Su Su asked, "Is it beautiful?"
This little spell was something the sect leader used to amuse her when she was a child, longing to see the outside world. It allowed her to easily witness the beauty of all things growing, preventing her from mischievously running outside the sect grounds.
Originally, it didn’t require an incantation as a medium, but Su Su, currently without spiritual power, had to rely on external aids for everything she did.
Tantai Jin remained silent.
He frowned deeply, shot her a cold glance, abandoned his talisman studies, and stood up to walk out without a word. As his figure vanished into the heavy snowfall, Su Su muttered under her breath, "How inexplicable."
If Tantai Jin didn’t want to learn, so be it. With him gone, she could focus on drawing offensive talismans.
After dozens of attempts, she barely managed to complete two or three. Su Su carefully stored the talismans away just as Chun Tao returned. The young maid’s eyes sparkled as she said, "Miss, I’ve delivered the letter to the eldest young lady."
Su Su nodded. Now, all that was left was to wait for a response from His Highness Prince Xuan.
Ye Bingshang opened Su Su’s letter.
Her maid, Xiao Hui, remarked, "Madam, how shameless of the third young lady to still send things to the manor. Your health hasn’t fully recovered yet—let me take this and burn it!"
Ye Bingshang shook her head. "Third Sister mentions important matters in her letter."
Xiao Hui retorted, "Important matters? The third young lady is full of lies. In my opinion, she’s surely looking for an excuse to see the prince. You mustn’t believe her."
"But... what if it’s true?"
Xiao Hui sighed in frustration. "With the third young lady’s behavior, how could she possibly focus on serious affairs? Since the prince sees through her tricks, she’s trying to approach him through you now."
Ye Bingshang’s face was pale as she covered her lips and coughed weakly.
Ever since emerging from the nightmare demon’s dream, her health had remained fragile. Xiao Lin, concerned for her, had specially summoned a royal physician from the palace to treat her.
Her slender, jade-like fingers pressed against her lips, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly, adding to her frail, delicate beauty.
Ye Bingshang lowered her lashes. "Regardless, this letter must be given to the prince, or it will reflect poorly on me. Xiao Hui, take Third Sister’s letter to His Highness."
Xiao Hui reluctantly accepted the letter, about to say more when her eyes suddenly lit up.
That’s right—this is the third young lady’s doing. As long as she hands it to the prince’s attendants and claims it was brought by the third young lady, the letter would be disposed of as usual.
The prince would never lay eyes on it.
Enlightened, Xiao Hui ceased disturbing the consort, bowed slightly, and said, "I’ll go at once."
After she left, Ye Bingshang gently propped her chin on her hand, gazing out at the snowy scenery outside the window, her lashes casting a faint shadow.
Su Su never received any news from Xiao Lin.
The next day marked the return of Ye Chu Feng and the Old Madam. If Su Su intended to take any action, it would be best to do so before Ye Chu Feng’s arrival.
Su Su had a peach wood sword hastily crafted, then pricked her finger to imbue it with several layers of immortal techniques.
Though she no longer possessed spiritual power, it was better than nothing.
The fox demon, having escaped the Desolate Abyss, was likely severely injured and sustaining itself by draining people’s vital energy—meaning Su Su still had a chance.
Aware of the risks involved, Su Su had specifically prepared teleportation talismans in advance. If she couldn’t defeat the fox demon, she could always flee.
After completing her preparations, Su Su asked Chun Tao, "Where is Tantai Jin?"
Chun Tao replied, "I haven’t seen him."
Xi Xi added, "The hostage prince seemed to have gone out this morning and hasn’t returned yet."
Su Su was surprised. "Do you know where he went?"For the past few days, she had been completely absorbed in crafting weapons and hadn't paid any attention to Tantai Jin's movements.
Xi Xi said, "This servant doesn't know either, Miss. Perhaps you could ask the steward?"
"Forget it, I have matters to attend to and need to go out first. If Tantai Jin returns, have the guards keep watch over him and don't let him leave again."
It was bad enough that he had swallowed the Demon Core; if Tantai Jin still had designs on the Demon Core, it would be truly troublesome.
Su Su went out alone.
She chose noon, and although it was winter, the sunlight was bright. At this time, it could somewhat suppress demonic creatures.
Fully equipped, she changed into simple and practical clothes, carrying a Peach Wood sword on her back and stuffing her sleeves with a jumble of Talisman Papers.
Some were useful, while others were quite impractical.
She also had a Silver Bell artifact bought from a Taoist priest hanging at her waist, jingling as she moved.
