Chapter 12 I Won't Lie Gu Xiaozhu: "..."

Gu Xiaozhu: "..."

Others: "..."

System: Ha, serves you right!

Because the phantom demon was thrown out twice without warning, he landed very solidly each time.

He was covered in dust, and his once smooth long hair was now matted with dirt and looked disheveled.

His eyes were terrifyingly gloomy, and the murderous intent emanating from him grew increasingly intense.

Seeing this, Gu Xiaozhu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The system told her that the clothes she was wearing were a mid-grade defensive magic weapon, just to put her mind at ease.

As for why I didn't tell her from the beginning...

Gu Xiaozhu lowered her eyebrows slightly.

If the system had told her from the beginning that the clothes were a mid-grade magic artifact, she definitely wouldn't have accepted them, let alone worn them.

She already owes others far too much.

This always made her feel uneasy.

"This is impossible!" Huan Yao roared, his face filled with disbelief. "How could you possibly still have a defensive magic artifact?!"

Magical artifacts are rare enough, let alone those capable of withstanding attacks from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Such an artifact must be at least mid-grade or higher! You might not find two or three in the entire Lingyong City!

And this ordinary girl actually possessed at least two of them?!

Although there were cultivators around her, all three of them were at the Golden Core stage and were so young that they didn't seem like people with profound backgrounds.

Gu Xiaozhu watched quietly as the Illusion Demon hysterically questioned her from a distance, but after confirming that the Illusion Demon was indeed unable to do anything to her for the time being, her fear subsided somewhat.

Based on the power of the Phantom Demon's attacks, this robe should be able to withstand one more attack from him.

But after that, the robe will lose its spiritual essence and become just an ordinary garment.

At that time, she will truly become a lamb to the slaughter.

[Host, don't be afraid! I can detect that Jiang Zhihe is on his way!]

You just need to stall for another five or six minutes!

Five or six minutes?

Gu Xiaozhu glanced at the illusionary demon not far away, and carefully asked, "By the way... I've always been curious. Why did you capture me?"

She pointed to the group of people hiding in the house not far away, watching them, and said with some doubt, "You have so many people under your control. Whether you kill or eat people, it's much more worthwhile than risking being discovered and going to the inn, which is covered with layers of formations, to capture me."

"I am just like them, a mortal who cannot cultivate immortality."

Upon hearing this, Huan Yao raised an eyebrow. He sniffed in Gu Xiaozhu's direction and then revealed an expression of intoxication, as if he had smelled the aroma of some rare delicacy.

His chest then began to vibrate, and he lowered his head as if to laugh.

"Like them? Ordinary people?"

The demon looked up, his face full of mockery: "Little girl, you may not know this, but in my demonic sense, you smell sweeter than any mortal or cultivator."

Gu Xiaozhu: "???"

She shuddered, her face contorted in a strange expression, and she even rubbed her arms and took several steps back.

Although she knew that the "sweetness" referred to a physical sense, these words still made her very uncomfortable.

Seeing the girl retreat, the phantom demon began to walk step by step in her direction.

"Demons are born with highly sensitive senses, so I can naturally smell the fragrance emanating from you."

"I can't believe it! You're just a mortal, yet you possess such immense... spiritual power that's beyond my wildest imagination!"

He narrowed his eyes, his smile widening: "Just the smell from afar is so intoxicating. I can't even imagine what it will be like to slice open your skin, drink your blood, and eat your flesh..."

"What an enviable scene that would be!"

"As long as I eat you, I can directly break through to a higher level!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and a faint flush even appeared on his pale face, as if he were already in a fantasy.

Gu Xiaozhu's expression gradually darkened as Huan Yao recounted her story, and in her mind, the system had already begun to curse.

Looking at the smiling face of the illusion demon, she suddenly spoke:

"That's a real shame, you can't even touch me now."

Any attack on her will be blocked by the defensive artifact.

These words suddenly reached Huan Yao's ears, instantly bringing him back to reality from his fantasy and reigniting the anger he had managed to suppress, even more intensely!

He stopped and looked at the fearless girl in front of him, then slowly shifted his gaze to the people in the house behind her.

He grinned maliciously, and with a wave of his hand, a fat figure was dragged out of the house by the black mist, screaming.

Master Li frantically clawed at the black mist surrounding his neck, his face no longer showing the smugness of before, but a hideous terror.

"My lord! My lord! You...you said you would spare my life?!"

The demon smirked mischievously: "I'm a demon, you know~"

"How could you believe the words of a demon?"

Master Li was pale-faced at this moment, and upon hearing Huan Yao's words, he burst into tears: "My lord... my lord, spare my life! Please spare my life, my lord!"

"Inside the house...yes, yes! There are still many people inside! Go kill them, sir! As long as you spare me, I'll do anything...uh!"

