“Interesting, very interesting!”
Tian Xianzi was enjoying the show and laughed loudly: "The Demon Sect's great master and the Wanjian Sect's disciple actually fought over a word from him. Xiao He really played those two around and attracted countless heroes to compete for his favor!"
Mayoi took a piece of white jade cake with an indifferent expression and stuffed it directly into the mouth that was shaped like a big trumpet.
Looking at the entire attic, the largest number of elders gathered in front of Xuan Jing of Xuanxu Sword Sect. Before, only Lin Qian and Qu Feiqing came to join in the fun, but now the disciples' unique operations have become famous, and everyone wants to come and watch in person.
——After all, in the mirrors of other sects, the young disciples were diligently collecting tokens. Although the group of children in the Jindan Yuanying stage were fighting fiercely, for the elders, this kind of house-like fight was obviously not enough.
To give an example, it is like a group of adults watching junior high school students doing math problems. They may find it interesting at first, but over time they will inevitably suffer from visual fatigue and lose interest in continuing to watch.
But the situation here in Xuanxu Sect is completely different.
While others were taking the assessment seriously, they actually figured out a secret from many years ago, such as the "ancient magic bow", "water mirror formation", "spirit fox genocide", plus all kinds of dazzling and unexpected battles of wits and courage. It was like reading a storybook, and you could never guess the next move.
"He was clearly trying his best to escape from the Demon Lord, but for some reason, Fellow Daoist He managed to act out a humorous comedic temperament."
Lin Qian exclaimed in amazement: "Perhaps this is the legendary personal talent...Ye Zongheng is unlucky to have met this person."
The white-clothed female cultivator from the Wanjian Sect snorted coldly, "Ye Zongheng's character is not strong enough. He was frightened and distracted during the battle. After the Ten Dharma Conference is over, I will send him to the Demon Locking Tower for training."
A Paramount Musical Instrument Practitioner smiled calmly, "The difference between a Golden Core and a Nascent Soul is huge. It is not a shame to be in a state of panic under the pressure of the Demon Lord."
Someone suddenly asked, "How are Ningning and Pei Ji?"
“It seems to be developing slowly!”
Ji Yunkai quickly swallowed the cake in his mouth and answered loudly, grinning subconsciously, his cheeks puffed up: "What a pity, I can't see anything at the waterfall."
Qu Feiqing covered the corners of her lips with her sleeves, her peach blossom eyes sparkling and full of smiles: "Don't worry, fellow Daoist, there is plenty of time for the trial, we can still take our time."
Tian Xianzi was quite excited, and shouted righteously: "No, no! If they knew about this, Ning Ning and Pei Ji would be so embarrassed!"
The man paused in bewilderment for a long time before finally hesitatingly answering, "No, I mean... aren't they investigating the truth about Shui Jing? It's related to the survival of the secret realm, it's very important."
——What’s going on in these people’s heads?
The scene was a little awkward for a moment.
Ji Yunkai scratched his head as if nothing had happened, opened his eyes wide and lowered his head, swaying on the chair; Qu Feiqing took a piece of dessert with a stiff expression and stuffed it directly into the child's mouth.
Tian Xianzi laughed dryly twice, glared at the two disrespectful leaders, and turned the screen of the mysterious mirror to Ningning's side.
=====
When Ningning arrived at the fox settlement, the sunset had already been completely swallowed up by the western mountains. A solitary, gloomy moon hung above the treetops, barely casting a few faint white lights.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. No one was in sight. The only thing that could be seen was the flickering candlelight in the wooden house, like a cluster of quiet and eerie ghost lights, floating silently in the night.
She had told He Zhizhou and Xu Ye in the letter that if they left the village in a hurry at such a critical moment, it would inevitably arouse suspicion among the demons.
The best way now is for both of them to stay in the room pretending nothing happened, waiting for her and Pei Ji to come back, and then discuss the next plan together.
However, when Ningning rushed to He Zhizhou's room, she found the room empty, without a trace of human.
"The wooden table was knocked over."
Pei Ji whispered: "There was a dispute here, and the demons should have known that they knew the truth."
Ning Ning was panicking. She frowned and looked at the round table that had been overturned on the ground. "Although the wooden table in the room fell over, there was no trace of blood or corpses. The other objects were also standing in place... This means that the confrontation between the two sides was not very intense and they were not injured."
However, I am not injured here, but I am not sure what will happen after I get out.
When they were setting a trap for Neon Island, Xiao Zhao had helped them set up an illusion.
It was amazing that a young child could create such an exquisite formation. Ningning felt something was wrong at the time. Now thinking back, it should be that his strength had already recovered by more than half, far surpassing all the disciples in the secret realm.
If He Zhizhou and Xu Ye ran into him, the consequences would be disastrous.
There was no one in Xu Ye's room either. Ning Ning had no idea what had happened and looked at Pei Ji worriedly.
