"What... what nonsense are you spouting?"
Zhou Ruoxi's expression changed drastically. She pointed her sword at the sect leader of the Demonic Cult before her, who was agitated, acting deranged, and weeping uncontrollably. Zhou Ruoxi didn't understand why the woman claimed she was her daughter.
"I'm not spouting nonsense..."
However, Yin Baisu was filled with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she trembled. She said to Zhou Ruoxi, "Did your master tell you that she found you on a snowy day, and that you were born on November 30th in the hour of the rat, in '93?"
Zhou Ruoxi's eyes widened in astonishment. Her heart pounded, and she looked at the woman, the sect leader of the Demonic Cult, in disbelief. Trembling, she asked, "How... how do you know that?"
"Wuwuwu..."
Yin Baisu sobbed with emotion, then raised her head and said to Zhou Ruoxi, "Because your master, Master Fengling, and I are close friends!"
"What?"
Zhou Ruoxi was shocked and looked at her incredulously. How could her master be close friends with the sect leader of the Demonic Cult?
Yin Baisu's face was filled with emotion. She said, "When I gave birth to you, I handed you over to Fengling so that you wouldn't have to live a life on the run with me. I had her raise you in the Emei Sect so you could have a better life."
"Heh heh, but now, fate plays such cruel tricks..."
These words struck Zhou Ruoxi like a thunderclap, exploding in her mind and completely shattering her understanding of the world. She looked at Yin Baisu, the sect leader of the Demonic Cult, in disbelief, unable to accept that she could be her biological mother.
"Ruoxi, I know you won't acknowledge me, but it's alright. Even if I die by your hand, I won't resent you..." Yin Baisu's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Zhou Ruoxi, whose pretty face was frozen in shock...
Yin Baisu had foreseen this day ever since she handed the newborn Zhou Ruoxi over to Master Fengling.
But what did it matter? She had done so back then to spare her daughter a life of hardship and constant hiding.
"Quick, over there...!"
At that moment, voices from Jiang Tingxia and other Emei Sect members, as well as people from other sects, could be heard approaching Zhou Ruoxi...
"Quick, kill me! I don't want to die by someone else's hand...!"
Seeing people approaching, Yin Baisu's phoenix eyes widened. She shouted at the conflicted Zhou Ruoxi.
Zhou Ruoxi's heart was shaken. Her eyes were red as she stared intently at the woman. The sect leader's sword in her hand trembled slightly. Her lips, slightly parted, couldn't believe that this sect leader of the Demonic Cult was her mother...
"You... you should leave!"
Zhou Ruoxi lowered her long sword. For some reason, an inexplicable feeling arose in her heart, making her unable to strike Yin Baisu...
Yin Baisu froze, looking at her daughter, whom she hadn't seen in over twenty years...
"Hurry and leave!"
Zhou Ruoxi looked up and shouted sternly.
Yin Baisu finally came to her senses. She gave Zhou Ruoxi a deep look from her phoenix eyes, then, clutching her chest wound, turned and quickly vanished into the forest...
"Senior Sister Sect Leader..."
Just then, Jiang Tingxia, along with other senior and junior sisters from the Emei Sect, and people from other sects, arrived. They saw Zhou Ruoxi standing alone, her expression somber, not knowing what had happened.
"Sect Leader Zhou, where is Yin Baisu, the sect leader of the Demonic Cult?"
Qi Xiu, the second senior brother of the Wudang Sect, asked.
Zhou Ruoxi's face was grim, but her heart was shaken. She suppressed her emotions and shook her head, saying, "Her martial arts are very advanced. She escaped."
"In which direction did she flee?" asked Liu Bing, the sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect.
Zhou Ruoxi pointed a jade finger in a direction. Liu Bing immediately shouted, "Everyone, let's pursue her quickly..."
"Hurry! We must capture the sect leader of the Demonic Cult! We absolutely cannot let her escape..."
Instantly, everyone chased in the direction Zhou Ruoxi had pointed. However, Yin Baisu had fled in another direction...
