Chapter 21: Little Bunny, Red Eyes

In the darkness, the scent of blood began to spread. This was clearly the entrance to the Sword Sect’s secret realm, yet it now looked as if the Demon Realm had descended upon it. That the Sword Sect had received no warning of such potent demonic energy was unfathomable.

Xia Huanjiao’s expression turned solemn. This was a grave matter. Demonic cultivators had reached the very foothills of the Sword Sect, and yet they remained completely oblivious!

"Yingying!" Xia Huanjiao didn't need to say more; Xu Yingying understood her intent immediately.

"I know."

The moon was dark and the wind was high—a perfect night for killing. Xia Huanjiao and Xu Yingying identified that the source of the most intense demonic energy was the earthen wall they had passed earlier that day. However, the wall at night was entirely different from the one they saw in the daylight. By day, it had been dilapidated but scentless; now, it exuded a foul, lingering stench of decay, accompanied by the intermittent, whimpering sobs of a child.

"Help... help me..."
"Save me, please save me..."
"I... I don't want to die..."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xia Huanjiao urged Xu Yingying to go in and save them. But entering proved difficult.

"There is a barrier surrounding this place."

Xia Huanjiao reached out to touch the barrier and found it coated in a viscous, blood-like substance. "How disgusting," she couldn't help but mutter.

A damp cloth suddenly wrapped around her small hand, carefully scrubbing it clean. Xu Yingying frowned, looking somewhat repulsed. "Do not touch filth." Perhaps feeling her tone had been too harsh, she added, "You will get sick."

Xia Huanjiao didn't let her scrub for long, quickly pulling her hand back. *Good grief, is now really the time to be worrying about such things? Is this appropriate?*

Perhaps the emotion in Xia Huanjiao’s eyes pricked at her, for Xu Yingying retorted sharply, "The blood on this barrier belongs to those children. If we force it open, they will die."

Xia Huanjiao found the situation thorny. She was not so cruel as to disregard the lives of others; otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed over just because she saw a candy wrapper. But without breaking the barrier, they couldn't get in. It was a dilemma with no easy solution.

Just then, Xu Yingying spoke up. "I have a way to get in without harming them, but only you can enter."

Xia Huanjiao was startled, looking at her friend in surprise. *Is this really Yingying? How is it that she could say something like this?* But feeling that familiar aura, she dismissed it as her own imagination and nodded. "Alright." After all, her Qiankun pouch was filled with life-saving treasures; she could withstand a full-force blow from a Tribulation-stage expert, so she had nothing to fear.

Seeing her agreement, Xu Yingying placed her hand on the barrier, her voice cold and detached. "I will open a hole here. You will crawl through. Once you are inside, you must protect yourself. If you are in any danger, I will not care about the lives of these children. I will shatter the barrier immediately to come and get you."

Xia Huanjiao nodded, dazed, signaling her understanding. She then crawled through without looking back.

Without Xu Yingying’s protection, Xia Huanjiao was no different from an ordinary mortal. In fact, her body was even more delicate and vulnerable. The surroundings were pitch black, and countless crows perched on the ruined branches, their blood-red eyes fixed intently upon her. Strangely, they did not caw; they simply watched.

Xia Huanjiao held her breath, groping her way forward in the dark. She dared not light a lamp, fearing discovery by the demonic cultivators. Fortunately, she had consumed a pill before entering that masked her presence, so she didn't have to worry about her aura being detected.

Just then, a muffled sound of pain reached her ears. Looking up, she saw a brightly lit room ahead. The door was tightly shut, and the candlelight inside cast the silhouette of a slender figure. Judging by the proportions, it was a child. She was placed inside a wooden barrel, struggling violently and clearly in great agony.

Hearing the girl’s cries, Xia Huanjiao’s chubby palms grew sweaty. The atmosphere grew tense. She glanced around cautiously, swallowed hard, and tiptoed toward the room. *I must save whoever I can. I cannot just stand by and watch them die.*

Her pursuit of the Dao was meant to save those in suffering, to defy the heavens themselves. If she failed to save this little girl today, it would surely become a heart-demon later!

Xia Huanjiao seemed to have a bit of luck on her side; she encountered no demonic cultivators on her way. Taking a deep breath, she moved her short legs quickly, scurried up the stairs, and reached out to carefully poke a small hole in the window.

Her grape-like eyes peered through, taking in the scene within. As she had expected, it was a child sitting inside. But this child was peculiar. Her back was turned, so Xia Huanjiao couldn't see her face, only her dazzling white hair. The wooden barrel she sat in was filled with red water, and her skin was as pale as white porcelain, devoid of any color.

The girl cried out, "It hurts... It hurts so much, save me, please save me..."

Xia Huanjiao pursed her lips and carefully pushed the door open, slipping inside. Her movements were so light they didn't make a sound. The large room was empty, and the girl’s voice echoed within, sounding somewhat eerie. But this was no time for fear.

When Xia Huanjiao reached the girl, she saw the child’s wide, red eyes and immediately covered her mouth with one hand. With her free hand, she held a finger to her lips in a gesture of silence.

"Don't scream. I'm here to save you," Xia Huanjiao whispered, her voice barely audible, leaning close to the girl’s ear. The steam from the wooden barrel flushed Xia Huanjiao’s