winding path
Inside the dungeon, the guard who saw Ren Xiangxiang suddenly disappear immediately reported the situation to Husang.
The Gu woman was washing her feet by the hot spring when she heard that Ren Xiangxiang had escaped, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"What happened?"
Hun Sang remained calm and respectful, replying, "I didn't expect that the tunnel that only children could barely pass through would be discovered, but I had already told you beforehand that there are many tunnels within the Yue Shan clan, and they are all connected."
The Gu woman closed her eyes, her brows furrowed; the other party was not lying.
Where will she go?
After a moment's thought, Hun Sang replied, "It's probably in the direction of the Corpse Forest."
"The two places are connected?" The Gu woman was furious. "Go and stop them immediately, and make sure they are kept here."
"But Chief Ke Gongyi has already arrived," Qusang reminded him.
By this time, it was already broad daylight. On the damp, steep cliff, a young man in brown robes stood tall and imposing, with sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes. He was none other than Xiu Shen, the leader of the Bow-Clad Clan.
The appointed time had arrived, and as expected, the desolate, damp cliff was unguarded. However, there were no other Yue Shan clansmen to be seen either.
Even the oblivious Xiu Shen couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the Yue Shan clan.
The men he had sent out had not yet returned when the woman approaching him startled him.
In my memory, the only woman among the Yue Shan tribe was Fu Yi, but she didn't look like this. Who is she?
"Who are you?" Xiu Shen frowned.
The Gu woman smiled sweetly, her hair adorned with a slanted hairpin, her figure alluring and languid as she walked towards Xiu Shen.
The crimson lips seemed to possess an alluring magic, captivating him. He only saw the other person's hand gently resting on his shoulder, their lips parting slightly to whisper in his ear...
"My name is Gu Nu, do you remember it?"
Xiu Shen trembled, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the stunningly beautiful woman before him, opening his mouth in vain.
"Looks like you've remembered it, hehe..."
...
The area is characterized by jagged rocks, short and lush trees, and prickly thickets of thorns.
Ren Xiangxiang emerged from a half-collapsed cave and frantically rushed toward a small path.
A dozen mutated corpses, baring their fangs and claws, were chasing after her relentlessly. Ren Xiangxiang didn't have time to turn around. Looking at the clearing sky, she used the direction of the sunrise to determine her location.
“Take me with you…you can’t run away…” With Mo You’s breath coming in weak gasps, Ren Xiangxiang was frantic with worry. “Mo You, why did you come to Qiling Mountain?”
"I……"
"Didn't you come here to find me?" Ren Xiangxiang struggled to hold back her tears, choking out, "You want me to live, so how could I let you die?"
As they were talking, Ren Xiangxiang suddenly saw a stream not far away. The stream flowed down into the mountain stream and eventually flowed into the open lake.
Ren Xiangxiang was familiar with this stream; if she crossed it from the mountain stream, she would reach the vicinity of the winding path.
Just as she was about to drift downstream, a sudden gust of wind, carrying a chilling killing intent, forced her to retreat ten feet away in an instant. "Who?!"
“Miss Ren, you really shouldn’t be so willful.” The trickle of water condensed into a human shape, with high cheekbones and sunken cheeks. His frail body seemed to be barely able to support the gray robe he was wearing. Yet it was this frail man who made Ren Xiangxiang so nervous that she couldn’t take a step.
“Huo Sang.” Ren Xiangxiang was very wary. “I heard from my master that the Yue Shan clan and the Gong Yi clan have been fighting for a hundred years. The Yue Shan clan is weaker, but because of Huo Sang’s presence, the Gong Yi clan has never been able to annex them. I thought he was someone who would never submit to anyone. I never expected…”
"You flatter me, Immortal Master Shugong." Que Sang smiled politely. "Times have changed. I know you want to ask about the identity of Lady Gu Nu, but unfortunately I don't know either. However, since she has given me a new life, I will do anything for her, even die for her."
The information in the husang's words was too much for Ren Xiangxiang to process. Her mind raced and she made a bold guess, but before she could think about it deeply, the head on her back tilted to the side, and Ren Xiangxiang was startled.
"Moyou!"
“Miss Ren, you can’t save him. Why not leave him here? I can make sure you don’t have to make things difficult for him.”
As they spoke, the figure of the leopard vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Ren Xiangxiang and grabbing Mo You from her back.
Almost simultaneously, Ren Xiangxiang turned sharply, and Caowa grabbed a handful of stones and threw them at Qisang. Qisang retreated and then approached, patted his sleeves, and shook his head, saying:
"Ren Xiangxiang...why do you have to put me in such a difficult position?"
