Love & Redemption
Chapter 76 - 33 Zi Hu’s Secret (Part 2)

Chapter 76: Chapter 33 Zi Hu’s Secret (Part 2)

She was injured, her right arm missing a large chunk of flesh. Yet, there was no blood, only purple mist that could no longer coalesce.

That girl, there must be something strange about her sword! Zi Hu stared at the sword in her hand, unsure whether it was her own eyes playing tricks or the sword’s oddities, but the Xuanji across from her seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of silver light, illuminating her pale cheeks, making her look almost unreal.

The sword capable of harming her Primordial Spirit was likely no mortal weapon. If she continued to fight like this, she would be at a great disadvantage. Once she sustained a critical injury, it could result in the destruction of her Primordial Spirit. With this thought, Zi Hu simply rolled on the ground to dodge another thrust from Xuanji, her entire being turning into a cloud of purple mist as she entered the body of a fox.

Once back in her original form, the fox sprang to life, swiftly leaping up, its tail tucked in, and let out frantic squeals, attempting to flee through the door.

Xuanji wouldn’t let her escape. With a flick of her finger and a mere thought, she summoned a dozen immense Fire Dragons that roared towards the door, blocking the escape route. Zi Hu, who had passed thirty-six tribulations and feared neither water nor fire, didn’t even blink as she charged forward, only to recoil in agony when she touched the Fire Dragons, feeling as if her entire body was being scorched.

With a piercing scream, she hurriedly dodged, looking down to find her dense and beautiful purple fur was now scorched black in a large patch.

It was Samadhi True Fire!

Zi Hu didn’t have time to wail as she caught sight of that ghostly white figure that had blinked into her presence in the corner of her eye. Hugging her head, she scurried away, but with Fire Dragons circling around and no path to escape, she could only let out frantic squeaks.

The sound of wind behind her ears, she turned in despair, and there was the dreadful girl in white, her billowing sleeves flitting in and out of visibility within the firelight, her eyes abyss-like, deep and unfathomable, her face completely expressionless.

She knew the looks of anger humans showed, the yelling, the weeping, or the reddened faces attacking haphazardly. She had just never seen someone like this before, expressionless, emotionless, watching her coldly as if there was no deep hatred between them. She only wanted to kill her, it was simple, she just wanted to kill her, that was all.

"I didn’t kill your brothers!" Zi Hu could no longer contain her terror and screamed, "I didn’t kill, didn’t kill! I didn’t kill anybody from Zhongli City! I’ve never killed anyone! Don’t come any closer!"

But it was as if Xuanji didn’t hear her at all... No, perhaps she did hear, as her head tilted slightly, even with a trace of innocent intent. The next moment, the sword in her hand was raised without hesitation, ready to pierce through her.

Zi Hu closed her eyes in despair, waiting for death.

So what? Her eyes seemed to ask her: And what of it?

Yes, does one need a reason to kill a person, or a demon, or anything else? Or not? She was stronger than her, and that was the most perfect reason.

The crisp sound of the wind whistled by her ears, Zi Hu’s beautiful fur fluttering gently.

That was the wind of death.

She was about to die.

Suddenly, a pair of hands passed through the myriad Fire Dragons, gently lifting her up, followed by Ting Nu’s hoarse voice, "Don’t kill her, she’s done no evil."

Xuanji’s movements abruptly ceased, the tip of the sword resting on Ting Nu’s chest, just two inches shy from piercing his heart.

She stared blankly at him as if she didn’t recognize him.

Ting Nu smiled at her slightly and softly said, "Let her go, will you?"

With a clang, the sword in Xuanji’s hand fell to the ground, and she covered her head in a daze, seemingly unsure of where she was. The Fire Dragons circling around instantly vanished, leaving behind black scorch marks on the ground, a testament to the ruthlessness of the Samadhi True Fire.

"I...?" Xuanji was still slow to respond, blankly staring at the trembling Zi Hu cowering in Ting Nu’s embrace, her eyes teary and crying uncontrollably, almost fainting from the shock.

Ting Nu slowly stroked Zi Hu’s soft, smooth fur, as though admonishing a disobedient child, and gently said, "You understand how serious it is now, don’t you? Always boasting that no one in the world could subdue you. Don’t be willful anymore, there are other ways to save him."

Xuanji finally regained her senses, looking around in confusion. She seemed to remember what had just happened, but when she tried to recall the details, they eluded her. Pointing at the sobbing Zi Hu, she muttered, "Did I do this to her?"

Ting Nu gave a bitter smile and sighed, "No matter who did it, the fact is she lost. Your brothers are fine; they’ve likely escaped by now. Heaven favors life; let’s give her a chance to live."

"No way." Xuanji’s words made Zi Hu shudder again, who simply rolled her eyes back and fainted.

"Uh..." This isn’t quite what she expected of a demon; wasn’t it supposed to rant and rave, challenging her with "Come kill me if you can"?

Ting Nu said, "The man she captured earlier is being kept in Yixin Garden on the back mountain. Don’t let her appearance fool you; she has practiced the fox charm technique but is actually very timid. Always screaming about harvesting yang but often unable to do anything with the people she captures, they all end up being taught the method of expelling the old and assimilating the new."

