The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 23

“Move aside,” Bai Fenghuo said in a voice only Yun Chuanzhi could hear. Yun Chuanzhi quickly dodged out of the way, watching Bai Fenghuo collapse softly to the ground.

“Se-Senior Sister,” Bai Fenghuo said, clutching the wound at her waist. When she looked up with her willow-leaf eyes, her face was paler than the white jade floor tiles.

“I only wished to accompany the Sect Leaders to the Main Peak. Why would you treat me this way?”

The woman’s crimson lips trembled as two clear streams of tears spilled down like beads, mingling with the bl00d.

Bai Xiaochen landed her sword, and another woman—a middle-aged Daoist nun—leapt down from mid-air. Presumably the remaining Sect Leader from the Fourth Peak, she stood beside Bai Xiaochen, her gaze lowered to Bai Fenghuo on the ground.

Bai Fenghuo’s appearance was truly pitiful. Bai Xiaochen’s brow furrowed slightly, and she tightened her grip on the ice-clear sword hilt.

A voice nearby barked, “You demoness…”

“Enough,” Bai Xiaochen interrupted Liao Zongfang. Her gaze swept over the crimson trail of bl00d snaking across the floor. She seemed about to step forward, but only shifted the tip of her foot.

“Core Sect Day is a day for Immortal Cultivators under each sect to spar and compete. You’ve never taken disciples, so how can you participate?”

Though her words remained sharp, her tone had softened considerably.

Bai Fenghuo coughed, covering her mouth. Bl00d trickled from the corner of her lips, leaving a stark crimson trail down her pale cheek, making her frail complexion appear even more fragile.

“Core Sect Day only requires Immortal Cultivators under each sect. While This Seat has no disciples, I do have a few personal Immortal Servants,” Bai Fenghuo said softly, her gaze shifting to Yun Chuanzhi, who was crouching nearby.

“Here.” With a gentle push of her slender hand on Yun Chuanzhi’s shoulder, she propelled her forward with seemingly boundless force, thrusting her into Bai Xiaochen’s line of sight.

Bai Xiaochen stood with her hands clasped behind her back, studying Yun Chuanzhi with a flicker of recognition. She leaned closer, her brow furrowing deeper. “Isn’t this your…?”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, straightening her posture. “Nonsense.”

“How is it nonsense? Are the Immortal Servants of Mount Everlasting not considered Immortal Cultivators?” Bai Fenghuo drew a slender finger across the wound at her waist, the gruesome injury visibly ceasing to bleed before their eyes. “If Master were still alive, she would certainly…”

“Don’t you dare mention Master!” Bai Xiaochen’s voice rang out, a flash of hatred crossing her clear, cold eyes.

The surrounding area fell silent. Not a single Immortal Cultivator dared to speak, their numbers a dark, murmuring mass. Yun Chuanzhi, forcing herself to raise her hand, stammered, “Um, Sect Leader, I’d rather not…”

“Fine, we’ll count her as one for now,” Bai Xiaochen said, turning away from Bai Fenghuo, unwilling to look at her any longer. “But even one person isn’t enough.”

Is anyone even listening to me? Yun Chuanzhi’s hand, still raised halfway, could only drop heavily back down in resignation.

What kind of Core Sect Day is this? A mere Immortal Servant who hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment sparring with a group of Immortal Cultivators? Wouldn’t that be a laughingstock?

Bai Fenghuo seemed equally troubled, her gaze sweeping across the crowd. Anyone who met her eyes wished they could bury their heads in their stomachs. Only Ling Shui stood tall, her slender neck stretched, unable to conceal her eager anticipation.

“You go too,” Bai Fenghuo said, lightly shaking her hair. Ling Shui’s face lit up with joy, instantly forgetting about healing Bai Fenghuo’s wounds as she leaped to her feet.

With no other Kun Dan Sect members present, Bai Fenghuo pressed a finger to her lips in thought, then pointed into the crowd. “Let’s choose her as the last one.”

