15. After the smoke of battle
Two sharp gusts of wind rang out almost simultaneously, one from the left and one from the right, perfectly synchronized, like arrows released from a bow, each heading in a different direction.
Gui Fang Wu Di moved with ghostly speed, his five fingers forming a claw as if he were pinching a fallen leaf, and the silk thread precisely wrapped around the poisonous shuttle.
Before Tang Xihe could even blink, she felt a gust of wind behind her. Gui Fang lifted Tang Xihe with one claw and slowly lowered her down, while the other claw remained in the gesture of twisting a leaf. The silk threads wrapped around the poison shuttle were sizzling and smoking, showing faint signs of becoming hydrated.
Bei Chen followed like a tiger pouncing on its prey, his momentum immense and heavy. The massive blade of his sword brought with it a dull gust of wind, hurtling straight at Yao Yuqian like a cannonball. Yao Yuqian seemed to be experiencing a final burst of energy before death, suddenly filled with overwhelming power.
Yao Yuqian was so frightened that her limbs went weak. As the burly man charged towards her with the force of a storm, she instinctively closed her eyes and covered her head.
With a "crack," the giant sword in Bei Chen's hand was blocked by another tremendous force.
Sparks flew as the sword blade rubbed against the wolf's claws, producing a piercing clatter.
Bei Chen Sui Xing's hand went numb. What blocked the giant sword was a beast claw covered with silver-gray wolf fur. The scarlet vertical pupils looked coldly through the claws at Bei Chen Sui Xing. The two faced each other, neither able to gain the upper hand, and remained deadlocked.
Bei Chen's companion slightly widened his eyes.
This person seems to be a friend of Tang Xi, and is most likely from the school.
He actually managed to block my attack with one hand... Was there such a person in my old school?
Bei Chen's courage, which he had finally mustered, was shaken by this shock. Lang Yuehua, however, did not linger in the fight. With her other paw, she smashed something on the ground. With a "whoosh," the pungent smoke instantly dissipated.
Bei Chen's entourage immediately held their breath and retreated, brandishing their greatswords in front of them. "Halt! Who sent you! What is your purpose!"
When the smoke cleared, Lang Yuehua and Yao Yuqian had vanished without a trace, and the remaining men in black had also quietly disappeared.
Bei Chen stood there, sword in hand, the numbness in his hands still lingering. He stared in the direction where the enemy had disappeared, his face filled with solemnity and shock.
That wolf demon's power was equal to his, or even... perhaps stronger.
Behind the preoccupied Beichen, Guifang and Tangxi whispered to each other.
"It has a somewhat eerie appearance, but it's still very noisy."
Gui Fang Wu Di shook his robes. "The matter of the Yuan Soul can't be rushed. When Pi Pi grows up a bit more, it will be able to retrieve the demon beast Yuan Soul that is residing in your body on its own."
"Really? Then we don't need a contract!" Tang Xihe's face lit up with joy. "I can't stand having to have a demon beast stay by my side for more than three years before I can break the contract."
After being held by the ghost for a while to catch his breath, half of his body was still stiff, so he put two more antidotes into his mouth. "Thanks for earlier... Achoo! Why are you wearing perfume?!"
Gui Fang's forehead veins bulged: "Can't we shut-ins focus on self-discipline?!"
"Going back? I'm worried about my little sister." Tang Xi glanced at Bei Chen. "Besides... he seems really upset?"
"Return."
·
The three of them entered the campus and, after asking other students, learned that the injured had been placed in a public training ground deep within the campus. They all rushed there, and Beichen took two alchemy furnaces to help the students in the alchemy department take them to the clinic for emergency treatment.
Gui Fang parted ways with the two at the fork in the road in front of the administration building, and pointed meaningfully at Tang Xihe's storage ring, saying, "The teacher left a clue, and I confirmed it before coming to find you."
"OK."
Tangxi and Beichen walked one after the other for a while. Beichen asked, "What is that crow-like monster? The half-demon moon wolf seems to be after that crow."
Tang Xi looked away, "She's my... friend."
The two were silent for a while, then Tang Xi asked, "You and Yao Yuqian knew each other before? Why does she hate you so much?"
"I don't know, but her personality changed drastically after she dropped out of school. I think... something might have happened while she was on leave..."
Beichen wanted to say something more, but when he opened his mouth, he was too tired to speak, so he silently gripped the furnace in both hands.
Tang Xi didn't know how to explain Pi Pi's situation. He wouldn't say anything unless asked, so they continued on their way in silence, each carrying their belongings.
The area was a scene of devastation, with ruins and bloodstains still visible. The once tidy, tree-lined school path was now a mess.