As they spoke, Ren Xiangxiang carried Mo You on her back and fled towards the mountain stream. The stream was narrow, and Ren Xiangxiang used the terrain to evade the pursuers.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past her ear. Afraid of hurting Mo You, she quickly turned around to avoid it. But then, two cold lights flashed from her left and right sides, so fast that she couldn't even blink.
Ren Xiangxiang gasped, protecting Mo You with one hand and grabbing a tree branch high above with the other. She jumped up suddenly, but before she knew it, Hu Sang grabbed Mo You's shoulder.
In a split second, Ren Xiangxiang raised her sharp claws, her razor-sharp nails narrowly slicing across the throat of the leopard. The leopard quickly released its grip, and Ren Xiangxiang snapped the tree branch beneath her feet and plunged into the ravine.
"Chase!" Husang touched his throat and gave the order in a cold voice.
A dozen figures jumped down into the ravine. The light below was dim, and a cold wind was blowing. Ren Xiangxiang ran wildly across the stones in the water. Looking back, she saw that the slain men had indeed caught up with her again.
Her heart was already aching slightly. Although she hadn't borrowed much demonic power, she was still in human form. If this continued, she feared she would fall into a state of suspended animation once she returned the demonic power. What would happen to Mo You then? She had to find a way to escape.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, water suddenly splashed in front of him, a pale, gloomy face flashed by, followed by an overwhelming killing intent.
Ren Xiangxiang's vision went black and then bright; a chilling demonic aura burst forth from the other side of the mountain wall with unstoppable force, forcefully repelling the swarms of zombies.
"You think you can make a move on my turf and never leave alive?!"
Lei Wan stood in front of Ren Xiangxiang with an icy expression. After a moment of silence, she saw the knife on Ren Xiangxiang's body and seemed to have been stabbed. Her body then turned into flowing water and disappeared without a word.
Yesterday, when she returned in a rage, she belatedly realized that she had fallen for his trick again.
Knowing him as she did, she felt that it would be better to let him die than to make him submit. He would never do that, and he would never stoop to setting a trap for him. In addition, the other party had entrusted Shenyun to her, which vaguely reminded her of what Husang had said when he got Shenyun that day.
"...What did he say?" Ren Xiangxiang had been holding it in the whole way, but this time she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
Lei Wan was unusually calm and talked more than usual. Instead of returning to Quyou Path, she led Ren Xiangxiang and the others to the plum grove to the south.
The plum grove in summer is lush and vibrant, with green fruits hanging from the treetops. Two birds are taking turns feeding their chicks when, for some unknown reason, they start pecking at each other, chirping noisily.
Grass Baby hopped around trying to catch the baby birds, but almost got ganged up on by the birds and hid in Ren Xiangxiang's fluffy tail.
He said... "The knife is my life..."
"So..." Ren Xiangxiang's initial guess was confirmed, "Qiu Sang has actually already..." He also said that the Gu Nu gave him a new life, which means that the Qiu Sang in front of him is just a sentient corpse controlled by the Gu Nu?
Ren Xiangxiang was startled by her own guess.
"I haven't seen the woman you mentioned, but she and the Rat-Head Flower suddenly appeared, and she didn't have any demonic aura. I don't understand how she controlled the Zang. My senior brother went to Wet Cliff today, and I'll go back later and find out the reason."
After Lei Wan finished speaking, she settled her in a small cabin on a hill. The area outside was covered in lush green grass and intertwined vines, making it a secluded and ideal place to hide.
"Sister Lei Wan, do you want to risk your life?" Ren Xiangxiang grabbed Lei Wan.
But when she met Lei Wan's cold eyes, she subconsciously loosened her grip. "My senior brother is arrogant and conceited. If that Gu woman really has the ability to subdue him, then she is quite capable. Even if I die, it won't be a loss."
After saying that, he patted Ren Xiangxiang's shoulder as if to comfort her, "You guys stay here and wait for an opportunity to act. You don't need to wait for me. Even if it's as powerful as you say, it's not necessarily safe here."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Ren Xiangxiang watched her departing figure, hesitant to speak.
“Xiangxiang…” Caowa looked at Ren Xiangxiang, then at the imposing woman, unsure of how to begin.
At noon, along a secluded path.
Before Xiu Shen went to the appointment, Lei Wan had already carefully arranged the guards. However, when she arrived at the entrance, she did not see a single person. The atmosphere was unusually quiet, and even the chirping of birds could not be heard.
Lei Wan subconsciously stopped in her tracks, pinched a mosquito repellent from her waist with two fingers, and whispered, "Minglie, watch out for the rat-head flower. Continue migrating. Go!"