Bai Xiaochen glanced into the crowd and met Cheng Jinshu’s bewildered gaze, nearly fainting in anger. “Isn’t Cheng Jinshu my disciple?” she demanded coldly. “How has she become your person, Bai Fenghuo?”

“Senior Sister, you misunderstand,” Bai Fenghuo replied with a wan smile, her face pale. “You expelled her from the sect long ago. Now that she has taken refuge on my mountain, she naturally belongs to me.”

Bai Xiaochen opened her mouth to retort, but seeing Bai Fenghuo’s eyes nearly closing in pain, she finally flung her sleeve behind her. “Do as you please. This venerable one has no time for your petty squabbles.”

“How embarrassing for a dignified sect leader to become the laughingstock of her own junior cultivators,” Bai Xiaochen remarked, surveying the crowd. The Immortal Cultivators, who had been packed tightly around them moments before, scattered like startled birds.

The area before the hall cleared significantly. Bai Xiaochen’s phoenix eyes swept Yun Chuanzhi from head to toe, sending shivers down her spine, before finally shifting her gaze.

As Bai Xiaochen turned to leave, the other three sect leaders followed closely behind. Ling Shui rushed to support Bai Fenghuo, but she waved her away.

The woman rose unsteadily, her steps faltering like a willow branch in the wind. She wiped the bl00d from the corner of her mouth with a silk handkerchief.

“Sect Leader, your injuries…” Ling Shui began anxiously.

“It’s nothing, just a minor wound,” Bai Fenghuo replied dismissively.

“How can you call it minor? There was so much bl00d!” Ling Shui stepped forward, holding the Phoenix Tears she had retrieved from Yun Chuanzhi’s waist in her palm. “The Sect Leader’s Lingbing Sword carries Cold Poison. Even you can’t withstand it.”

“If you truly refuse to see the Medical Immortal, please try this. It’s a precious artifact of my people, remarkably effective against Cold Poison.” Ling Shui presented the small, transparent gourd with both hands.

Bai Fenghuo’s gaze lingered on Ling Shui’s face for a long moment before finally accepting it.

“You don’t need to return today. This Seat will find a place to rest and recover,” Bai Fenghuo said, her voice unusually weary, as if all her strength had been drained.

“You two should find your own accommodations as well. There’s no need to follow me.”

As Bai Fenghuo and Ling Shui’s figures receded down the stone steps, Yun Chuanzhi watched them until they disappeared. Cheng Jinshu approached, tilting her head to study Yun Chuanzhi. “What’s wrong? Are you worried too?”

“No,” Yun Chuanzhi shook her head, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have drunk that bottle of Phoenix Tears earlier. At least it would have boosted my cultivation a bit,” Yun Chuanzhi sighed. “Now it’s all been for nothing.”

Cheng Jinshu chuckled. “I was wondering when you’d start worrying about others.”

“What, I can’t worry about others?” Yun Chuanzhi shot her a sidelong glance.

“It’s not that exactly, but you do seem different to me—a bit cold compared to ordinary people.” Cheng Jinshu cradled her right arm, her free hand stroking her chin with mock seriousness. “As if nothing could ever make you lose your composure.”

“Are you really just a sixteen-year-old Immortal Servant?” She spun to face Yun Chuanzhi, her voice tinged with suspicion.

“Guess,” Yun Chuanzhi replied with a smile.

Then she countered, “You don’t seem like the Eldest Senior Sister of Mount Everlasting either. You lack all sense of decorum.”

Cheng Jinshu giggled, tossing her braids behind her. She grabbed Yun Chuanzhi’s hand and pulled her toward the crowd. “If I weren’t this carefree, I would have killed myself when half my cultivation was crippled. How else could I have survived until now?”

It was true. Both had endured immense suffering. Without a touch of levity, how could they possibly carry on?

Due to the unexpected incident, Immortal Cultivators from various sects were now mingled together. Several high-ranking cultivators were leading them toward their respective lodging areas.

