spoke, the light on his sword intensified. The Dragon Demon’s soul was now weak and couldn’t withstand this pure spiritual pressure, struggling violently.
“You, stop!” The Dragon Demon’s voice was shrill. “If you kill me now, you’ll never know what your Shizun has been hiding from you. Do you remember what happened the day you left Kunlun three years ago?”
Qi Shu was startled.
The day he left Kunlun…
Of course, he remembered that day.
It was his birthday, and he took wine to visit Shizun’s secluded Lingxu Cave. Later, he unknowingly got drunk and woke up back in his bedroom.
He had no memory of what happened in between.
Qi Shu didn’t dwell on it.
He had always had a poor tolerance for alcohol, so it was normal not to remember what happened after drinking. As for why he appeared in his bedroom, he simply assumed he had wandered back there in a daze after getting drunk.
But why did this beast suddenly bring up this matter?
Could something else have happened that day?
Qi Shu pulled his thoughts back and snorted coldly. “You’re still talking nonsense when you’re about to die, will I believe you? You’ve spied on so many people’s hearts, can you understand them?”
“I don’t understand,” the Dragon Demon said. “I don’t understand why he sealed your memory…”
Qi Shu frowned, “What did you say?”
“I said, I don’t understand why he sealed your memory,” the Dragon Demon said slowly, “Just like I don’t understand why he knows everything but pretends not to know, treating you like a monkey.”
“…Qi Shixiong, why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”
Qi Shu’s mind went blank.
While he was stunned, a wisp of black smoke silently drifted out of the woman’s sleeve. The black smoke floated towards the cave entrance, but was hit by a sudden sword light from outside the cave.
With a loud bang.
The black smoke dissipated completely.
In the distance, Gu Hanjiang appeared from the sword light.
Qi Shu was still holding the unconscious woman in his arms. He stared blankly at Gu Hanjiang, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.
When did Shizun arrive?
Did he… hear what the Dragon Demon said?
Qi Shu murmured, “Shizun, was he lying to me?”
Gu Hanjiang didn’t answer but looked away.
Lu Chengyuan’s voice came from an unknown cave, “Immortal Venerable, we found everyone, and there are a few survivors!”
“Bring them back,” Gu Hanjiang ordered calmly, “Also collect the corpses at the cave entrance and bring them back to their parents.”
After saying that, he didn’t look at Qi Shu again and turned to leave the cave.
For some reason, Qi Shu noticed a hint of panic in the person’s hurried departure.
Qi Shu: “…”
********
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Reika’s Notes:
- This chapter is by PipGirlPixie.
- I finally got someone to help me, yes!!!!!
- Sorry for the wait, but more chapters should be published soon.
- Please let me know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading!
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