The Death of Zhao Guang
The mist dissipated from the crack in the fence, but Jingxu was nowhere to be seen.
Yu Zhu bent down to dodge the flying whip, and threw the talisman at Zhao Guang with her left hand. Zhao Guang withdrew his knife and slashed at the talisman, and a series of explosions rang out.
As she leaped and bounded, Yu Zhu held a sword in her right hand to deflect the serpentine whips that came at her, while her left hand took out various array beads and talismans from her spiritual energy bag and threw them all at Zhao Guang. She even took advantage of the white mist obscuring her vision to pop a pill into her mouth.
Yu Zhu didn't want to kill anyone; she only wanted to trap them.
But gradually, Yu Zhu began to feel the loss of spiritual energy.
The whip wrapped around the sword blade, and Yu Zhu struggled to break free but could not. Zhao Guang raised his knife to look at her, but Yu Zhu poured spiritual power into the sword, threw it back at the leader, and spun around to dodge Zhao Guang's big knife.
The flying sword carried the leader back several steps before embedding itself in the fence. Yu Zhu could only dodge Zhao Guang's slashes with her fists and feet combined with her spiritual power. Suddenly, the whip wrapped around Yu Zhu's waist and abdomen, and yanked her backward, sending her flying into the air.
Jingxu leaped up, caught Yuzhu, and disappeared into the mist.
Zhao Guang tried to dispel the fog to find Yu Zhu, while the leader was rescuing the henchmen who had been immobilized or frozen by Yu Zhu.
"Go and deal with those lackeys."
Yu Zhu shoved Jing Xu aside, summoned her sword, and moved behind the leader, slashing at his waist and abdomen. Instantly, the leader's clothes were torn open, and his skin was ripped open.
Unbeknownst to Yu Zhu, a henchman capable of movement ran towards the hiding place of the Baicao Village people, intending to take them hostage. Fortunately, Jing Xu saw it, and with a soft thud, a long sword pierced through his body from behind.
Seeing this, Zhao Guang changed his original attack on Yu Zhu and sent his blade wind toward the people of Baicao Village. At the critical moment, Yu Zhu threw out a sword wind to block Zhao Guang's attack, even forcing Zhao Guang to retreat several feet and vomit a mouthful of blood.
Zhao Guang and the leader exchanged a solemn glance. They were both only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, but if the people of Baicao Village were alive with their memories, they would not have a good end either. They had no choice but to take a gamble.
Instead of attacking Yuzhu, the two men used vicious attacks to kill the people of Baicao Village.
Yu Zhu and his companion were repeatedly injured while protecting the people of Baicao Village, their robes splattered with blood.
Jing Xu's cultivation level was low, and he could no longer hold on, collapsing backward to the ground.
Their cultivation level seemed to be stronger than it appeared.
Although Yu Zhu was still moving, her hand holding the sword was trembling uncontrollably, especially her inner veins, which felt as if they were being rubbed by sandpaper again and again.
Yu Zhu took a deep breath. It's alright, she won't die. If they attack her, the sect leader's sword intent will protect her. She gripped the sword in her hand tightly and channeled her spiritual power to show them the Wind and Snow Technique at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
The essence of the Wind and Snow Technique is that the sword light must be fast and the sword edge must be dense, like an unstoppable blizzard.
Empowered by abundant spiritual energy, Yu Zhu's sword movements were so fast they defied expectations. She wielded the power of a hundred swords with a single blade, each strike sharp and deadly, drawing blood with every blow. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Guang and his companion were left with tattered clothes.
Seeing the change in the situation, the two retreated and tried to escape.
Yu Zhu teleported forward, her sword tip piercing the leader's abdomen. She withdrew her sword, and Zhao Guang had already run several feet away. Just as Yu Zhu was about to give chase, she suddenly heard the sound of a pipa.
My senior sister has finally arrived.
Clang! The long sword in Yu Zhu's hand fell to the ground.
The smell of blood was overwhelming. Yu Zhu raised her hand, which was covered in bright red blood, and her vision was also filled with crimson.
She killed someone!
Yu Zhu staggered two steps toward Jing Xu, the pain spreading from her bones, as if her body was being torn in two.
With a "pfft," the rusty taste that had been stuck in her throat was finally expelled, and Yu Zhu's vision went black as she collapsed to the ground.