Yun Chuanzhi and Cheng Jinshu blended into the crowd, ascending a wide staircase amidst the intermittent chatter of voices, most discussing the recent events.

Some younger cultivators, unfamiliar with Bai Fenghuo, prompted older ones to explain, their voices mingling into a fragmented murmur.

“So the Sect Leader of Fifth Peak was originally a criminal?” a delicate-voiced cultivator asked. “Then why isn’t she staying put on Fifth Peak? How dare she cause such a ruckus on Mount Everlasting?”

“You don’t understand,” a blue-robed woman sighed. “This Sect Leader is infamous. She’s capable of murdering her own disciples—what wouldn’t she do? I suspect she’s bitter and lonely, having no successors to her sect, and finally snapped, choosing to disrupt Core Sect Day.”

The delicate-voiced cultivator persisted, “If she’s a Sect Leader, why doesn’t she have any disciples?”

“Who would willingly become her disciple?” someone interjected. “It’s just asking for trouble.” A few scattered chuckles followed.

Yun Chuanzhi listened intently, captivated by the tale. She nudged Cheng Jinshu’s waist and leaned in to ask, “Is it really like that?”

“About half and half,” Cheng Jinshu replied. “Few dare to seek her tutelage, but there are always reckless fools. After all, my aunt’s cultivation prowess is undeniable, and even some evildoers admire her greatly.”

“But she rejects them all,” Cheng Jinshu shook her head. “For some reason, she refuses to take any disciples.”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded slightly, deciding not to dwell on the mystery.

Who could ever fathom the mind of that Bai Fenghuo bastard?

Yun Chuanzhi’s legs trembled as she finally reached the end of the seemingly endless staircase. Instead of continuing upward, the steps now spread out horizontally. She dragged her heavy legs forward, nearly collapsing to her knees on the final step.

Meanwhile, the surrounding Immortal Cultivators didn’t even break a sweat, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened. Yun Chuanzhi bent over, clutching her knees, and collapsed onto the ground.

There’s a world of difference between having cultivation and not having it, she thought, shielding her eyes from the sun. Tomorrow, I’m surrendering before the match even begins. Core Sect Day? Screw that.

The air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of a flower forest. In the distance, the mountains were veiled in a pink mist. At the end of the jade-white stone path stood an arched gate. Beyond it, dozens of magnificent Cloud Pavilions floated in mid-air, mingling with the clouds. At each corner of the pavilions’ eaves perched a white-feathered Immortal Crane, its wings slowly flapping.

“As expected of one of the cultivation world’s top sects! Even their Immortal Cultivators’ residences are so magnificent!” Yun Chuanzhi exclaimed, instantly refreshed. She tugged on Cheng Jinshu’s arm, pulling herself up, and craned her neck to take in the scene.

“Look at you, so easily impressed,” Cheng Jinshu said, crossing her arms. “Back in my day, my residence was truly magnificent.”

“Those days are long gone,” Yun Chuanzhi sighed, inhaling deeply the fragrant floral scent.

“From the Kun Dan Sect?” A blue-robed Immortal Cultivator approached them. Recognizing Cheng Jinshu, her face flushed crimson. “E-Eldest Senior Sister…”

“Just a humble wandering cultivator,” Cheng Jinshu interrupted. “Where are we staying?”

The blue-robed cultivator fell silent, then pointed to a Cloud Pavilion at the far end. “Your accommodations are there. We hadn’t anticipated the Kun Dan Sect’s participation, so there aren’t enough beds.”

“You’ll likely have to share a room with other Immortal Cultivators.”

“That’s fine, as long as we have a place to sleep,” Cheng Jinshu said with a smile. She grabbed Yun Chuanzhi by the collar and leaped into the air, landing in the blink of an eye on the pavilion’s extended platform.

As if sensing their arrival, the closed doors of the pavilion swung open on their own, revealing the wooden interior.