Xiao Lin, sitting in a carriage, almost didn't recognize her as he passed by.
The girl's hair was tied up high, and she was covered in strange objects all over.
Yet her face, bathed in sunlight, was full of vitality, radiating a brilliant aura from within.
When Xiao Lin had seen her before, the Third Miss was like a butterfly eager for everyone's attention, but now she had changed quite a bit.
She no longer fixated on appearances or clothing, yet she was all the more captivating.
Although she was dressed oddly, her lively eyes and beautiful face caught the attention of many young masters on the street.
She, however, paid no heed, absorbed in her thoughts.
Xiao Lin recalled the matter discussed in court today and sighed inwardly—Tantai Jin was probably...
"Third Miss," he called out.
Su Su turned around and saw Xiao Lin in the carriage. She hadn't expected to meet him before going to deal with the fox demon.
Hope ignited in her heart, and she was very pleased. "Your Highness."
Xiao Lin asked, "Why are you here, Third Miss?"
He had hit the nail on the head with his question. Su Su quickly lowered her voice and recounted the matter of the fox demon to him.
Xiao Lin had originally intended to discuss the matter of the Hostage with her...
But upon hearing about the fox demon, his expression grew increasingly grave.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Third Miss?" Xiao Lin's tone carried a hint of reproach. For a young lady from an inner chamber to take it upon herself to subdue a demon—did she even realize the danger?
Su Su was taken aback. She had clearly sent Chun Tao to deliver a letter to Prince Xuan's residence, yet Prince Xuan knew nothing about it.
A surprising guess flashed through her mind, but she kept it to herself. After all, it was understandable that Ye Bingshang didn't want her to have contact with Xiao Lin.
Su Su said, "It's my fault, Your Highness. Now that you know, do you have any acquainted Monster Exterminators?"
Xiao Lin replied, "Wait a moment."
He summoned an attendant, whispered a few words to him, and the attendant nodded and left.
Then Xiao Lin took Su Su to a teahouse. Before long, a man in white hurried over.
"Xiao Lin, you damned fool, what do you take me for? Every now and then you drag me into some mess! Let me tell you, I'm Lord Zhao's man! Lord Zhao's man!"
Su Su looked at Yu Qing in surprise.
Yu Qing appeared refined and gentle, but she hadn't expected him to speak so aggressively. She had seen Yu Qing by Lord Zhao's side before but hadn't realized he had private dealings with Prince Xuan.
Yu Qing noticed Su Su a moment later and stiffened.
Xiao Lin poured him a cup of tea, as if completely ignoring his earlier outburst, and said gently, "Junior Brother, please sit. Let Third Miss explain the situation to you."
Su Su repeated the matter of the fox demon in a dry tone.Yu Qing raised an eyebrow. "A fox demon? The kind that drains people's essence in books?"
Though he had studied demon extermination, all demonic creatures in the mortal realm had previously been sealed beneath the abyss. Thus, Yu Qing's training had been purely theoretical.
His encounter with the nightmare demon during the dream invasion was his first real battle against an actual demonic being.
Xiao Lin asked, "Can you handle it?"
"Whether I can or not, we'll only know by trying. Let me go back and prepare for a few days..."
Su Su quickly interjected, "No."
Ye Chu Feng was returning tomorrow. If the fox demon struck first, her second brother would be lost.
Xiao Lin said to Yu Qing, "I also agree to go today. Every day the fox demon remains in this world poses greater danger to the common people."
Yu Qing crossed his legs. "What's in it for me this time?"
Xiao Lin tossed him a completely black dagger.
Yu Qing's eyes lit up as he stored the dagger away, though he still wore a displeased expression. "Fine, let's go. Lead the way."
"Third Miss, just point us in the right direction. Don't be afraid—you should return to the manor," Xiao Lin said. When dealing with demons, quality mattered more than quantity in their group; bringing more people wouldn't help.
Su Su knew her "senior brother" meant well, driven by a strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness.
But in her view, while this Monster Exterminator Yu Qing had some skill, his combat experience was limited. Going like this, they would likely suffer.
She insisted on accompanying them.
"Either I don't tell you the location and go alone, or you take me with you."
Xiao Lin frowned.
Yu Qing laughed. "I agree you should come."
Eventually, the group arrived at the fox demon's courtyard.
The red plum blossoms still bloomed vibrantly, but their fragrance had faded considerably. The three remained vigilant as they entered the courtyard, yet found no trace of the fox demon.