The flowerbeds were shattered, the soil turned upside down, the spiritual plants broken, their roots exposed, and the crushed plants still bearing the marks of sorrow. The Matchmaker's Pool was completely blasted clean, not a drop of water remaining, and the lantern carp, petrified fish, and other creatures at the bottom were all dead. The moon worms that used to inhabit the school's flowerbeds had all disappeared, perhaps hiding in their nests, or perhaps simply gone. Several ancient trees had broken branches or were cut in half. The nearby teaching building was equally appalling, with many shocking cracks of varying sizes on its walls. Many students were involved in the repairs, riding flying swords or sitting on flying fans, carrying materials in mid-air to mend the exterior walls.
Someone saw Bei Chen with his entourage and forced a smile: "Bei Chen, are you alright? Did you catch the evil spirit master?"
Bei Chen forced a smile. "Sorry, no."
The man immediately showed a disappointed expression, but quickly concealed it, and tentatively asked, "Beichen, those evil spirit masters are after you. Has anything happened to you recently?"
Bei Chen opened his mouth, and the image of Yao Yuqian's obsessive and crazy expression flashed through his mind. He shook his head helplessly.
what happened?
He wanted to know too.
Tang Xi interrupted their conversation, gesturing with the large handful of spiritual plants and medicinal herbs in her arms, "Sorry, we need to go to the clinic to deliver these things first."
Hearing this, the man didn't want to disturb them, so he said, "Alright, you guys go quickly!"
...
The two followed the road signs to the public meditation area.
The training ground's gate was violently twisted, and a torn, bloodstained piece of school badge cloth hung on one of the doors, swaying gently in the breeze.
When Tang Xihe stepped into the training ground, she paused almost imperceptibly, her heels lightly landing on the ground scattered with gravel and debris.
Cries and wails filled the air.
Taking a few steps into the training ground, all that could be seen were wounded people. Two students in green school uniforms were struggling to support an injured person; they were students from the Spirit Plant Department. Tang Xi quickly stepped forward and asked softly, "Where is the temporary treatment room?"
The person being helped had one arm hanging limply, his forehead covered in blood that almost obscured his eyes, and he was delirious, looking to be in bad shape. When the two students from the Plant Science Department saw Tang Xi and the medicinal herbs in her arms, their eyes lit up. "Come with us! Great, we've been waiting for these herbs."
Inside the makeshift clinic, the smell of blood and herbs made Tang Xihe feel even heavier. Whether it was from toxins or something else, the deeper Tang Xihe went, the more dizzy she became.
Reading a novel and experiencing it firsthand are completely different feelings. Seeing people die one by one in front of her, Tang Xi felt very depressed.
After putting down the medicinal herbs as instructed, Tang Xi noticed that a group of students were crowded around the door of the temporary clinic, and he couldn't help but take a second look out of curiosity.
A student knelt beside him, while an elderly man with a grayish complexion and white hair lay on the bedding.
The old man's chest was sunken, his arms were twisted unnaturally, and he was wearing a robe of the divination school, stained with mottled dark blood. His clothes were loose and wide-sleeved, his eyes were tightly closed, and his breath was weak.
Tangxi had never attended his classes, but she recognized him; he was a lecturer in the divination department.
The student kneeling beside the lecturer had his hands dangling in front of him, his palms gleaming faintly. His face was so grave it seemed to drip water, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. "I'm out of strength. Who will catch me?"
Immediately, a student from the alchemy department who was watching chimed in: "Don't just stand there. Bei Chen just brought over two cauldrons. Go watch the fire, and start refining pills once it's recovered."
Tangxi looked down helplessly at her hands.
What can the Earth Immortals do?
Xuan Yingxian's criticism was actually quite accurate. People from the Earth Immortals category seem to have no real reason to exist, except for lazily graduating by collecting credits.
In the midst of the commotion at the door, another seriously wounded soldier was carried in. A member of the logistics team shouted in a hoarse voice, "Make way! Let the seriously wounded soldier in first!"
Tang Xi was a little reluctant to watch, so she took out the Listening Wind Ruler from her storage ring. At the same time, a slightly panicked voice came from the Listening Wind Ruler, "Brother, where are you? I'm in the public training ground. Are you injured?"
"No, it's nothing, don't worry." Tang Xi cleared her throat, making her voice sound normal. "I'm at the door of the temporary treatment room, where are you?"
"They're here." The other party cut off the listening device.
Before long, Tang Xichun came running over, exclaiming from afar, "Brother? Are you hurt?"
Tang Xi looked down at himself blankly, and was stunned for a moment. He was covered in dirt, with bright red and dark red mixed together, and dirt that he didn't know where he had gotten it from. It was almost impossible to see the original color of his clothes. He had just walked here so casually.
Tang Xihe remained dazed, saying, "It's the blood of an evil spirit master."
"Brother... are you alright?" Tang Xichun looked at him with concern. "I'm not injured. I just happened to run into a muscular guy who used a shield as a sword, and he saved us."
Tang Xi looked completely bewildered, a little lost for her younger sister's train of thought, "...Who?"
“Him.” Tang Xichun pointed to the innermost part of the public training ground.
He slowly raised his gaze and looked around at all the students wailing. The students from the Alchemy Department and the Spirit Plant Department were so busy that they barely had time to breathe.