A screen embroidered with landscapes met their eyes. Circling around it, they entered the room, where four beds lay side by side. Four women were chatting and laughing, but their laughter abruptly ceased when they saw the newcomers.

“Eldest Senior Sister?” The woman closest to them, with a round, moon-like face, bright eyes, and pearly teeth, rose and asked, “Who is this…?”

“Don’t call me Eldest Senior Sister. I was expelled from the sect long ago,” Cheng Jinshu said, waving her palm. “We’re with the Kun Dan Sect now. The immortal cultivators below said there weren’t enough beds, so they asked us to squeeze in with you.”

“Of course, no problem,” the woman replied with a smile, tilting her head to look at Yun Chuanzhi behind Cheng Jinshu. “And this is…?”

“She’s an Immortal Servant under Sect Leader Bai, named Cui,” Cheng Jinshu introduced Yun Chuanzhi, then pointed to the round-faced woman. “Er Gou, this is my Master’s youngest Junior Sister, Qi Yurong.”

Yun Chuanzhi was about to step forward to offer a greeting when Qi Yurong suddenly recoiled, causing her to freeze in place.

“An Immortal Servant?” Qi Yurong pursed her lips and glanced at her companions. With a wave of her hand, the slave status mark, usually hidden, instantly appeared on Yun Chuanzhi’s forehead.

“Still a slave?” Qi Yurong frowned slightly. “Senior Sister, this…”

Yun Chuanzhi immediately understood her meaning and lowered her head with a soft chuckle, stopping in her tracks.

“What’s wrong with being a slave? What are you implying?” Cheng Jinshu raised a delicate eyebrow. “At worst, you can all squeeze together, and I’ll share a bed with her.”

Qi Yurong remained silent, turning to her companions. Another woman spoke up hesitantly, “Senior Sister, you might be fine with it, but we’re all proper Immortal Cultivators. Sharing a room with a slave… I’m afraid…”

“Exactly, Senior Sister! Are there no other empty rooms? Or perhaps outside…”

Cheng Jinshu’s temper flared. “How can you be so narrow-minded! What has Master taught you all?!”

The women lowered their heads, afraid to speak. Cheng Jinshu stepped forward to argue further, but Yun Chuanzhi gently tugged her sleeve, shaking her head with a smile.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Yun Chuanzhi said. Having long known the Qianyuan Realm’s rigid social hierarchy, she wasn’t offended. She patted Cheng Jinshu’s shoulder. “You stay here. I’ll sleep outside.”

“Er Gou!” Cheng Jinshu turned and grabbed her arm. “How can you sleep outside? At this rate, we might as well go back to Kun Dan Sect.”

“No, another trip back and forth and I’ll definitely throw up,” Yun Chuanzhi said, her laughter clear and bright. “It’s fine. No wind, no rain, and I’m used to sleeping outdoors anyway. What difference does it make where I sleep?”

With that, she left the cramped room without waiting for Cheng Jinshu’s reply, returning to the sunlight outside.

Fortunately, the area was surrounded by flowering trees, their fragrance filling the air. A gentle breeze caused petals to fall like musical notes, pattering softly to the ground.

Yun Chuanzhi walked deeper into the grove, found a tree with a wide fork in its branches, and hung herself from it.

Better to avoid the jostling crowds and the judgmental eyes of the Immortal Cultivators. Sleeping under the open sky, smelling the flowers, and enjoying the scenery was far more comfortable.

He swayed gently in the breeze, watching the sun slowly sink below the mountains until only a deep blue sky remained. Soon, even that blue began to fade.

“Er Gou!” A loud voice startled him. A figure leaped onto the branch, hanging upside down beside him, feet touching, grinning. “I’ve come to keep you company.”

Cheng Jinshu? Yun Chuanzhi opened her eyes in surprise. “You were resting inside. Why did you come out here?”