"Senior Sister, are you alright?"
Jiang Tingxia noticed Zhou Ruoxi's unusual expression and asked with concern, "Are you injured?"
Zhou Ruoxi shook her head slightly and said, "No, I'm just a little tired. Let's go back. Since Sect Leader Liu and the others are pursuing, we don't need to."
Seeing this, Jiang Tingxia nodded, allowing the other senior and junior sisters to join the pursuit with the other sects, while she accompanied Zhou Ruoxi back.
Later, Zhou Ruoxi returned to the Emei Sect. She thought she would never see Yin Baisu, the sect leader of the Demonic Cult, again. However, to her surprise, half a month later, Yin Baisu secretly came to the Emei Sect...
"You... why are you here?"
That night, Zhou Ruoxi was surprised and nervous to see Yin Baisu appear in her residence...
In the past few days, she had been deeply contemplating Yin Baisu's words, and the inexplicable feeling in her heart had grown stronger.
Perhaps she truly was her daughter!
"I just wanted to see you..."
Yin Baisu's face was pale, her gaze towards Zhou Ruoxi soft yet emotional. She coughed violently...
"You... you're injured?"
Zhou Ruoxi saw her deathly pale face and realized she must have suffered a severe internal injury.
"Yes, I don't have many days left. That's why I came, to see you one last time. Then, even if I die, I'll have no regrets..." Yin Baisu said with a smile.
These words caused an inexplicable ache in Zhou Ruoxi's heart. Her red eyes looked at Yin Baisu, and after a long moment, she asked with pursed lips, "You... are you really my mother?"
Yin Baisu's face was filled with tenderness. Her phoenix eyes, shining with emotion, gazed at Zhou Ruoxi and nodded...
Zhou Ruoxi's heart trembled. Although she couldn't believe it, she now understood that Yin Baisu, the sect leader of the Demonic Cult before her, was her biological mother...
Therefore, Zhou Ruoxi allowed Yin Baisu to stay in the Emei Sect. In the following days, Zhou Ruoxi continued to treat Yin Baisu's injuries. It wasn't until a certain senior sister entered and discovered Yin Baisu that Master Yun Bai and Jiang Tingxia learned that the sect leader of the Demonic Cult had been hiding within their Emei Sect all along...
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come to the Emei Sect back then..."
Yin Baisu looked at Zhou Ruoxi, her heart filled with regret. If she had known this would implicate Zhou Ruoxi in such a predicament, she would never have come to the Emei Sect.
"Don't say that."
Zhou Ruoxi shook her head slightly, her gaze firm. She said, "I won't let them harm you."
"But..."
Yin Baisu looked at her with concern. Zhou Ruoxi shook her head, her decision made. Gritting her teeth, she said, "At most, we'll leave the Emei Sect. As long as we can leave alive, that's all that matters!"
"Zhou Ruoxi, hurry and bring out the sect leader of the Demonic Cult, or we will never forgive you..."
Outside, Elder Guo Yu, leading a group of disciples, surrounded Zhou Ruoxi's entire residence and shouted incessantly.
Master Yun Bai stood by with a grim expression, remaining silent. She didn't understand why Zhou Ruoxi would secretly harbor the sect leader of the Demonic Cult within the Emei Sect.
Even though she supported Zhou Ruoxi, she had no reason to do so now.
The next moment, Zhou Ruoxi, holding the sect leader's sword, emerged with her mother Yin Baisu. Her face was devoid of emotion, her eyes sharp as she stared directly at the Third Elder Guo Yu and the other Emei Sect disciples, her attitude resolute.
"Zhou Ruoxi, you finally came out!"
Elder Guo Yu narrowed his eyes, pointed his long sword at Zhou Ruoxi and the sect leader of the Demonic Cult, Yin Baisu, and shouted sternly, "Speak! Why did you selfishly hide the sect leader of the Demonic Cult in our Emei Sect?"
"Do you know what all the major sects would think of our Emei Sect if they knew about this?"
