As dawn broke, the faint mist began to dissipate, gradually brightening the woods. Everywhere lay the corpses of various snakes, their blood creating chilling, spread-out blood-red totems.
The two junior disciples who had accompanied Ji Changqing were now convulsing violently, their bodies writhing as if the venom had already invaded their internal organs. They were curled like shrimp, their faces alternating between pale and ashen. Swollen red lumps, like small hills, rose on their injured parts, and they foamed at the mouth. The occasional tremors indicated they were still alive.
"Ji Changqing, if these two junior brothers of yours don't receive timely treatment and the venom continues to spread, they will die from poisoning. As their senior brother, you'll have a difficult time explaining this."
Liu Fuqu knew she was likely to be captured today, but the thought of implicating these two strangers seeking medicine filled her with a sense of melancholy.
At some point, in a sealed corner of his heart, the man holding a long sword, standing protectively in front of her, had occupied a small, previously unfelt space. This had never happened during her years of seclusion.
However, she had to suppress this budding emotion. After all, anyone associated with an ill-fated woman like herself was destined for a grim end; she knew this all too well.
"Junior sister, by saying this, are you perhaps trying to negotiate with me?" Ji Changqing was no fool and immediately understood the implication of his junior sister's words.
Liu Fuqu nodded slightly. Just then, a clattering sound of someone climbing through the window came from the thatched hut. Ji Changqing sensed trouble and sprang up, soaring like a gust of wind directly over Ren Yuanhao's head. He used Ren Yuanhao's shoulder as a pivot for his left foot, leaping onto the thatched roof as lightly as a dragonfly touching down on water.
He looked around but found no trace of Liu Yu. As he wondered in surprise, he thought, "Could my junior sister's room have a secret passage? That brat must have created a diversion, leading me to the roof while he slipped away through the secret passage."
Ren Yuanhao burst into laughter. "Hey, you man who looks like a woman, if you want to find him, you can. But just looking from the rooftop won't do. You'll have to dig around like a turtle in the dirt. After all, my elder brother is capable of anything, flying through heavens and burrowing through earth. Miss one spot, and you might not find a single trace."
Upon hearing this, Liu Fuqu couldn't help but cover her face and chuckle. It was as if a gentle cloud had veiled the moon, making the scattered clouds pale in comparison. It was like the clouds parting after rain, a pear blossom tree trembling in the breeze, breathtakingly beautiful.
"You little rascal, just you wait until I catch your good brother! I'll flay him alive!"
Ji Changqing descended rapidly. The moment he pushed open the door of the thatched hut, a peculiar fragrance assailed him. The room was meticulously tidy, with various medicinal herbs and guides for their efficacy hung on the walls. The windows were clean and bright. In front of a purple gauze curtain stood an agate incense burner, from which wisps of smoke curled upwards. The strange scent seemed to emanate from within.
However, this scent made Ji Changqing wary. With a burst of speed, he charged out of the thatched hut.
"Oh, what's this? Finished searching already?" Ren Yuanhao pointed two fingers at the ground and taunted, "Look, you still need to carefully dig several large holes. Maybe with some luck, you'll find some clues."
Ji Changqing completely ignored Ren Yuanhao. Instead, he drew the long sword stuck in the porch and whispered, "Dream-Eating Powder!"
"That's right." Liu Fuqu's face grew paler, and crimson blood dripped through her purple robes onto the cold ground, splashing out in strange blood flowers.
"Do you think that incense can knock me out, allowing you to escape?"
Liu Fuqu merely smiled. It was Ren Yuanhao who spoke up, "Escape? Does the heavenly fairy sister need such methods? Oh? I see now! No wonder you love flying around so much. You must have been a mosquito in your past life, so you can't stand any incense."
Liu Fuqu covered her face and chuckled again, captivating Ren Yuanhao.
"Alright, I'll rip out your foul mouth and your glib tongue right now! Let's see if you can still twist words with it!"
Ji Changqing, being a cultivator, was no match for a playful rogue like Ren Yuanhao in a verbal spar. Ren Yuanhao's goal was precisely to provoke him with his sharp tongue, making him agitated, which would give him a slight chance of victory.
Ji Changqing's swordplay was exceptionally elusive. His drawing of the sword was so fast that Ren Yuanhao could only perceive thirty to forty percent of it. Fortunately, with Liu Fuqu fighting alongside him, making it a two-on-one situation, even Ji Changqing's skill couldn't overwhelm them quickly.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu, using his invisibility ability, had escaped the small grove. He glanced back at the gently rustling grove, knowing full well that a bloody storm was brewing within. Although he wanted to return, the thought of Ye Lan and Ren Yuanhao's instructions made him calm himself down and sprint towards Shi Kexin's home.
Outside the thatched hut, fierce winds howled, and the clash of swords and blades refracted like a kaleidoscope. The three fought for over a hundred rounds. Ren Yuanhao and Liu Fuqu's internal energy was clearly no match for Ji Changqing's. As the fight progressed, they found it increasingly difficult to cope. Moreover, Ji Changqing's sword bore the imprint of a master blacksmith, and any wound inflicted by it would bleed profusely and incessantly.
Thus, the more they hesitated, the more constrained they became. In contrast, Ji Changqing's moves grew increasingly ruthless and sharp. Ren Yuanhao's raised sword to block was already numbing his tiger's mouth, and Liu Fuqu, limited by her weapon, was consistently dodged by Ji Changqing whenever she had an opportunity to inflict damage.
With this ebb and flow, the two grew more exhausted.
"Senior brother! Why are you relentlessly pursuing us like this!"
The two combined their strength to block Ji Changqing's sword and retreated a few steps. Ren Yuanhao took advantage of Liu Fuqu's question to catch his breath while remaining on guard.
Ji Changqing shook his sword, and a gust of wind erupted like waves. Several snakes, already cut in half, were instantly pulverized by this burst of energy.
"Do you still need me to answer that? Junior sister, you probably know better than I do!"
"But that kind of life..." Liu Fuqu's complexion suddenly turned green, her beautiful eyes clouded as if she had recalled something terrifying. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
Ji Changqing snorted coldly, his gaze hardening. His sword suddenly thrust out in a straight line, like a rainbow piercing the sun. Ren Yuanhao didn't even see how he attacked. He felt a chilling coldness pass through his body below his collarbone, penetrating his back and extending inwards along his veins, muscles, and fascia. Only then did his pain receptors send a needle-like stinging sensation to his brain!
"I forgot to tell you, when it's two against one, don't get careless just because you feel safe. That's how you'll die!"
Ji Changqing grinned, retracting his sword amidst a spray of blood. Ren Yuanhao, who was already enduring the fight with injuries, felt the world spin and darkness descend, making him sway precariously.