“I don’t like sleeping with them—a bunch of arrogant, holier-than-thou types.” Cheng Jinshu propped her hands behind her head, dangling one leg over the edge of the branch.

“I’ve never liked how those Immortal Cultivators act so superior. They’ve had it too easy, completely ignoring the suffering of ordinary people.”

“You’re right,” Yun Chuanzhi chuckled.

“You have such a good temperament. You’re not even angry about this.”

“It’s not that I’m not angry, but it passes quickly. Being looked down upon is nothing compared to real suffering,” Yun Chuanzhi said calmly, reaching out to grasp the wind.

“Do you even know what suffering is, child?” Cheng Jinshu laughed.

Yun Chuanzhi didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the blue sky.

Of course she knew. The pain of watching her father trampled into the mud before her eyes. The pain of her mother being devoured by an Evil Spirit. The pain of Sister Guiren dying of illness by the roadside. The pain of killing her own companions, one after another, just to survive…

“I’m starting to feel a little pain now,” Yun Chuanzhi suddenly frowned.

Cheng Jinshu froze, jolting upright. “What?”

“I’m hungry,” Yun Chuanzhi said, sounding slightly aggrieved.

“Tch.” Cheng Jinshu laughed heartily, flipping down from the tree. “Come on, there should be a dining hall in the sect.”

“Forget it. I don’t want to deal with those Immortal Cultivators,” Yun Chuanzhi said, flopping lifelessly on the branch, her limbs dangling in the air. “Let’s sneak some food from the Sect Leader’s quarters instead.”

She chuckled. “Bai Fenghuo’s meals are the best. Since she doesn’t eat much, I get the leftovers.”

“Stealing from my aunt? You’re incredibly bold! Aren’t you afraid of her wrath?” Cheng Jinshu asked, genuinely surprised.

“Not really. I steal every day, and she’s never noticed,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, her nose crinkling with amusement.

Cheng Jinshu finally relented, carrying Yun Chuanzhi as they searched the sect grounds. Just before nightfall, they found Bai Fenghuo’s residence: an Immortal hall slightly removed from Mount Everlasting’s Main Peak, its gate emblazoned with the words “Little White Hall” in golden characters that shimmered under the glow of lanterns.

“What’s ‘Little White Hall’?” Yun Chuanzhi squinted at the sign.

“When my aunt first came to Mount Everlasting, the Former Sect Leader specially gifted her this Immortal hall and even changed its name to coax her,” Cheng Jinshu said, her eyes filled with nostalgia as she crossed her arms. “I never imagined she’d return to live here.”

This showed how deeply Sect Leader Mingcun had cherished Bai Fenghuo, and how Bai Fenghuo still held her master in high regard. How could she have personally murdered her own master?

Yun Chuanzhi felt a growing sense of unease but kept her thoughts to herself as she followed Cheng Jinshu through the hall’s gate.

The hall was unlit, and the deepening darkness made it seem even more pitch-black. Yun Chuanzhi pulled a short, rod-like object from her sleeve, tapped it against her palm, and a brilliant light spilled from its tip.

“What’s this?” Cheng Jinshu asked, stroking the smooth rod in admiration.

“A lamp I made myself,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, shaking the rod. “It never goes out and you can adjust the brightness. Much more convenient than torches or fire starters.”

“You can even make these?” Cheng Jinshu exclaimed, her hands reluctant to release the rod. Yun Chuanzhi promptly handed her another.

The two walked down the pitch-black corridor, stopping frequently. For some reason, Yun Chuanzhi’s heart felt heavy, as if something was amiss, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Can you sense the Sect Leader’s presence?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“She’s a Tribulation Transcension Stage Cultivator. What could I possibly sense of her aura?” Cheng Jinshu joked, but her smile faded under Yun Chuanzhi’s steady gaze.

“No way…” Cheng Jinshu’s lips turned downward.

“Can you sense the aura of Ling Shui? Or mine?” Yun Chuanzhi asked again, extending the light into the distance. But the viscous darkness seemed to form an impenetrable wall, allowing the light to illuminate only the ground beneath their feet.