When Yu Zhu woke up, she wasn't in the guesthouse she had stayed in before. Instead, she was in an unfamiliar room, elegantly decorated with carved yellow wood furniture, brocade and gold silk curtains, and even incense. After getting out of bed, she discovered that she was wearing a light blue nightgown, which wasn't her own.
Yu Zhu pushed open the door and discovered that it was a two-story courtyard house shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui). She was standing on the second floor, the sunlight shining on her, warm and comforting.
Someone approached, and Yu Zhu turned her head to see Jing Xu, who was holding a tray.
Upon seeing Yuzhu, he strode over to her. "Senior Sister, you're awake? How are you feeling?"
Yu Zhu waved her arm. "I feel alright, refreshed."
Jingxu breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, you've been unconscious for two days."
It wouldn't be accurate to say she was in a coma. In the past two days, Yu Zhu had been suffering greatly from the backlash of the soul imprint, groaning incessantly.
Then it seemed like I was dreaming, and I kept making indistinct babbling in my sleep.
It was only after Jingxu intermittently transferred spiritual energy that Yuzhu gradually calmed down.
"Two days? What about Zhao Guang? Did Senior Sister come that day?"
At this point, Yu Zhu wondered why she and Jing Xu had made marks along the way and arrived so late.
A lot has indeed happened these past two days, but Yu Zhu has just woken up, and Jing Xu hopes she can rest well, saying, "Senior Sister, please go inside first, and I'll tell you slowly."
He lifted the tray in his hand again, "Senior Sister's spiritual energy bag was damaged in the fight and can't be opened. These are the clothes I asked Miss Bai Wei to prepare."
Yu Zhu frowned. Her spiritual energy bag contained quite a few things; she had to see if she could replenish it.
"Senior sister, please change your clothes first, and we can talk in detail after you're done."
After changing her clothes, Yuzhu opened the door again.
Bai Wei prepared a set of green clothes: a bamboo-green inner garment and a light green outer garment. The belt and the silk sash of the waistband were also bamboo-green, the varying shades of green further highlighting the jade bamboo's elegant and bright appearance. Bai Wei also gave her a set of hairpins and rings, but since she didn't know how to tie her hair into a complicated updo, she simply tied her hair up halfway with a hairband.
"You look great in this outfit, senior sister."
Why are you suddenly praising her?
"Really? You...you're very beautiful too."
Jingxu smiled faintly.
Yu Zhu then noticed that Jing Xu was also dressed in varying shades of green. She remembered that her senior sister had told them to change clothes on the flying boat, and they had both changed into green as well. What a coincidence, they both really liked green.
Yu Zhu invited Jing Xu into the house and listened to him tell her about what had happened in the past two days.
"I never expected I'd actually slept for two days this time," Yu Zhu said worriedly.
She only slept for an hour or two when she fought Bailiqu last time. Will there be any aftereffects this time?
"Senior Sister didn't sleep for two days, but rather her spiritual energy was depleted, causing a backlash from her soul imprint."
Jing Xu felt a tightness in his chest. He should have stopped her then. If only his cultivation level were higher.
Noticing Jingxu's low spirits, Yuzhu poured him a glass of water. "Really? I had forgotten. I just felt like I slept for two days."
"Senior sister, the pain you've experienced doesn't just disappear once you forget it."
Yu Zhu was slightly taken aback, then gave a thumbs up, "I never imagined you had the potential to become a philosopher."
A look of doubt appeared in Jingxu's eyes. After a moment, he understood what Yuzhu meant, closed his eyes, and smiled helplessly.
"That's quite humorous," Yu Zhu chuckled awkwardly, "You haven't mentioned Zhao Guang yet? Did you catch him?"
Jing Xu's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Zhao Guang is dead."
When Jing Shu arrived, she intercepted Zhao Guang who was trying to escape. After exchanging a few blows with Zhao Guang, she was about to capture him alive when suddenly Zhao Guang exploded and died.
"Was it a self-destruction?"
Jingxu shook his head, "Senior Sister Jingshu couldn't tell. At that time, Zhao Guang was already exhausted and lying on the ground. She was about to tie him up when she got close..."
Seeing Yu Zhu's brows gradually contort, Jing Xu stopped speaking and continued, "In short, Senior Sister Jing Shu doesn't know if he has the strength to activate his Golden Core to self-destruct."
Jingxu then went on to talk about the people who were rescued.
The people rescued were the missing people from Baicao Village, but they were all adults.