Yu Qing suddenly remarked, "Many people have gone missing in the city recently."
Though he spoke lightly, the mood grew heavy, especially for Su Su. She suspected those people had most likely been abducted by the fox demon.
Without Ye Chu Feng's provisions, the fox demon had captured others.
"Where do we find her now?" Xiao Lin asked.
Yu Qing produced a compass from his sleeve, its needle spinning wildly. He clicked his tongue. "Goodness, it's actually a great demon..."
Finally, the compass settled.
Yu Qing said, "Follow the direction the compass points."
At the same time, a young man stood by the window, his dark pupils fixed on their departure.
The black-clad man behind him hesitantly asked, "Your Highness?"
Tantai Jin replied, "I understand."
"Then when do you plan to depart for Zhou Kingdom? Your mother awaits you at the ferry. We must not delay—I suggest you leave tonight," the black-clad man urged excitedly. "Any later might be too dangerous for you to remain here."
Tantai Jin watched Su Su and the others' retreating figures, murmuring scornfully, "Overestimating themselves."
The black-clad man didn't understand. "Your Highness, is there something still holding you back?"
"Nothing," Tantai Jin said coldly. "We leave tonight."
The black-clad man was overjoyed. "I have endured hardship for fourteen years, finally waiting for Your Highness's return."
Tantai Jin curved his lips slightly.
The sun blazed overhead—a rare fine winter day. Unfortunately, the people of Xia Kingdom would only enjoy such days for a little longer.
I wonder if War God Ye Xiao's blood runs hotter than ordinary men's? What would it feel like splattered across one's face?
Resting his fingers against his forehead, he let out a low chuckle.
His expression held contempt, yet also self-loathing.
Su Su thought having a Monster Exterminator along was indeed convenient. Had she come alone, she truly wouldn't have found the fox demon.
Now, the three of them held their breath, crouching outside the bamboo grove.Inside an exquisite bamboo hut, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air.
Su Su whispered a warning, "It's an enchantment fragrance, try not to inhale too much."
Inhaling too much of the demon fox's enchantment fragrance could cloud one's mind.
Yu Qing poured out three pills and distributed them to everyone. After swallowing one, Su Su found that she could no longer smell the strong, seductive fragrance.
Yu Qing retrieved a red thread from his storage jade as if from thin air.
He handed one end to Xiao Lin, who understood and nodded in acknowledgment.
Moving with light steps, Yu Qing began arranging the red thread around the bamboo hut.
Su Su was surprised to see that Yu Qing was setting up a formation, and a rather powerful one at that—the Soul-Snatching Formation.
The so-called Soul-Snatching Formation consisted of twelve earth arrays, arranged in a square shape. It dominated the four corners, making it difficult for enemies to withstand. Its form was unpredictable, its applications limitless. It could not stand alone and had to be paired with yang energy.[1]
Yu Qing measured his steps meticulously, arranging the formation with extreme precision.
Su Su hadn't expected that five hundred years ago, before Yu Qing had even joined an Immortal Sect, he would already know this formation.
Unfortunately, they didn't have enough people—only three in total—so they couldn't occupy all four corners.
Yu Qing circled back and had Su Su hold the other end of the thread.
He stepped into the formation, forming hand seals. Several small silver swords materialized in the air behind him.
"Annihilate!"
The small swords shot toward the bamboo hut at high speed.
The next moment, the hut exploded, and an unsuspecting woman in yellow tumbled out.
Her clothes were revealing, and sensing danger, she narrowed her eyes at the group.
Beside her, several men lay naked, their eyes vacant and faces flushed. Two of them had already stopped breathing.
One man, still stubbornly infatuated, reached for the demon fox, leaning in to kiss her: "Beauty, beauty..."
The demon fox kicked him away and called out to Yu Qing, "What, young man, do you also wish to frolic with me?"
She didn't even bother to cover herself. Xiao Lin frowned and turned his head away.
Yu Qing, however, stared at her unblinkingly, clicking his tongue in admiration: "Truly a fox demon..."
She had quite the figure.
Though her voice was seductive, her appearance was strikingly innocent.
She stamped her foot and coquettishly leaned toward Yu Qing, complaining, "You hurt me earlier."
Yu Qing curved his lips into a smile: "Then I must make it up to the beauty properly..."
He spread his arms, intending to catch the demon fox.
The moment he raised his fingers, Su Su and Xiao Lin understood his signal and simultaneously tightened the net.
The red thread glowed, swiftly converging into a net that flew toward the demon fox.