“Something’s strange about this hall,” Cheng Jinshu said, grabbing Yun Chuanzhi’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Get out?” Yun Chuanzhi chuckled, turning to shine the light back the way they’d come. The original entrance had vanished, leaving only an endless corridor stretching into the impenetrable darkness.

“Could this be haunted?” Cheng Jinshu abruptly summoned her Profound Iron Rod, gripping it in one hand as she positioned Yun Chuanzhi behind her. “No way! I’m terrified of ghosts.”

“You’re a cultivator afraid of ghosts? How do you handle Evil Spirits?” Yun Chuanzhi scrutinized Cheng Jinshu, as if she were observing someone else’s predicament.

“Ghost-hunting is one thing, being afraid of ghosts is another. Besides, I only have half my cultivation power right now. What if I can’t beat them?” Cheng Jinshu wiped sweat from her brow. “Don’t scare me.”

“And why aren’t you scared?” Cheng Jinshu pointed the iron rod at Yun Chuanzhi, her face pale with alarm. “You’re not a ghost too, are you?”

“Mm-hmm,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, casually flicking Cheng Jinshu’s rod aside with a fingertip before retrieving Blackie from her sleeve.

“Blackie, you’re immune to illusions. Tell us where we are.”

Blackie climbed onto her shoulder, glanced around, and chirped, “Master, we’re on a cliff.”

“What?!” Cheng Jinshu nearly jumped out of her skin, grabbing Yun Chuanzhi’s arm so hard her voice cracked. “A cliff?!”

“If you take another step forward, you’ll fall off the edge,” Blackie replied calmly, then pointed a tiny arm to the right. “The path is this way.”

Yun Chuanzhi patted Cheng Jinshu on the shoulder and strode forward in the direction Blackie had indicated. The wall dissolved like a bubble, the scene before them shifting to reveal moonlight pooling at their feet.

Cheng Jinshu glanced back and broke into a cold sweat, her voice trembling. “It’s true… it’s really a cliff! What’s going on? Have we been tricked?”

“Have you ever heard of Shadow Demons?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, retracting the glowing staff in her hand. “They can move freely wherever shadows exist, using them to deceive the eye and lure travelers into danger.”

“I’ve seen them before, but never one this powerful,” Cheng Jinshu replied, still shaken. “How could such a creature infiltrate Mount Everlasting, with its impenetrable defenses?”

Yun Chuanzhi didn’t answer. She took Cheng Jinshu’s hand and led her into the dense forest.

Cheng Jinshu followed nervously, then suddenly realized something. “Aren’t you just a powerless Immortal Servant? How do you know all this?”

“The moonlight is lovely tonight, isn’t it?” Yun Chuanzhi said with a smile.

Cheng Jinshu rolled her eyes, realizing Yun Chuanzhi wouldn’t answer. She simply followed her through the forest. After about fifteen minutes, the “Little White Hall” they had seen earlier reappeared.

So we were already trapped when we strayed off the path, Yun Chuanzhi thought. She pushed open the hall’s doors and stepped back into the darkness.

“How can we avoid being bewitched by the Shadow Demon?” Yun Chuanzhi murmured, closing the door behind her, plunging the surroundings into pitch darkness.

Without shadows, we’ll be safe.

Cheng Jinshu naturally understood. The two groped their way forward in the darkness, ascended the temple’s steps, and reached the second floor.

Suddenly, Cheng Jinshu stepped on something soft. She gasped, wanting to scream, but clenched her jaw and stifled the cry into a whimper. “Er Gou, I stepped on a ghost!”

What is it? Yun Chuanzhi frowned and crouched down to feel around, her fingers brushing against a slippery, human face.

“Sister Ling Shui!” she exclaimed, startled. She quickly moved Cheng Jinshu’s foot aside, helped the face-trampled Ling Shui up, and waved her hand, chanting a Heart Incantation. A glowing fingertip pressed against Ling Shui’s chest.

