Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 369 : Demon Trap (2)

Chapter 369: Chapter 369 : Demon Trap (2)

"Shizun is right. Qiao Wei apologizes for causing trouble for Shizun."

"Sigh. Outsiders might think that you are colluding with those spirits to kidnap the common folk, but I have known you since you were but a helpless infant. I was the one who raised you after your parents passed away. You are not capable of betraying our sect, let alone mixing with demonic entities."

Qiao Wei bowed in front of his shizun.

"Shizun’s trust means the world to me. Please entrust this case to me. Allow me to clear my name."

"Do that," Bai Siyang went back to his seat. "Go and spend as much time as you need in Dong Village. You can request reinforcement anytime you need.

"Yes, Shizun."

"Qiao Wei."

Qiao Wei raised his head to look at Bai Siyang.

"Yes, Shizun?"

"Take Disciple Gu and Disciple Wang with you. Their discipline is poor. I don’t want them to go around telling about their meeting with those animal spirits in front of outsiders again."

"Yes, Shizun."

And thus Qiao Wei left for Dong Village again the next day, this time with his two shidis in tow.

The man himself remained calm and unhurried, but the two shidis were freaking out on their own.

"Qi-Qiao-shixiong, are you tired?" Gu Shengxia asked with a forced smile on his face.

"We have only traveled for an hour. Are you tired?" Qiao Wei asked in return.

Usually, cultivators used their swords to bridge vast distances in the shortest time possible. With Village Head Chen in tow, they naturally opted for horses instead.

"Ah... No, of course not. I am just worried for Shixiong’s health. It must be arduous, going back and forth like this..."

Qiao Wei flashed Gu Shengxia a curt but polite smile.

"I am doing fine."

Two hours later, it was Wang Chunli’s turn to curry some favor with Qiao Wei.

"Qiao-shixiong, noon is slowly approaching. What about we find a good place to eat our lunch? I happen to know a famous eatery around here."

Qiao Wei raised his eyes and looked at the rolling dark clouds above their heads.

"No need," he said. "Dong Village is within reach. Let’s increase our traveling speed. It is better to have our lunch after we reach our destination."

The two shidis looked like they were about to cry.

It was all over. Qiao Wei did not even want to grant them any chance to ingratiate themselves with him. Neither rest nor food interested him. When they came across the demonic children, surely Qiao Wei was going to sacrifice them first!

Unaware of the two shidis’ unreasonable fear, Qiao Wei was rather busy with his own thought.

The father of the children, the man who left a lasting impression in his heart, the one he longed to meet for so long, what was he?

Was he a god? A deity? A demon? A monster...?

Pain clenched at Qiao Wei’s heart when he envisioned the man as a creature that he needed to banish from the mortal realm.

He raised a hand toward his neck, his fingers probing around the spot where the man stabbed him during their last meeting.

No... he was not vicious, Qiao Wei told himself.

He was just worried about his children, that’s why he reacted that way.

Besides...

If he had wanted to kidnap Qiao Wei, he could have done that on the spot.

His cultivation level was higher than the two shidis’ altogether. He would be worth more as a meal.

Qiao Wei knew that he was a fool, but he trusted his instincts.

Whether or not his conviction held true should be proved at the end of this mission.

The little group was only a few lis away from Dong Village when they heard the sound of crying children nearby.

"It’s here!" Gu Shengxia cried out in panic.

"Run! We need to run!!!" Wang Chunli clawed into his face in terror.

Village Head Chen kept looking at the three cultivators by his side alternately, unsure what to do.

In the end, he decided to ask the leader of the mission.

"Master Qiao Wei, what to do? Should we return to Dong Village first?"

Qiao Wei unsheathed his sword and held it in front of him.

"Village Head Chen, please return to Dong Village now. You two, come with me."

Gu Shengxia and Wang Chunli shivered from head to toe.

"B-b-but Shixiong, we..."

Qiao Wei glared at them.

"This matter concerns the reputation of the sect. What are you worried about? Do you not have the confidence to take on demons?"

They both nodded their head fervently.

"That’s right! We don’t know how to kill demons!"

Qiao Wei gritted his teeth.

How embarrassing! If he did not shape them up this time around, these disciples were going to shame his shizun greatly in the future!

"In that case, this is a very good opportunity for you. Watch and learn. Hyaaah!"

Qiao Wei paced his horse toward the crying children, leaving the two cowardly shidis with no other choice but to follow suit.

The heavens growled with thunder, each rumble a pregnant pause before the inevitable storm, casting a long shadow of foreboding over their path.

The children’s cries were getting louder, punctuated only by the pathetic whimpers of the disciples trailing behind him.

Their horses took them to a dilapidated temple with a leaking roof over the crumbling gate.

Qiao Wei climbed down his horse and slowly inched closer to the temple with his sword in one hand and a fire talisman in another.

As he neared the looming temple, Qiao Wei breathed a silent incantation. The talisman transformed in his grasp, morphing from paper to a swirling orb of fire, its flames dancing like miniature suns in the dark surroundings.

"Help... Sniff... Sniff... Please help..."

Terrified to death, Gu Shengxia and Wang Chunli were huddling close to each other.

"M-Master Qiao Wei..."

"Sssh."

Cold sweat ran down Qiao Wei’s back. The temple was right in front of him, and there was no other light source but the fiery orb in his hand.

"Sweet, handsome men..." An alluring voice was heard, permeating the air like a potent poison.

Qiao Wei swung his sword toward the source of the voice.

"Show yourself, demon!!!"

A beautiful woman with long, black hair and beady eyes materialized herself in the air. She wore a red, translucent dress that danced in the air, making her look like a fairy.

But when she opened her mouth, she revealed two pairs of tiny but sharp fangs.

The air shimmered as a web of white, sticky strands erupted from her mouth, ensnaring the cultivators in its unexpected grip.

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Author’s note :

Merry Xmas my beloved readers! Mwah! Mwah!

Wishing you all a wonderful, festive holiday period with your loved ones and a great reading experience!