The Soul-Snatching Formation took effect, immobilizing her as the red thread tightly wrapped around her. The demon fox's smile vanished, and she said coldly, "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
Su Su sensed danger and shouted to Yu Qing, "Get away, quickly!"
Yu Qing reacted swiftly, throwing himself to the ground.
Just then, seven yellow tails sprouted from behind the demon fox as if from nowhere.
Unbeknownst to them, the red thread had begun to snap, inch by inch.
Su Su pulled Yu Qing to his feet: "Wasn't that red thread a Demon-Binding Thread?"
Yu Qing, who had nearly been struck by the demon fox's tail, spat out a mouthful of mud: "Where would I get Demon-Binding Thread? That's something only the old fogies from Immortal Mountain have."
Su Su was speechless: "..." Seeing the seven-tailed demon fox, she felt despair. How were they supposed to fight this?
The demon fox looked at Su Su and said, "So there's a little girl here too. How dare you ambush me? I'm angry now."
Her tails expanded violently, lashing out at the group. Su Su pulled Yu Qing back, narrowly avoiding the demon fox's attack.
She summoned her Peach Wood Sword.
Talismans flew from her sleeve toward the demon fox, three Yellow Talismans emitting a dazzling light. The demon fox sneered, "This one has some skill..."
Unfortunately, without an immortal body, what could she do against her?
The Thunderbolt Talismans shot toward the demon fox.The demon fox blocked the strike with its claws, instantly tearing open flesh and splattering blood.
Two more strikes charred its tails black, with the faint scent of roasted meat wafting through the air. Trapped by the peach wood swords, it could only continuously dodge.
Xiao Lin took out a golden rope, looped it around the demon fox's limbs, and tied her to a tree.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Qing began frantically pulling items from his storage jade and hurling them at the demon fox as if they cost nothing.
Pelted relentlessly, the demon fox's claws and shoulders began to bleed, and her face flushed with rage. All the essence she had painstakingly absorbed over time was nearly depleted here!
With an enraged shriek, she broke free from the ropes and lunged at Su Su.
Xiao Lin drew his sword, meeting the demon fox's sharp claws.
His swordsmanship was exceptional; though merely human, he exchanged several rounds with the demon fox.
Yu Qing pulled Su Su along, exclaiming, "Shit, shit, shit! What are you standing around for? Run!"
"But Xiao Lin—"
"He knows how to escape himself!" Yu Qing said, already leading the way in fleeing.
Su Su also knew that if it were a four or five-tailed fox, they might stand a chance today, but against a seven-tailed one, their only option was to flee for now.
She followed Yu Qing in their escape.
Not long after, Xiao Lin caught up with them.
Enraged, the demon fox refused to let them go and flew in pursuit.
Just then, they encountered a patch of swamp ahead. Yu Qing nearly cursed aloud, "What terrible luck!"
The demon fox laughed heartily.
Playing with her hair, she said, "Since that's the case, this humble one can grant you an interesting death."
She lifted her tails, striking all three into the swamp.
Lying lazily on the bank, her seven tails swaying, she watched them sink.
She glanced at Xiao Lin and sighed, "What a pity. Such a handsome man, and I never had the chance to share a spring breeze with you."
Xiao Lin remained expressionless, steadying himself to slow his descent.
Yu Qing, however, was far from calm, cursing the demon fox wildly.
"I don't care for foul-mouthed men like you," the demon fox blinked her beautiful eyes. "But since you're all about to die, let me see what type of woman you fancy. This humble one will fulfill your desires."
She extended a tail, brushing it over Yu Qing.
His cursing ceased as he gazed at the demon fox, gradually becoming infatuated.
The demon fox touched her face and giggled coyly, "Oh, so you prefer lively and charming women."
She turned to Xiao Lin, who remained stern-faced.
Her tail swept over him, "This woman is quite beautiful. Is she your wife? But duty and protection occupy too much of your heart—her place isn't enough."
Her tail brushed Su Su's cheek.
After a moment, the demon fox laughed, "Interesting, truly interesting. You don't even have a sweetheart yet. Such a pure soul... I haven't seen one in so long. A shame you're destined to die here today."
Su Su felt herself sinking steadily, the swamp soon reaching her chin.
Gritting her teeth, she tried to focus, summoning wind through divine art.
If she succeeded, the three of them might have a chance.
Bored, the demon fox transformed into Ye Bingshang to tease Xiao Lin. His expression softened gradually, and the demon fox's voice shifted, becoming Ye Bingshang's gentle tone.