In fact, he didn't care much about the whereabouts of the two people, so he didn't have too much nervous emotion. However, when he saw her frown, he subconsciously tightened the hilt of the sword and comforted her in an unskilled manner: "Senior Brother He has always been able to turn danger into safety. I believe this time we will be safe and sound."
Having said that, when Pei Ji caught a glimpse of Ning Ning's expression, the first thought that flashed through his mind was: If he were in danger one day, I wonder if she would be willing to frown.
The thought was so vile that it was shameful to show it in public, and it struck him hard in the heart. Pei Ji didn't understand why he suddenly had such an idea. He just felt his ears dry. He paused for a moment and said, "Something is wrong here."
Ningning restrained her expression and nodded slightly.
It was too quiet here. Not only were He Zhizhou and Xu Ye nowhere to be seen, but those demon cultivators pretending to be from the spirit fox tribe were also silent. At this moment, a faint smell of blood suddenly filled the air.
This smell should have come from not far away, and most of it was blown away by the night wind, leaving only a very faint smell.
Pei Ji's eyes darkened, and he said in a deep voice: "Be careful."
People who practice cultivation have extremely sensitive five senses. Ningning followed the smell of blood and continued forward, bypassing a row of square, neatly arranged wooden houses, and unexpectedly came to a very familiar house.
She remembered this place.
It is Qiao Yan’s residence.
The closer you get, the more obvious the rusty smell becomes, as if it is so thick that it has substance, enveloping the entire house, and a faint scarlet color can be seen in the air.
In front of the small wooden house, there were actually several figures standing, full of murderous and violent aura, surrounding someone in the center.
Ningning originally thought that the person surrounded in the middle must be Qiao Yan, but when her eyes passed through the gaps between the people, she saw another completely different face.
——That turned out to be Qin Niang.
Or rather, the demon woman who had pretended to be Qiao Yan's mother for many years.
There was blood at the corner of Qin Niang's mouth, and her face was covered with several hideous cuts. She seemed to have been seriously injured and had no strength left. She supported herself with her hands and knelt on the ground.
The faces of the people surrounding her were also pale. Perhaps they had just experienced a fierce battle and their already little spiritual power had been exhausted.
A young man was so angry that he was shaking all over, and the long sword in his hand reflected a cold light: "We are all from the same family, why do you have to pick on us because of others!"
Ning Ning's heart moved, and she heard the woman beside him cough lightly: "You have done enough for Qiao Yan over the years. If you hadn't begged Qi Han Demon Lord in every possible way, would he have kept that girl until now? Do you want to sacrifice your life for her now?"
"In my opinion, this woman has really gotten herself into trouble while acting."
It was another middle-aged man's voice, his tone was full of poison, mockery and contempt: "Not only did she give us her life-saving medicine and beg to save her 'daughter's' life, but today she even attacked her own people whom she had known for many years in order to help the fox escape... Wake up, you have never been a Qin girl!"
So that's how it is.
Ningning heard the sound of her own heart beating, and many unclear secrets suddenly became clear at this moment.
That's why Qin Niang was so weak. Even though she had been nourished by so many natural treasures from Qiao Yan, she still had problems even standing up. So even if Qiao Yan was no longer useful, she could still live well among the demons.
Before the truth was revealed, she had imagined many explanations as to why the demons did not kill Qiao Yan.
For example, Qiao Yan has a close relationship with the Burning Sun Bow and is an indispensable person to obtain the divine bow; or she is closely related to the formation, and if the magic cultivators want to break the formation, they must go through her.
However, beneath all those complicated and fantastic possibilities, the real reason is so simple and pure, and has nothing to do with conspiracy or intrigue. It was like a small pure white flower quietly blooming in a deep pool filled with mud and blood, so abrupt and unexpected.
This was just a woman's most innocent selfishness, but Qiao Yan was unaware of it from beginning to end.
"There is no point in talking any more."
The woman who had just spoken coughed a few more times and said, "We should act as soon as possible to chase Qiao Yan and the swordsman back. If they spread the news, then all the disciples participating in the trial will know the truth... then it will be very bad."
As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of a knife appeared in front of her. Qin Niang was already covered in blood and was dying, unable to offer any resistance. She was about to lower her eyes and wait for death, but she was caught off guard by a glimpse of a sharp sword light.
——I saw two long swords cutting through the night, sword energy spread all over the place, stirring up cold winds as sharp as knives, and attacking the vital points of everyone present with unstoppable force!
Although the demon cultivators had been recuperating for many years, their bodies were still extremely weak. In addition, Qin Niang fought for her life, which consumed most of their spiritual power. At this time, they were completely unable to resist and were forced to retreat by the sword energy, spitting out blood.
Ningning took a few steps forward with the Star-mark Sword in hand and looked at Qin Niang coldly.