According to them, their cultivation was sealed after they were kidnapped, and they were forced to grow the Calamity-Suppressing Grass.
The Zhen'e Grass is the herb that can best counteract the side effects of magic. It can only grow in the environment on the mountainside of Shenrang Mountain, but it is still rare and hard to come by. Yet, that group of people forced the people of Baicao Village to plant it in the dangerous dense forest.
Yesterday, Zhao Guang and his group were demonic cultivators. Demonic cultivators cultivate faster than spiritual cultivators, but their demonic energy is inherently violent. After being refined into demonic power, it flows through the cultivator's meridians day and night. Over time, the cultivator's mind is damaged, and they become cruel and bloodthirsty.
They may have planted the "calamity-suppressing grass" in order to absorb the violent energy within their bodies.
Six children were kidnapped from the village, and the bodies of three of them were found.
Two of them were found by the people of Baicaozhai in the mountains, lying next to poisonous plants.
The third one also died of poisoning, suspected to have accidentally eaten the fruit of the fish-hunting tree. He died on the shore and was washed downstream by the rising water a couple of days ago.
Yu Zhu was stunned. Of the six children, three had died from poisoning. It was as if these children were being used as experimental subjects.
"Also, Senior Sister, Ning Wu from Guiyi Sect also came that night."
Ning Wu?
Yu Zhu remembered this person. He was one of the representatives of Guiyi Sect when Yingtian Sect held a meeting. It was said that he was the last disciple accepted by the Guiyi Sect leader.
What's he doing here?
"I apologize for Guiyimen's poor handling of the case and will assist in the follow-up investigation," Jing Xu said solemnly.
Yu Zhu pursed her lips, saying it sounded nice, and then asked again, "So what is Senior Sister doing now?"
"The arrangements will be discussed with the chieftain."
Suddenly, someone arrived.
"Jade Fairy, I saw you waking up downstairs just now, so I specially brought you some medicinal food. Would you like some?" This was a maid arranged by Bai Wei.
Jingxu opened the door and took it.
"Senior sister, please try it. The medicinal cuisine from Baicao Village is very nourishing and will help restore your spiritual power."
"By the way, are you alright with your injuries?" She had seen him beaten to the ground that day.
"I recovered after taking some pills," Jing Xu sighed softly. "If my cultivation were stronger, I could have helped my senior sister."
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhu nodded: "Cultivate diligently, and with your talent, you will make great progress very quickly."
"Hiss," Yu Zhu gasped as the warm medicinal food entered her mouth, a stinging sensation shooting through her lower lip.
“Senior Sister, you bit your lip until it bled from the backlash,” Jing Xu said, placing a bottle of pills on the table. “This medicine can heal external injuries instantly. Senior Sister, please take one.”
Yu Zhu swallowed one of the herbs and sensed someone hurrying towards them.
The next moment, the door was pushed open. "A-Zhu, you're awake?"
First came Jing Shu, then Zhou Nan and Bai Wei, and finally a man in a moon-white robe—Ning Wu.
Jing Shu circled around Yu Zhu a few times. "It's good that you're alright. You don't know, Master... Sigh, never mind. Next time, wait until I get there before you take action, okay?"
"Don't worry, Senior Sister, I know what I'm doing. Besides, I have the Sect Master's sword intent protecting me."
Yu Zhu glanced at the three people still standing outside the house and said, "Let's find a spacious place and sit down to talk."
Bai Wei spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "Please follow me, everyone."
Everyone took their seats in the hall.
Yu Zhu slapped her forehead. "Where's Zheng Qi? How is she? She's the woman who entered the village with Zhao Guang."
Bai Wei was annoyed, "She disappeared that very night."
Jing Shu added, "We checked those wooden houses. The boxes that used to contain the 'Suppressing Calamity Grass' were empty, and the people inside were clean."
Did Zheng Qi take the Zhen'e Grass?
Yu Zhu rubbed her temples, feeling the mystery growing stronger, and her head ached.
“The demonic cultivators are indeed cunning. Miss Bai, rest assured, this matter was due to our Guiyi Sect’s poor handling of the situation. We will compensate Baicao Village and continue to investigate,” Ning Wu said.
Bai Wei looked displeased. "Right now, we just want to find the other three children as soon as possible."
Yu Zhu perked up and asked, "Miss Bai, what is upstream of that river in front of Baicao Village?"
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