Before Master Li could finish speaking, a hand pierced his chest.

The demon mercilessly pulled the hand that had pierced Master Li's chest, and blood gushed out like a flowing river. Master Li's body was then smashed into a pool of blood on the ground.

Everyone in the house saw what was happening. Those who were timid screamed on the spot, while Huanniang turned pale, but she did not forget to cover the eyes of her son in her arms.

The boy in her arms was very obedient; even though his eyes were covered, he seemed to realize what was happening. But he just remained pale-faced and didn't utter a sound.

Even Gu Xiaozhu, who was closest, couldn't help but close her eyes and subconsciously take a step back.

The scene of the demonic cultivator's death that day uncontrollably flooded her mind again, and the lingering smell of blood was stimulating her nerves.

[Host, are you alright? If you're scared, we can close our eyes. That phantom demon can't hurt you anyway.]

"It's alright... System, how much longer until Jiang Zhihe arrives?"

Let me see... judging by the speed, there should still be some left...

Gu Xiaozhu waited a moment, but the system still didn't speak: "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

[...He...seems to be holding something back?]

My monitoring shows that his speed has slowed down considerably, and he's pausing every now and then. It'll probably take a while longer...

[Tsk, why is he so useless at crucial moments?]

The system paused, its tone becoming somber.

[…Waaaaah, but I'm so useless too!]

Wait, why are you suddenly getting emo?

Gu Xiaozhu suddenly snapped back to reality. The images in her mind vanished completely amidst the system's pitiful cries. Her expression softened slightly as she comforted herself inwardly:

"It's alright, your constant presence by my side is the greatest help you can give me!"

[Waaaaah, host, you're so kind!]

After comforting the system, she turned her attention to the phantom demon on the other side.

He seemed to have vented his anger by killing someone, and his mood had clearly improved a lot.

Huan Yao naturally noticed the girl's gaze on him, and his eyes darted around as if he had come up with a good idea.

With a wave of her hand, the thick black mist rushed towards Huanniang and Rui'er in her arms inside the house!

Huanniang closed her eyes in terror, but held her son tightly in her arms.

"Bang!"

The black smoke that attacked them collided with a semi-transparent shield and was immediately burned away.

Huan Niang looked at the slightly gleaming silver bell that she was holding in her hand with surprise and doubt.

As if realizing something, she suddenly looked up at the slender figure at the door.

A moment later, tears welled up in her eyes, and she clutched the silver bell tightly in her hand: "Thank you... thank you so much..."

The demon outside the door was even more horrified, his face contorted in disbelief: "How is this possible?! How could she have a mid-grade defensive magic weapon?!"

Suddenly, the demon's gaze shifted to the girl in front of him, and he gritted his teeth: "It's you!"

The girl raised her eyebrows: "Yes, I gave her the magic artifact."

This is the third one...

This is the third one!

How could she have so many defensive magical artifacts on her?!

"Tch, if I'm not mistaken, you probably only gave the mother and daughter defensive magical artifacts, right?"

The Illusion Demon suddenly revealed a sinister expression: "In other words, anyone without a defensive magic artifact... will be killed by me!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the others in the house immediately changed.

They glanced at the girl standing outside the door, but ultimately fixed their gaze on the mother and daughter inside.

That girl was clearly extraordinary, and she was too close to the monster; they didn't dare go out at all.

So there's only one option...

Gu Xiaozhu realized what Huan Yao was trying to do, and her expression changed immediately.

But the Illusion Demon continued, "And defensive magical artifacts only defend against attacks, which means..."

“As long as it’s not an act of aggression, it seems like there are a lot of things that can be done.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Huanniang cried out in surprise from inside the house: "Ah! What are you doing?!"

Gu Xiaozhu turned around abruptly and saw Huan Niang being grabbed by the arms by a group of people who rushed forward, while the boy in her arms was being dragged away.

Huanniang's face was filled with terror. After seeing her son being dragged away, she shouted, "What are you doing?! Give me back my Rui'er!"

"Then hand over the magical artifact you have..."

Before the servant who was holding the boy's arm could finish speaking, a spike formed from the black mist pierced his heart, and the boy he was dragging was also swept away by the black mist.

"Mother! Mother!"

"Rui'er! Rui'er!!!"

Huanniang screamed and immediately threw away the magic weapon in her hand, breaking free from the crowd and running towards her child.

The people inside the house, seeing Huan Niang throw out the magic weapon, didn't even glance at her. A group of people swarmed forward like demons from hell, frantically fighting over the small treasure.

Huan Niang rushed out the door, but was stopped by Gu Xiaozhu as she passed by.

Gu Xiaozhu: "Don't be impulsive."

Huanniang seemed to have lost all her strength. She looked at the girl with teary eyes and said, "Immortal Master... but... my Rui'er is still in his hands!"