Ling Shui gasped for breath, her eyes snapping open. She grabbed Yun Chuanzhi’s shoulders. “Sect Leader!”

“I’m not the Sect Leader. I’m Cui Ergou,” Yun Chuanzhi said, her brow furrowed. “What happened? Why did you faint?”

“Er Gou?” Ling Shui repeated dazedly, then hurried on, “The Sect Leader is healing inside the temple. I was guarding the entrance when suddenly everything went pitch black.”

“I got up and went inside, but I couldn’t find any light or the Sect Leader. Suddenly, many people rushed out of the darkness. I couldn’t fight them all off and passed out.”

“By the way, what’s your cultivation level?” Yun Chuanzhi suddenly asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Ling Shui blinked, then answered truthfully, “Golden Core Stage.”

“I’m at the same level now,” Cheng Jinshu interjected.

Cultivation levels in the Qianyuan Realm were divided into Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Transformation God, Tribulation Transcendence, and Great Ascension. Beyond Great Ascension lay Immortality. Those who achieved Immortality had mostly attained enlightenment and transcended the mortal realm, so further divisions were rarely specified.

Ling Shui and Cheng Jinshu’s Golden Core Stage cultivation should have been considered relatively strong within the sect. Yet they had completely failed to detect the Shadow Demon, indicating that this was no ordinary demon but likely a formidable great demon.

Yun Chuanzhi’s smile faded. She gestured for Cheng Jinshu to help Ling Shui up, then handed her a Bl00d Pill from her sleeve. After Ling Shui had recovered her vital energy, Yun Chuanzhi spoke, “You’ve likely been targeted by a powerful great demon.”

“A demon? How could there be a demon in the sect?” Ling Shui exclaimed in shock, tightening her grip on her whip. “Sect Leader Bai… she…”

“Generally speaking, there are no demons in cultivation sects,” Yun Chuanzhi said, suddenly finding the situation intriguing. “But if there were, they would be nurtured by spiritual energy, making them undetectable to others.”

“What do you mean?” Cheng Jinshu asked, startled.

“Someone at Mount Everlasting is keeping a demon as a pet,” Yun Chuanzhi said casually.

Without waiting for their reaction, she rummaged through her sleeve for a long moment before pulling out a handful of cloth dolls and tossing them into the air. “Go find Bai Fenghuo,” she commanded.

The dolls couldn’t speak, but they were remarkably obedient. They scattered as soon as they landed, unafraid of the darkness and unaffected by the Shadow Demon. Within moments, they had vanished into the shadows.

Ling Shui and Cheng Jinshu exchanged glances, shock evident in their eyes.

Yun Chuanzhi understood their astonishment, but now that they had reached this point, she had no choice but to find Bai Fenghuo.

If the Shadow Demon was being controlled by someone, their hidden enemy must be incredibly powerful. Having already been drawn into this game, they would never be allowed to escape.

Their only chance of survival lay in finding Bai Fenghuo and confronting their hidden foe.

The cloth dolls soon returned, crowding together in a dense mass. Fortunately, their mouths hadn’t been sewn shut; otherwise, the noise would have been deafening.

Then, tugging at Yun Chuanzhi’s sleeve, she led her into the darkness. Yun Chuanzhi reached out to pull Cheng Jinshu and Ling Shui forward, and the three formed a line, advancing slowly.

“Listen,” Ling Shui said. “There’s a sound. Over here.”

She felt two doors and pressed her ear against one. Yun Chuanzhi and Cheng Jinshu also heard the noise—a rustling, skittering sound like countless spiders crawling, sending chills down their spines.

At the same time, a rich floral fragrance drifted from the door crack, the unmistakable scent of Bai Fenghuo.

“Sect Leader!” Ling Shui exclaimed, kicking open the tightly sealed door. Cheng Jinshu promptly activated the wooden staff Yun Chuanzhi had given her, bathing the surroundings in light.