In the far corner, Bei Chen's companion had his spine pressed down by a giant sword, seemingly talking to someone with his head down, his back looking somewhat dejected.
Bei Chen's signature thick sword was always conspicuous, no matter where he went. Now, standing next to Xuan Yingxian, he softly called out to him, "Xuan Yingxian."
Xuan Yingxian, who had her eyes tightly closed, seemed to be suddenly awakened from a nightmare. She opened her eyes abruptly, her face showing vigilance. When she saw who it was, she grimaced and clutched her ribs as she leaned back against the wall.
"Boss? You're alright... Sigh, I'm not good at academics, I broke my ribs, shattered my internal organs, and almost ruined my spiritual meridians. But I was lucky, a classmate from the plant science department helped me set my arm, hahaha..."
Xuan Yingxian had been forcing a smile as she spoke, but then she turned her head away, her voice choked with emotion, and whispered, "Boss, in our martial arts department, so many people..."
"Stop talking."
Bei Chen's nose tingled with emotion. "Let's rest."
"Xuan Yingxian put in a lot of effort, Beichen, you must praise him properly!" A deep laugh sounded from behind. "If you praise him, Xuan the Monkey will recover even faster! Better than any magic pill!"
Bei Chen quickly wiped his face and turned around to see a thin, white-browed old man.
"Teacher Wang."
"A real man shouldn't make that face."
Teacher Wang carried a faint smell of blood, clearly having just gone through a fierce battle. Yet, she showed no signs of it at the moment and still had the energy to comfort Bei Chen Sui Xing. She tiptoed forward and rubbed Bei Chen Sui Xing's head.
"You're still a student, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
His expression immediately darkened, and he said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Beichen, you can't stay at school anymore. We can't protect you."
Bei Chen's companion was completely blank, not understanding what this meant. "...Why?"
"Go out and explore the world," Teacher Wang said, patting Bei Chen's arm reluctantly as he walked away.
·
Xuan Yingxian was in excruciating pain and soon leaned against the wall, half-awake and half-asleep, but dared not sleep too soundly, fearing that the next surprise attack might come at any time.
He remained vigilant, closing his eyes to rest, but his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Something's not right.
There seems to be something nearby.
Light and airy... a little cold...
Xuan Yingxian weakly opened her eyes. Gui Fang came upside down from the ceiling, sticking out a long, bright red tongue: "Hello?"
"Waaaaaah!!!"
Xuan Yingxian was so frightened that she almost screamed her lungs out. Her shout drew scornful looks from many students in the Department of Alchemy. She quickly covered her mouth and whispered, "Gui Fang, are you crazy?"
"I'm here to see your boss." Gui Fang landed on his feet, looked around, and asked, "Where is he?"
“…He went out with that guy from the Earth Immortal faction!” Xuan Yingxian said irritably, crossing his arms and turning his back to Gui Fang.
Gui Fang floated to the outside of the training ground again, and sure enough, he saw Tang Xi whispering to Bei Chen not far away.
He scurried closer, somewhat annoyed, and pricked up his ears.
Bei Chen asked, "Do you think Lang Yuehua really has her own reasons?"
Tangxi kicked away the stones at her feet, saying, "Actually, I don't know him very well."
"Huh? Aren't you roommates?"
Tang Xihe: "He is very talented in weapon crafting. As a half-demon, he has a strong physique and can compete with students in the martial arts department. He also has good grades in the earth immortal department."
"The Earth Immortal Department already had few people. Suddenly, a guy who seemed to be a martial arts student who chose the wrong department and was self-taught in weapon crafting appeared. He was gradually ostracized by his classmates, so Lang Yuehua became a bit clingy to me."
“But my other two roommates gossiped, thinking that I was acting mysteriously all the time and that I was probably spreading rumors. So after I had a big fight with Lang Yuehua, I moved off-campus to live from my freshman year.”
Bei Chen exclaimed, "Are there really this many ridiculous things happening in boys' dorms?"
Then Bei Chen started to have wild thoughts: "Could it be that Gui Fang also encountered dormitory disputes, which is why his personality is so twisted?"
“I’m not twisted,” Gui Fang said, standing upside down from the tree and sticking out his tongue. “I’m the only cultivator of eerie energy, living alone in a private room with no roommates.”
"..."
This guy becomes incredibly cheeky once you get to know him a little better.
Startled, Bei Chen's entourage forced a composed expression: "Childish!"
"Excuse me for interrupting," Gui Fang said, landing on his feet. "Tang Xihe, let's go."
"Now?" Tang Xi didn't expect Gui Fang to be so decisive. After thinking about it, she realized that if she stayed at the school, it might attract other demon spirit masters to snatch Pi Pi away. So she nodded, "Let's go, I'll go open the secret realm."
"Are you going to the secret realm?"
Bei Chen gritted his teeth and asked, forcing a smile, "Would it be convenient to take me with you?"
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