"Hmph, but don't worry, I've already explained it to Sect Leader Zhong of the Wudang Sect. The people from all the major sects are rushing to our Emei Sect overnight!"
"Therefore, Zhou Ruoxi, I advise you to stand aside obediently and let us capture the sect leader of the Demonic Cult. Otherwise, don't blame us for not considering our fellow disciples!"
The surrounding disciples all pointed their swords at Zhou Ruoxi and Yin Baisu. With just a command from Guo Yu, they would swarm forward and capture them.
"I will not stand aside!"
However, Zhou Ruoxi's pretty face was cold, and she stubbornly told Guo Yu.
"Ruoxi..."
Master Yun Bai, who had been holding back her emotions, glared at Zhou Ruoxi and asked through gritted teeth, "Why are you doing this? Don't you know who you are?"
"Harboring the sect leader of the Demonic Cult is going against all the major sects of the martial arts world. Do you know the seriousness of this?"
"Senior Sister..."
Jiang Tingxia was extremely anxious and couldn't help but call out, wanting to persuade Zhou Ruoxi.
"Why, after all?" Master Yun Bai questioned sternly.
Zhou Ruoxi looked at Master Yun Bai and Jiang Tingxia, her gaze filled with complexity. She pursed her lips and said, "Martial Aunt, she is my biological mother!"
"What..."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the Emei Sect, from top to bottom, looked at Zhou Ruoxi with shock and disbelief.
Master Yun Bai and Jiang Tingxia's eyes widened even further. They questioned sternly, "How is that possible? How could she be your biological mother...?"
"Good! So you're the daughter of the sect leader of the Demonic Cult..."
However, Guo Yu, standing nearby, was inwardly thrilled. He hadn't expected such an unexpected outcome.
"Ruoxi, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Master Yun Bai, having recovered, shouted in exasperation, "How could she be your biological mother..."
"Martial Aunt Yun Bai, I don't believe it either, but it's true."
Zhou Ruoxi looked at the furious Master Yun Bai, knowing that she cared about her. She shook her head and said, "I know what consequences this will bring!"
"Martial Aunt, I have wronged you, and I have wronged everyone in the Emei Sect. I have disappointed you..."
"Senior Sister..."
Jiang Tingxia was completely flustered upon hearing this outcome.
"Disciples, listen to my command..."
Guo Yu, invigorated, waved his sword and shouted at the surrounding disciples, "Take down this traitor and the sect leader of the Demonic Cult!"
Shuashuashua...!
Instantly, dozens of Emei Sect disciples drew their long swords and charged at Zhou Ruoxi and Yin Baisu together. Guo Yu shouted, "Capture them alive! I want to present this mother and daughter to the Martial Arts Association for judgment...!"
Zhou Ruoxi's beautiful eyes widened. She turned and exchanged a glance with her mother, Yin Baisu. Both of them attacked simultaneously, engaging in combat with these Emei Sect disciples...
Holding the sect leader's sword, her sword shadows danced. She fought against these senior and junior sisters, but she did not strike with lethal force, only using the edge of her sword to injure them and stop them...
Yin Baisu did the same. She used two mandarin duck knives with her hands. She listened to Zhou Ruoxi, so she did not strike these Emei Sect disciples with lethal force either, only injuring them...
Zhou Ruoxi's current martial arts realm had reached the late stage of Dan Jin. Naturally, these Emei Sect disciples were no match for her...
Yin Baisu was already in the outer gang stage of the martial arts Gang Jin realm. However, due to the severe internal injuries she had suffered from being surrounded by experts from various sects, even though she remained in the Emei Sect and was cared for by Zhou Ruoxi for treatment, allowing her to recover somewhat.
But now, Yin Baisu could only exert the strength of the mid-stage Dan Jin realm. As she became entangled with these Emei Sect disciples, her unhealed internal injuries were triggered again, making her appear somewhat strained...
"Quick..."
However, the other disciples of the Emei Sect, upon receiving the order, were rushing towards them in large numbers...