Love & Redemption
Chapter 72 - 29: Yang and Yin

Chapter 72: Chapter 29: Yang and Yin

First update.

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Xuanji had been searching in the vast empty hall for a long time but failed to find an exit. There were numerous forks and rows of corridors; she had searched almost every room in each corridor. There was not a single trace of anyone; it was unknown where Zi Hu had taken everyone.

At the time, they were led in with their heads covered, seeing nothing, only feeling that the place was immense and expansive. However, Xuanji quickly realized that even without her head covered, she would not have been able to distinguish the paths. This was because all the rooms here looked exactly alike, and the layout of the passages, their length and width were absolutely uniform, more complicated than the most challenging maze.

Alone, enduring the pain in her chest, she wandered around the hall for over half an hour until she could no longer bear it. Leaning against a bronze candelabra, she slowly slid to the ground. The pain in her chest was intense, as if it was about to explode, surging like a raging tide. If she hadn’t forcibly swallowed the blood rising in her throat, she might have already spit blood and passed out.

She closed her eyes and slowly adjusted her True Qi to dissolve the accumulated blood in front of her chest.

Somehow, she thought back to when she had first arrived at Little Yang Peak. Winter had come early, and she wrapped herself in a quilt every day, despising the cumbersome number of clothes she had to wear. Her master then taught her a lazy method to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.

Now she understood that it was not merely a lazy method but the most profound Inner Strength of the Shaoyang Sect, the Yang Que Technique. It took her about a year to see improvement, and by the second winter, she could easily wear spring clothes and fly with her sword amidst the whirling snow without changing her facial color.

On the day she mastered the Yang Que Technique, her master was thrilled, pulling her to drink a lot. Eventually, probably from drinking too much, her master muttered, "Xuanji, seeing you reminds me of my own youth. Many thought I was a fool, but my master was willing to teach me properly, and I finally achieved something, thankfully not shaming him. But unlike you, I didn’t have many good friends or a dear sister. Back then, I was a lone ranger!"

At that time, she didn’t understand and simply stared at her master, who then laughed, "I’m praising you! Silly girl. Being alone in the world is actually very pitiful. Thus, if you have friends, cherish them, treat them well, and never let them down. Aunt Hong understood this too late as she grew up. So, don’t be like me. Finding friends who are willing to give themselves for you is exceedingly rare."

So much time had passed since that conversation, which she had largely forgotten. Why did she remember it now?

Yu Sifeng, Zhong Minyan, Ruo Yu, Linglong, the Eldest Senior Brother, even Lu Yanran... could they all be considered her friends? Together through hardships and laughter, during critical moments they stood in front of her, looking after her selflessly all the way.

Suddenly, she understood her master’s words a bit better. She had learned not to show off her skills for such a long time.

Just like her initial intention of cultivating at Little Yang Peak, she hoped everyone could always live a simple and warm life, and that she could have the strength to protect them, to not cause trouble for anyone anymore.

Now was the time for her to repay that friendship.

Xuanji opened her eyes; the intense pain in her chest seemed to have eased a bit. She gritted her teeth and managed to stand up, looking around. Every scene was similar; the candelabra she now held in her hand was one she remembered passing four times.

How could she find Si Feng and the others?

Xuanji carried her sword and walked back and forth in the hall. As she passed by the high platform, she suddenly smelled an unusual scent.

Demon energy! A chill went through her heart. Following the scent, she found a curtain behind a screen, torn slightly, with the demon energy emanating from there.

No wonder she had been wandering around for ages; the grand hall was just a facade. There was a secret passage at the back leading to the den and Liuli must have taken the person inside. Instantly invigorated, she swung her sword and split the enormous Liuli screen in two, revealing a hidden door behind it. It was half-shut, probably in haste, and she jumped in with her sword, following the demon’s energy.

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Zhong Minyan and the others had been abducted by Zi Hu and felt themselves floating along the way, dimly lit and then dark, unable to see the path clearly. Ultimately, it felt like they arrived in a gloomy room, and as they collapsed, they were laid on a large bed. Just as they were panicked, they heard a few rustling sounds, and suddenly, the room brightened as Zi Hu lit a candle.

Seeing her extremely captivating appearance enhanced by the candlelight, they could not help but close their eyes, fearing that a longer gaze might disrupt their senses.

Then they heard Zi Hu’s soft laugh as she sat by the bed, reaching out to touch Zhong Minyan’s cheek, her voice gentle, "Do not fear, with such a beautiful night, why not open your heart and let us be a carefree couple?"

It surely wasn’t just a couple! Zhong Minyan dared not speak or move, stiffly lying there and pretending to be dead. He remembered the story told by Second Senior Brother Chen Minjue about the fox demon near Qingqiu Mountain, who often transformed into a stunning beauty to seduce and sleep with lustful men, absorbing their life force for her own power. The men, although they didn’t die, turned into useless, skinny, mummy-like beings, hardly surviving a few years before their inevitable demise.

Back then, he was young, and the story made his skin crawl. Sometimes thinking of those turned into mummies kept him awake at night. Once, when his master heard about it, he scolded Second Senior Brother. Still fearful, he went to ask his master if it was true, and although his master didn’t deny it, he simply warned that in the world, one must beware of beautiful and seductive women.

Today, he actually encountered one, a typical case of fearing what might come. At that moment, the fox demon’s hand had already reached his chest, and just as it was about to probe further, he was terrified, his whole body stiffening, thinking his life was over.

Suddenly, Ruo Yu spoke up, "If we are to be a couple, there should be some sincerity. What’s the meaning of keeping the two of us here? Just to let us sit and stare?"

Zhong Minyan felt the fox demon’s hand retract and immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Brother Yu, a great kindness indeed!

Zi Hu said softly with a smile, "This young hero does understand the essence of romance. We haven’t even become a couple yet, but you already seem jealous. However, I have some connections with Lize Palace, so I won’t bother you for now. Since you’ve said so, what do I have to fear?"

With that, she let down the mosquito curtain, isolating Zhong Minyan on the outer bed, and slipped inside, doing something unknown.

Yu Sifeng then said, "Wait, you didn’t answer my question in the grand hall. How did you know we were Cultivation Disciples?"

From inside the curtain, Zi Hu’s sweet voice cooed, "At such a moment, why bother discussing such mood-killing topics? Alright, for your sake, everything is as you wish. Your destiny charts are transparent to my eyes—not born at Yang Hour nor in yang time, possessing rich inner breath. And last time I saw you at the temple... ah, isn’t that fate?"

She had known their plans all along, and rather than exposing them, she quietly waited for them to walk into her trap! Indeed, the strategies of a millennium-old demon were extraordinary; today’s beauty trap was probably inescapable.

Yu Sifeng wanted to jest with her to buy some time, but suddenly he felt a touch on his throat and his voice was silenced. Anxious, he then felt Zi Hu’s soft voice caressing his ears, silky soft, enough to melt anyone from head to toe.

"Clever man... my dear sweet husband, better say less."

He only felt that soft body pressing closer, the scent sweet in his breath, but his heart grew colder.

(To be continued. For more on what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. The site offers more Chapters, and supports the authors and legal reading!)