“First of all, I am not an immortal, but just a mortal.” Gu Xiaozhu looked at Huan Niang with a serious expression: “And most importantly, you… will die.”

At this moment, the boy, who had been struggling frantically, stopped abruptly upon hearing these words. He glanced at his mother, who was being held back not far away, and suddenly spoke:

"Mother... please don't come to save me."

Now, not only Huan Niang and Gu Xiaozhu, but even Huan Yao, who was holding Rui'er, showed a surprised expression.

The boy's face was very pale, and his body was still trembling with fear, but even though he was so scared, he still said what he had just said.

"I...I don't want my mother to die, sob sob sob..."

As Ruier spoke, large tears streamed down her face.

He wanted his mother to live more than himself.

Huanniang was already in tears. She covered her mouth and kept shaking her head, as if she was rejecting her child.

As Gu Xiaozhu watched this scene, a thought suddenly sprouted in her mind and grew rapidly, almost occupying her entire being—

They shouldn't have died here.

She paused for a moment, then looked up at the Illusion Demon who was still watching the show and said, "How about we make a trade?"

Upon hearing this, Huan Yao immediately became interested: "Oh?"

Gu Xiaozhu: "You release that child, and I will throw away the defensive magic artifacts I'm wearing."

Illusion Demon: "Are you sure? Without your defensive magic artifacts, you're just an ordinary mortal, and I could kill you with ease!"

"Would you be willing to trade your own life for this brat's?"

Huan Niang, who was standing to the side, was also startled when she heard this. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but was stopped by the girl next to her.

Gu Xiaozhu looked at Huan Yao calmly, a smile suddenly appearing on her face: "He is a good child, so he deserves to be treated kindly by this world."

"His life shouldn't end here."

You will get what you want.

The system suddenly spoke at that moment.

A hint of doubt flashed in Gu Xiaozhu's eyes, but when she asked in her mind, the system went silent.

"laugh."

Huan Yao spoke up, her tone laced with undisguised sarcasm: "The idea is good, and idealistic."

"But don't forget, the initiative lies with..."

“If you insist on killing that child, then I will never throw away the defensive artifact.”

A girl's clear, bell-like voice rang out, carrying a resolute air. Her eyes met the phantom demon's gaze, her words sharper than ever before:

"You said it yourself, that eating me will allow you to break through to a higher level. To shatter your dream of surpassing your level at the cost of a child's life—don't you think that's a terrible deal?"

The demon was taken aback.

It seems...right?

Seeing the demon's hesitant expression, Gu Xiaozhu pressed on, "As long as you can eat me, you won't need any other mortals, right?"

"If you agree, it will be entirely beneficial to you. If you refuse... then you will have to give up your dream of breaking through to a higher level."

Huan Yao frowned in thought: "Then how can I be sure... you're not lying to me? What if I release the person and you don't throw away any defensive magic artifacts?"

Gu Xiaozhu didn't say anything, but strode forward and walked directly in front of Huan Yao, who was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"I won't lie."

As she spoke, she casually shrugged and said, "Besides, the choice is yours. You should know better than me which option is more beneficial to you."

After speaking, Gu Xiaozhu fell silent and quietly looked at the phantom demon in front of her.

[Ahhh, host, you're so cool!]

Yeah?

But to be honest, they were just putting on a brave face.

She was practically panicking. She was genuinely afraid that the Illusion Demon wouldn't release the boy, and she wasn't even sure if her previous ideas would work...

"Alright," Huan Yao said.

"I hope you're not lying to me, otherwise it won't just be this child who dies."

His face was very gloomy, but his tone revealed arrogance.

He had already decided that if Gu Xiaozhu was lying to him, he would immediately kill everyone here!

He manipulated the black mist to suspend the boy directly in front of him, then casually tossed him to Huanniang on the other side. Huanniang caught her child, tears streaming down her face, and she held the boy tightly in her arms.

"Alright, now... can you take off your defensive artifact?" Huan Yao squinted.

Gu Xiaozhu nodded, then reached for the red jade bracelet on her wrist: "The defensive magic artifacts are all inside. I'll take it off and give it to you."

The girl kept her head down, her expression unreadable. The instant her fingertips touched the red jade bracelet, a familiar yellow hue appeared in her field of vision.

His pupils suddenly contracted!

More than a dozen Fire Talismans and Explosion Talismans were activated instantly, and a violent explosion carrying flames stirred up a wave of fire between the two!

The girl's clothes fluttered in the hurricane, and a faint light emanated from her body. This mid-grade magic robe allowed her to remain unharmed in the center of the fire wave.

At this moment, a smile finally appeared in her eyes. Looking at the phantom demon opposite her, who was being burned by flames and whose face was full of pain, she curled up her lips slightly, looking like she had succeeded in her plan.

"I won't lie."

"But unfortunately, you are not human."

A note from the author:

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