A horrifying scene met their eyes, and the three gasped in unison.

Countless dark figures swarmed within the room, darting about like swirling dust, their movements dizzying. More of these shadows clustered in the center, coiling around a woman’s body like countless writhing snakes, binding her tightly.

“Bai Fenghuo?” Yun Chuanzhi was stunned. The figure suspended in mid-air, gently swaying, was indeed Bai Fenghuo. She wore only a thin nightgown, looking frail and vulnerable.

Her skirt billowed like shattered flower petals, her raven hair tangled in the play of light and shadow, and her face was so pale it seemed translucent, leaving one uncertain whether she was alive or dead.

“Aunt!” Cheng Jinshu cried out. At that moment, the shadows noticed them and swarmed forward like flesh-eating insects, blotting out the sky.

Cheng Jinshu’s skin crawled with goosebumps. She drew her long staff and swung it in a dense, impenetrable arc. Beside her, Ling Shui pulled Yun Chuanzhi behind her, her snow-white whip lashing out like a blizzard, intercepting the shadows.

“What the hell are these things?” Cheng Jinshu shouted between strikes, her voice cracking with fear. “Shadow Demons?”

“No,” Yun Chuanzhi replied calmly, as if she weren’t under attack. She retreated to the wall and ducked into hiding. “These are Evil Spirits.”

“So many Evil Spirits?” Cheng Jinshu nearly burst into tears. “I’ve never seen this many in my life! How many graves did we have to dig to gather this many?”

The fact that she could still joke meant she was holding up. Yun Chuanzhi, hidden in the corner, began rapidly drawing a Formation.

Suddenly, the black egg that had been hanging on Yun Chuanzhi’s shoulder stirred. Its stone hand tugged at her hair, and it said in a sweet voice, “Master, hurry! Something’s coming.”

Almost there, almost there, Yun Chuanzhi thought, her fingertips burning from the friction. With a final stroke, she shouted, “Sister Ling Shui, some bl00d!”

Ling Shui, ever composed, whipped her wrist, flicked her sleeve, and several drops of hot bl00d splattered precisely into the formation’s core.

Instantly, azure light erupted from the core, flooding the room. Ethereal Buddhist chants echoed in their ears, as if descending from the heavens. The ferocious Evil Spirits gradually slowed, freezing mid-air.

“Seal,” Yun Chuanzhi murmured. The formation swirled like a vortex, sucking the Evil Spirits dry.

Ling Shui and Cheng Jinshu were about to breathe a sigh of relief when Ling Shui suddenly stiffened, her body turning to ice. Her limbs went numb. “Sect Leader!”

Beneath the formation’s blue glow, four shadows detached from the walls, coalescing into a massive, faceless monster.

A bone-chilling laugh echoed behind them as the monster opened its abyss-like maw, lunging to devour Bai Fenghuo.

“No! Save the Sect Leader!” Ling Shui shouted urgently, but her body was frozen in place, unable to move. Cheng Jinshu and Yun Chuanzhi beside her were similarly paralyzed.

“Blackie…” Yun Chuanzhi began to command Blackie, but before she could finish, her body was lifted into the air against her will, as if an invisible giant hand had hurled her toward Bai Fenghuo.

What’s happening? Yun Chuanzhi thought in horror. In an instant, she was right in front of Bai Fenghuo, the room’s oppressive atmosphere dispelled by the intense floral fragrance.

Tension slowed time. Yun Chuanzhi clearly saw Bai Fenghuo’s trembling eyelashes, her jade-like cheeks, and her tightly closed red lips. Then, her lips brushed firmly against Bai Fenghuo’s cheek.

In a daze, she thought she saw the corner of Bai Fenghuo’s eye twitch.

The lingering warmth on her lips made Yun Chuanzhi lick them instinctively. Then, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, pulling her out of the Shadow Demon’s gaping maw and crashing them both onto the bed behind them.