Love & Redemption
Chapter 71 - 28 Zi Hu

Chapter 71: Chapter 28 Zi Hu

The third watch.

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Xuanji only felt an intense pain in her chest, daring not to take deep breaths. Seeing her as if she could not stand steady, Yu Sifeng hurriedly stuffed his sword into her hand to temporarily serve as a crutch, whispering, "Don’t fight with her. I see her figure as ethereal and illusory; edged weapons can’t cause her harm. Surely, her real body isn’t here; this is just her illusory figure."

Just the illusory figure was this powerful; wouldn’t finding the real body mean certain death? Xuanji couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

The beauty in purple spoke softly, "Actually, you don’t have to be afraid, I never kill. I just need to borrow some of your blood to greatly enhance my power."

Yu Sifeng pondered for a long while before saying, "You are a demon who practices Yang and Yin... You must be either a snake or a fox, right?"

She smiled faintly, "This young hero knows quite a bit. Yes, I am Zi Hu."

Zi Hu? The crowd couldn’t help but take another look at her, finding her stunningly beautiful, almost too much to gaze directly at, and under that beauty, there lurked a seductiveness that reached the ultimate degree of allure. So this was the famous fox demon.

"Since you were able to cultivate into a human form, the process must have been incredibly arduous. Why commit evil deeds now that you have become human?"

Zi Hu just smiled and did not speak. After a moment, as if she had become a bit weary, she tossed Xuanji’s sword on the ground, sighing softly, "I don’t like to listen to moralizing. Especially when it comes from humans. Aren’t you all hypocritical and deceitful yourselves?"

Yu Sifeng fell silent. After a while, he asked again, "How did you know we were Cultivation Disciples?"

From the God Calling Platform to this place, they were confident that they had not revealed any slip; no one discovered that they were not the four people whom Zi Hu had called out. Yet, during the marriage ceremony, she saw through them. Where exactly did they give themselves away?

Zi Hu spoke softly, "Are you asking so many questions to delay time?"

Yu Sifeng paused, his ulterior motive seen through by her. Surely this demon possessed vast powers; under her watch, they could not make a single move. It seemed today might indeed be their last.

"Oh well, it’s been a long time since anyone has talked to me." Zi Hu smiled, "Since I need to practice Yang and Yin, naturally, I am very choosy about the Yang energy. Personal character and appearance are secondary; the most critical is the birthdate..."

Yu Sifeng, ever so intelligent, caught on to her meaning the moment she began, immediately responding, "The people you’ve chosen are all born during the Yang Hour and yang time, having fire in their destiny!"

"You really are clever." Zi Hu looked at him with a smile tinged with a burgeoning spring ardor, "I almost can’t bear to start with you first. Why don’t you stay in the garden with me, for entertainment?"

After she spoke, she came down from the platform, reaching out to take his arm. Yu Sifeng quickly backed away several steps, avoiding her hand.

Zi Hu didn’t press him, tilting her head and studying him for a moment before saying, "I’ve seen your mask before, so you are disciples from Lize Palace. That despicable Palace Master of yours still clings to those rules. I thought he had long since seen through it all. Hmm, wait..."

She carefully examined the mask on Yu Sifeng’s face, then suddenly revealed a sneer, whispering softly, "It’s rare, it’s been so long since I’ve seen such a mask. Unexpectedly... you really are willing..."

"Shut your mouth." He interrupted her coldly, "Since you know of Lize Palace, you should understand that its people are not to be offended. You claim the mountain as your kingdom, causing chaos at will. Surrender immediately!"

Zi Hu seemed to regard this with wariness, lightly leaping back up to the high platform, laughing, "Such pride! Struck with the Canyang Palm, whether a human or a demon, one wouldn’t be able to muster their power for at least three days. What can you do? But I can give you face; let that young girl go, but the rest of you must stay and keep me company."

After speaking, she waved her wide sleeve, and Xuanji felt a fierce wind hit her face, a whirl of demon energy enveloping her, rendering her immobile. Knowing not how long it passed, the demon wind finally dissipated. Xuanji slowly opened her eyes to find the grand hall empty and desolate. Whether Zi Hu or Sifeng, there was no trace of them left, only she stood there alone, clutching Yu Sifeng’s sword, standing forlornly in her place.

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But Xuanji and the other three were taken up to Gao Mountain, leaving only Linglong behind to observe the situation. She had been able to follow the carriage from a distance, until they reached the God Calling Platform and she saw them change into bridal gowns and be lifted into the air by the flower sedan chair, at which point she couldn’t help but panic.

With nothing to hide behind in the sky, if she were to pursue by Sword Control, she would undoubtedly be discovered, rendering all her previous efforts futile. Yet, if she didn’t give chase, she couldn’t bear the thought. As she was in the grip of extreme anxiety, she suddenly heard a soft chuckle behind her—a deep voice, unmistakably that of a man.

Startled, she quickly turned around and drew out her Broken Gold Sword, taking up a defensive stance, only to find that behind her there was nothing but the rustling wind and the dark silhouettes of towering trees, not a single person in sight!

Linglong looked around for a while, and thinking she had misheard, she silently let out a sigh but dared not put away her Broken Gold Sword. Instead, she paced about, trying to figure out what she should do next.

She hadn’t walked far when, all of a sudden, that same light laughter came from above her head. Linglong was terrified and shouted, "Who’s there?" Without hesitation, her Broken Gold Sword swung out, and a flash of golden light cleaved a tree trunk as thick as a bowl in two, causing it to thunderously fall, scattering leaves and branches everywhere, yet still no person appeared.

The moonlight was bleak, with occasional hoots of night owls in the forest, and everything around was very quiet, so quiet that it made her hair stand on end.

"Is it... is it a human or a ghost?! Show yourself!" She swung her sword again, causing misfortune to another tree that fell victim to her indiscriminate slashes; countless trees were felled without finding the source of the laughter, leaving her exhausted and panting.

"Still the same fiery temper, not changed one bit,"

the voice suddenly appeared behind her again. Without turning back, Linglong swiftly pivoted and hurled the Broken Gold in a fluid motion. A shadowy figure dodged like lightning, the sword narrowly missing his ribs and sticking into a large tree. As Linglong walked briskly towards the sword, intending to pull it out, the moonlight dimmed and the man soared lightly into the air, landing silently on top of the Broken Gold Sword, looking down at her.

At that moment, the forest was dim, and she couldn’t make out what this person looked like, only seeing a pair of eyes shining like stars, somewhat familiar, yet she couldn’t recall who it might be.

The man chuckled softly and said in a low voice, "It seems he’s quite efficient. You might as well come with me now."

Enraged, Linglong raised her hand to draw the sword, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t budge. Without the Broken Gold Sword, Linglong was essentially like a bird with its wings bound, utterly at the mercy of others. Driven by fury, she pulled with all her strength, but the man merely tapped with his toes, seeming weightless, and flew up again.

Linglong exerted too much force and the sword came loose, causing her to stumble back uncontrollably, about to fall over.

Suddenly, someone steadied her from behind. She instinctively tried to stab him with the sword, but the man was lightning fast, striking a pressure point on her right shoulder. The Broken Gold Sword clanged to the ground.

Linglong cried out in shock, but her mouth was swiftly covered.

He whispered in her ear and planted a cold kiss on her face.

"Finally caught you,"

he said.

Linglong felt a light tap on the back of her neck and instantly the world went dark as she fainted.

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