The demon fox cast a smug glance at Su Su, who tried to snap Xiao Lin out of it, but to no avail.
Gradually, Su Su felt she could no longer breathe. If she had known a seven-tailed fox had escaped from the Desolate Abyss, she would never have come, even if beaten to death! What kind of great demon had Ye Chu Feng provoked?
Her fingers twitched with difficulty. Wind control technique! Hurry!
The demon fox, thoroughly enjoying herself, suddenly let out a puzzled "Huh?"
By then, the sun had set.From the bamboo grove, a young man in black gradually emerged. With jet-black hair and crimson lips, he walked over slowly.
Su Su’s eyes widened—
Tantai Jin!
The fox demon looked at him and smiled.
“So handsome,” she said, clutching the wound on her shoulder and licking her lips. “Come and heal me.”
Tantai Jin curved his lips. “Alright.”
His voice was low and hoarse, stirring the fox demon’s desires.
“Let me see, who is it that has captured your heart?”
With seductive steps, she walked toward Tantai Jin.
Just before her fox tail could touch his cheek, the young man raised his hand and grabbed it.
The fox demon giggled softly, eager to see the one he loved.
A moment later, her smile vanished, replaced by a look of confusion. “You…”
The young man said coldly, “Well? Did you see it?”
The fox demon gave Tantai Jin a deep, inscrutable glance.
“How is this possible…”
Before the hidden weapon in the young man’s sleeve could strike, the fox demon laughed coyly, “I won’t play with you anymore. Look, they’re about to die. You only have time to save one of the three. Until we meet again!”
The vengeful fox demon, recalling the purple lightning that had torn her flesh, flew away. Before leaving, she curved her lips into a smile at Su Su and flicked a drop of essence blood into Su Su’s forehead—
Let this pure, innocent girl taste the intriguing young man for her.
The fox demon transformed into a small yellow fox and vanished into the forest in an instant.
Tantai Jin walked toward the swamp.
As the fox demon had said, all three were in critical condition, nearly submerged in the swamp. Xiao Lin and Yu Qing had been knocked unconscious by the fox demon.
The young man sat down by the swamp.
Su Su held her breath, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.
Tantai Jin showed no intention of pulling them out. Su Su guessed he still wanted the fox demon’s inner core. Perhaps he had been following them all along, waiting to strike.
Unfortunately, upon realizing it was a Seven-tailed Fox, he had held back.
Su Su’s mouth was buried in the swamp, preventing her from speaking, so she blinked at him—
At least be human and pull one of them out!
Tantai Jin’s dark eyes stared at her, unmoving.
Su Su simply closed her eyes. The reason she wasn’t too panicked was that she still had a trump card—a Teleportation Talisman—in her sleeve. However, the talisman required Spiritual Energy to activate.
She had just gathered enough Spiritual Power to take her companions away.
If Tantai Jin wouldn’t save them, so be it.
The Teleportation Talisman flew into the air, and Xiao Lin and Yu Qing slowly disappeared from the swamp. Yet, after a while, Su Su remained trapped.
Su Su: …!
What was happening? Why couldn’t she be teleported?
Suddenly, she remembered the essence blood the fox demon had flicked into her forehead before leaving!
She was now tainted with Demonic Aura, and the Teleportation Talisman did not transport demonic creatures!
Realizing this, Su Su looked at Tantai Jin again.
The young man’s eyes held a mocking gleam as he leisurely observed her.
Su Su thought to herself, she would rather die than beg him, because she knew it would be useless. At worst, she could awaken the curved jade.
She had enough pride for that. Unless Su Su herself wished to die, no one could kill her!
The girl remained silent and still, allowing the swamp to swallow her.
The amusement in Tantai Jin’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by cold anger.
The sun was setting, and it would soon be dark. This was his final deadline to leave the Xia Kingdom.
Tantai Jin coldly watched the top of Su Su’s head, then turned and walked away.
How utterly detestable—sacrificing herself to save others, preferring death over begging him.
He had taken several steps when a sudden commotion erupted behind him.
The disheveled girl was pushed out of the swamp by an unseen force.She lay on the ground, coughing incessantly. Su Su was overjoyed—at such a critical moment, had Yu Feng actually succeeded?!
Human potential truly knows no bounds.
Yet when she looked up and saw Tantai Jin, she exclaimed in surprise, "You're still here?"
She had been submerged for so long, she thought he would have left long ago.
Tantai Jin's expression darkened. He sneered coldly, pressing the Emei daggers against her neck, and said, "You're not dead yet. How could I leave?"
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