The mosquito buzzed away, and Lei Wan looked around. Suddenly, she saw several rat-head flowers on the roadside not far ahead. As soon as the rat heads in the stamens saw her, they immediately started squeaking incessantly.
Lei Wan was instantly enraged. With a flick of her long sleeve, a cold light blasted the rat-head flower to smithereens. Unexpectedly, the fragments of the rat-head flower took root on the ground and quickly grew into a large patch, making even more arrogant and cheerful noises.
She then vaguely remembered that this thing was afraid of fire.
"Why bother arguing with it?" Xiu Shen suddenly appeared from deep within the forest, his voice booming like a bell, causing the surrounding bamboo forest to tremble.
Lei Wan waved her hand and burned the rat-head flowers. Staring at the long and deep bamboo forest path, she paused and replied, "Why are these things here? Did you remove the defenses?"
"Because it's no longer needed." Xiu Shen's figure instantly moved half a zhang away, his brows and eyes as cold and stern as ever. Lei Wan's heart pounded like a drum. The killing intent emanating from him grew stronger, causing cold sweat to pour from her palms. Knowing that she was no match for him, Lei Wan still forcibly suppressed her instinct to run away and forced herself to ask, "Are you really my senior brother?"
"Why do you ask that?" Xiu Shen's gaze suddenly sharpened, then softened like spring water. His tone gradually softened as he reached out to her, "Come here, I'll show you the strength of Gongyi after it annexed Yueshan."
Annexation...
Lei Wanxin's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly laughed. This was the first time she had laughed in all these years of indifference, but the laugh was weak and forced.
"What are you laughing at?" Xiu Shen asked, puzzled.
With a flick of her long sleeves, Lei Wan's sleeve chain drew a shrill arc in front of her. Suddenly, the surrounding bamboo forest erupted in chaos, with countless rat-head flowers rushing out and squeaking incessantly.
"What is this?"
“Junior sister,” Xiu Shen suddenly sighed, “I didn’t want to fight you.”
“Senior brother, no, that’s not right.” Lei Wan shook her head sadly, “You’re not senior brother at all.”
The sleeve chain flew towards Xiu Shen. She leaped into the air and burned the nearest patch of rat-head flowers with her backhand. Unexpectedly, three people suddenly appeared from the left and right sides. They seemed to be the Bow-Clad Clan members who had been lying in ambush.
“Wrong, it’s you who doesn’t know how to repent.” Xiu Shen said in a deep voice. His sword was called Upper String. The blade was wide and very domineering. He slashed at Lei Wan with his sword.
Lei Wan's pupils shrank as she tried to dodge, but she was still sent flying by the force of the slash, crashing heavily into a large tree. The guards who came towards her all turned red with rage.
Lei Wan coughed up blood, her vision becoming blurry. She looked at Xiu Shen walking towards her with a knife, but instead of being afraid, she sneered repeatedly.
Since her right hand was injured by the worm, she has almost never fought with anyone. Although Xiu Shen seems cold and unapproachable, he is actually very thoughtful and will not fight with her even if there is a conflict.
Lei Wan lowered her head and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She raised her eyes and saw that Xiu Shen had already walked three steps away from her. Almost at the same time, Xiu Shen suddenly felt a cold killing intent. Instinctively, he held his sword horizontally in front of him, and the sleeve chain swiftly wrapped around his sword. Before he could react, Lei Wan suddenly pounced on him.
Xiu Shen's gaze turned cold, and he shouted angrily, "Overestimating yourself!"
His demonic power was domineering, and the flying chain in his sleeve only drew a futile arc three inches in front of his throat. Immediately afterward, Xiu Shen struck again with his knife. The powerful force seemed to instantly drain the surrounding air, and then fiercely rushed towards the direction where Lei Wan was retreating.
With a deafening roar, the bamboo forest crumbled, and none of the guards dared to step forward. The swirling demonic wind blasted a clearing in the middle of the bamboo forest, billowing dust and smoke. Xiu Shen's expression was solemn.
Until a gust of wind passed, all that remained were ruins. Blood flowed from a broken bamboo stalk. Xiu Shen touched the blood, his crimson eyes glancing behind him.
“She is seriously injured and cannot run far. You split into two groups to intercept her, and the rest of you go to the plum grove to report back to the Gu Lady.”
The guards obeyed and withdrew. Xiu Shen glanced down at the hidden weapon embedded in his right shoulder, then casually pulled it out. The tip of the weapon was blackened and coated with a deadly poison. He merely glanced at the wound and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Poison? It's ineffective against me now."
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