What? Xuanji was stunned. So, not only was she not a villain, but she was actually a good demon?

"Then why... hasn’t she said anything before?" And judging by her appearance, she doesn’t seem like good news. Has she really never used the Yang and Yin technique before?

Ting Nu added, "She is a fox demon, and being elusive is her nature. It’s true that fox demons are adept in harvesting Yang to replenish Yin, but this is not the only method they use. Had it not been for the recent news about... that demon, she wouldn’t have kidnapped men and brought them up the mountain. She’s naturally timid, and after bringing people here, she doesn’t dare to proceed but also cannot bear to let them go, hence she only keeps them in Yixin Garden. She must’ve been determined to capture you and bring you up the mountain this time, but I believe that even if you had not found this place, your fellow disciples and friends would be unharmed."

Is that really true? Xuanji had her doubts, as she had personally seen that damned fox demon kidnap people, and with her flirty demeanor, who knows if Yu Sifeng and the others are indeed safe!

With a chuckle, Ting Nu said, "Trust me, I wouldn’t deceive you."

Only then did Xuanji nod, "Alright. Let’s not kill her for now, but take her with us. I’ll go find Sixth Brother and the others first and check out Yixin Garden to see if it’s as you say. Then we can discuss releasing her."

Clasping Zi Hu in her arms, Ting Nu gently stroked her fur and said, "That’s better. It’s best to leave this place early. If you delay, I’m afraid trouble will come."

What kind of trouble? Xuanji was once again completely confused.

Ting Nu stated indifferently, "Others are also trying to rescue that demon. They should be arriving soon."

*****

Taking advantage of Zi Hu’s absence, Zhong Minyan and the others had already stealthily escaped the room. The fox demon’s lair was incredibly large, coupled with countless identical branches in the maze, and after a while, they realized they were lost.

"It’s like walking through a maze..." Ruo Yu sighed, reaching out and touching a Black Iron Candlestick, the fifth time they were passing by this spot.

Yu Sifeng, affected by Zi Hu’s fox charm technique and temporarily immobilized, was carried on Zhong Minyan’s back and suddenly suggested, "Let’s make a mark here."

As instructed, Ruo Yu drew a line under the candlestick with the Judge’s Pen.

"Go left." Upon reaching a fork, Yu Sifeng instructed again.

The left fork was identical to the one they had marked, so Ruo Yu drew two lines under the candlestick with the Judge’s Pen.

In this manner, every time they encountered a fork, Yu Sifeng instructed to turn left, and the traces made by the Judge’s Pen increased from one to six or seven lines. After a while, Zhong Minyan grew tired and, wiping sweat from his brow, exclaimed, "Just how many forks are there? The fox demon’s lair is really big!"

Yu Sifeng surveyed the surroundings and said softly, "We’re close to finding the exit. If my estimation is correct, this is the Nine Palace Formation, which isn’t activated yet. As long as we keep turning left, and take a right at the ninth fork, we’ll be able to get out."

Zhong Minyan knew that in critical moments, following Si Feng’s advice was never wrong. Not only was he a man of letters and martial prowess, but he was also handsome. Thinking this, he couldn’t help but joke, "Now I understand why your Palace Master insists on disciples wearing masks to cover their faces. If a man like Si Feng were to wander the world, he’d undoubtedly have a trail of love-struck maidens following him to death."

Ruo Yu scoffed, and Yu Sifeng let out a faint snort, unclear whether he was embarrassed or annoyed. After a while, he said, "I wonder if Xuanji managed to escape. If she could take Linglong and wait for us in Zhongli City, that would be ideal."

Zhong Minyan sighed and shook his head, "If she were that sensible and knew when to retreat, she wouldn’t be Chu Xuanji. I reckon she definitely wouldn’t have left; she’s probably still wandering around here, maybe even lost."

If it was as Zhong Minyan said, and Xuanji was still here, that would be a huge problem.

Yu Sifeng felt a sense of urgency, whispering, "Wait... no, we have to find Xuanji first."

But as soon as he said this, all three of them were left clueless.

How to find her? This place was a giant maze, and it was unknown whether Xuanji had encountered the fox demon or not. Even if they found her, what could the three of them do without their powers? It would be nothing but walking into a trap.

Ruo Yu hesitated and then suggested, "We should try to get out first. Once we’re sure they’re not here, it won’t be too late to come back."

Zhong Minyan protested urgently, "How can we do that? By the time we get back, they might have already...!"

"But what can we do now, when we’re drained of strength?"

"We can’t just watch them walk to their deaths!"

Listening to their argument, Yu Sifeng sighed and said, "Minyan, put me down. You two get out of here, and I’ll stay behind to search for Xuanji and Linglong. Remember, after you get out, send out a signal. Maybe they’ll see it and come to meet us."

Zhong Minyan, seeing him staggering, insisted, "How are you going to search in that state? Forget it! Ruo Yu, take him out; I’ll search for them!"

Yu Sifeng shook his head, "You don’t understand the Nine Palace Array; you might end up trapped inside. It’s better that I..."(To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)