Because of the darkness of the night, she couldn't see clearly. Now that he was closer, he realized that Qin Niang's body was covered with bloodstains and knife wounds. Her white dress was stained blood red, and her face looked as pale as paper. She no longer looked like a living being.
"you--"
She had just uttered one word and didn't know how to continue. But Qin Niang coughed up a mouthful of blood and said softly: "Miss Ningning... you all already know it."
Pei Ji stepped forward and spoke for her: "Where are Xu Ye and Qiao Yan?"
"Master Xu Xiao discovered the truth and fled with Xiao Yan."
She took a deep breath and continued in a very soft voice, "I am dying soon, so I have an unwelcome request... I wonder if you two are willing to accept it."
The young demon who was seriously injured by the sword energy seemed to have guessed her intention, and roared with bloodshot eyes: "You are crazy!"
Qin Niang ignored him. "After the war, the demons suffered heavy casualties. Many of my fellow tribesmen died here. However, the demonic energy in the secret realm cannot escape, so it hovers in place, turning the surviving members of the Spirit Fox tribe into half-demons and continuously devouring their spiritual energy and lives. I think they can't hold on for much longer."
As she spoke, she suddenly frowned and clenched her fists as if she couldn't bear it any longer. "In order to break the water mirror formation, we must find the only center of the formation and destroy it. But the center of the formation is extremely hidden, and no one except Demon Lord Qi Han knows it... If we want to save the spirit fox on the other side of the water mirror, we must find it before the secret realm closes."
Ningning paused and asked her hesitantly: "Why do you want to help us?"
The beautiful woman slightly closed her eyelashes, and after a while, a barely perceptible, self-deprecating smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
“…Who knows?”
"You've done so many bad things, why do you need to show off your kindness now! If we die, Qiao Yan will know everything!"
The young man sneered harshly, his eyes full of bloodshot like spider webs: "She will know that you are one of the enemies who slaughtered her entire family, and that you have been pretending to be her mother and living a hypocritical life for so many years. She will only hate you and will never be grateful to you!"
He looked more and more crazy as he spoke, his laughter mixed with a hoarse voice that made people feel cold all over: "Qiao Yan will never know who you are, your name, your appearance, or even that you died to protect her... In her eyes, you will always be just a substitute for her mother, an unforgivable demon!"
He said it indignantly, but Qin Niang just raised the corners of her lips nonchalantly, her tone so flat that no ups and downs could be heard: "Yes."
She is a devil, and has been one since the beginning. The sins she has committed can never be washed away.
Everything in the past is so far away now, as vague as someone else’s dream.
She had been poor and lonely since childhood, and fell into the demon clan in order to survive. After that, she did all kinds of evil things, which seemed to have become a habit.
Later, he was defeated in the battle of the secret realm and had to hide in the water mirror with other demon cultivators. Because he needed Qiao Yan to collect elixirs, he was forced to pretend to be her former tribesman.
Her strength was the strongest after that of the Demon Lord, so it was only natural that she took over the role of the mother. How impatient she was at that time. She always felt that the little girl was very annoying and didn't want to pay any attention to her at all.
She hurriedly learned to be a mother, slowly hiding all her hostility and sharpness. It was also the first time she knew that besides endless slaughter and fighting for survival, she could have a completely different life from before -
Smoke from cooking fires, family, smiles, and every night, she could hear the little stories that Qiao Yan made up for her.
The child talked about the secrets of the fox clan, many extremely childish fables and jokes, and also talked about the water town and fireworks in the south city in the storybooks. He vowed that one day he would take her out to have a look.
That was a very, very long time ago.
But for some reason, only after meeting that annoying fox girl did her memory change from black and white to color.
However, the distance between them is too great. It's not just the indelible family feud. From the very beginning, the bond between them is built on lies and exploitation.
She could hardly remember her old name.
Sometimes, when it is late at night and everyone is asleep, I would become dazed and think that I am Qin Niang.
Such feelings are timid and hidden, floating lightly in the night, and no one can know them.
"Qiao Yan," Ning Ning said in a low voice, "didn't she know that you were the one who held off the demons from chasing her?"
"I only showed up after they left. It's okay if she doesn't know. You mustn't tell her."
Qin Niang actually laughed softly, her pupils gradually becoming cloudy and losing their color: "Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished... I am an unforgivable sinner, how can I deserve such a heroic sacrifice? Speaking of it will only make people laugh - it's time to put an end to this scam."
She had experienced so much killing and danger in her life, but for some reason, when she was about to die, the last thing that came to her mind was the gentle and shy smile of a girl.
At that time, Qiao Yan told her that she wanted to give her mother the most beautiful fireworks so that everyone could see them.
Qin Niang gently raised her head and looked silently towards the quiet and peaceful sky.
The night was empty, with nothing in it.
...How sad.
In fact, she had never seen fireworks in her life.
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