Chapter 24: A Narrow Escape for Enemies
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Xu Shaodeng soon found himself at a disadvantage.
Yu Wanqiao pressed forward step by step, and only stopped when she finally knocked the sword from his hand.
“Xu Shaodeng, could there have been some misunderstanding between us?”
At first, she had assumed that he was simply too determined to obtain the Glazed Heart Grass, which was why he had refused to let her go.
But now, it seemed the matter was not what she had thought.
Xu Shaodeng glanced at Yu Wanqiao.
She immediately tossed aside the branch she had been holding against his neck.
“See? I bear you no ill will.”
Xu Shaodeng felt somewhat defeated.
Within the Nine Nether Sect, he had reached the early Core Formation stage at just twenty-four years of age. He had always considered himself extraordinarily gifted, a prodigy blessed by heaven.
Yet now, he had lost to Yu Wanqiao.
He had always believed that women could never match men in cultivation. What was more, Yu Wanqiao appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen. Though he acknowledged that she was a rare cultivation talent, he had instinctively assumed that she was still only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
He picked up his sword and no longer pressed Yu Wanqiao as aggressively as before.
Perhaps he had realized that he could not defeat her. Perhaps he had taken her words to heart.
Seeing that he had finally calmed down, Yu Wanqiao let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to become entangled with Bai Chuwei.
“Last night, you took the Glazed Heart Grass while my junior brother and sister were seriously wounded…”
“What?”
Before Xu Shaodeng could finish speaking, Yu Wanqiao became agitated.
It was true that she had used Xu Su and Xu Qingru at first.
But even if she had not intervened, the two of them would likely have been swallowed by the Fire-Scaled Dark Tiger and become its evening meal, given their abilities.
Her original plan had merely been to let the tiger exhaust their strength. Otherwise, if Xu Shaodeng arrived and the four of them joined forces against her alone, she would not have had enough energy left to concern herself with where the Glazed Heart Grass ended up.
Seeing how agitated Yu Wanqiao had become, Xu Shaodeng also realized that something was wrong.
“Could it be that things did not happen as I was told?”
Yu Wanqiao gave a cold snort.
“Of course they did not. The Fire-Scaled Dark Tiger seems to be at least in the early Core Formation stage. Your two junior disciples probably have not even reached Core Formation. So how could they possibly have killed the tiger and obtained the Glazed Heart Grass?”
Xu Shaodeng froze, apparently realizing the same thing.
His expression darkened, and he seemed annoyed with himself for noticing it only now.
At the time, he had been consumed by anger over the Glazed Heart Grass being taken by someone else and had failed to see through Xu Qingru’s deception.
Seeing his expression of sudden realization, Yu Wanqiao touched her coin purse once more.
“I apologize. I misunderstood you. May I ask whether the Glazed Heart Grass is still in your possession? If so, would you be willing to sell it to me?”
Yu Wanqiao waved her hand, completely unconcerned.
“I already sold the Glazed Heart Grass to the Spirit Plant Treasury for fifty high-grade spirit stones. If Young Master Xu is interested, you may inquire there.”
Whether they were willing to sell it to him was no longer her concern.
Yu Wanqiao continued, “Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Young Master Xu, I shall take my leave.”
“Wait.”
Xu Shaodeng called out to her.
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He had been somewhat stunned when he heard that the Glazed Heart Grass had already been sold.
Fifty high-grade spirit stones.
He would have to go to great lengths to obtain that amount.
Suddenly, he turned to look at Yu Wanqiao.
“How did you know that my surname was Xu?”
Yu Wanqiao stopped in her tracks. Only then did she realize that she had let something slip.
Still, she did not panic.
“I happened to overhear your junior brother and sister mentioning it while they were talking.”
“Is that so?”
Xu Shaodeng remained suspicious, but aside from that explanation, he could think of no other reason she would know his surname.
Thus, he set the matter aside and introduced himself again.
“I am Xu Shaodeng, the chief disciple of the Nine Nether Sect. May I ask which sect you belong to?”
Yu Wanqiao pursed her lips.
Which sect did she belong to?
Even she no longer knew whether the Profound Heaven Sect was still her home.
So she merely smiled and said nothing.
Xu Shaodeng understood and did not press her further.
Yu Wanqiao had originally intended to leave quickly and return to Aunt Wu’s home to draw talismans.
Suddenly, she sensed that something was wrong.
The ground seemed to be moving beneath them.
Yu Wanqiao’s expression sharpened.
No—the ground was not moving. The roots of the trees were.
Xu Shaodeng sensed it as well.
The two exchanged a glance before running to the side.
The next moment, they watched helplessly as a gigantic golden serpent emerged.
It was a Crimson-Flame Golden Python!
It had caught the scent of Yu Wanqiao and Xu Shaodeng.
Flicking its scarlet tongue, it slithered toward them.
Yu Wanqiao stared into its red eyes, and her heart sank.
Why had a Crimson-Flame Golden Python appeared here?
It was far more difficult to deal with than the Fire-Scaled Dark Tiger.
Its cultivation was also higher than the tiger’s.
Engaging it now would be a terrible decision.
So she made up her mind.
Run!
Xu Shaodeng turned his head and saw only Yu Wanqiao’s retreating back.
He gritted his teeth and followed her.
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Yu Wanqiao and Xu Shaodeng ran for their lives, but the Crimson-Flame Golden Python pursued them relentlessly.
Its massive body brought down trees wherever it passed, sending clouds of dust into the air.
“Why are you following me?” Yu Wanqiao asked, bewildered.
Xu Shaodeng, however, refused to leave.
“My cultivation is lower than yours. If we encounter it, I can at least lend you a hand.”
Yu Wanqiao glanced at the enormous serpent behind them and said no more.
They ran for a long time, yet the Crimson-Flame Golden Python still refused to give up.
Yu Wanqiao had never seen the written descriptions mention anything like this, and she wondered whether some unusual circumstance had occurred.
The two of them increased their speed again. Only after they had finally put some distance between themselves and the serpent did they find a place to hide.
“How could a Crimson-Flame Golden Python appear here?” Xu Shaodeng asked.
Yu Wanqiao gave him a puzzled look.
“How would I know?”
A hundred years ago, in Ruzhou, a cultivator had passed through this region and learned that spiritual beasts often came down from the mountain and killed people in the area. He had therefore set up a barrier.
The spiritual beasts on the mountain were forbidden from descending into Ruzhou.
He had subdued the spiritual beasts with lower cultivation, but there was nothing he could do about those with higher cultivation. All he could do was spread word that no one should enter this place.
That was also why so many people had tried to dissuade Yu Wanqiao from coming here in the first place.
But there were always curious people who climbed the mountain.
After hearing that some had descended safely, people gradually began to forget what had happened a century ago.
The appearance of the Fire-Scaled Dark Tiger could at least be explained by the emergence of the Glazed Heart Grass. After all, it was the grass’s guardian beast.
But why had the Crimson-Flame Golden Python appeared here?
Yu Wanqiao scratched her head in frustration.
The python’s cultivation was at least at the Core Formation stage.
Beyond that, she could not determine its true level.
Xu Shaodeng was equally puzzled.
But in the next moment, Yu Wanqiao was no longer confused.
She had heard Bai Chuwei’s voice.
“Second Senior Brother! Is—is that a Crimson-Flame Golden Python?”
Xie Wenyun’s anxious voice followed.
“Chuwei, don’t go any closer!”
“Ah! It—it’s coming over…”
Then came the sound of the Crimson-Flame Golden Python scraping across the ground.
Yu Wanqiao’s heart sank.
The Crimson-Flame Golden Python seemed to be heading toward them again.
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